A Cold War (Ant)

[Aello]

Let him think he stands a little chance, her mind whispered as the girl continued down the length of the docks. Let him think that he could skin you, gut you. Hold your heart in his hand and squeeze. There was a pause. It has no matter, we both know the falsities in his thinking. Her feet hammering out a marching tune as she glided along wooden boards, slick with water's drippings. Its blackened ooze. For a time she moved in silence, and heard no more from the man. Thankfully, for with another word she surely would have flayed him. But there he was again, at the end of her path. Frustrated, she grit her teeth. "Just what are you doing here?" Aello asked. "Are you stalking in relative silence? Are there slavers to be feared?" She paused. "Or have you meant the shyke you spewed before, about chivalry not being dead?" She bent her legs at the knees then, and lowered her body onto her feet. Hunching before him, looking over the edge of the canal she spoke again. "Do you even know what it meants, Anthony?" Aello inquired. "The word known as chivalry?" There was a pause, as she awaited a reply. Her hands sliding forward as did her elbows, drawing over the length of her leg to the point where her appendages dangled. "What it takes to truly be chivalrous in a place like this?" she asked as she raised a single brow, and remained poised. Silent, and in wait. "If you do, venture to tell me. I am all ears," she said as a small smile crept across her lips. Wondering what he would say. If he felt safe enough to expose himself as either friend or foe.

[Antar]

He had crawled from the canal way a few moments ago, seeking to sit and simply converse with another man he usually saw on this route. A man selling warm baked bread at a cart. When Aello approached he kindly looked to her and nodded, a sign of politely acknowledging her presence before going back to his conversation with the cart seller. "Oh I do enjoy a nice pumpernickel sometimes, the texture of the seeded top is most enjoyable to the taste of the bread. I think I'll have..." He trailed off as Aello continued her spiel, oblivious to the fact that she was interrupting his friendly conversation. Not to be dismayed though he cast a quick glance over to her before revising his request, " two? Yes I think two will do. Here's four copper mizas, my good Sir." After the exchange was done he turned back to the chocolate eyed woman who was droning on and on about being all ears. That was a bit of a lie, at most Aello would have been all curves. Not ears. But then again, far be it for a man to correct a woman. So instead, Antar simply handed over a piece of bread and began to chew his own. Savoring the warm baked meal. He chewed, and nodded thoughtfully, unwanting to disrupt her questioning as he waited patiently till she was done. Taking a moment of suffused peace he calmly, yet somewhat exuberantly scoffed down the next peace, cocking his head to ponder a reply. ”Chivalry, can be defined as following a code of conduct, morals and mores, especially in the face of any adversarial stance making one wish to change such views. I have such a code, but I keep most of it to myself, lil' Lady. Though I do look out for those I consider friends.” Antar scratched his head a moment before finishing with a slight wink in the woman's direction, "What that means in regards to you, I guess we'll have to find out. For now, I'll be continuing my run. Why don't you ask me again if you see me later, hmm?” Taking a short sip from his water flask, he secured it on his belt and then turned down the road and began his trek once again. One foot in front of other as he moved at a sedate pace. Calmly jogging as he hummed a few bars of an incoherent melody. All in all, just enjoying the day. Whether or not she followed, that would be up to her. Of course, that didn't mean he would stop running into her at the oddest of times today.

[Aello]

Aello sighed as she took the piece of bread from him, and ripped a bite off with her teeth. She chewed thoughtfully as she watched him continue his jog. His form receding as it moved farther and farther away, and then rounded another bend. As soon as he was out of sight, Aello turned her head to the side, and spit the bread out. "What the petch is this shyke?" she asked, as she considered running after Antar, simply so she could throw it in his face. But that would be rude. And that would be a waste. Thus, she let it crumble between the tips of her fingers. Shards of bread falling onto the docks, where the birds would peck at it for the rest of the day. At least they'd like it. Or so she hoped, as she stood, staring after, and sighed. "That fellow sure is a peculiar one," Aello whispered into the wind as she padded away. _______________ The sun was beginning to go down. Little light reflected off the dusty windows, which lined the buildings of darkened alleyways. That which the huntress allowed herself to tread whilst in search of solace. Some time to herself. Scarce a single ray filtered through as the girl tread along, wondering what on earth to do now that the hour had grown late. Too late to venture into the Wildlands, and go for a hunt. Too late to do her job. Too late to go and find her companions, which, as far as she could tell, were far south of she. Aello sighed as she kicked at the debris. The city's rubble. "What a petching waste of a day this has been," she whispered, as she came to the conclusion that it'd be best simply to end it. To rid herself of the misery of its monotony by shoving some traveler's rations down her throat, before hitting the sack.

