Teaching Lessons

[Igraine]

Caela heard Thorin's desperate plea, recognizing her once demonic brother as a Vuri. She lifted her head as she stooped, tending all manner of plants that looked wildly exotic. Her midnight blue eyes with flicks of silver were unnerving at best. She had unmanned at least one warrior since becoming a Vuri -- and she was sure there would be others. Her long white blonde hair fell in tight spiral curls down her back, held loosely by a leather tie. There was a smear of dirt on her face from tending the places, ever placid and calm. It was one of the ways she kept the Vuri taint in check -- then again, looking around at her "garden" one might see the taint running rampant.

All of the fruit and food produced by Caela was safe to eat, and even better for Vuri. It was like drinking blood but giving a whole different type of nourishment -- almost spiritual in a way.

Caela didn't really know Thorin. He was banished the day she was born. She was raised by Vylrath, alone, without a mother. She had once had a deep rooted envy of the brother she had never known -- having been able to have the love of their mother. She had grown to pity him as she grew, wanting nothing more than to tell him she understood how Vylrath had turned him against the family.

Then she had met him, for the first time, just a few short weeks ago. Now all seemed to have changed around her as she tended her plants and worked the anger of her past away.

"My my, big brother what have you managed to get yourself into?" Caela picked a ripe apple off of a vine she was working on. The apple wasn't...traditional. It was blue, in fact, and looked disturbingly fake. Yet upon inspection and taste, the apple tasted just like an apple -- if slightly more juicy and sinfully sweet. It was perfect, in a sense.

Caela dusted off her hands and cleaned the apple off in a cistern of pure cleansed rain water. She held the apple out in front of her, in the exact spot she could feel Thorin's essence coalescing in the shadow of a rather large birch tree.

"Hello, Brother. To what do I owe this visit? All is well I assume?" She carried herself like a Queen, and she was -- if displaced from a throne neither she or or mother had truely wanted.

[Thorin]

Thorin felt foolish hiding from his sister. He had watched her tend to her garden, her graceful movements reminding him of his mother. When she questioned his arrival and held out the offering, he gingerly took it. Thorin often forgot, that they could indulge with regular food. He ate the strangely pigmented apple gratefully, having grown tired of the meat Igraine's servants constantly fed him.

“It seems that I do not belong anywhere, sister. I had sworn off women years ago, happy and content with my exile...until she came along, there were no problems.” Thorin sighed, listening to his words. He would sound like he was complaining, but he was really just expressing his frustration. Thorin also knew that women often stuck together. Blaming Igraine wouldn't make him look any better, or get any sympathy from Caela.

“I don't know what she wants from me and she continues to put me off on the side- it's as if I'm not even there to her anymore. Since I became Vuri, I can't control this damned anger around her.” Sighing, he studied the core of the apple and crushed its remains in his hand. He wiped the juices off on his pants, ignoring the stain left behind. At least around Caela, he could be himself. He was tired of being judged and mislead.

“To make matters worse, she's my half sister and pregnant with my child. I left her today...I couldn't be there anymore- not with her higher than thou attitude and her spiteful servants. I gave up my rank as her guardian.” Thorin said, knowing that his words would crush Caela. Caela had been aware of his guardianship to Igraine, but not the other finer details. Thorin stepped back from her and respected her space as their Matriarchal Vuri.

Even roses had thorns. He didn't know how she would express her anger. Thorin was exhausted, preparing himself for an argument.

“I think I'm becoming just like my father- this power will eventually destroy me.”

[Igraine]

Caela hooked her brother by the arm and guided him as he spoke to the temple. The inside was vastly different than when Vylrath had claimed it as the Vuri stronghold. All of the stonework had been patched and filled in, all of the leaky roofing had been replaced, and anything crumbling had been rebuilt. Caela had been busy with her son and daughter. The twins usually stayed in the town while she stayed here. In fact, the twins were down in the forest by the town even as they spoke. Caela guided Thorin into the expansive front room of the temple and offered him a seat on what looked like upscale cushions.

In fact, everything here had been made by Caela, sewn by her and Sebilla, and crafted by the trio. They had been handy on their own for quite some time, making something from nothing, and obviously quite good at it. Caela quietly listened to her brother's lament as she walked around the room lighting hanging lamps of oil. When he mentioned pregnancy she paused, closing her eyes on the sadness that she knew Igraine must be going through right now.

"It sounds as if you have been busy, Brother." She washed her face in an almost ritualistic manner to wash away the dirt and sweat of a long day's work. Thorin wouldn't understand the significance of it, but the water she used had a very faint blue flame flickering across it -- he might be concerned that she didn't get hurt by the fire if he saw it when she moved.

