A Chance meeting by Moonlight

[Amariette Willowbane]

Adam Masou: *"M'lord, please, I would speak with you!" The pleading voice of the Ulsterian officer was strained in frustration as the sound of clacking boots came up the hallway. The man he was pursuing was clearly ignoring him, but that would not keep the young guard from doing his appointed job. "Lord Masou you know it is forbidden to hunt on the Queen's land, I am going to have to ask you to- Lord Masou, please stop, I need to- " There was an exasperated sigh as he motioned for the other guards standing watch at the doorway to the handmaiden's chambers to come forwards, not bold enough to try to take the half-man half-beast he had heard so many tales of by his lonesome. "Please Lord Masou, do not make me take you there by force. I do not want that."<c>*
Adam Masou: *<c> the watchman said as he reached towards the bare skinned shoulder of the man he was attempting to accost. The next thing the poor youth realized was the pain shooting up from his wrist clear along his ulnar nerves into his shoulder, a crippling agony that made his knees bend in reflex and a burbbling cry as his eyes refocused on the blood crusted hand that was gripping his arm. Adam's face held no emotion, only the blank and unamused look it always carried, slate gray eyes like bullets waiting to be fired focused down on the smaller man in a silence so loud the men held their breath waiting for it to break. He said nothing, for he rarely ever did, but the blood now dried and streaked across his face, his arms, his bare chest and the animal-like<c>*
Adam Masou: *<c> eyeshine that caused light to reflect from his irises like that of a cat's was enough to tell this man- touching the Beast-Man was a fatal mistake. Adam knew he could have easily crushed the man's wrist, but such violence was unwarrented against the plebian forces of Ulster's night watch who were, even if stupidly, only trying to do their job. He released the young man without a word and watched him crumble to the ground in a simpering heap. The others did not move. He glanced to each of them in turn as if to see the acknowledgement in their faces that he was not to be disturbed any more and then turned, slinking off into the night with only the faint sound of bare feet on stone to allow them to determine his direction. He was of course<c>*
Adam Masou: *<c> headed for the courtyard on the second level of the castle for it was where he preferred to live in the stead of his room. Without walls and furniture he could at least breathe with some manner of ease to his agorophobia. The moon was always bright this time of year, he noted as he settled in a crouch on the raised stone wall encircling the grass laiden balcony. If he were in Tsalaya it would be time for the last harvest of the year, time to collect the fruit of the Simbulmuna tree and lay down the peat moss in the caves for the coming winter. He had been on journeys to the Forest in spurts and was kept aware of its goings on by the animals. He did miss his home, and tonight had been one in a long string of lonely ventures to Ulster's woods<c>*
Adam Masou: *<c> in order to find the reason he still lingered here. Yet as it had been with the other nights of solitary contemplation, he had returned to his makeshift home empty handed, the mental chatauqua once more failing him. And so he sat in meditation, for he needed no sleep, concentrating on the healing of his own blood smattered wounds along his back and left arm basking in the silver light of the Ulsterian harvest moon.<fin>*

[Amariette Willowbane]

