Long Sojourn

Kiyotan

The massive core of the Great Oak. (Duiran.) (25263) [-Haern-]

Emelle loiters here, her arms folded over her chest. Surrounded in an aura of defilement, Edhain is here. He is riding on a pale warhorse. The sublime glow of the core casts an effulgent green light over the surrounding area.

You see exits leading north, east, south, and west.

Edhain gives you a respectful salute.

[spoiler]He is a dexterous Yeleni who cuts a stark figure, tall and lean with black eyes and rampant hair that has been left to grow like a wild man. He walks with the blessing of Dhar.[/spoiler]

You incline your head politely to Edhain.

[spoiler]He is a powerful Yeleni, carrying his massive frame with surefooted steadiness. Thick and broad of physique, he tends to dominate as much by the force of his presence as by sheer mass, a credit to more than seven feet of defined muscle. White-silver hair, uncut and unkempt, frames his face in a long, messy mane, the fine strands quickly giving way to a mass of kinks and tangles. It blends seamlessly into his thick beard, itself so long and snarled that it obscures his jawline. A black leather eyepatch conceals the left eye of a pair, the visible right a washed-out blue. A straight nose divides his aged face, with lines that only time can draw at the corners of his mouth and eyes. A jagged scar crosses his lips at an angle, seeming to writhe when he speaks. His exposed body is an intricate latticework of scars old and new - the former appearing as thin white lines on weathered, brown skin - a trio across his throat and a pair of burns on his shoulderblades stand out as the most prominent. Broad shoulders are marginally slumped, as though the wisdom of years were a physical thing to bear. Yet he stands alert, his cumbersome musculature belying an unexpected adroitness and finesse, his every movement deliberate and concise. Forever hovering an inch from his back are coruscating weaves of living, golden fire, swirling in a constant but lazy flux to form the ethereal suggestion of avian wings. He walks with the blessing of Haern.[/spoiler]

Glancing at you, Emelle bows her head in a nod.

[spoiler]She is a powerful Yeleni. Blazing violet eyes with black sclera and starry pupils are the centerpiece of her face, framed by long lashes. The small nose and thin, pinkish lips that make up the rest of her countenance are finely sculpted but somewhat unremarkable, lending her little natural expression. Thick, chestnut-colored hair falls nearly to her ankles in a wavy mass interspersed with braids and dreadlocks, their lengths heavily laden with various objects such as feathers, flowers, beads, charms, and keys, among other things. Protruding prominently from her head is a pair of large, elfin ears, each ending in a pointed tip that curls back at the apex. Sun-darkened skin describes her upper body, but her legs are ungulate in nature, covered in brown fur and terminating in cloven hooves. Just a shade above an average height, she possesses a willowy frame lined with an adequate amount of muscle. She walks with the blessing of Haern.[/spoiler]

You acknowledge Emelle with a nod of your head.

Edhain watches you somberly.

You have emoted: Kiyotan belatedly clears his throat quietly. "My apologies. Am I intruding?"

Emelle arcs a brow and flicks a glance at Edhain. Evidently determining the question was not meant for her, she remains silent.

Edhain knits his brow in confusion briefly, then shakes his head. He clears his throat and raises his voice to say, "It has been a long time since I actually saw you, sir."

Rolling one shoulder in a grating shrug, Edhain says, "That is all, my apologies."

You have emoted: Kiyotan mirrors Edhain's confused expression. He turns fully to face him, single eye narrowing in suspicion and appraisal. Drinking in the armor, the cloak, and other cavalrous gear, he eventually queries, "Have we met, sir knight?" in his rumbling bass.

Bowing his head for a moment, Edhain seems to be suppressing a smile. When he looks back up, he answers, "You were the Grand Champion of the Innocent, and I the recalcitrant squire I am still."

You have emoted: Confusion reigns again on Kiyotan's brow. Heedless of personal space, he boldly steps up to Edhain and reaches out his bare hand, pressing his thumb against the flesh beneath his eye in inspection. "Gods above.." he profanes. "Edhain?" is the only warning he gets before Kiyotan swallows him in a bone-crushing embrace, armor and gear be damned. After a moment, he grips Edhain's shoulder, pushing him back to arm's length. "Varian's breath, you look like Death Himself!"

