Closed What the Heck did you do to my Aeries?!?(Turrin)

[Drusilla]

1st of Fall 514AV Drusilla stoked the fire near the entrance of Turrin's aeries all the while humming happily to herself. It had taken her what felt like forever but she had finished her project. She'd been redecorating Turrin's aeries... Maybe redecorating was too strong of a word to use. Upon her arrival Drusilla had found Turrin's to be nothing more but a shell of a living space. A wave of sad nostalgia hit her as teenage memories came to her mind...Kaya..... This aeries had once been beautifully furnished and full of life. But after the death of both his mother and sister, Turrin had given up caring for the place letting the corners fill with cobwebs and loose leaves cover the floor. Perhaps... it just hurt too much to keep it as it had been. She found the old furniture to be in good shape once she had finally located it. Along with the help of some of her dek acquaintances and working into the night, they had gotten it done. A complete overhaul. The once bare walls and leaf scattered floors were now covered in the renovated rugs and tapestries. The old furniture polished and buffed new, with any small cosmetic problems such as tears or loose beads were taken care of and fixed. Finally all of the rooms were once again lavishly decorated, except for one. The very room that the Symenestra herself was occupying. Turrin, whom Drusilla often referred to as brother, had on multiple occasions told her to move to his home for safety's sake. After the rioting that had taken place last winter Drusilla had taken up his offer, moving from her living space in the common to what in years long past had been Kaya's room. However Drusilla had found her brother hadn't really been home in months. Had it been the horrid winter? Most who would talk to her said he hadn't been seen much in seasons, her heart and stomach dropped in fear. What if something had happened to him? No, she quickly pushed that thought from her mind. Turrin had endured much worse, he was fine. Today the watchtowers had declared it fall and a chilly breeze blew through the trees as if to confirm it. Drusilla prodded the fire some more only to hear the door to the aeries (which was now adorned with a wreath made of a single vine which twisted within itself) open. It appeared her brother was finally home. A noise from the eagle's quarters proved it to be Turrin and Aponivi. They were home. Only now the awkwardness of talking to Turrin bubbled up in her stomach. It had been almost a year sense their accidental fling on her birthday. For some reason the incident was still fresh in her mind and she had no idea why. Drusilla wondered if Turrin felt the same or perhaps even worse, he HAD slept with a Symenestra. The enemy of his ancestors. She bit her lip... Maybe taking up Turrin's offer was a bad idea. Putting on her best smile and turned to the entryway, "Welcome home Turrin!"

[Turrin]

Dismounting from his saddle, Turrin was in a foul mood because his hunt was a complete failure. The endal had miserable luck in his hunting trips before, but he just spent the last three days in a rain soaked valley eating nothing but soggy rations. Turrin wanted to cut the trip early, but the rain was coming down hard, so they couldn't fly back to Wind Reach till the rain stopped. The endal had dealt with rain before, but the wind was coming from the north, so it brought with a cool temperatures and rain from ocean. With the humidity and cool air made it almost impossible for him to keep warm out in the wilderness. Starting a fire was a pain in the arse too, he literally had to keep all his fire wood under his tarp for the majority of the trip. However, with the constant rain, the ground was wet under the tarp, so the tarp was useless. All in all, Turrin just wanted to curl up next to his fireplace with a bottle of wine and blanket. When his feet touched the ground, Turrin looked up and noticed the Aponivi's aeries was different somehow. There was a giant mirror on one wall and beautiful glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The half myrian stared in amazement at the cleanliness of the wind eagles living space. The endal was shocked to see no dust bunnies tumbling across the floor, and the second thing was lack of cobwebs in the corner. Turrin was tempted to name the spiders, but he decided that he didn't want to seem crazy around Drusilla.

Turrin looked over at Aponivi and asked with a dumbfound grin on his face, “Aponivi, are you sure this is the right aeries? You didn't land us in the aeries next to our home did you?”

Aponivi was already looking at himself in the mirror and responded, This is Drusilla's handy work Turrin. Are you just noticing the changes now? It has been two seasons since she moved in with us!

