Shadow of Regret(Closed)

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

Post renamed from Do you Regret to Shadow of Regret...

The wind caressed the lands of Skye, passing over the lands of Red Wall tilting tree branches and the tall golden stands of wheat. The sky was hanging low on the horizon beckoning on the coming night and Ealora smiled as she lay upon the blanket within the golden wheat. It reminded her of Alexandria, by the shore though it was grass that stood tall, not wheat. A hand was curved, pillowed behind her head as she watched the clouds move with the speed and grace of a galloping horse. Such a movement always made her marvel at how the world turned. Was it just the clouds moving or had she caught a rare glimpse of the earth moving a quarter of an inch. It was here she found solace when she felt like her world was caving in, when the reminder that her father was dead and her brother was gone came crashing down upon her as if new to her conscious.

"Mother..."A voice caught her ear and she turned her head sideways to see her son Issa staring down at her.

Time had flown so quickly when her son barely reached her hip and clung to her leg where now at nine he stood nearly to her shoulder. All legs and arms, he was the spitting image of Ealora and yet she saw traces of Benjamin in him. As much as she hated the man now, she could not find it in herself to hate those traits in her son.

Pressing up from her blanket, she grasped her sons arm and pulled him down onto the blanket, the two of them laughing as they lay on their backs before Ealora turned on her side to face him, her arm curling around his waist as she pulled him close and kissed his temple. Normally Issa would of groaned at such a gesture, kissing was baby stuff but here alone he merely grinned as he snuggled against his mother.

"What are you doing out here little sea prince? Did you finish your homework?" Ealora purred against his temple.

"Of course I did." Issa retorted back with a snort before rolling to his side facing his mother mimicking her moves as he used his arm to pillow his head. "An I wanted to have a moment alone with you. "

Ealora hummed in response but the smile on her face was enough to prove she was pleased with this. She loved all her children dearly, she loved none better then the other but Issa would always have something the others did not. A guiding light. He was the light that had started her on the path of good.

"Mother..." He started and stopped as he frowned. "What was my real father like?"

Gone were the days of mommy, now she was Mom or Mother. She missed her little boy, even with three toddlers at home who still shouted or cried mommy, she missed her first born's tiny mommy calls. She knew this day was coming, had been dreading it for years, since she had found her son in Shaden's home. Now the question was here and Ealora sighed as she reached up to stroke a hand through the dark brown shoulder length hair of her son.

"Maahes would be very upset if he heard you asking this. He has been a good father to you. Nearly the only one you have ever known. Why do you want to know about the man you don't know hmm? Why the sudden questioning?"

"Yes Dad has been a good Father. I don't mean he hasn't been...but you never talk about him...my real father I mean. You've never told me about your life before you had me and you promised when I was old enough you would tell me. I'm nine now.." Even nine, Issa choose his words carefully, his mothers temper was fierce though it had only been fierce when he did something wrong, he feared he was doing wrong now by asking.

"Yes I did promise you when you were old enough to handle the truth I would tell you. I don't think you've reached that point yet. The truth...my son, is not pleasant and I never promised to tell you everything. There is just some things a son should never know about his mother..." Both eyebrows rose as she spoke as if to implicate her meaning in those words. Some day she wanted Issa to know some of her past, to understand what a sailors life meant. She knew all to well her sons vision of the future for himself. The way he looked at the sea and the Shadow Storm when he got to go with her, she knew that look, she had it once in her youth and it had made her become a pirate.

"Do you regret your life before me? I mean, do you regret me?" Issa frowned. He wasn't going to push to know. "Aunt Vivian says you were a pirate and that my father was a pirate. She said she had heard you never wanted me and my father didn't either..." He stopped to reach his hand up to stop his mothers brushing her fingers through his hair and hold her hand in his own. "You always seem so sad nowadays, after what aunt Vivian said, well I thought about your going away every once in a while and then being stuck here. I won't be mad Mom or upset I swear, I just...I want to know if you regret us, your kids...your life now.."

Ealora felt her cheeks begin to flame with rage. Vivian had done what! Her hand stopped the stroking of his hair has he took her hand in his own. The deep frown that marred her lips were nearly pulled back into a sneer with each word he spoke about Vivian. "First of all, she is not your aunt" Ealora bit back and then sighed as Issa jerked, knowing she was mad and she tried to calm herself. "Secondly, I never regretted you, I wanted you so badly when I found out I was pregnant and yes I was a pirate which was no life for a child...."

"Oh Issa" She sighed again as she stopped and rolled forward to clasp his head and kiss his forehead. "There are many times my son, you will come to regret decisions you made until those memories are your impossible rage and all you can see is red, but I never regret you, nor this family. You are all my life and I am sad because your Grandpa Ian and your Uncle Eli are gone. That's all" She was beginning to shake with her rage, unable to think. "Go now to the house, get ready for dinner and I promise you, tomorrow we will go to the seashore, just you and I and talk..."

Issa rolled to clasp his mother around her waist, hugging her close for a minute before he stood to do as she told him to do. He knew he had said something wrong but he also knew her anger was not on him but Vivian. Still though he frowned as he started his trek back to the house.

When she was alone, Ealora rolled to her back sucking in deep breaths to try to calm the rage within her but all that boomed inside her skull was what Issa had said Vivian had told him. Of memories she had locked away since she had decided to marry Maahes and give up her pirating ways. Ealora had never regretted a single moment in her life but to see her sons face when he asked if she regretted him was eating her inside. She knew this day would come, but she had never expected that question. What had Vivian told him of her life before their family? Before him. How had she known even? That crossed Ealora's mind too but it was short lived. It did not matter, Vivian had hurt her son and it enraged Ealora all the more along with the fact that Vivian was her half sister, though she didn't want to admit it. SHE was to blame for it. She had not asked to be born but in that moment Ealora blamed her for it. She even went to far as to blame Vivian for her fathers death. Grief was a factor in her rage though Ian had died over a year ago, Ealora had never allowed herself to grieve for it and Vivian was to blame. Or so Ealora reasoned.

"Vivian, I need to speak to you" She hissed into the kitchen and the woman blinked as she removed her hands from a bowl of flour and wiped them on her apron. "All right" she spoke quite confused as she now untied her apron and laid it on the counter to follow Ealora outside.

Ealora paced as she waited for Vivian to join her in the yard and when she did she rounded on the woman prepared to give her a verbal beating. Instead...

CRACK!

Ealora fist flew into Vivian's face whose's nose caved under the assault. With a cry, Vivian stumbled backward clutching at her bleeding nose and stared at Ealora as if she had become a demon from hell. As Vivian stumbled back, Ealora did a turn in the dirt before advancing on the woman who stared at her with terror in her eyes. That did not stop Ealora as she gripped the woman by her hair and sent her knee up into the woman's face. As Vivian jerked upright from the blow Ealora released her hair only to send her fist across the woman's face again. Vivian let out a scream of pain as she tumbled backwards into the dirt.

The scream brought Nora who gasped as she clutched her apron in her hands. "Oh my God! Issa! Issa run to the gate and tell the guard to go get Maahes, GO!" She screamed at the boy, putting her hand out to stop him from seeing his mother pummel the helpless woman. Issa heard Vivian scream and took off down the hall and out the front door as fast as his feet would carry him. This was all his fault!

Panting as if she had just come back from one of her runs. Ealora was again advancing on the 'helpless' woman in the dirt. Drawing her foot back, she growled as she sent it forward into Vivian stomach who yelped loudly. Drawing down. Ealora grabbed the woman by her shirt and hauled her up from the dirt. Drawing her close, Ealora voice was a low whisper of a hiss "Come on, call for help, I dare you to open your mouth". Vivian only whimpered in response before Ealora was throwing her against the side of the house only to advance on her again and grab her by the shirt to yank her away from the wall and again send her fist into the woman's face again.

The look on Ealora's face was clear and a look none of them at Red Wall had ever seen before. The look of a pirate, the look of Bloody Malory and she was out for blood...She was out to kill...

[Lord General Maahes Asad-Aziem]

There was never enough time in the day, but the Beast still found time for the journey home. It came with the evening hour, breaking from the field after the clock of three, to find himself home well before supper. Maahes would not miss time with his family, they were most precious, and it was when the gates opened of the red wall would he finally feel at ease. However, in the midst of the falling night all was quiet in the house, and he had gone to take the left overs from dinner to the old man who lived by the stream down the way. A dear friend he had become, but refused often Maahes's attempt to tame him.

"If we were meant to live inside, Beast, we'd been born with roofs over our heads." Maahes could only laugh, and felt kin to the man as his life had started under the wide vast open clear blue sky of the arabic sands.

The call came as he was making his way up the path, the round service of the guard quickly pressed back the gate, "M'lord..M'lord,[/i] The man came at Maahes with a rush, "Your wife..Ealora, she's gone mad. She's struck the Lady Vivian, got that crazy look in her eye again."[/i] Was it that time of the month already? A heavy sigh went to the moon as it was close to full, and he knew her cycle to run with it. Pressing on, he eased the door back to find his wife brooding, her shoulder's so tense he felt certain the chair would break should he toss it her way.Always had their been two ways to tame the panther, to ease her with kind words of care and deep devotion, or simply take her by her shoulders and shake it free. Maahes would pick option two. Quickly he made his way for the doors, pressing it back to hoist his wife away from the woman, and against the wall firmly. His growl was deep as it hung in the back of his mouth, lips snarling over his teeth.


"Your nerve, Wife, strikes deep,"[/i] his voice rose from his chest, the deep rattle settled well with the thick lace of his voice, "Do I need to ask? Or shall I simply return the favor." Maahes wasn't an abusive husband, or in any way a man that would ever hit a woman. However, sometimes it was the only way to break through her rough exterior. This he loved in her, and hated all the same time. He pinned her there, the look of the wild still hanging heavily over her eyes.

Had the sea not cured her of this madness?

[Lara Campbell]

Silence was companion of many that traveled throughout the valley. Its beauty inspired such awe that to contemplate speech seemed sinful. When one did break it it was done only in softest of whispers. The two that rode now on Albanian mares, one smaller and one large- both horse and rider in this case, had not yet dared to do so. Lara Campbell rode alongside Duncan MacTavish, a member of clan through sept that was loyal, toward Akaneiro Kabe. Red Wall was a magnificent structure, yet another gem to be found in this wonderland, that was visited oft by members of Campbell family.

"You know, Duncan, if you wished to spend the eve with Molly I would not have minded. Didn't she just get back...?" The subject was a sensitive one as evidence by the forced casualty in tone and way Duncan's shoulders tensed.

The man gave a terse shake of head, short cropped brown hair not bothered by such, as he muttered,"Nae, donnae be thinkin' Ah want ta stay behind. Ah'm a guard and got me duties ta see ta."

Lara gave an idle shrug and fell silent again. Clearly the man was not speaking to his wife after the incident that had taken place many weeks ago. She'd heard that Molly MacTavish had stayed with a distant cousin in Turas Lan after her visit to jail and only returned home recently. Now though Duncan had taken to brooding and being extra vigilant. It was as though he strived to prove his loyalty even more with his wife's involvement in her Aunt's plan.

Stomach growling brought slight laugh as she murmured,"Och, do you suppose they'll offer us any food? I forgot how long a trip this be and didn't eat much this afternoon."

Having grown up with Dona as Mother meant that Lara Campbell was a woman who could appreciate food. Working hard on a farm saw need for one to eat hearty meals and not skimp on them. That was how she'd been even once married and raising her own family. Duncan didn't give an answer though soon they approached the gates to Akaneiro Kabe. "Can you let Lady Asad-Aziem know that Lara Campbell has arrived with her surprise?"

One guard headed off while the other let them through to have horses taken to stable to be wiped down and fed. Lara was a frequent visitor with Liliana, and so they knew her well. When they tried to take an object secure in sheathe and wrapped carefully in heavy cloth though she stopped them. They would not be ruining it. This was for Ealora to give to her son. It was only sight of Maahes heading toward house and feel of tension on air that had Lara following after- to make sure all was well...she did not enter their home though, but waited outside.

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

It waits for the day I will let it out.
To give it a reason, to give it its might.

I fear who I am becoming,
I feel that I am losing the struggle within.
I can no longer restrain it,
My strength it is fading,
I have to give in.

It's the fear
Fear of the dark
It's growing inside of me,
That one day will come to life.
Have to save
To save my beloved,
There is no escape,
Because my faith is horror and doom.

By the time Maahes had arrived, she had Vivian on the ground, her hands viselike around her neck. Six of the guards were pulling on her to no avail. The flame was alive in Ealora's eyes, their tugs hardly even felt. She didn't even notice her husband enter the room and she had always knew when he was near before. Her hands left Vivian neck as Maahes hauled her up. Even her husband's grip didn't relieve the deep rage within her as she struggled against him to reach Vivian who was sucking in great gasps of breaths and coughing as air was allowed into her windpipe again. As she was thrust against the wall she let out a growl shaking her head in a no though there wasn't really a question, at least not one she heard. Tipping her head back, she glared at Maahes as his words finally sunk into her subconscious. Locking her eyes with her husbands, she didn't notice nor care that the guards were moving to assist Vivian and make sure the woman was going to make it, at least till they got her out of her. All of them had the same look on their face, not concern but curiosity, what had gotten into Ealora?

"Let.me.go" Ealora growled low at her husband putting emphasis on each word. "You strike me and its the last thing you would ever do" She challenged in return even knowing her husband would never strike her but he knew if he did, it would indeed be the first and last time and Ealora wouldn't just walk away, she would kick his ass.

All of a sudden the room seemed to come into focus. Flaming celadon eyes fell away from her husband to Vivian who was suddenly clutching at a guard helping her up as the one good eye she had left fell on Ealora looking at her. Ealora pushed against Maahes only to be held back against the wall still. For a moment her eyes left Vivian again to find him before she pointed her hand around her husband, pointing an accusing finger at Vivian.

"Get HER out of my sight and out of my house. The next time I see you, I swear I will kill you..." Ealora threatened and never had her threats been empty, she was not about to start now. Even the guards of Red Wall knew Ealora was not kidding and hurried to carry the injured woman from the house. When they were gone, Ealora faced her husband again. "Are you going to let go of me now?" She glanced down at his arm pinning her to the wall and then back to his face. "She told Issa about me being a pirate and his birth father being a pirate. She told him neither of us ever wanted him. His father may never of wanted him but I did. If you would of seen the look on his face..." She stopped to shake her head "You would of bashed her face in too"


One of the guards had returned and stood nervously shifting from one foot to the other while he waited to relay his news. Finally he saw an opening and cut in before the beast and panther started one of their world known fights. "Ealora. Lara is outside for you. Said she's got your surprise"

Inhaling a sharp breath, her attention turned to the guard and gave a nod of her head. "Thank you Jordan." Her eyes rose to Maahes once more. The anger, rage, madness within them had died somewhat but a flicker still remained. Perhaps the sea was not meant to cure it but intensify it?

Hold down your head now,
Just let me pass by.
Don't feed my fear,
If you don't want it out.

I fear who I am becoming,
I feel that I am losing all beauty within.
I can no longer restrain it,
My strength is fading.
I have to give in.

As she passed Maahes to the hall, she paused. Her hands were shaking, with rage and anger but with fear as well. She realized now how crazy her actions had seemed and remembered once upon a time she had been crazy all over again. Over Maahes and the fact he had a mate. He had drawn her back from the edge but she feared now, he wasn't able to cure this madness with words of devotion and love. This wasn't a fear of devotion and love. This was a fear over her sanity. Perhaps it was not as stable as she had thought it was. What if her fathers madness had crept into her? What if it ran in the family? She realized now to that she didn't know much about her Fathers family nor the family of Malory. All at once the decision was clear, she had to find out more. She needed to know about her fathers family and the Malory line if only to know if this madness would worsen with time as her fathers had or if she could cure herself of it.

At the door she paused again, sucking in a deep breath before she pulled it open and stepped outside to greet Lara and her guardian Duncan. A smile was pasted on her face as she saw Lara and Duncan and the worried look on their faces. No doubt they had seen Vivian carried bruised and bloody from the beating she had given her. Mentally Ealora kicked herself but she went forward still as if nothing was wrong.

"Lara, Duncan, it's good to see you both again. You have finished it so soon?" She questioned Lara gesturing to the wrapped object. "May I see it?" Ealora was not thinking about what holding a sword would do to her all ready frayed sanity. Right now it was least of her worries.

((Lyrics are from Within Temptation- It's the fear))

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

Maahes: The night had come early for the pair, with the winter day's still too short, and the night too long. Yet the smell of the spring was on the edge of the wind as already their lands were in season for the planting. The sheep in the meadows of the Fleece Downs were heavy and covered in their thick coats--ready to be trimmed in the coming warmer days. It was times like this Maahes felt the world alive the most living in the memory of summer and happy to come along with trade winds. He did not miss the sea, but could smell the ever salty scent. His wife came and went as she pleased; the staff a second hand in the upbringing of their family, and from his homelands perhaps they both would have been killed for allowing such a rule. Yet, how could he hold her back? He had loved her wild, ever changing as the winds, but the shift in her now made him ponder if too much had changed. She was so distant, so was he revealing in the hope that tomorrow would return his wife. How did one capture the wind?

Ealora: The one thing of hanging winter that Ealora liked was the long evenings. The coldness was not to her liking but the evenings were the moon was winking in a cloudless sky and the wind was not as chilly was one with think with the coming spring. Winter made her surly but none so much lately as situations surrounding the lands. It was still peaceful was present but there was something hanging on the edge of the horizon like the sun that still had hours to rise. She came and went like the winter winds dying with every hour of the day. Not that she didn't love her family but with Shaden's departure with her ship over a month ago and no word yet of her return, Ealora's hostility was growing. When it was clear the Shadow storm was not docking tonight she mounted to go home. Late into the night she arrived home galloping into the yard hard with the scowl still on her face she hadn't even reigned in Egypt to a full stop before she was dismounting skipping as she came down to keep from falling over. Beng had been waiting and came from the shadows for the reigns which she passed over without a smile although she did give a gentle pat to the horses hind quarter. Turning booted feet in the dirt celadon eyes rose skyward in search of that full bellied moon.

Maahes: He could tell from the look upon her face nothing had changed, there was a long pull in her lips that broke his heart, and still he asked, "Nothing has changed.." He left the end open for her heart to follow through, a precious gem that one. Had he been waiting there ever since she left? Yes. He had not moved much from his stance on the porch, waiting for her to return. He hurt for her, the mountain bending to the sea in the moment he met her in the yard. The children were all tucked away, and the day very busy. He was very tired, and it played well across his face. Weather worn from the cold, keeping with an army and running a home. He had given the children all their baths, made sure they had their snacks, and told stories of Egypt. It was nice to have Jack home, and often he could hear Trades teaching a few of the older ones new tricks. His life had suddenly taken a turn, and the visit from a man from his homelands and run him through. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?" He worried over her, and it was very clear as he took her into his arms hugging her tightly. "You come home."

Ealora: "Everything's changed Maahes" She answered with a sigh as her chin fell her eyes moving away from the sky as her head swung in his direction, russet curls whipping the wind and bouncing against her back as her boots swiveled in the dirt to face him. She didn't make a move to get closer to him, in this ever changing time, her unstable mind bothered her to a point she had backed off from everything, Maahes and the children all for the sake of not wanting to hurt them. Vivian had spent nearly two weeks in the infirmary, multiple broken bones and ribs accompanied bruises and scratches to her body and still Ealora would not apologize nor allow the woman back on Red Wall soil as she affirmed she would indeed kill the woman if she saw her again. She was unstable, she knew it and she feared not herself but her actions, for her family. Her hands moved behind the Captain's coat to rest at the hilts of the Sai's at her back. Maahes was picking up the pieces beautifully, but still he could not fix her mind only she could, but she wasn't sure how yet and so she stayed back as much as possible. The worn look on his face was enough to worry her as much as the worry on his face for her as he neared her. For a moment she let herself relax against him, releasing the weapons to wrap her arms around him pressing her face against his chest for a moment to inhale the scent of him before lifting her head. "No I am neither" Her breath was laced with brandy, her new favorite to take a drink or two at the tavern before coming home. "No matter what happens Maahes, I will always come home"

Maahes: A deep breath was drawn from his chest, a heavy sigh escaping it fully as he let her go. "Will you be home for some time?" He wished to keep her, but was this not what was pressed on him at the tavern? He was made a fool for keeping her home, but look at her now. There was a space between them all that could have been without all of this, but he was having a hard time finding it. He was very worried, but refused to let it show. However, he needed help. His heart twisted with her words as he wanted to believe them, and as he let her go to return to the porch he squared his shoulders away, "Rah has started his lessons with the sword, our babies are no longer changed." In other words trained, like good pets they don't pee on the carpet. "Eppie and Issa, are with Eirian they are learning art. Nora fell and is hurting in her leg. I have done the cooking."

Ealora: "Yes" She responded to his question with a nod of her head and finally a sigh. "I cannot see Shaden return and not tell her what I know, not if she is happy. I can't shatter it. She had to see things for herself so I have a lookout posted for when the Shadow Storm comes home" A hand lifted to rub the back of her neck as she lazily kicked her way towards the porch after him. "Who's teaching Rah to use a sword?" A single brow rose with the daring question in her eyes. Rah was still to young to learn how to fight in her eyes but Issa was at that age to understand defending and senseless killing. Sliding down the pillar, she sat against the steps letting out a laugh as she pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers. "That's good, three pairs of diapers several times a day is a chore." Lids slid closed as she pinched the bone of her nose and then released it to open her eyes again. "What about school? Eppie, Issa, and rah have school in the village. Have they done their school work? Did you have a healer come look at Nora's leg? What did you make to eat?" tons of questions she wasn't judging how the house was run without her, well in a way she was. She couldn't have it both ways she knew that but she was going to try, if this one time.

Maahes: "I am teaching him. Who else then him to learn from his father? I do not need someone behind me cleaning up their mess. I give him good direction, he is very natural. Someday he will make a great soldier at my side. A great General. He will lead." Maahes had his feathers ruffled at her comment though her actions nearly set him off. There had been a time he would have moved out to catch her, but today he let her fall--stumble. "Are you drunk?" He rolled his arms over his chest, and looked down to her. "You are sick?" For once he prayed she was not pregnant. Maahes was at his wits end. "Yes. It is thankful there are no cloths to change, it gives me a break, Vivian did this. Nora, is unwell. I've had the best healers look at her, I wait for the return of Jean-Claude to get another. Ealora.." He sighed, taking a seat gathering his thoughts, "What news..what news of Shaden? She is your friend, I understand this, but is she worth this?" He motioned to her, the condition she was in and it was clear he did not think so.

Ealora: "I am just making sure Maahes" She groaned rolling her shoulders back to relieve the tension in her and giving her a minute to breath and not get angry. "He will be what he wants to be Maahes, not what you want to make him." She shot her eyes up at him then let out a laugh, more of a growl as her eyes turned to slits. "No I am not drunk" but to sick, well that depended on what kind of sick he meant but that didn't mean she was going to answer easily. "don't.." her hand lifted to point a finger "mention that woman's name again." She shook her head as she laughed, really laughed. "You think, all of this is about Shaden? No its not just Shaden. Shaden goes to find her husbands lost son, but does she tell him, no and she swears me to silence and then he, like a dumb little chyt, has taken a mistress and thrown Gerda out and yelled at me, and I...all most killed him, and..." She stopped, wouldn't say Vivian's name herself. "I am angry, apparently for no reason and I want to kill, as much as you do when you don't drink your medicine when the moon is full. I want it so bad I can taste it and sometimes I urge to pick a fight just to beat the crap out of someone. I am loosing my mind and I want Shaden back so I can have my ship back, because I fear my fathers madness is becoming my own and I have to know, I have to know if I should leave you and the kids so I don't hurt any of you because the madness runs in the family and its come for me." There she stopped pressing her lips into a tight line.

Maahes: "He is a fool. I have said this from the start. None listen to me." Maahes threw his arms up, and shook his head. "You both put faith in him, when he is nothing but a coward fool who can not stand to be alone, but will not fight for what he love." The Beast shook his head, and wanted so hard to lash out. "So because of this we all suffer. I am tired, Ealora. I did not marry you to do this alone. What happens when war comes? Or when I got to Fez?" Did she even know he was going? He lifted his finger to point back at her, "Don't. You tell me what to do. I say her name because I have suffered from her not being here. It has not been peace. There has not been any peace." That mattered greatly to him. "Your sister get herself in these things, you follow her too often, she pulls you in. I am being very patient, but it will not last for long."He sat forward in his seat to be eye level with her, "I am General, Ealora. You can have any ship on that sea. Do not let this be what holds you back. If you want to leave. Leave. You get yourself healed, but until then do not come back."

