A New Outlook

[Thorin]

Thorin didn’t like the idea of being studied. The strange creature, that chattered nervously, made sense to him in his dark form. It was as if he could see other creatures like Alleste in a new light- while others struggled to see under their glamour. At this point, he didn’t care if others felt him. Their position was overwhelmingly detected either way.

Standing up from his chair, he didn’t answer either one of them. Thorin would let Igraine feel his irritation before he left. He would need to talk to her privately.

While he admired Slyail for offering services, he didn’t want to put anymore lives at risk. He noticed that the shadows became more solidified with emotion. Thorin knew he didn’t have to be a slave to it, but it was difficult harnessing such an exhausting ability.

“Do what you will. I don’t wish to be powerful, or to go against anyone. I wish to be left alone.” Thorin was in denial of himself. He would gladly go against the Unseelie King for Igraine- even if it meant losing his life. If he could have a moment that he knew she was safe, he would act on it. Igraine’s world was new to him and especially a being like Slyail. Slyail would gladly serve her, which is how it should be, but he couldn’t help but feel useless.

When the strange creature came near him, he heard her true language before anyone else. The shadows often gave strange gifts, some he would never understand the use of. Alleste was kind, but she reminded him of Igraine. Their naïve nature was one and the same.

He nodded toward Alleste, secretly thankful for her words. Slyail would take time getting used to, but he could at least stand his presence. “Time for me to do my job…” Thorin left them and fell back into the abysmal shadows where he felt most comfortable. Thorin would only return, once Igraine called for him. Until that time came, he would continue to secure the ground.

[Igraine]

Igraine sighed as she watched Thorin leave. He felt so uncomfortable in his own skin. It was truely sad how difficult existing was for him. She had no one to blame but their father, because he was the reason Thorin had been exiled to begin with. Fending for himself had hardened Thorin but he had allowed it to define him as a man, as an outcast. She understood that he recognized pieces of Vylrath within himself -- but he also saw beyond that to a greater picture. Igraine could tell, just by looking at him, that Thorin loved her and would do anything for her. She wondered if he could see the same in her. He would never allow it, of course, but she would do anything for him.

"I apologize. He's taking his new powers and his new life very hard. He hasn't had a lot of time to really learn much from his mother and creator. The Vuri are a new race, you see, and they have a lot left to learn about themselves. Besides Thorin there is only one other Vuri in existence on this plane, and it is his sister Caela. She's at peace with herself, being around her is like being in a well of harmony. She had to learn quickly though or be killed." Igraine explained as she glanced at Alleste and relaxed back in her chair. Her eyes settled on Slyail, a brilliant green, and she crossed her legs.

"I accept your offer. I have a feeling there is a war coming. It might not happen right away, but it will involve Fae, Humans, and whomever else is unlucky enough to get caught between us. It is not the world to bring a child into, but bring her I will. I hope that she will be born in the Faerie Realm like I was. I think she would benefit greatly from the comforting power there. Thorin's mother is there as well for her safety and Human safety. She has had a difficult time managing her Vuri powers, but she has come leaps and bounds since her arrival there. She is almost ready to make a foray into the Human World again."

Igraine spoke freely, casually, and she smiled at Slyail and Alleste. It had been a while since she had been able to talk with a person of Merrow descent. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed talking to them, and how easily she spoke to people of Fae descent like herself.

"I insist that you stay in the castle. You and Alleste. Will you stay together or would you like to have your own room, Alleste?" Igraine looked at Alleste and smiled warmly. She had a fondness for familiars like Alleste, and she vaguely wished she had someone like her around. Ruefully she reasoned with herself that she would in some few months when her daughter was born.

"I have some rooms near a pond on the castle grounds near the castle gardens. If you venture to the furthest point on the castle grounds in the gardens you can feel the ocean pound the cliffs. If you're on the wall all you can see is ocean. It is one of my favorite places to be. I also have a few stand alone housing structures near the pond. My mother foresaw some interaction with Merrow when she had them built, so I'm sure you will find everything you need in them, as well as any room flanking the lake within the castle proper. If there is anything you do need do not hesitate to ask. I want you both to be comfortable while you stay with me."

Igraine slowly rose to her feet and motioned toward the door. She would show them personally to the room of their choice. She did this for everyone that was going to be in her personal retinue, it showed that she cared and didn't need to be so impersonal that she sent them away with a servant.

[Thorin]

Thorin emerged from the umbra, his new-found realm of existence. He had been watching Igraine, having completed his nightly round of securing their stronghold. When she showed their guest their own living quarters, he was impressed by her patience. Her straight forward compassion was something he was still getting used to, along with her trust and unconditional love. While his father would consider him weak, Thorin constantly wanted to prove himself worthy for Igraine.