[Antar]

Eight hours Eight very long, very boring, yet abjectly interesting hours. That's how long he had to wait and watch the 'lil Lady ponder and work things out in her head. After he had left her way before noon, Antar continued his city wide trek of running. Mending a winding way about the canals of the city. Always going out of his way to be sure his path gave him at least a birds eye view of the byway where Aello had stopped. Eventually he had ground to a halt, huffing and puffing to a stop in an alleyway to stretch after the rest of the run had dried the water from his clothing. That had been the first hour. The second hour had been spent amused, pondering what was taking the woman so long to think about something. Of course he did not spend it idly. He took a few attempts at running towards a wall, only to hoist a leg up and onto its surface to let momentum carry him a few steps along the wall. He'd been getting better at running, and with Shai's help he'd slowly begin improving his techniques of acrobatics. Wall running would be a useful trick to master. If only he got the timing of the jumps and running right. A few times he fell, turning his body downwards to tuck his head into a shoulder roll. But after a moment of stretching or two he got back up to try again, it was still a wonder the woman was oblivious to the entire world. Two hours later and about his fiftieth attempt he had managed to run along the wall for at least five steps, going up and coming down in a crescent shape path as he fought against gravity's ever present pull. Only to stumble again on the last pushoff. Like any good person, he spent short breaks 'checking up' (or was it checking out?) the lithe little figure who still sat there, pondering as only ponderers could. What had unsettled a person so much that they could sit and think for three hours straight? Was Aello meditating? Or just thinking. He didn't know. For the fourth and fifth hour, Antar tried again, and again, practicing his wallrunning until he could get just to the sixth step to push off and hit the cobblestones of the alley running. He was happy he was making progress. Wallrunning was hard, and his muscles were straining. He moved and circled around to another alley, wondering if Aello was searching for someone in this city and suddenly had collapsed from shock, or perhaps depression. That would sorta fit, the girl had given him the impression she was a prissy little wild princess. Much like that Cara person back up in Avanthal. Never appreciative of a good source of food. Even if it wasn't 'high standard' enough. It seemed the young woman hadn't even liked bread , common fresh baked, warm bread from a seller who was reknowned around these parts of the city no less. Such a shame. Maybe she was a prissy thing after all? Well, maybe not as much as Cara was. But in terms of aello, it sorta fit too, just instead of "Overadorned with details such as ruffles and bows." Her personality seemed far too overadorned with details of attitudes , death threats, and strife. Shrugging he returned to the matters at hand and began a short cool down of stretching for the next thirty minutes followed by a set of squats to warm himself up from the lowering sun's chill. (He had realized he wasn't completely dry from his swim at this point, but no one needed to know about the status of his undrawers. Well... no one but Shai that was. But at least the squats were entertaining as he concentrated on his form. Knees at a right angle, back straight, proper posture. Ten squats in, he paused and took a dive back into pondering about the ponderer. Perhaps wondering what she was pondering about as he pandered to having a simple day. At least he'd get a good bit of exercise, and she wasn't moving anywhere. Certainly, as he kept a bored count he realized he beat his record of forty eight consecutive squats. A good exercise for bodybuilding. Pity there weren't weights here. So back to his observations he went, was Aello deficient, bored stupid, or just plain out of her mind? No, he didn't think so. She did seem a bit stubborn though. Was she a priss as he had thought? Or even a rude prude? Noth could see it in the way she held herself, thinking things for such a long time. Though if one took the old idea of a prissy person being a blend between prim and sissy... well she did not seem a sissy pants. (Though why was he having thoughts about her pants anyway? Shai would kill him.) But from what he observed she was certainly prim in her own way since she didn't seem to have much tolerance for things at all. It's okay to be prim, but not proper , so with all the cursing and threats out of the girl she certainly wasn’t proper. Still, for one whose mannerisms suggested common origins, the idea of not liking a common loaf of bread was kinda offsetting. Was it because she never had bread before. Something in his gut jumped to a conclusion, right or wrong. Perhaps it was the latent fragments of that persona of 'Aceren'; perhaps not, but Antar decided Aello had to be a wild child unknowing of any of the accoutrements of city's civilization. Maybe she was just shy and didn't know how to act? Poor creature. That was pitiable. Why had Aello been sitting all this long? So for the sixth hour he took a bit of wind sprints, going up and down the alley, glancing in her direction from time to time. Scanning the rooftops as he continued his watch, wondering if maybe she had keeled over or something. Perhaps it would be best to check on her health? The seventh hour, he practiced cartwheels and rolls for half of it, immersing himself in the playful memories he had as a street rat here amidst this horrid city before beginning to write things off. The last half hour he simply stayed and waited, taking a bit of pleasure in the burning ache of his muscles. A good day's conditioning was an excellent rarity. And one he needed to keep his strength up. Aside from little mysteries, the day seemed to be spent quite well on his side of things. By the eighth hour Antar was sure something might be wrong with the girl and began to jog a meanding path around the block before coming to pass right by her. Slowing down and jogging in place, he cleared his throat loudly, "Hey lil' lady lass, you've been here for quite awhile, you alright? Something the matter?" Maybe all she needed was a good friend? Or maybe just someone at the right place and the right time to listen?