Ealora: "Oh yes Maahes you are the pinacle of wisdom who has never done wrong. Should we bow to you now then?" She leaned back against the pole crossing her arms over her breast looking like a viper the way her eyes were slanted at him with her lips thin pressed again. Fez. Her face fell then hardened with anger. "What? Your going to war in Fez? Why?" She waved her hands as she pushed up from her seat against the stair waving her hands wildly as she went. "oh oh" She was trying to force herself to breath but it wasn't working. She was seething. "So you didn't marry me to do this alone. No, you married me to stay bare footed and pregnant with your children while you get to go off to war and I sit home with the kids cause God forbid we both go and both die, then the kids have no one but you die, oh I get left alone with six kids!" Her hands slapped against her sides as she growled at him. "Maahes Asad Aziem, you selfish a-hole!" Her hands balled at her sides, shaking with her rage. "You are General, sure you've said that enough and I am still a god damn pirate right? The one you married. I stood beside you when you cracked and attacked a woman. I sat right where you are and endured hell along with you, not being the one able to heal you but I said to go ahead, go to Ada and be healed. I didn't tell you to f**k off, I didn't tell you to go get healed but don't bother coming back. So much for the woman you love!" Tears of white hot rage and pain snaked down her cheeks and she shoved her fists against her face to push them away. "You can't afford me the same curtsy? Then FINE, you live with the choice YOU made for the both of us by telling me to go and not come back"

Maahes: "I did leave!" He growled, "I left so our children would not see me like this. They would not watch from their bedroom as mother tries to kill one of their nurses. DO NOT make this about ME. I don't want you in the kitchen, or pregnant. I don't even want to touch you like this. I have been MORE then understanding, let you talk to me like I am some god damned dog. You have it like none other. You want for nothing, have a home, children who love you, and a loyal man at your side, but it is not enough?" He closed the distance between them. "You stay a god damned pirate because you won't get your nose out of your own selfish end." His anger came alive in his eyes. "You keep your madness from my children, or I'll have your head." With that he forced her back, from the porch into the yard; not pushing simply making her step back. "I want you to go get fixed. I want you gone until you come back to me my wife, who would NEVER talk to me like that, or call me names. Your husband, the father of your children. You degrade me by using words against my faith, names I call my enemy. I have only words of comfort for you every time you come home, open arms, and this is how I am treated? I deserve better."

Ealora: "Your kids? So I am sick and they are no longer my kids. Way to bring on the healing Maahes." Finally her fits loosened as she threw her hands up into the air and let out a laugh before bringing her hands down to pull hard through her hair as she paced the yard. "It is enough! I pray God see it is enough and take this horror from me. Of all people I would think YOU would understand the unsettling feeling of a broken mind and a raging heart. Whirling on her feet as he took a step towards her forcing her back from the porch, she pointed a hand at him, cokeing her head in warning. "Do not threaten to take our kids away from me, that is one thing you will be sorry you every tried to do with me Maahes. They are our OUR kids and you will not keep me from them if I wished it. As much as it seems it though, I am not willing to hurt them. I am staying away from them so they don't see this side of me. So they never have to know of these or any other horrors. " Her hand dropped as she took a step back and then another her chest heaving with emotion. "I am not degrading you Maahes, you take a look on how understanding you have been. Remember that promise you made to me when I came home from deaths door? To never doubt my strength. Accept me for what I am when I do come home. That I am your wife despite any harsh words. I have taken you for what and who you are with no questions. Yet so far you have not kept that promise. I am kept out of every fight, every war plans made so far and you cannot say differently when you did not even tell me about going to Fez. You want the children to have one of their parents, I get that but accept that if they didn't, it'd be because their parents fought for every second of their happiness and peace and not anything different. Equals, Maahes. If and when I come home, I want to be your equal not just as your wife but as a comrade in arms." She pressed her lips together and turned from him then stopped and turned back. "Yeah, I am a bytch, cold hearted sometimes and say things most people wouldn't. Harsh things. But you can't deny it doesn't make you pause and wonder, makes you want to fight, good or bad. Makes no difference. Through it all Maahes, I am still the woman you fell in love with and I will always, despite everything, love you an only you for as long as God see's that I do walk this earth."

Maahes: She was going no where, even in her fights they didn't have the same direction. She argued blindly, and would only rival a few more words from her husband on this night. "I'm tired of fighting, how can you be my equal when you can't even be yourself." He looked her for a moment not needing an answer, but needing rest. Maahes left her there, asking the guard to lock the door with or without her. Maahes had not told her about Fez because she had not been there, the matter just getting addressed on the day, yet she held that over him. There was nothing in him that did not support her, he wanted her well, but there was also not a single fiber in his being that would bow out of this fight. That night when he dreamed, he did not dream of her, or anyone; just simply the backs of his eyes--it was welcome.

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

There was not one part of her that wanted to turn her back on the temple she called home, not one fiber of her being that wanted to leave her kids behind. She did so because she had to. Issa had been the only one to see the bloody pulp Vivian had been reduced to after Ealora was pulled off of her. Since then her son had looked at her with such horror that it broke her heart. Maahes had been right, she needed to remove herself from the kids least she hurt them though her very soul said she never would. She didn't trust it, not right now. In the dead of night while he slept, she kissed him. After their fight she doubted he would kiss her otherwise. Kneeled by his side of the bed, her hand moved to push the dreads of his hair out of his face. Stroked her fingers down his beard and leaned forward to kiss him. From there she went to each of her children's bedrooms and just sat for a few minutes by their bedside before they too received a kiss, even a sooth of her hand across their hair when they stirred for a second then fell back into a peaceful sleep. She let a note for Nora explaining she wasn't going far, not very far indeed, her fathers house in the village.

It all comes about somewhere, perhaps the beginning is there.

She had written and slid the note under Nora's door before turning towards the hall again. The house was quiet, the frame did not groan in settling. It was still as if soaking in this memory. It wasn't like she was not going to see the kids, she would see them after they were done with school every day until Maahes came to get them to bring them back home. A few hours every day. Gods, this should of been enough for her to beat the sickness of insanity in her head but it did not. It only made the will to figure out where it all came from stronger. If she could lick this...or if she couldn't, she needed to know.

Beng was waiting in the yard when she emerged, silently holding the reigns. He had been part of crew once upon his time, loosing his tongue to torture by Benjamin hands, his silence had years to fester and get used to. She offered him a smile at his stricken and worried face. "They will be fine, we'll all be fine.." She offered without truly putting any weight to the words. Just something you said when you left your children and husband in the middle of the night so they didn't have to witness your insanity anymore. Tying her bag to the saddle, she swung the reigns around, put her foot into the stirrup and hauled herself up into the saddle.

It was not far to go to the village but she needed Egypt nearby should she need to ride into town, and this kept her away from the house should an attack of the crazies hit her. The villagers slept, only one or two lights flickered in a few of the windows that had been built what seemed like ages ago by Maahes and Ealora's own hand, of course with a crew but they worked hard alongside the people who had once been refugees from Robert the Bruce. Through the little village she trotted sparing a single glance this way and that, wondering of the families within. What they would think to see light at the Malory place after being silent as the grave since her Fathers passing.

The Malory place as they had called it since its building loomed over the other houses. Two stories, plenty of windows. Ealora's gift to her father, not overly extravagant as he would of wrung her neck had he the strength but Ealora's offering to her father, in a way to repay everything she had put him through during her pirating days. It looked ominous as she approached reigning in Egypt sideways as her head tilted in its direction. It looked haunted. Shifting sideway, she pulled her foot from the stirrup and swung out of the saddle, bouncing lightly as the pads of her foot hit the ground. Shifting the reigns over the horses head she gave a click of her tongue against the roof of her mouth to get the horse to follow her up the stone steps towards the door. "This will have to do..." She spoke as she opened the gate to her fathers gardens on the side of the house and lead the horse in. Long overgrown were the flowers and grass. It would serve to feed the horse until she could get her some oats and hay. Taking the mouth piece from the horses mouth and unlatching the reigns, she threw them over the fence as she closed the gate and left Egypt to wander the small enclosed space as she moved back towards the front of the house. It wasn't until she reached the door did she stop, her hand outstretched to the handle. Sighing, her hand fell to press her fingertips against the door as her head fell. Still the tears would not come and after a moment she felt her anger rising. Thrusting the latch she shoved the door open and stepped inside.

Everything not covered in white cloth was blanketed in a sheen of gray dust. The air was stale, devoid of life and Ealora's hand rose to cover her mouth as her other hand rose to swipe at the swirling dust kicked up by the open door as well as the cobwebs hanging disturbed from their rest over the door. Her free hand fell to rub over a table in the foyer, her fingers striking the dust into the surface and she felt herself shuddering at the thought of how dirty this place was. Rubbing her fingers against her pants, she moved on only to stop when she reached the sitting room.

A fire flamed to life in the hearth, Ealora was sitting on a footstool in front of her father, laughing with how his face lit up as he touched her swollen belly and the babies within kicked forcefully at his hand. "THREE! by God, only my daughter! Six children Ealora, my daughter a mother of six!! By God, my daughter a mother only, God is gracious indeed!" He exclaimed in one of his rare moments of sanity as his face seemed to glow with grandfatherly pride and fatherly love.

Ealora backed up into the staircase blinking and shaking her head as the memory faded and she was once again staring at an empty sitting room. The furniture covered with white linen. Gasping, her chest heaving, her hands rose to throw through her hair. She was going insane.

Rolling around the banister, she slowly began her trek upstairs marveling that no one had just gone in and stolen anything. Then again she really shouldn't of been surprised. Their people weren't like that. She was also surprised Eli hadn't packed any of it up, or sold it. He never mentioned it, he had just left. Her jaw tightened in anger again as she felt her steps quicken up the steps. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark enough she knew where she was going as she hit the landing and moved to her fathers room. Everything but the bedding had been left. Now even more then before it was a reminder that her family was all gone except for Eli and herself. The Malory line was dead or as good as was. She a married woman carried her husbands name and Eli, a priest would never marry. The Malory line which had survived she did not know really how long, was ending.

Celadon eyes fell to the chest at the foot of his bed. The only thing he ever kept from selling everything off his ship to pay for her mother. The only thing he had brought with him to Skye when Eli brought him to live with/around Ealora. Drawing to her knees in front of it, her thumb moved across the latch pulling it away. Sucking in a breath, she shoved, hefting the lid up.

Inside were small portraits of her mouth, her, and even some of her brothers as they were growing up. Sliding to her butt, she lifted each one out and examined them wiping her thumb across the surface to remove the dust. Her mothers was familiar, every day Ealora kept the memory of her alive. Tilting the portrait of her mother towards the moonlight coming from the window, kind eyes stared up at her and suddenly Ealora had to put the portrait down as if her mother was saying it was ok. No, none of this was ok. None of her past had ever been ok. She spared a brief look at the portraits of Eli and Caleb before they too joined her mothers portrait. For a moment she sat there, hands resting on the edge of the trunk. Digging through some of the junk in the trunk, her hand encountered a box at the bottom. Shifting to her knees again, she pushed some of the letters and knickknacks aside to pull the box out. Long and not necessarily slender, she laid the box on the edge of the trunk and flipped the latch open before opening the lid. The box tilted and fell into the trunk as she released it. Falling on its side within the trunk, the sword within tumbled out, resting against the lid, the blood encrusted with brown at the tip.

Why would he have this? How did he get it? Why would he keep it once he had understood where it was from? Leaving the trunk open with the sword still laying against the lid of its case, she slid back and stood. She couldn't do his...not now and out the door she went. It did not take long when you were stalling, unfortunately but the house was put to rights. The furniture uncovered, the dust wiped off where it had settled and lanterns burning in the sitting room and hallway. Ealora had the house somewhat clean, as clean as it was going to get tonight. The moon was still in the sky, slightly slanted to give the impression that night was still to linger on for a while longer and she knew she could not put it off any longer.

Taking a oil lamp with her, she went back to her fathers room to confront her past. Dropping to her knees, her chest heaved again peering at the sword inside. It had not moved. Sliding forward, she reached in and with a shaking hand withdrew the sword by the hilt. Lifting the tip towards the ceiling she turned the sword this way and that in catching what looked like rust stains on the tip in the light. Her hand shook to hold it. She had not held a sword since she murdered Zipora, Caleb wife. Her blood still coated the blade. Never wiped clean.

It was not the start she was looking for. That would take some more investigation into the letters within the trunk but this was a start she had forgotten. Pushing off the floor, she carried the blade with her to sit on the edge of her fathers bed. With the death of Zipora, Ealora had changed from the pirate she had become. That's when the horror had started, she had never suspected freeing Caleb meant he would come after her years later but it had been for her, a start to a better life. To free herself from the title she had earned. Pirate.

It was then she realized her whole stint with pirating had been insane. How she had let go of everything she had ever known. How she had embraced bloodshed and the thirst for chaos and wealth with no hints as to the good woman beneath. She had been Bloody Malory, she had EARNED that title. She missed that woman as much as she feared her. She had not been afraid to go for what she wanted, she lived fearlessly. That was part of the reason for this insanity. She had lost sight of that woman, now she needed to get her back and tame her.

So she had been right after all. She had found the beginning of her insanity, and now knew the drive to fix it. It was going to get ugly around here....

[Peregrine Inveryne-Lamont]

Blood Moon Rising

[Lady Eirian Gwenyth Apollius]

Lunacy and stable mindedness were two traits subject to individual discretion. There was a limit, of course, at which individual discretion passed through to the public sense of obvious. The people in the Valley were good people one and all but there were those prone to gossip more as country biddies are want to do:

"Things 'aven't been right down the valley round o'er at the General's homestead. Why, m'sister went through the other day tae deliver somewot n' can nay find the lady."

"Ye don't say? Well they say tha' down in the village just out on the land there tha' her Ladyship 'a sgone round the bend if ye find the meanin?"

"No!"

"She never was fittin, in my opinion.."


The women hoisted up their skirts to tuck hems of the most upper ones in to the apron strings to keep them clean in order to walk across the carpet of greey valley floor. The scene was common, and a part of life in Eden on earth. What made it less appearing was that a member of their party was uninvited, but no one could refuse her company. She had come over the rise of the last sitting space on the hill, catching up enough to them on the path to hear their feminine talk. It was really criticism veiled in sympathetic gossip, wasn't it? Blue-black hair did little to veil intense stare of ice that chilled them in the silent admonishment they offered. Eirian's gazed screamed, "Silence! " while her mouth spoke soft greeting,"Fair day, women."

"Fair day, M'Lady. We was gaein about our business, off tae see tae the launderin m'lady by the river, tis such a fair day." One said, scrambling to recover a semblance of purpose as with three words Eirian made her forget why she was even outside. It wasn't that the gossip was as disconcerting as the opinion inside of them. Farther back on the path she saw how they recoiled at the mention of the Lady Asad-Aziem's name, laughing at her plight while enjoying the protection of the same against the bane of the world. Life was one of ease in the valley, as much as it was one of industry. You eased in to the industry of your chosen chore from dawn until desk, then you eased in to time among your peers. One of the women she knew at least lived on the lands by Akane Kimbo, while the other had relations. The last felt a hard invisible hand slap her in foolish mistake, for she lived in the shadow of Arianna Hymerodraeth, the heart of the entire Bant Chan Ser. " I see. What other business do you discuss this day, in regards to another family of good standing and renown within the valley?" "Oh..tis..nothin miss just the..gossip o' the village n' all."

"Gossip or your opinion?"

They said nothing on the last, heads hanging in shame. "Go about yourselves, with a quieter sense of baring befitting women of working hands unto God. Practice no hypocrisy you could not see done towards you." Among them, one was proproted to sleep with any soldier she came across, and another was plucked fresh before her wedding day. We all sin in the eyes of God, we are all unworthy of his love yet it was given. Sanctimony was nothing Eirian could stand, but the root of their gossip remained with her long after the dejected trio vanished from site.

Hope had asked after her playfellows from Akane Kimbo only for her mother to have little answer as the children began to come around less and less until not at all. Saul wondered where the General's sons had gone on adventure, and not come to take him. The two households did not correspond as they once had, and the spring silence shrouded in mist suddenly screamed at how unusual this was. There had been whispers even within Court of an unusual sense of being holding the General's wife captive, but Eirian put little stock in gossip on the whole. Women were want to talk, but the content of discussion among some were desiring restraint. What if she had let their mouths go unbridled, though, would she have had more to go on?

Not far from her stance on the moor, the Steward of the House had followed her movements out of habit to see her well. "Have my horse fetched, Sir Steward, I will take it to Akaneiro Kabe and elsewhere, if need be. Tell the Lady Tabitha she is to keep with the children. Given the time of day, Saul will need his nap, and Hope may be given a lesson to keep her occupied until my return. I am going to call after the Asad-Aziems."

Just what would she be calling on?

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

Maahes: The day had been rough, with the secrets building of the wars at sea and the Spanish burning their flames in the night, Maahes was happy to be home. He had moved their children in town, in the castle away from their home if only until it all passed, but deep down he worried it would not. It was uncertain the fate of his wife, but the rumors that flood the halls had heard of her in the dark streets of the Underdark. Maahes was sick to think of the truth, but somewhere he wondered what he would find down in the streets of the forbidden. Isis, touched his leg as he made his way through the door, bouncing happy to see her father, and the beast could not help but let the day melt away. "Princess." She was the smallest of all the children, petite in every way, and her little hands still could hardly make up half of his own combined. "Did you miss me?" Moving them into the castle had been a good move, for the long ride home was only time more spent apart, but he longed to see how the fields were growing. He did miss his life there. Warm amber eyes rose to Nora, asking silently if she had seen Ealora and the old woman shook her head as the rest of the clan came bounding for the door. He loved this, more then anything the shower of kisses he got and the stories going on about their days. Issa helped remove the weapons from his father's back, as the oldest it was his duty to see they were put where they should, and Eppie as always made sure their father's hair wasn't without decoration. Her skilled silent hands had mastered the art of the care of such different hair as well she tended to each child. They were such a big help, and made Nora's life so much easier. Ra, the first born would hold special privilege in the years to come, for Islamic law weighed heavily on blood. In Arabic he spoke to his son, who spoke it back so clearly now, and took great pride in being able to answer his father in their native tongue. A warm greeting all around the others would show the drawings they had done, or talk of how the castle was so different, or cry Anubis cried over everything, as one of the sisters pulled his hair. "Hey. No fight, I have had enough of that for one day." It was a strange roll he was in, to do this without his wife, but slowly he fell into it with ease happy to pick up the slack. Yet, at nights when all were asleep it was when he missed her the most, and with less visits he worried only more. Nora let her eyes rise to the General as she sat before the fire waiting for the day to catch up to her. "You are going looking again?" She nearly judged him where he stood, but he would only nod, "I'm worried.." Out the window he caught sight of the city lights, burning with the lanterns of the underdark's path. The Cat's Eye was just getting it's start for the night, and with it he felt he would find her.

Perry: The Pirate kept the company of fools, but it was a good life. Here is where the money was to be had when his ship was grounded, but tonight he did not work. "I've come to sell off the crew." He smiled to the tender working in his place, "I'm going to ground the ship for the summer, spend it with my wife." He would keep a small collection of men to work on the other vessel in his fleet given to him by Ada who won it at an auction, but the Lee was going down for the season. There was shock in the air at the confession from the pirate, but they knew it was coming. "And no..I'm not whipped, I'm just happy."[/color]

Ealora: Days had been rough all around, with a mind teetering on the edge of a knife, balancing in perfection it seemed only a gust of wind would knock it completely off its rock. Life seemed to move in tandem despite the rip within her mind and tongues seemed to wag ever excited that there was trouble in the Lord General and Lady pirates home. She was sick, not deaf so she was to happy to leave Red Wall behind for the townhouse. Of course she missed her children, Ealora was not a completely cold hearted bytch who left everything behind. Staying away was perhaps the hardest thing she had ever done in her life but it was for their protection as much as her own. Perhaps that was another reason her mind was on the fritz. Nora took care of them, Maahes to. She was not out of the loop despite being absent from her family. She saw them when she felt her mind was at its safest point but it was never for long. When Maahes moved to the castle, it made it easier, she saw the kids even when her mind was seething with unknown rage, a glimpse here and there. For the most part, Ealora had been good keeping to her business and her ship during the day and the underdark at night. The underdark had been like a godsend, a place created only for her when that really was not the case but it catered to that side of her that was darkest and craved the insanity of the night, the insanity of a place that seemed like every night was Halloween within shadow covered streets. The day had been rough for her insanity seemed to creep in from the start of the day and by the coming of night it felt like a fire was burning under her skin and her lungs were deprived of oxygen until she found the streets leading into the underdark and the darkened shadow lined streets engulfed her and she felt free once more. The cats eye would always be Perry place, never would she take ownership of that but it was a place that seemed like a memory of her past frozen in time and yet warm and inviting with the ringing echo of voices from today. Through the darkness she seemed to stalk, this panther from the past till the warm lit room and laughing dancing fools enveloped her into their arms. She caught Perry confession, the stillness that rang through the room with shock for a moment and her mouth eased into a grin as she uttered one single word "girl-thingy whipped". The room erupted into laughter as Ealora seemed to dance here and there enveloping fools of the night as if lovers from the past. Here she could forget about Maahes and kids. Here she was free from it all.[/color]

Perry:Such laughter did reach his eyes, happy, joyful, kind eyes that watered with trouble, "No. I can do as I please. Rosie doesn't hold me here, like some pet. I just..like being home. Strange huh?" Though his little tame kitten at home could have been argued her point well that she had him under some spell. Rosalind was quiet, and reserved where he was wild and outspoken. Yet, under her hand he was indeed whipped. "I'm just enjoying my life, Ealora." He opened his palm to invite her in, the voice of ages coming to whisper into her ear, "While you enjoy yours." The scent of her was so warm and inviting that he was certain if he spoke it out none would ever understand. He danced with her across the floor, like some waltz that was made for the pair of them, "How are you today my child?"A question well known, throughout the years as their body moved together...suddenly he would stop, the wind carrying a scent that smelled of earthly riches and exotic lands. [/color]

Maahes: Maahes was afraid of nothing, the fear of this land was like water rolling down his back, but always did he worry of finding her in the gutters face down to hell. He wondered through the streets like a child looking from dark corner to dark corner searching for what he would hope to be his wife, but finally he could breath again as he was certain he heard her laughter. The door was pressed open, and all went silent. There was not law here, but still they all feared of the life that moved through the doorframe. His eyes caught sight of his wife, and his face flared with anger though he kept his calm. Moving without once looking at the thieves who were like rabid wolves growling at his ankles waiting to take their kill, he kept forward until he stood before the pirate and his wife.

Perry:"Evenin' Maahes. Care for a drink?" Peregrine smarted off rather quickly in an attempt to break the ice..or fire that flowed in between them. Maahes said nothing, but simply stared openly at his wife. [/color]

Ealora: "That doesn't make you less whipped. Just happy to do so." She left one patron's arms for Perry's and true the man scowled behind her head as her arms came around him. There was a wild look in her eyes and a dangerous invite in the curl of her lips in a smile. "Oh I am sure you all ready know the answer to that question" She purred as he danced her about the room. Her hips rolled towards his like a tease and when he held her and she bent back, it would break the back of a normal human and with a simple jerk, she was back up into his arms, her hands smoothing down his backside. Her voice hummed in a note that could make the skin crawl with need. When Perry paused her head came up from the nap of his neck her nose tilting into the breeze before the tavern seemed to still frozen in time, laughter and conversations ended with the rush of the breeze came through the open door the General passed through. Rolling her shoulders back she let out a sigh as if her balloon had suddenly been burst and it was either that or whine. Slowly she turned her body pressed back against Perry but whether it was to protect him or more was the question as the wild celadon eyes lifted to meet the amber ones of her husband. "Perry you know he doesn't drink." She purred as her lips curled into a grin again. "Hello General" blink blink went her eyes in a pat like a tease of innocence but sarcastic. "What brings you here?"[/color]

Maahes: Ealora had good reason to want to stand between them, as the fires of a thousands suns rose in behind his eyes burning into the pools of the other. It was always his fault, the plague of his very being seemed to always rise and fall with this man. "Move." He growled at his wife, though his eyes never once left the pirate's. The men from every dark corner in the room closed in behind the General but would not once make their move. Rule number one, be the last to strike, never the first. The swelling of danger behind the pirate's eyes made Maahes suddenly aware of the rest around him. He was in a very dangerous place, that would pit husband and wife against one another. "Ealora. Let's go."