The water was from the sacred lake of the Vuri. Rivenfelde City had been partially rebuilt closer to the sea, but the old Rivenfelde site was still there. It was avoided because of the deadly dark waters that filled the crater, and because of the fire that flickered like a trap across the top. It wasn't a long walk from where they were in the scheme of things with the power Trydian expressed.

"Do you love her?" It was a simple question and Caela pulled the boots off her feet, setting them by the door for quick access. She was a beautiful woman, her natural features enhanced incredibly by the Vuri curse. She was something that Thorin would be attracted to as a Vuri, as a Man, and would have been as a Demon. Caela settled into a spot near him on a cushion and she smiled serenely.

"It wasn't exactly smart for you to abandon her or your child. Igraine is a good woman, smart, capable of taking care of herself if needed. She will be afraid on her own but she is strong, Thorin." Caela got to her feet again to hide the discontent in her heart. He might sense it on her, but he didn't really know her story, now did he? She poured him a glass of water, the Vuri water, and brought him what looked like the forearm of a man. She set these things before her brother and settled back down on her cushion.

"Igraine will be hurt that you left her without a care. Our father did that to me, you know. Though he did come to my aide when my children were almost cut out of my belly." Caela had a far away look in her eye, remembering -- though Thorin would find that her anger was firmly under her control. "Sebilla's father was convinced by a man of religion that his baby girl would be killed by her demonic brother. They both forgot that I was half demon." Caela peeled back the front of her shirt over her belly. There was a scar there, though it was very faint against her smooth tan skin. There was a slice mark and what looked like a small cross that would have been burned into her skin. Thorin would sympathize with that sort of pain, she knew.

"Vylrath fought them off, and brought Sebilla's father to his senses before they killed all three of us. He killed the holy man and burned his own hands to save me and his son." Caela laughed hollowly before looking at Thorin and shrugging her shoulders, letting her shirt fall back over her skin. "Our father was a bastard. I know that more intimately than anyone else. He raped me more than once. I had another son by him, you know. He turned crazy with the Vuri virus before anyone could teach him anything. I'm almost positive he's dead, though I feel him from time to time." Caela shook her head to clear her thoughts and looked at Thorin again.

"Don't let this curse rule your every movement. Own the anger that it brews in your gut and in your heart. Don't walk away from a woman that could be the very best of you. I say this as your sister, not as anything else. Your sister Vuri and your blood sister. We haven't known one another very long, but I know Igraine. She could be in grave danger without you nearby. The child could die. However, I respect your need to get away. That is completely understandable and you need to soak in the Vuri waters before your sanity completely slips its binding. Trust me, it will go a long way to cementing your powers and your hold over them. Would you like to go there now? It will help calm you like nothing else." Caela was lounging and watching Thorin carefully.

"First eat your food and drink the water. It's the same water you will bathe in, but drinking it helps in ways that are...well difficult to explain until you do it."

[Thorin]

Thorin drank and ate with Caela. Even if she didn't participate in the feast, he felt himself grow stronger from the sudden nourishment. The water was oddly satisfying and rejuvenated his senses. If a normal human drank the liquid, it would burn their body from the inside-out. Because of these rare elements, he had warned Igraine from attempting to follow him- not that she would after his last display of temperament. He doubted they would be on speaking terms when he returned, let alone allowed to step foot in her castle.

When Caela asked if he loved her, he didn't know if he could answer. Thorin would be there for Igraine, but he didn't know if his heart still wanted hers. Shaking his head, he ignored the question and took her advice for meditating in the Vuri lake. The lake had been only a rumor to him- mostly feared by locals. He knew that his father had created it, but he didn't know for what purpose until now. When Caela expressed her feelings about him and their father, he knew he couldn't argue with her.

Vylrath might have been a bastard, but he had always been loyal to his family- even if he showed it in the most bastardized ways. Thorin sighed again, trying to put his thoughts in order. He couldn't just return to Igraine now- he had to think things through. He had given everything up, for the sake of his ego and pride. Even if his child was born in Ulster, he didn't know if he could face the responsibility of parenthood. Igraine might be better off without his influence, but mostly for the safety of their daughter.

“I think I love her. We're not the same people when we met- it isn't good to be around each other right now.” Thorin explained, knowing that he was talking about himself. Igraine hadn't done anything wrong, except accept him and he had abused that gift.

“I will return, but I won't be bound as her guardian. I'll protect her on my own...I'll need to forge another weapon that my new abilities can react to.” Thorin walked with her after he finished eating, feeling at peace with her in this sanctuary. If he could, he would never leave this place, but he knew that other destinies called to him.

