Private Tales A hunter in the streets

[Wren]

The clenching of her jaw seized a line of muscle up the edges of her cheeks and pressed withering apathy from her flashing eyes. She'd not seen the young girl, preoccupied as she was with mentally noting routes of passage, but now that it had been brought to her attention there was little left in her mind to make up. Past actions might have clued Rainer in to her predisposition toward women in distress. Wren needed very little impetus to move to another female's aid - throw a child into the mix and you might as well have personally insulted her.

"Yes," she hissed through grit fangs, abandoning the reins of her horse to make a cutting path through the village and in the direction that little parade had gone.

 

[Rainer]

Her penchant wasn't something he understood; it was something he felt deep within him. If he ran in the opposite direction down the thoroughfare, he might just be yanked back - grappled at the ankle by it. Her clench of the jaw, his clutch of the hilt. The flash of a hazel in the dark, the gleam of a blade slid out from the lizard skin scabbard.

The ploy was a goad and he knew the outcome before he uttered the words. Inconvenienced as he was by the sudden supervision of two horses, the outcome seemed appropriate. Fortunately, he was fairly close to a hitching post and tethered the two horses to quickly assigned rods. Giving them a knowing glance and pointing towards a surprisingly full set of hay buckets, he took off in Wren's wake.

Though, it wasn't long before he veered outward. A set of downspouts, nailed to clay roofing, was all he needed to make his movement a bit more direct. Like climbing an old rattan vine against an an oaken wall, he mounted a nearby building and followed in the group's shadow as he slowly gained on them.​

 

[Wren]

Wren skidded into the open thoroughfare of the village, head snapping off in the direction of lit torches and angry yelling. For a normal human they had a good lead on her, for Wren they hadn't enough lead to save any of them. She watched them veer left near the center of town and took off down a side run between two buildings. The world seemed to move around her as she bypassed parked carts and vaulted backyard gates.

Running parallel to them now she finally caught sight of the girl at the front - a waif of a thing, small wonder she had evaded her pursuers this long. Wren's boots pressed so hard against the cobble beneath them they left cracked prints in her wake. She cut across a narrow barnyard, spooking the horses in the process, and shouldered her way through a closed door.

By the time Wren reached the path of the young girl, neither she nor the crowd following her had much time to react. Her free arm caught the child about the waist, lifting her clean off the ground while her weapon arm presented her sword.

"STOP!" the bellow could have caused an avalanche where there snow-capped mountains nearby.

 

[Rainer]

When Rain had offered Wren the details of the individual being pursued by the mob, he knew that would kindle some form of purpose. He even anticipated the fact that she would charge off in pursuit. However, he had not expected her to proceed in such a manner as to be entirely removed from caution or concern for her own well-being. That had surprised him; so much so, that he had trouble navigating the clay roof shingles, brick and mortar chimneys, and cast iron vents in order to keep up.

He certainly lacked the time to stop her.

"Oi!" One of the men shouted as the group came to a stop. He wasn't a big man but even from the torch fire, it was clear he was coated in the days labor. "No one ordered a wench for meddlin'!"

That was a bad call, by Rain's estimation. He surveyed the group and Wren, still standing on a roof top just above. He didn't shirk from attention but he wasn't quite ready to make his presence known.

"Trot your bellows elsewhere Farley..." An older woman pushed forward. "Ain't no wench that carries iron like that. More sand than a blue bottle bobby too. Not that we've had much for law in Bur'Tyga that ain't been born of the coast and hardship." The old woman stood up straight and pointed the torch.

"You're a bit lost, dear. And that's alright. Happens to the best of us, it do. But that ain't no damsel your cupping to your kettle drums. A child of darkness, spawned from the very depths of hell and in need of cleansing. Hand her over 'fore the air turns sour." Just then, a cold and ominous wind cut through the breezeway and across the town. Torches fluttered, frame mounted sconces shot embers through the air, and long sighs and gasps drew out from the crowd.​

 

[Wren]

"You want her," Wren spat back, clamping her grip firmly on the girl and pressing her back behind her while her sword was brought up to the ready, "come and take her from me," like hell was Wren about to hand a child over to a raving hoard of people. Peasants, the lot of them, so willing to spew tales of folly and corruption for the most absurd things.

The sudden gust of air brought a bitter and unnatural chill to the village the likes of which gave Wren pause. Her eyes cast about from the flame-licked faces before her to the outer edges of the roadway. She caught the silhouette of Rainer up on the rooftops but saw nothing else out of the ordinary.