Perry:Peregrine didn't hold his breath, nor did he worry for his life, but he was not willing to fight the man. Not now, it had been too long since his last, and he didn't want to start now. Though it was also not in him to every back away. He bore holes into the amber orbs of the other, his lips fighting a smirk, as the danger raised like fire around them--an alarm sent out through the room. Slowly he reached to touch her hip, to tell her it was alright, that she had no reason to fight here, but that touch sent Maahes through Ealora with Peregrine's back over the bar. He felt the air knocked from him as the sound of his spine pressed to the cherrywood sounded. There was an animal inside Maahes that was made painfully aware then that he did have the hold on the pirate. Maahes's hand came to clasp around the scrawny neck of the pirate, but Pere only laughed. A wicked sound escaped him as his feet came to crash into Maahes's chest if only to gain a second or two to get his feet. Turning his back on Ealora it was now Peregrine that separated them. "You've gotten strong." Baiting him, the men of the Underdark moved forward but were stopped by Pere's hand. The pirate gave a heavy uppercut to the beast, "You hit my wife once." He spoke as Maahes stumbled back, "We're even now." but was that about the hit or the fact that Ealora was there mostly because of him? Maahes, however, would quickly gain the upper hand, crashing his fist into the pirate's face, and soon catching the stumbling man to only make contact again with the bar with his face. Maahes didn't win wars alone by sword, he was known for his hand to hand combat. A matter of seconds and the pirate's blood spilt, and the room suddenly went silent as he connected with the floor. Turning to the room now Maahes was ready to take on every man here. Openly inviting them with a pull of his fingers, but their attention turned to Ealora for the ok.[/color]

Ealora: "Now why would I want to move?" A slender eyebrow cokeed upward at her husband as her hip rolled back pressing further into Perry as his hand found her hip to tell her it was ok. Like hell it was! He knew Maahes, they had a past but Ealora knew the look in Maahes eye better then Perry ever would. One simple touch and chaos ensued. Pushed aside, if she hadn't known Maahes like she did, she would of hit the floor, instead she stumbled catching the shoulder of the nearest patron and clamping hard to right herself. The matter of seconds it took to right herself and Perry had been tossed against the bar and then kicked the General back only to cold coke him in the face. "STOP!" She wasn't screaming at the two men but rather the others that moved in to help Perry. One gesture and they moved back encasing Ealora in a shoulder to shoulder body shield but through the shoulders she peered at the fight as Perry was struck once by fist and once by the bar only to hit the ground. Eyes turned to her as Maahes batted with her fingers. Pulling in a deep breath she leaned back against a table to debate. It only took a matter of seconds, could she let the men go into a fight they could not win? Worst case scenario some would die while others could be merely wounded. Best case scenario they got their asses handed to them and learned a lesson for the next time but Maahes? She knew her husband well enough to know he had worst odds in the past. Celadon eyes wild with a sickening fire lifted to her husband. There was absolute danger here, in a place with no laws there was real danger. Would she put him in that situation? Slowly she gave a shake of her head. "Tend to Perry" When the men stared shocked at her, she lifted from the table her face hardened. "Move it" She hissed and held her hand out to stop one man as he made his move to do as she bid to pull the dagger from his belt and slid it into her own waistband as she pushed though the moving crowd towards her husband. "So General..you wish to fight?" In a flash the dagger was pulled from her waistband as she reached him, held only a breath away from his cheek and moved in an angle as if she were slicing his throat without really touching him before the dagger gave a twang as it embedded itself into the ground with a flick of her wrist. "Fight me."[/color]

Maahes: He was shaking, everything about his shook with the adrenaline that came with combat. He became a wild animal poised for an attack, and simply waited. Surprise struck him as he watched Ealora, and the dagger that she so flung at the ground. "What are you doing here?" He spoke through gritted teeth harsh sounds of his voice a raspy rise from his chest. "You need to be home. It's time to come home. You down here with him, and not up there with me?" Moving forward he would heave heavy breaths, the anger so fresh in his mind and the taste of the pirate's blood enough to send him over the edge. He wasn't a nocturnal hunter, but a natural born killer whose idle hands have been without for too long. "Come. It's time to come home." He took her by the arm to lead her to the door, while the men tended to the pirate. "You have had your freedom long enough." (d

Ealora: Her head was cokeed to the side, posed with the offer she gave of fighting with her. The surprise on his face with the adrenaline shaking his limbs was all most comical. If any of them were in a laughing mood but that was not the case. There was danger in both their eyes, something building beneath the surface like a fire starving for oxygen to rage. "Really, what am I doing here? Is that why you're here, to ask me questions. You know very well why I am here. I am free here, free of restraints, free of husbands and children." She inhaled deeply through her nose and her shoulders shook as she let the scents of madness and insanity that lingered in the underdark fill here. "I am here. I am free here, free of restraints, free of husbands and children." She inhaled deeply through her nose and her shoulders shook as she let the scents of madness and insanity that lingered in the underdark fill here. "I am Malory here. I miss her...I like her and I want her back." She hissed low in a threatened voice as he advanced on her and she backed up. When his arm came out to grab her own, she twisted wrenching his arm behind his back, not an easy feat, he was stronger, men always were but she was counting on the surprise of the move to get it to work gripping his wrist as she pressed it against his back in a hold. "So your giving me orders now General? I don't think so. I'm not going." She growled low before shoving his arm as she released it and took a step back.[/color]

Maahes: "Malory was a filthy pirate whore. She died a long time ago." He hissed as she held him, and turned wildly on her when she let him go. "You are not her. She's gone, Ealora. It's time you come home." He hissed closing the distance between them. Though her words sank in, heavily it also calmed him, "Freedom? Is that all you want?" He took a deep breath getting angry again, "Is this more important then your family?" He narrowed his eyes on her, "I didn't marry Malory, nor will I stay married to her. You come home with me. NOW." He would never hit her, he wouldn't hit women. Rosalind was simply facing the wrong man at the time, and to this day he had not forgiven himself. He built their house, free, all of the King's men and all the King's horses worked day and night on it. "I'm not going to let you make a fool of me." Wrong words. (d

Ealora: "A filthy pirate whore?" She laughed at that placing her hands on her hips after taking another step back from him as he wheeled around on her. Her chin poked outward as her head went back in order to look at him but it was also defiance. "Is that what your worried about? whoring?" A slender brow etched upward as if challenging him. "Yes you did marry Malory, maybe not all of her but part of her. You knew who and what I was then." Her jaw tightened as he advanced on her growling low but it didn't matter who heard them now. She never cared then and she didn't care now. Perhaps one of the few things left that she felt hadn't changed. "Make a fool of you?" She hissed back pushing back against his chest so she had some room and showing her own display. "Is that what this has all been to you? Not getting your wife well but afraid she would make a fool of you for being sick." Her jaw locked in anger as her hand rose as if she were going to strike him but she had done that once and no matter of illness would see her do it again. Instead her fingers curled balling into a fist that shook with emotion before dropping to her side. "Get out." She growled low backing away from him before she did something she regretted.[/color]

Maahes: "No. I did not marry that woman. I will not stay married to that woman. Ealora, this is it." He took a deep breath trying to sooth himself. "You have made a fool of this family long enough. Malory made a fool of your father, and you make a fool of me. I moved our children into the castle to protect them from you. All of the court is talking about them like you are dead. Those poor children without their mother. Don't you think for a moment I don't feel like a fool, to find you down here next to that creature." He pointed to the pirate who had come back to the world and sat up watching the exchange with narrowed eyes--half because he was pissed, and the other half trying to see how many there were. "If you don't come home with me now, you'll not have me to come home to." He had reached his point. (d

Ealora: "So it comes down to it. I am just a bad woman all around." There was a type of cheer to her voice as her hands unballed and lifted palms up to gesture about the room as if to announce something everyone was waiting to hear, if it wasn't for her face dark and pinched with anger, her voice could of been taken for happiness. Slowly her hands fell to slap at her sides as she backed further away from him and towards Perry. "An its all about you, making a fool of you, making a fool of my family, my children? I'm not a fit mother nor wife?" A slender brow again arched upward as her head cokeed with the questions. "See the problem is, this has never been about you and it hasn't been something I can control. Your not going to accept that. I see that now." Her eyes roamed to Perry as he was pointed out and then back again. "Creature? But don't you remember. I am one to. The lengths I went through..."She shook her head to emphasize her words. "Freak. I do believe those were your very words. Perry is much more of a man then you will ever realize but what can I expect when you can't simply..." She stopped her lips pressing together before opening again to continue."allow me to heal...no my healing is to slow, its making a fool of you." Her chin tilted upward again as she looked him in the face. "Is that a problem?" She commanded. "Say it Maahes..." She waited only a fraction of a second, not long enough to give him time to answer before she spoke again. "Fine, if you won't say it, I will. I can't stay married to a man who thinks I am making a fool of him by being sick. I won't." Deadly serious, the room was still with silence so thick a pin would of made a bang. "I want a divorce."[/color]

Maahes: "This is not healing, Ealora. This is madness. Here? Ha." He laughed then, something that surprised even Peregrine. "I'll pay for the best damn healer there is, but you won't find healing here. You are not sick, you are addicted. You think healing comes from killing? I'll be the first to tell you it isn't." He heaved a heavy breath once more before shaking his head. "You read my mind." He wasn't going to bed, but he also wasn't going to hurt from this. "You have fun down here with all of these sick bastards. They are nothing but poison to you. Even your precious freak will turn on you. He take you from me, to get back at me for hurting his wife, I was sick then. I find healing with a healer not hurting my family by killing..being down here." With that he turned from her, and made his way out.

Perry:Perry tried his hardest to stand to catch him, they both had it so wrong but he held his forehead and took to his knees. "Honey, don't do this." He spoke through his fingers trying to find her, "Just let him walk away, cool down. Baby.." He reached out to touch her leg, hoping it was her feeling the hurt she felt, those words were immortal and he was afraid she meant it. [/color]

Ealora:Her jaw tightened with every word he spoke. She could envision herself just punching the hell out of him right now but she made no move towards him. It wasn't until the door closed that she realized he was gone and Perry was touching at her leg. It took her a minute to work through the haze of her envision to find out what Perry was saying. "I am letting him go. What do they say, if you love someone, let them go and if they come back to you its forever"she hummed in a laugh but it was sullen and dark. Her hand moved to his head stroking her fingers through his hair. "He doesn't get it. He never did and if he's going to see it, he needs to do it on his own. I won't continue to be victim of gaunt's and jibs. We lost each other a long time ago Perry, it just took this to make us both see it." Oh she meant it very much right now. Somewhere in there they had indeed lost each other. They still knew each others thoughts, could still trade silent words that never needed spoken. They still knew each other and yes they loved once another but just something was lost in there, a dagger ripped in the fabric. "This place isn't an addiction, its a way to quill the madness so I don't do something stupid but he won't see that either. This place is part of my past and will be part of my future but its the purgatory to the hell that awaits if I let myself completely go. I'll find cure. Right now we're just hurting each other by staying together. Now we can find what we need separately. Your afraid I meant it Perry" She smiled if for a fraction of a second. "I'm not afraid that I did."[/color]

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

Ealora: Summer was no doubt on the way with the days seeming brighter and hotter by the minute. The winds were slowing and nearly gone all together making people pray for the gentle breeze and rains of spring all over again. The roads were dusty and her pants were covered in it painting the dark brown color beige with the dust of the sandy roads when she returned to Red Wall. The lands seemed strange, nothing had changed and it yet had. For a while she simply stood there looking at the temple Maahes and her had called home. No more. So much had changed. Beng was at the ready pulling the wagon around at her command and the true work began, packaging what was hers into crates and bags to load into the wagon until she was sweaty and out of breath sitting on the pourch steps to rest while swigging from a pouch of watered wine.

Eirian: Redwall's work ethic breeched a sort of normalcy the Valley owed to the steady, reliable rythm of its people. The Lady Eirian was beyond pleased to have afforded some of her land for the General's family to make their dreams. The same thing was done at the end of the Valley in Drynoch and within shared lands on the other end for the MacSween. In this way, a vast region was well kept and beloved by those on her as much as the one whom founded it. Why did she worry? It was in her nature to care far more than was conceivable for the common woman. Furthermore, the General would always be hers long before he'd been Beathag's heavy Egyptian arm. He would be the long hand of Apollo repairing fallen temples, wearing her sashes, and wishing for brighter days. His wife? His wife would be the woman whom she would laugh with and drove through the darkness with when no one believed in a man they both had. Their children played together in the days of yore but now her own children were asking where the Asam-Azied heirs had gone to, and why the did not chime in to Arianna Hymerodraeth with their laughter. The questions of the children were the catalyst to her own wonder at the unusual silence of her neighbors. It would be on this principle that saw the Lady of the Valley come down upon the Avarian mountain bred horse.

Ealora: "Ho' LAdy Ealora, guest at the gate!" One of the guards called and panting from a long drink from the skin of watered wine, her head lifted, her hand pressed back the soaking wet tendrils of her hair as she pushed off the porch steps with a grown. Jogging had strengthened her legs, six growing kids who wanted mommy when they were little as three still were made her back strong in carrying them around when they demanded it so her body did not hurt really, it was just tired as tired as her mind was in teetering on the edge of a knife. There was still a wild look in her eyes, a silent danger in her eyes as she looked past the wagon to the farside of the yard and gate. A smile pulled at her lip like an itch in her cheek, it was there and then gone as she lifted her hand and waved at the guards to let Eirian pass. Tossing the skin at Beng who was thoroughly panting she all most laughed at his misery. "Take a break." She purred as she moved around the left side of the wagon and this time lifted her hand at Eirian in hello. "What brings you here my lady?" She greeted the woman who had accepted her past all things, who's kids grew in tandem with her own as smaller footprints grew into larger ones. There wasn't a word for their friendship, kindred was close but not perfect.

Eirian: "Thank you," she said to the guard whom allowed her passage down into Red Wall. Dark hair danced the length of her frame, spilling over the edges of the saddle as she moved in a steady trot down toward where Ealora stood. She looked like a siren- that one- and always would. She remembered a pirate sitting at her supper table. No vision could foretell than she would be a mother nearby raising the children of the Egyptian Beast. "Good day, m'lady. Silence brings me hence. One that my children can not abide by nor one that I understand from a distance. It isn't a usual one, either." How strange, she thought, that they both had dark eyes and dark hair yet were on opposite ends of a spectrum. Ealora cascaded easily as a waterfall over the essence of fire mingling with shadow. She was the underside of all elements that was beautiful to admire but too chaotic to touch without lessons. Eirian despite her years in the country with cuffed shirt sleeves, bare feet, and harvests remained as pale as the white topped mountains or the moon itself. Her eyes were everything that was infused in the cosmos. It was said that on the day of her birth the winter storm became trapped in her eyes, all blue and silver illuminate. "You seem very busy..." She spied the cart being loaded with crates and wondered as to why. Were they moving?

Ealora: There was certainly something strange in Ealora. Usually she would embrace Eirian sweaty or not. Now sh just stood pacing from one foot to the other as she watched her friend without the hint of a smile. "silence, hmm" She mused with a hum as her hands settled on her hips. "Word is, the whole valley is talking, even the town of how Lady Azad-Aziem has gone crazy." Her eyebrow cokeed upward as a smile pulled at the corner of her lips before falling again. "I am crazy but not deaf." Her body turned slightly as Eirian noted the cart and then turned back to her. "Yeah, uh..." As stronger as she felt her decision and Maahes was, it was hard telling people who saw only a strong love between them and never the fights. "I'm moving out, well back to town. Maahes is at the castle with the kids. I'll send a messenger tomorrow about your visit and the kids wanting to see the Azad Aziem kids." Kicking the dirt, she sniffled as she shook her hair throwing the damp locks away from her face. "We're getting a divorce Eirian." There she had said it and it felt as sure as it did the night before. "Come, walk with me to the creek. I stink." It was a half hearted tease as she ushered her head in a jerk towards the woods.

Eirian: So the world fell from its bedrock and the lunatic danced from one foot to the other while speaking in casual tones as if dictating an obvious report about the summer-like weather around them. Eirian sucked in air through a hard inhale, but the exhale never came. All of these things were history replaying - so similar their story that even Ealora sought divorce as she once had. But the reasons were different, no? Or was it only another form of escapism. Arching a thin brow, she canted her head in yes at the idea of a walk. What else could she really say that wouldn't sound as basic as any simpleton that uttered. 'How could this be' or 'Of course they talk in the town, country gossips are want to do so. they are the worsts' let alone 'Is there nothing to be done?" . Eirian retorted. "You look as if you've been in the rain and there stands to be none for many days, the creek will do you good." It was only then she grinned. The horse's reins were turned over to an available hand to take them. Without the advantage of saddle atop beast, her wordly height was dwarfed in comparison to everyone else.

Ealora: For a moment she stayed posed in the dirt waiting for Eirian reaction. People would be shocked, others would nod their head and say they knew it had been coming when inside they were marveling at it. The reactions would all be veried but she didn't care. Let them talk, as much as she tried to keep her life a locked and hidden book it seemed more out in the open then ever she intended it. When Eirian nodded, she started the trekk to the creek letting out a laugh that sounded dark and yet inviting for trouble as her arms locked behind her back and she kicked pebbles in the path through the trees towards the creek. "I wish it had been rain." She retorted and rolled her head back to let out a sigh, for several minutes she was silent but she wasn't musing on the question if anything could be done. She was reliving walking this path with Eli as if it were ongoing, as if it was not Eirian beside her but the breaded half of her that was a priest while she was a murderer. Suddenly she shook her head and groaned pulling a hand through her hair as she felt the familiar itch of fire beneath her veins when her rage was boiling for no reason. Suddenly she realized Eirian had said nothing about the impending divorce, she had simply thought she had heard her say it. She was indeed going crazy but really if she thought about it, she read it in Eirian face. "so much for fighting for what you believe in, look what's happened, blood painting the walls one moment, gone the next, a mind at an unease, a husband unwilling to understand it, unable to help it, feeling foolish, the wife that wants to spill blood, smash her husband face in..ha.." She was mumbling to herself as she kicked hard sending a pebble sailing into the air. "A wish for the past, oh to be in the past when things were simplier and maddness was a far pace away." This part was louder as she seemed to realize Eirian was there and celadon eyes rolled in her direction. "Are you not going to rile that this is wrong? That it is a mistake? Put your thoughts in before my mind completely falls apart. Believe me, even in my mood, I won't kill you for your opinion. I swear on the honor of being a pirate" An again she began to laugh, dark but inviting.

Eirian: She watched Ealora's lunacy rip through the woods with imagined images coupled with nonsensical phrases that should have remained inside of her head. The world was falling to shards for this woman. How did she look in the mirror, and what did she see? Most women would lament the end of marriage as the end of their viable use, but she saw black sails on old horizons no doubt. Eirian was enthralled as she was concerned. Toxic tales were pretty venom to curious veins once a bite lodged in. "They say you are mad, and it is obvious you are ill but some sense still manages to maneuver your movements. I am no one to vouch 'pon the sanctity of marriage, for I have been forgiven of the sin of ending one on my own devices when the Lord was no present to speak for himself. What I will ask is this: Is the love you bare your husband greater than this malady, or is it equal. For if it is equal none could accuse you of favoritism. It would be understanding balance But giving in is another matter entirely, and even then there is a difference between exploration and complete surrender."

Ealora: When they reached the creek, she leaned against a bolder to remove her boots, tossing them aside carelessly before rolling her pantlegs up and then wading into the water till it kissed at the ends of her rolled up pantlegs. She dipped, her hair falling over the oppisite shoulder as her head turned to watch Eirian as she spoke. Did the woman understand the danger she was in being in Ealora company? Even Ealora very much doubted it. The wrong word could set her off and yet Ealora didn't voice the danger. Perhaps it was that she needed a witness. Should ill come to her, that someone understood it wasn't all her fault. A smile cokeed the side of her lips as Eirian said people thought her mad. Well duh! Had she really thought it had been ill talk with no backing? "I all most beat her to death, wish I had.."Talking about Vivian as she shrugged out of her top. Being nude in others presence never bothered Ealora so being topless didn't bother her one bit as she bent again and began to cup water to sooth over her skin and suddenly she shivered not with the cool water but the memory of the blood on her fists from pumpeling Vivian. "I am all ready damned Eirian. I've murdered...and enjoyed it. My soul is all ready bound for hell, no good I do will ever change that." She sighed as she dipped her hands into the water again. "so why try...no good, I'm just no good." Lips pressed together tightly as her head turned this way and that pondering Eirian's words. "Its not about it being equal or not. It's not about loving him more or less then before. I love him, but I want to hurt him..oh you have no idea the wonders in my head at the hurt I could inflict on that man. Thats why I stay away, from my kids too. But he doesn't see it that way, I am making him a fool, that's what he see's. He won't stay married to me sick, not that I blame him. I wont' stay married to a man that thinks my madness is all a game." Shaking her hands as she lifted up, she wiggled this way and that as she removed her pants and then plunked into the water submerging her whole body in the creek and then sitting up with a deep sigh of relief. "It's not that simple Eirian, its not that I want to give into madness but its not a matter of fighting it either, the harder I fight, the further I go under. There is a piece of the puzzle missing, without it, I will never find a cure or at least learn to cope with the way my mind travels between me and Malory. Maahes doesn't understand that, whether he wants to or not, well...that's his problem. We both need to find something and its not together. Much as I love him, I also hate him right now. I can't be with him, not only because of this but because I don't want it. Something has been ripped between us, something lost. A tear in the fabric if you will. Maybe one day we'll find it again but for right now, this is the best choice. For his safety, for his reputation but also for my sanity and the sake of finding what was lost not between us, but in me." Did that make sense, she wasn't sure. Not just pretty words but there was a shadow on her brain that kept part of what she had just said from sinking in.

Eirian: " In ever so many words you are telling me it is better to submerge yourself into madness same as you do this creek in order to find what was lost, though there is no promise you will do this. I agree that if one would wish to commit murder against thy husband it is better to leave him to his ego than to a bloody bed," said the small one whom some thought a sagely sort, understanding the nature of dreams. Madness was only a waking institution of the night's custom, that was all. The air was pregnant with pauses as one thought - or didn't think perhaps- on what was said or not said. Would she leave the water-side with a mark to remember Ealora by? What was it that made her cavort here. Maahes would have been displeased to know that Eirian took equal parts sympathy, curiosity, and a growing fear of action for his wife to turn it into the ability to settle calm on a low brach of the neighboring tree. "Will you set sail to find this piece that you are missing? What worries me is not the gossip of others or even how your own husband may fathom you. There are some who are constant, some who are not, it is for Fate to know and us to discover. But no woman can forgo her children no matter how distant she may be from them. Lineage issued from twixt our thighs is more potent then the men whom place the seed. There is madness that near becomes lucid with keys to understanding its nature, but if you can not find this missing piece that is tad amount to surrender, and this is not in you for I do not see anything truly owing you, even a manufactured part of your mind or the pieces of your past. Bondage to any effect is a sad, soul numbing thing. I would not wish that for you. Nor if you do not figure this, it stands a question to linger in your children. Things are passed in blood at times. I did not account for Hope nor her brother having the Sight though it is stronger in my daughter, but it came from me. They could have been born weak blooded but were not, and blind, but also were not." Would such, seeing their mother this way or not at all trigger some effect dormant in the heirs of Malory? She sighed, placing no blame nor offering any condemnation. Being damned was a state of mind, really.

Ealora: "I don't know what I'll do..." She admitted freely as she sludged from the water and used her less sweaty piece of clothing, her pants to wipe her skin off beside sliding the wet material with some difficulty up her legs. "What I do know is what I am doing to my kids by being gone. Hurting them, but its better to hurt their emotions, that I can fix, the hurting their skin that will scar them for life an land me not only in disfavor with them but more then likely, hell. Maahes would never abide me hurting our children,nor would I blame him. It's not only for me I am doing this, its for them. My father was crazy when he died, in his letters he talks of brothers, but no sickness and I have to know if they were too. If not, well maybe its just from him to me, maybe it will skip my children but if not, what cure can I find to not only help me but my children, so that they never have need to fear madness striking at them." Her top was pulled over her head and her hair flipped out from its confines to brush against the back of the shirt before she find a place in the sand to sit, a ways from Eirian least her sickening rage attack her. Better to lunge for the woman and give her time to run then no reaction at all and then regret at a death. "Maybe its not in malory blood but in the suffering we all put on one another, the whole malory line that finally made minds crack. I pray its that, I also pray if not, that Maahes bloodline is strong enough they never know it." Didn't she just say that. She fell silent, lids sliding closed over celadon eyes and she was silent long enough that there was a nervous tension in the small breeze that swept across the creek. "Oh I miss her, that Malory woman, the one even you would of seen dead had you known her. I crave her freedom and her bloodlust, her rage..I crave it without really wanting to. I crave it and fear it." Her hands tangled in her hair. "Seek not to comfort me and ease my mind, it will not happen by your hands." She felt herself slipping and clung to one last thought. "You need to go comfort Maahes, ease his pain and no doubt his anger. My pain is numbed by rage. What I do is not easy but no one ever said it would be. I love my kids, but I would see me locked up and the key thrown away before I hurt them. Much as I love them though, this is something I need to do, my love laid aside and be damned for now." She smiled low, sinister "I'm damned enough, I've laid out one outcome, the end of my marriage. I want freedom right now, freedom from marriage. Freedom from children. Mostly freedom from this. Whether I go back to the bloody sword or try to make things right. Well fate is a fickle bytch and I am well within her hands." Her hand rubbed against her forehead to sooth the ache of her mind teetering so. "Eirian, you need to leave now. Leave and don't come back, not to me...not right now."