Thorin cringed when she explained her history with their father. He didn't know the entirety of it, but it was shocking to learn that their father defended her- it was a side he didn't often hear about Vylrath. Shaking his head, he knew he would never understand his parents, but his siblings helped him cope with that emotion.

“At least he was there for you...it seems he has some better qualities than I do. He never abandoned the ones he cared about.” Thorin said with a greater realization. It struck him emotionally, knowing that he had been worse than his father toward Igraine. That thought made him feel physically sick. It was a wonder, that Igraine had been with him for as long as she had.

“Show me me the lake. I'll need your guidance.”

[Igraine]

Caela was quiet as he spoke, guiding him by the elbow for some of the trip. As they walked through some particularly dense jungle, the lake popped into view on the other side. It was majestic. It was eerily quiet around it, save for the calming sound of the water lapping against the sandy shore. Glass from the intense heat wave that obliterated the original Rivenfelde City sparkled here and there on the shore. It was one of Sebilla's favorite things to do, walking around the lake and picking up pretty pieces of glass. In the temple there were little pieces of art that she put together using the glass. She never touched the water because she knew that it was dangerous, and Trydian always kept her safe.

"Here we are. Go on, take a swim. There is nothing living in the lake after Vylrath used his blood on it. Careful though, the bottom is glass up to a certain point. The downside to the Yuurei invasion that wiped out the city." Caela walked over to the water and washed her hands in the cool fiery liquid. She picked up a pool of it in her hands, the flame licking along the surface of the water and up her fingers like a living thing. "The fire doesn't go out. It's part of us and it cleanses us like nothing else can. All of your evil thoughts and all of your anger, it slips away once you swim in the waters. I come here when I need to focus. It gives me a purity of mind, while drinking the waters gives me almost...a purity of soul -- if I still have one that is."

Caela laughed at that thought, not wanting to wax philosophical about souls. She had been damned from birth with half a demonic soul if that was the case. She glanced back at Thorin and motioned toward the water.

"Enjoy. I suggest stripping because it's a cleaner feeling. Nothing but you and the water." She was amused, with a playful twinkle in her eye. "Don't worry, I'm not going to let you chase my skirts." Caela laughed as she stripped naked and walked to the water. She pulled her hair out of the leather tie that bound it and shook it free down her back. With such a curtain of hair Thorin would just barely see the curve of her butt through the hair. Without hesitation she stepped into the water and waded out until he could no longer see any skin save that of her face.

With wet hair, Caela looked more like a sea nymph or mermaid than a Vuri. She was quite lovely, and if anyone had seen her swimming in the fiery waters of the lake they might have mistaken her for a Fey creature. Could Thorin be so wrong as to guess that he wasn't, in some strange and twisted way, Fey-like himself?

"Well, brother? Don't tell me you're as prudish as our half sister, your lover!"

[Thorin]

Thorin watched her with almost disgusted amazement. Caela practically flaunted her exposed body. He smirked at her taunts, knowing that it was some sort of test of faith. When he entered the water, he still had his clothing on. Caela could tempt him, but her curves would never compete with Igraine. “Jealous of my affection toward our sister, or do want some part of me?” Thorin asked in a sarcastic tone. He would never want Caela, but that didn't mean that desire couldn't take over his common sense. The only good thing about being a male Xanathi, was that they were typically well endowed. He would be surprised if she didn't see that part of him, when he stripped his clothing.

The water rippled across his skin, but it left him with an emotion he would never be able to describe. When he stepped in the Vuri lake, it was as if his mind had been wiped of thought. His body relaxed and his muscles were no longer as tense. Thorin could finally focus and he understood what Caela meant by her words. Hearing her continuous taunts, he wondered if she really did want something from him. Had she done this to their father? He wouldn't have blamed Vylrath for his actions then.

“I am hardly prude...just look at what I've done to Igraine.” Thorin smiled, feeling some humor, but a desire to try her patience and see Caela's will break. Maybe the fact he had once been demonic, made him revisit these feelings. “I would have you...but I'm sure Igraine would send that assassin after me.” Thorin admitted, feeling as though the lake were making him confess.

[Igraine]

He would only hear a laugh and a splash as she disappeared under the surface of the water. A full minute later she was climbing out of the water and laying on the sand to dry. It wouldn't take long in the heat of the day.

"Brother, you jest. I would not have you as a lover. Although I doubt you will have much contest from our sister. You will be lucky if she has you back willingly at this rate. Protect her if you will because of the child, but don't think she will let you claim a spot in her bed anymore. By the way you speak, she loves you too much to let you break her heart so badly." Caela was dry relatively quickly, pulling her shirt over her head to cover her nakedness. Her hair was slower to dry, so she sat with her legs crossed on the sand and began wringing it out slowly, creating small puddles of Vuri water on the sand.