The half elf growled, "Where is your proof of her possession other than addled delusions?!"

 

[Rainer]

The older woman surveyed the surrounding, seeming to scan the wind. Looking over rooftops, the top of the barn, and even the spot where Rain had once been - but ducked just in time to miss being seen. "Migh' be too late, swordstress." The woman uttered as the rage seemed to deflate from the group.

"We should go..." Farley uttered, nodding behind the fluttering flames of the torch fire. "'Nuthing but vinegar now."
The old woman shook her head. "No. We're too close to turn back now."

"Too close for what...Presbyter?" The deep tone resonated like a gentle growl from the interior of the barn. The doors swung open and for a moment, the source did not avail itself. With a pause, the crunch of straw heralded the appearance of a tall figure. Draped in clothing fit for a Duke with a high rigid collar and a long flowing black coat, the man stood a few inches taller than Rain and just as broad. His hair was close cropped and gray with skin that almost appeared blue in the dying moonlight. With aquiline features, the new figure was soaked in predatory undertones.

And he didn't smell human.

"Hmm?" He pointed to the girl in Wren's arms, paying the Vedymin no immediate attention. "What do you intend to do with my daughter? Burn her alive, as you have everyone else? Cleansing flames is how you called it, correct." He stepped forward. "Go home, Madame. Your attempt to take advantage of the unfortunate timing of my business dealings has failed. And it seems I have some good samaritans to thank for this..." His eyes, faintly red in tone, flashed upwards towards the spot where Rain was hiding.

Farley had already taken several steps back. Despite the clear fear that now painted the old woman's face, she hadn't moved. "'Nothing but misfortune since you claimed the old keep, Duke of Chains...you have damned us all with your presence and commerce."

The child was still making no effort to free herself from Wren. Contrary to that, she had seemed to relax.​

 

[Wren]

Wren remained cemented to the spot despite the arrival of one who would throw all doubt that this small village was haunted to the northern winds. The chill and sense of primeval shedding from his form was enough to steel her spine and send a hardening of mettle throughout her being. It was no longer the villagers that posed any threat, but this new unknown.

"Stay behind me," she hissed to the child in her grasp, no matter the open discussion of to whom the child belonged. The instinct to protect her came so naturally and felt so deeply driven that Wren was not sure she could have gone against it even if the girl had shown obvious signs of malignancy.

Rainer had disappeared from his perch, though Wren sensed he'd not moved far, so she turned her attention to the tall and ghastly stranger in the prim suit.

"I'm going to assume that Duke of Chains isn't your real name..."

 

[Rainer]

"Mmm, no." He stated curtly, moving his attention back to Wren. "You're assumption is correct." The figure smiled, looking down towards the girl in Wren's arms. His gaze seemed to freeze on her, as if he were attempting to navigate the situation. And then, like being caught by a sudden revelation, he snapped back to the crowd. They had not shrunk in size but in presence, they were suddenly a meager sort.

"Presbyter. By lawful agreement with the Elbion Merchant Families, you and your lot have consented to the rule of law per covenant of export. A persistent trade has been agreed upon and as such, an agent of the Families..." He lifted his hand to his chest. "Has been granted, prima, the constabulary responsibilities of this parish." He stepped forward and the crowd seemed to cower on some equivalent exchange. "Is it your intent to withdraw from this agreement? You must understand that a crime against an agent of the Family is a crime against the Family, itself. I...assume you aware of the by-laws of your covenant?"

He asked the question but carried a tone as if he already knew the answer. The old woman reluctantly nodded.

"Splendid."

Rainer jumped from the building and landed near Wren, soundlessly. Approaching, he nodded and whispered...without speaking. We need to go.

"You all may now disperse with the promise that another action like this, against myself or Cassandra, will surely be met with reprisal." Not having moved his hand, he bowed. And the crowd seemed to grumble and mumble before stepping off. "Now..." He turned on his heel. "For my two wandering sword...people."​

 

[Wren]

Wren watched the proceedings with an air of distaste. Elbion ... the city that offended her on numerous levels; as an elf, as a woman, and now as the slayer of monsters she was. Her arm around the child remained firmly in place well enough that an onlooker might question whether or not she was being so firm as to hurt the girl. Truth of the matter was, as much as Wren did not have a handle on her emotions she was exceptionally well aware of her own strength.

Her arms knew how to protect children with great ferocity without bringing them harm.

