Searching for Something (Syndre)

[Nydryn]

61st of Winter 510AV Nydryn’s eyes slowly opened as she felt a cool breeze brush by her. Last night, she had finally fallen asleep after hours of restlessness. The encounter with Syndre had troubled her, and she wasn’t sure why. They had been friends… or at least acquaintances when they were younger, but they had only known each other a few years before she left. She shouldn’t be troubled by seeing him again, yet she was. The cold breeze came again, and blew her short, golden hair into her face. She brushed it aside with a small, pale hand and stood, losing her balance for a second, but then regaining it. She slipped on her dark brown cloak which had been lying on top of her during the night. It was warm, and she pulled it around her. Gathering her bag, Nydryn put her three daggers closer to her, one in her other boot, and the other two in her boots. She didn’t want to have any trouble entering the city for the second time, and she knew that if her daggers were in her bag, she would be stopped. She had slept about 10 minutes walk from the entrance to Ravok, and she started out once again. While walking, she thought of what she would do after entering the city again. She decided that the best thing to do would be to find some old family friends, and ask them if they had heard anything about her mother. Nydryn realized that finding her parents’ friends would be almost as difficult as locating her mother, but she wanted to stay in Ravok a few more days at least. Seeing the entrance to Ravok, Nydryn approached the guards. Repeating what she had said yesterday, and letting the guard check her bag for weapons, she smiled at the first guard, who blushed and then waved her past. The ferry ride seemed short and her heartbeat quickened as she caught sight of her beloved city once again. Ravok truly was her home. She had lived here for the first 11 years of her life, and as she saw familiar scenes from her childhood, the memories came flooding back. Nydryn’s soft footsteps took her around a corner, and she ran into a man. He was about 40 years old with dirty brown hair. It seemed as though he wanted to brush right past her, but when Nydryn looked back, his hand was reaching into her bag. She spun around and kicked the man in the stomach. He doubled over, but he was mad, and now he wanted her money even more. The street they were on was not crowded, and she prepared for the man to attack her. He did. His tactic was awful as he swung out his leg, trying to knock her to the ground. Nydryn easily avoided this blow by jumping over his foot and then smashing his face with her hand. He toppled over and gave her a chance to grab one of her daggers from her boot, and press it against the man’s neck as he tried to stand back up. “Don’t even think about coming after me again,” she hissed, not standing too close to this revolting man. Nydryn’s dagger drew a drop of blood, and it dripped down his neck, making a thin red line. Narrowing her eyes, she slid her dagger back in her boot and watched the man scamper away, as though he was a dog who had just disobeyed his master. Nydryn remembered a time when she would not have been able to defend herself as she just had. Now she had the chance to notice where she was. When the man had bumped into her, she had stumbled and gone into the wrong alley. She walked quickly to the end of the dark alley and glanced around, trying to find out where she had ended up. When she was younger, Nydryn hadn’t seen the rough side of Ravok until her first encounter with Syndre. Her parents had worked very hard to keep her from seeing the homeless street urchins that occupied part of the magnificent city. After her mother left, Nydryn herself had become a street urchin, and she wondered what her parents would think if they saw her now. Would they be proud of her ability to defend herself and survive on the streets? Or would they been disgusted and disappointed in her and the woman she had become? She kneeled, placing her bag on the ground in front of her. Her small, pale fingers worked quickly at the ties that were keeping pickpockets out of her bag. She slid two of her three daggers back inside the bag and closed it again. She decided to rest for a few short minutes before continuing to look for any clues of the location of her mother.

[Syndre]

"You know... hanging around you is going to bring trouble... I'm

sure of it...," a familiar voice came from the end of the alley,
barely heard from where she knelt.

Syndre's head peaked around the corner of the right building,

his silk covered shoulder leaning against the stone wall from the
street. He peered down the alley at her kneeling form, those
radiant eyes use to the darkness. A lone hand reached up to the
top of his head, shifting his black woolen cap down in a more
comfortable position. His blue gaze quickly flitted from the alley
to the street, then back down the gap between the shops.

"Five shops down... Four alleys away...," his voice had grown

louder, but there was no urgency in his words, "Three alleys
now... two Ebonstryfe, one in uniform... the other in plain
clothing." A brand new deck of cards was retrieved from one
of many pockets lining his pants while he warned her of the
approaching danger. She had just moments before struck a thief
and threatened his life by putting a dagger to his throat. It
seemed as though she had been out of Ravok far too long. Bringing
attention to yourself in the streets, crowded or not, would cause
any witnesses to spread word of what they had seen. Whether
defending yourself or not, doing it in the open would get the
Black Sun breathing down your neck.

