The Runaway Bride? (Eris)

[Kamrynn Sleightyr]

As much as Kamrynn hated taking his eyes off his charge, he didn't dare intrude upon whatever private items a lady such as Vanessa would surely pack. He blushed at the idea, then shoved the thoughts from his head. "Certainly. Eris, I'll leave her to you. " He straightened his posture, attempting to look as valiant as possible, then added. "I'll keep watch, you two holler if you should need me."

He moved to a position near the front door where he could keep an eye on the path leading to the cottage.

Vanessa darted to the kitchen table to light a candle. She shot a quick look over her shoulder at Eris, then lifted the light and turned. "Shall we go?" She asked, reaching behind her back to snatch up another small cooking knife that had been laying idly on the dining table. She secretively tucked it into her garment while heading up the stairs.

When they reached her room, she closed the door and whirled around to face Eris, her countenance was all business now -there wasn't a shred of the innocent little girl she had played for Kamrynn's benefit.

"Ok. What's going on?" She demanded, her hand clutching the knife in her pocket behind her.

[Eris]

“Do put that thing away – you look positively vicious,” said Eris, wrinkling her nose at the knife clutched in the woman’s hand. She made no move to draw her own weapon, well aware of the fact that one shouldn’t agitate a rabid wolf.

“It’s quite simple, really. That man will take you to the Sylirian Knights and they will have no qualms with executing you. Sure, he might seem honest and trustworthy and I’ve no doubt that he is, but at the moment he most likely has no idea of the Knights’ intentions. So, be going with him, you’ll be going to your death. I, on the other hand, am offering you a chance at life. You’ll come with me to the Iron Hands and they’ll work out a deal with you,” Eris said, folding her arms across her chest and trying to project a relaxed, casual air.

[Kamrynn Sleightyr]

Vanessa sighed, sized Eris up one last time, then set the knife down on a nearby night stand. It wouldn't have done much good, she knew that if the woman before her wanted her dead, the knife would have done little good.

Eris' word's rang true, and she listened intently until Eris had finished. "I don't seem to have much choice." She said tersely. "Both sides want to collect a debt from me, and would be happy to see me dead; but I know that the Knights will want nothing less than blood -perhaps the Iron Hands would be willing to accept more coin, instead? In ample supply of course."

She sat down on the bed. "That still leaves us with the problem of your pet knight downstairs. I assume you've fed him some elaborate lie, but I doubt you can talk him into what you've got in mind..." A smile tugged at her lips. "I suppose we'll just have to slit his throat while he's sleeping tonight." The idea was delicious to her, and she tugged absent mindedly at one of her dark curls in her hair.

[Eris]

It appeared to Eris that the woman had a rather disconcerting zest for killing. Not that Eris couldn’t relate at some level, but the predatory way in which Vanessa smiled still sent a shiver down her spine.

“I see you derive great enjoyment from slitting throats, but I would rather avoid that. The last thing I need is all of Syliras’s Knights after me for murdering one of their own. And in any case, when would we have the chance to kill him? It is far from night and unless you can think up some brilliant way to keep him here for the rest of the day, your plan is moot,” she said, raising an eyebrow.

[Kamrynn Sleightyr]

Vanessa sighed. "I'm afraid I do see the logic in your words, though if the opportunity presents itself..." She grinned devilishly. "I simply don't see any other way; I'm certain the Iron Hands have given you a location where you are to bring me - or bring news of my death- and I can only assume that this location is outside of Syliras. I will not be walking through those gates, because the knights own that town. I don't care what the Iron Hands want to believe, they have no power within those walls."

As she spoke she began packing a few items into her travelling bag. There wasn't much packing to speak of; she had left Syliras in an awful hurry. "So if we don't kill him, how do you propose we get our young knight to go along with not returning me to Syliras, but delivering me to the Iron Hands?"

[Eris]

“I will speak to him. If that doesn’t work, then I will kill him,” she said, turning around on her heels. As she opened the bedroom door, she added, “And stay put, won’t you. Remember, I’m your only chance.”

She descended the staircase slowly, checking the dagger hanging at her belt before she came into full view. She was ready for a fight if it came to that, but she would much rather that it didn’t it. That is, the rational part of her mind told her that she didn’t want to kill the man. But the blood was boiling in her veins told her that otherwise.