Rainer approached and she felt him there without having to see or hear him, soundless as he was. It wasn't until his words whispered in her mind that she peeled her sharpened gaze off the Duke.

"I'm not leaving this child until I know it is safe," the words were hissed low in response to him, the glare she gave the man defiant in every right. It was then that she finally shifted her stance, turning to face the young girl and leaning to scoop her up onto her hip, cradled in that same arm. She still had her sword, and she was more than prepared to use it, need be. iIt was with it held at neutral but ready when she looked upon the Duke again.

"Why are these people hunting the child?"

 

[Rainer]

The man's countenance turned, as if the light provided by the moon had somehow shifted. What was once ambivalent was suddenly concerned, as if the question had insulted him. Or, perhaps, the content of the hidden comments made between the Vedymin.

"She wasn't safe but now..." He waved outwardly as if to indicate the dispersed crowd. "We have all seen to her regard. As for your question..."

His features sharpened. "Is it not the calamity and plague of all humanity? That when faced with something they neither understand nor desire to understand, they turn to fear. And what they fear, they refuse to understand. And what they don't understand, they treat as sinister. Anything born of sin must be dealt with accordingly so that all the little congregants not only feel comfortable in their cruelty, but relish in the tokens purchased towards their perpetual practice of deific sycophancy." He stepped forward. "It's quite fascinating how angry followers are born from worship, incensed or benign I'm sure it does not matter."

"Not all that fascinating, when you think about it." Rainer finally decided to break the bought of silence he had carried. The Duke turned to look towards the Vedymin but didn't rightfully respond to the comment.

"You...are concerned with my daughter's well-being and I am of course grateful to your actions. But this parish is governed by many laws, litigious and religious alike. And unfortunately I can do nothing for the latter...You both just stepped into something without fully understanding the consequences. And I fear the Presbyter will find some tool within her holy scriptures in which to persecute you. Please, seek a moment's pause in my keep so that we can discuss your options. If not, I would suggest you leave this town as soon as possible. I'm certain there are countless ruminants for you to sup on between here and the next settlement."​

 

[Wren]

Wren had plenty of elven education to back up a much thicker lexicon than the one she used, but she'd always found it rather pretentious to do so. It was a tool of passive-aggression used by her elf-kin toward humans and other races, meant to place them on a pedestal above more simple but oft'times morally worthy folk. It was something she had struggled with in her youth, but through maturity later found a strong disgust for the verbal pricking.

No, she'd much rather express herself through direct and efficient language, vulgarities included.

"Fuck this parish and its disillusioned laws," she lifted the tip of her sword to indicate the location where the mob had dispersed, "Bringing harm to a child... Where I come from there is no good reason for allowing what was meant to occur here."

She sheathed her sword and stole her attention away from the Duke in order to look over the girl. A gloved hand gently brushed the hair from her face and rubbed dirt from her jaw, "What do you say, little one?"

 

[Rainer]

The Duke visibly winced at the vulgar statements but didn't immediately reply. When asked the question, Cassandra smiled and nodded but didn't reply either.

"She...doesn't speak. Not much, anyway."
"And why's that? And how did you know about the cow?"
"The cow?" The Duke smiled and puckered his lips thoughtfully. "Oh, the ruminant comment. In all honesty, I had assumed it was goat or..." His nostrils flared. "...some sheep. There are several farms between here and the surrounding properties. It made sense but cattle..."

The young girl, still in Wren's arms, looked over to the Duke. He lifted his hand disarmingly and nodded. "Right. This isn't the place to discuss matters involving speech or trauma."

"You often make it a habit of droning on without ever really saying anything?" Rain took a step forward, suddenly irritated. The girl grunted and stomped her foot, catching Rain's attention.

"Listen." The Duke stated, putting on his own sense of irritation. "I understand you don't appreciate my sense of decorum. The truth is that I don't care but I suspect you will soon warm up to it. Now, I am returning to my keep with my daughter by horse drawn carriage. I implore you to come along and enjoy the shelter of stone and fire but I am through wasting my breath." Just then, the distant sounds of horse hooves and wheels against cobble could be heard echoing down the road.​

 

[Wren]

The girl's smile was disarming and also curiously infectious. Wren gave her a small smile in return, "Alright," and gently set her back down. She leaned to kneel in front of her, brushing dirt from her clothes and smoothing her hair, giving only a cursory ear to the words shared between the men.

