[The Stranger's Welcome] Made of Ice [Talen Stirling]

[Sela]

Timestamp: 11th Winter 511 A.V.

"...You need a drink, love?"

The returning statement was quick and sharp, like a knife between the ribs. "What makes you think that?"

The soldier's bushy eyebrows beetled sharply. He put a hand on his armored hip, looking the form in front of him over critically. "It was just a friendly invitation, my dear. No need to be so snappy."

"And no need to be so forward. Go away."

The man scowled and swept away, the coins being displayed so becomingly in his hand a moment before returning to his pocket mournfully. Men clad in chainmail like the soldier crowed and threw out gibes in the language of Denvali as the puppy retreated, tail beneath his legs.

Sela snorted derisively. She really didn't need this.

As the one jilted walked away, the nuit stayed motionless in her seat, her eyes locked on the back of the chastised man. Only when he had sat down next to his fellows did she return to the ale clutched in her small hands.

The chill of the winter's sting was being overcome by the warmth of the alcohol, for which Sela was grateful. The company that came with entering a bar, however, was not as appreciated as the former.

The guards seemed pretty relaxed, as many of the inhabitants of the Stranger's Welcome were obviously deep within the throes of drink. Even the man a the bar, Oleg, seemed to be enjoying some of his own merchandise, chatting boisterously with a patron about someone named "Olga". Sela frowned, trying her best to wiggle farther back into her booth. At one point and time, Sela might have liked the joviality of a tavern near nighttime, but now it only annoyed her.

Another sip. Sela keep a wary eye on her surroundings, making sure nothing unneeded happened...

[Talen Stirling]

For tonight, the worries were postponed but not forgotten. Upon finishing up duties for the day, Talen had been coerced into going to The 'Welcome with a couple of the other guards. The promise of degtine and a few hours of peace was too tempting to be ignored, and he'd joined them in the tavern for the night. The little group had quickly settled in the middle of the tavern, dares and jokes flying as swiftly as they would amongst the young and brash. An attentive observer might notice that there was one of them who had but water in his cup, and there seemed a tense and faintly unnatural air to the merrymaking. Even in the heart of joy, trouble was flowing alongside the degtine. Laughter echoed amongst the group of young men as their defeated companion returned to them, eyes flashing with mirth as he settled himself with a defensive expression against the comments upon his failure at conquest. "Has the old man lost his touch?" Talen mused with false thoughtfulness and a look into the ceiling as if the answer was illuminated upon the wooden beams by the firelight. "Y'think you can do better, Stirling?" The table hushed briefly in anticipation of the challenge issued, wolvish smiles observed the competitors eagerly. Talen slouched in his chair and finished his cup of degtine before placing it down deliberately slowly, an artistically confident smile spilling across his lips. "Five mizas say I will.." He grinned at the tiny group, who were quick to express their affirmation and pleasure with words and cries of outrage and joy. Talen slid his chair back deftly and circled the table, smiling at his peers' taunts and praises nonchalantly. Degtine, pride and the need to forget his troubles spurred him towards the table of the scornful woman. He looked at her with an absent minded smile, paying not much heed to any expression of denial she might wear. Pretty and foreign-looking, he thought to himself. Nice smooth tanned skin, delicate features and gorgeous long hair. Abit short in his opinion, but whatever, his plan was already formed and it didn't involve unnecesary flattery. "Hey. Five mizas and a good laugh in it for you if you play along...?" He pulled out a chair even as he sat down, looking at her with bright eyes and a friendly, playful smile across his lips. His heartbeat fluttered in a moment of hesitation as he awaited her judgement; would she laugh or would she bite?

[Sela]

As had been dreaded, another man from the table of soldiers got up almost moments after the first returned, a champion going to slay a monster amid a cacophony of encouraging laughs and hoots. Sela was drawn to him almost immediately, her sharp black eyes quickly uncovering the oncoming danger.

He was younger than the man who had approached him beforehand, not as scarred. In fact, his skin was almost as untouched as Sela's own, which wasn't a compliment in her harsh opinion. But to contrast this, he was well-toned and well-tanned, along with curls of brown-blond hair falling into his face and grey-blue eyes that shone with a friendly light.

