Kartakass: Chapter Seven

[A G Thing]

Deari does not flinch or but seems somewhat tense as she offers her arm.

"Of course Lucius... If you wish, we may walk and speak..."

Deari walks along a few steps and then turns her head to tell Hobert to stay at the camp when she notices him begining to follow behind. She is still tense but as soon as they leave the area of the camp, she has a slight tremor to her arm that is unnoticed by her at first but she does notice and it stops it after a moment. She smiles slightly but she does not know if she deserves to do such, and the conflict while mostly buried raises the doubt in her once more...

She stands when Lucius finally decides to stop, and looks at the scene surrounding them. The smile has faded to but a pleasant look upon her face as she thinks about many things.

"So what do you wish to speak of?" She tries her best to stay level and pleasant in her speech as well but is unsure if she has succeded.

[BigBadQDaddy]

William, who has once again been studiously cleaning his pistol and humming an old sailors tune to himself has also been watching what has been transpiring about the shelter.

Paying special attention to the boy and his now would be tutor. He can't help but feel great fear for the boy. If the last few months have been any indication of what he could experience on the groups quest to bring him safely to Darkon, then the boy may arrive changed in other ways than physically. That is if they are able to bring him back alive at all.

No way he thought about it, it was still very discouraging to hear the old gypsy woman speak of their quarry in such a flat and brutal tone. Could one really be dead and the other damned? Had they truly failed?

Looking up from the cleaning kit and pistol lying on before him on a spread out black square of cloth, the old sailor notices as Luscius and Deari make their way out of the shelter together. He can't help but let a smile curl at the corners of his mouth. Kids will be kids, so it is said. It is also said to never trust a wolf in sheep's clothing.

The smile vanishes from the corners of his mouth as he reassembles his pistol, loading one of the enchanted shots. He cleans up his cleaning kit, packing it away. Once done with that he moves his seat closer to the front door. 'All the better to hear you with my dear.' He remembered hearing that somewhere. For some reason he could not place it seemed relevant.

[Ail]

Lucius does not walk for a long time. He stays in sight of the shelter, by a sturdy tree, to let Deari feel safer.

"Deari, I know you may be scared of me. I'm a danger to everyone around me, and indeed, more of a danger to those I care for the most.
I trust in Madame Eva, for my life is lost if I don't, and while I wear this amulet she has given me, I trust the beast inside will remain shackled."

Out of the corner of his eye, he barely sees William looking in their direction before going inside.

He lets go of her hand, and continues, once again petting Hobert as the loyal dog arrives, but unlike before, this time he does it affectionately.

Pointing at a rock nearby, he suggests smiling
"it's not much, but would you like to seat?"

[A G Thing]

Deari sits and maintains eye contact, the whole time as she absently tries to sit as suggested. She had expected some of this but was touched by his concern for her. She also while listening to his words begins to see the depth of what is on his mind as well. She feels ill, but begins to try and fix this misconception, to speak her true concern...

"I... While I... While I was concerned about such, and I fear for the innocent, that is not what bothers me now... I have been thinking, and I must admit my emotion when looking your way is selfish in some extent. I feel guilt, and it is brought more to bear against my sensabilities by my worry for you... I had wondered if perhaps... I may... If I might have failed you..."

Eye contact is lost slightly as her head turns and lowers some for a moment, but she looks back to his eyes as if forcing herself. She is calm but her eyes are red from an effort to hold back. He had spoken of himself to her. She would not deny him such in return.

"I tried my best to cleanse your wounds... I had hoped that perhaps my aid had somehow been a help... Perhaps, I could help defeat that dark magic... But when you changed... I was shocked by it's happening... As if it had never crossed my mind I had failed, even though I had prepared myself to some extent... When it happend, I did not blank out. I remember it so clearly now, but at the time, the thoughts in my mind trembled so fast with doubt... I went first thing and cleaned Cornelius's wounds, and I kept thinking the whole time..."

'Why? Not this time! It's not your fault! Or is it? Don't fail!'

She smiles some what strained but it is earnest as she continues to hold composure. She is however, almost imperceptably shaking. She has gone pale.

"Im sorry!!! I have just been so ashamed of myself... I don't doubt you!!! Im so sorry... Sorry for failing you... I never blamed you... I never wanted you to think... (Sniff!) And now... Oh God... (Hic!) You... (Sob!) And with her... (Sob!) And this is... I didn't..."

She stops speaking through her tears, and then she slowly leans to the side and begins to gasp between the sobbing. She has braced herself on the stone and just can't seem to catch her breath. She has lost her composure, and is shaking visably.

[VAN]

During the travel Van seems worried about something. After dinner he gets closer to William and says:

"William, I need your insight on our situation. Everything seems very easy. Lucius turns a lycanthrope and what a great occasion wakes up just before the throne and can easily retrieve the items. Nobody was there to guard them and we both know that these items are precious. Also we had no encounter except of the wolves in he forest. I don't know bit if I was a powerful wolfwere, as the one who had the items, I'd have tried to get them back...What do you think?"

[Ail]

"Oh Ezra, please, what I have done?"

"Deari, I didn't mean for you to cry, please don't." He takes her hands and then instinctively hugs her caressing her hair as a mother caresses her child.

"I never blamed you, never! If anything, I thought you might scare away from me. I know fully well how impotent we may be before the dread disease. Please, don't lay so much guilt on yourself!"

He takes her hands and looks in her eyes.

"No, you never failed me, Deari. If anything, you took care of me like you knew me in years, and that is something I... I really have to thank you."

He blushes a bit as he says this, as if he felt more. He looks her once again, no too sure of her feelings, and of what Deari truly meant.