The beautiful artwork displayed upon his cards fluttered swiftly

as he shuffled from one gloved hand to the other. She could hear
the quick rattle of cards slapping one another in a lingering
show of skill between nimble digits. Searching eyes continued to
drift from the dark alley to the cobbled street, and with a growing
smile, he counted down once more," Two alleys..." Where they really
walking that fast? Where there even any Ebonstryfe at all? Was he
lying again? He acted so calm that she couldn't tell what was
happening, if anything, on the street. He was about a score of paces
away from her, but his head was tilted in a way that Nydryn couldn't
gain any information from his features.

[Nydryn]

She took a second to glare at Syndre. Why was he here again? Didn’t he have better things to do with his time than follow her around? Thinking about it, Nydryn snorted to herself and decided he probably didn’t have anything else to do. Nydryn’s heart pounded fiercely inside her chest. She couldn’t afford run-ins with the Black Sun especially if she was trying to find her mother as quick as possible. Even if Syndre wasn’t telling the truth, she couldn’t be too careful. She quickly closed up her bag, nimble fingers tying the intricate knots on the outside. Slinging her bag over one shoulder, Nydryn dashed away, weaving through the crowds of people. After about 5 minutes of jogging to get away from the scene, Nydryn slowed down and tried to blend with the flow of people. Nydryn cursed herself for being so obvious in her threatening. She had forgotten about the Black Sun. When she was little, she had seen the Ebonstryfe take away many thieves in the alleys near her house, and she was taught to fear them. Even now, they still seemed terrifying. Nydryn’s nimble feet took her through many alleys and wove with highly populated streets. She suddenly spotted an Ebonstryfe ahead. Keeping her head down, Nydryn swiftly walked past him. He didn’t give her a second look, and she sighed in relief. Weaving through a few more streets, Nydryn ended up in a deserted alley. She took a deep breath, and thought about what to do now. She couldn’t go back the way she came, and she had no idea where she was now. Determined to find any information about her mother, Nydryn decided to take a small break and then continue her search. She sat down, her back against the side of the alley, and her feet pulled to her knees. Her life had become so much rougher since she was forced to live on her own. When she was little, there had always been more than enough food, and there was always a roof above her head. At age 11, she was forced to constantly struggle to find food, and almost never have a roof above her head. She had learned to love the open sky and the stars, but something inside of her missed the security a roof brought.

[Syndre]

Nydryn was like a frightened rat running through an unknown maze,

and Syndre like an alley cat wanting to play. He enjoyed a
good chase, but the quick rogue wasn't use to being the predator
in this situation. He had spent his life running these streets,
alleys, canals, and rooftops to avoid apprehension. He would now
use that stored information to pursue rather than escape.

Each corner she turned, every alley she hurried through, all the

streets she ran across, the novice rogue was her shadow. He
followed her through a few blocks of the city before Nydryn slowed
her pace and finally stopped in another unoccupied alley. She sat
down upon the filthy stones to catch either her thoughts or breath,
and Syndre was right there, leaning once again upon the sharp
corner of the nearby building.

If she hadn't noticed that she was being followed, she would now

know that he was near, for the rustling of his fortune telling
cards worked between his leathery hands. He knew nothing of reading
people's fortunes, but that didn't stop him from trying anyways. It
was one of his many methods of earning some coin in such a spiritual
city. Many people would pay to know what was going to happen in
their lives, rather than just living them. Syndre took advantage of
that.

"Is this how you treat all you friends Ny?...," He whispered softly

while his lungs worked at a normal pace, even though they had just
finished a distant run. His rounded shoulder slipped off the corner
of the shop and his recently bathed form disappeared into the dark
gap. One last shuffle was given to the deck before he lowered down
to a single knee in front of her sitting figure. A flick of his
smooth thumb sent the lovely cards into an even spread and he held
them up, the decorated backs facing her.

"You don't have any friends do you?...," the fortune cards slid back

into a single deck within his hand as his whisper reached her ears.
A single eyebrow slowly lifted upon his visage before the deck
flashed outward, once again spreading with practiced ease. Before
giving her a chance to speak, Syndre's hand moved closer to her
small frame, the cards splayed out as if wanting to play a game.
"Three cards... take care and pick wisely... for your future rests in my
hands...," the two questions before didn't matter, but when he spoke
this time she could tell that his tone was slightly more serious.