Since the start of the warmer seasons, Turrin had taken it upon himself to avoid Wind Reach like the plague. The food riots during the winter season left the endal disenfranchised with the Inarta society in general. Because of the way the upper castes treated the lower castes, and the brutality of the lower caste shock him to the core. During the winter season, Turrin was on guard duty, so he had to face off with some of the biggest jerks Wind Reach had to offer. During the riots a lot of the full blooded Inarta hated the fact that the a half-breed was keeping the peace in their city, so their was a lot of pent up resentment aimed towards him after the riots. Also to make matters worse, Turrin was considered a monster to the lower two castes because of the nasty rumor that he was sacrificing Dek's hearts to Myri during the riots. It was completely untrue except for Tyell incident. Turrin figured after the riots someone found the body of Tyell and started the rumor after what they seen. All in all, it made it hard for him to stay outside the city, so he took on every assignment outside of the city.

Walking across the room, Turrin got to the door and opened it. When he walked inside the living room, the endal mouth dropped at the amount of decoration in the living room. Turrin noticed that there was tapestries, colorful fabric all over his tan stone walls, and large area rug covering most of the stone floor. The fireplace was devoid of ash and debris, but he noticed a pile of cushions off the side. He wasn't quite sure why Drusilla put them there, but he figured he could just ask the white haired symenestra. Suddenly, Turrin heard Drusilla's voice welcoming him home. The endal stared at the symenestra for a moment trying to figure out the what to say to her since it had been almost half a year since they spoken since the winter. For most of the year, Turrin focus was caught up in his work and a glassblower woman named Syveris. It didn't leave him much time for Drusilla, and he wondered if his white haired friend resented him for it. Drusilla was good at hiding her feelings, so if she was hurt, he wouldn't have known either.

Drusilla looked different in his eyes. Since her birthday last fall, Turrin had a hard time figuring out his feelings for his childhood friend after their drunken fling together in Thunder Bay. A part of him wanted just to stay friends, but another part of him enjoyed the warmth of her body next to him. It was confusing to say the least, so he decided to keep his feelings to himself. Turrin looked around the room and said with a soft laugh, “For a moment, I started to wonder if this was my home...” Walking out into the living room, Turrin looked around the room, back to Drusilla, and said with a smile, “You definitely breathed some life into the aeries. What is with all the colored cloth on the wall? Is it a symenestra thing?” The half-myrian wished that he muster a better greeting to his friend, but he kind of was lost for words after seeing the changes to his home.

[Drusilla]

Drusilla could only laugh at Turrin's face, "Yes, yes, this is your aeries go open the door and see for yourself. Breathed some life! Turrin, dear brother this place was a shell of a home when I came in here! Have you any idea how long it took to find where you had hidden the old furniture? Or how many deks it took to help me get this place looking like this?" She waved her hands around, one still holding the poker for the fire. "And yes, the walls and floors seemed too bare so I brought in some Kalinor decorating ideas." "Does Aponivi like his mirror? Small pet birds enjoy looking at their refection and well a bird is a bird, big or small. I figured he'd enjoy it all the same as if he was a sparrow. I also found new lights and noise makers for him. I hope he enjoys it." She was proud of what she had done. "Now come on! Let's have a look at the other rooms!" She tugged at Turrin's arm keeping the poker in her other. She had forgotten about holding the poker as her focus was else where. Having no intention of putting the hostage poker back, it became her own little iron wand/pointer. "Unless you need to warm up, then pull up a cushion by the fire and warm your toes." She pointed the poker toward the pillows and cushions. "But, I have surprise after surprise for you!"

[Turrin]

When the symenestra laughed at him, Turrin could only look away in embarrassment at the sorry state of his home. It wasn't like he wanted to neglect his aeries, but he would rather spend time outside the city than be haunted by the memories of the past. The only bright spot in his life was his friend Drusilla. As he watched his beautiful his friend explain the changes to his aeries, he couldn't help himself from smiling. The pale woman cared about him enough to clean up and remodel his disaster of home. Turrin just wished that he could show his gratitude for the woman's kindness, but the guilt from what he did during the riots ate at his soul. He could barely look at himself in the mirror. Let alone look at the woman that he was falling in love with. When Drusilla called him brother, Turrin body went ridged for a moment when he realized that their childhood game of being “brother and sister”were shattered last fall on her birthday. Everyone knew brothers and sisters don't sleep with each other, and he knew this event would forever change there life.