[Aello]

Aello chewed on the last of her dried fruit rather thoughtfully, before swallowing it in one fluid gulp. Her ears prickling as she twisted her swan's neck, tousling her long mane of dark hair. She thought she could feel the drums shifting, changing their tune as vibrations reverberated through the canals. Forming the various syllables of each uttered word in a voice she thought deep, and growing too uncomfortably familiar. Muddied irises searched the alley, running up and down its length lazily until she found the one she sought: Antar. "No," the huntress responded simply, as her eyes settled on his own. "Nothing is wrong," she finished, as she lifted her right hand slowly. Twisting the limb so that her palm faced the sky. Gingerly, she furled each of her fingers, before releasing the pointer, allowing it to flick back and forth. Silently, she beckoned to him as a curious grin crossed her lips, and a sparkle leapt into her eyes. She was hoping to draw him a little closer, so that they may speak a tad more intimately. When he had either neared, or chosen to stay, Aello would speak again. "You think chivalry is still alive, Antar?" she asked, her words fluid, like water coursing over rock. "If that is so, why don't you prove it?" she asked, as vaporous tendrils rose from the cracks between the dock's boards, illuminating all that had until recently, remained unseen. "Why don't you do something, that will make us both so very pleased?" Aello inquired, as her grin widened into something cruel, and yet, so very amused. Leaving it up to the rogue himself, just how they would both proceed. OOCSorry for the delay, I don't have internet at home. Also, sorry this isn't the best.

[Antar]