[Nydryn]

Nydryn stared at Syndre, her beautiful blue eyes fixed on his. She had realized that someone was following her, and she figured it was Syndre but one couldn’t be sure on the streets of Ravok. Now she definitely knew the figure following her was him, for he casually leaned against the corner of a building in the alley she was sitting in. Her petite, dirty hands tried to brush some of the dirt off her skirt. His words… his question about her friends made her ponder that fact. It was true; she really didn’t have any friends. She hadn’t been close to anyone since she was 11 years old. After she left Ravok, she didn’t trust anyone. Anyone and everyone could end up being an enemy who simply wanted her money, so she chose to avoid drawing close to others. Nydryn had been a bit suspicious when Syndre held out the cards. Did he even know how to use them? He probably didn’t, but she chose three cards anyway- the three to her left. Right away, she added softly, her eyes wary, “I’m not paying for this.” She was low on money, and if he expected her to pay, she wouldn’t participate. She glanced at the cards, their backs that is, but being unfamiliar with cards of any sort, she was unable to figure out what the cards would tell him. Her father had been extremely strict about no outside influences on his children. For that reason, she wasn’t exposed to anything of this sort when she was younger. Even with the traveling she had been doing, Nydryn had avoided people who liked to scam others out of their money with cards like these.

[Syndre]

Syndre took a quick glance outside the alley in a very habitual

manner, then back to Nydryn. Blue eyes blinked and narrowed slightly
because of the darkness, studying the three cards she had chosen.
An amused smile crossed hips lips as he gently folded his gloved
hands together, causing the cards to slide back into a single deck.
He then took the first card off the top, since the top is where
the cards to far left ended up, and set it on the stone ground
between them.

Leather digits turned the card over so that she could see the

artwork on the main side. The picture was of a beautiful woman,
skin colored a bluish-white. Her naked figure was covered only in
necessary portions of her kneeling body by entangling vines that
ruptured from the soil. The woman in the picture had been cut
several times by the thorns that coated the vines, and held in her
cupped hands was the oversized bud of a crimson rose.

"This card represents you...," a small wink was given after he

spoke with a quiet voice.

The thief left the card upon the ground and drew the next,

following the order in which she chose. He placed it near the first
card and exposed the side with the colorful art. The picture was
of a large blue lake, the scene displayed was serene and inviting.
There was a person on horseback in the distance with very little
detail added due to their diminutive size.

"And this card represents Ravok...," he said as he looked up from

the picture to Nydryn's face. The upward movement of his head sent
his two black braids around the curves of his cheeks, their tightly
wound length swaying lightly in the air.

Syndre stared into her own blue eyes, his curious gaze investigating,

almost as if he were trying to read her thoughts. The unblinking stare
lasted but a few seconds before the third card suddenly appeared
between their line of vision with a flick of his slender wrist. The
last card was held between two fingers with it's back facing him.
Nydryn could hardly see any details in the artwork for the picture was
mostly shaded black, and they were in a shadowed alley. Seconds after
gazing upon the card, she could make out numerous red eyes, wickedly
drawn as if they were looking out from a dark hole.

"This card... this is a sign of danger that will come your way...,"

his two fingers curled inward until the card touched his palm, his
words filled with a dramatic unease.

He carefully put the foreboding card at the end of the other two,

creating an evenly spaced row on the cobblestones. His right hand
returned to the deck that was held in his left and began to shuffle
the cards. The repetitive action was swift and skillful, as if he
had practiced this many times before. When he was finished, his eyes
fell away from hers and the deck was placed in front of her sitting
form. His smooth palm rested against the neat stack, then guided
it in a slow motion over the stone. The careful maneuver caused the
cards to spread around the three she had recently chosen, creating a
full circle.

"These were but representations...," the rogue explained while

lifting his hand away from the encircling cards," ...the next three you pick
from this circle will entwine your fate into the cards... creating a
path that will guide your future..."

His head tilted to the left while slightly looking upward, the mischief

playing upon his pleasant features was clearly detected. His low toned
voice reverted to another whisper as he watched for any expressions
her face would create,"...I urge you to pick carefully, for the gods
watch what we do... and enjoy meddling with our affairs..." There may
have been some truth to his warning, but his intentions were not at
all meant for the viewing pleasure of any god, save his own goddess.
The Mistress of the Night was more than welcome to pry into his life
whenever she wished to.