He seemed like a foolhardy young man whose testosterone made him think he could woo the cold maiden. That would be the easy explanation, as well as providing an easy solution for Sela. But Sela knew full well that things were not always what they seemed (it was painfully aware to a nuit), and there was almost something...off...about this man. It was akin to a feeling of déjà vu, as though Sela knew him from another place.

The cup met the cracked wood of the table when Sela thought this, her blood running cold. Eyes, now blazing with a fierce light, considering the approaching man anew. If he knew her...that could spell bad things. She had to know more about him, and that meant she had to play with fire.

Sela released her physical senses and concentrated on that of her innermost senses. She called to her djed, and it responded. She felt a rush and a corresponding weariness as the magic spend through her limbs to be released outwards, but it was worth it. Auristics, lying dormant under her skin, burst into her life when she concentrated, and her eyes were painted with color. The color of auras.

They came from those closest around her; one surrounded the man in the booth next to her, another enveloped the passing barmaid. But Sela only paid attention to the approaching man's aura. As every second past and her concentration remained unwavering, the aura became gradually more and more defined, allowing her to witness the basic truths of the man.

What she saw rang several long-unused bells.

The man took a seat next to her. Sela resisted an urge to move away, instead concentrating on his words. Five mizas and an enticing smile...it seemed her first assumption had been correct, after all. But then again, from what she had seen from the aura, he was not what he seemed either. A paradox, and a very alluring one.

A dozen biting rebuttals leaped to her lips, but she ignored them in favor of a more neutral proclamation. "Make it ten and stay for a while. Then perhaps I will play your game." Her voice was utterly emotionless, but Sela managed to contort her small face into that of a smile. It was almost as welcoming as the man opposite her, but an astute observer would notice it didn't reach her eyes.

"I'm Sela." There was no harm in giving her name, as she knew now that the man wouldn't be familiar with it. "And you are?...And how long have you been in Denval? I feel like I know you from somewhere..." Oh, the irony that dripped from false lips.

[Talen Stirling]

Strange lady this one, demanding money from him for her company as if she sold it. He blinked his eyes at her, a little puzzled at the request of additonal mizas. Was he going to spend money just to impress the others... Or woo this weird woman? She seemed tired, and by the looks of her complexion and appearance she must've traveled a long way to get to Denval. Curiosity grew with the realisation he had no idea how to place her accent, which if he hadn't known better would almost have thought was akin to his own. "My name is Talen Stirling. I've been here forever. Well, forever for me. Unless you've lived here, we must've met in your dreams." He almost laughed, but stifled it in the face of his companion's strange smile. Now that he thought about it, even his past life had been Denvali born and bred. Ain't no place like home. Speaking of which... "Where have you come from? We don't get all that many strangers here, but we always take good care of those that choose to visit." He smiled, but felt a pang of concern. Should he tell this stranger about all the darkness, or let her walk her way cheerfully oblivious? It wasn't safe not knowing, he supposed, but even if she knew, the truth of the matter was that he and most others knew little. Little but confusion and terror in the dark. Talen looked up and around briefly, a sudden urge to drown all of his worries in degtine arising again. No barmaid was nearby, and his knowledge of all the various good and healthy reasons not to drink lead him to bitter abstinence. Alongside that little, false memory of another life telling him he didn't drink anymore. He turned his mind and eyes back to Sela, curiosity bidding him to inquire further about her homeland and where she'd come from. Despite his love of Denval, a few centuries of isolation breeds some curiosity about the outside world. And pretty girls, even if strange, were always interesting to some extent.

[Sela]

Sela realized the man had been put off by her request, and, if she was to do this, she had to be - well, not her.

"It was a joke, my friend." She laughed lightly and tossed her hair, hating every moment of it. But at least it would convince the man's friends, whom she suspected were the reason he had come over. And it would get the man to stay longer..."Your company is all I require." Sela resisted the urge to scowl.

She had placed him for a homegrown Denvali from his accent, but she had to make sure. As he talked, Sela felt herself get more drawn in by his words. He was a fascinating specimen, to say the least. "Been here forever...I don't believe you know what you're talking about in that regard." Sela tilted her head, letting the spray of black hair fall over her face. It fell across her pupils but her eyes didn't waver, still firmly on Talen's face. "I can't say I sympathize with staying in one player forever. I've been all over the map, never really staying for too long anywhere. What's it like, settling down?" Sela leaned in to the man, putting her face inches away from his. "Seems like it might get boring after a while." Sela smiled, this time genuine.