"Look at the stock she comes from. She shares blood with Vylrath and has his stubborn streak more than most of us, though Kahlan is rigidly stubborn when the situation calls for it." Caela smiled as she thought of her god mother and looked out at the water, at the jungle surrounding it.

"You are welcome to stay here as long as you like. Just don't think that you don't love her. I know part of you does, her blood calls to you even as a Vuri. In a world where we value the dead for their meat more than the living for their existence -- it's probably a good idea to stick near a woman that loves you for who you are, and not the monster you are capable of becoming." Her voice was almost haunting with the truth of their situation. They could become monsters so quickly, and with Isabella and Caela they could produce monsters.

"I should warn you. You have to be careful if you touch the baby with your power. If you turn the child into a Vuri, the rate at which the baby grows is too fast for a non-Vuri mother to handle. Igraine will die and it's possible that the child will too, having no teeth to eat her dead flesh. Our children grow quickly too. It takes three months for the child to grow in the womb, and it takes another three months for them to appear to be fifteen. They require so much food that it is almost difficult to keep them from going wild with the anger and hunger of their situation."

Caela spoke with a grim knowledge, being the only Vuri to give birth to a full Vuri child.

"Just be careful. I don't want to bury a family member during these trying times. I know, too, that losing her completely would drive you to madness. Whether you want to admit that now or not." Caela was running sand through her fingertips, watching it glitter in the sunlight before looking at her brother. "I want you to eat again before you leave. You know the way back to the temple, so don't leave before you've eaten again and had more water. You should probably bring some of my fruit back with you. It won't spoil and it will sustain you during times you can't have blood because my power is within it. It's completely safe for humans to eat as well. I've...checked." She opted out of saying "experimented" because that made her sound evil. She was simply curious. She was also saying that it would be safe for Igraine and the baby to eat if he gave her some, or if she somehow decided to eat a piece.

Caela got to her feet and picked up the rest of her clothing before walking back toward the Temple.

"Don't spend too long in the water, you'll prune."

[Thorin]

Thorin listened to his sister, but he didn't leave the lake yet. He wanted to feel at peace once more. Inhaling, he let himself fall beneath the surface of the water. Under the surface, he could think- surrounded by that familiar light that gave him comfort and hope. The lake responded to him, but it merely blanketed him with its energy. It was ironic that Vylrath could create something so peaceful and useful to the Vuri- their own sanctuary. The conversation with his sister made him see Vylrath differently- if only slightly.

Igraine would never truly be abandoned. Thorin didn't want to be worse than his father- he would take to his responsibility, he just had to approach it differently than a normal being. Thorin floated toward the surface, wishing he could stay there longer. The lake was very much like a sentient being, almost a mother comforting its children. Swimming toward the shore, he was thankful that his clothes had dried- he was beginning to feel very exposed to Caela. He knew that that desire had been brought out by a different kind of longing. Thorin wanted that desire with Igraine and he could only agree with her, that she may not even welcome him back in her bed.

Sighing, he clothed himself and walked up toward the temple. He wanted blood, not meat, but he doubted he could argue with his sister. She seemed to be the true Matriarch of the Vuri, her knowledge and wisdom keeping him sane.

When he arrived at the temple, he bowed to her as if he acknowledged his faults and her place here. She had taken him in without question, even though he had done the worst to Igraine. Igraine was a sister to Caela too, his words would never be able to express his thanks.

“I will eat...but then I need to visit your forge- I hope you have one? I cannot hold the fey blade any longer...it does something to my senses that I cannot explain.” Thorin said, standing up from his bowing position. Would Vylrath have been so dense, as to not provide a forge? He wouldn't put it past him to forget the important details.

He was excited to be a father, but also intimidated. Thorin would never hurt his child, he had only wanted to protect Igraine and the baby in the first place. While he was still getting accustomed to his new abilities, he could feel the madness that Caela spoke of- it could have consumed him, had he not sought her and the Vuri sanctuary.

[Igraine]

"The forge is in the back." Caela was slicing up some fruit. It looked like a dark red banana and what could pass as a mango, except it looked almost like an avacado...if either were dark purple. She was arranging the fruit with something in a bowl and another piece of flesh. She brought the platter to Thorin and set it on a nearby table. She pointed at it and picked up a peach from her bowl of fruit. She bit into the light pink flesh, enjoying the taste as she watched her brother. It was one of the few fruits that looked similar to it's original counterpart.

"Eat. You will feel rejuvenated before you forge. I suggest saving some of that dead man's blood to forge into the blade. It will give your blade a willingness to serve your power's needs." Caela sat near her brother but not close enough for him to touch her. She acknowledged his acceptance of her position and her age within the Vuri group.