[Master Jean-Claude d'Aquitaine]

Jean-Claude:
The time had come for Queens and Kings, of both the dark and light. The time had come for the night, and the blackness that pulled around him could have been a savior to those without faith. He was a man of a very tall nature, whose black attire seemed to forfeit any right of good vs evil; he displayed both. The length of his raven black hair, fell in perfectly kept strands down his back seeming polished under the moon's glow, all the while eyes so dark a blue they appeared to be empty coals, seemed to look through a person as if combing their minds like a memory. He could feel the night, the cool spring air that was scented with the sea, brush her long fingers over his scalp adding life where else their appeared to be none. At one point, he was as dark as it got in the world beneath, living even below the decrepit shadows of the Underdark. If shadows could quiver they would shake in with the sound of his cane clicking down the lane, or the manner of his persona as it seemed almost distant yet eerily close. "I have come for your Queen." He spoke to the empty streets, the eyes deep and meaningless of the faces in the windows of the skeleton buildings whispering then--until their voices reached the Pirate Queen. He is here..he has returned..hurry..you must hurry. Standing where the four corners of the underground city met, he waited, dressed as any noble gentleman should and exposing only the flesh of his face--for skin was forbidden in such politics as well bred manners. (d

Ealora:
The underdark. The time had come for murderers and thieves. Of ghostly terrors and nightly screams. It was always Halloween in the underdark, a web that caught flies in which spiders gobbled them up never to see them again. Light rarely touched the walls of the underdark during the daylight hours and night time shadows crept in and whispered songs like sirens at sea to draw in the unexpected and unknowledgeable of its hallowed deadly alleyways. The moon was a curved blade in the darkness of the sky where stars dared not twinkle tonight. Corners met and quaked in the darkness in time to the taps of a single cane and deep soothing voice that belittled any signs of choosing a side to the Pirate Queen's who's presence had in days been absent from above. Hollow walls seemed to quiver and quake again with the laugh that was carried against the wind and the sane would think themselves mad indeed to catch a glimpse of a face in a fountain that had bubbled and turned its last sprout of water long ago, stagnant and unmoving was the pool within. Blink to quickly and it was gone to be replaced by the exotic form moving through the shadowed fog to the four corners. Russet hair was wild and puffed around her shoulders to brush the edges of a black Captain's coat despite the spring's weather. The streets echoed the fall of her boots and the fog seemed to lift from her feet as if she created it rather then moving through it and passed as a veil as she left it. "Jean Claude..." her voice purred low while her lips pulled in the all to sensual smile that was both dangerous and alluring.*

Jean-Claude:
They would shiver in her steps, and any man on this isle would find himself head over heels, visiting this sight of her each night before they said their prayers--for what images went through their minds they would need confessional. His gloved hands came to close over the ruby tip of his cane, the blood of his enemy rumored to keep it so red even under the pale light of the moon. "Captain Asad, look at the panther in you, Mon Cher." When she was close enough one hand would rise to tip her chin back to better suit his eyes, meeting her own with a smile. Everything about him was gentle with her, the soft touch of his thumb across her cheek, and down the line of her jaw as if to love a kitten until she purred. "My dear, where have you been?" He asked with a careful pull of his pale lips, and released her. "I was beginning to think you have forgotten me." It had nearly torn him apart the rumors that spread like fire through the streets, and he had to see it for himself; but would she be surprised to learn he had not come to talk her out of this night. Extending his arm, he would escort her through the streets parade her like the queen she was, and keep her close so that their conversation was private. She had told her troubles to the King, to a Pirate, and to her Sister--yet if she was sick, why not a Dr? Of all on the isle he had his education well enough from every university money could present; this man would know how to fix her should she even want it. "You look ravishing as always. Though, someday perhaps you shall cause an old man to die a happy man and wear one of my creations? Though..I praise our mortality, for I doubt I'll ever see the day." (d

Ealora:
"Captain Malory soon to be." She rasped and purr she did as his thumb moved across her cheek and down the line of her jaw till her lips parted and the panther purred deep as that wild fire came alive within the pools of Celadon of eyes. "Forget you? Never, I dream of you often ma bien-aimée" Her lips pulled into a smile as her arm linked with his and he began to move her through the streets were ribbons of fog seemed to pull back in fear of the ghostly like couple. Of all she had told her troubles too, she had not told all and feared seeing Jean Claude to tell him for he knew how to see into her and know she was holding something back and by God or the Devil, she did not know how he did it but he always got the truth of things out of her. An of all she had told, she had less fear of his reaction or hers. The teetering of her mind even seemed less in his simple presence while others seemed to draw her into a wobble that always brought the fear she would fall completely off the blade. "Ravishing? Insanely so?" She teased in that exotic purr of hers, a purr more evident when she was craving. She hummed in a small laugh while hugging his a bit tighter. "You create it for me ma bien-aimée and I shall wear it. I would feel quite proud to do so. Perhaps you can even make me looked desired again? Desire I have but being desired, I am without." Her fingers stroked his arm lovingly, the first gentle touch she had offered anyone in a long time.*

Jean-Claude:
His hand went to his chest clutching her own in the bend of his arm, while the other kept a steady pace with their steps. "Ealora ! Vous parlez français? Ou avez-vous appris cela pour me satisfaire?" He smiled then, the French pleased him very much, enough that he would have to think of a name for her--keep the title something of her own, for she had taken the time to please him. It brought a pain to his heart of home, but every time she called him her beloved, it all went away. "Oh come now. Insanity never looked better." He would offer her purr with a lightening to his eyes with his own smile, a rarity through well practiced manners, and sobriety. "Ah come now, such talk is not becoming on you, Mon Cher." His steps slowly momentarily to brush a kiss against the crown of her head, the russet curls a delight and something very welcome. "Is that a promise? Perhaps, I will have to extend my hours on this night to see it happen. Forgive me if I do not believe you will, though I dare not call you a coward. Ealora..how are you?" A serious tone came then, though still his every loving comfort as his steps lead them out of the under world, and back to the surface. The shop of the master was not far, and before she could complete her story they were in the richly decorated space where the windows were tall, and filled with treatments that could rival the king's. The red walls, could have been mistaken for a likeness of her home if it wasn't for the gold leaf that illuminated under the chandelier. The sound of turning gears would open the ceiling to allow the crystal light to fall gently and the fire turned in its place. A small room of mirrors sat against the back, with a plush red velvet seat where he sat the pirate queen, while he moved to offer her a glass of wine. "I have heard of your divorce, mon ami, and I extend my congratulations on your freedom." Truth behind his words as he dropped his cane against the wall, and started to remove his over coat, leaving only the billowy white shirt, tucked behind his silk vest. Long fingers went to fluff back the lace cuffs of his sleeves as he turned then to the racks to start picking out a few detailed designs for her to try. (d

Ealora:
Her face lit up with his surprise and obvious pleasure at her French. "J'ai appris, je suis heureux qu'il vous plaira" She responded easily. She had been learning to try to help the rip of her mind. It was a pleasure but it was not working. Not as well as she had hoped. "But it is the truth, can you feel the stem of my heart? How it beats with desire unfilled?" She pouted then, something quite cute and teasing all the same even as he placed a kiss against her head. "With the true beat of my heart, I promise" She spoke as her eyes caught his and then she frowned, turning her attention away from him and realizing they were leaving the underdark, her arm caught his, hard, her fingers like cold iron against his skin. It was as if the world above was the horror while the underdark was heaven. The streets above flamed her madness with its reality but she braved it with a raspy sigh as she moved forward with him again. How was she? Did he not see? Did he dare reach into the depths of her shadowed mind. "I am unwell, I am going insane Jean and I jest not this time. I see ghosts, talk with them, I am thrust into memories of my past and can feel, touch and taste it all long before it leaves me. Though the worst is the rage, so fitful like a fire out of control I can all most kill as if that would satisfy it." Her body turned to his as he lead her through the streets towards his shop, her voice dropped to keep their conversation more private. Ah, she had missed his shop. Even now the memory floated back of dancing in the darkness of it with him, finding out she was pregnant with the triplets. Lids slid closed as the fire danced, hotter and brighter in her eyes and she swayed on her feet as the memory threatened to come alive until his voice broke it as he ushered her into a seat and had a cup of wine in her hand. "Your congratulations?" The surprise was evident on her face before it softened to both relief and happiness giving way that he was the first to say it and it pleased her that she was not in fact alone. "oh ma bien-aimée, thank you" She breathed before lifting the cup for a sip and she did not mean the wine. The drink allowed her the chance not to elaborate on it as he seemed to bring out on her. What she felt behind the rage. Part of the reason it existed beside the madness. Celadon eyes still blazing lifted to watch him move this way and that picking out designs.*

Jean-Claude:
He had perfected the art of not letting people see through him, the shifting of his heart did pull however when she seemed to live in the happiness of being free. He understood what she was going through, though in all his life had never been there. Perhaps, she should meet the king of France--Phillip, he was indeed in the same degree she could look at in the mirror. With his selection in hand he would start her the room, turning then to face her and his heart broke in his chest. "I would not think you someone to joke on such a topic, Ealora. The papers alone were enough. Maahes, however, seems to not be bothered by it in the least--he has not come to my Adelaide for service." He chose his words carefully. Knowing that somewhere in there was an un-kept storm waiting to boil over, and his gloved hand came to stroke her cheek once more before he turned his palm up to help her rise, "Let it be peace tonight, Ealora, relax, how can you think clearly without letting yourself free. You've won your freedom, and now..you will start a new life. Now come..pretend with me tonight, let us find a gown." Slowly he would escort her behind the changing screen and let her do as she pleased. (d

Ealora:
"I know you believe me, but I have gotten so used to saying I am not jesting that it slipped out." She responded lifting the glass for one more drink before setting it down and crossing her arms over her legs as she leaned over and watched him work. Ealora was never a shopper, she didn't swoon over a new gown in a window. In fact she could count on one hand the number of gowns she owned. A gown was not workwear on a ship but as she passed a look at each selection he pulled out and then put back she had to smile. If she wanted to feel desired then Jean Claude was the one to do it and he didn't even have to touch her! Though God knew she missed physical pleasure!! Her fingernails flicked against one another as he spoke about Maahes not being phased or it seemed so and she snorted. "I'm not surprised. Each day more I hate him" Her jaw tightened but seemed to relax under the gentle caress of his hand and her hand lifted to cup his own against her cheek before tightening as he lifted her up. "I can't be free until I am thinking clearly Jean, thats the problem." Even as she spoke though she offered him a grin. "Pretend what might I ask? That I am one of Shaden's famous courtesan and you desire me?" She teased with a chime of a laugh as he lead her behind the screen. Shrugging off her coat, she threw it over the screen and began to work each piece of clothing off before taking the gown to slid on.*

Jean-Claude:
He made a clicking sound of disgust as he waved his hand to dismiss the thought, "Non,ma petite, her courtesans are all alike. They interest me like the book of John. It is false thought to think of them sharing my bed, or my desire. My evenings spent with the Lily's are often educating them, or simply for the company." Though, his nights now were spent mostly with Ada, he had little need of company, but still at least a few nights of each month he would have a different beautiful figure upon his arm. Was the manner of a gentleman, and old habits die hard. "Let us think of you as the gentle artist, born of Alexandria, and of woman now coming on her own." When she stepped out his heart caught in his chest and he turned her to face the mirror his fingers brushing over her bare back to help pull her hair from the bodice, and then falling to do up the laces. "What of that woman? The one who would sit and sketch for hours?" Did she remember those days on the ship, when she had first come into her new life? He looked to her eyes, in her reflection the coal black of his own meeting her sea-green like where the midnight hour met the ocean's horizon. "What of that woman? Is she so consumed of rage that she has died?" He would flatten his palm down the long russet curls to have them perfectly sorted over the hem of the bodice. "She suffers now, very deeply, from being kept for so long." He had let his gaze fall upon her curves, committing to memory the sight before him, but when his eyes rose once more to meet her own he could have told her the truth with a look alone, "It is heartbreaking to watch.." He whispered, moving his eyes from her reflection so that he could meet the real celadon eyes that so desperately needed to heal. (d

Ealora:
She hummed in a laugh from behind the screen. "You flatter me by doing them no justice." She retorted before stepping from behind the screen and ushering her arms wide in a display of 'well, how does it look'. She was skeptical of the catch of his breath and it showed on her face as he turned her to the mirror but when his hand brushed against her back to move her hair, she gasped. "Jean, gardez-vous de me toucher" Her voice purred as lids slid closed and her skin rippled with bumps. Letting out a deep sigh, her eyes found her reflection in the mirror. Why did he have to bring up that woman? She hadn't known her in so long, she had been lost long ago to dutiful wife and mother. "She died under the guise of wife and mother. Of being the Lord General's Wife" To the title she punctuated each word letting out what she wouldn't say to others. "Each time her accomplishments were buried under 'look what he Lord General's wife has done' she sickened until she could last no more. Do you honestly believe she still exists? This being with a a good heart and intention who fought with an iron will?" Her head tilted looking at him through their reflection. "That is also why I desperately need and want this freedom. I got that title through marriage, I didn't earn it. I want a title my own, something I earned and deserve." When his eyes met her own, she turned away from that look, turning in his arms till her hands came up to cup his cheeks within the olive toned skin of her hands. "The pirate exists stronger then any of it, ma bien-aimée. An she wants blood, to earn the title she once had, because it was her own and not given out of nothing." She leaned to brush her lips softly against his own before releasing his face and turning to look at the reflection of her again while a slow smile pulled over her lips. Jean worked miracles it seemed, the gown was gorgeous, breathtaking, but it was the gown, not her. She saw the pirate playing dress up in her reflection.*

Jean-Claude:
He ran a hand over her cheek tucking her hair behind her ear, as he gave a small nod, "I do. I do so know she is still there because I can in fact still hear her heart beat in her chest. My dove..please, know that you are loved most dearly, and I hate to hear of your fall. My arms shall always be here to catch you, support you..lift you back up. I leave for England soon, why don't you come with me? We will stay in the castle, with Claramae. If any can help you balance your life, it is she. Now..on the other matter." His voice offered a bit of a stern almost cross hint as he towered over her, his hand coming to clasp her hip--firmly, he pulled her against him, causing her to submit even if she did not realize. Jean-Claude walked a very thin line, but he was a perfectionist to his art--and if she was going to go that far he would lead her back around. The pale thin surface of his lips nearly touched her own, but kept their space in a slight tease, "If you are going to go, then you commit. Just like..." Closer, only to pull away, "In a kiss. If you are going to do it, do it right. It is not polite, and will keep the insanity if you simply..." Words of wisdom even in seduction, it was no wonder he had little need of the Lily's. "touch the surface." He mimicked her brush of his lips, a nuzzle as well as he held her face with his long fingers. Pulling away, he would eye her then a dark brow arched for his answer. He meant for her to finish it this time--to go the entire way to rid herself of her madness, and not just in a kiss. He wanted her to heal, but damn how he was going to worry. (d

Ealora:
"Don't hate to hear of my fall, fear it. If I fall, I will fall into complete darkness and there will be no bringing me back. I know you will trust and believe in it where others do not understand. You have always seen the heart of Jean, even the darkest part." Her head leaned against his own even as he brushed her hair behind her ear. "I'd love to go with you, but I can't run away from my problems. I have to face them, besides, there is talk of war and I am still in the navy." She hummed a small unmeaningful laugh as her lips curled into a smile as she began to be pulled away only to be drawn back as he pulled her back firmly by her waist and her mouth opened only a fraction. The corner of her lips pulled up slightly into a grin as he told her how to kiss. "Oh ma bien-aimée" She breathed with a small chime of a laugh. "I know how to seduce, I was simply being nice." She purred as her arms wove around his backside, her palms lay flat against his back and pressed as her shoulders rolled back heightening her breasts up an inch before being pressed up against him. "An if you're going to do it, mean it" She whispered. "Always remember, a kiss can be deadly if you mean it." With a slight slit between her lips to the opening of her mouth her chin tilted upward as one hand left his back to lightly pinch his chin between her fingers as her lips met his own and then her thumb firmly pressed to open his mouth as hers covered his own. Her lips were like silk devouring naked flesh sucking in his lower lip into that gentle opening, teasing and delighting for a fraction of a second before she was pulling away but not before her lips covered the whole of his own again and finally drawing back as she released his face with a cast of a dark and alluring smile as her other arm around his body slowly let go her fingers sliding over his side as she stepped away.*

Jean-Claude:
'Je ne parle pas d'un baiser.." He whispered, "Or your seduction skills, Mademoiselle , but of your commitment." His lips were cold, but warmed under her own. Jean, despite his thin frame was in fact rock solid. His height added weight where it was needed, but the layers of fabric between he and her would never offer much of his true body. This was all part of his secrets. "Please come home to us. Your sire and I would miss you dearly, Peregrine is worried sick." and so was he. He marveled at how much madness was in her kiss, but enjoyed it..(May not be human, but he was still a man. Lolz) "But your place, Ealora is not in that Underdark..you are better than that." He ran a thumb over her lips wanting more, but they were both in a position where it would do nothing but hurt. He was to be married, and she still. "Let me take you to my lab, there we can find a cure for this. " He hated to admit it, but the risks started to weigh in. "You do not have to leave." He let her walk away for the moment, coming up soon behind to finish the laces, before taking a seat on his chair. (d

Ealora:
"What of my commitment Jean? To my work? Surely not to my soon to be ex husband since you congratulated me on that." She reached out to take his arms into her hands, holding him at the elbow as she rocked forward towards him and then back as she let out a ragged sigh. "Perry has chosen his path and he must walk it. Rosalind is right, he needs to learn to say no. He has a chance at a happy life and by God I hate to admit it but he is right, I ruined mine." Releasing him she turned to the mirror again and then moved towards the screen and then stopped to gesture at her back so he could undo the laces. "Yes Jean, I do need to leave..." Her head turned to watch him undo the laces and she stepped behind the screen again to take the dress off emerging a minute later with the dress thrown over the screen this time and her coat over her arm which she slung over a chair before flopping down next to him. "I promise you, I will come home from this.." Her lips pressed in a line and then released. "Jean, there isn't talk of war, well there is but...I've all ready been to see Adam, the King" She kicked herself for using his name instead of his title. "He's asked a task of me and I have agreed. I don't go back on my word Jean. At least that much of me hasn't died. Maahes always...went off the deep end when my life was in danger, now I am free to make the decision and not worry he will flip his dreads that I am putting myself in harm’s way. Remember when I died...or...close to it" She made a face and shrugged. "when I came back he promised things would be different, that he wouldn't doubt me and he didn't keep it. He went off to war, I stayed home. If I am to heal, find myself again. Find that woman you and likely the whole island misses, I have to do this." Curling her arm around his shoulders, she leaned in against him placing her chin against his shoulder. "Do this for me, the dress was beautiful but you know me Jean, you know my heart and my soul. Make me a dress, make an Ealora creation, something when you look at the dress even on its stand, reminds you of me and I promise you, I will come home for it." Celadon eyes lifted to his own without removing her chin only turning her head just so to see if he accepted the challenge.*

Jean-Claude:
"Your commitment to getting better, Ealora." He spoke very clearly that time. "Like that kiss, I am afraid you are only going to touch the surface, and not go as deep as you should. I can make you forget. I have drugs that can take all of this away." Though even he did not trust it, "Ealora..you can not blame Maahes for this. He is simply a man, and one who loves you very dearly. You forget he was not raised with the laws we were. All he has ever wanted for you is the best, do not forget that. You can not heal yourself, with anger towards him." He spoke as he untied her laces, his smile accepting the challenge. "You must go into this knowing that it is your fault you got this far, that is the first step in healing." She looked so tired, yet so ready to take on the world--his heart ached for her. "Stay with me tonight, I shall put you down in my silk sheets, and fight away your demons so that you may rest. Ealora, you need this..one good night’s sleep before your battle begins. Come.." He shuffled through a small box to pull the nightgown of modest design, and then extended his hand. "I will make your dress. Come, child, least you depend on a man for one more night to keep you safe..brave pirate and all." (d

Ealora:
"I do blame him, but I blame myself too. I let myself tone down and I let him treat me that way without ever saying different. It's not all his fault..." She leaned up and sighed as she shifted on her chair leaning this way and that, she was tired, very tired but sleeping in the underdark even as a Queen you slept with one eye open and truth was even the Shadow Storm was hollow of comfort. It has been to long, she had slept with a man for to long to know the joys of sleeping alone again. There was no joy in it. "Jean, making me forget is as bad as running away from it. You can run or you can forget for a time but it catches up to you, and can be ten times worse when it does. Thank you but no." She scowled looking at the nightgown. She slept naked but the offer to lay next to someone for a good night’s sleep was tempting, enough that she considered it and the nightgown. "Loves me?" She questioned about Maahes while plucking the nightgown from his hands. "Jean, Maahes hates me as much as I hate him right now. I am not the woman he fell in love with, likely, I will not be the same one ever again, things have changed. Maahes is to stubborn headed to see why things have been so ripped between us, I am beginning to see but that doesn't help the situation. It makes my mind unravel more. Trying to find that place again. If only he would understand, feel what I feel, see what I have seen, understand what went wrong. I am not trying to be mean but that's Maahes and you know it, he is stubborn and so am I." Lifting from her chair she began to remove her clothing right there tossing them to the chair that had her coat before pulling the nightgown on as a silent approval that she would stay. "I'll stay, but don't be to upset if I am gone in the morning, I have two days before I leave..."*

Jean-Claude:
"My darling, I care not what time you leave, just so long as you get a good night’s rest." She did not have any modestly, but this was ok because he had enough for both. Slipping back to where the apartment held a wash room he returned with just as much clothes on as he had before..just of different material, and only one layer. The rooms were grand, though not lived in. A great bed made up the middle of the floor with silk sheets--legendary during his bachelor days. "I do not stay here often anymore, but in the Ebony Hall." He tied his hair back, and made his way for the bed. She would see a more intimate side to him, that hardly any knew as he laid there on his back and talked to her like two chickens in their hen house throughout the night. She needed this release he knew it, and he needed this friendship. Any man would be envious of his spot, and the thought did cross his mind. However, she was not in her right state, and to him that would indeed be rape. He was not a predator in this, but the open hand to lead her through. (d

[Master Jean-Claude d'Aquitaine]

Further Reading

Ealora Visits the King



Maahes and Eirian

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

Takes place after Ealora visits Adam and before the place with Jean Claude.



Shaden: The days had been long, two days before she had went with Marren and the barrister and helped to secure a small townhouse and servants for her husbands... ex lover and current mother to be of his child.. She had pasted on a smile, convincing herself that it was just a business transaction, but as Marren talked of the feelings of love, and caring she was having over the new life that grew within her, Shaden could not help but envy her.. and a aching hurt settled within her heart.. would she have this ache forever? Would it go away in time.. or would she feel this each time she looked at the child, for the rest of it's life? She hoped not.. she prayed not... that she would feel sadness in looking at Nic's child, almost broke her thought to think of. Yet she was human, and prone to human frailties. Today had been peaceful so far, Nicholas was over at Marren's helping her with new furniture, and such as she was excited about moving into her new home, and had wanted to spend time with Nic during her pregnancy, Shaden tried hard not to dwell on the time that the two would share over the coming months, instead setting her mind to Gemma and Jadrien's homework, then dinner.. Now that Gemma and Jadrien were asleep upstairs, she settled in the living room awaiting Nic's arrival home.. each minute that ticked by, seemed to take hours, she cursed under her breath and rose from the couch, saluting the clock with her middle finger, a most unlady like gesture, but almost comical from anyone else's view point, as it was most unlike Shaden to use suck a vulgar gesture.. her face was almost pinched into a shrewish look as she moved to the bookcase, her fingers running over the spine of the books in search of something that would take her mind off where her husband was.

Ealora: Ealora's day had started early, first an official trip to the castle to talk with the new King and then down to the docks to see the Shadow Storm ready for sailing. She needed it ready to go if she found that one moment where it was it was inevitable that she leave or hurt the people she loved. Hours whiled away on ship and she began to wonder why she had ever left it until the thought creeped back and she felt herself getting angry all over again until she couldn't stand to be on the ship anymore. Where else was there to go? The island was getting smaller in the way of people who didn't know her business until the thought occurred to her that Shaden was dealing with her own marital discord and likely unaware of what was going on in her life not to mention the fact she had neglected her sister for far to long. She didn't even bother to knock on the door instead letting herself in and quietly closing the door. Seeing Shaden flicking the clock off made her laugh as she leaned against the doorframe to the sitting room with her arms crossed over her chest. "That isn't very ladylike you know" She chimed giving away her position.