[Nydryn]

She let out a small smile when Syndre was explaining what the cards meant. Her pale golden hair was in her face as she was looking down at the beautiful cards. Nydryn was determined to keep her face straight, but she was excited about what the cards would say next. It was clear that the cards showed her, Ravok, and danger… or at least that is what Syndre said. She wasn’t sure if he was deciphering the cards correctly, but it was fun. Hearing about the danger card, she was a bit worried. Generally, a bit of trouble would tend to follow a petite woman of 20 living on the streets, but she was unsure if the card meant a danger worse than all she had encountered before. Nydryn hoped not, for it would get in her way of trying to find out information about her mother. Her pale, delicate hand reached out, but before it could touch a card, she pulled it back. There was a tattoo on that wrist, a tattoo that meant a lot to her. She didn’t like showing it to others for sentimental reasons. Her mother had often called Nydryn her little angel when her father wasn’t around. Her mother said it was because of her angelic personality, but Nydryn came to think it had to do with her small, pale figure more. When Nydryn was about 7, her mother had given her a slim silver necklace with a small silver angel on the end. After her mother left, Nydryn was hurt, but she still loved her mother so very much. It was for this reason that she got a tattoo of a chain of angel wings around her right wrist. She reached out her left hand this time and drew three cards from the center of the cards spread in front of her. She held them close to her body and looked at Syndre. Even though she knew he was probably making up most of what the cards meant, she was worried about these cards even more. They guided her future, and she was nervous about letting them control her. She slowly began to hand the cards to Syndre, but she pulled them back before he could grab them. Nydryn stared deep into his eyes, “Do you actually know how to do this?” her voice was soft and disbelieving. Her hand carefully held the cards as if she was afraid, or maybe disgusted by the power that they had. They were beautiful cards, but they held her future in their hands.

[Syndre]

Ebon hands moved over the circling cards, sliding them in

opposite directions in two sweeping semi-circles until they
converged back into a single deck. A quiet, short laughter
escaped in response to her disbelieving question. The dark
leather encasing his left hand was felt against the outer
edge of her own, azure pools bright with devilry as he
spoke," I am a talented man..."

A slight amount of pressure was given, his gloved hand guiding

her own down and away from her. His fingers slid over the top
of her thumb and took hold of the card on the right. His
sly gaze did not leave hers as he plucked the thin card from
her small fingers and placed it over the her first, the female
covered in vines. The rogue watched her while repeating the
process until all three that she chose were now atop of her
exposed cards. He slowly turned over the first.

The artwork depicted a white dove in flight surrounded by a

soft blue sky. The picture was a close up of the bird, it's
head dipping down with either ivory wing fully stretched
outward, displaying the detail of its extending feathers. His
hand rose from the card and his whisper touched her ears," This
dove travels freely... and is in search of something it has
lost..." He looked up from the card to study her, then continued
with his presentation and slowly flipped the middle card over.

The picture that was shown was a couple holding one another. The

woman's arms were wrapped around the man's back in a desperate hug,
while a single arm from the man held her around the waist. The man's
other arm was also behind her, but instead of holding her, he held
a knife. Thin lines of red moisture left the man's eyes, as if he
were crying tears of blood. "You will find love in Ravok... a love
that you have never felt before... and betrayal... like nothing you
have experienced... this twist of fate will rival the pleasure your
love will bring...," he avoided her gaze with this prophecy and soon
took hold of the last card.

Turning and laying it flat against the picture of the wicked eyes,

Syndre took a few seconds to study the card. It was a finely drawn
forest, rich in color and vibrant in detail. It almost seemed to
contrast with the negative effect the card below it had, but when
reading cards the answer wasn't obvious at first glance. "The wilds
outside of the city are not always what they seem... though lovely
to explore... the forest itself will turn upon you Ny... be careful
where you tread...," his whisper held a serious tone again, a definite
warning.

A blackened hand scooped the six cards inward so that they easily

slid into each other, then with the help of his other hand, the cards
she had chosen disappeared back into the deck. One last shuffle was
given before the deck of artwork found it's way into a pocket. The
rogue stayed quiet now, offering her a moment to contemplate what had
just been unveiled. He could sense that she was enjoying his little
trick, but for her to accept it as truth, that would be up to her
complex mind, for the mind can play tricks of it's own.