Amariette: ~The night had come easily and Amariette's pattern of behavior had not changed at all since her return to Emain Macha, though now she haunted the grounds of the castle with a ghostly song as well. Stealing away once again during the late hours of the night, she was once again caught within the trance that not even the previous evening's affairs could disspell. Her eyes were a dull and vacant gray, a great change from her natural sparkling green irises and her lips were as blue as ever, the cold of the evening reaching deep within to her very soul to stake its own claim. Bare soles, soft and resilient traversed the worn stone, the maiden drifting about corners and crossing courtyards on her journey through a world of ice and formless dreams.~<c>
Amariette: ~Lips barely touched as the melody was carried softly by the wind, the words echoing throughout the halls and chambers, guards and the like rather unnerved and rigid upon hearing such a spiritual sound. "I had riches far too great to count, and a high ancestral name...." It was the lullaby, the single last remnant that remained of Brianne Willowbane, a matron so powerful, so comforting, that her very essence still visited the young girl whenever she was in the greatest need of it. Amariette's hands were clasped against her chest, her fingertips curling about the trinket she held so very dear to her heart, the amethyst amulet that Daniel Carter had given her upon proposing.~<c>
Amariette: ~After spending the following day tending to an area of garden with several of the servants, she had done her best to remain quiet about the gift she so brazenly wore, pleading with the giddy young women that swirled about her to consult Dr. Carter about it, if they ismply had to know. The idea of being a wife was still rather surreal to her and she felt that it was best to remain secretive and withdrawn when asked about the new level their relationship had grown to, her own mind still working over the natural panic of what may have been expected of her. However, just like every other night, she was losing herself within the castlegrounds, becoming lost in the hopes that she would find something missing in her life that she knew not of.~<c>
Amariette: ~Candlelight began to fade as she continued on, drawing nearer to a part of the castle she had never seen before, the shadows reaching out to engulf her completely and soothe her in their embrace. Her long crimson ringlets were done up with gilded silver pins against her head and her body was clothed in a similar gown that was a bit more modest and covered a great deal more, no doubt Daniel's doing upon recalling the leering castle soldiers. The material was soft, much like satin, and the color was a rich and deep red that made her appear as some Goddess of passion or romance, though she would never consider herself such in any case.~<c>
Amariette: ~Silver threaded embroidery traced itself in leaflets along her body and the gown extended over her toes and ended in a small and gentle train that followed easily behind her every step. "And I also dreamt which charmed me most, that you loved me still the same..." The music never faulterd as her light and feminine voice rose just above the cry of the wind and she blended her tone to match with the accompaniment, wishing to become one with the world that grew dark and prepared itself for death and rebirth during the harvest season. Moving out into a new courtyard that bloomed beautifully before her, she took the last few steps toward the very center where a statue rested solemnly, the image that of a young woman drawing water from a fountain with her detailed and exquisite pitcher.~<c>
Amariette: ~She lifted her eyes to the maiden and a slow smile formed on her lips, several tears falling down her pale cheeks and dappling on the marble seat encircling it. Yes, she would find solace here tonight.~

[Amariette Willowbane]

Adam Masou: *The familiar pop of sickle shaped bones was heard only to his ears as each of the claws he so carefully hid from prying eyes were moved by tensing muscles in his fingertips to push the elastic skin and grip the stone wall for support while he concentrated. The silence seemed permeating, as if it were some tangible thing that hung by only the tension coming off the form of the lone Maryuudo warrior frozen like a gargoyle on the balcony's edge. The moon cast off the blanket of clouds to show her true face and flooded gently the silver light that bathed him, as if it were some kind purifying rain come to restore a now broken man to former glory. If only, he thought, it were so easy as that, as if the waters of the Yuudo river were enough to replace the missing<c>*
Adam Masou: *<c> pieces of a past that was even to him now no more than legend. He let out a great sigh and let his eyelids slide closed. Reaching into the depths of his mind he began to pull forth the knowledge he needed to repair himself as best he knew how. To imitate one of nature's own was unfair, though it was the only human word he knew for his special skills. They were not true mimicries as humans themselves did not possess the capability to perform them simply by memorizing the paradigms in which they were executed. What was a more accurate represenation was a kind of exchange. Adam used his knowledge of the animals and applied it to his own body, learning to utilize his Yuudo geneology to acquire the same skills as the animals that followed him<c>*
Adam Masou: *<c> He did not mimic the animals, they taught him. The Maryuudo mind of a true animal master stored the necessary knowledge to 'imitate' over a hundred of nature's creatures as well as the knowledge to speak to them. Though there had been a time when Adam could only manage one imitation at a time at great expense to his physical body, his time amongst the unicorns in the hidden forests in Avalon had taught him how best to use his energy efficiently, and now to maintain the shape of his claws while exerting force on other parts of his body was no longer a challenge. The crackles of lightning in the dark skies above that always accompanied the half man when in anger had already died, but the whisper of the winds all around the courtyard<c>*
Adam Masou: *<c> began to pick up in a cacophony of murmurs in a tongue long since dead to this world. One utterance was more clear in the muddle in the breathy sigh of a fatigued warrior; Duwega.... Some species of lizard, specifically the salamander had the ability to regenerate dead or lost tissue over small stints of time. Of course Adam's body was no more accelerated than that of a salamander's, but his size and the fact that such a procedure for him was voluntary would speed up the recuperation tenfold. As he concentrated on the center of his mind the skin that lay jagged and ripped on his back began to curl and peel, new skin beneath of it licking and overlapping the bruised and torn muscle like some kind of viscous liquid sealing <c>*
Adam Masou: *<c> itself over the gash. When it was for the most part covered and he could maintain concentration no longer claws scraped against stone to hold his grip on the wall and a soft grunt came as he let go the breath he held. It was a most exhausting task. When the crushing sound of grass underfoot reached his ears, however, eyes snapped open and muscles tensed in ridges along his back and legs. It would not be beyond his morals to slay again tonight if it was another's intention to once more invade his space. The melody however was so much of a passifying force that it quelled the immediate reaction he had to a trespasser and as the fatigue he had felt overcame him once more, his only action was to slip from the wall and sit mere feet from the fountain<c>*
Adam Masou: *<c> staring at the image of a young girl head bent in quiet reflection at the water's side. Granite colored eyes still gleamed yellow in the moonlight as he tilted his head which was crowned by an unwashed and full mass of dark hair with dirt and foliage matting it in parts. His skin was olivine even in the moonlight, high cheeks and slightly narrowed eyes- all trademakrs of his people, which he expected no one to know. Though it was quite cold he wore only a pair of pants that had been hand ripped at the middle of the quadricep leaving the rest of him dirty and caked with blood, though who's it was was indetermined at such a distance. He sat poised and quiet with a judgemental glare at this one that had intruded so unannounced on his private quarters.<fin>*

