Post by Dame Danae Galanos on Nov 4, 2009 15:18:43 GMT -6
Danae = It would be mid day when she got the message from her brother to meet him at a certain place by a certain time. That he had something important he needed to talk to her about. Normally Danae would have brushed it off as nothing, thinking that perhaps he was just up to some trick of his to have them argue and he get a rise out of it. However, the wording of his message didn't seem like it usually did if that were the case and she knew something was wrong. After letting both Merick and Balian know where she was headed and why, she left the grounds to head off toward their meeting destination. All the while, she wondered what could have her brother so upset and request a visit. After making her way down a few streets and passing by a couple of her favorite places in a hurried pace with nothing more than a fleeting wave of hand to those she knew, Danae reached the Travelers Rest Inne 'n Pub.It didn't take long for her to spot the big Greek male once she stepped inside.
Ren = The message had been sent over an hour ago, but he was already there and waiting long before the time he mentioned. He had no place to go, nothing to do now and felt it matter very little to anyone whether he did the usual things to fill his day. The man had even slept late which was uncommon for him as he had always been and always was an early riser. Today however, due to last nights events had quickly changed that, even if only for a day..and honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if this became his new routine, at least for a while. As he sat there, waiting, his mind played over and over the events of last night. How he'd been so happy to see her upon his return, how she was dancing about merrily with the others. Then he remembered the look in her eyes, the tone in her voice, and from there, how everything he'd been looking forward to was swept away. It was the opening of the door that had the dark gruff looking male lift his eyes alone before his head followed to spot his sister. The smile that creased his lips was a forced one, but he tried to at least to look happy to see her. He had after all been away on a long hunting trip for the past two months.
Danae = As her eyes settled on her brother with his head half hung, his hands clasped together and elbows on the table, it was something she'd never seen before now. He looked terrible... not just physically, but well, there was something about his position that made her heart want to drop to the pit of her stomach. He looked... defeated, like he had been in a long battle and wore the face of loss. However, when he finally looked up to her, she was quick to change her on worried expression to a slightly more cheerful one and smiled to him while closing the distance between them to join him at his table. ``Well well, look what the cat finally drug in.`` she teased in a attempt to lighten an already heavy hearted atmosphere. ``So... what are you here to warn me about this time? Who's head are you after now? Or.. no.. wait... I have it.. you finally figured out who it is that I've been seeing and you want to kill him...`` she tried to jest.
Ren = As his sister moved to sit with him, he looked to her with his sad hazel eyes, but attempted another smile, just for her. ``Yes, I know... been a way far to long, but I'm back. However, ... it won't be for long I'm afraid.`` he replied as he fiddled with his fingers in an idle fashion. ``Danae... I won't beat around the bush about this, so.. lets just get to the point. Even though I've just returned as of last night... tomorrow I'm heading back out. I can't stay here...to much is at risk if I do and you may be forced to plead with the Duke and Duchess on my behalf if I'm thrown into the dungeon. That's something I don't want to go through again... or put you through, or even have her go through.`` he said in a low tone. He lifted his head fully as he sat back in the chair, his weight making the wooden piece creak under stress. ``I wanted to at least let you know that I'm okay... well.. physically at least. And to give you a proper good bye like a brother to a sister should.``
Danae = Her head canted and she leaned forward to take up the position he just back from. Hands clasped then curled around one another as elbows came to rest on the table top. ``Ren... what do you mean? What's wrong? What happened?`` she asked in a concerned voice. Icy blue hues drifted about his rugged features, trying to read his expression in hopes to get some sense of what he meant before it was voiced to perhaps better prepare herself for what was to come. ``I don't understand... you just got back and already you want to leave? Why? And.. why would I have to come to your defense? for what? for whom?`` So many questions did the little sister have for her big brother. ``Goodbye.. physically alright...?`` she glanced away briefly in confusion before looking back to him. `` Ren... tell me, what's happened? Are you in some kind of trouble? If so.. tell me and I'll make them wish they never involved you..`` She added in a slightly angered voice.