To be sure he thought, mine own feelings are somewhat of a turmoil right now...

He lowers his eyes, all the time still holding her hands. Then he adds, softly.

"I've made my peace with the past... with my pledge to help others like me... or her. But... "

A sigh and a few seconds go by

"Just don't cry, Deari. There's no reason to."

[A G Thing]

Deari sits there and listens to his words once more. She feels foolish, and yet comforted. She can only go over the words in clear pieces as her jumble of thoughts begins to finally come together. He has been looking in her eyes and the flush on her face is evident as well.

She has little to respond to for his words seem right, and a tightness in her throat seems to prevent such. The guilt of the, past few days is slipping at each moment, and while she knows he is right, she had perhaps known it was so before this, but just could not accept it. Until perhaps this moment and these words. He was as she had seen before, ever kind it seemed, and this moment was turned from a confession of guilt and relief of his worries of mistrust, to his non condeming nature, telling her she had been not at fault, and trying to comfort her.

He spoke and held her, with no frustration or malice and she felt it. She still could not stop crying but she felt it. She saw it in his eyes as well that this was an openly honest moment. She also knew that perhaps she was looking odd as she looked into his eyes even after he had stopped speaking. Then as the thoughts turned in her mind to something other than the release of moments past, beyond just the comfort of what this was to be, and she blushed further and lowered her eyes somewhat.

Only when she felt his hand move slightly did she move further, and she did so rapidly, grabbing hold as if fearful he was leaving. Perhaps he had been adjusting it but she held it just the same. She finally with a small sigh leaned into him exhausted, emotionally and bodily. She has quit shaking, and quit sobbing but tears still rolled, and her hand unlike the rest of her was still firmly grasping his. Her eyes looked at the silver pendant on his chest, with a smile on her face as only a single pleasant thought crosses her mind.

'I feel so much peace, and comfort now! I pray it can stay so for at least a little while longer...'

"Thank you for this Lucius! If I may? I just need a moment more..."

[Ail]

Lucius feels his heart race uncontrollably as Deari holds his hand and speaks to him with her soft sweet voice. He takes her other hand to the pendant over his chest, keeping it there.

He feels the urge to embrace her, but the moment is so perfect he just lets it go.

"Of course, Dear...all the time you want" he thinks aloud without noticing.

Time stands still for a while. But Lucius's mind doesn't stop. Deari is beginning to stir him in a way no woman did in a very long time, and apparently deeper than mere occasional acquaitances. His eyes look at her, a smile appears in his face, and time still stands still.

[Ail]

Some time later, Lucius looks at the approaching night and says

"Deari, it's getting late. We should return."

[A G Thing]

Deari only then notices... She moves slowly to rise, and nods slightly... This time helping him rise...

"You're right Lucius... Thank you..."

Before he can get back to his feet completely however, she gives him a slight kiss on the forehead. Then she turns with a slight blush and walks back to the others. She may have just relaxed, but now with so much to think about perhaps it is going to be the start of a pleasant dream.

[Ail]

Lucius gets up surprised as Deari kisses him and runs away. He stands fixed for a moment, looking at her. He takes his hand to the medallion and hides it firmly behind the clothes.

He begins walking back to the shelter, slowly and in a rather pensive mood, as if fighting over some inner doubt. Gradually he increases pace until he reaches the shelter hustling.

[A G Thing]

Deari simply looks at him a tiny bit self-conscious, slightly worried, very confused, and admittedly a little amused.

She simply thinks as she watches the scene change in a rather odd fashion. 'I don't think I did anything offensive... Huh?'

She follows the form of Lucius after one stunned moment...

'He put the necklace under his shirt... Oh!'

Worried after thinking she understands she moves after slowly. Perhaps he was protecting her... She would let him do such if he wished, but she hoped it would work out for the best.

[Ail]

Lucius reaches Deari before she gets to the shelter. He notices her hesitation and a faint glimmer of doubt.

"I'm very happy we had this talk, Deari. I feel like a new world is opening to me. Well, let's go in, the others must be worried already."

[steveflam]

"So, once we arrive in Darkon and get Vassili to Father Dentor, what are our plans? Should we be looking into that matter for the Order? I recall we did accept once we returned. Though I joined you later in your quest, it is somewhat disconcerting to learn that the two men are gone. I suppose on the bright side, we learned of their fate."

Jacob sits with Vassili. Given the late hour, the boys eyes tend to close and he nods off. The dark elf picks the lad up gently in his arms and excuses himself, bringing Vassili to the lads room. He puts him to bed. The young one wakes as Jacob tucks him in. "Yawn....... Ah Jacob I guess I fell asleep."

The boy stretches. "Did Lucius come back yet? They've been gone a while, he and Deari. I hope they are okay. Please have him come tuck me in before he heads for sleep, Jacob."

"Sure thing, Vassili, I will. Tomorrow we continue your lessons in reading and writing, young man. Rest now. Once Lucius has returned, I'll send him to tuck you in, ok?"

He ruffles the boys hair and exits the room, closing the door behind him. He walks over to the door and opens it, stepping outside. He spies Lucius, Deari and Hobert and waves. "Everything ok? Lucius, Vassili asked for you to tuck him when you come back. I think the boy's taken to you, old chap. It's safer indoors, but of course you already know that." The dark elf smiles knowingly and enters the shelter, leaving the door ajar for the three companions.

"They're back from their stroll. I feel for a snack. Cornelius, care to join me in the kitchen? We can make something for everyone."

[Ail]

Jacob comes to the door as the trio is arriving there. Lucius gives a meaningful wink to Deari and says

"I'll better go see Vassili before he falls to sleep. At any rate, we'll be more comfortable inside."