Shaden: She whirled about with a book in her hand, a smile lighting her face, " Ealora...! " she was overjoyed to see her sister, not only for the fact that it had been a long while since she had seen her, with all the drama going on in her life, new children, Marren, and Nicholas.. there had hardly been time to do the day to day things, she felt guilty that she had not made time to go and see her sister and her family " Ohhh I'm so glad your here.. I've missed you so " she almost ran to her throwing her arms about her neck in a endearing hug . It was quite a sight the long lean dark haired pirate, practically pounced by a elegantly gowned ball of enthusiasm with flaming red hair, that looked like a china doll come to life. At barely 5 foot tall in her stocking feet, Shaden had always figuratively and literally looked up to Ealora, as sister, mentor and friend.. not to mention from a sub par height.

Ealora:The smile broke out over her face despite her troubles at Shaden's enthusiastic call of her name and then the bounding hug that nearly knocked them both off their feet. Thank God there was a wall behind them and Ealora laughed, for real in perhaps longer then she could remember. Long slender arms wrapped about her sisters waist as she gave a kiss to her forehead. after all Ealora was the oldest. "I've missed you too" An nothing that came from Ealora's mouth lately was a lie so why should this one be? "How are you doing?" Truth be told she had stayed away for a reason and not only forgetting to call on her sister but knowing full well the extent of damage Shaden would face when she came home. There just seemed to be to much going on in both of their lives right now that neither of them could be their for the other. "I could use a good stiff drink while you catch me up" an Celadon eyes searched the room to find the liquor cart.

Shaden:The hug lasted probably longer than Ealora wanted, for it's comfort and stability... something Shaden craved these days,, she knew she could count on Ealora.. they were family after all.. as Ealora spoke of wanting a drink Shaden laughed softly " Oh my manners are lacking aren't they ?" she released her sister, and turned moving to the bookcase that held glasses and decanters of fine Whiskeys and Scotch " What would you like?" her hand waved over the selection... and when Ealora pointed out her preference, Shaden poured a glass for them both.. indicating with her chin that Ealora should sit, and relax " So tell me of my nieces and nephews.. how are they? Gemma and Jadrien would love to meet their new cousins, I bet Gemma and Eppie will get along famously as will Issa and Jadrien, of course the younger ones will too, but they are so close in age " Shaden was rattling on, grateful for the distraction of talking of the children and someone else's life besides her own misery.. " Jadrien and Gemma are doing wonderfully, getting along in school fine, and we got them a puppy.. Ashes.. " yes sometimes ... Shaden's prattle could be overwhelming, a sure sign she was.. miserable beneath the surface.

Ealora:True Ealora was patting Shaden to let her go when the hug lasted longer then she had intended it to but she let out a laugh anyway's as Shaden stepped back. "Since when did we want for manners. We're family, manners go out the window" She chimed while pointing to the whiskey as she slid into the sofa and curled her feet behind her. As Shaden brought the drinks, Ealora reached for hers and took a large swallow without even flinching. Idling her mind wasn't a good idea but she needed it as Shaden prattled on not even giving Ealora chance to respond until she clasped a hand over Shaden mouth to stop her. "The kids are fine. As far as I know. You should send word to Maahes or Nora that you want to get the kids together. I am sure all of them would love the play time." Finger nails tapped against the side of the glass as she turned her head slightly to the side while watching her sister. "You've been unhappy, I'm sorry. Your trip didn't go as you expected I imagine, but things will get better of that I have no doubts. You love your husband and he loves you. Your to good for him..but"She laughed and shrugged. "Ah Shaden I have something to tell you, if you haven't all ready heard the rumors, which don't seem to have happened.." She took another large swallow and leaned over to put her drink on the table before sitting back and shoving her hand into her hair while leaning it against her palm. "Maahes and I are getting a divorce."

Shaden: At Ealora's words of seeing her being unhappy.. she smiled sadly " Yes the trip went well enough as I did come home with Jadrien and Gemma, but.. when I returned home .. that was when things went awry.. " awry.. that was the understatement of the decade, awry.. what a stupid word... her brows knitted however when Ealora told her that she would have to speak to Maahes about the children, and her mouth gaped open in total horror and shock when Ealora announced they were getting a divorce.. " Are you joking.. this is not funny Ealora, not one bit, and if this is your way of trying to make me feel better your sense of humor is.. lacking " her tone was both shocked and angry.. as she sat back, downing the glass of whiskey she held in her hands, now the glass settled within them shakily.. " You cannot be serious Ealora.. why on earth.. what has happened?"

Ealora:"Awry?" Her brow went upward as she let out a laugh reaching for her drink again and stopping, leaned over her hand out to her glass of whiskey and her head turned at her sister at the obvious shock on her face but it was the anger in Shaden's voice that baffled Ealora. She was angry? Sitting back up her hands folded over her chest and one leg was thrown over the other as she let Shaden have her shocked moment. "No I am not joking. You really think I would joke about something like this to make you feel better?" Her head cokeed with a bit of attitude as she tossed it back at her but her brows lifted both when Shaden downed her glass. Now this wasn't the reaction she had been expecting. Really she wasn't sure what she expected but not THIS. "I am quite serious" She wiggled her hand sans her wedding rings but still displaying a white ring around the tan flesh of her finger. "It's a lot of things Shaden, a lot has happened since you sailed off on my ship but the main thing is I hate him and oh yes, I've been going insane." The last thrown in with a shrug as if it were every day news.

Shaden: The blith way that her sister wiggled her finger as if the defection of her marriage and family were some kind of game, or jest fueled the flame of Shaden's anger, and her lack of understanding of her sister.. "You hate him? No Ealora.. you love him and he loves you ! " She stood now facing down her leisurely lounging sister.. " I cannot believe you would just throw away your marriage.. Has he hit you, mistreated you.. cheated on you... ?" her eyes leveled on Ealora, and she already knew the answer.. Maahes would never lay a hand in anger on Ealora, he loved her with all his soul.. yes he could be a bullish bastard, stubborn to the core.. but he would never mistreat her... she knew this as well as she knew her own heart... " And what of your children? You say Maahes and Nora have them... your leaving your children for your servant to Raise?" her eyes narrowed even more as her voice rose in anger... " Yes I believe you are insane, INSANE to throw away a marriage that most dream of.. children family a life..."

Ealora:Leaning back into the sofa, her arms went to the back in order to tilt far enough to see her sisters face. At first this was rather amusing to see Shaden standing up for Maahes. Their relationship yoyo'd through the years but had remained ever constant in the way of family love and the fact Shaden was telling her how she felt. "No I am pretty sure me wanting to ram my sword through his heart classifies it as hating him." She hummed in a small laugh shaking her head as Shaden ranted and raved. "First of all, sit down your giving me a crink in my neck." She wiggled in the chair to scoot back away from Shaden's glare. "Now by that look your giving me, you know the answers to your questions but to redirect that second one, yes he has mistreated me. You of all people I would think wouldn't make judgement before having the facts but you sound more insane then I do right now." Lifting off the sofa she moved to stand behind it least she need a quick getaway. "I don't want to explain everything. I am tired of everyone all ready knowing my business but it all started with me beating the hell out of the children's nanny, Vivian. The how and why aren't important. The children are with Maahes and Nora to keep them safe from me right now that doesn't mean I am abandoning them. I just can't be around them right now and I can't stay married to Maahes when I hate him more then I love him and he feels very much the same way as he doesn't want to stay married to a woman who's making a fool of him, his words not mine."

Shaden: "you are a fool... You have everything.. a man who loves you and is faithful... who is committed to you and your family, you have 6 children... you are so blessed, I've longed for the life you have.. I've watched for years as you birth your sons and daughters and know the joys of being their mother.. how can you give that up.. ?" her words were angry and condemning " I'm going through hell trying to keep my marriage while another woman is bearing his child and you are just throwing your family away.. Your Selfish.. Ealora.. being a mother you should do whatever it takes... to be with your children.. to be their mother.. and you are giving up.. when things get hard... Perhaps if this was how you were going to be... you should have left Ra at my Breast and Issa and Eppie in my household and stayed dead " it was out before she realized what she said.. her hand slapped over her own mouth as the words escaped and her eyes took on the hue of shame and guild.. " I'm sorry I don't know... why... oh Ealora.. I... " tears begin to fall now as she realized that her sister had come to her for comfort and she had lashed out instead of helping "I'm sorry.. please... forgive me.. I'm a horrible sister... please... what can I do.. to help you ?" she sat down heavily in the chair, idly twirling the empty glass in her palms...

Ealora:Arms slid over her chest again and her head began to twist this way and that as she stared at a blank spot on the wall, focusing on the color until it blurred and the colors name itself escaped her reasoned mind. She let Shaden rant and rave, the reasoned part of her mind told her Shaden was dealing with her own hysterical marriage but it did not quill the anger that began to rise through her like an inferno and when Shaden let out that she should of let Ra at own breast and stayed dead Ealora's eyes cut up hard to her sister. If looks could kill....Nic would be a widow. Shaden began to cry that the sinister smile played over Ealora's lips. "Oh no Shaden, you finally grew a backbone, don't take it back now. God knows if you grew a set of balls years ago, you would of never been in the trouble that you've gotten yourself into month after month after month. Lets be honest here Shaden, I think you crave chaos, without it you would find life lacking.." Her arms unfolded as she stalked on her sister and leaned to clasp the armrests of the chair. "Oh poor me, my husband acted like a man and got himself another woman when I ran off and didn't tell him where I was going. You know...I slugged the chyt out of your husband for you, when he was acting insane while you were gone. Now I commend him for his actions. You reap what you sow little one and I can deal out the harsh statements just as well as you can....You want to help me?" She questioned while celadon eyes blazed with an intense fire of rage and insanity. "do you really?" She leaned in to press her cheek against her sisters and ran the skin of her cheeks against her sisters before switching to the other side while letting out a little hum laced with an unspoken threat. "You've chosen your side, Shaden. You want to help me.." She leaned up to look into her sisters eyes again. "Don't....help me. Go on playing mommy to kids that aren't yours. Hell, take mine if you think your so much better at it then me. An in return I'll grant you one small favor of my own, you won't see me again...hmm" she purred before plucking down to peck her lips against her sisters and lifting up to head to the door.

Shaden: "Ealora... no wait " tears still streamed down her cheeks, each of her sisters accusations a knife to her heart, but she knew payback when she heard it... " Ealora.. no.. I'm not taking sides.. I've always been on your side... your my only family your my sister.. " she looked as wounded as anything, not for Ealora's words.. as much as the thought that her own had caused her sister pain enough not to want to see her again.. " I'm sorry.... I didn't mean it.. I'm the one who... can't face things.. I had no right to judge you.. your a good mother... I've been jealous of you... envied you..." her hand caught Ealora's wrist... " There has to be something.. anything I can do to help... to help you... please... I'm your sister " glacial green eyes displayed the sincerity and love of a true sister though no blood was shared between them Ealora was as much her sister as if they had shared a womb.

Ealora:As her wrist was grasped, she whirled on Shaden, her hand rose and then fell, gripping her sisters head, she pulled her close and in a tight all most strangling hug. "Don't be sorry, you see what I am becoming..even for the smallest moment, I could of seen your blood on my hands and enjoyed it." She was whispering, harshly and as if she were out of breath trying to keep control of herself and not harm one of the people she loved most besides her children. "There is nothing to be jealous of me Shaden, I'm human, made mistakes but this...is not one of them. The one thing you must do for me is protect my children, even from me.. but for now, you MUST stay away from me" Slowly she released her sister and took a step back holding her hands up to keep them away from the Sai's at her back. "Love you" she purred and then Ealora was out the door before her rage could explode.

Shaden: She stood for long moments blinking uncomprehendingly at the door that shut behind the retreating form of her sister... had the world gone mad.. when had everything turned on it's side and backwards.. the things she though that were unshakable now stood on ruined foundations... slowly she sank to the floor before the door... settling in a pool of soft green summer muslin, her fingers plucking at the hem..it was immaculately stitched and embroidered.. much like her life.. everything in it's place.. surrounded by the embellishments of life.. but was it hallow... was it all pretend.. was she pretending to be a wife... to a man who should be with the mother of his child... a mother to children that were not hers... a sister to a woman that she shared no blood with... in the light of Ealora's words.. she questioned the validity of all the people she had come to love as family... were they truly hers.. or was she the fool.. the one who was insane.. this is how Nic would find her when he came home.. a quiet, introspective woman sitting before a door.. questioning what truly lay inside her own house...

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

Taylor[/u]
"I hope you know what you're doing" Taylor spoke grunting with the effort to push a large crate to the corner of the bowels of the ship.

Ealora[/u]
"When did you ever think me less capable of doing so?" Ealora responded with a grin and then shoved her weight against the same crate to push it into place before they were moving back and forth left to right to secure the ropes around it for the voyage.[/color]

Taylor[/u]
Heaving a sigh, Taylor leaned against the newly secured crate and drank from a skin of water and then handed it over to her. "I didn't say that. I said I hope you know what you're doing. Flying the old colors..not in the marriage" His hand wove as he pushed off the crate. "Men could never compete with your love of the sea..I am just surprised you brought kids into the mix.." His hands came up at the dark look on Ealora's face "Not that I don't love my nieces and nephews or agree with Maahes guards to keep you away from them. But you know if he was to find out about you flying the old colors of a pirate, you'll never see those kids again."

Ealora[/u]
Taking the skin from him, she took a drink feeling it sliding against her parched throat before turning her eyes darkly at him in mentioning her kids. That was one thing you didn't mess around about with Ealora. Shoving the skin against his chest she moved to the opening above them and waved to the man looking down at them who disappeared at the signal. "Many people would die before my kids were ever completely taken away from me. I trust in your confidence enough to tell you about our mission but don't think for one minute you know me well enough to talk about my kids with me."[/color]

Taylor[/u]
Taylor heaved a sigh and leaned against the crate again to wait for the next crate to come into sight. "Ealora, I'm not going to try to defuse the situation. Your as much to blame as he is. Granted people see you more at fault then him. Just...hear me out. I think that you think he is doing this out of spite while I happen to believe he is doing this to protect them. Wouldn't you do the same thing if he was a danger to them?"

Ealora[/u]
"I'm not a danger to my children!" Ealora turned sharply to scream at him as the bottom of the crate came into view. Swinging her head out of the way, her hands came up to guide the large wooden box down and to the floor before heaving herself up to detach the line and then jump down to direct this one as she had the last. "Taylor, I haven't killed anyone yet but your fast becoming the first on my list. Just shut your mouth and push."[/color]

Taylor[/u]
Pushing himself off the secured crate he jumped in to direct the crate downward and then shove his weight against it to push it into place. "Sorry Captain. I know you need people on your back and it seems as if I'm not, but I am. Sam would be too, God rest his soul if he were alive. I am just saying, I want to make sure you've thought this through, you need this trip, this battle but you know me, wary of the consequences on your end. I've always had your back that way cause you never do you know" He chanced a grin at her then and began to grunt again as slowly they moved the crate from the opening to the furthest side of the ship and attached the lines to secure it. "so that's it..we shall in the morning. You should get some sleep."

Ealora[/u]
"Taylor, if Sam were here. He would be slapping you upside the head." Her head poked out from the side to return his grin before they were back to business and securing the newest and last crate into place. "Your right, I need this. I am doing this more for myself then the King. Call it a need to revisit the past, see if that's where my heart really needs to be." Her arms crossed over her chest as it was her turn to lean against the crate. "Yep, we sail in the morning. You should get some sleep. I still have some business to tend to." Pushing off the crate she moved to the line still dangling into the open hole and whistled. The line lowered and her arm wrapped around it.[/color]

Taylor[/u]
Jumping up form his position, he moved to grab the line and together they were hauled up through the hole and the doors secured over the bowels over the ship before he lifted up catching Ealora walking down the gang plank. "Ealora...watch your back!" He warned.

Ealora[/u]
"I don't know what you're talking about' She replied in a singsong voice as she rolled her shoulders pulling on the long coat of her status of Captain her boots thudding against the wooden planks of the dock. [/color]

Taylor[/u]
"The hell you don't!" Taylor replied in a loud growl as he leaned over the railing to watch after her and was rewarded with a laugh from Ealora as she disappeared into the crowds at the end of the docks.

Ealora[/u]
Truly the guards around the castle were some of the best. Even those posted on the outside of the walls, within the grounds and in the halls to ward her away from the children. No doubt told to arrest her on sight for disobeying the order to keep away from her kids but no piece of paper was going to keep her away from her children. The how of how she slipped unaware past the guards was unimportant. What was important was the soft smile on her face as she nuzzled and kissed each sleeping child that she bore as her own before reaching her sleeping sea prince. The look had long been lost on her face and the truth was, she had been frightened she had lost all instinct of motherhood but more importantly, all motherly love for her children. It was the second reason she kept away from them but she smiled with the affection only a mother could bare as she leaned over her sea prince.

Slowly she crawled up onto the slit of the bed still left open and wrapped her arm oh so softly over her son leaning her elbow into his pillow and resting her cheek against her open palm before her free hand lifted and gently stroked down the nose that resembled his birth fathers perfectly.[/color]

Issa[/u]
Issa groaned and flicked his head away from her crawling finger before burying his face against the pillow for a minute and then relaxing. His mouth opened and closed and opened and closed again like a fish out of water as his lips smacked and his arms curled into his chest. After the second set of finger crawling against his nose. He jerked and blinked sleepily into the darkness of the room. "Mommy?" He groaned sleepily and in disbelief.[/color]

Ealora[/u]
"Hi baby" Ealora hummed as she grinned drawing her finger away from his nose as he jerked and woke reluctantly. She knew her visit would not be revealed by the sea prince to Maahes. Hearing the words mommy made her heart swell with motherly pride and love but it also hurt to. For him to call her mommy, she knew she had hurt him without intending to.[/color]

Issa[/u]
Rolling around, his arms were thrown about his mother as his face buried into his neck and despite being nine years old, he began to cry and then quickly wiped away the evidence as he pulled his face back. "Mommy, did you leave because of me? Was I bad? Are you home now? He questioned without abandon keeping his voice a low whisper as to not wake the others.[/color]

Ealora[/u]
"No baby, you weren't bad. None of you were. I wish I could explain but I can't, not just yet." Ealora whispered in return brushing a kiss against his forehead and wiping at his cheeks removing the last remaining evidence of his hurt. "No, I am not coming home. Not yet. I have a very important job to do but I just had to see you guys before I left."[/color]

Issa[/u]
Issa scowled at his mother in the darkness. "Your not coming back, are you?" He questioned and commanded all at the same time.[/color]

Ealora[/u]
Ealora could not help but grin. The blood of two Captain's in his veins showed so very much in this moment. "Yes, I am...." Pausing she became serious then "Here..." Shifting, she sat up in the bed and pulled her coat open to unlatch a dagger from her belt and pass it over to her son. "This was your fathers...your birth fathers. He gave this to me when he deemed I was ready...someday I'll tell you the story of it. You hold onto this for me and when I get back, I'll tell you the story. An this..." She took a necklace from her coat as well, in the moonlight it glistened a red patch on the wall. It was the piece of glass from the rose window of the church were Maahes and she had married one another, in private of course and he had the glass bound and had given it to her as a wedding gift. "Give this to your brother, Ra." Again she drew an item from her coat, this time the hidden dress pocket. A handkerchief with an item pressed inside. A flower Eppie had given her from her garden. "An this to your sister, Eppie. The triplets are to young for items but when your father is not around, you tell them mommy will be coming back for these things." She handed the items over and then cupped his face between her hands. "I promise you. You believe me, yes? Above everyone, I need you most to believe me."[/color]

Issa[/u]
Issa took the dagger with a wonder only a child could possess. He held the dagger in one hand as he took the necklace and hanky in the other and then his face was drawn into his mothers hands and his sea green eyes like his mothers lifted to join hers. "I believe you..." He whispered.[/color]

Ealora[/u]
"Good" She urged in a whisper before moving down to give a kiss to his forehead. "I love you, I love you all so much. You tell them that too for me."[/color]

RA[/u]
"MOMMY!" Ra had awoken without Ealora knowing as was sitting up in bed. The sleep in his face was wearing off and glee was on his face as he looked at his mother and his brother.[/color]

Ealora[/u]
Ealora released Issa face as Ra screamed in joy. Silently she cursed as it started the chain reaction she knew was coming. The maid asleep in the corner awoke and found Ealora on the bed with the children. It took her a moment, not long enough for Ealora to do more then climb from the bed before she screamed and bolted into the hall screaming about Ealora being in the room. Drawing across the bed, she kissed Issa on the forehead, slid to kiss Ra on the forehead and a gentle caress against his cheek before the guards were storming the rooms.

The kids by this time began to wake sleepily and watched with half awe and half horror as Ealora seemed to dance on her feet between the guards gasping hands. A hand shot out, the heel of her hand snapping into one of the guards noses and his nose cracked, blood poured and somewhere she heard a child scream in horror as the blood gushed from his nose. An arm grabbed onto her own as her attention turned for a split second to find the scream. Gritting her teeth, her hand did a counterclockwise roll and gripped the arm of the guard and shoved herself forward and butted her head into his own. With both guards down, she chanced one last look towards her sons who had left the bed and went to comfort the other kids unsure of what was going on. She hated leaving them like this but she left them with the image of their mother sprinting from the room, russet hair flying and the hem of her coat flapping against her boots that pounded her away from them and into a new war, not one only of herself.[/color]

[Lord General Maahes Asad-Aziem]

He had not been in the castle today, the frantic search for Eirian still sweeping the coast, but all seemed lost for hope of her on the Isle. She had to be in Avaria. She just had to be. However, the news of Ealora had spread like fire as the castle guard came flying to the arena, with Maahes on his quick return.

"You can't be here, Ealora." Nora spoke holding onto Isis, the smallest. Sweeping her fingers through the babe's long black curls, "If the Lord finds out..M'lady, there isn't peace. He's beside him with Eirian's capture, and with you leaving. Have a heart, Ealora..go." It broke her heart to say such things to the daughter she never had. There were times she had thought her capable of anything, but never did she dream she would leave. She would motion to the guards.

In truth Maahes had not let it settle long enough to hurt, he had kept himself so busy, but the moment the doors swung open he felt his heart react to the sight. He cared little for the guards on the floor, and hardly noticed the three small children to toddle their way to his feet hugging on his legs. Had Ealora noticed Hope and Luke? Eirian's two small children?

Bending, he would wrap his arms around the triplets, Ra, not far behind. "Hi babies." He became such a gentle creature, that any of the armed force saw him they would stand still in their shock. He cherished every kiss, ever hug, and ever little smile; so understand his brutish way of keeping them safe. "Baba, Abbi." Ra put his arm around his father, speaking in their native tongue, Daddy--My Father. His little hand would point to Ealora, "Ummi!" As if he could not believe she stood there, it had been so long. "I see, it appears she is on her way out. Go give her a hug, and get back to bed. All of you." His tone was stern, richly accented with the very mortality of the desert, and one by one they moved to kiss their mother before Nora put them to bed.

Standing there Maahes shuffled on his feet watching her, waiting. There wasn't anger upon his brow, nor eyes that burned for anything out of spite. No, Maahes stood there watching her as if he would simply break away when she turned. Somewhere inside he felt that if he chased her away, she'd never return, and he missed her so very much. The news of her asking Adam, had done him in. The realization hit she was very serious about leaving him, and seeing her without their ring was enough to break him apart there. However, he would not let her see him so vulnerable, not in her current state, but stand ever strong on this path she walked.

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

I remembered black skies, the lightning all around me
I remembered each flash as time began to blur
Like a startling sign that fate had finally found me
And your voice was all I heard that I get what I deserve

So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes
Give me reason to fill this hole, connect the space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies across this new divide

It only took a moment for her eyes to swing over to Nora as she bid her to go. Create trouble for Maahes? Didn't she always and somehow they had always gotten through it. Not this time. Some part of her had empathy for the old woman knowing she would take the brunt of what Ealora left behind but the other part of her, the one that clearly bore on her face said to go to hell.

How long had she stood there? Her feet seemed rooted to the ground, a spell that did not break until Maahes entered the room and saw her there. Her hands had moved behind her coat to the sai's at her back and her chin rose as if silently challenging him to stand with his own orders to keep her away from the kids. Was it a surprise that he spoke in such a gentle manner? Not really, not even he wanted their kids upset with guards by the bucket load coming to arrest her. Explain that away. There was no explanation for that and perhaps he understood it as well as she did. As Ra left his father to do as he was commanded, hug her, she let go of the Sai's and lowered to balance on her toes as her sons arms wrapped around her. Her jaw tightened but at the way the guards and Nora in the room flinched when she hugged her son. She kept a smile on her face though as he pulled back and her arms lifted from his sides to cup his face. "Your in charge of the little ones while I am gone hmm. Don't let Bast push Anubis around. Make sure Isis has her blanket when she sleeps, yes?" She nodded with her questions confirming he would do as she asked. Each child was hugged and then ushered off to Nora so she could put them to bed again. Such was the way of things, she was disrupting a lot of things lately.

