Naveen

I went still at her words, only my eyes following her movements. I could have been a statue for all of my movements. I waited then, waited for her to get it all out. Perhaps getting it out would be therapeutic. When she finished I finally moved hanging my head to rub the back of my neck.

"A few months...has it really been that long." I murmured. My views of time had been skewed for years. Perhaps decades. Raising my head I looked at Rina. How young she looked. It made me feel old. And yet if we were of the same race we'd be close.

Perhaps we are too old, too set in our ways. Rina was a blaze of personality. Her temper equally as hot as her passion. If I compared that life and exuberance of emotion to my own people it was like comparing a body of water. With the proper drive we could be like an ocean, but here on the mountain perhaps we were more like a pond. Stagnant and still.

"You're right." The words drifted out of me, punctuated at the end with a long sigh. Settling my elbows on my knees I laced my fingers together. "We are old. Set in our ways. Mountains don't move or change with the winds of life. They grow slowly, or die slowly, sometimes they even don't change at all. My people miss what it was like living with trees. It has been so long since we had that chance. Tree's don't fear the wind, they bend and twist with it. Adapting and letting it shape the growth instead of fighting it or standing immobile."

Standing I went to the window, pushing it open and looking out over the garden and the citadel beyond. "Did you know this mountain used to have trees? Before the mist took them away. Little grows in the mist. Without the trees my people became like the mountain. Perhaps it's time we changed to be more like the trees we lost."

It was a round about way of thinking, almost foreign to the part of me that still felt so rooted to the beliefs, traditions, and ideals of my people. But it was the right path to walk. "I'm sorry for making you believe I didn't care." Turning I moved to her, kneeling down with one hand extended. "I'm sorry for making you doubt that I cared about the world beyond my people. That I cared about our child. And that I cared about you." My expression softened as did my tone, "I do care and I ask your patience in proving it."

Rina:

I didn’t take his hand, instead I shuffled on my knees to hug him. I pressed my face into his shoulder and held on tightly. I nodded against him and stayed quiet in his arms for a minute.

“I don’t think I’m better than you or that you’re a terrible leader, or lover, or that you will be a terrible father. I don’t think that,” I mumbled after a little while thinking back to what he said before. I tightened my arms around him.

Gathering her into my arms I cradled her against me. Nuzzling against the top of her head I murmured another apology until she mumbled into my shoulder. With a soft smile I picked her up carefully, letting her remain as she was while I led her to the bedroom and carefully settled us on the bed. It had to be more comfortable than the floor, and as I smoothed a hand down her back I murmured softly, "I love you Rina."

Rina:

I snuggled into him once we were settled again on the bed. “I love you too, Savien,” I whispered back. Even after we had both admitted it we said it rarely. I looked at him and gave a small smile. Reaching up, I cupped my hand over his cheek.

Raising my hand up I cupped the back of her hand returning her smile. I held her in my lap, tracing her face with my gaze. "I like it when you say my name." I admitted softly. I was sure I'd said so before but I felt it warranted hearing it again.

Rina:

I smiled softly and leaned up to press my lips gently to his. Even when I was upset with him I desperately wanted to still be with him. I couldn’t imagine walking away. Even if I wasn’t having his child, I couldn’t picture a world in which we both lived that we were apart from each other.

I kissed back before murmuring softly against her lips, "Are you hungry? It's rather late...but I'm sure I could find something good." I had found that I got hungry after arguing with her, perhaps something to do with the energy it took trying to reason with her.

Rina:

“I might have a bite or two if you get something,” I said, though I wasn’t too hungry. I had a full meal at dinner. The Elvin women weren’t going to risk me going unnourished. I kissed him again for a long moment before letting him go to fetch food. I curled up on the bed in his absence. I was emotionally drained from arguing with him. I was alone for only a few moments before I dozed off.

I went quickly for the kitchens, finding berries and candied nuts. Filling a bowl with the treats I returned to the room only to find Rina dozing peacefully. Smiling softly I set the bowl on a table then gently climbed into bed and curled up with her. Pulling the covers I cradled her gently in my arms, running through our argument in my head until finally falling asleep several hours later.

Over the next couple weeks I tried to work on what Rina wanted. I talked with my people, I took my turn on the walls defending against the mist creatures, and I still tried to make time for Rina. There weren't enough hours in the day for all I needed to do. I could feel myself starting to feel the strain. My magic could only help so much, and the moonlight had a hard time piercing the mists with the creatures so near.

Rina:

I did what I could to keep the peace between myself and the elves. I did everything they asked without complaint. They allowed that I could practice my archery for as long as my body would allow as it wasn’t as dangerous as other activities. I continued to study Elvish with my tutor. At night I would practice again with Savien and found I spoke better with him. I was more content than before but I still often felt lonely or disliked by the elves.

