Post by Xolani on Jun 3, 2005 17:58:54 GMT -5
“This is suicide,” Xolani mumbled as she and Tiaret finally came to stop. They were at the edge of a forest, the trees thick with foliage and the air carrying a thick, earthy scent which caused Xolani to grimace. Once she had taken a header off a tree when she was a child, and since then wished to have nothing to do with them. However, even though the road had turned away a distance before, the channelers they were shadowing had entered these woods. Personally, Xolani was content to leave them and be on her merry way, but there was a certain withered, aged obstacle in her way.
Tiaret simply raised her eyebrow in reply to the younger woman’s earlier question. “If you wish to stay here, by yourself, until Inigo finds you, then do so. I, however, wish to survive.”
“And following complete strangers into unknown territory your plan?” Xolani asked, sending a scathing glare towards Tiaret. Who, it should be noted, did not take any notice and instead ventured into the woods, leaving a rather exasperated Xolani behind. It was then that a realization came to Xolani, a realization that she could indeed leave the crazy old woman at this moment and be, as said before, on her merry way. But a sudden hesitation came over Xolani. If she abandoned Tiaret now, who would fend off three most-likely-mad channelers from doing her harm, in addition to a multitude of other calamities that could beset the frail elder in Xolani’s absence? Granted, Xolani herself didn’t stand a chance against even one insane man who probably blew up mountain ranges for fun, but the principle was still there. Thus, Xolani’s hesitation won in the end and caused Xolani to follow after Tiaret. That and the fact that the air was noticeably colder when she was alone.
However, Xolani’s resolve weakened substantially when she noticed Tiaret grinning as soon as she caught up with her. It was not a grin of thanks, nor even a grin of relief. No, it was a grin of satisfaction, like a child’s when his mother caves in to his demands and gives him a sweet. Xolani would’ve thrown up her hands in frustration, had it not been impractical at the time. As it seemed that Tiaret wished to cut straight through the forest, not only did the two have to contend with underfoot roots and underbrush, but there were numerous twigs and branches overhead, each threatening to either undo out Xolani’s bun or slap her with a face-full of leaves. Mourn, gentle audience, for any laughter would only work Xolani’s ire to bursting.
“Remind me why we’re here, if you please,” Xolani asked her presently silent companion, who, much to the chagrin of the asker, still wore that smug grin.
“We’re following the travelers,” Tiaret stated matter-of-factly, “that apparently are so disagreeable with you. We’re doing so because we have no one else to follow, and unless you happen to be a closet-blademaster, we’re depending on these men for our security. And if we do not find them or lose them within these woods, then at least we’ll be able to stay hidden here until we can find another party of travelers we can sneak after.”
Xolani only nodded after this explanation was finished, after which both women fell silent. Eventually, as both were becoming quite fatigued from the nearly non-stop traveling, they came to a rest in a small, more-or-less open clearing. Xolani immediately sunk down, leaning against a tree with her hands tucked behind her head. She was sweaty, still irate, and was exhausted. Tiaret was quite the contrast, as a stranger to these events might say that she looked like she had returned from a short walk, not an all-day race to keep up with the channelers and their horses. But as Tiaret took a seat across from her, Xolani felt an ominous chill in the air. The fact that Tiaret still had that uncharacteristic smile only added to the effect.
“Before I mentioned that you are hiding many things,” the older woman began as Xolani gave a mental groan, “but I would not pry until we had time for such discussion. Now, we have time.” Taking Xolani’s stony silence as a license to continue, she went on to ask, “Who are you?”
“You know that,” Xolani answered, fighting to keep her voice level. She hated being interrogated more than she did trees, or falling off of them, for that matter.
If Tiaret were but twenty years younger, she would’ve rolled her eyes. But as such an act would be a crime against her present temporal station, she contented herself with a muffled laugh. “Fine, then. What are you?”
Xolani looked askance at her inquirer, and then decided that she might as well have a little fun with this. “A human female, last time I checked. By birth, I also figure I’m Domani, despite your initial doubts.”