Lifting up from her kneel, she watched the kids go noticing Eirian's children with them. Her attention turned to Maahes in question before her face darkened again and the question was all but forgotten. Her chin lifted again as she took a step and then another, slowly, calculating as if she were waiting for the call to go and her arrest to be sealed. Not that they would hold her. No one ever held shadows and smoke in their hands. It wasn't possible. Turning from him, she strolled to the door and then paused turning back.

"Now you see, no guards will ever keep my from my kids. I would NEVER hurt my children, I'd die first."

She clutched at the doorframe, her body half turned towards him. "When I get back from my trip, we'll work out terms of who gets the kids what days. I will not negotiate this, I'm not going to be kept from our children."

Lyrics: New Divide-Linkin Park.

[Lord General Maahes Asad-Aziem]

Oh brother I can't, I can't get through
I've been trying hard to reach you, cause I don't know what to do
Oh brother I can't believe it's true
I'm so scared about the future and I wanna talk to you
Oh I wanna talk to you
You can take a picture of something you see
In the future where will I be?
You can climb a ladder up to the sun
Or write a song nobody has sung
Or do something that's never been done

Are you lost or incomplete?
Do you feel like a puzzle, you can't find your missing piece?
Tell me how do you feel?
Well I feel like they're talking in a language I don't speak
And they're talking it to me

So you take a picture of something you see
In the future where will I be?
You can climb a ladder up to the sun
Or a write a song nobody has sung
Or do something that's never been done
Do something that's never been done

The guards had one by one moved from the room. Slowly their steps gave the distance the General and his soon-to-be-ex wife space. Yet the very sight could have killed any. Maahes may have been a beast, but he was still human. His heart beat for that woman, and they knew him to be in pain. With the children gone, the room was empty now save for the saucy pirate and her husband who could have tore his very heart from his chest. He knew when she walked out the door, she walked out of his life, and the realization buckled his knees. He sank down at the edge of the bed watching her. Did she wait for him to say anything? Because he couldn't. He could hardly breathe.

Maahes felt as if he failed her, let her down, but she had to see his reason. There was nothing that could compete with her thirst for blood. Her anger was not justified at him. No man in their right mind would let their wife walk this dark path. Too many years had he tried to keep these streets clean, and it was a slap in his face for her to turn it against him. He wanted to beg her to stay, so much that the tears that pooled in his eyes tried to push the words from his lips. However, they would not fall. He fought a war there inside his mind to keep his emotions in check. Yet, his stubborn pride would not let that side show, but he refused to turn away. No. He would watch her walk away, and when she did he would break down.

Don't leave me..

Without you..

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

Ealora: Solid and unechoing silence. That was what pierced the room like death looming in the distance. Ealora faced Maahes and he faced her. The guards had left, shaking their heads and easing from the tension of the room as one by one they passed into the hall, out of the deathly silences and tension so thick it was like fog you could not see through. Letting go of the doorframe, Ealora had moved out of the way to let the guards out of the door. To allow them as it were to leave the battlefield as it constantly was between the General and his, well soon to be ex wife. Her head turned this way and that as Maahes took a seat on the bed, heavy and his shoulders she noticed had drooped as if defeated. She felt a laugh echoing in the back of her mind and shook her head as if answering a question posed in the air. She felt her mouth working, opening and closing as she tried to work through the flash of emotions like a wagon out of control on the countryside. "You said you wanted this divorce too" She snapped as she walked left further away from the door and then turned right to head back towards it and stop again. "Why this sudden change? Like you will break into a million pieces if I go through that door?" She questioned with a gesture of her hand towards the door as if he didn't know what she was talking about. She felt the scrap of her boots against the stone as she swiveled her body towards him and her arms folded behind her back.

Maahes: His chest rose and fell, heavily as he felt very defeated. It was hard for him to understand it all, but even harder to know that because of him she was leaving. "I do what this, I can't stay married to someone like you. What reason have I to want a blood thirsty pirate? I am a father, Ealora. Who stands for justice and peace. I watched Avaria fall apart because of blood lust.." He spoke very evenly and calm, a very mature sound coming from a man who often sounded so ignorant. "I'll hold this family together with all that I can, Ealora, but I can't keep you here. Not even I am that strong." He held up his hands to flex his fingers the result a flash over every muscle in his arm hardening until it came to roll back his shoulders. There was indeed a very powerful man there, whose only weakness was walking out on him. Maahes went silent again, amber eyes seeming so void of their fire. It really was a new feeling, one that had his chest so tight around his heart he felt for certain it was going to break. Even his hand came to touch his chest holding it together, "Don't mock me Ealora." His bottom lip quivered, "I hurt, and." Tears pooled in his eyes then as he simply couldn't fight it anymore, "I don't want to live without you." His jaw tightened as he strained to keep it all in. He would not cry in front of her to laugh at him.

Ealora: "Someone like me?" She turned his statement back on him and the sides of her lips curled up into a grin as her arms fell from behind her back only to be crossed over her chest as her head tilted ever so slightly but sent the russet curls falling over her shoulder and down the front of her chest. "Ah I see" She mused and her head lifted again from her tilt, her chin poking outward as she seemed to look down at him till her head edged downward till her eyes leveled on him again. "You don't get it Maahes, its not about blood lust and it never was. I won't deny to wanting it, craving it so bad at times I don't think I can control it but so far I have. An this isn't something I wanted to happen. I am sick and rather then stand beside me, give me strength and encourage me that I could defeat it, you belittled me. Said I was embarrassing you when I've done everything, even lost myself in becoming your wife. I put away everything I was and all of my dreams to be your wife and not because you asked me but because I loved you and I thought you deserved a wife as I was trying to be but its broken me Maahes and I can't be that woman any more. I can't stay home with the children and pretend that doing laundry all day long was my lifelong dream while your off training men for battles and wars to come. I can't sit by while you go off to war, I never have been able to stomach it but I did, because I loved you. Because you convinced me our children needed one of their parents but I am ashamed of it and what our children would think of me in the future." Her arms relaxed falling to her side as she sighed. "I am not mocking you Maahes, I'm reading you, as I have always done. Your unspoken words in your actions." No she wasn't going to laugh at him though there was that echoing sound in the back of her mind again and she inhaled sharply to rid herself of it again. "I love you Maahes, I do" She offered in her exhale. "but I need to do this, I need to go, not only because I promised my services but because I need to find out if the life I had is something I want again. I need to find myself again, who I was, who I became, who I want to be. All of it. I need answers and I am not going to find them here and I can't stay married to you when you don't understand this. You accept all of me or none of me. There is no in between. I don't expect you to stop fighting about me going off to war with you and leaving the children without parents if we fell but I would rather fall for my beliefs and make my children proud then play the coward to stay at home just because I love you. It's not enough, loving you is, but I need to be me when I do it." As she spoke she moved, one step, slowly and then another until she was standing beside the bed beside him.

Maahes: "I don't understand you Ealora. You are sick, I get you the best healers. You are thirsty I bring you water. You don't get better by killing people. Someday when our children grow they will know the truth. Their mother left because her illness wanted her to take lives. They will not be so forgiving." He shook his head, "You told me you wanted a home. A family. Safety. I give all of those things. I have bled for this country so that I could provide for you, and still it is not enough. You tell me you need freedom, I let you take the trade route. You are aware that when you walk out that door you are on the other side?" He took her hand and pulled her down upon his lap, "You were unhappy when we met. You hated who you were..what makes this so different?" He shook his head, "You don't do the laundry. You don't cook. I hired hands to do as you please..I just do not understand." He brushed his fingers over her own, naked without his ring there on her delicate hands. "I can't love Bloody Malory. I didn't marry her. When I was sick, I saw a healer...you wish to kill?" He inhaled deeply nuzzling her neck. "Start with me. I will die without you."

Ealora: "You still don't get it!" She hissed throwing her arms up in the air in defeat. God help her she wanted to slap some sense into him. "What I do from here on out is my business and if the kids want to know the truth, I will tell them." Her jaw tensed as he pulled her down onto his lap. Inhaling a deep breath, she sighed and willed herself to relax a bit as his hand brushed over her hand. "Maahes, I understand what I am doing. I know it doesn't seem like it, but you can't save me this time." Her eyes found his. "I wasn't unhappy back then, I liked fighting for justice, taking pirates and slave traders down, I was unhappy with still being associated with pirates of being called one so I could do what I had to do. I was unhappy when I thought you didn't love me when I so clearly loved you and yes you did give me everything but with it you took my freedom. I felt in return I had to be the good wife, the proper Lord General's Wife and it has killed me. Your the Lord General, you've earned your title and wear it with pride. I was married into the title, I didn't earn it and I can't stand it, it was funny at first the Lord General marrying a former pirate, being referred to as the Lord General's wife. It stopped being funny a long time ago. I want to be me and if I earn my own title so be it but I don't want to continue my life being a title I didn't earn." Lids slid closed over her eyes as he nuzzled her neck and she sighed. "You wish to leave our kids with no parents then? I can't promise I will be back but I did promise my services. They came to me, knowing my past, knowing what I did and that's what's needed now and they came to be because of that, not because I am the General's wife. An this is something I intend to see through." Her hand rose to touch at his head with his face nuzzled into her neck her skin was prickling with the want of him. It was all most humorous, they hadn't desired each other in months and she was desiring him all over again. "If ever I needed you to trust me, this is that moment Maahes." Her lips pressed tight in the want to keep things hidden but her mouth had other intentions and opened and let out the words as she had done so long ago when she had blurted out she loved him. "I love you, but I can't continue being the proper Lord General's wife. I bring you shame, you said it and I haven taken the steps to correct it. Because I love you enough not to want to cause you shame but I hate you for it too. As you undoubtly hate me for my blood lust."

Maahes: "You say it like it is a bad thing. To be my wife. Some title you've had to force yourself into. Many times others have tried to have it. You earn that title, because it is hard to be married to someone who could never return home, but that is not enough for you." He sat back pulling the ring from his finger, struggling as it had been many years since it had left his flesh. "For someone it will be." It hurt to say it, but it was the truth. He tucked the ring into her palm, his desire dried up. "You can't continue being my wife. Go." Maahes would motion for the door, "Walk out that door, but know that it wasn't me who pushed you out. You left. You have other options Ealora, but you said it yourself..even I can't save you this time. No, not the mighty Lord General who forced his wife into something she didn't want." He hated her for those words, as he would have never forced anything on anyone..other then a foot up their arse.

Ealora: "No it was not a bad thing but you've never known what it is like to have people say 'the general's wife this or the generals' wife that' it is frustrating Maahes to be a title and not yourself." she sighed again this time in irritation as he sat back to take his ring off and placed it into her palm. Closing her fingers over it, she swept from his lap and walked a few paces away before turning around. "No Maahes,its not enough. I would rather stand on the battlefield the Lord General's wife beside the Lord General then standing in the yard when his body was being pulled by a wagon home for burial and live with the regret that I could of done something. Someone else may be able to do that for you, I can't." Her hand dropped enough that the ring rolled to her fingertips and she held it up for him. "You should know damn well I wasn't forced into this marriage and nor would I have been. This ring, our rings meant something. This ring, meant I accepted you for who you are." She released her grip letting it slid into her palm again and closed her hand over it again. "An now I see I was a damn fool for thinking you ever accepted me. You love me? Hmm, you better think long and hard about what you love about me. I do leave now on my own terms. There is no other options Maahes, I had hoped one day you would understand that, understand what's happened to me.."she stopped and shook her head, for several seconds she stared at the floor her jaw locked in anger and then slowly her head lifted, her jaw was still tight with anger but she spoke like comrade in arms. "There is no more fear to be had Lord General. I am your wife no longer and I give you my sincerest hope you will one day find a wife that will not bring you shame but only happiness and be what you deserve." As she spoke she backed away to the door and turned for it to not let him see the heartbreak in her eyes that echoed throughout her very soul.

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

The Shadow Storm Fight and the Death of the Shadow can be found under Desert Destiny

The piece of wood she lay on bobbed up and down upon the waves, she had drifted from the scene were the battle had taken place. No doubt now it looked merely like a place an accident had taken place and in days to come, it would cease to look like anything at all. No one ever knowing what had transpired there or that a graveyard now rested below the waves. for hours she drifted in and out of consciousness not even seeming to care that the sun was now annoying scorching her face with its rays of light.

Everything hurt from the numerous blasts upon her ship and hitting the desk to escape further harm. At some point she had rolled to her back to escape the slap of water to her face when it brought her back to reality and the pain she was in. The truth was she liked it when she blacked out. She saw the faces of her children. She saw them at Red Wall laughing and running as they chased one another. She saw her sisters face, she saw her friends and she saw Maahes. She saw them in their happier days making everything that seemed to have happened since, the dream and not the reality.

The waves seemed to pick up, making her rock back and forth harder but she was fighting coming back to reality so that when the ship ran along beside her, she was sure she was dreaming again. A splash caught her ears and she jerked letting out a moan as she felt arms tugging her off the board. Her head lulled to another head and still she found it hard to open her eyes.

Voices calling made her groan as her head was still splitting but more from dehydration now then the blasts she had been party too. She felt her body being lifted out of the water and then laid against hard wood and she moaned again, this time with relief as she felt for a moment as if it had all been a bad dream, maybe she had hit her head and fell over the side of the Shadow Storm for surely this was her crew bringing her safely aboard.

Even through her hazy thinking she could hear voices talking but it was not a language she understood. Some of it was Spanish, that much she could understand but she didn't know what they were saying, especially the language she did not understand. She felt her body lifted again and her head rolled lazily against a shoulder as she was carried out of the blazing sun. Cushions was the next thing she felt before she lost consciousness again.

When she awoke again, she could not again, open her eyes. She felt like she had a ton of cannonballs sitting on her chest and she was sitting on an iceberg even as sweat rolled down her cheek tickling as it made a curling path down her cheek. A cloth dabbed at her forehead.

"She has such a fever...It's a wonder if she should survive." A Spanish accented voice spoke in English. To someone else. Fighting, she managed to open her eyes to slits but the faces she saw were blurry.

"Ma'am. Can you hear me?" Another voice called and Ealora rolled her head to the side trying to find the strength to say yes but unable to noticing it was the one dabbing her face who asked if she could hear them.

"We'll be in Barbados in a few days. For now lets try to keep her alive. If she survives, we'll take her to Governor Mendoza. He'll know what to do from there.." The voice that had addressed her was speaking to the one who was silently at her side dabbing at her face.

"Water" The voice from her side said helping to raise her head to take a drink. The water sliding down her throat hurt and she groaned with pain as her head hit the pillow again. It was beginning to be a chore to breath so that her breathing came out in ragged and labored.

As her head hit the pillow, she felt herself slipping again and weakly her fingers tightened on the blanket as blackness caved in around her and nothing the crew could do, would rouse the woman from her sleep.

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

Blackness turned to gray shadows. Gray Shadows came alive with lightening and thunder. Wind was sweeping hard and heavy into a cyclone and Ealora felt as if her body was within the middle of it, twisting and twirling upon the wind in the middle of a storm. No matter what she grabbed at, she could grip nothing, just mist that treated her body like a rag doll and her, completely at a loss of control.

Just as quickly as the storm seemed to creep up, it seemed to dissipate and she was falling trying desperately to grab hold of something and yet still, all there was, was mist. She hit the ground, hard, rolling across the sand doon until coming to rest at the bottom of one of the hills. Slowly she rolled from her stomach to her side in order to get up. The peach colored sands rolled off her arms as she pushed up from it to stand upon her bare feet within the ground. The wind swept over the desert kissing the sand and creating wave lined designs into the peach colored sands that stretched for miles. The wind caught the ends of the Egyptian cut white dress moving upward until it swept her hair back away from her face. The sun was shining down and yet it did not sting nor warm her. The sand was nether warm nor called under her feet.

Stretching her hands out from her sides to balance her against the unstable ground, she took a step forward and then another looking in every direction for something, anything and finding only sand. The wind picked up again, this time kicking dirt up into her face. Her arm rose in front of her face to shield the sand from her eyes as she turned her body away from the onslaught of sand like tiny shards of glass against her skin that did not piece only bit at her skin. As she turned, she caught a reflection of the light against a shiny object and opening her eyes, was amazed to see a temple in the distance. The wind seemed to move with purpose now, shoving against her back so that she took a step towards the temple and then another until she was standing at the steps leading into the temple.

She felt the fabric of her dress moving against her thighs as she climbed the steps, she could feel the steps, hard and solid beneath her bare feet and yet this all felt so, unreal. Part of her was wondering if she was dreaming, the other part, had wondered if perhaps she had died...for real this time.

The inside of the temple was plain. Nothing stood out of the circular room except a singular archways whose's interior rather then leading into other rooms rippled with silvery colored water that made no noise as it rippled and waved within the stone that encased it. Her mouth opened in surprise and wonder. Slowly she moved about the room expecting the gateway even going as far as to touch at it. Her hand passed through and then pulled back. Slowly she expected her hand but found nothing,no water, no material left over. Slowly a body began to push through the silvery material until Caleb stood before her.

Ealora mouth hung open without regard or care as she took a step back and then another. Slowly her head shook from side to side. This wasn't happening. Caleb was dead and yet here he stood. His neck was not broken, he looked...alive. "I'm dead aren't I?" Finally she had found her voice as she stared at him.

Caleb let out a laugh as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers. "Well..no, not yet." He replied and lifted his shoulders and then let them fall in a slow shrug. "This is a dream Ealora, your subconscious." He explained and then began to look around. "Quite a place you created for us."

Ealora attention left her brother to look around the room once more as he spoke that this was a dream and she had created it. After a moment, her eyes found her brother again. "So um.." She stopped and shook her head. This was weird even for her. "What are you doing here?"

"You know I am not really sure" Caleb replied and then laughed shrugging his shoulders again at the hard stare Ealora gave him. "You brought me here." He replied to her look and then took a turn about the room before facing his sister again. "Seems you've forgotten who you used to be. So it seems I'm here to show you. Or at least show you, you...before this..your childhood." Drawing his hands from his pockets he ushered her towards the gateway. "Come on..." His hand found hers, solid and real and he lead her through the silvery liquid.

Ealora gasped and held her breath and closed her eyes as they passed through. It was only Caleb laughing at her again did she open her eyes.

Right away she recognized her surroundings. Being born and growing up in Alexandria, it was hard to forget not to mention her families home sat in the distance next to the tall grass that blocked their view from the ocean side view she had loved so much growing up but what squeezed at her heart was her mother hanging laundry on the line while her father was ringing it out before handing the pieces of clothing over to be hung up to dry. They looked so young, so...like she remembered them.

"She's to headstrong Ian. You spoil her. I tell her to stay near the house and she runs off." Siani was saying as she clipped a tunic on the line and then turning for a dress as it was handed to her.

"She's young Siani, you can't expect her to stay inside with the door closed, just because it might be dangerous." Ian replied to his wife's backside as he took another piece of laundry from the basket and began ringing the water from it onto the ground.

"You mark my words, you let her run around and she's never going to heed rules very well." Siani retorted angrily back at her husband. "You better go find her, I'll start dinner" Done with this conversation, she walked inside leaving him and the unfinished laundry.

Ian sighed throwing the clothing he had in his hands back in the basket. He knew exactly where to find their daughter and began his trek through the tall grass towards the beach side.

Caleb jerked his head to Ealora and followed after their father.

Ealora was hesitant to follow but it looked like neither Ian nor Siani could see her or Caleb and so she followed. This dream all ready seemed weird but to look upon her five year old self just seemed to be to much. She knew she was not dead when she looked upon her younger self, sitting all alone on the beach and watching the waves roll in. She still had that olive colored skin, that russet wavy hair and those Celadon colored eyes. Nothing was different except she was much smaller, younger.

Ian grinned seeing his daughter so peaceful on the shoreline. Siani was upset that Ealora ran off when both of them knew where she would go. If this was the worst she did, then he would die a happy man. Climbing down beside her, his arm pulled the little girl into his lap. "What are you doing little one?" He chimed in a singsong tone to his only little girl.[/color]

"I'm watching my destiny" Little Ealora replied looking from the sea up into her fathers young and admiring face. There was no one she loved like her father. He told her stories of the sea, of adventure and other lands. Her mother may of hated him retelling stories of his past to her, but Ealora loved it. She lived for those stories and dreamed of her own adventures at night. She loved Alexandria but she didn't belong here, not always. After a moment, her attention turned back to the rolling waves.

Ian chuckled as he began to sway from side to side rocking his body and his daughter within his arms. She was his one and only, a perfect copy of her mother with her beauty and his intellect and thirst for adventure though that thirst had dried up in the wake of having a family, and happily so. "An what is your destiny?" He asked.

Clasping her tiny arms over his that were around her, Ealora's eyes did not break away from the sea. "I'm not sure yet, but its not here...and it's going to be great" That tiny voice rang out with certainty.

Ian laughed as he hugged his daughter close. "I'm sure it will my daughter..I'm sure it will..."

As soon as Ealora blinked at the scene before her, it seemed to melt away until she was standing at the gateway again looking at the memory through the rippling silver water, no longer apart of it. It was a memory all over again. Ealora sighed as her hand rose to touch the rippling water only to have the memory fade leaving the silvery rippling water all on its own again.

"See, even as a child you knew you weren't meant for a simple life." Caleb spoke behind her and Ealora turned to look at him.

Caleb head jerked towards the gateway again and Ealora turned to find herself staring at another memory. This time it was the schoolyard and a boy was teasing her but she could not make out what he was saying. She could see that she was older, ten or eleven at most and her face was contorted with anger. Caleb hand at her shoulder pushed her through and all of a sudden, she was not standing looking at the memory, but within it again. As before, no one seemed to notice the two appear in the yard.

"You're to poor to do anything. You'll marry some fat balding man and have fat batty babies!" [/b][/color]

The boy was taunting at Ealora as the other kids laughed not seeming to notice that ten year old Ealora tensing up until she pounced and she and the boy rolled to the ground as the kids now began to chant 'Fight Fight Fight!' Her fists were wailing over the boys face as he cried below her and it wasn't until Eli who had been standing wide eyed aside the whole time jumped in and pulled his sister off the boy. As grown-ups began to fill the yard, Eli and Ealora ran and this time Caleb did not need to tell her to follow, she went after the two on her own. This memory more clear then the last she knew where they were going. Through the small village and into a field of wheat until the two collapsed with chests heaving and letting out pants of breath.

"I'm not meant for this Eli! Sometimes I hate this place. I want to be like papa, out at sea, having adventures!" Little Ealora replied beating her fists against the ground before hiding her face against her knees. Eli moved, slow and deliberate as he always did and wrapped an arm around her.

Again the scene seemed to haze and fade and Ealora found herself once more within the temple only this time the memory was not reflected in the silvery. Just the ripple, just the silver on its own. Expecting Caleb to say something, she turned her head as her brother came up to her side with a sigh.

"That's the day your anger proved menacing. You remember it so well, this one was clearer then the other. You have....such a temper Ealora and God help whoever angers you for you act without regret."

Ealora folded her arms across her chest as she felt her jaw locking with the anger that rose up within her and trying hard not to prove Caleb right about her anger. Caleb beside her just laughed and pointed to the rippling waves again. Again the water began to reflect a memory from Ealora's past, but this time she didn't want to look as the voices this time were clearer.

"I don't care what it means to marry him. I'm not marrying that stuck up son of a bytch!" Ealora screamed.

"Watch your mouth!" Ian was heard screaming back. "You'll do as your told young lady or so help me!"[/b][/color]

"Oh yeah! Watch this! Ealora bit back. "I HATE you both!" She screamed shrilly and a door slammed.

Ealora found herself turning despite not wanting to see the scene and watched her sixteen year old self fleeing the shack they called a home and fleeing towards town. A ship was being loaded in the distance and became clearer as she neared it. Hiding behind crates, she wove past the crew and stowed away below deck.

As quickly as the scene had come, it faded to silver once more and Ealora backed away as Caleb stayed beside it.

"That's when everything changed. That's when you changed and damn your pride, you never looked back. Not for many years." His hands found his pockets again. "Knowing what you do now, would you go back and change it? If you could. Would you change how things had gone?"

Ealora pulled in a long breath and held it for a moment then released it as her head shook from side to side. "No" She answered simply. There was no need to elaborate why.