The endal tried to walk closer to the spider woman, but the symenestra was absentmindedly swinging around the metal fire poker around her. He decided to lean up against the door frame as he waited for her to stop swing around her deadly instrument. When she asked if Aponivi like his mirrors, Turrin said with a laugh, “I think the mirror is a nice touch, Dru. However, I might want to expand his aeries because I doubt that it will be big enough to fit his giant ego...” When she grabbed his arm and tugged him into the next room, the endal just shook his head, no to the cushions, and let himself be lead by the Drusilla. The myrian knew that he needed to talk to her, but he was having trouble finding the words especially while she showed him the new home that she built for them.

As Turrin was being pulled into the next room, the endal felt sick to stomach when he realized that everything that he owned was paid for with blood. He could still feel the Dek's heart in his hand when he cut it out of his body. He still remembered the taste of the raw flesh when he took a bit out of it. How could he call himself a Inarta when he surrendered to his myrian side so quickly. Maybe Drusilla should have ran when she first met him. Maybe it would be better for Drusilla and Wind Reach if he just went back to Taloba since he was a monster. Suddenly, Turrin took his arm away from Drusilla's grip and said abruptly, “Drusilla stop! We need to talk...”

Running a hand through his burgundy hair, Turrin golden eyes stared into her eyes and said gently, “I can't keep playing this childhood game of us being brother and sister, so please stop calling me your brother. After last fall, I don't think I can ever call you sister anymore. Besides, I doubt that I even deserve to call you friend after what I done during the riots...”

As Turrin stared into her eyes, a part of him wished that he never opened this door. He always tried to hide his myrian side from the rest of Inarta society, but he couldn't anymore. He was as much myrian as he was a Inarta. He knew that he thirsted for the glory of Myri even if he lived in Wind Reach. He knew during the riots that he sacrificed a Dek for a glory of Myri and himself. He doubt the peaceful symenestra would want to be associated with a bloodthirsty savage like him.

[Drusilla]

Drusilla stopped and leaned on the poker, "Giant ego or not, he still is a great debate partner. I've been thinking of teaching him some board games, like checkers. He could move the pieces with his beak and he's certainly smart enough to learn..." Yes, Drusilla enjoyed debating with the Eagle or even just discussing things of complexity with him. She found he made good points over things and seemed to enjoy the company and conversation. "Ah that reminds me! I have some new riddles for him!" She stopped abruptly, "Jeeze, I can change things around in here if don't like them!" She scrunched up her face. "No need to act so serious over decor issues!" Drusilla hadn't expected what came next, "Wait, wha? Oh. That. I just assumed we got drunk and things.... happened. Besides you have what's her name." She turned away fiddling with the poker in hand. "Besides, I'm happy as long as you are happy Turrin!" She put on her best false smile and turned back. "We made a blood oath, I won't call you brother but our blood is still bound to one another! The riots? We all did strange things during them, it's no big deal." She sighed, "Look you can pour your heart out to me after I show you around, okay?" She gave him a look that begged 'please?'. Drusilla opened the door to the living area. Chairs and carved stone couches were covered in fabric, tapestry hung from the walls, and rugs adorned the floor. End tables were scattered among the chairs each adorned with a figure, glass art, or a bowl of fruit. A large dining table with four chairs had even found it's way into the once empty room. With a smile and a finger over her mouth she prepared to pull him into another room.

[Turrin]

Turrin was dumbfounded that Drusilla just blew off their night of passion like it was just another day at the archery range. The myrian was kind of hurt, but he decided to drop it because she didn't seem to be interested in a romantic relationship. It understandable if she wanted to be friends. The myrian frowned sadly when she brought up Syveris. Turrin hasn't heard the glassblower since the riots. He wasn't sure if she was dead or alive, but the endal assumed that she was dead because she just seemed to disappear off the face of Wind Reach. He would have asked Syveris closest friend Azira, but the hunter seemed the hate the very ground the endal walked on. He doubted that he would ever get a straight answer out of that bitter woman. Since it was over a season since he talked to Syveris, Turrin finally decided to admit sadly to Drusilla, “I think Syveris died in the riots. She has been gone missing for over a season now, so I think there is a good chance that Dira took her home...”