Slowly turning her head, Emelle watches the exchange, doe-eyed. She stares in a way that most people would probably find socially unacceptable, but does not seem at all aware of it.

You have emoted: "'Long sojourn,' eh?" Kiyotan echoes through a wry grin, as though a secret is shared in the undertone. His hand slips from Edhain's shoulder to lightly punch it. "Well, welcome back. Have you time for a drink?" he asks, jerking that same hand's thumb over his shoulder, as if to indicate the distant tavern. "You can tell me about your long sojourn," he adds, unable to say the last words without a hint of amusement.

Jeane arrives from the east.

Jeane says, "Managed to get lost following my guild's direction."

Ducking his head in an amiable nod, Edhain replies to you, "I have time." A half-grin twists one corner of his mouth, then, and he wonders, "If you do."

Edhain bows his head respectfully at Jeane.

Jeane performs a graceful curtsey towards Edhain.

Jeane leaves to the east.

You have emoted: Kiyotan is already turning away after Edhain's agreement, but pauses at Jeane's arrival. "Where are you headed, chi--" he begins, but the girl departs before he can finish, leaving the Yeleni to snort his indignation. He gestures for Edhain to follow as he marches off.

The Ivory Bough Tavern. (Duiran.) (25452) [-Haern-]

Muria bustles about the tavern with flagons of ale and mead in hand, a smile touching her warm features. Prowling about the area is a feral bahkatu predator.

You see exits leading north (open pine door), southeast, and southwest.

Edhain glances around, but his gaze is drawn once more to you. "You look like..." It seems a struggle to find an apt descriptor. "A woodsman," he concludes at last. "How is everything, sir?"

You have emoted: Glancing up from the counter, Muria smiles at Kiyotan's arrival, and the bahkatu guard on duty offers him a brief nod signaled by a glance. Guiding Edhain to the counter, he spares him a glance over his shoulder, a sly smile playing on his features. "Astute as always," he muses. "Life has taken a turn for the wonderful," he declares, earning another smile from the redheaded barkeep. "Hello, you lovely," he greets her as he takes a seat at the counter, leaning forward on his elbows. He swivels, facing Edhain once more. "Would you believe they made me their leader?" he asks through amused incredulity.

Adopting a seat nearby, Edhain appraises you. His solemn expression dissolves into a feigned grimace. "Terrible judgment."

You have emoted: "Now there's a lad with some sense," says Muria. "What'll it be, sir?" she asks, very clearly addressing Edhain and pointedly ignoring Kiyotan, who watches the exchange with a grin. "Well, I'm no Sibatti," he cuts in with a grunt, "But I did just single-handedly arrange and execute Eireachdus, didn't I?" Near the door, the ursine guard mutters something in his lycanspeak and thumps his chest with a fist. It sounds like agreement, sort of. Muria, meanwhile, gives both Kiyotan and the bahkatu an exasperated look.

To the redheaded woman behind the bar, Edhain responds wryly, "Milk please, ma'am." Returning his dark gaze then to you, he nods, serious. "You are a born leader, in all honesty. The development is unsurprising."

You have emoted: Though the woman's brows arch with surprise at the request, she nonetheless satisfies it with professional swiftness. Without asking, she presents Kiyotan with a mug of swill, taking from him his coin. "That's flattering, if a stretch," he murmurs into the mug lifted to his mouth. "But the council hasn't burnt itself to the ground yet, so I suppose I'm doing something right." He tilts the mug in Edhain's direction. "But I didn't invite you here to laud myself. Where have -you- been? What have -you- seen? You're a long way from the boy I smacked around for pissing in the streets." He pauses for another swig, and adds: "By appearance, anyhow."

Chagrined by the manner in which the milk overflows, Edhain lowers his head to sip at the foam before retrieving the cup in a gauntleted hand. "I went north, then later spent some time on a lonely beach in Delve," he answers with brevity, seemingly unaware of the ungainly bubbles of white caught amid the hairs of his black moustache.

You have emoted: Kiyotan seems equally ignorant of the contents of his mug staining his pale moustache. Somebody notices, however, and Muria groans and mutters to herself as she cleans a flagon, something about men and pigs. Meanwhile, the one Yeleni waits expectantly for the other to continue, plainly unsatisfied with the terseness of the story. "Quite an adventure," he points out dryly.