Caleb nodded and seemed to smile sadly as his shoulders rose and fell. "Well.." He breathed in sort of a sigh. "Did you learn anything?"

Slowly Ealora paced a step and then turned to pace the other way. "Yes, I guess. As a child, I knew I was meant for more and despite my temper, despite my pride, I went for what I wanted. I lived my dream and damned if anyone thought it was wrong. I didn't bend and break to what people wanted of me. I didn't allow myself to be something I wasn't but I had it good. I know mother and father loved me and I had, good siblings. I'll miss you.."

Caleb nodded, this time grinning more clear. "Yeah, that's my Ealora. We may of fought like cats and dogs but I loved you. I'll miss you too Ellie."

Ealora let out a laugh and stepped toward her brother, her hand reaching for his but as soon as he seemed to be there, in the time it took to blink, he was gone leaving only the gateway still rippling. Suddenly, the gateway shuddered and exploded, water pure and blue began to fill the circular room of the temple and as Ealora turned to flee, she realized the entrance to the temple was gone. Water continued to pour and fill the temple until she was submersed within it clawing towards the ceiling for air and yet she could not reach it, just floating in the crushing blue.

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

Despite this being a dream, the fight for survival was strong. She did not try to see if she could breath, simply held her breath and clawed at the water trying to reach the top and not seeming to be able to. She felt sure she would die in this dream. That she would never wake or see her children again despite her promise she would be home. As suddenly as the thought came that she would perish here, the water exploded the suspension in her body died and she dropped like a dead weight hard onto a deck with a loud 'THUNK'.

Ealora gasped and heaved as water sprayed over the deck from the busted bubble of what could of been her watery tomb and she clawed at the deck beneath her hands as she sucked in great gasping breaths of air before coughing all over again. Somewhere a voice was laughing and then a hand was grasping her arm and hauling her up onto her feet. Blurry eyed she tried to see who was laughing at her but it was useless until several blinks of her eyelids cleared her vision enough to see....Benjamin.

Her arm jerked out of his and she took a few steps back noticing boots thumping against the deck, she looked down to find herself this time dressed in her clothing of pirate days long gone. The slacks fit tight to her thighs showing off the miles of curviness that were her legs. The shirt billowed out from the waist of her pants only to be sucked in by the corset that held her breasts in and protected her from harm by being on the outside. The second thing she noticed was that the ship was not moving and seemed to be run aground in some sort of cave.

"This is your hell Ealora, and where you meet your demons." Benjamin chimed in as she took a look around. When Ealora wouldn't look at him or say anything further, he began to saunter around the deck. "Ah, its so good to see you again. I'd forgotten how beautiful you were...are.."

"You're not real" Ealora bit in return.

"Am I not? Well that's disappointing." Benjamin retorted with a smirk on his lips as his hands folded behind his back. "I was real enough once. I taught you everything you now. Such passion, such....lust. Inside and outside of the bedroom of course."

With a growl, Ealora swept to the side of the ship and gripping the railing heaved herself over the side landing hard onto the cave floor. As soon as her feet hit the ground, a woman appeared from the darkness with a stab wound to her abdomen and her throat slit from ear to ear yet she oozed no blood though her dress seemed covered enough.

"Hello Ealora" The woman spoke in a singsong and sweet voice. "What don't you remember me?" She asked as Ealora looked confused. "Oh yes, that's right, you didn't ask the name of your victims before you killed them." She retorted angrily. "I was your first, my name is Becca. My husband, John he was your second and my son, he was five, Erik, he was your third. Three all in such a short time period. Minutes."

As Becca spoke the names of her husband and son, the two men appeared from the darkness. John was split from his belly up to his throat. Erik seemed virtually untouched except for the blood matted at the top of his head.

Becca... John... Erik...

Becca... John... Erik...

The trio chanted as they advanced on Ealora.

Ealora shook her head as Becca explained who she was. She wanted to tell the woman she had changed, that she was sorry but the words would not come and when the man and boy appeared, her throat squeezed even tighter as she backed away from the advancing trio who chanted their named at her until she backed up into Benjamin and whirled around to look at him.

"I taught you to be without fear, to never know regret. I taught you how to be a pirate but the one thing I could never teach you, was about the lust but my oh my did you have it. I was so proud when we raided that coastal village and you displayed such bloodlust I have never seen in any human being before. The bloodlust, couldn't be taught by anyone else. You had to learn it yourself, and you did" Benjamin explained.

Ealora whirled away from him only to find the trip a breath away from her and inhaling a breath, they passed through her and disappeared but not before leaving Ealora's hands covered in blood. Gasping, her hands began to shake as she looked down upon the stain on her hands but the chanting was back and her eyes looked up expecting the trio only to find more faces, unfamiliar from lack of knowing them advancing to her, each one chanting their names for her. Seeing an opening, Ealora darted through the 'ghosts' of her past and ran further into the cave.

Further in the darkness another form was coming towards her backing Ealora skid to a halt. Zipora was next to come from the darkness, her belly had a large cut into it, her own dress covered in blood.

"Why Ealora?" She asked. "Why did I have to die? Why did my child have to die? Your niece or nephew?" She continued reaching her bloody hands towards Ealora. "I loved your brother, our child. We could of had such a happy home. We could of had many children. We both wanted to live in your childhood home, raise our children there. Raise our children in a place not good enough for you. Was that why I had to die? Was that why you ended my life and the life of my child?"

Grimacing, Ealora shook her head, the words still didn't come and she wanted to tell Zipora it wasn't her fault, it was an accident. As Zipora hands touched her, she rolled around the woman shrieking low as she ran past her and into the darkness until she hit the back of the cave. Her hands smacking hard into the wall as her chest heaved for breath while she looked left and right for a way out. Panting, she took a step back and then another looking at the wall for some kind of sign it would open up and let her out.

From the wall, a figure sprung outward, sauntering as she came from the mass of the wall. Vola was nearly unrecognizable except for one side of her face, the rest of her face and body were burnt to a crisp, blackened skin crusted skin where once it had been pink and smooth. The one side of her mouth still recognizable curled upward into a grin. "Hello Ealora...still killing people? That's all your justice kills were about wasn't it. Your bid to make it seem ok that you wanted to kill people, just like you murdered me. An you did murder me Ealora, your son is alive. I was bluffing but that didn't stop your rage, that didn't stop your bloodlust. You killed me, leaving me tied up on my burnt ship. Did it feel good Ealora? Did your heart just seem to explode with the pleasure of it."

Benjamin moved past Ealora and then turned to join Ealora, his throat slit open. "Come on Ealora, tell us the truth? Justice isn't about feeling pleasure from a kill, did you feel pleasure when you murdered us? Was it ever about justice or could you not live without blood on your hands?"

Ealora began to back up again but the chants were starting again behind her, coming from the darkness, her ghosts were falling her, their clothing matted with the blood from their wounds on varies parts of their bodies. Instead of chanting their names now, they were chanting 'murderer'[/i]. [/color]

As they began to surround her, Benjamin moved forward, this time a sword in his hands. Her sword. Which he offered to her. "How do you get rid of the past Ealora? Kill it...Kill them Ealora" He chanted above the calls of 'murderer'.

Ealora did not think, she only reacted. Her hand gripped the hilt of her sword and the weight seemed right within her hands again as she began to swing and slash at the victims of her past encasing her in a circle of bodies. No screams left their lips but as she inflicted new wounds upon their bodies, they faded replaced by others until the last body had faded away leaving only Benjamin. Her chest heaving anew, her darkened gaze turned towards him as he stared at her with his hands wide, palms upward as if to gesture what she had done.

"You made the choice Ealora, just like you did then" He echoed through the caves at her.

With a scream, she twirled and swung the sword singing through the air until it lopped his head from his shoulders . For a moment his body stood without its head and then fell only to disappear.

A cruel grin spread over Ealora's lips as she let the swords end hang limply against the ground but the grin slid from her lips as she began to realize she was wet and looking downward and to her surprise and horror, she was covered in blood. The sword clattered from her hand as she released it as if it burned her skin. It clattered upon the ground, bouncing and as it fell again, it disappeared. Raising her bloodstained hands and harms to her face, she let out a scream of anguish. Even though she believed the wall solid, she ran at it again, this time with the intent to beat upon it but finding she passed through it as smoothly as she had the watery gateway.

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

Again she found herself landing in sand, yet this one was the color of sugar and the waves were crashing against the shore and rocks in the distance singing a song all of its own. Slowly she rose to her hands and knees and as before, her clothing had changed. She was wearing the gown she had worn to Adam and Bess Coronation. The yellow at the top melting into a soft pink which melted into a soft lavender at the bottom. The melt collar at the top the only thing keeping the dress on her body as her back and arms were left bare for the world to see except this was an empty beach. Dusting her hands together to remove the sand, she looked around. She did not recognize the tropical island but there had been so many in her past that it did not surprise her. As her gaze swept the horizon, she saw a group of rocks in the distance and a figure to far away sitting on the rocks. Bare feet pushed against the white sanded doons towards the figure as she was sure, she had another person to meet.

As she neared the figure, her heart did a jump in her chest but this was not surprise as it had been with Caleb nor disgust as it had been with Benjamin. This was joy. Sam!!

Sam was looking out over the waves, his knee propped up on the rock, his arm resting lazily over the curve of his knee. As Ealora got closer, his face turned and he was grinning at her. "It's about time you arrived. You know, I may have eternity but I didn't want to have to spend it waiting for you..." He chimed in that teasing raspy tone of his as his sandy blonde hair fell into his face.

"I thought I wasn't dead" She chimed back and grinned as she stood a few feet from him.

"You're not, but seems like something I would say doesn't it." and he laughed as his arm opened and waved her over. "I'm not going to bite you."

Sweeping her skirts back, she took a seat on a rock below him and together, their attentions turned to the rolling waves. For the first time since this crazy dream had started, she was glad of the silence, able to for the first time since it had started to think about what she had seen...what she had remembered. As much as she didn't want to remember the cave, she could not help but reflect on it. Was she ever going to see her children again? To make amends to the people she had hurt in her madness even as her pride prickled at the idea.

"I'll give you a coin for your thoughts" Sam asked from the rock and to the side of her.

"Oh just this crazy dream. Saw my past, my brother, saw my victims, Benjamin...Vola..others. Got covered in their blood. Wondering if I am ever going to see my children again. If I'm ever going to..." She stopped and shook her head. "Oh I dono, live."

Sam shifted to lounge back against the rock, his gaze moving from the sea to Ealora beside him though she wouldn't look at him. "Don't know what you want, do you? Want to go back and see your kids but also want something different in your life? You think that's so because you yourself have changed Ealora? Everything you've seen so far, was different people. Ever stop to think of that. When your little, you dream of a whirlwind adventure, not about blood or battles. Then when you get older, and according to your past, you dream of glory and gold on the high sea's, maybe have a little bloodlust during this escapade. Then something changes again and your on the side of justice, wanting to make the world a better place."

The wind sweeping at her hair, cast russet curls in her face and her hand lifted to pull them away as Sam's rumbling voice continued to talk beside her. Raising her feet to the rock, she pressed her heels into the surface and wrapped her arms around her upturned knees. "Did I? I find myself wondering if it was all worth it. When I look at my kids, all six of them.."An she paused to grin. "I have to wonder, if it was worth it. If I made a difference enough that they would have a better life. If they would hate me if they knew about what I did. If they would ever make the same choices, if they get that same lust. So was it worth it to change so much, to put myself in the position to have children who might carry madness and bloodlust in their veins."

"Ealora" Sam started and then sighed pausing long enough to climb from his rock to hers, his arm going around her shoulders as he pulled her close. "Was your life so horrible before all of this? Are your kids demons, do they never listen to you, run rampant and terrorize everyone? Do you live in a shack with no money and no way to feed, cloth or educate them? The answer to all of this is no. Besides, would you go back and change any of it if you could? Knowing full well things would change for your future? That your kids might not even exist or different ones would take their place?"

Ealora made a face and shoved her elbow against his side. Damn it but why did he have to be right. Then again, he was a figment of her imagination. This was all her. That alone made this dream all the more weird. Hearing her loved ones and not so loved ones voices telling her what she herself wouldn't say, what she herself was saying just giving different names and voices to the words. "No, I don't want to change my past. I lived it, you can't change it, even if it were possible. I love my kids, I don't want them to disappear. I just..." She shook her head and sighed. "My father was good at hiding his past, not that it was bad but I just fear being able to hide mine. I don't want my children to know about my past."

"What you don't want them to know how their mother was one of three siblings who lived in a broken down shack on the shores of Alexandria in Egypt? That she left everything she knew, taking nothing but the clothes on her back and no money in her pockets and learned how to sail, to manage a ship of her own and is now perhaps one of the richest people alive for her savvy business sense? How about the mother who helped rescue a knight from prison with only two other women? Or the mother who sailed into war with the English being all most outnumbered? Or the mother who took down lieges of enemy twice outnumbering her in the name of freedom?" Sam turned to look at her with a raised brow. "This is what you want to hide from them?"

Again Ealora elbowed him and slid from his grasp and the rock to pace in the sand. "When you put it like that, of course it sounds amazing and glamorous." She stopped in her argument realizing that was exactly what he father had done for her. An that he, like she, had changed and given up many things in the wake of change and family. "You know, your right. I'm right...I'm not ashamed of what I have done. I lived..I really lived...good or bad. I'm not who I was when I was five, ten or even sixteen years old. I am not who I was even five years ago. Things have changed...and I can change with it. It's ok to change, as long as I make the choice and not someone else."

Sam watched her and when she got it, he grinned and clapped his hand making a more dramatic leap from the rock to join her then needed. "That's my girl! Come on" His hand reached for hers and together they walked down the beach until he turned abruptly and began to move towards the trees of a vast forest beyond the beach. "You know...its only in loosing yourself that you truly find yourself again." He paused at the edge of the trees and pointed. In the distance, between the jungle of tree's, vine's and foliage there sat the temple that had been in the desert sands in the beginning. Slowly his hand released hers. "It's time to go..." He sad though with some sadness.

Ealora looked, amazed at the temple and then back to him. She didn't get it but she didn't voice her confusion that in loosing herself she would find herself again. Instead she found herself saying "Come with me"

Sam laughed as he backed towards the beach again. "I'm a figment of your imagination Ealora" He chimed at her and just like that, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Ealora stood on the beach for a moment more, watching the place where Sam had been. not even his footprints were left. After a moment she let out a sigh and began pushing through the foliage towards the temple once more. When she reached the steps this time, she did not pause. Now sure of her journey she climbed the steps and moved within the temple not even flinching as the door slammed closed behind her casting her back into the blackness of nothingness.

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

Maahes: The sky would seem to open then, a world for Ealora turned upside down as the ground would be beneath her and the sands of white would turn to sands of gold falling around her then. The air was burning hot, suffocating in its extent to where the heartless bastard of the cruel sun could transform the horizon into a slave. The sun traded places with the night three times before her eyes, until finally it would rise again already the heat of the desert morning burning off any relief the brief night had come to pass. Could she have ever felt so alone walking in the desert with no direction? For days it seemed she would fade through the careless venture of the dunes. Exhaustion would set in, heavy enough to keep her breath locked away. You will die here..a desert of solitude..this is death..So too had the sands revealed in that moment bones washed by the sun, but then in the same sweep of the wind they would be covered once more. The air was so silent, void of any life for none lived in such a place, that even the breeze hardly made a sound. You will die here..That voice said again, did she believe it?

Ealora: Scenes shifted so vibrant around her in this place. From dream to the next, there was nothing in this dream state that screamed of reality but this also no wonderland, no dodo birds, no rabbit holes, just one flow of a scene to another until the door slammed closed behind her. In the pitch blackness she had hoped she would wake, hear voices but there was only the echo of her own mind wondering, asking in the depths of what was going on even though her lips did not move and then the sun was upon her and she was within the desert again yet there was no comfort of a past where the sun blazed down but did not burn. This was suffocating heat where very breath had no relief in it and only made it more difficult to breath. Her feet sank against the sands that seemed to burn against the tender flesh of the bottom of her foot even as the wind whipped the golden sands against her face and made her shield her face with the crock of her elbow against her mouth and nose as the other went to her eyes to shield them from the sting of the grains as they were whipped up from their rest on the dunes where even the wind was hot and strangling. No noise, no sound and still she pushed, her footprints vanishing in the storm of sweeping sand till only the voice remained that she would die here in this solitude until she could stand no more walking with seemingly no improvement that she had gone anywhere and there was just that voice that finally made her sink to her knees in defeat.

Maahes: The thunder came then, though the sky was without fear of the violent clouds but the ground beneath her shivered. This was her death the black against white, the storm vs the sun. How many times had she walked this path alone? The sun seemed only brighter as a figure moved from the liquid horizon of the mirage, for it could have only been a figure of her imagination no? A black horse with eyes that revered the storm with red eyes carried a man who was as natural to this world that it seemed the dunes of the wasteland parted to give way to the mighty warlord. Exposed his chest to the open world, crossed only by the leather of his sword was laced like an embrace over his back. His hair was wild about him, a lions mane that fell down his back, yet gone it was from his dreads. His hair was not as course as it would have been expected, but smooth like black oil. There were new scars, new lines of battle from the life without her, but still he came forward for her. The storm is coming.."Ealora.." He spoke out the horse pulled to halt though even it seemed to dance in its place to be free from the sands heat. "Get up." His hand reached out for her, the wrist bound in leather. He would save her, he always would.

Ealora: Her back hunched as the thunder broke overhead booming in its madness as lightening struck against the sand sending out bursts of golden sparks like fireworks only for the sky to rumble low again. Each pull of a breath inward was torture for the heat within each breath inward till her throat was raw and dry tingling painfully with the craving of water. When she heard the horse, her head lifted , her hand shielding the still biting sand and sun from her eyes but all she could see was a sillioute that grew until it seemed to block out the sun and Maahes sat upon the horse. Her mouth opened despite the sand being whipped about the both of them now. His hair...his scars...Had she truly fallen down the rabbit hole now? She never fathomed Maahes would get rid of his dreads, surely her mind couldn't come up with this, especially him on a horse. He hated horses. Gone was the fire of madness from her eyes as celadon eyes continued to pull in the sight of him, his hand outstretched to her. The thunder boomed high overhead shaking the ground beneath her knees again. Abandoning her thoughts of him being a dream, her hand reached out for his and slapped hard into his own hand her fingers curling around his wrist as she pulled herself up from the ground. "What are you doing here?" she rasped from a dry throat.

Maahes:She would find herself removed from the ground as only his arm could. He pulled her from her death, pulled her from the sands as if pulling her from the sea for they would have taken her under too when she fell. "I've come to get you." He whispered as he held her tightly against his chest the smell of the scented oils still alive across his flesh. "I'm not real, I'm just your dream, Ealora, but even in your dreams I'm enough to remind you of home." The storm was behind them now, as they crossed the desert alone "I mourn for you." In that moment the wind pushed a curl of black across his face to show the proof "In my homeland this is how we show defeat." He met her eyes, the warm amber of his own coming to fall within her own "I still love you Ealora, and I'm waiting for you to come home. No matter how pigheaded I seem." His voice was alive with the rich baritone of his exotic tongue. "I will come looking for you soon, when I wake up from being such a fool." He touched the side of her face as he cradled her in his arms.

Ealora: Her fingers tightened around his wrist as he pulled her up until she was resting sideways in front of him upon the saddle, his arms around her to secure her but he confirmed what she knew. He was a dream. It was to bad, she wanted so much to tell someone what she had seen so far but he was part of her mind then wasn't he considering this was her dream. "So who is showing who defeat? I'm showing defeat or are you? This is by far the most confusing scene yet." Her hands tightened on the horn of the saddle as the horse pushed over the dunes of sand leaving the storm behind them and her face lifted up to his. "So essentially I am reassuring myself you'll come for me just as I am reassuring myself you mourn for me and that you'll come to realize your an idiot" Her lips twitched into a grin and she laughed giving a shake of her head even as his arm tightened around her side and the other lifted stilling the shake of her head. Her eyes lifted to his and held for a moment before turning away. "You weren't the only stubborn one. I was too..." Her lips pressed into a thin line as she debated on whether to argue with her dream husband...ex..well...whatever he was. "I made myself insane. I let others control and make me what I was...not a wife and mother...but the General's wife. I thought with the title, I'd lost myself, that I was no longer, Ealora. I was so afraid I'd changed so much I was no longer, me but the truth is, I changed many times over the years without realizing it but its not a bad thing. Maahes, I'm still changing, I'm not the pirate woman you hated and in a lot of ways, I am still the woman you fell in love with but things are different, I'll live a title but as long as I make the choice and no one else makes it for me. Do you understand?"

Maahes: He seemed so hardened against her, lifeless as if protecting himself from the words she used against him, or had before. The horse would come to stop there by the small oasis, a place where there was few trees and a small pool to provide her strength again. "I do not understand. I do not understand many things. I cry myself to sleep, and have thought of not returning from this war." It showed now, as he appeared more worried, more sank in, not so much the man of her dreams, but the reality of what he was in the flesh. He got off the horse first looking up to her to help down, but in place of pulling her down he looked up to her "I don't care what you are Ealora, I just want you as my wife. Tell me you love me. Make all of this hurt go away. I have been stabbed, beaten, and raped but nothing hurts like this." He spoke as if he were a drone, a mindless creature, but it was the truth. "I have always loved you for what you are, do you know this now?" He did not once look away as he gathered the reins of the horse in his hands to steady the beast.

Ealora: "Once upon a time, it would anger me that you don't understand but perhaps now more then ever I realize, you have never walked in my shoes so how could you..." Her lips curled into a grin again and then fell. Her hands left the horn of the saddle to wrap around him. How he seemed to shift in features though nothing outwardly showed had anyone else been around in this desert with them, they would of seen no change, Ealora saw the torment clouding over his face like their own invisible scars. As he stopped the horse at the oasis her arms loosened and he slid from the horse turning to help her down. She reached for him then stopped as if turned to stone posed to take the help only seeing the further torment on his face. After several seconds of silence and stoned features from both of them she dipped pressing her hands into his shoulders as she slid from the horse and into his arms. "Maahes, I do love you. I have always loved you. It was...is your heart that was meant to awaken mine. Somewhere we lost sight of this. I broke myself away from you because it shamed you and I loved you enough to let you go rather then to continue shaming you. An somewhere in this, I did need to know that you loved me despite everything I have done and I do know now that you do love me for whatever I am. Whatever that is."

Maahes: Helping her from the horse, strong arms that had held her all their life kept her close to his heart. "I love you. I never said it enough. You are the mother of my children, and I cherish you." Would be all that he would need to say in this moment, before he knew the time had come to leave. The horse would toss its head, and give a heavy breath. "You are safe here. Sleep Ealora..but don't forget to wake up. I will always come for you." He would be quick to mount again, before circling around her once as he then leaned down to kiss her, cupping her face with his free hand. Theirs was the story of ages, and would someday be a legend. He loved her very much, and even as she dreamed so too did he.

Ealora: Her arms wrapped around the large girth of his neck. This was her dream and she could wish him to be more then he was but the truth was, he was a large man all on his own, of muscle not weight and there was no need to dream him being anything then what he was. "I love you too" She purred back as she hugged her body close to his own. That was all that needed to be said. "Bet your ass you will" She teased as she followed him over to the antsy horse who's prancing spoke clearly of the time it was to leave this place and she took a step back as he climbed up onto the horse. She was not thinking about how he would find her, he had his ways. Neither of them expecting the shadows still in the distance that had a plan. Theirs was all ready a story of legend that would grow with time and be retold to wide and starry eyed children far into the future. As he leaned down to kiss her she rose up to her toes, her fingers curling into the long oily locks of his hair that were long straightened from their dreads. Her lips touched his and she sighed before backing up as he rounded the horse about and started back into the desert sands not noticing the shadows in the distance had lifted and were replaced within her eyes making her seem all most as if she were blind. The oasis itself was hazy like a cloud had fallen from the heavens and created fog into desert sands. Her mouth opened in confusion and curiosity as she thought to call out to him but then....who was that in the desert? She could not remember his name and her body ached so...her head ached and voices were droning from the heavens. No not the heavens, around her and the oasis faded behind the mists as dreams were left behind to a shadowed reality to come.

[Lord General Maahes Asad-Aziem]

Maahes woke up in a cold sweat, and a soundless scream against the back of his lips. His chest heaved in and out in a heavy manner that spoke of the struggle in his nightmares; his sleep plagued with the visions of his wife--her ship falling from the surface.

"Ealora.." He called out to the darkness, his fingers reaching out for her pillow only to come up empty as they were nearly every night. There would be no comfort in this night, and as he shivered away from the thoughts of the fires he would come to rise. It had been too long since word had reached of her ship, and in it he knew what his mind was trying to tell him. They were connected the two of them no matter how many papers were served saying they were not. Even, in their moments apart all he could think of was how she had the chance to be in the moment with him, but all he could do was stand helpless as she walked away. It was a selfish dream to want her so close, to keep her locked away like princess in her tower. However, this feeling? How could he live with it.

