Flashback The Family She Never Knew

[Iselanda Snowsong]

Timestamp: 23, Summer, 511AV

Iselanda and her entire family were on their way to Sunberth for a reason unknown. She was just told to pack up and pack warm and she had no idea why until now. The sun was burning bright and she could wear her coat anymore. Holding it in her arms as the horses took her and her family into the town. The town was lovely and Iselanda was happy to get out, but it was hot and she wasn't used to the humidity. "How much longer?" The tired 18 year old cried.

Ninieth, her father, shook his head at the complaint leaving her mother, Celise, to explain. "Just a few more minutes." Iselanda let out a sigh and leaned against her mother's back. Her father was on the horse in front of them and was leading them to their destination. Everything was unfamiliar and she was starting to feel a bit sick from the hours on the horse.

Iselanda spotted a man on the ground close to them. She was more caring than her parents so she hopped off the horse and jogged over to him. "Iselanda!" Her mother cried, but that didn't stop Iselanda from going over to the man. The horses stopped and they stayed a good distance away. "Are you okay?" He didn't look okay, but it was general question, but then she realized that he might not speak Vani so she tried again in Common, but it was a bit rusty."Are okay you?"

Iselanda was a good distance away, but she was close enough for him to hear.

[Brossk]

Ears perking to the sounds of youth and age bickering, he recognized the language of Vani. He spoke it as well as she spoke common. If he concentrated enough, he could be very coherent.

"Aye, I'm fine, just needing to die..." Brossk spoke in disillusionment without lifting his face from the dirt. He was thirsty. Not for water, but more wine. Brossk had licked his dirt covered lips and sighed heavily. He then decided to sit up. He was going to do the only thing he knew how to do. Beg for support of his habits.

"You know you want to give m..." As he looked up at the girl, he saw his wife's youthful face. His face began to contract into pain. His furred face and clumps of dirty hair clung to tears he couldn't hold back. His shakey hands went up to touch her face, but felt he shouldn't touch such a graceful spirit.

He took in a breath of a sorrowful moan and spoke again, "I'm... I'm so sorry, Avilina..." He snorted again taking in his running nose as his lips quivered.

"Is... Is... Is Kirar back in the weave? Is she at peace yet? Oh gods... I'm so sorry I couldn't save you both in time..."

The broken man sat in the grass. His delusions were overpowering his reality. He took no notice of anyone else. Just the youth that looked like his beloved late wife.

[Iselanda Snowsong]

Iselanda didn't understand what was going on. He said he was fine, but thne started to ask her questions as if they knew each other. Who is Avilina and Kirir? She thought to herself. For a brief moment she was afraid he was going to touch her so she took a few steps back, but the man before her just cried. The 18 year old moved closer to him and crouched down before him.

He looked tired, lonely, scared, and hurt all at once. From her deep purples they changed to a deep blue. She felt sorry for the man before her and she needed to find a way to help. "Wait here," she said to him in Vani. She didn't know which language he understood, but Vani was easier for her to say.

Running back to her parents they tried to put her back on the horse, but she grabbed the water canteen and a cloth. She ran back to the hurt man in the grass ignoring the cries of her mother. "Here," she handed him the cloth to wipe the dirt off his face and the water because he seemed dehydrated. Iselanda crouched before him and was trying to read him and figure out who or what he was.

[Brossk]

He spoke again to her in Vani with a confused trembling as he took the cloth, "My love, I've lived eleven years without you... I don't understand... Why do you want me to live? I swore I'd never harm anyone again, I know... But... Oh Gods please..."

He was nearly in hysterics as he trembled drinking the water. His vision was beginning to uncloud, but the alcohol didn't allow a full recovery. He began to speak again in common.

"Muh love... Muh life... Please... Juss take me with ye..." He then began to see things much more clearly as the water rejuvenated his body drop by drop. Ninieth he remembered vaguely, but remembered his face. Celise he remembered never approved of his mutt blood. Brossk drew in a deep breath and straightened up a bit.

"Uncle Ninieth, aunt Celise... Nice seein' y'all again." His voice strained to sound somewhat proper. He turned to Iselanda with a small smile and apologized, "Ya know, ye grew to be lookin' like yer cousin Avilina. Ye grew to be a fine lookin' young lady. Innit she married yet?" He spoke as if trying to catch up on time that had quickly passed.

[Iselanda Snowsong]

Iselanda didn't respond to anything that he saw that had to do with is love. Her eyes were flashing between the deep blue and a bright pink. Her emotions were flipping from sad to scared and it was giving her a headache.

All at once he started to speak clearly, but in Common. It was easier to understand that speak. Her mother and father showed up behind her and helped the man up off the ground and Iselanda stood up. "Iselanda next time stay on the horse," her mother scolded, but Iselanda ignored her and kept her eyes on the man.