Edhain clears his throat, lowering his gaze. "It was boring," he admits in a low tone. "Terrifyingly so." He takes a deep breath, as though steeling himself, and lifts his regard to you. "But I wanted to be a better man, for my family, and needed to face myself." He hunches somewhat on the stool, his free hand resting familiarly against the hilt of a rapier at his waist.

You have emoted: The mirth seems to slowly bleed from Kiyotan, replaced by quiet sobriety. "Was that the reason for the excursion, or the return?" he asks in a low tone. Picking up on the change of mood, Muria finds work to do at the far end of the counter.

Edhain rolls his shoulder in a grating shrug, allowing a heavy pause to lengthen. "Both," he confesses at last, then appears to berate himself aloud. "I was a bad husband and a worse father. Working, drunk, or asleep, and look..." The sentence seems hard for him to say. He swallows and tries again. "My daughter embraced Undeath."

Taking a hearty swallow from the cup, Edhain says, "Mayhap my family will come back to me soon, and I can be a better man for them."

You have emoted: Kiyotan exhales an audible breath through flared nostrils. "Not everyone can be saved, old son," he says, his voice deep and distant, his eye on the bottom of his mug. "That doesn't mean you're to blame." He sets down the mug for a moment, passing his gauntlet-clad hand through the mess of tangles that is his hair. "You've let it rule you, haven't you," he asks, but it is not a question. Not really.

Stubbornly, almost, Edhain juts out his jaw. The ragged protrusion of facial hair makes the expression bolder. "Guilt," he accedes. "I know." Knitting his brow, he follows with the query, "Does the wind oft blow in Bloodloch's favor these days, or was that skirmish an isolated case?"

You have emoted: Kiyotan shakes his head at Edhain's assessment, silver kinks and knotty strands swaying with the movement. "Shame," he corrects. "It is unhealthy for you. Probably why you look like a bloody spectre." At the mention of Bloodloch, the guard near the door growls. "That was..poor timing," Kiyotan explains, his half-finished mug only partly responsible for the faint flush. "Up until recently, we had no opposition. Moirean's return seems to have rekindled the flame between Bloodloch and Spinesreach, and they're starting to show signs of fight in them." Broad shoulders rise and fall in a nonchalant shrug. "I am not worried. We enjoyed a long stretch of easy dominance. It is time my people started sharpening their claws again." He pauses and frowns, flicking his eye to Edhain. "You've changed the subject." And easily, too.

Puzzled by your correction, Edhain gives you an abrupt look. After a moment of thought, he lets it pass, and willfully ignores the reference to the subject change. "Moirean," he murmurs, repeating the name. "She is good at kindling the fire in people's hearts." Shaking his head, he adds, "But the Undead have no spark. I am not worried for your people either."

You have emoted: Kiyotan nods his head once, signaling a terminus to that avenue of discussion. A brief silence reigns. "Can you tell me, Edhain," he begins after another mouthful of gods-know-what, turning in his seat to face Edhain bodily, "when you last felt happy?"

Edhain shifts, discomforted, his beard twitching as he twists one corner of his mouth. He doesn't say anything at first, but then squints over the counter and states, "Last time I saw my wife, I think." Dwelling on the memory, he recalls, "A few minutes, before we discussed Rayne."

You have emoted: "And that was when?" Kiyotan continues, making no attempt to hide his baiting.

Nursing his milk, Edhain seems loathe to consume it now that it is no danger of spilling. "Sir," he starts, meeting your gaze gravely and pausing for effect before continuing. "You are a respected ally and old friend, but my happiness is not your charge."

You have emoted: Kiyotan's meets Edhain's two eyes with his one unblinkingly, unflinchingly. "It most certainly is not," he agrees, his gently amiable tone at stark odds with Edhain's gravity. He places a now-empty mug on the countertop. "Which is why I am suggesting, instead of ordering, that you change something." Muria quietly reappears to take Kiyotan's mug. She offers a questioning glance and, at the slight shake of his head, retreats back to the far end. A sigh of mild exasperation parts his lips after the barkeep leaves you in relative privacy. "I do not much care for talking about myself, but your situation warrants it - primarily because you remind me so much of that man, it chills me."

Edhain tilts his head, a curious glint in his dark eyes. Resting an elbow on the counter, he turns subtly to face you.