Ah the beauty of feminine wiles , Antar thought as he smiled at Aello's little 'come hither' game. He was intrigued enough to close the distance, only to the point where he could politely nod and listen as she spoke. When she offered her 'challenge' of sorts, Antar let a winsome smile cross his face slowly shaking his head from side to side. Moving slowly, the rogue reached up to grasp her hand, turning it over slowly in order to bow and lay a kiss upon the back of her hand before straightening up to his full height to stare Aello directly in the eyes. His voice took on a velvety lilt as he spoke softly, as if his reply was meant to her ears alone and her ears alone, despite them both being out in a very public place. "I'm sorry, Lil' Lady. But chivalry is not needed to be proven if it still exists. For some who partake of it ; in one of it's myriad number of forms, it is like a passion; a passion fueled by the stalwart will of a soul that might be broken, beaten, albeit destroyed, and yet still remains unbound by its tormentors." He stared at her, "You say that I should prove that Chivalry still lives? I say it does. Can proof of it be garnered so easily if it's still around us? Sadly, in my opinion it may be that it does not. Perhaps it goes away only to return in the most dire of times? How else could one explain the rumors of those who have resisted the Ebonstryfe beyond their very last breaths? Who've resisted killing another person even if it is to save themselves? No, chivalry by very definition cannot die, only some might say it can depart and return every once in a while. Though it should not be confused with manners or compassion for compassion's sake. Chivalry, might even not be one set form of ideals, but it is a matter of being beholden to those ideals. To letting such ideals govern one's way of life. To truly have proof, as you say, of 'chivarly' and recognizing it in another, one must truly be able to say that they have lived it first. Perhaps it can be seen as an impetus for an action, and the accounting for the times it flees is not explained? But to say it is not in existence, or to ask such a question by itself is telling; is it not?" He gave the girl a rather inquisitive look, "To say that another should prove something only hints at the deficiencies, no perhaps it would be better to say the lack of something that is within one's own life. What has you so jaded then, Lil' Lady?" His eyes watched her body, and tried desperately to ponder where she was going with this train of thought, or conversation. Had she truly wasted the entire day thinking about how to glean proof of something that was substantial yet perhaps difficult to be measured? What truly was the woman's angle here?

[Aello]

Aello pulled her hand away from him, as her muddied irises hardened. Staring daggers at a man she felt as though she shouldn't get to know all so well. "Chivalry doesn't simply exist because you say it does," she growled under her breath. The words seeping through tightly clenched walls of marbalized white. Glistening with saliva. "As far as anyone in this city may be concerned, it doesn't exist at all. Stranger to these parts, who seems to know little of what truly goes on, although he boasts of knowing a great deal." She smiled wickedly, "which is precisely why you were asked to prove your damned point." She leaned back, positioning herself close to the wall. "Suffice it to say then, since you won't that you know the falsity of your speech. Chivalry doesn't exist, and you're simply some pathetic outlandish creature." Aello folded her arms over her chest then, as her eyes glimmered with a hint of amusement, and perhaps something more. Danger? Anger? Frustration? "Pity," Aello wore on. "Considering how you talk, you'd had one to believe we were on the same side. That we could both gain something this very night." She fell silent a moment as the moon's light shifted, dancing across her features alongside shadow and the emotions she displayed. "Nothing has got anyone jaded, dear Ant, except perhaps, for you." Again she paused, as her lips curled into a knowing smirk and her fingers fell. Save for a single, which pointed to the building across from where they now stood. She'd leave the appendage standing for a time, until he had hopefully, caught sight of it, and where it was directed. "Do you know that structure Antar?" Aello asked. The words gliding out easily, like a bird flying through quiet air. "Do you know who it belongs to? What it contains? The secrets it holds?" she inquired as she took a step closer to the seemingly cautious man, helping to close the gap that rested between them. "Or do you remain in the dark? As you do with so many other things?"

[Antar]