[Amariette Willowbane]

Amariette: ~A sudden gust of strong wind swirled about her, drawing up the train of her nightgown and trailing it through the air, her attentions still focused on the statue that reminded her so much of herself. The memories arose then, filling her mind with image after image of her times in Chartha, growing up with many mothers and a single father whom constantly seemed to be mourning his loss in every aspect of his life. She thought of journeys through the village, accompanied by the old hound Kramar, as she greeted the village folk with bright eyes and kind words, the girl knowing nothing of the past or the future that lay ahead of her, just waiting to swallow her whole.~<c>
Amariette: ~The laughter of the children as they chased one another along the cobblestone lanes was burned into her very mind and the flashes of rosy cheeks and dirty, tussled hair only lulled her into a deeper state of remembrance. A faint scent of cooking stew and hay from the stables constantly wafted through the air, the mountain men gathered in the local tavern to drink themselves silly and tell tales of their great fights with the bears that roamed the hillsides. Maidens tended to their gardens and even bounced plump babies on their knees as they sat enjoying the fine weather from their freshly painted porches, all smiles and gossip.~<c>
Amariette: ~Amariette would never belong in their midst, her head was too high up in the clouds as it was, and her wish was not to be a gardener in those times, but a proud noble woman warrior of the tales of old, who slayed demons and avenged the deaths of their loved ones. 'It's those damn books she reads,' her father would say, 'Her mother polluted her mind with too many tall tales and now she wishes to become a tale herself! I tell you it ain't right!' Brigham could be cruel and bitter when he didn't mean to be, and so Amariette had gone into hiding when she wished to be comforted by the written words her mother used to be all too eager to share.~<c>
Amariette: ~Finding solace in the village orchards was her normal pasttime, and though everyone knew this secret rather well, they never sought to disturb her or destroy her world, after all, the child was wounded enough after losing her mother. The blacksmith she knew as 'Papa' would just grunt and sulk, continuing to work and wonder if his daughter would ever return to reality where she was needed most. Now her thoughts were fading, disappearing again into the dark confines of her mind as the hair on the back of her neck bristled and she suddenly felt as though she were being watched, her gaze roaming to her left to settle on the creature that sat near her.~<c>
Amariette: ~Gasping in sudden fright of the formidable shadow, Amariette was certain that this was the end she so desperately feared, a monster, THE monster come to engulf her and cast her forever into a world of death and fire. Drawing a hand to her breast, she felt her knees buckle and her body melted to the stone of the ground, her buttocks cushioning her fall and her knees falling together. Eyes wide in fear, she trembled terribly and her lips formed an inaudible word that she had never heard before in her life, but was burned into her very soul, rising from her throat as natural as could be. "Fesh'hatra..." She did not know it, but had Brianne been present, she would have recognized the language of her kind, the unicorns of the seas, and known the word to be the meaning of 'Shadow Demon'.~