"Wish I could see the same for you Brossk," her father replied rudely. Iselanda hit him in his arm. She hated it when her parents were rude to people. It wasn't like them. "Cousin Avilina?" Her gaze shifted from the adults that stood before her. She doesn't recall having a cousin Avilina. Her mother and father were about to make up some story, but she wasn't in the mood.

The words about marriage rang through her ears and Celise was saddened. Iselanda was considered hopeless to her parents, but she still lives on. "No I am not ,but that isn't important." She wiped the sweat from her forehead before she continued. "Why don't you come home with us?"

Her parents couldn't protest. Once Iselanda wanted something she would do anything to get to it. They stayed silent and didn't even make eye contact with the man before them.

[Brossk]

Brossk was use to the tone of their voices. Their words cut him only at one point, but no longer. There was just too much emotional scarring for much in the way of words to hurt him anymore. Iselanda was persistent and head-strong in her demands to Ninieth and Celise, but Brossk was much too proud to accept an offer to go to a hollow home. He spoke again in the tounge that she could understand.

"I cannot go home yet, little snow dove. The shame I would bring would not be worth your trouble." Brossk's deep blue eyes were fixed on her ever turbulent changing eyes. He realized how much he missed his family and the only people to have not cast him out on his rear. His body shook from cold chills down his spine. He wasn't going to like the answer to his next question as he averted his gaze to Ninieth.

"Well, I also know you and aunt Celise here wouldn't leave Avanthal without a reason. What brings you here? Neither of you are traders, so I'm ruling that reason out. If you don't mind that is?"

He took in a breath and closed his eyes, awaiting the blows of the answer.

[Iselanda Snowsong]

Iselanda frowned as her eyes shifted away from a bright pink back into her normal purples. She was calm at the moment and was happy to have something besides her parents on this long road trip. It would have been nice to take him home and give him proper treatment, but it wouldn't happen. He didn't want to go. What shame?

"I do mind you asking, but we are just looking for a way to get Iselanda a suitor and Morwen sent us in this direction." Ninieth responded. Iselanda eyes were jet black as she looked at her parents. The time to get here and the time in the sun out have killed her and her family, but they so desperately wanted Iselanda to be married.

Taking deep breaths her eyes were a dark purple that was just on the verge of turning black. "Come with us to get more water and food. That way you can tell me about Avilina and Kirir." Celise looked as if she was about to faint, but she was going to get answers from someone.

[Brossk]

"I'll make a long story short, snow dove. Avilina and Kirar both have been brutalized and now I'm looking for ways to avenge them." Brossk's tone was stern and his gaze fixed on the youth. He finally stood tall and proud in all his stench and caked dirt. He felt the weight of the world as he wished to walk away. The few steps he took was the precise time it took his fogged mind to think about some things, namely the growling of his stomach.

With an exasperated sigh, he spoke again slightly defeated, "You know, I think I'll take you up on that. Only on one condition. I'm not going to Sunberth. Neither should any of you."

Maybe, he thought, this was the way the twisted fates of his life were meant to be spent. Trying to ward others from places of evil. And maybe, redemption can be obtained.

[Iselanda Snowsong]

Iselanda didn't like the mini story she heard about her cousin, but she wasn't getting anymore out of him. He was hurt and she wasn't going to pesture him. He stood up straight and started to walk away from them, but Iselanda knew better. Celise was trying to pull her away, but when Brossk turned around Iselanda moved closer to him.

He caved. Iselanda knew that her persistence would pay off sooner or later. Before her parents could protest, she agreed. Anything was better than what her parents had planned for her. "That's fine. Where should we go then?" She said overly excited. It's not everyday that you meet a cousin.

From where she was standing she didn't know the closet town or a place where they could stop and rest. She was tired and needed a break as much as the others. In an unfamiliar land she felt weak and vulnerable, but she was going to believe whatever her cousin said. Although he dirty and homeless he spoke the truth, unlike her parents.

[Brossk]

Brossk, thinking of anything away from Sunberth would be just great, began thinking of a caravan of entertainers that had stopped some hours away.

"There was a troupe of entertainers that way we could sit, eat their food and be entertained. On the flip side of this, uncle Ninieth, you could teach your daughter some skills to make her more desirable to suitors." Brossk stated with a wry smile. If they were going to hear anything, it seemed they would hear options to get their daughter into the arms of a capable man.

Brossk pointed east to the road in indication where they needed to go. "Aye, it be that way, if you all have time to rest." With these words, Brossk started to walk again in that direction and called back half jokingly, "I don't know if you remember, but I've always been afraid of horses to some degree. I must've had a past life where they didn't agree with me or something. I just don't know..."

Brossk kept speaking filling the air with humor that he was rusty in incorporating into conversation, and he would remain like this for the remainder of the trip.

"Come on now! Try and keep up!"