She spotted the knight standing there, looking very honorable and heroic. She’d hate to burst his bubble now…

“May I ask you something, Kamrynn?” she asked, leaning on the banister as she stopped at the bottom step. “What do you value more – a promise or justice?”

[Kamrynn Sleightyr]

The air was clean and the sun was blazing. Kamrynn was feeling good, finally knighthood was going the way he had imagined; he wasn't patrolling the boring streets of Syliras, he wasn't dragging rowdy drunks from the bars to sleep it off -he was out in the wilderness and he had rescued a maiden most fair. Life couldn't get better.

Until a crimson haired storm cloud descended the stairs.

The knight swallowed hard. Something about her tone told him something was amiss, and the question itself made him feel uncomfortable. He'd been struggling with it for hours without any sort of resolution, and now...

He turned to face Eris. The young woman was leaning against the railing. Her meaning was hard to read, but her expression was calm and collected and very business like. Terrifyingly so.

"Well," He fumbled, running a hand through his hair. "I would like to think that I wouldn't ever have to pick between the two." Eris' glare made it perfectly clear that his cop out of an answer was unacceptable. "But... I'm a man of my word, and would strive 'til my death to honor any oath I had made. I say a promise is more important."

Now for the part he was sure he would hate. "Why do you ask?"

[Eris]

“Is that so?” she asked, her voice acquiring a steely undertone. She regarded him for a few seconds, staying completely still as her eyes bore into his.

“That’s most unfortunate. You see, your answer doesn’t agree with my goal and that really is most unfortunate,” she drifted closer to him as she spoke, her eyes never leaving his. She made no sudden moves, didn’t even attempt to reach for her dagger.

She stopped a few feet away from the knight. One last try. “You wouldn’t want to see an innocent woman condemned for a crime she didn’t commit, would you, Kamrynn? Certainly, her life is more important than a promise,” she said quietly.

[Kamrynn Sleightyr]

Kamrynn almost backed away from Eris' piercing stare. Oh, how he wanted to, but somehow he stood his ground. Her small figure and charming beauty were but a disguise that she wore. The woman before him now was more deadly than anyone he had ever faced. She was clever, cold and calculating. Heartless, even.

"Of course it isn't!" Kamrynn refuted. "I would never allow Lady Vanessa -or any innocent- to come to unjust harm! You've misread me, I meant to say that I've sworn my protection to the girl; both to her father and to The Lady herself! I intend on defending her, be it from slavers, thugs or... knights."

Kamrynn was more conflicted and confused than he had ever been in his life; he longed for a ranking officer to tell him what to think, to make sense of the web of intrigue and the lies and to tell him what was right and just and what to believe.

But there were no other knights. There was only him. He wasn't the smartest knight around, and he was far form the most worldly. But he knew what was in his heart.

Eris stood watching him in silence, her eyes keen, her stance was fluid and loose, like a cat ready to pounce. The distances between them were close; her dagger would be at a plus, but his short-sword cut out a lot of the advantage she would have had he been wielding a full sized weapon.

Who was he kidding? Even with his armor and a sword, his chances were slim. He didn't have the heart to try and kill her, but she wouldn't think twice about cutting him open.

He grit his teeth. "Hear me out. I don't want one of us to have our blood spilled here today, because I know we're after the same thing: Vanessa's safety. I wish I could say that the knights would find Vanessa innocent, but in truth, I am not certain what their verdict would be. If there were any way for me to collect proof of her innocence, I would face any danger to do so...

"So, before we have to do this, tell me, what do you propose be done?"

[Eris]

Eris watched coldly as the knight muddled about his words. She almost felt bad for him. He seemed terribly young right then, but she knew that he couldn’t have been much older than her. And why did she feel the need to make allowances for him when nobody had made any for her?

almost snorted when he said that they were both after Vanessa’s safety. As if she even cared what happened to that murderous viper.

“There is no proof that could ever be collected – not in the face of the accusations that stand against Vanessa. And your beloved knights won’t blink an eye at chopping off her head. But, if you say you are willing to protect her even from your own colleagues…” Eris said, pretending to weigh her decision before speaking. “You could let me take her to a safe place, where she will be among friends. And you’ll return to Syliras empty-handed. Would they really be that surprised at your failure?”