[Amariette Willowbane]

Adam Masou: *Though there were some humans in this world that claimed to treat Adam Masou and the rest of the Maryuudo is equals, Adam would call them in complete confidence, total liars. No one who was breathing treated a Yuudo of any kind like kindred. They treated the Yuudo as dangerous animals, which to the civilized world was really what they were. Adam had no qualms with the fact that he was indeed a predator. It was the way of the natural world to hunt and kill and eat. He never disrespected his animal brethern and always made sure to consecrate the area in which he buried their bones with the sacred black silt that came from the bed of the Yuudo river to send their souls on their long journey to become one with the great Source of<c>*
Adam Masou: *<c> all life and return once again to dust as he himself would one day. The claws and the fangs he could not hide always, he could not help the fact that his digestive system could not process cooked meat, and he could not always quell the hunger he had for blood- also a necessity for the natural function of his body. It came as no surprise to him that humans could not accept this. They could never be a part of the Great Circle ever again, for now they were too far estranged from it. The Maryuudo were still a part of it. They were not shepherds of the animals, they were animals themselves. That was the reason why the palace guards left clay plates of raw cow still soaked in blood just inside the archway of the door, that was the reason why<c>*
Adam Masou: *<c> men and women alike shrank from his presence, and it was the reason why he chose to stalk the city only at night, running barefoot through the trees on the outskirts of the gates by moonlight alone, sleeping with the sun and speaking to no one. He did not expect any different from this girl. Perhaps she had only wandered here by mistake, for Adam had heard no news of her arrival as anyone of note. He was curious however as to her seemingly nocturnal habits. He had yet to find a human being that shared his instinctual fascination with the moon. As far back as he could remember the moon had a special pull on him. Like a feral animal he would sit and watch it from the time it showed its face to the time the sun began to rise in the east each morning,<c>*
Adam Masou: *<c> enthralled by its grace and tranquility. It was pulling on him even now. Her reaction was one he was by now rather familiar with and as she shrank in terror he reached a hand forwards to paw at the ground, the popping sound of cartilidge moving bone along bone heard clearly in the stillness of the night as the claws he so often bore these days retracted back to leave only fleshy humanoid digits in their wake. Her words were not lost on such senstive ears. He drew up onto his haunches, resting now human looking hands over his bare knees and watched her carefully for a moment. He knew the language well for he spoke the languages of many animals and his time spend among the unicorns in Avalon was not unproductive in the least. <c>*
Adam Masou: *<c> "I have been called such in my time." was the reply of a rumbling baritone. His common was spoken roughly, the vowels stressed oddly as though with an accent that denoted it was not his first language at all, but a learned one. Still, it was human enough and now with his head raised into the shadow of the tall sycamores beyond the courtyard the eyeshine died away to leave the image of a man, and no monster at all as far as the eyes were concerned. It was the monster within that would be the greater challenge to overlook.<fin>*

[Amariette Willowbane]

Amariette: ~"You....you can speak?" The luster changed in her eyes when she heard him respond, obvious terror giving way to caution and curiosity mixed into one. Her movements were slow, hesitant and jerky, but she rose from her frightened position and curled her legs beneath her, sitting on her heels and tilting her head some. He did not look so otherworldly now, though he did not appear as the normal Lord she would expect dwelling within the castle walls, her lips pressing together in a tentative pout. Yet he spoke, clear as day, which gave her the impression that he was not some creature as she first believed, but a..man...of sorts, albeit a strange one.~<c>
Amariette: ~Swallowing down her unease, she couldn't help but stare in astonishment at the sight of him, her eyes surveying him in further detail as the moons' rays gave what aid it could to guide her. Leaning forward on her hands, placed at either sides of her, she narrowed her gaze and met his eyes squarely, not mirroring a challenge as one might have first perceived, but more of a subdued reverance that she showed for all people she met who were different from the rest. This included animals as well and she suddenly recalled her first meeting with Daniel's dragon friend Halar, her actions the incarnation of humility and respect in his presence.~<c>
Amariette: ~Now though, she bowed her head low in shame when she realized that she may have been offending him by staring, her voice flowing from her tightly sealed lips, wavering, but gentle and young, "Please forgive me. I do not know what I called you, but I am sure that it was not the proper thing to say at all. You startled me a great deal, for I thought I was alone out here. Not many traverse the castle grounds so late in the evening, but I did not mean to disturb you if you were seeking solace as I was." Her head was bowed low and her back was arched, the first pure sign of obeisance and mild worship of the man before her, poised so casually against the stone.~<c>
Amariette: ~Lifting her gaze finally, she drew her hands into her lap and clasped them their, the amulet swinging from its chain against her breasts and twinkling in the moonlight, a strange sense of protection eminating from it that she was quite unaware of. The silence between them was palpable and she felt suddenly vulnerable and foolish in his presence, the thought of her need to be so near the moons glow seemingly suddenly unimportant. Within, she prayed he would look on her with mercy if little else, for she was unsure as to his way or his nature when it came to being intruded upon. Amariette swallowed again and let her long crimson tresses fall against her cheeks, the only living shield she had from the icy wind that wafted past now and again.~