Turrin surrendered to Drusilla's whim because she clearly was focused on showing the new improvements to the aeries. The myrian followed her in the living room and the endal's mouth dropped at the improvements the Drusilla did to his home. The state of his home when he left was in dire straits, but the symenestra seemed to restore it to it's original state. The endal walked into the middle of the room, directly to the fireplace, knelt down in front of it, and placed his hands in front of the fireplace. The endal looked over his shoulder at the beautiful woman standing in his living room and teased, “I never knew the fireplace worked? Hmm...maybe I can cook a squirrel in it now?"

Turrin stood up, walked around the room, and looked at the colorful tapestries, candle holders, and other assorted decorations. The endal just shook his head in amazement because he was dumb when it comes to interior design. The endal was comfortable with a soft patch a grass and be totally content, but what Drusilla did for his home was took his hovel of a aeries and made it into a aeries that other endal would be envious of. Turrin could actually invite people to his home without being embarrassed! The endal walked over to Drusilla, crossed his arms, and said with a frown, “You know what I am going to miss the most?” Turrin paused for a moment to leave her in suspense and continued with a pout on his face, “Are my dust bunnies. I named them and everything, and now they are gone. Who am I going to talk to now that their gone?”

[Drusilla]

Drusilla frowned, "Oh Turrin, I'm so sorry! I didn't know about her death..." She gave Turrin a hug. Perhaps she held on too long or held too close, either or both shattered Drusilla's lies over her feelings. She sighed, "Turrin, it's not that my birthday and what happened didn't matter to me. It's just... I am what I am. I'm not the best or logical choice for a mate." She let go of Turrin, "I am sorry for killing your soot bunnies. But come here," Drusilla opened the door to her room, "I took this smaller room, but it fits me fine." Her own room was sparse of decorations. The lone items on her night table were her mother's comb, a sewing box, and the opalgloam Turrin himself had given her. She laughed, "But my room is nothing to gawk at. However, it you open that door over there... That might be worth staring at." Closing her door she hurried to said door. Opening the door she smiled at Turrin, "Welcome home, Turrin." The room was dimly lit by candles held in glass bowls. Bows and furs from Turrin's hunts adorned this and that. Old Myrian spears and relics long put away now shined adorning tables and walls. The bed was covered in deep crimson cloth along with a black and white quilt. "Is it to your liking? I did my best to make it... manly? I've been bringing in fresh flowers in for that vase." Making a quick trip to the baths showing off the stocks of oils, soap, and wines. There wasn't much to show in the baths. "Now for the surprise... Here take this incenses." Drusilla walked up to a bookcase and began to push the side. Revieling a locked door. She quickly unlocked the door. She put a key into Turrin's pocket. Picking up a basket of fruit, she took a deep breath and knocked. She spoke happily, "It's Drusilla and Turrin's come home! We are coming in now, Mother and Kaya!" She opened the door and allowed him to enter first. On an alter stood burned remains. Drusilla bowed and placed the basket in front of the remains. "Turrin, this is my surprise for you. Place that over there and light it. Can you feel them in here? I do. The family is all here waiting for you."

[Turrin]

When Drusilla hugged him, Turrin wrapped his arms around the pale woman. The myrian could tell the hug was more than just a friendly gesture. Symenestra seemed to linger in his arms to for a tick to long, but the half-breed wasn't going to push her away. Suddenly, his eyes went wide when she admitted that she wasn't the most ideal mate. Turrin wondered if the symenestra did have feelings for him.The endal remembered that Drusilla told him that she killed her mother in childbirth and the myrian wondered if she was reluctant to start anything romantic because she feared the repercussions of childbirth. Turrin looked down at her and thought to himself, I wish I could make you happy right now, Drusilla, but I need to mourn Syveris death and accept what I did to my people. Than maybe I can be the man, you want me to be...