I stood on the walls, staring out into the mists. There was a reason those of us who earned the titles of 'mist walkers' were revered. The mist didn't care that you could see, that you could hear, that you could smell. Just as soon as you trusted any part of your senses you were that much more likely to lose your life. The mist played havoc on the senses and it took something more to survive out there.

"Ring the bell." I called softly while unstrapping my great sword from my back. One of my soldiers took a long look at me then began to sprint. The others on schedule were already readying. No one ran on the walls for frivolous reasons.

Ash:

The ringing of the warning bell had my head snap up from my deskwork. Standing I smoothed my robes and strode out of my room, calling orders to have the children brought in and doors sealed. With everyone following through I made my way to Rina on the practice field.

"Rina, I need you to come with me right now."

Rina:

I had heard the bell ringing but ignored it in favor of focusing on my target.  When Ash came over, however, I unnocked my arrow and turned to her.  I noticed in now the distance how the elves were ushering the children indoors.  That wasn’t normal.  I went with Ash but asked as I did so, “What’s going on?”

Ash:

"That would be the alarm bell. I'm sure you've been told about what lies beyond the walls hidden within the mists. Once upon a time that bell meant invaders were attacking. Now it is reserved for when one becomes brave enough and is enough of a threat to challenge the walls and warriors manning it." I held out my hand to lead her back.

"Now please come with me. Normally I'd ask for your bow before we enter into the nursery but the situation being what it is..." My eyes flickered towards the target she'd been shooting at. "I ask you hold onto it until things are deemed safe."

Rina:

My eyes widened slightly. I had thought that this place was completely safe within the walls of the castle. That was why we had come here. But if she wanted me, a human, to keep a weapon then it meant there was a chance that I might have to use it. I went with her but gave a low whistle as I did so. Because I thought I was safe within the walls, Aero hadn’t been with me constantly. Now it took a minute before he showed up, just in time to perch on my shoulder before we entered the nursery.

Ash:

I glanced at the bird on her shoulder, I could feel faintly that is was more than it appeared. Magical, warm, but not threatening. At the moment at least. I'd question later, Talon hadn't given any indication of danger from Rina or her possessions, forgetful as he may be.

In the nursery with the help of the other staff we kept the children occupied while keeping an eye and our ears perked towards the windows or doors. After a while with things running smoothly under my eyes I brought Rina apart from the others in my care, sitting us down on a cushioned bench.

"You seemed surprised that we came in here." It wasn't a question and I kept my eyes on the children. "The monsters within the mists are usually no threat to the city. They can't harm our walls, leave us alone so long as we do not venture out, and if they are of the type that could scale the walls, or perhaps fly over then the guards deal with them without the need for the bell."

My fingers settled in my lap, one gripping the other tightly. "But there exist greater monsters that don't abide by the same rules. They can bring down our walls, they do attack our home, and they are very real threats to those marked by the moon. It is rarer even then those monsters but a few times in our long history with the mist that monsters have broken through the wall. They have made it through the streets and threatened the nursery. Only three times in the history of my people have invaders, monster born of the mist or a race beyond the mountain broken into the Nursery. Three times is too many, and so we treat every alarm as if it is to be that time again."

Releasing my white knuckled grip on my own hand and letting out a slow breath I smiled at Rina. "Only once in my time as caretaker here in the nursery has it happened. And while we saved the children it cost us our previous Lord."

As I finished speaking the alarm bell went silent. So too did everyone in the Nursery, every elf holding their breath as the adults focused on the same point in the ceiling where the bell tower lay in the citadel above.

From the stillness rang a deep tone, somber and slow it continued for several minutes and when it too ended silence reigned for almost a minute before the staff turned back to the children and noise returned in a subdued manner.

Grief tugged at the corner of my lips and in my eyes, but I kept my back straight and my face a mask. "The danger has passed. But so too has one of our kind. We are few now, that bell only rings when someone dies. The guards will knock on the door shortly so we may leave."

Rina:

I felt a chill when she said that one of them had died. They seemed immortal to me. Especially those who were like Savien and were enhanced by the lines in their skin. And yet one had died. Surely it wasn’t Savien. He was too strong for that. Even so, I would be on edge until I saw that he was safe. Aero gave a quiet chirp in my ear.