"You had a Fae sword?" Caela spoke around a bite of peach, swallowing before continuing. "Lucky bastard. People would kill for a sword like that. It was probably driving you crazy because it wouldn't let you think of anything but protecting Igraine. Smart creatures, Fae. When they give something to a non-Fae to protect a Fae it tends to go all the way. You can use the sword still, but I doubt it will work for you now that you've hurt Igraine." Caela frowned at that realization and shook her head. Her brother was incredibly dense. He had one of the most powerful types of metal known to exist, crafted into a blade by some of the most powerful smiths in existence...and he let it slip his hands.

"When you forge your blade, spill some of your blood into the mixture along with the dead man's blood. I'm curious to see if that augments the blade any. I believe it should become an extension of you and your powers at that point. You might be able to even call it with your power if you ever leave it behind and you need it. I'm not certain of this though because I haven't tried it myself yet."

Caela finished her peach and cleaned the pit in the cistern of rain water before planting it quickly in a clay pot near the door. She had some strange customs, but every move she made seemed to have a purpose.

[Thorin]

Thorin chuckled, listening to her distress over him giving up such a proclaimed blade. The blade had been interesting, but it held no place for him. His hand never felt comfortable gripping the hilt and he would never wield it, or appreciate its craftsmanship. Granted, he had probably scared Blackburn from his last display with it. He chuckled, remembering. Shaking his head, he wondered how Igraine had put up with his antics and never gone mad. She was definitely brave, for being the mate of a once demon and now Vuri.

Thorin went to the forge and took her advice about spilling his blood. He mixed the blood, with the elements of the metals, that would form the Vuri blade. The properties of a Vuri blade, were significantly different from the Fey metals. The craftsmanship was cruder, concentrating on the weight of the blade and the elements it contained.

It took days to craft such a weapon and he had to constantly spill his own blood and mix it with another beings offerings. Thorin had also mixed some of the Vuri water, having kept a vial of it on his person. He didn't know what the water would do with the contents, but he figured it would only add to the energies of the blade.

The sword's blade, ended up turning a deep dark blood red. It was borne from his own blood, so in essence it was apart of him. He could easily control his power through the blade, without spending an excess amount of energy. The fires in their forge, reminded him of the fire on the lake. They were a silver blue, but a sentient life on its own.

Thorin placed Vuri runes on the blade and hilt. It wasn't an easy process and had to be calculated with precise accuracy. Once awakened, the runes would give off a hue that mimicked the Vuri fire. The end of the hilt, contained a claw-like inlay, fixated with a simple ruby. The rubies surface had been coated with his blood and placed in the fire's catalyst to set the bond.

Letting the blade cool, he inspected his work and realized how exhausted he was. He would need to feast, before he returned to Igraine. Thorin felt an odd kinship with the blade, but he knew it was only because he performed ritualistic elements during its creation.

Once it was cooled, he lifted the blade and proudly displayed his creation. He knew that his father had created a Vuri dagger, but not something of this grandeur. Thorin was amazed at how readily the blade accepted his energies transfer.

Returning to Caela, he wasn't hesitant on showing her his work. The blade would gleam its awkward blood-red hue, the runes an obvious scripture for Caela.

“Maybe you should come with me. I don't think I can show my face alone.” Thorin sheathed the blade, feeling his body become weak from the exertion.

[Igraine]

The soft sound of water splashing would fill the temple as Caela washed more fruit to send with Thorin. She wasn't certain that she needed to be present for the falling out that was bound to occur due to her halfwit brother. She let out a long sigh and glanced over her shoulder at Thorin and his blade. She nodded her head and motioned to a Vuri short sword mounted on the wall. It was set in such a manner that it could easily be lifted and used if the need arose. It had a dark blue black finish along the blade and a deep blue sapphire set in the hilt. Runes danced idly along the surface of the blade, flickering in and out. The design was similar to Thorin's but wilder in the curve and detail of the blade. It looked wicked and intimidating for a short sword, no matter the dark metal.

"Listen, I will go back with you but only to visit with my sister. She needs a confidante as much as you do. You never had a chance to rule Xexoria so you don't realize the kind of pressure she is under as a Queen. Especially a Queen in a Matriarchal society like Ulster. Nothing happens without her consent. She understands that I know what she's going through and she enjoys spending time with me. I've practically watched her grow up with my children." Caela smiled and shook her head as she looked at her brother.

"Brother, you make a fine sword, but you don't understand a thing about the grades of steel. Given the chance to craft a Fae sword doesn't happen very often for any outsider. The green steel is so rare that people kill for the right to own a blade much less forge one themselves." Caela gestured to the blade he held and smiled. "From the looks of your crafting technique it appears you learned what you know from Caderyn. That man teaches amazing technique, everything I know of forging I learned from him."