You have emoted: "The man you knew, the Kiyotan you remember as the Grand Champion, was a miserable and lonely wretch," Kiyotan begins, gazing down at the countertop in recollection. "If it appeared that he burned with promise and purpose, it is a testament to his acting talent." His eye shifts to the open palm up his upturned hand. "He had a sprawling family that disappointed him. An absent wife, absent children, cousins and grandchildren that forsook the name of his brothers and abandoned the Cycle for Undeath. A petty guild, an apathetic city - which hindsight reveals have not improved." He exhales a quiet breath and lifts his eye to Edhain, vaguely imploring. "I have always been a verbose man, you know, but..I lack the words to convey the shame I suffered. The sick, cloying misery. It haunted me like a demon."

Though Edhain remains silent, listening, the corners of his eyes tighten briefly a few times and a muscle moves once at his temple.

You have emoted: Kiyotan nods his head slowly, as if agreeing with words unspoken. "Your happiness is not my charge, you are correct. But you cannot let yourself be ruled by shame, or by guilt. It will break you, Edhain. It will." His tone is one of a man speaking with absolute certainty. "Perhaps you don't need to change yourself as drastically as I did," he supposes, gesturing at the whole of himself, "but you should think about it. The pursuit of duty is noble, but the pursuit of happiness is human."

You have emoted: A wan smile comes to Kiyotan's face as he parts his arms in an encompassing gesture. "I am living proof," he murmurs through a lopsided, forced grin.

Following a stretch of silence, Edhain nods, and allows a smile. "There was a time once, you titled an outcast Paladin 'Captain.'" His tone is wry and his voice is low, but not cold. "You may have changed greatly, sir, but you have not lost your charisma. That way of giving others purpose."

Gratingly conceding the point, Edhain says, "Mayhap a balance is necessary, lest the duty-bound break."

You have emoted: Kiyotan bows his head in a moment of humility, his faint grin becoming genuine. "Stop calling me sir, let's start with that," he declares, attempting to recover the lightened mood. He leans over and claps Edhain on the back, no coincidence that it occurs at the same moment he drinks a mouthful of milk. "My friends call me Kite."

Edhain's face jolts briefly into his cup, and the majority of it washes up in a wave that splashes his beard and cloak. He sputters for a moment, and it turns into a chuckle, and then he clears his throat. "Okay, Kite," he agrees. "That works."

You have emoted: Kiyotan's grin broadens into a smile, and it softens the harsh planes of his features. "Excellent," he concludes with a satisfied nod. He then pushes himself from the counter and to his feet. "On that note, however, I must be going - Eireachdus hasn't quite ended. You'd be surprised by the amount of paperwork a forest council has." He drapes his gauntleted hand upon Edhain's shoulder, the solid presence and weight of it somehow comforting. "Two things, before I go."

Edhain abandons his cup on the counter and turns his head to follow your movement.

You have emoted: "Firstly, it is good that you are back, and I am pleased to see you. I hope that you will take my words to heart, and know that I am a resource available to you if you have need of me." Kiyotan amicably slugs Edhain's shoulder again and turns to depart. "Secondly," he calls without looking, raising a hand in farewell, "your story of your sojourn is boring. If you tell it again, throw in some dragons, or a maiden, for Satus' sake!" With that, the bahkatu at the door salutes him, and he is gone, leaving Edhain to his thoughts. And his milk.

Edhain gives a quiet laugh, shaking his head at himself as he rises and waves a farewell after you.

Edhain

This was fun times. Kiyo is a pro. His emotes read like a book and he makes the scene like a storyteller.

Moirean

Great read! Very touching insights into both characters, without it being melodramatic or emo (I know, what, Edhain not emo, I kid!!!) - very believable and emotional, with enough wry humor to lighten the mood where it's needed. Great use of emotes to add atmosphere with the bartender and guard. Also, you guys said my name, so that makes the log awesome automatically.

Amila

That was amazing! I'm going to have to fight to not be intimidated if we ever end up roleplaying, @edhain. Poor @kiyotan already has to put up with me. He doesn't have a choice there!

No, but seriously, that was bloody brilliant. I love how you can sense the history between the two and the long lives that they've both led. Gives great insight and appreciation for the steps that they've taken and for what they're about to do!