For a very brief moment, a very brief one. Antar's facade cracked. His eyes were hard now, serious. He didn't look like an immature, cocky bastard anymore. He looked older. Much more mature then the persona of an idiot, even. His face was as serious as could be. Wordlessly, he crossed his arms and shook his head. Stunned by the sheerest type stupidity that was far more ingrained then anything he had ever seemed to profess amidst the damnable fools of this city. The stupidity that was culminated by one who thought they held all the answers, and the right to judge others. Then the persona reaffirmed itself in a smattering of a second or two. If she was observant she might catch it, but only if she wasn't as self satisfied. The rustle of his shadowsilk robes was muffled as he stretched languidly. Muttering just loudly enough, as if rebuking her. "The only real clueless ones are those who betray their hand before they fully know the lay of the land. You certainly don't seem to be ingrained in any struggle for this place. Not even if a so called, 'stranger' would think such words would belie that of the Rising Dawn. Something which one should be careful about even mentioning. For in this city, I'll admit has changed much since I was here last as a child. I can assure you though I am neither stranger, in the home of my upbringing but nor am acquainted well with recent... additions. Even though I left it at an early age I have only recently returned. And my dear lil' Lady, I'm afraid the most pathetic one here is you to simply assume falsity. In Ravok, everything is a matter of subterfuge and false guises. However, even chivalry can exist on the most innermost layers. You asked a question , your fault was not knowing the answer was a verbal riposte, a feint to satisfy your curiousity and deflection of an actual answer. You asked something I would only prove or show a friend of which you are not woman. You are simply a stranger to me with far too much anger, pride, and prejudice to admit the truth when something troubles you." He cocked his head to the side once, as his manner became assured, "Yet through more blustering then I have been putting on jovial airs: the fact is woman, your very words belie insecurity, treachery, doubt, and deceit in measures of what is spoken that does nothing about what is unspoken. For it is the unspoken which holds far more import. You are a waspish shrew, for all your potential that I have merely glimpsed here you still insist on playing more games then a child finds to amuse themselves. But then again, such a manner of being would face far too much pride then ask for help. Instead of simply asking and talking about your problems to gain an ally you instead let your anger, or at least your scorn, govern your actions towards me before and even now not seeing beyond that which you and everyone else is encouraged to see." What was left unsaid, was that perhaps, just perhaps if Aello had opened up a little more then these words spoken now would be unnecessary. Had they stopped for a moment and shared their thoughts, they might have found that each held the solution for the others' problem. Then, not even a full hour later, they'd have stormed whatever was troubling her together. That would have been the beginning. In the end, she would accomplished her goal and he would have been ever the richer for finding a kindred spirit. Years later, they could have joked about how different things might have been if not for two total strangers meeting in some freakishly impossible coincidence and deciding to ask for advice and then offering help with each other's personal problems. Unfortunately they weren't telepathic, and though Noth knew it not they were both to introverted to ever consider spontaneously unburdening their hearts to somebody they'd only just met. So none of that happened. In fact the conversation now teetered on a precipice fully of Aello's making. A precipice which may or may not have Antar storm off, wiping his hands of the woman for good who seemed only capable of bringing trouble. But the rogue, and that damned personality fragment of Aceren would propel him to try one last try and if Aello was as capable of auristics as she was and was watching she might see the shifting of patterns as the fragment of the persona fought with Antar's mental reckoning as his more mercenary nature came to the fore. At very least she would see signs of some form of hypnotic induced damage that was altering his thoughts and emotions like's a ghosts pattern over his aura, as if part of a second being inhabited portions of his mind. If only she could see, she might determine the truth. Something was warring within Antar beyond the faint emotional swings she had seen today. Something that was engendered to force his current mentality to regulate his view of her into either a 'potentially useful' category, the 'better off dead' category, or the one he was leaning towards the 'not ever worth my time' again. He chucked his chin towards the docks building Aello was pointing at, the serious tones coming back into his features as the smiles and cheer vanished just as simply as they appeared. "Gods bedamned only know why you're pointing a finger at the Healing Hand, a front of a domicile owned by the city to 'heal' the poor unwashed masses and keep them enslaved to the Black Sun if they're useful. So I'll be blunt: You obviously want in there, and need help. Beyond other things I have been a mercenary and I do possess a certain 'code' that I complete whatever job is taken. Since you're definitely not in the current 'friend' category you'll have to pay for my services even if before I would have vetted them for free if you were not so selfishly enthralled with your own sense of rightousness that it's got your head up your pretty little arse and trying to pretend your farts don't smell like shyke. So what's your starting offer or should I just walk away now?" Stepping backwards to put some distance between them he crossed his arms and waited, just watching the girl for an answer.