To Xolani’s delight, Tiaret looked somewhat annoyed at her answer. “I did not realize that I would need to be this…blunt with you,” she said dryly. “Are you a Darkfriend?”
“No,” Xolani quickly answered.
Tiaret’s mouth tightened as she stood up, struggling to make every inch of her short height appear imposing. Xolani had to hand it to her; she looked many feet taller, leaning over her seated form. “You’re lying,” Tiaret said, her eyes burning, delving, with their usual intensity.
“I am not.” It wasn’t a lie, per se, as she was no longer a Friend of the Dark. “What makes you think that-”
Tiaret cut her off before she could finisher her sentence. “If you are not a Darkfriend, then you’ve had some dealings them. What?”
“What is your concern?” Xolani countered, rising to her feat as well. She knew that an argument now would not be wise, but at the moment she was too tired to care.
“It is my concern,” Tiaret answered, her eyes defying her controlled voice, “because I will probably be spending a good deal of my time around you.”
“As if I had a choice!” Unfortunately, Xolani was not doing as well as Tiaret in keeping her voice level. She mentally berated herself for this lack of control. “You’ve been dragging me about by my arm – quite literally, mind you! – since we’ve met! I hardly know why I’m still here!”
“Indeed,” Tiaret stated shortly. “Why are you here? Guilt of leaving me alone, perhaps? Tell me, have you abandoned anyone before? Have you hurt anyone before?”
“Silence,” Xolani growled, as Tiaret realized that she may have crossed a line. But instead of feeling afraid or wary, she instead resumed that smug smile from before. Fists clench, Xolani was ready to lay into her if it were not for the sound of footsteps from nearby.
Both women spun around in surprise, but Tiaret managed to keep about her a countenance of unruffled peace. Xolani, however, was very different.
Light. Oh, Light. Sweet, merciful Light. This isn’t happening.
Standing a few paces away, eyebrow raised, was a man who would appear to any other as simply another man, though his build and stance spoke of war and battle. But Xolani saw him as something quite different. She saw him as a madman, or close to being one, who could destroy her as easy as it was to breath. To say that Xolani was frozen in horror was an understatement.
“Now this is odd,” the man, a slightly perplexed – and dare I say amused? – look on his face. “What are two women doing out here?”
“As much as any two women would do,” Tiaret replied, as Xolani seemed to not have recovered her ability to talk. “Now, if you would kindly escort us to your camp-”
“Say what, now?” asked the man – the channeler – who, at them moment, felt as if a Trolloc had just proposed marriage to him. “You honestly don’t think-”
“-That a man such as yourself will leave two defenseless women out in the wilderness, a day away from the nearest village, and deny them the invitation of a warm fire and protection for the night?” Tiaret interrupted, a habit that must be becoming more familiar to you, my good audience. Nevertheless, the man, who had thought that he was only going to bring back to camp refilled waterskins soon found himself bringing along two women, both of whom, it must be said, were about to rip each other’s throats out but a moment before.
All Xolani could do was pray.
***
To say that Xolani was in an awkward situation would be a gross understatement. Although there were only three there, she felt like she was cornered. She was not sure it was that, or Tiaret’s sudden silence, that irked her more. The man who spoke to her was surely the one who had saved her from the Myrdraal. She would never forget him, even if she wanted to. It wasn’t everyday that you saw someone hurl a three-foot-diameter fireball at Shadowspawn.
Sneaking a sidelong glance at Tiaret, who now seemed perfectly content to let Xolani do the talking, before sitting down on the offered spot of ground. Focusing her attention on the channeler, she was surprised that she managed to keep a calm façade.
“I do not believe I have a Myrdraal hidden on my person, nor are there any about,” she said, addressing his last statement. Clasping her hands together to keep them from shaking, she placed them under her chin. “I would like to say we are out here for our own reasons, but I doubt that’ll go over very well with you. I would also like to say that it was my companion’s idea” – she took the time to give Tiaret a meaningful look – “but I will not, for such a statement will appear childish and evasive. However, I can not tell you my reasons, as I do not know yours. And you will not tell me yours, as you do not know ours. And thus, we have little else to say.”