She did hear the part about the girl's reticence and though that perhaps she might understand. If this child was indeed the offspring of whatever the Duke was, then it behooved her to keep to herself. Wren doubted such a lifestyle was very social, and she felt a measure of pity for the child.

Cassandra stomped her foot and Wren gave her a curious look, caught the tail-end of the conversation, and sighed. Well, it seemed she'd accomplished what she set out to do ... as well as Wren could tell the girl was safe. One last tug on her dress to straighten it and she gave a nod of approval, "There. Good as new. Off you go."

Wren stood as the child moved back to the Duke, her father, and watched her go with a wary gaze. Something about the situation didn't sit right with her. She looked to Rain as the offer to join was extended. The desire to make that decision for them was at the tip of her tongue, but Rain's reluctance now that her attention was no longer fully on the girl was starting to seep in.

 

[Rainer]

Every bone in Rain's body, every instinct that he had, was attempting to persuade him to attack this Duke. Whatever he was, he was clearly not human and while a part of him understood this familial connection, the Vedymin was sure that the Duke was a monster. A polite and loose lipped monster, but a monster all the same. A monster, just like him.

That changed as he looked over to watch Wren. He had spent so much time on the road with her, either in the muck of things or cursing at bars, that he had forgotten how motherly she could be. But now, seeing her tend to the young girl and paw at her, it all came flooding back.

"I...have been rude." Rain admitted, lowering his hackles. "I apologize. We..." He stopped. "I...am not accustomed to being treated fairly."

"Well I imagine not. You two do not hide nearly as well as you might think. But enough of this, come on...we are nearly out of time." He glanced up towards the sky, growing brighter by the moment. The coachmen flicked the reins as the carriage approached and looked towards the Vedymin. He was, as clear as day, a human. As the door opened, the Duke led Cassandra towards the side and assisted her up the stairs.

"Oh and don't worry about your horses...Frederick will bring them back to the Keep as soon as we are back." The Duke stated assuredly before entering the carriage. The vehicle was of a proper wooden construction with windows shrouded in impenetrable curtains.

"A bit cozy in there for both of us. You ride inside, keep an eye on the girl. Frederick..." Rain approached the carriage and started moving up to the front, shifting his attention to the coachmen. "Seems your destined for poor company."

"That o'right, Sir." His accent was thick and loud. "Nah much fore me up'ere but gnats an asses."
"Well then, I'm sure to fit in."​

 

[Wren]

For once, Wren felt compelled to follow the words of her companion. Not an often occurrence if she thought about it, but today he was thinking about more than just what their next target was. She mounted the steps into the carriage and took her seat across from the man and the girl. They were shortly on their way.

"You know," Wren set her eyes on the girl, "I do not think I've ever ridden in a carriage before."

Her gaze then lifted, surveying the inside and the luxuries it afforded the occupants. She could see it all clearly even in the darkness and her hazel eyes betrayed her with their faint illumination.

"It's much bigger than I imagined."

 

[Rainer]

The whip of the reins was followed by the creak of wood as the wheels set against the cobble. For a moment, the momentum was simply forward. And then inertia and a shift indicated a turn. Soon enough, there would be another.

"That surprises me." The Duke uttered, playing with the delicate frills of the curtain. Cassandra seemed intent to take similar actions, playing with a bit of lace at the navel of her pink dress. "Though you have not been long for this world, I assume." He drew his eyes from the curtain and towards Wren. What faint illumination her eyes brought were matched by his alizarin gaze. "I mean no insult, of course. Simply that youth bears fruit in awe and potential. You have so much time."

They hit a bump.

"So long as you are not intent to make Bur'tyga a permanent address. This is not a friendly place for the untraditional." The Duke played with the curtains a bit more. "Your companion...he does not share your youth. Or...your grace."​

 

[Wren]

I assume.

Wren didn't like assumptions, and she narrowed her eyes at the man in a questioning manner. Hadn't the nose for this sort of thing like Rainer did, she couldn't tell if she was conversing with an Elder or merely one who pretended to be. There was something starkly inhumane about him, that much she could sense, but little more. Her temper remained vapid in the presence of the child - something about having her there, so close, that made her voice that much more pleasant.

"No, we have no intentions of staying here," she replied. Rainer may have kept their plans a little closer to heart, and he may have had his reasons for doing so, but she saw no reason to. It was easy to tell a sellsword and a vagabond when you saw one, or so she thought.

"And he wouldn't. I'm half elf, the comparison is an unfair one on the kindest of days."