"I'm not a stranger to Denval, as a matter of fact. I was here...a long time ago." Longer than you'll ever know. "And now I've finally come back. It's changed. In more ways than one."

Sela leaned back and took another sip from her drink. The bartender had called it degtine, and she found it most closely tasted like ale - but not exactly the same. Even as she drank, she kept her eyes fixed. Something flickered across her companion's face - some thought that was there and gone in a second. "Is something on your mind, Talen?" Sela asked once she had set the cup down. "You look troubled...Have I done something wrong?" A wry smile followed her half-teasing words, a gentle prompt for information the man's aura had pointed to.

Something was wrong - Sela had seen the worry in the man's aura as well as having that strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. But what it was, Sela had no idea. Her Auristics weren't powerful enough to ferret out that sort of specific data, and, even if they were, the magic were already starting to tax on her powers. With a mental sigh, she let the magical vision fade, let it settle down underneath her skin so as to avoid using any more energy needlessly. It never completely vanished - the auras never did, once you were initiated - but now they little more than a flicker.

Well, it seemed like she would have to rely on simply wordplay to fill in the gaps in her knowledge...

[Talen Stirling]

"What it's like...?" He looked pensive for a moment. It was hard to put something like the concept of settling down and home to words. He had never known anything else, so it was hard to explain what was different. "It's home. I'm part of Denval, and Denval is a part of me. I am anchored here, as is my life and the meaning of it. I couldn't imagine what it's like not being settled down, although I think I will see the outside some day." He smiled at her, hoping his rather theoretical explanation was precise. Some things can't be put to words. When he wondered but for a moment, she suddenly questioned him. He winced visibly, he hadn't intended to be so obvious with his troubled mind but at least that meant he had an answer to his question. He might as well inform her, because not knowing could turn out dangerous. "No, no, you haven't done anything wrong..." He hesitated, then smiled faintly before clearing his throat to speak. "I almost did something wrong, in not telling you about what has been happening. There's a storm coming. There have been murders, people have had visions, magic and gnosis seems to act up and go awry, and the gods themselves have come to warn of us the dangers we will face." He looked a little shaken for a moment, then turned around abruptly and waved at a barmaid for degtine. His eyes fell back with a tired sigh, and then he attempted a smile that seemed to visibly shake off the darkness.

OOCI come in thoughts of that because of the effects of Static, your magic would have gone awry. You should PM Legion! Then she'll do a lovely intervention Sorry I forgot.

[Sela]

OoCStatic would only affect Gnosis magic, so Sela's Auristics wouldn't be affected. I confirmed with Legion.

Sela nodded slowly, chewing on her bottom lip in contemplation. A unnoticed hand drummed silently on the table, than stopped. His smile made her return one of her own, along with an answer. Innocence does bring out the strangest traits, Sela thought, even as she spoke:

"I know exactly what you mean...I wasn't here too long ago, but I feel as thought Denval is a part of me, too." Her words were honest, something she had unforeseen. It was a strange feeling, to be saying something so close to the stark truth she had been hiding for all these years. "It's partially what compelled me to come back."

The wince was not reassuring to Sela, and there was some part of the nuit that made her grab out with her right hand, using it to squeeze Talen's hand reassuringly. Why, she had no idea. She was loath to touch others, after all - why do it now, voluntarily? Maybe it had something to do with his expression - there was some very real, very painful trouble with the young man. Whatever the years may have chipped away and replaced with raw bitterness had somehow returned, hanging on by their fingernails to survive to this one moment and express themselves. Once again, unexpected.

"I had thought something was wrong...the expression of those I pass in the streets, the haunted looks." There was also the strange feeling that had possessed her in the middle of the Talderan woods to inspire her to come here in the first place, but for some unfathomable reason Sela knew she should keep that to herself.

As the man carried on, Sela felt herself go still, motionless. Her eyes were completely fixed on the soldier's face as he bespoke the horrors plaguing Denval. When he finished, there existed a pause in which his companion didn't speak, and indeed the booth seemed dead silent for a moment. Then, in a voice so low that Talen might not have heard it, she muttered, "It's worse that I thought."

Sela abruptly stood up, gestured to the barmaid Talen had hailed. "No degtine." She spat at the guiltless Denvali woman. Than Sela turned to Talen with a fiery look in her eye.