Caela packed all of the fruit in bags and set them aside for the time being. She leveled her gaze at Thorin while she leaned her hips back against the the table. "You might ask why I don't carry that Vuri weapon where ever I travel. I have no use for it at this time. My powers are far more advanced than yours are and I am capable of calling on certain aspects of my power to create temporary warriors if I need them." Caela didn't bother displaying her power, she would be able to if she needed to.

"Now, you're going to eat me out of house and home." She laughed as she brought Thorin another hunk of human flesh. He didn't ask where she was getting the meat and she didn't offer to tell him. Caela was just as capable of killing as the next person, even moreso given her beauty and her grace. She looked as if she was made for a life of ease, when in fact her nails had dirt under them from gardening -- something that Thorin didn't realize Igraine was keen on herself. Caela knew and she knew that both sisters had shared gardening tips. She wondered, idly, if Igraine was in her garden now lost and alone with her thoughts. Caela herself had spent too many hours in the gardens of Rivenfelde castle during her pregnancy. It was there that she was almost killed during an assassination attempt.

Needless to say, her reign had been a tumultuous one.

"Dear, dear Brother. You need to get your head out of your own ass and focus outward. I'm not going to be able to save your hide. She's your sister too you know. She'll eventually accept you back into her life, but I doubt you will get her to love you or trust you so much as she can throw you. Now, we need to make sure Trydian and Sebilla know where we're going. We can't leave until they return."

Her mind was made up. She wasn't leaving her children in the dark on the events that were occurring. They would be far too worried about their mother disappearing not to mount a very much unwarranted search for her.

[Thorin]

Thorin was taken aback by her words, but he listened regardless. He often forgot that she had children of her own. Caela had given birth and he hadn't even really met her children. He saw them briefly with Igraine, but that had only been a few moments of an abrupt greeting. Shaking his head, he knew that she would return with him, but he had to face Igraine alone. Facing Igraine, also meant facing his treatment of her as of late. He wouldn't have anything to say in defense, except to show her that he was changing- hopefully for the better.

He chuckled when she lectured him on his faults. Could anyone have blamed him for his reaction to Igraine? Thorin knew he shouldn't have gotten so rough with her, but she would have ignored him otherwise. Arrogantly, he admired Caela's figure- especially her chest when he spoke to her. He acted distracted, as a man should when he sinned so flippantly. “She will have me again, do not worry. Even when she pushed me away with her fists, I could feel her wanting me. I'm not worried about being denied her bed.” Thorin shrugged and took the meat she offered. Devouring the flesh, he slowly regained a surge of strength. It wasn't enough to raise his blade, but it was adequate for a journey back to Ulster.

Even as a Vuri his arrogance would always be present. His arrogance was the one thing that clashed with Igraine's stubbornness. He had lived on his own, fending for himself, while Igraine had the comforts and luxury of a Queen. She didn't know true hardship, or the idea that she had to fight day by day to survive. While the court life was hard, there was nothing like living on the streets and being denied your heritage.

He could never call Igraine his “sister”. While she was by blood, it was an awkward thing to title her. Thorin knew that incest ran rampant in their family- Caela was proof of that with her bastard twins. In his mind, he knew that he had helped spawn another bastard child.

Thorin agreed on her terms of leaving. He didn't care what she had to do, but he wouldn't be the first one to speak to Igraine. Thorin knew the fury of women all too well. He might be seen as cowardly, but Igraine knew how to use a blade- he didn't want to see it in his chest before he could even greet her. “I need you to just speak with her. I wished our child dead and I threatened her servant. She's going to need some convincing on seeing me. I'm no longer tied to the Fae and she'll feel that.” Thorin paused, knowing his sister didn't know everything that had happened. His past was just as dark and his current events just as disturbing.

“I died Caela. I died when our father decided to let me bleed out in front of Igraine. I would have rather been left for dead, but Igraine wanted me alive- foolish as she is, she doesn't understand what Vuri are capable of- I will never be the same.” Thorin explained, wondering how much Caela knew. His family had an odd way of sharing information and the women seemed to always know. “Our bond was broken when I died.” He finished, thinking more on that imagery. His current death and rebirth was the reason why he couldn't see Vylrath in a different light.

He leaned against the door frame and studied her reaction. She had seen the worst in her lifetime, but she had once been a demonic being too. Caela would understand what he had felt and gone through for Igraine. It wouldn't be a pleasant realization, but he needed someone to relate. Igraine had failed in that, only feeling her own turmoil with his changing. She hadn't considered what he had gone through- in his view, Caela had been the closest one to understanding him.