 

[Rainer]

"You were once half-elf. No longer." He stated, more sure than he had any right to be.

The carriage hit another bump and with a yell from Frederick, took another hard turn. "But that's semantics, is it not? All that matters is that you are here. And where your companion showed pragmatism, you showed passion. And truly, we are thankful for that." He placed his hand down next to him, on the seat, and Cassandra placed hers over it. Weaving her fingers through his, she smiled and sighed.

"The move has not been easy on either of us. But Cassandra was quite attached to her mother. We both were. And being here, seeing the way Bur'tyga has been run roughshod by this Presbyter and the charlatan they have ordained...this...Charles de la Fraine." He bared his white teeth as he uttered the word. And then he settled. "That is the truly unfair circumstance. From the ash of their pyres, you could make enough lye to cleanse the world. Not that this group would know a bar of soap if it struck them against the head."

He sighed. "I am all doom and gloom this morning. I apologize. There is much that is worth celebrating."​

 

[Wren]

Wren felt like she had something to say about his first remark - something to the effect that it didn't matter what he thought, she was still half elf because damn everything else that she could not remember, she remembered her heritage. Somehow the remark did not manifest, though it wandered across her expression quite visibly.

She opted to listen instead, as seemed pertinent to the current situation. They were here to uncover the demons of Bur'tyga and so far they'd only managed to figure out that things were much more complicated than they were expecting.

From the ash of their pyres...

Wren was momentarily given glimpse of a memory that seemed to leap from the reaches of the lost within her mind. Priests of the Solar Choir out of Cortos had come to a city and burned several people alive. She hadn't been present for it, but she'd heard the tales. Could there be a connection or was the act of fire more innate in the souls of humans than she knew? They were pretty far from Cortos ... making the notion a stretch.

"My condolences on the loss of your wife and mother," she shifted in her seat, bracing herself with one arm against the side of the cart as it tumbled around a corner and over a bump, "it is good that you still have each other. How long have you been in Bur'tyga?"

 

[Rainer]

"Just over a year..." The Duke shifted his gaze to Wren, a serious tone washing over him. "I had taken this position under the pretense of pulling a cultish community from the yoke of religious law and..." He rolled his wrist whimsically. "Ordaination and baptism by fire...blah blah blah."

His hand moved to pinch the bridge of his nose and he exhaled. "It is simple a matter of commerce. In order to trade, one must abide by the rules of man." He seemed to resent that last word, enough to intonate a spritz of malice. "In order to abide by the laws of man, one must admit that these laws supplant the law of God...or Gods. And that is a difficult herb to muddle."

The carriage hit a stubborn piece of rock in the road, bouncing the vehicle abruptly.

~~~

Rain didn't move from his seat, feet locked in position as he watched the city slowly pass by. Frederick flicked the reins and whistled.

"You got any hobbies, Frederick?" Rain uttered, glancing up towards the rising sun. The driver shook his head and shrugged.

"Nah much, sir. Though, sometimes..." He pointed a crop in the distance. "I try an' see if the horses will pace with some of them boats that cut sail and swim without keel. Good bit o' fun to watch them swagger."

Rain pulled his hood on tight and took deep breath. He didn't have the heart to tell the guy that what he described wasn't a hobby, it was just a way to pass the time. And a poor one at that.​

 

[Wren]

Wren wasn't sure she bought the story, but it was a bit too early to really tell. The child didn't figure in.

Nor did his "position" of authority.

"So you've elected to free these people of their religious burdens..." she mused aloud, "doesn't seem to be going well for you. Why not move on?"

Wren lifted a hand to the curtain covering the window on her right and slivered it just enough to peek outside. The warmth of the sun's glow was just starting to show.

"Is your manor much farther?"

 

[Rainer]

The Duke's eyes drifted over to Wren, playing idly with the curtain that covered the carriage window. "My Manor is a world away and far beyond the repute of this small coastal town. The old Keep, afforded me by one of the eleven for duties to be rendered...is but a moment's breath from our current location. In fact..."

The carriage came to a sudden halt and the door sprung open, as if it were somehow automated. The sound of spring loaded pistons exhaled as the steps from the carriage clapped open, smacking what sounded like cobble stone. The Duke gestured for Wren to step out. "Please. No time like the present. Dinner is waiting."