[Nydryn]

As Syndre explained what the first card meant, Nydryn’s eyes grew wide. It was true. She was in search of something lost- her mother. She had been searching for her mother for a while now, and it was important to her. She was surprised how accurate the cards were considering, at least at the beginning of this card game, Nydryn had thought Syndre was lying. She delicately ran a finger over the card with a dove on it and sighed, hoping the card meant that she would find her mother soon. The next card surprised her for it was obviously of love. She had never been with a man for longer than a few weeks, and she certainly was never in love. The men whom she had been with had all simply used her and left her because she was so innocent. She had longed for love ever since she was a child, and the chance of finding love in Ravok would be interesting… and exciting. The last part of Syndre’s words did not sink in until after he had finished speaking. The betrayal part of the card troubled Nydryn. Her heart sank once again, for even if she did fall in love, the man would once again betray her. The card’s picture made her think that the betrayal might be worse than simply leaving her, and Nydryn decided that if she began to fall for a man, that she still would not trust him. Syndre could be making it up, but the first card was correct, so chances are, the second card was correct also. Nydryn didn’t pay much attention to the third card, for at this moment, she didn’t plan on leaving Ravok anytime soon. She would, however be careful whenever leaving Ravok. Last night, she had slept outside the city’s walls, but because of the warning on this card, she planned to stay inside of Ravok for the rest of her nights here. Nydryn ran her finger over all of the cards, and sighed. “Searching… Love… Danger” she murmured quietly, almost so Syndre couldn’t hear her, “What if they are right, and I do find love here?” she still didn’t want Syndre to hear, but he probably did. She glanced at Syndre again, but then quickly looked away, surprised at herself. Many women would think he was handsome, and she was no exception, but they had just recently met again, and she still did not trust him. Most men she was around viewed her as sweet, pretty, and flirty, but they never took her seriously, and Syndre was probably the same way. Nydryn brushed off the idea, and decided she would simply wait and see what happened. It was most likely that the card meant someone else. Nydryn reached out her right hand, her tattoo showing, and picked up her bag. “Thanks, Syndre,” she said softly, still upset over the meanings of the cards. She would now go find information about her mother; her rest time was over.

[Syndre]

"Remember Ny... there are some of us that ignore fate...," he said as

he allowed his ego to grow larger than it already was. He gently
removed the black woven hat from atop his head while she rose from
the ground, bag in hand. He held the soft hat with his left glove,
in a position where Nydryn was easily able to see it. His right
hand moved over the top of it long enough to snatch a single card
that had somehow gotten inside.

"Like myself... I create my own path...," his low volumed voice

continued, not yet finished with his show. The comfortable material
of his simple hat ran over the short spines of his dark hair before
completely hugging the top of his head, leaving only those two
spiraling braids on display. The opposite hand still held the
unknown card, the patterns along it's backside directed to her.

"And of course... there are those that can not help themselves...

because they already know what is in store for them...," his
words had grown louder, not because he had raised his voice, but
because he was closer than before. A single booted step had
brought him right in front of her smaller presence. The blue of
his eyes cast a wickedness upon his pale features, their stare faintly
distracting as she felt the leather of his left hand upon her arm.

Brazen as he was, the curling of his fingers was firm against the

fabric that covered her lithe appendage. The relaxed sinew of his
of his left arm tightened briefly in that moment, readying his
strength for a struggle if need be. The grip he had wasn't meant to
cause her harm, but to maintain control. Those capturing digits
moved a few inches upward, causing her clothing to slide along her
arm, freeing the artwork on her wrist from it's confines.

"Like yourself...," his words were like a whisper again as he slowly

guided her wrist upward with just enough applied force. The ebon
digits of his right hand twirled the card that rested between them,
letting the backside cover half of her angelic tattoo. With the
main side exposed, she could see the familiar art of the ivory dove,
it's extended wings remarkably similar to those creating a chain
around her wrist.

His gaze was like ice and it bore into her soft blue eyes. The mood

had darkened and a light breeze slipped thru the gap of the alley,
it's cold surge causing her cloak to billow gently against his
taller body. The moment that had just passed almost felt sinister,
then with an adorable smile he released her arm and allowed the
card with the dove to slip away from his fingers all at once. "Pretty
good huh?...," he said with that impish smile, his dark theatrics
immediately lightened into a humorous aura.