[Amariette Willowbane]

Adam Masou: *Animals, much like their Maryuudo cousins, contained within them the innate ability to sense things that humans were unable to understand. Vibrations of the otherworldy came to them as naturally as light and sound waves did. Some might call it a danger sense, but whatever the reasoning behind it they did not question their gift. Adam Masou was no exception. He found humans distasteful, destructive, and disrespectful even when showing the greatest of respects to him. Yet he sensed no malice from her, instead like an animal would she surrendered and aquiesced to him as though he were a pack alpha. Eyes flitted up from her small form to small shadows stirring in the torchlight beyond them inside the castle walls. No doubt the guards<c>*
Adam Masou: *<c> were concerned for her safety while she was in the hands of one so unpredictable as his reputation preceded him, but dared not enter themselved lest they provoke him to action. Her words to him were disconcerting. "Is there a reason I would not be able to speak?" He inquired, his tone becoming somewhat indignant as he had found in his travels that human beings had the unbearable habit of stating things that were quite obvious. He chuffed as air expelled from him once more, which was as much a response as he usually gave to his half kin under circumstances such as this. She was a wordy one. Humans, he thought, must like to talk, use their larynx as much as they could. He preferred to communicate more subtly with small motions<c>*
Adam Masou: *<c> and body language than to speak. It was excessive in his opinion. To her lengthy speech and apology in interupting him, her speculation on his reasons for being out in the open was only "I live here." Though here was a rather vague term as it was unclear as to what it was referring. Did he mean the castle, the courtyard or Ulster itself? Eyes trailed along the sky as a piercing shriek echoed over the treetops and resounded among the stars. He tilted his head to an odd angle and instinctively raised his right arm to allow for the landing of one of the biggest and most boldly colored red-tailed hawks to have ever graced Ulsterian skies. The great raptor landed on his arm without so much as a second though, clambering up the bare skin to his<c>*
Adam Masou: *<c> shoulder and cocking its head at him as he turned his attentions to it, seeming to not even notice the piercing talons that were nearly breaking through his skin. "Welcome, old friend." he murmured to the bird, and he knew that his trusted companion would understand him. Raising a calloused finger no longer marred by his retractable claws up to the bird's beak he stroked the feathers that made the regal beard behind its chin with soft compassion for the animal. The bird allowed this and leaned into the touch, having missed the beast master in the time it had been away. The avian readjusted its line of view to Amariette in ponderence, and then looked back to Adam in question of why he was suddenly welcoming visitors into his quarters<c>*
Adam Masou: *<c> Adam's eyes were on the shadows still moving by the torchlight. As he closed his eyes for a moment he could hear the shuffling of the guards, their metals and their murmurs bouncing off the stone and to his ears in almost tangible waves. Gray eyes opened again and froze on Amariette prostrating herself a few feet away. "Your fellows are concerned for your safety." He said with what could only be described as a mix of bitter sorrow and sagely expectance. "You should not have come here." He turned his head away, lowering to the ground again to sit by himself against the cold stone with the moon and the hawk as his companions for the night. In the flickering light beyond the archway a soldier peered at her, weapon at the ready in case<c>*
Adam Masou: *<c> the barbarian was in as foul a humor as he had been a few hours before. Adam did not look at them. He simply gazed out over the landscape and the forest out to the shoreline which lead towards freedom... and home.<fin>*

[Amariette Willowbane]