The sun was not far from rising, the sky already red from the warning. He watched the pirate whose name was Peregrine, a constant thorn in his side step from the docks, and when he realized that Lord General was watching removed his hat. There was dire news indeed.

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

"Absorb thyself in this great sea of the waters of life. Dive deep in it-- until thou hast lost thyself. And having lost thyself, then thou shalt find thyself again. "

[/i][/right]


There was much to be said when waking from sleep. That first deep pull of breath that filled the lungs so that they ached before the blow to release the pent up breath. Sense of smell was usually the thing to come back first. The smell of fresh linen. The second sense that came about was touch. The feel of a soft bed beneath her body rather then the thin piece of mattress stuffed with straw she had been placed on when rescued from the water. Her head rolled against the plush pillows and she hummed as her senses returned. Each one within a span of seconds of each other. Touch, smell, awareness in whole to the darkness she had known before. She had the oddest sensation that she had been dreaming something but like all dreams, it had faded into the realm of shadowed dreams. Her eyelids felt heavy, having not worked in some time and when she blinked several times, it felt as if she had lifted weights for several hours. Slowly she moved her legs and winced as her muscles sent pangs of pain throughout her nerves. So she hadn't moved in some time either. As the pain continued to throb through her body, she began to pant willing with her mind that the man subside.

The door to the bedchamber opened and closed and a woman gasped "Oh my gawd"[/b] her Spanish accented voice rose and the door opened as the woman's went out. It did not take long for the woman to return and the woman in the bed still dealing with the subsiding pain in her limbs brought her head up as the woman came back followed closely by a well dressed gentleman, his face tan colored and covered by dark hair of a beard that was shaped nearly to a point. Behind him, a Nubian looking man who was dressed more like a servant. Moving to the bed, the woman of the same tan skin and chestnut brown hair smiled kindly as she helped the woman in the bed to sit up.[/color]

"We were wondering when you would awaken" The gentleman spoke his lips curling into a grin reshaped the edges of his beard.

Ealora braced her arms on the woman's as she was helped into a sitting position and then leaned forward for a readjusting of her pillows before a soft hand guided her to lean back again. Celadon eyes lifted to the gentleman as he spoke and she took a breath relishing the feeling of her lungs aching as they filled with air, even holding that breath still her lungs screamed for release and she let it out. "How long have I been asleep?" She found her voice hoarse with from the long denied use of it.

"A week. When you were picked up by my ship returning from Spain on my business, you had a terrible fever. The men did not think you would last till you got here but you seemed to be strong, you fought quite well even in your coma." The gentleman responded and Ealora realized even his voice was thick with a Spanish tint.

"An where exactly am I?" She questioned turning her gaze from the gentleman to the woman as a cup was pressed against her lips and tipped and she felt the water, cool and refreshing slipping down her throat in a large gulp and then another before a hand at the woman's with the cup told her that was enough.

"Barbados. I am Governor Inigo Mendoza. Now that you are awake my lady, perhaps you can tell me your name and what you were doing in the water. Reports earlier spoke of a pirate ship raiding merchant and war vessels alike but my men saw no signs of it. Did they destroy your ship?" As he announced who he was, Inigo waved a hand and the Nubian gentleman brought a chair close to the bedside and Inigo slowly lowered himself into it.

Ealora let out a cough and then another as the water both soothed and brought her throat back to life. A napkin was pressed to her lips and she took it from the woman holding it against her mouth with a shy like smile that was not known of Ealora. Dabbing at her mouth, her hand curled around the linen and pressed it into her lap. Barbados. The name did not bring any meaning and Ealora suddenly frowned as it was asked who she was and what she was doing in the water. Silently she stared at her hands within her lap trying to figure out what he was talking about. There was fire, she saw that clearly in her mind, an explosion, feeling her body fighting the water to break the surface. Calling...calling desperately but who or what she was not sure. Past that or before that, was a blur, a shadowed veil she could not break to and her head lifted to shake slowly from side to side though that too caused a bit of pain. "I don't know..." She responded.

Inigo gave a shake of his head in confusion. "I am sorry my lady, you don't know who you are or you don't know what happened?"

Sinking heavily against the plush pillows, Ealora heaved a sigh and tightened her grip on the linen napkin. "Either..I can't remember...I don't know what happened.." Her eyes turned from the linen's to his face once more. "I don't know who I am..."

The Nubian servant behind Inigo muttered something that even Ealora was sure was not Spanish and Inigo hand raised to signal the servant as he lifted out of his chair with a laugh. "He says...the demons have gotten a hold of your memory. He is of a the old ways of Barbados, superstitious. Do not worry my lady, we will get to the bottom of this."he paused again in which to think of the right name. "Lyra" He gave a nod of his head. "I shall send for the doctor in the meantime, for now you are my guest...rest now." He teetered in his place offered her a smile and then was in a swift and noble nature, was gone from the room.

Lyra...as she now found herself being named leaned up from the pillows in order to watch him go past the footboard of the bed and then leaned back against the pillows. She had an odd sensation that she had been dreaming something important but it to as the Nubian had put it, been taken by the demons. Yet she wondered as she leaned back against the pillows, why she would have demons haunting her in the first place.

[King Adam Aberdeen I]

In Turas Lan, the word spread thru the streets like wildfire. Reports from the Griffin man-o-wars sailing the Middle Sea had been sent back to the Capitol for the King that the Shadow Storm had been sunk off the coast of the Tamazgha, with all hands dead or missing. That word was sent by the swiftest messenger to Struan…

The King’s messenger arrived and stood outside the Hall where the Royal Proceedings were being conducted. And as soon as the King was available, the messenger knelt… “Word from the Tamazgha, Yer majesty…”

Adam took the folder message and broke the seal of the ship’s captain. Opening and reading, he shook his head… “Damn… dammit all…” then he motioned the messenger away… turned and closed the door. Looking at Bess, he lowers his head. “The Shadow has been sunk… all hands are missing or dead…” She could see the despondence in his voice… “My plan has failed…. And I have lost a …” and his voice broke.

He explained to Bess his subversive plan to have Ealora, and the Shadow, raid the Tamazgha coast… and the results it would have upon the Strait, and the efforts of Kamenwati… But unknown to him, the plan had not failed… The Shadow and her crew had severely crippled the Amir’s Navy… and broke off Spain’s trade link to the Strait…

He sat on the bed… “All those brave men… and Ealora…” his head went into his hands. “Her children…” What he did not explain was the discussion he and Ealora had regarding the task she was to complete.

Kamenwati stood beside the new Amir, Abdullah al Ahmad al-Araj, when the Griffin messenger arrived. In the Berber language, the messenger reported the ship that aided them in the effort had been sunk, with all perishing… Kam motioned to the messenger to approach… and the new Amir, offered the man a bag of 50 gold coins as a gift to the family of each man… and for the woman… he offered his sincerest gratitude… and apologies to her children.

Many men had given their lives for the freedom of the Tamazgha… and the halt of Spanish expansion. Including the woman’s name that Kam saw in Briseis’ midwife journals… so this hit home closer than he expected.

[Queen Beathag Aberdeen]

Whenever the world had news, Beathag swore that her feet were restless on top of it. It was akin to treading on a body,crushing someone's bones with every step in ignorance because she couldn't distern an entity was there in the first place. Struan had never rolled well underfoot. Of late, the sensation of stepping felt as if the earth wouldn't yield a response back. Earth wasn't supposed to dead. Like Struan, there were people on the greater expanse of the island who side stepped on tilted matters. Stability wasn't supposed to be an illusion. She'd watched the season pass from her chamber windows and through the expanse of the Hall to no avail. It moved on, regardless.

One break in the monotiny of doubt was the figure advancing across the road. Around a bend in the road he vanished, only to re-emerge at a fast pace. A messanger? She smiled during the recess as the word began to circle round of it, turning to Adam with a hopeful expression, "Mayhaps it be tae sae tha' the children are nay far?" Her arms ached, the world began to settle just for an instant before she studied the manner in her mind in which the messanger was said approached. He was too quick, too urgent, for the joyful task of reuniting a family. As the horse settled down beyond the front gates, her heart strings detached. With every step the messanger took closer to the chamber was every step her heart sank.

In a world were equality is still eclipsed by the promience of men as the first, the forefront of the world, she remained absent from the meeting with the messanger. Instead she remained in the little room that served to hold the secrets of their private audiences, upon a chair with no current purpose other than to be mindful. The Chamberlain regarded his Queen. He knew that somewhere inside of a woman who's passive expression was companioned by the thick, beautiful voice in which she spoke still must brewd. A hound of the local fables still whispered of in court with a white hide, glittering orbs for eyes, and a bite as wicked as the nature of the times when it guarded the great gate of the realm growled. Nay good will come o' this, she thought to herself alone none at all. The Chamberlain would escort the Queen to their private chambers, to recieve the full extent of the news in peace.

It was a horrible thing, being right.

The way Adam left versus the way he returned was already frozen in the mind when he began to tell her what the contents of the message had said. She reached out to him when grief began to crush his throat closed to near whisper, none could claim she was a poor wife in this. A gentle hand moved over his back as her figure weighed down the other end of the bed. This object, too, like the earth, had always seemed strange in how it held the contents of a person. "We did nay talk much, her n' I, in the last few years fer it tae be enough. When we did speak, it was tae speak on temper's quellin', or the nature of posistion. She tested it, but did sae with reason. Now, I will have tae be content in the hope tha' she died realizin how much favored I tha' lady o' m'court. Strange n' branded with fire n' ocean water. We did nay talk much...we did nay talk enough."

It was by her own mouth, her insistance that the law provide a woman the chance in legality without man's absence to make a life for herself as she saw fit. She could recieve education or give it, have an occupation, conduct business both familial and mercantile without a man or beside him in equal measure. She could make voice in matters of the realm or she could use the steel as a voice for herself. Many such women were there in this realm that were the glorification of the ruling. It angered her when things such as Struan became so twisted that those who expoused by mouth to uphold the law had no sense of it at all. So she fathomed then, that their words and actions might be a passing-fancy plague one of them were seeking to turn down. But how could she think that, when Ealora had taken an offer of the King so crazed even a man would consider not to venture where she did?

She died in glory, all blaze and vigor as she might have always wanted. Earning something, she imagined, that was her own by merit and not her husbands. It was hard to lay down yourself enough to take on a role that for all the law in the world to grant you freedom, for the sake of more than yourself you bowed down to a greater whim. Beathag had acquiessed in her later years because it was told to her by the spirit of her father, mother, and ancestors that she had given enough of herself to enjoy the simple happiness of life. This was far from simple, however, when lives were in her hands.

With this news she detested Struan more than ever because here sat in a room locked a woman who had dawned armor for the sake of others or bowed down to whim for the sake of others, yet her death would have no glory if it were given by mandate. Adam was right in this one sense, that it was time to rule by what was right of soul, and go beyond the proceedings to the root of the matter. Perhaps that was why she stood up:

"I will make an order, fer women o' service, past n' present, tha' they might be honored among their sisters. I shall sit n' write it after my time of solitude.' Beathag wrapped one arm around herself while the other stayed long, " She deserves tha', she has always deserved tha', standin' at our side since before e'en Aberdeen. Tis hard tae be a woman o' steel or fire service, m'thinks. We either must be thrice as femine or thrice as male tae endure. We make law n' advocate it, yet we are still nay free. They say she was quite ill o' the mind afore her departure. Aye, mayhap she was. There is nay a woman alive who has an affinity fer service tha' let it gae lax who does nay feel or hear different tha' others. Tae answer it, many must have seen her as selfish, given she has children." She loved her children, Beathag knew that, "At a time like tha', it is be selfish or die. Aye, die. Some deaths are slower n' worse still tae watch. I be blessed, ye could accept me as I came tae ye," She sighed, half smiling in a sweet-sad fashion, "Ye accepted me better than I accepted m'self. Yet.." only a portion of the indignation eclipsed the tips of the words, "Why is it only now ye tell me o' all yer plots, sae long after they occur? Ah know she had orders tae sail, but wot for n' where...Ye accept the part o' me tha' wielded an axe n' tied ship rope better than ye accept the part o' me tha' wishes tae rule at yer side sometimes. N' I suppose in this, ye will tell me or attempt tae figure where the Lady deBrabant is? Adam, there is but one thing in these years I would ask, because I had tae ask it o' m'self. If m'weapons o' man make be laid than let me wield m'thoughts, let me help ye, completely! If the General does nay already know, than I wish tae be the one tae ride back tae Turas Lan fer a pair o' days n' tell him. He is.." she paused. It was not like Beathag to give pause over any in such a matter, but she gave pause to him in the long consideration. The man had seen her prowess in battle, believed in it enough to follow her to Sleat for his own reasons. He held her in the wake of learning of Edme Anstice. For years he would come to sit at the foot of her harp or in the halls where lineage was kept. "a way n' a thing tha' friend hardly describes. Yet tis the best tha' can be done. It is nay..fittin' o' me tae impress upon ye m'slight offense in yer grief, but twould be an outright lie tae say I be sorra. I am sorra fer yer lose o' a friend, one o' our court..our own. I feel tha' tae, in my own way. Yet I can nay be sorra tha' I let m'self stand as sae inferior in such matters beyond our waters because m'husband will nay share them with me. Despite equal footin' they will always come tae ye first for such things, ye know tha', n' I dun dispute it." She sighed once more, moving to the door to look over her shoulder: "N' all the tradition I suffer from the same affliction as othe others, I was born odd, but I still defer to m'husband for the sake o' his good name, n' the hopes tha' he will defer tae me, tae. I'm as much yer servant as I be yer wife. If we are equal footin' in tha' twould be much appreciated if ye'd serve me the full information ye be privy tae."


He found himself alone.

With no course of action selected before leaving the room, she decided that she would take herself to chapel. It wouldn't be within one of stone, nor in this castle, because she detested it enough to believe any sacred space here was tainted. At the end of the cooridor, she told a page, "Inform His Majesty tha' I've gone out tae the countryside upon m'horse for a ride, n' should the court reconvene or an audicence with me sought tell them tha' Her Majesty is in a moment o' solace o'er news of the realm and can nay be disturbed. Ah shall ride, perhaps, as far as Bracadale." Given it was the merchant's port, and the closest bit to the sea, that was where she would go. If she listened well enough, perhaps she'd hear the voice of the Egyptian on the water that she might thank her and apologize in one breath.

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

A small rap sounded on the door before the latch was being turned and the door pushed inward.

"Good Morning Lyra!" Doctor Enrique Solar hummed as he stepped into the room his eyes swinging around to the woman in the bed.

Lyra had been enjoying a quiet morning still ordered abed, her arm resting behind her head on the pillow as she stared out the window into the new daylight hours. She had been awake since dawn but had feigned sleep when her ladies maid Magdelina had come in with breakfast. She didn't know why she awoke so early, since waking up from her coma she had awoken to the new day just an hour or so more before the new dawn stretched across the morning and lit everything up. Maggie was behind Doctor Solar and she grinned shyly at her mistress as she carried in his back.

"Good Morning Doctor Solar. What brings you around today?" Lyra replied sitting up to take her arm from behind her head and slid her body up into a sitting position.

"Well Lyra my dear, with your permission, I'd like to examine you. True, I did so yesterday but this is a complete observation of your person so we may better understand your current afflictions and how they progress in the days to healing as well as an observation of what your body can tell us of your past. It's with your permission of course my dear." Enrique replied, his hands going behind his back as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet waiting for reply.

"Of course Doctor, I have no objections."/ Lyra responded and turned her eye from her maid to the Doctor.

"Good. Magdelina will be assisting me..." Enrique replied his arms unlacing from his backside waving Maggie forward and then getting to work rolling his sleeves up as Maggie went to draw the blankets back from Lyra body and then wait for instructions.


Doctor's Report
16th August, 1333
Patient: Lyra

Current Afflictions:

A. Patient displays gash on left temple extending to forehead. Required fifteen stitches.
A1. apparent side effects are headache; Amnesia may be a possible side effect but is not conclusive.

B. Assorted bruising on legs, side, arms and backside.
B1. Apparent side effects are tenderness with pain in the joints and muscles sometimes intensified with movement.

Patient Observations:

A. Skin pigment is not due to sun. Patient skin is of natural olive tone which could make her- Egyptian or Muslim, Greek or Spanish origins.
A1. It is conclusive patient is of middle eastern descent with pigment of skin and equally dark hair.

B. Nose displays slight enlarged bridge which is often seen with breakage. It is unclear how many times said nose has been broken though. It is all most always inconclusive to number of times. In this case impossible to tell with patient memory loss.

C. Faded scar on neck. Letters: I-S-S-A.

D. Left shoulder displays signs of dislocation either recent past (3 to 4 years) or in childhood.

E. Right wrist has been broken in the past. Healed quite beautifully.
E1. Range of motion and use of the hand and arm are excellent. Patient admits aches to the joint and muscle sporadically.

F. Hands are not exactly in likeness of a lady of nobility. Some roughness of work to them.

G. Getting away from bodily examination for a moment, Patient shows no humiliation or embarrassment at being displayed in the nude for exam.
G1. Might be Lady in waiting blushed enough for the both of them.

H. Back to examination. Patient displays faded stretch marks on abdomen, upon further investigation, appears patient had at one point, given birth.
H1. Inconclusive as to how long ago this was as her body is fully healed given stipulation this was three to four years ago.

I. Scars of left and right buttock from apparent cat-o-nine tail whip.
I1. Scars are evidently several years old.

Conclusion:
It is apparent the lady has scars and afflictions of the past as to call into question her original origins which still remain inconclusive. The main concern is the patients health which are quite well given the circumstances and the ordeal she has been in.

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

August 17th[/b]

It had been a long and hard day for Enrique. Nothing was ever fatal on the island, in fact the most exciting the island had ever seen was the arrival of Lyra and the woman was constantly on his mind so when Inigo sent word for him, even with aching muscles and bones that were weary, he went.

The sitting room was sparsely lit in the darkness of night but Enrique could see the white smoke billowing from Inigo cigar and the report he had given him on Lyra check up in the other. “Inigo” Enrique spoke crossing the room to join his friend. “Enrique” Inigo responded waving his hand to an assortment of drink in an offer. After pouring himself a drink, Enrique groaned as he fell into a seat next to his friend. “You have questions I presume” An observation for his friend and a way to get the conversation rolling.

"None of this makes any sense Enrique." Inigo responded waving the parchment for his friend.

Enrique merely laughed and took a sip of his drink. "What would you like me to say my friend?" He responded as he set the cup against his knee. "I never said doing a complete exam would give us any information about who she is. What did you expect me to find, a whole report of her life etched into her skin?" Enrique shook his head and grinned over at his friend.

"No I didn't expect that, but something that might give a hint about where she's come from. What status of life she had. This is all over the map, scars from whipping, scars from childbirth. You don't suppose she was a slave?" The cigar was pushed between his lips again and held with his teeth as Inigo turned his gaze from the report to the Doctor.

"That might be the case" Enrique shrugged, he didn't really know and so he could not give an accurate assumption. "What of it though Inigo? What exactly were you hoping to gain from this examination? What is it you have planned?"

Inigo snuffed out his cigar on a plate and set the examination aside with a sigh, his ankle came to rest on his knee and he caressed the armrests of his chair. "I don't know" He grunted and shook his head. "I don't have any plans Enrique."

Enrique laughed and played with the glass on his knee turning it left and right, back and forth over his knee. "Perhaps you should embrace this Inigo, create a new life for her here, its obvious she doesn't remember where she comes from. Maybe it is to horrible to remember, we don't know."

Inigo laughed as he shifted his weight to the other side of the chair. "I know that, I admit to planning to do such a thing. I had a Barrister draw up papers. I am to make her my ward."

Enrique joined his friend in his laughter, he had known his friend was up to something. "I thought as much. I know you to well Inigo" He paused, letting the silence linger for several seconds before he set his glass aside and slowly rose from his chair. "I should go, its been a long day but I wish to meet with you and Lyra tomorrow afternoon over lunch."

Inigo nodded as he lifted up from his chair. "That is fine. Though now I am the one left wondering what you are up to my old friend."

Enrique again joined his friend in laughter as he stepped out into the night. "Tomorrow my friend, tomorrow you will have little need to be left wondering"

[Chief Baliff Ealora]

August 18th[/b]

This morning was proving to be more beautiful then any other she could remember since waking up. Standing in front of the mirror, she let the suns rays shine down upon her warming her to the near point of sweating. She had finally been let out of bed and Inigo had come during breakfast with her ladies maid to tell her Enrique would be there for lunch and wanting to talk to them both. He sent Magdelina to find Lyra a proper dress for the day, it seemed she was going to be let out of her room and this excited her more then anything. She had tried not to be a pain ordered to bed but she struggled to stay within it, now that she had been let out of it though, she wanted to dance.

A soft knock on the door had her turning away from the window as Maggie popped her head inside the door and smiled carrying with her a light green day dress and followed by servants with a tub and others with buckets of steaming water.

"The days go pretty quickly here, by the time you wash and dress, Doctor Solar should be here M'lady" Maggie cooed laying the dress just so across the bed so it would not wrinkle. The tub was placed in the center of the room and the servants all filed in line, filling the tub and then retreating with empty buckets.

Maggie's words seemed to ring true as the rays of light seemed to change across the bedroom floor while she bathed and then dressed and sat to have her hair arranged. It seemed like no time at all had passed but noon was upon them when a knock sounded at the door. Maggie pinned one last strand of hair up, fixed one of the curls that was dangling and then went to answer the door.

"Doctor Solar and Lord Mendoza are waiting for you" A servant spoke from the doorway, bowed and then disappeared down the hall. Ealora turned in her chair to look at Maggie who smiled comfortingly and then ushered her lady to follow after her.

She could hear laughter on the veranda downstairs even before she approached the open doors. Lunch was on the tables outside and Doctor Solar and Inigo were sitting from across each other, apparently sharing a joke.

"M'lord Mendoza, Doctor Solar" Lyra hummed in greeting as both men rose to her presence.

Inigo offered Lyra a chair and it was only when she sat that the two men retook their seats.

"M'lord tells me that you wished to see both of us Doctor Solar, I do hope you are not going to proclaim I have an incurable disease." Lyra teased as servants moved about the three serving them lunch. Lyra noted the man standing in the corner, like Inigo manservant, he was dark skinned but he carried the Doctors handbag and a notepad. Obviously the Doctors assistant.

Inigo and Enrique shared a laugh at Lyra teasing but it was Enrique who spoke up. "No no my dear, you are quite healthy considering your ordeal and memory loss. Actually it is about your memory loss that I wanted to talk to you."

Lyra attention turned away from the dark skinned man to look at the Doctor. "Oh?" She hummed in curiosity and then looked to Inigo for any sign he knew what he was going but he only flexed his fingers and shrugged his shoulders. "Continue then Enrique" Inigo gave him the go ahead as he sat up to eat.

"Well consider this, Amnesia is such a fickle thing, sometimes it cures itself over night, sometimes it takes an equally drastic event to make a persons memory return, sometimes it never returns. It's not something us Doctors get a chance to study all that often, so with your permission Lyra and Inigo. I would like Mumba here.." And Enrique paused to wave his assistant forward "to stay with the lady to catalog her steps and whereabouts, as well as if any memories return."

Lyra paused in putting a piece of pork into her mouth and turned a look first to the Doctor and then his assistant as he came forward and then looked to Inigo who had stopped himself and was sitting back in his chair. "It's up to you, Lyra..." He offered.

For several moments Lyra was silent having set her fork with some of the pulled pork on it back down onto her plate. "So, you just want Mumba here to follow me around and see if I get my memory back?" she questioned.

"Well, in a sense yes, but I would suggest doing activities, things that might bring about your memory, but its not forcing it either." Enrique responded wiping his mouth.

Again, Lyra was silent thinking things over. Something about recovering her memories frightened her but the other part excited her.Part of it frightened her, for what if this did not work? Would she be stuck not knowing who she was for the rest of her life? What would become of her if she didn't get her memories back. The safest road she could assume to travel was doing as the Doctor suggested, if she got her memory back, she could go home. "All right, I see not reason not to do it." She agreed.

Enrique grinned and nodded. "Excellent, just excellent!" He was fairly pouncing in his seat with excitement.

Inigo was unsure but he grinned despite his unease. "Good, now that is settled, Lyra...I have papers naming you as my Ward, and I wish to show you off to my friends. In three days time, we shall be having a party. I wish you to help plan it as best as you can and I also have a tailoress coming tomorrow to make some clothes for you..."

Lyra sat stunned but the Doctor and Governor had started eating again. Two days to plan a party and a tailoress to worry about. God above, what had she gotten herself into.