“If she didn't carry my child, do you think she'd still want any connection with me? We have a desire Caela, not a companionship. She has only been inviting me to her bed. Since I have been there, my words are lost, even when she knew I was making the most sense about her safety. She is a pampered Princess, in a big world and she has no idea what this Unseelie King can do to her.” Thorin said, not backing away from his words. It was true that Igraine was spoiled and strong headed. She had servants at her beck and call- Blackburn was practically attached to her hip.

Thinking of the Unseelie King, made Thorin realize a grave mistake- he had left her exposed and helpless for the bastard. Sighing, he looked to Caela as if he finally understood. In his speech, he had pretty much expressed why he should have never left. She might have guards, but they would never have his abilities or connection with her.

Cursing, he wanted to throw his arms up in the air. Thorin wondered what he had accomplished by coming here and abandoning her. He had forged a new weapon, but what had he gained otherwise? Eventually, he would have to stop looking to others for answers and find them himself.

“I'm ready to go when you are....” Thorin muttered, disappointed in himself. His voice sounded defeated, his silence a sign that he finally saw the man he was supposed to be for Igraine.

[Igraine]

Caela remained silent during his whole speech, nodding her head as she listened to him. She smiled when he finally came to the realization that he was, in fact, thinking only of himself. At least their sister had kept him at arms length while he was spiraling down into chaos. She had been far more capable of denying their brother than Caela had been at denying their father.

"You finally understand, Brother." Her voice was not patronizing, but kind. It wasn't easy to see your faults, much less have them shown to you with such brutal detail. She motioned for Thorin to keep eating, there was fruit there that would help him mend more of his strength. He would need to rest to gain the rest of his strength back.

"The Unseelie King is your problem?" Caela whistled and shook her head, taking a seat and eating one of her blue apples slowly. Thorin had never seen her eat meat or consume blood during his stay -- so there must be something to the fruit at least. "That's a big problem. He's been after the Fae Realm for a really long time. It's been understood by demons that he has a grudge against a past Queen for kicking him and his kind out and locking the doors. They haven't been in that realm for centuries. If he wants Igraine..." Caela shook her head and looked at Thorin carefully.

"Igraine is considered the heir to the Fae Throne, Thorin. Kahlan was supposed to be, because the mother she was reborn to was a Fey Princess. Unfortunately, no one understood why Kahlan could only learn the magic but not exhibit the finesse of a Fey. They all learned when she was given her memory back. No one really knows what caused her to get her memory. Kahlan doesn't like to talk about that moment." Caela gestured as she spoke, trying to give Thorin some insight as to why the Unseelie King may have singled Igraine out.

"I don't understand how he could have found out that she's the heir apparant to the Seelie Throne. Only a handful of people know and Igraine isn't one of them -- for her own protection. She's been prepped for a lot of things in her life, but living most of her life in an enchanted realm was for a purpose." Caela was getting agitated and she shook her head.

"He can't know what she is. There is no way. He just sees her as the daughter of Kahlan who slammed the door on his cage when he tried to use her to get to the Fae realm the last time. He must hate that woman, but he can't get to her and he can't get even with her." Caela shook her apple at Thorin as she spoke around a bite. "You know the rumor is that he fell for Kahlan hard? That he wanted her help to appeal to the Queen to let him back in? Can you blame the bastard? Kahlan is incredibly sexy in ways that most men don't even appreciate."

Yeah. Caela was definitely one of Vylrath's children, and she was obviously an ex-demon for whom else would have a mild crush on a hot woman? Especially one that her father had fallen madly in love with.

[Thorin]

Thorin ate the fruit with a sloppy furor. He just wanted to leave- he didn't care about Kahlan's past, only that it had an explanation for Igraine's heritage. It was a wonder that he hadn't fallen in love with Igraine on first sight. Her Fae blood explained his desires, even when she was just in a room with him. Listening about his father, made him realize that Vylrath had to of been strong to be with a woman like Kahlan. Maybe his father could relate to the madness he often felt with Igraine. It wouldn't matter, the bastard was dead now anyway. Thorin couldn't have those hopeful thoughts anymore. There were still things he could never forgive Vylrath for and his sister was one of them.

“You can defend Vylrath all you want. You can say he was a good guy and came to your rescue. He still raped you. I bet, you don't even know what it feels like to be wanted, or what real lovemaking is.” Thorin shook his head, but he wasn't at a loss for words. Most of the women in his family were in denial and still worshiped his father.