[Aello]

As the final words left his lips, Aello tossed back her head. She could feel her chestnut colored lockes trickling down the knobbed curvatures of her spine. The frayed edges tickling her bare flesh as her eyes found the night sky. A blanket of blank dotted with the occasional silver star. Slowly, pale lids fluttered, covering muddied irises. Blocking all from view as her lips parted and an amused chuckle escaped her lips. The sounds echoing through the small wind tunnel the buildings had created. Rippling across the lake that dotted either end, where the canal truly began once more. A pearl colored wall crafted of the finest marble glistened with a new rainfall. They sparkled in the moon's light as she allowed her laugh to escape. Her hands to hold her belly a moment before she shut all. Returned her hands to her side, and lowered her gaze. Opened her eyes to truly see him once more. The fool who thought he could charge her. The fool who thought he could get to know her, and be of any sort of service to her. She smiled wickedly then, as a cruel glimmer leapt into her eyes. "Oh Antar, how little you truly know," Aello taunted. "Of this place. Of that. Of the people that rest here. Of those that died here." She fell silent a moment as her hands fell over her thighs. Idly brushing over the hilts that rested just beneath the folds of her smile cotton dress. "Of me." The huntress took a single step forward. Slow, measured. Menacing and precise. Deadly in as much. "You see Antar, people like me don't need people such as yourself to do anything for them. They don't need weaker minds, weaker bodies, to carry out their will," Aello chuckled. "Because we are far more capable of doing everything ourselves. And so we shall." Again, she stepped closer, and then around. Twisting her swan's neck around, so that her gaze was always settled upon his icy own. "I wouldn't forget that if I were you," the girl whispered into the stirred winds. Carrying her words to deaf ears, where they fluctuated, and then fell away. Reverberating into silence against the drums. In the back of the mind; the chambers of the heart. "Just in case we meet again, you should remember." "You shall never be paid for your less than adequate service," Aello began. "If anything, you'd be begging for another's." Her lips curled into an evil crueler grin as she turned her head back around, and fell silent for a moment. "Do try and dodge the dagger aimed at your back," she whispered after a while, without bothering to turn and face him. As she sauntered away, into the shadows. Easily lost within a minute. To the night. To his prying eyes. But perhaps, not in his thoughts. The back of his mind. OOCThis seems like a good place to wrap things up. Feel free to post again, or simply, turn the thread in, and mayhaps, we can begin part two.

[Antar]

While the darkness was settling in, Aello made a grave mistake with her words. Before she receded into the shadows, to Aello's ears would come the somewhat mocking cry, "Shame that you think coin would be my price, my dear lil' lady of the Prickly Kind. Go ahead and run, run like you must have before. Perhaps one day you might accept the gravest coin to pay another is not blood, nor sweat, nor tears, but the sheer stark honesty of truth about yourself. I have no use for allies who are deceitful with themselves, especially when that is when another person is needed most of all. Tis' truly a pity you are set in a mold you cannot break. " He turned from her, uncaring if their was a dagger aimed at his back or not. For now, he had made his points, and they had been left unheeded. Unheeded by a foolish waspish woman who would only serve to annoy him further if he remained in her presence. Yes, Antar for all his brashness and observances of the wild child for once was being honest. Honest in the knowledge that Aello was dishonest in herself. Honest in the fact that he pitied the fraudlien. Honest in the fact that no matter how strong her skills, or her body, her will; her spirit was weak. Formed from a core of broken fragments , no matter how strong, no matter what luster, there would always remain a single point of weakness that would shatter such individuals. He knew he possessed his own such shatterpoint, Aello did not have the benefit of that knowledge. That was the difference between them. For her, it was like she thought she had no weakness, and eventually, in a time of weakness that would be her undoing. The reason she would fall into Dira's embrace. Noth only hoped he was not present on that day, for despite the troubles he could sense that she might bring to him in the future, he would still strive to keep her alive. Purely out of spite so he might try to break through the oppressive facade which she seemed to cling too like a babe clinging to their mother's teat. With a sigh, his footsteps walked away, not looking back at the woman he regarded as the worst of fools. A fool with strength with as of yet no acceptance of their limitations. Dismissing the woman from his mind, his thoughts turned back towards his own troubles as he began to calculate what was needed for him to continue gaining more information about where the Stryfe might have taken Shai's child. That was where his duty lay now. ~The End.