When Drusilla let go of him, she joked about his dust bunnies and showed him the next room. When she showed him his room, he peeked his head into it and saw it was simple, but it fit Drusilla's needs perfectly. He was about to walk into it, but she quickly closed the door and walked to the next door. When she opened the next door, the symenestra told this room was his room. Turrin smiled to himself when she decorated the room with myrian looking decorations and trophies from his hunts as a endal. He could definitely tell the spider woman put a lot of thought into his room. The color scheme seemed to fit his personality perfectly personality. When she told him that she brought fresh flowers for the vase, Turrin gave her a grin and joked about the fresh flowers and the vase, “Are you just trying to mask the potential manly smell the room might have in the future?” Turrin enveloped one of her hands in both of his hands and said to her with smile, “Drusilla seem to know me better than myself. Thank you. The bedroom fits me perfectly...”

When Drusilla said that she had a surprise, so when he took the incense, Turrin gave the symenestra a weird look and followed her into the next room. Once he was in the room, Drusilla walked into the room; however, she made sure that she introduced her to his mother and sister first before she entered the room. Turrin's mouth dropped when he looked at the room that she dedicated to his sister and mother. Drusilla made it into a shrine to his family, and it brought tears to the big man's eyes. Turrin wiped the tears from his eyes, put a hand on the symenestra's bare shoulder, and mouthed to her, Thank you, Drusilla.

The myrian sat down on the couches and lit the incense and put them in the holder next to the skulls. Turrin believed Drusilla that there was a energy in the room. He wasn't sure if it was his family, but the symenestra definitely made a room worthy of his mother and sister. Turrin sat there in silence looking at the skulls for about five chimes before he looked at Drusilla and said with a sad smile, “Yes, I can feel them here too. Thank you, Drusilla. You know that my mother thought you like a second daughter, and did you know that my sister...was trying to pressure me to make you my lover. I guess she thought that highly of you before she died...”

Turrin looked up from the skulls, and suddenly he saw the wraith of Dek, Tyell that he sacrificed to Myri standing on the other side of the alter. He was wondering if he was going insane, but the full bodied spirit mouthed to him, You need to tell her my friend...

Turrin had been haunted by the spirit ever since he took Tyell's life. His dying wish was for the myrian to make his life mean something, so the myrian promised to use his kukri to protect Wind Reach. Turrin looked at Drusilla, reached up his hand, gently touched her pale cheek, and said sadly, “I can never repay the kindness that you showed my family and me, but one day I will try...” Turrin glanced at the spirit of Tyell for a tick and said softly, “I am sorry that I wasn't there for you during the riots. I had to make a choice between you and Syveris, and I choose to go after her.” Turrin looked at her with heavy guilt in his golden eyes and explained his reasoning, “I knew that you weren't in as much danger as Syveris because you are Chiet, so the anger the lower castes weren't directly aimed at you even if you were a outsider.”

Turrin bite his lip and continued his apology, “Syveris was a talented Glassblower, so she was Avora; however, she was a artist like Kaya and not a warrior, so I choose to go after her.” Turrin paused as the memories of the riots flooded the endals mind. Turrin shook his head, clenched his jaw in anger, and stated, “My father told me if you want to be a leader. You needed to have the mettle to make the tough decisions regardless of your personal feelings. I couldn't save both of you, and I knew that you had a better chance of surviving the riots intact than her, so I made the decision to look for her before you.”
Turrin shook his head in frustration and continued his story, “I never found, Syveris, but I was able to save Azira from being raped by two deks, so I guess that I had a little victory during the riots even if I never found Syveris...”

Turrin pulled the kukri scabbard from his belt, put it on the alter with his mother and sister, and admitted to Drusilla, “When I was gone, I wondered if you should have ran away from me when you first met me on that snowy morning.” Turrin took her hand in his and continued, “You call yourself a monster, Drusilla, but I don't see it. You don't do the things that monster do...” The myrian golden eyes locked up with her purple eyes and admitted to her, “I am myrian warrior, Drusilla, and I sacrificed a Dek named Tyell to Myri. With his last breaths, he told me that he died wanting his life to mean something.” Turrin paused for a moment and said proudly, “I honored his request, cut out his heart, and offered it Myri. When I finished with the offering, I ate it, so I could gain his strength to help me bring order to Wind Reach during the riots.”