Calan:

I knocked on the door to the nursery, my robe smeared with a splotch of black blood that I kept trying to brush away. But it was seeped through and not going anywhere. Other than that blemish to my clothes I was doing rather okay. I could feel the dullness of exhaustion tugging at my limbs, and I felt rough and ragged. But I was alive, my Lord and best friend was alive, and my home was safe. For all the sadness that tugged at my heart for my companion, I felt rather content as after several minutes finally the doors parted and I was met with two of the nursery staff before me.

"It's alright, the danger has passed. But with it we lost Velendric." I called to the pair who bowed their heads in sorrow, taking a moment to grieve before stepping back inside to give the all clear. I followed along behind, smiling at the kids as curious and slightly worried eyes glanced my way. Perhaps it was a blessing of the Moon, but Velendric didn't have any children or spouse. None would have to lose a family member at his death.

As my eyes roamed over the staff and children my gaze settled eventually on the Matron and Rina sitting aways off. Weaving my way through I made placating gestures their way, motioning for them to stay seated though I doubted Rina would listen. It was part of her amusing charm.

Rina:

I stood up, bow still in hand. Approaching him, I asked, “Is Talon well?” I tried to keep my tone calm, but a note of worry bled in. I knew he probably had other duties to attend to so soon after the citadel had been attacked and one of his men killed, but I had to know.

Briefly a smile crossed my lips. Humans were amusing. Rina was trying so hard to not be worried. "Talon will be okay. He is strong, and once the healers finish up he'll be fine." I held up both of my hands. Glancing at Ash then back to Rina, "It was an Ancient one. We had some trouble beating it back. The few that are injured, Talon included are resting and healing in the temple."

Turning my attention to Ash I cocked my head slightly, "If I may, can I take Rina to him. Less chance of her wandering off on her own to do it." Her narrowed gaze drilled into me for a moment before she nodded and stood.

Rina:

My eyes widened when he said that Talon was injured.  I looked to Ash with an almost pleading look in my eyes.  When she nodded, I let go of a small breath.  As soon as Calon finished in the nursery, I followed him out, walking just behind him.  

"Is it common for the beasts to attack the walls?" I asked after a moment of walking in silence.

Calan:

"Mmm, no. Not particularly. The walls are imbued with magic, a deterrence if you will. The walls make them uncomfortable, but the older the beasts grow the more they are willing to deal with the feeling. The older the stronger and more intelligent as well. If they grow big enough and old enough then they can force smaller ones to attack as well. Like they did today." It was a bit of a hike to the temple, it was set higher up the mountain.

As we approached the steps inside I stopped her with a cautioning hand, "I know you are worried. Talon is in good hands. But please remember this is our temple. Stick close to me and there shouldn't be any trouble, I'll get you to your Lord as soon as I can."

Rina:

"Okay," I said with a nod. I stuck close to him as he had asked when we entered the temple. I couldn't help but look around in curiosity. I had little occasion to go to churches or temples throughout my life. I didn't know if I believed in anything, but I had to admit that there was a certain energy about the place that seemed otherworldly.

Calan:

The chamber inside the entrace was large, a crystal pillar and fountain dominating the center of the room with a few doors lining each wall. Murals and tapestries decorated the walls and ceilings, telling a history of our religion and people.

A few elves bustled about, some wearing the casual garb of my people but most wearing ornate robes denoting them as either workers or priests. There weren't many who held the rank of Priest or Priestess, but anyone could volunteer to work within the temple. In a different situation I'd explain ranks and symbols to Rina but we had a more pressing matter to attend too.

I led the way towards an open doorway in the back of the chamber. As we passed by the fountain a voice called out from a seperate doorway. "Calan? What brings you here? Are you, oh."

I stopped and turned to look towards the voice and the woman it came from. She seemed to float across the ground, her feet hidden within her robes. She seemed to glow from within, and I could see a faint curios expression on her face as she approached. One that turned into amusement as I gave a formal bow. "High Priestess, a pleasure." The woman had spoken in our tongue but I had replied in common for Rina's sake.

Rina:

I bowed my head in recognition of her title but did not bend further. “May I see Talon?” I asked, half directed at her, half looking toward Calon. I wanted to see with my own eyes that there was no need to worry.

Calan:

I glanced to Rina with a faint smile. She was if nothing else uniquely focused on what she wanted. My gaze returned to High Priestess who had taken a keen interest in Rina.

"So you are Rina." Her voice had a musical lilt to it, and she held no hesitation at the unfamiliar language that I was sure Common was.

Aiyr:

Clasping my hands together I regarded the woman before me. This was Rina. It wasn't hard to see physically why my son might be interested in her. He had always enjoyed such things.

"He is currently in the hands of the healers, I can lead you to him but until they are finished you can't interupt." A smile won out on my face, even as my eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "I have some questions to ask as well, it will give us a chance to chat."