Amariette: ~“Oh no, I’m so sorry. I don’t mean to sound rude; it’s just that, I’ve never met someone like you before.” She answered hurriedly, suddenly afraid once again of the tone in his voice. Lowering her eyes, she hadn’t even noticed the dark shapes of the guards whom watched them so intently, ready to charge in and come to her aid if need be. As one would expect, they would do little damage to the man that rested so near her, but she was more preoccupied with the fact that he had engaged her in conversation in the first place. There was a soft glint of incredulousness in her eyes as they rose again to watch him, her curiosity only growing at the way in which he moved and expressed himself non-verbally.~<c>
Amariette: ~However, at the sound of the shriek on the air, she jumped involuntarily and lifted her gaze skyward, searching for the source of the sound that pierced the silence between them. It did not take her long to notice the aerial visitor cutting silently through the air on broad and powerful wings, the very sight alone mystifing her. As the hawk landed on his raised arm, she could only smile faintly. The red tail was beautiful, it’s head held high and regal and its fierce looking beak and talons crafted to perfect points, spelling death for all who would challenge it. Amariette gasped though at the eyes, for it was the eyes that startled her most, shocked her into a more humble position as she lowered her body further, wishing to show no disrespect to the intelligent animal.~<c>
Amariette: ~“Please, tell me. How did you….?” She was cut short by his simple words, her head lifting and her gaze moving quickly towards the outer recesses of the courtyard, ears now catching the sounds of metal and whispers from the gawking castle guard. The man was right, Daniel would be searching for her again, no doubt he would scold her as well, she knew that he was only agitated further by her constant ventures through the corridors at night, especially with the weather changing so quickly. ‘You’ll catch your death.’ He had said that to her the previous night, and now, she was beginning to feel that he probably was right, the chill had only increased now that she had been kneeling on the stone for such a long time, an unmistakable shiver rooting itself inside her body.~<c>
Amariette: ~Slowly, VERY slowly, she rose to her feet, keeping her hands spread out before her, palms outward, in the hopes of placating the two personas that could attack at any sudden move she could have made. Within her though, she did not want to leave so soon, her desire to learn about this man and his friend only growing more and more apparent in the almost sad glow in her eyes, emerald irises taking on a shadowed luster. Backing away, she moved with a graceful toe-heel pace that would bring her out of his immediate range and back towards the safety of the gathering groups of soldiers, her heart aching at the thought of leaving such an intriguing character behind so soon.~<c>
Amariette: ~Sighing, a sudden passing cloud blotted out the moon and she grew spooked, her heels kicking up as she turned and fled into the light provided by those whom awaited her, her image a blur of red curls and gown. Returning to the now crowded corridor, she was overwhelmed with questions from the guards, the men surrounding her and pressing her about the dangers of the man whom lurked without. Letting her eyes dart from face to face, she felt suddenly claustrophobic and wondered if she could find a polite way to escape them and still show them the utmost respect. This was proving to be a rather intense night.~

[Theoren Roullier]

"Man, will you people give it a rest already?" Said an aggitated voice from the shadows just beyond the small torch weilding mob that had gathered around the young girl to question her on her time in Adam's 'chambers' if you could even call them that. "Dr. Carter's gonna have your asses if ya don' lay off his woman, hommes. Get back t'your posts b'fore I give you somet'in' to carry on about." He said moving from the shadows as he flicked some ash from the end of his cigarette to the ground non chalantly. Caught between two of the most dangerous and unpredictable men in Ulster, the guards saw no other recourse but to do as they were told and slowly returned to their watches.

"Brave girl dere, petite, roamin' into beast-man's cage like dat. Must have a helluva death wish." he said leaning lazily on the pillar just inside the archway looking out that the silent stone form of Adam Masou and his bird of prey with a wary expression for a moment. "Not stable, dat's what he is, chere. You should watch cherself 'round him. No tellin' what he'd do if he was hungry. Personally I wouldn't trust him from here t'de treeline, but some people... dey gotta learn th' hard way." He slid a sly smile over to her. "But if you don' b'lieve me, ask about why he's not in Avalon anymore an' dat might convince ya."