Turrin looked up and the wraith of Tyell, but the spirit disappeared. The myrian said with nod to the kukri, “However, I doubt that he is finished with me, Drusilla, so that is why I carry his weapon with me into future battles.”
oocTo whoever's grading, Tyell is a figment of Turrin's guilt and imagination.

[Drusilla]

Drusilla sat and listened to Turrin, as he explained everything. She understood most of what was said. For some reason Turrin's confession didn't bother her. "When you lost Mabda, that's Symenos for 'good mother' and you say I never teach you my tongue... Anyway, when you lost her, I too lost her. The same with Sibea-ya. I lost a family too." Drusilla got up checking offering pots and spices to see what needed to be refilled or switched out. "I come in here and talk to them. Growing up you'd mention bits of the Myrian way. I tried to put all the small bits together, and this was the outcome." She replaced the fruit laid among the remains, "Something is in this room, for the fruit rots much too quick to be natural. In fact all the offerings do. None of the deks who helped put this house back together were ever allowed in this room. I alone have been the bone keeper, changing offerings and lighting candles." She looked at Turrin. Her eye shown green reflecting in the low light. By her voice and attitude the seriousness of this room to her shown through. "There is a key in your pocket, you and I have the only keys to this room." She sat back down, "I understand this about Syveris. Her rate of survival was less than mine. I ended up fleeing Wind Reach living out in the wilds. I must thank you for saving Azira." Drusilla shook her head,"You did something that you were taught to do. Had you done that and been anything but Myrian, I would be afraid. But you are Myrian and what you did is like me eating a rabbit the way I do. We, are not human Turrin. Not fully anyway. As for the spirit you see.. There may be things to appease him."

[Turrin]

Turrin watched the symenestra as she made sure everything was perfectly maintained from the offering pots to the dishes filled with spices. The myrian smiled when she told him that she felt his mother and sister was like her own family. It was touching, and the myrian thought that he was lucky to have her in his life. Drusilla confessed that all this was her handy work, so the time that she spent in this room must be considerate because of the amount of detail that she put into the room. When she told him that she was sorry about Syveris' death. Turrin just gave her a small smile, but he stayed silent. He figured Drusilla knew that he was in love with the glassblower, so he didn't have say a word. When she mentioned Azira, Turrin chuckled to himself and said softly, “Azira isn't my favorite person in Wind Reach, but no woman should suffer what those deks had planned for her....”

Turrin nodded to Drusilla when she told him that she hide in the wilderness during the riots. The endal figured the spider woman must of hid in a tree since he doubt the seamstress had to the survival skills to survive in the Unforgiving for long. He figured the symenestra had her secrets, so he decided to not press her for information. When she commented on his myrian nature, the myrian let out a sigh of relief when she told him that she understood the reasons for sacrificing Tyell. She still didn't understand that the eating of the heart was a ritual and less of something for nourishment, but he wasn't in the mood for a theological discussion. He just wanted to be in the symenestra's presence for a little longer. When she asked if there was anything that she wanted to do for Tyell. Turrin picked up the kukri, shook his head, and said softly, “No Drusilla. He is my burden. I will learn how to use this dagger and protect his city. I believe since he was a Dek in life. He wanted to be something more in the afterlife even if he needs to live his dreams through me. I will honor his wish since I was the one who took his life.” Turrin looked at Drusilla and gave her a smile, “However, I do thank you for trying to share the burden.”

Turrin looked back at the dagger in his hand and said softly without looking at her, “Drusilla...I am going to be leaving again for a time. I need to mourn Syveris death. Aponivi and I will be staying in the Unforgiving for most of the Summer and Fall. Also, I need to figure things out about myself before I can sleep in my aeries with a clear conscience. However, I promise you that I will come back...”