Even though her back was turned to her, Xolani could feel Tiaret’s smile widen. To think, if she had stayed in Andor, this may not be happening. But she did just have to travel to Tarabon, didn’t she?
Tiaret simply raised her eyebrow in reply to the younger woman’s earlier question. “If you wish to stay here, by yourself, until Inigo finds you, then do so. I, however, wish to survive.”
“And following complete strangers into unknown territory your plan?” Xolani asked, sending a scathing glare towards Tiaret. Who, it should be noted, did not take any notice and instead ventured into the woods, leaving a rather exasperated Xolani behind. It was then that a realization came to Xolani, a realization that she could indeed leave the crazy old woman at this moment and be, as said before, on her merry way. But a sudden hesitation came over Xolani. If she abandoned Tiaret now, who would fend off three most-likely-mad channelers from doing her harm, in addition to a multitude of other calamities that could beset the frail elder in Xolani’s absence? Granted, Xolani herself didn’t stand a chance against even one insane man who probably blew up mountain ranges for fun, but the principle was still there. Thus, Xolani’s hesitation won in the end and caused Xolani to follow after Tiaret. That and the fact that the air was noticeably colder when she was alone.
However, Xolani’s resolve weakened substantially when she noticed Tiaret grinning as soon as she caught up with her. It was not a grin of thanks, nor even a grin of relief. No, it was a grin of satisfaction, like a child’s when his mother caves in to his demands and gives him a sweet. Xolani would’ve thrown up her hands in frustration, had it not been impractical at the time. As it seemed that Tiaret wished to cut straight through the forest, not only did the two have to contend with underfoot roots and underbrush, but there were numerous twigs and branches overhead, each threatening to either undo out Xolani’s bun or slap her with a face-full of leaves. Mourn, gentle audience, for any laughter would only work Xolani’s ire to bursting.
“Remind me why we’re here, if you please,” Xolani asked her presently silent companion, who, much to the chagrin of the asker, still wore that smug grin.
“We’re following the travelers,” Tiaret stated matter-of-factly, “that apparently are so disagreeable with you. We’re doing so because we have no one else to follow, and unless you happen to be a closet-blademaster, we’re depending on these men for our security. And if we do not find them or lose them within these woods, then at least we’ll be able to stay hidden here until we can find another party of travelers we can sneak after.”
Xolani only nodded after this explanation was finished, after which both women fell silent. Eventually, as both were becoming quite fatigued from the nearly non-stop traveling, they came to a rest in a small, more-or-less open clearing. Xolani immediately sunk down, leaning against a tree with her hands tucked behind her head. She was sweaty, still irate, and was exhausted. Tiaret was quite the contrast, as a stranger to these events might say that she looked like she had returned from a short walk, not an all-day race to keep up with the channelers and their horses. But as Tiaret took a seat across from her, Xolani felt an ominous chill in the air. The fact that Tiaret still had that uncharacteristic smile only added to the effect.
“Before I mentioned that you are hiding many things,” the older woman began as Xolani gave a mental groan, “but I would not pry until we had time for such discussion. Now, we have time.” Taking Xolani’s stony silence as a license to continue, she went on to ask, “Who are you?”
“You know that,” Xolani answered, fighting to keep her voice level. She hated being interrogated more than she did trees, or falling off of them, for that matter.
If Tiaret were but twenty years younger, she would’ve rolled her eyes. But as such an act would be a crime against her present temporal station, she contented herself with a muffled laugh. “Fine, then. What are you?”
Xolani looked askance at her inquirer, and then decided that she might as well have a little fun with this. “A human female, last time I checked. By birth, I also figure I’m Domani, despite your initial doubts.”
To Xolani’s delight, Tiaret looked somewhat annoyed at her answer. “I did not realize that I would need to be this…blunt with you,” she said dryly. “Are you a Darkfriend?”
“No,” Xolani quickly answered.