When Igraine returned to her room, he made sure that they would be able to talk in private. She would hear the sound of the door shut behind her, the casual footsteps forming into a spectral-like image of a man. The Umbra, or shadow realm, had not been kind to Thorin. It had taken away some of his sanity, but gifted him with raw abilities. These abilities allowed him to see deception, gain strength, agility and a number of other qualities a normal man would kill for.

Igraine was always there to see his real nature- the man she had fallen in love with. He wouldn't change for her, but Thorin didn't know how long he could keep that promise. It was taking all of his energy to remain calm.

He chuckled, his lips curling into a frigid smile. When he spoke, she would notice the difference in his accent. “You make up excuses for my behavior...should I thank you?” Thorin asked sarcastically, his eyes shined with humor. They had once been a milky blue, but were now a darkened bronze with raw desire.

Thorin's words brushed over the nape of her neck like a gentle caress. “Let's not tell everyone about the Vuri, shall we? You never know who's working for the Unseelie King...besides, I'd rather make people curious about my abilities.” He slid his hands down her waist, feeling her nerves tremor from his touch. Even in her condition, she still wanted him. That was enough for his ego to taunt her.

“If we are going to continue this charade, why don't we consider marriage- like we had planned?” Thorin asked, almost rigidly. He reached to run a slender finger down her neck. He would seem different, much more confident than he had previously displayed himself. It was as if the shadow realm had changed him spiritually.

He didn't care where they were married, so long as it was quick and efficient. In his mind, he saw others as a threat. Thorin wanted them to be married by law- even Fae law. His mood had suddenly become chaotic. Just moments before, he had stormed off in one of his tantrums, only to return a calm man. Igraine would notice the slight changes, but only because she had shared his bed long enough. She had been the first woman to win him over in such a short period of time.

“Lay with me tonight...if your friend tries to interrupt, they will find their head rolling on the floor.” Thorin said, his gaze shifting down to the curve of her breasts. He didn't care what she thought of him that moment.

[Herald_of_Fate]

After choosing a chamber whose back window overlooked the thrashing sea beyond, Slyail sat at the room's low octagonal table. his brow furrowed in deep thought. Much seemed to be moving quickly and there were great, powerful unknowns to be considered. Besides that, the Merrow Mage was worried. It seemed Igraine was a wise Queen, but one who surrounded herself with people too new to the reigns of great power and the sometimes terrible responsibilities that came with it,s something Slyail knew only too well.

He wondered if the Queen knew or even suspected who he truly was. What he was doing was unheard of, a being of such vital importance to his people wandering out to explore a realm that, by his own decree, was shut off to many of his subjects. The Merrow had not fared well before his rise, seeking to share their knowledge, wealth, and culture with Man only to be captured or killed. They had slipped into hiding, developing the art of illusion, shapshifting and aquamancy to wash away all traces of their existence save for the legends and stories of the old. Slyail Undertow was a Merrow of great depth and far greater influence than she might have suspected were she not well versed on their legends. He was the current Reejerey, the White Finned, King of the Deep Kingdom.

He'd come from his kingdom 3 moths prior, after a ship sank and brought a horrific omen to the doors of his palace. The substance he'd shown them had taken hold of the Mage he'd mentioned, his older brother Vyigg. He'd watched as it corruptted his mind, sickened his body, and finally forced him into such a volitile state with his powers, Slyail had no choice but to seal him deep inside an undersea cave for fear his powers would disrupt the waters of the entire kingdom. And then there was the matter of him being without a Queen of his own.

Merrow Mages were powerful and as individual as one could hope for in a group of magic users. They, however, shared one common trait: until they found a suitable mate, they had familiars. Being like the nature of water to be balanced, Merrow royalty always had an heir, either male or female. These were two things the young ruler lacked. Because Alleste's lifeforce was all the energy he needed for procreation, he was sterile while she existed. His death would also diminsh to some degree until he formed a staff for himself, a replacement that was a pale ghost of the power he and a familiar together exercised. Until he found a mate, he would forever find his reign challenged by elements within his regime, seeking to restore the balance.

"Quite the dilemma, my friend. I offer my power when truly she needs that of our people. The Unseelie threaten all Fae creatures, those behind the Veil and those outside it," he said, chin in his hand. "Though they hunt the same humans that hunted our kind, they offered us no aid, taking in only our outcasts and twisting them into...things of evil."

He walked from the room, taking a stroll along the seawall, his familiar in otter form at his heels. "We should begin now. Learn the coast and riverways, the streams. Through this web, we'll find eyes and ears to watch and listen for us. Once we do, perhaps I'll speak with the Queen again privately. I must make my people aware of the dangers all Fae may face. And ask their aid."

He dove into the pounding surf, diving deep and swimming fast, Alleste following suit after chittering incessantly after him.

"I don't know. If she is near...then perhaps there is less time than I thought..."

[Igraine]

** Thread continues on here: Building Anew http://forums.sordidystopia.com/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=945 (Morning after the thread involving Shin and Igraine -- so two days after this current thread, giving time for Herald to do any warning or anything he needed to do after ending this thread)**