Ren = ``NO... `` he barked out. The giant realized quickly his tone and cleared his throat. `` I mean... no.. it's not her fault, it's mine. I should have been here, should have been able to be there for her...so.. don't do or say anything to her.`` A hand lifted to run down over his face as if it were an attempt to wipe away the tiredness. ``Last night...on my return... I had hoped to see Ada as quickly as possible, and I did.. but things didn't go as I had hoped.`` he paused, took in a deep breath and exhaled in sad sigh. ``Danae... she and I are no longer together... `` It was painful for him to think it, but to even say it was like admitting to himself his failure. ``If I stay, I can't promise that I won't pound every man's face in that I see her with... that I will be nothing more than a painful reminder of what could have been. Therefore, to avoid trouble for both myself and for her, I'm leaving tomorrow.``
Danae = She actually flinched with the response of her brother's roar like reply. As he began to explain things a little more in detail, she now knew why he looked so... helpless. Heartache was a terrible thing to experience, one that could bring down even the strongest of beings. Seeing her brother like this was proof of such a thing. ``I'm... I'm sorry to hear that Ren... really, I am. I had thought things were going well for the two of you. You both had looked so happy when I would pass you by at times.`` Gods how it hurt her to see him like this. To see this large, strong, man be brought to his knees in such a way that was believed un thought of. ``Although I wish you would stay, I do understand and hope that in time, you will be yourself again.`` she paused as she sat back in her chair. `` Where will you go? What will you do?``
Ren = There was a couple of nods of his head made as she first replied. ``So am I...and I did as well. Looks like things were just not as they had seemed.`` Dark hazel eyes stared at the flickering candle upon the table, lost in thought, lost to pain, lost to the empty feeling that was slowly consuming him. ``Thank you.... though, where there had been two reasons for me to stay in Skye, there is now only one. And I have to ask myself if even she truly needs me. She's proven to me that she's more than capable of taking care of herself.`` he said as he looked up to his sister's blue eyes and gave a slight smile. ``Danae, you have become a remarkable woman.You have so much going for you. Father and mother would both be very proud of you. Honored to have you as their daughter...in that same manner, you've made me very proud and honored as well. And so I know that I don't need to stick around just for you.`` he took in another deep breath and glanced away to try and keep back the moisture that threatened to spill from his hazel eyes. `` As for where I will go or do... I'm not sure yet. I just know that I can't remain in Skye.``
Danae = There was nothing but silence from her end of this conversation for a long while. She listened as he spoke and as he began to describe this other person, she quickly realized before he made it know, that it was her of whom he spoke. The touching words from her brother's heart and lips were enough to make it difficult to hold back her own tears. Full lips would slowly shift into a warm and affectionate smile for a loving brother. ``You may not need to stick around, but it would be nice just to have you around.`` She could see his own eyes water up, and how he managed to hold back the tears for her. It was touching, humbling even. Danae nodded with the last reply before she spoke again. ``I do hope you will at least keep in touch then my brother. For I would worry about you often... and still will even though you do remain in contact.`` She leaned forward again and reached out to hold his hands with her own as they overlapped the large bear claws of her brother before giving them a gentle squeeze. ``Ren, no matter what you think, or what Ada may think... you are a good man. Perhaps... perhaps it just wasn't meant to be. Sometimes the paths we take come to an end much more sooner than we would like. But then we must take another path to continue our journey and know that in time... there was a reason for it.`` Danae began to retract her hands.
Ren = `` I will send word as soon as I've settled and I will write as often as I can to keep your mind at ease.`` He sat there, staring at their hands for a long while in silence. Finally his lips parted once more. "I'd love to stay and watch over you more, to stay and see you become an even greater woman than what you already are. But you yourself know what it's like to have your heart crushed by the one person you thought would do anything to keep it whole. So, you should understand why it is I need to go... if I'm to heal, it can't be here.`` As he stared up from their hands to her face and back, he bobbed his head a little. `` I know... but it doesn't make the journey any less painful, or easier...`` When his sister began to remove her hands, it was then he would take hold of them to keep them with his own. ``I have only one request of you Danae, if you would be so kind to grant me that before I leave. I told Ada last night that everything I had given her, was hers to keep. The bear skin, the dagger, the dress and the coin, if you will, just so that I won't have to face her again and cause her pain... will you go to her and let her know that should she not wish to keep any of those things, that she can do as she wishes with them except the bear skin. That... should she wish to rid her place of it, should go to you.`` He gave a squeeze to his sisters hands before he stood to his feet and prepared to take his leave.
Danae = ``Good, otherwise I would have to come and track you down only to make you wish you would have done so to begin with.`` she said in a slightly humorous tone. `` I know Ren... I know.. you do what you must to heal, and take as long as you need to, to see it through.`` Danae, though it had been a long time ago now, understood exactly everything he said. She had gone through that same situation with Perry, and although now they weren't the best of friends, she had come to terms with things in time. They were friends again, just not close...When Ren kept her hands from retracting, she looked from them to him and tilted her head as a soft expression over came her face. She and her brother had always been close, had always let one another know in their own way how much the other meant to them, but this was new. It was something she cherished now and always would no matter how hard of a front or exterior he would put on from this day forward. As he asked for a last request before his departure, and went on to explain just what that was, she simply nodded softly and smiled. `` Of course I will, and I promise, I won't give her a hard time. Neither of you need anything added to an already horrible situation.`` The squeeze from her brother brought forth another small smile and once he stood, she did the same. The two stood there, staring at each other for a long time before finally Danae could no longer hold back. With out any warning, she threw her arms around her brother and gave him the biggest squeeze ever while tears slipped from the corners of her eyes. ``Take care of yourself, and don't be stranger... write me often and in time, I'd like for us to visit when you're ready.`` she said before lingering and then finally drawing back with a few nods.
Ren = At his sister's attempt of bringing forth a smile, she was rewarded with just that and nodded. The smile slowly faded as the atmosphere became once again a much more serious one. He was glad to know that his sister did want him around, that she did still feel a need for her to remain close, and this perhaps helped to fill some of the void he'd been feeling. ``Good, and if anything else of mine was left there... she can either keep it or give it to you. It makes no difference to me. Just as long as someone sees a use for it or wishes to cherish it... and I as well as Ada I am sure, would appreciate that no more trouble is to be caused on either of our behalves. I'm glad you understand...The hug from his sister was unexpected, and for a moment, his arms remained at his sides. Slowly however, did they rise and wrap around her tightly only for him to give a good squeeze of a hug himself to the much smaller frame of his sister. When she pulled back and he saw the tears, he twisted his already conflicted heart a little more. `` I will, and you do the same. Otherwise you will have me to deal with much sooner than perhaps either of us expect. He leaned forward, placed a kiss to her forehead and turned to exit the pub. Once out on the street and off by himself did he allow his own tears to escape and wipe them away just as quickly as he went to gather his things and head off. He had no idea where he was going, no idea what he would do once there, all he knew was he couldn't stay here.