He uncrossed his feet and drifted around behind her like an anaconda circling its unsuspecting prey. "Den again, better not let Daniel know a Yuudo lives here or ya might be givin' th' half beast a chance t'carve him up too. Dat one... he's an anthropologist's dream come true. Missin' link an' all dat." He dropped the cigarette and squeltched the end with his boot, breathing out the last of the smoke into the cold night air. He glanced down to her, but what caught his eye was not the swell of her breasts, how striking she looked in the moonlight, but rather the amulet hanging precariously around her neck.

Perhaps she couldn't see or feel the heat, the shimmer deep inside the stone, but he saw, and his symbiote felt it. He could feel the wretched thing stirring in him when he drew nearer to her. Did she know what she carried? How had she come across such a treasure? "Mon Dieu..." He whispered.

[Amariette Willowbane]

Amariette: ~“The…Theoren?!” Amariette exclaimed in surprise, a hand drawn to her cheek in amazement as he materialized out of the shadows and did away with the guards rather efficiently, a task that had eluded her completely. Lowering her eyes as he began to circle her, her cheeks exploded in a hot blush despite the steadily descending temperature of the air, that same vulnerable feeling rising within her. She was trapped between two dangerous beings now, one a great deal more calculating than the other, though she was hesitant to even admit that much. Listening to his words, she raised her eyes to the solitary form of the man outside, sudden unease and nervousness causing her to frown openly, her lips pressing together in a concerned pout.~<c>
Amariette: ~The thief hadn’t appeared to her since his secret visit to her village during the second day of their visit with Brigham, the rogue catching her by surprise late in the night as she journeyed through the orchards in the hopes of remembering the more pleasant days of her young life. Having had no idea how he had known where to find her, she had kept the knowledge of their meeting from Daniel despite her wish to be honest and open with the man she cared so deeply for. Now, after last night’s scenario, she could never tell him. It was the most embarrassing secret she had ever had and Amariette was desperate to keep him in her life, even if it meant harboring a scandal that would destroy the trust she worked so hard to earn.~<c>
Amariette: ~As Theoren came to a stop before her, she lifted her eyes and met his gaze squarely, wondering what had drawn his vision and caused him to mirror such uncharacteristic look of surprise. A soft heat pulsing against her chest suddenly reminded her and she glanced down to the amulet that hung about her neck, the large amethyst held within the confining grasp of fingers. Reaching up almost instinctively, she drew a hand over it to shield the gift from his vision and draw him out of his trance, her mouth parting in a silent gasp and her facial features betraying her selfishness.~<c>
Amariette: ~“A gift…from my future husband. I shall be Daniel Carter’s wife. He proposed to me last night.” What else could she tell him but the truth? She didn’t like the sudden hungering look in his eyes though, and it made her feel as though she were some meal to be devoured by him, the image that rose into her mind quickly done away with. The reasoning plagued her though, how did he always seem to know where to find her? And why did his present gaze look far greedier than that of a normal thief? She remembered then, Theoren Roullier was anything but a normal thief.~<c>
Amariette: ~Lowering her head, she felt that it was best that she make her way back to her room, or even better, Daniel’s, where she could find refuge and sanctuary from all the nightmares she had been exposed to this night. Backing away slowly, she was aware that they were alone in the open corridor now, the guards having retreated, and the man beast no doubt watching from his place outside. Her world was becoming rather small now.~

[Theoren Roullier]

His hand lifted and reached out for her, but not in the usual harsh way he conducted himself. This time the touch of his fingertips was softer, like he was handling thinly blown glass in his hand. "Amariette, wait, sil vous plait..." he murmured, stepping towards her with a more childlike innocence than he had ever seen. So the man had finally proposed. Not so surprising. Though he didn't expect Amariette would be totally satisfied with such a relationship, sitting at home and sewing and cooking waiting for her husband to come home from the Academy year after long, boring year. But what a gift he gave her as an engagement seal!

Did he know? Did he perhaps give it to her in an attempt to hide it from Theoren? Perhaps Daniel had no bloody idea what kind of power such a tiny little artifact could have... if in the right hands. His eyes lifted to her with a wild kind of desperation in them. "I know you know... what I am." He said, his eyes never breaking contact. "If you wanna help me, an' help your fiance, dere's somet'in I need from you." He paused, running his fingertips along her collarbone to the amulet, the inside of the stone instantly sparking to life with a faint, pulsing glow as he touched it.