"These terrible things that are here in Denval - or are coming- might be plaguing you, but alcohol is not the way to take care of it. There is no running. There is no retreat. You must face the storm that's coming head-on." She growled, "The darkness is Denval...that's something others will help you with. But the darkness inside of you...that is something you must confront, and you must do alone." And with that, Sela settled back into her seat, arms crossed and an unpleasant snarl on her face. Who knows what Talen's barmates would make of this...

[Talen Stirling]

OoCYou're right. My bad! Her hand was cool when it squeezed his own, but comforting in spite of it. Perhaps she were not so hostile as she had at first let on, and her words about being part of Denval were kind. Suddenly she exploded, waved his drunks away and gave him a scorching look that made him feel like he shrunk in his seat. Her words stung even more than her eyes, yet the guilt he felt mixed with a tremor of pride and anger. She did not know him, and had no right to judge him like that. A faint echo of laughter was heard from the other table, but he didn't care much anymore. The bet was already mostly forgotten, the moment was much more important. "Who are you, to ask anything of me? I have never thought of backing down, and I never intended to. I've fought for Denval my whole life, I would never retreat." He spoke low, but with steeled determination. The memories of another man haunted his thoughts still, and he remembered sights never seen of others falling in the fight for his home. For some unknown thing, and himself carrying on in the name of duty despite all he had to loose. For a moment, he seemed to loose focus upon his companion, but then his eyes flickered back into focus. "And if you do not wish to drink, that is fine. I don't drink much anyway, any more." He tried a smile once again, although there was a hint of doubt to his look. His past self didn't drink, at least. Whether that meant Talen did not as well, was still to be determined.

[Sela]

He's a fighter, Sela noted satisfactorily, that's good.

"Of you, I know nothing. But I have seen many men on the path you have starting yourself down. Men who drown their sorrows in drink, companionship, or whatever will distract from their own troubles. I recognize the beginning signs well enough." With an infuriating dignity, Sela took her seat. She steepled her fingers and looked at Talen askance.

"But you might be different...perhaps. Perhaps...maybe you'll fight back. Hell, you might even come out on top if you do. That's not for me to decide...but, if your words are true and you won't retreat, I'd rather you not do it drunk." Sela tilted her head and smiled. It was a queer smile, almost ranging on kindness. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

Sela's eyes narrowed when Talen zoned out, trying to discern the cause of his narcotized state. Little use there, and she didn't want to call upon her sight again. She simply sat back and waited. The degtine at her elbow was ignored.

Talen's next words were dissected slowly, like an insect she wanted to examine. Sela's expression didn't so much as flicker when she heard the derisive laughs, though she did lean forward to once again place her lips near Talen's ear. "I don't care much for drink either," She breathed, "Did, at one point, but no longer. But the important thing is your buddies do. However, even in their inebriated state they know things over here aren't going well. So let'd do something to save your bet, hm?" Sela smiled once more and turned her head to face Talen more directly.

"How about some physical contact?" Sela raised an eyebrow, tapped her right cheek. "Right here, dear." She went on, content in her mysteriousness.

[Talen Stirling]

It was weird, the way she spoke. With an authority and experience that sounded as if she'd earned it. As if she knew things and held some knowledge and moral high ground. Talen was baffled, even more so with the memories of his own life interfering with his thoughts in the mess of things. He didn't feel comfortable, the way she seemed to be evaluating him as if he were nothing but an ainmal, a weapon or an object. Suddenly she leaned in close to whisper in his ear, her cold breath having him fighting an urge to shy away. Cold breath? She spoke swiftly and he had to agree, but when she leaned back his confused expression did not match his slow nod very well. She made her suggestion, and suddenly he grinned again. At least this he could understand, better than ominous words, no drinks and freezing breaths. He smiled rogueishly, then leaned in and moved his hand to cup her chin as gave her cheek a light kiss. Her cold was becoming a little eerie now, and as he leaned back a short way with a smile and spoke he couldn't help but wonder if he was feverish with these strange memories. Maybe that was why she felt so cold? "That has to be the strangest offering I've had in a while." He laughed, and ran a hand along his forehead and then through his hair to feel if he were sweating or warm. He found little answer there and shrugged it off. "I'm curious... What do you do? You must have some skill or occupation, if you can travel around on your own. Or do you have a companion with you?" He asked questions swiftly, curiosity spilling forth again as it always did when he forgot himself for a moment.