Tiaret’s mouth tightened as she stood up, struggling to make every inch of her short height appear imposing. Xolani had to hand it to her; she looked many feet taller, leaning over her seated form. “You’re lying,” Tiaret said, her eyes burning, delving, with their usual intensity.
“I am not.” It wasn’t a lie, per se, as she was no longer a Friend of the Dark. “What makes you think that-”
Tiaret cut her off before she could finisher her sentence. “If you are not a Darkfriend, then you’ve had some dealings them. What?”
“What is your concern?” Xolani countered, rising to her feat as well. She knew that an argument now would not be wise, but at the moment she was too tired to care.
“It is my concern,” Tiaret answered, her eyes defying her controlled voice, “because I will probably be spending a good deal of my time around you.”
“As if I had a choice!” Unfortunately, Xolani was not doing as well as Tiaret in keeping her voice level. She mentally berated herself for this lack of control. “You’ve been dragging me about by my arm – quite literally, mind you! – since we’ve met! I hardly know why I’m still here!”
“Indeed,” Tiaret stated shortly. “Why are you here? Guilt of leaving me alone, perhaps? Tell me, have you abandoned anyone before? Have you hurt anyone before?”
“Silence,” Xolani growled, as Tiaret realized that she may have crossed a line. But instead of feeling afraid or wary, she instead resumed that smug smile from before. Fists clench, Xolani was ready to lay into her if it were not for the sound of footsteps from nearby.
Both women spun around in surprise, but Tiaret managed to keep about her a countenance of unruffled peace. Xolani, however, was very different.
Light. Oh, Light. Sweet, merciful Light. This isn’t happening.
Standing a few paces away, eyebrow raised, was a man who would appear to any other as simply another man, though his build and stance spoke of war and battle. But Xolani saw him as something quite different. She saw him as a madman, or close to being one, who could destroy her as easy as it was to breath. To say that Xolani was frozen in horror was an understatement.
“Now this is odd,” the man, a slightly perplexed – and dare I say amused? – look on his face. “What are two women doing out here?”
“As much as any two women would do,” Tiaret replied, as Xolani seemed to not have recovered her ability to talk. “Now, if you would kindly escort us to your camp-”
“Say what, now?” asked the man – the channeler – who, at them moment, felt as if a Trolloc had just proposed marriage to him. “You honestly don’t think-”
“-That a man such as yourself will leave two defenseless women out in the wilderness, a day away from the nearest village, and deny them the invitation of a warm fire and protection for the night?” Tiaret interrupted, a habit that must be becoming more familiar to you, my good audience. Nevertheless, the man, who had thought that he was only going to bring back to camp refilled waterskins soon found himself bringing along two women, both of whom, it must be said, were about to rip each other’s throats out but a moment before.
All Xolani could do was pray.
***
To say that Xolani was in an awkward situation would be a gross understatement. Although there were only three there, she felt like she was cornered. She was not sure it was that, or Tiaret’s sudden silence, that irked her more. The man who spoke to her was surely the one who had saved her from the Myrdraal. She would never forget him, even if she wanted to. It wasn’t everyday that you saw someone hurl a three-foot-diameter fireball at Shadowspawn.
Sneaking a sidelong glance at Tiaret, who now seemed perfectly content to let Xolani do the talking, before sitting down on the offered spot of ground. Focusing her attention on the channeler, she was surprised that she managed to keep a calm façade.
“I do not believe I have a Myrdraal hidden on my person, nor are there any about,” she said, addressing his last statement. Clasping her hands together to keep them from shaking, she placed them under her chin. “I would like to say we are out here for our own reasons, but I doubt that’ll go over very well with you. I would also like to say that it was my companion’s idea” – she took the time to give Tiaret a meaningful look – “but I will not, for such a statement will appear childish and evasive. However, I can not tell you my reasons, as I do not know yours. And you will not tell me yours, as you do not know ours. And thus, we have little else to say.”
Even though her back was turned to her, Xolani could feel Tiaret’s smile widen. To think, if she had stayed in Andor, this may not be happening. But she did just have to travel to Tarabon, didn’t she?