"I will spare your fiance and leave for Athroba wit'out him... but belle..." his eyes lifted from the amulet to her face again, a sadness weighing on features sighing under the many years they had endured, "I need dis stone..."

[Amariette Willowbane]

Amariette: ~The offer was too good to be true, but the look in his eyes, the pain, could she hold him to his oath? Flashes of the past few weeks filled her mind, the emotions and pain of his insanity and determination to force his will upon others causing her to be instantly suspicious. This could be a ploy. Another trick by Fallen Angel made King of Thieves. Yet, another wave of memories took control of her. She saw his grief, his bitter struggle with the creature within, and his horror at having no one else to turn to but his own accursed self. He was soft now, gentle, and she could not bring herself to turn him away. Not when she had vowed to do all in her power to save him.~<c>
Amariette: ~Letting her eyes fall down to the amulet once again, the sight of it coming to life as he touched it, she drew her own hand up to clasp the stone gently, a fierce debate raging in her mind. Could she give up a stone already deemed precious by her love to a suffering spirit who sought freedom from an undeserved fate? Daniel would be disappointed if she lost the token of his affections, but at the cost of his life? It was her duty to protect him, and she would do so, also giving Theoren what he needed in the process. “The amulet will be yours on one condition. You have promised to spare Daniel’s life, but I cannot allow you to go with this trinket alone. It was given to me, and therefore, I am bound to it. Where it goes, so shall I. So there you are Theoren Roullier. You shall have the stone as you wish, but I am going with you.” ~<c>
Amariette: ~Pushing his hand away from the glimmering stone, she raised her chin resolutely, her words hanging heavy in the air but her eyes burning with an iron will, obvious determination and intent more than apparent. It was a strange sight to see, this small maiden so committed to her purpose and duty that she would offer herself willingly to be taken away and put in to who knows what manner of danger. Still, in Amariette’s mind, there was no other way. She only prayed that Daniel would one day forgive her for what she simply had to do.~

[Kahlan Lothair]

What things were going on inside the grand Kingdom Kahlan had brought to life? What wicked, sinister, or even needy things were going on? Bare feet touch the chill stone that runs three feet thick, serving as the wall at the back of a castle butted up to a cliff.

Cat like motions make her seem to be far more ancient by the light of the moon, stepping out into sight after watching Theo and Amariette interact, but not hearing them (frankly not caring to), she continues on her track to the corner where the two walls meet. Crouching she looks out to sea and lets out a long sigh, expelling a soft cloud of white smoke, long hair ripples and glistens in the moonlight as she watches the sea quiver and explode onto the rocky face of the cliff below. What could be possessing the Queen to be up on the wall, in plain view but out of reach except to a vague few?

A gust of wind lifts most of the lustrous locks and twirls them, entangling the golden mesh against the smooth flesh of her arms and neck. Enticing and entrancing have always been her allies and her adversaries in diplomacy. Tonight though, the usual fiery mane of hair is dampened by the silvery hue of the moon rising to its zenith in the heavens above. Something about her makes her seem so perfect in the situation, long lashes frame exquisitely colored blue eyes mottled with the silver of the moon. Her long gown dances on the brisk breeze, the ends snapping in tune with the crashing of the bigger waves against the cliff face.

Carefully turning her back to the sea she settles herself on the wall with her legs dangling inside so that she might see Theo and Amariette not too far in the distance. It would be inevitable that Theo knew she was present. Her eyes search for Adam, looking forward to seeing him once more after what felt like such a long time.

Adam intrigued Kahlan, that was no lie. However she gave him the respect he deserved even if anyone present thought she might have gone insane for doing so. Adam, a living being in his own right, deserved respect and indeed demanded it. Her subjects feared what Adam could become, Kahlan simply acknowledges that alteration and leaves Adam to himself. Adam was an acquaintance, one that she trusted though admittedly didnt understand, something she wasnt afraid to admit.

From afar it appears that a strange creature has landed on the wall, and sits perched for all to see. Long legs clad in gauzy fabric that rebels from time to time, intending to run away with the wind. Heavenly hair dances in an unkempt fashion, blown hither and thither by the wind. What could this creature be? A siren, Valkrye, playful nymph? Indeed, what reason would the High Queen have to be outside on a chilly night like this?