~~~

Rain plopped off the carriage pilot seat and dusted himself off. Scanning the area, he found that the Keep was everything he had expected and a bit more. It stood on a hill, not unlike the College at Elbion though to a less severe degree. The location was situated in a way where most notable activities could be seen cresting small hills from the Keep to Bur'Tyga. Rolling hills separated the stone castle from the coastal town with several well worn foot paths that covered the distance. Around the Keep, a patchy growth of old cedars seemed to strategically block the direct rays of sunlight, deflecting them into feathery shadows across the cobble lined castle grounds.

The Keep itself seemed almost gothic in its vertical emphasis. The entrance door was two times the necessary size with decorative glass windows above. Columns with archways spanned parapets that were likely devoid of sentry, at least while the Duke was holding the estate. In the near distance, a solemn tower stood with several narrow windows that decorated the vertical column like footholds. All in all, Rain was convinced that the place could have served as castle or as religious establishment, depending on the weather.

"I pray your ride wasn't too bumpy." The Duke uttered, motioning to Rain as he stepped out with the girls hand in his.
"I was under the impression that praying wasn't something you were fond of."
The Duke didn't immediately reply. But with a strong breeze, rocking a nearby tree, he sighed and gestured for the door. "Come come, I prefer to not be herded by the sun."​

 

[Wren]

Wren could not help but eye the man skeptically. His station here made no sense to her, especially considering where Elbion was involved. She didn't know a lot about the College city, but she felt pretty assured on the idea that they would not knowingly contract out a creature of the dark for such a role. Though, truly, she had no inkling of just what the man was.

Only that he wasn't normal.

His daughter made ever less sense.

She stepped out into the growing light of the morning and greeted the pale illumination of the sky with a wary gaze. Neither she or Rain had eaten in .... well, she wasn't entirely sure, but long enough that her hunger was becoming a growing irritation of need. While Rainer might've had a bit more of a handle on his own hunger, she was certain he would be feeling it, too.

Wren gave her partner a pointed glance as she moved to take in the height of the keep. Impressive - she supposed she'd expect nothing less of Elbion.

"This is home, huh?" she looked to the little girl with a wane half smile and followed the Count's lead inside, "looks cozy."

 

[Rainer]

The Keep exhaled, like it had been holding its breath for quite some time and the gentle pressure on the handle was enough to deflate it. Rain wasn't sure if it was the warm air rushing in or the cold air flooding out from the seams, but there seemed to be some measure of wind passing the threshold as the Duke opened the large door.

Cassandra took Wren's hand as they walked in, clearly not taking no for an answer.

"A home away from home, as it were." The Duke lead the charge into the Keep which had an interior décor to match what greeted them on the cobble. Vaulted ceilings, designs across the stone that had been weathered by the passing of time, and sparkling walls of colored glass. The sun seemed to strike the glass with a bit of zeal, casting shadows of tinted red and greens and blues across marbled flooring.

Pressing his hand against an unremarkable piece of black stone, the Duke exhaled and looked upwards. As if on cue, sconces and torches of brass wheezed and released delicate arcs of blue and orange flames. A hallway forward led towards a room to the left, undoubtedly what would serve as a kitchen or cellar entranceway. Beyond that, an enclosed spiral stair case, largely obscured by stone. And to the right, an arched open walkway that led into a great room. Rain looked over and spied a wall of books on one side, reaching from floor to ceiling on wooden shelving. On the other side, a lit hearth and around the corner, carpeted walkways that would likely lead to a meeting and eating area.

"Believe it or not, this is not the work of magic. Well, not truly magic...but to the presbyter, another sinful notch in the leather strap. Just a few more and it will snap...straight to hell for me." He gestured a pale hand inward. "Please, rest your feet. I will have Beth bring us some vittles."

Cassandra marched forward, tugging on Wren's hand.​

 

[Wren]

Wren's gaze swept across their home for the evening with tethered awe and curiosity. She was hardly one to scoff at such things, but her elven upbringing had engendered distaste in grandeur and opulence. This wasn't quite either, but it was certainly far more than the needs of an old man and his small daughter.

The latter of which had taken her hand and her attention. Cassandra hardly need insist, Wren was perfectly content, even amused, to be lead by her. She followed the girl with as much grace as an adult in full armor could muster, "Are you going to give us a tour?"

A crooked smile tugged across her lips, and only when she'd been tugged to the end of the hall did she look back at Rain, suddenly aware of the growing distance between them. Keenly so.

"Wait up - we can't leave my friend behind. He loves tours."

Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. This was for the girl, not for him, her smirk said as much.