Caela continued to talk about the Unseelie King and his history with the demons and Fey. He didn't care, but he knew that Igraine had been foolish and let anyone wander in her castle. “I tried to warn her not to just let anyone in, but she wouldn't listen. I didn't even know about the current assassin for hire- she let that slip out from under me. Everyone knew...she could have told me. Instead, I get to wake up to a guy with knives all over his body- what was I supposed to think? I was worried for the baby.” Thorin sighed, finishing the food almost greedily. Since his arrival, he had eaten very little. His thoughts had consumed most of his concentration and he often ignored his hunger pains.

“You can't deny that she was foolish for not telling me. I was there to protect her and it was becoming pointless. How could I protect her, if she just let any man in her command? If the Unseelie King is as crafty as you say, she was toying with fire.” Pausing, he didn't wait long for her reaction. “Now you know why I left as angry as I did. I felt like a goddamned child with her. She treated her own Captain with better respect and he knew all the happenings in the Castle.” Thorin breathed in, not wanting the anger to resurface. Sometimes it was inevitable, given what he was- Caela would understand that.

“I was beginning to think she just wanted me for....pleasure.” Thorin said, almost feeling his face turn red. It had been a thought created from unwarranted jealousy. There were men in her castle who had known her since birth- he was the one who had to constantly prove himself. “I got her pregnant and I had sworn myself to her, yet she pushed me aside and trusted the word of other men.” Shrugging, he finished the feast and dwelled on the next course of action. “I was left to figure out things for myself. What was the point of being her personal guard, if she kept things from me?”

Thorin tried to make his point clear, seeing the tension in his sister's body. He was surprised with himself, that he hadn't tried to be with Caela since his arrival. She teased in the most subtle ways, but he knew she was very aware of it. The Xanathi women were always aware of their sexuality and how they presented themselves- it was often how they flaunted their authority too.

“I think the best thing to do, is watch her in the dark for now. Do not announce my arrival. I can travel through the shadow as I have been. Keep her company and pretend that you are there because you found out of my leaving.” Thorin knew for a fact that Igraine wouldn't accept him back. It would be a mistake to try and force his presence, so he figured he should watch her from afar- at least he could protect her still then.

“At least I can be her shield then, if that bastard decides to attack.” Thorin thought of tactics for a moment. “Besides, if he gains word that I left, he might not count on me returning so suddenly. He might think I'm gone still.” Thorin explained, knowing that the last thing they wanted, was a hysterical Igraine making his presence even more known to the Unseelie King. Even if he couldn't be by her side right then, he could at least guard her from a distance.

[Igraine]

Caela snorted and laughed as she looked at her brother. He flipped between self loathing and hating everyone around him so easily. He truely was his father's son.

"Don't discredit her so easily. I bet you a man's dead thigh that the assassin wasn't in the castle for longer than half a day. You can't be pregnant, and you haven't been a Monarch, so you can't realize how incredibly easy it is to forget everything when you feel like you could puke your very guts out. Igraine is dealing with a lot more than you realize." Caela spoke calmly and rationally, with a smile of remembering on her lips.

"I don't defend Vylrath. I'm quite glad he's dead. If I could kill him myself again and again for the rest of my life it wouldn't be enough. I have known love though. However..." A rueful smile lifted the corners of her lips as she looked up at Thorin and gestured between them. "This curse we have? Thorin, Vylrath ate my lover in a fit of carnal rage. When he consumed the flesh of my lover he didn't realize that there was a blood curse inside him. So, you see, I have known love after a fashion. Sebilla was created out of love, though her father died in the Yuurei War before the Ascension. I am just as cursed as Kahlan when it comes to finding reliable lovers that stay alive." Caela smirked and shrugged her shoulders.

"The children should be back any time now. When they're back we can leave and I will play the doting sister to our lovely and fair half sister. I can't say that we won't talk about you, and I can't say that I won't be truthful." Caela warned as she looked at Thorin with her unnatural eyes. "Just don't give yourself up before she's ready to at least accept the sight of your face. Don't be surprised if, as you watch over her, you see her angry, crying, or calling you -- especially in her sleep. You will get to see her belly grow but you won't be able to feel the baby move or touch her, except maybe when she's sleeping soundly in the middle of the night." Caela looked up at the ceiling and shook her head.

"You won't be able to touch the child when it's born, if she doesn't accept you neither will the child. Though, I have found that Fae children are sentient from conception and it sounds as if she's three weeks along perhaps? The child probably heard what you said, that you wished it dead, and it may hate you for that until it learns of your situation. That could take years, and she may never understand fully why she hates you as she grows, or fears you. She may fear you like the monster under her bed, that you're supposed to be responsible for making sure doesn't exist. She may fear that you will kill her because you didn't care if she survived in her mother's womb." Caela's tone was hard as she looked back at Thorin. Children were not something to play around with, they were to be protected and cherished at all costs.

"Are you prepared to be their saviors, especially when they fear and hate you?"