Private Tales Crossing Over

[Keernan]

There was no sign of offence taken, just confusion across his brow. It was a step change from idly watching her pet the curious creature. He watched the fire, little pieces of imagery dancing through the flames.

"Little bits and pieces of memories are all I have," he said. "I had parents and I think I had a sister," he said.

Another memory flashed by. It wasn't a pleasant one. His other memories were vague. Comforting, blurred images of faces he couldn't sharpen into anything he could recognise.

This one was clear: The Aralyssian sneering, gloating in victory. It came and went so quickly that he wasn't certain if it was memory or imagination.

"Well...I hope you are not subjected to such excitement for a long time to come," he chuckled, breezing past the unsettling experience. "You have family around the town?" he asked. "Have you ever been far from here?"

 

[Syuri]

The warmth of the fire, the comfort of the tea and the soothing sound of Mango's purring and Keernan's voice all served to relax her and she felt her eyelids grow heavier. She sighed sadly as he spoke of the family he had in what she supposed, was his previous life.. "They must miss you." she commented. She couldn't imagine what she'd do if anything were to happen to her brother.

She brightened up a little as he chuckled and her smile warmed.. "I have my father and brother. Mother died when I was very young, I don't really remember her.." she shrugged. Her brother remembered her more than she did, and her father still mourned her. "They can be.. a little over protective of me at times." she gave a breathy laugh and shifted her gaze to the carvings on her ceiling, the cat purring a little louder as Syuri found the back of her ears and scratched.

"No.. My father never leaves, being Warden I suppose he feels his place is here. I've never been more than a day's walk in either direction." she sighed.

 

[Keernan]

How would he even go about explaining his life. They had missed who had been. Then he had died and now he was different. It would not have been the same. Not that Kearnan could even have found out.

He worried that people found him worth than just strange. The stories of his life always seemed to make him seem just a little cold, dispassionate.

"I never remembered where they were," he admitted. "I could see them clearly, but I didn't know where to turn. After I died. I was something else before that too. Just a raw, empty woodland spirit."

"It is nice to have a home that feels nice."

Or family at all. Or people who really recognised you. Kearnan rarely retrod the ame ground.

"A Warden is a protector?"

 

[Syuri]

Syuri nodded slowly as she listened. It was difficult to understand however, how he'd lived several lives and that he could remember his past lives at all. She smiled as he spoke of having a home "Yes, it is.. I love my home I just.. There's so much more." she laughed under her breath and kicked off her boots to warm her feet by the fire.

"Yes I suppose he is. He's the town's leader, of sorts, he makes decisions and handles matters of trade and law.. He hopes I might take over, some day, but it's not for me. I prefer working with my brother." she smirked and shrugged.

She fell silent for a moment as she continued to run her fingertips through Mango's fur, the cat happily kneading at her chest. "How is it that you've managed to keep coming back?.. Do, you remember how you died?" she arched a brow as she looked up at him.

 

[Keernan]

The curious man had a lot of questions for her. He wondered if her father was elected or if it was a mantle that was passed down. Would her and her brother be expected to lead?

All those drifted away at her last question. He knew the answer. He liked it so little it took a moment for him to speak.

Keernan held out his hand, palm up. A small flame flickered in the palm of his hand. He closed his hand. That meant he was feeling more himself.

"I do. I don't remember what came before, but I remember with all too much clarity the feeling of drowning in icy water. I'm not imortal by the way. I can very much be killed again."

 

[Syuri]

Syuri sat up, still holding the ginger cat to her chest as she did so. The little flame reflected in her crystalline blue eyes, a little wider now with curiosity as she watched.

"Your body, perhaps.. But, if you keep returning then, isn't that sort of, immortality in a way?.." she tilted her head, nuzzling back at the cat as she brushed her furry cheek against her jaw.

 

[Keernan]

"I'm afraid it's not a many time deal," he said. He grinned at her this time. Keernan was glad just to try and go beyond that moment and onto what came next.

He didn't even remember why he had ended up beneath the surface. He could remember his limbs going stiff, no longer responding as he tried to swim for the surface.

Keernan also remembered seeing himself. Not a reflection in the surface water. He was someone, something else looking down at his last moments.

"Warmth came flooding back to me. A breath of life. Something else's life. I don't know what it was but it breathed life into me. If my body died again I think that's it."

 

[Syuri]

Syuri's expression warmed as he grinned at her, glad that he seemed to be feeling better. He certainly looked better. "Well, perhaps you should be a little more careful with this life.." her head tilted and she gave a playful smirk. "Not everyone gets a second chance, let alone a third." she said in a yawn and stretched out.

As she was about to make herself comfortable again, she heard someone open her gate and sat up in time for a tall, burly elf with dark hair and piercing blue eyes bursting through the door. The man's eyes settled on her and he let out a breath with a hand to his chest.

"Syuri.." he breathed, obviously relieved. His eyes cast over Keernan for a moment before he strode toward his daughter. Syuri stood up only to be dragged into a crushing bear hug, and she smiled as she felt him hold on for dear life and kiss her hair.

"I'm fine, I was only gone a few hours just.. complicated." she mumbled and hugged the man around the waist. "Father this is Keernan, he's the one who led me to the children." she looked up at him and released her hold as she looked to Keernan with a soft smile.

The elven man gave Syuri one more squeeze and almost reluctantly let go of her to offer a hand to Keernan. "Matthias." he introduced. "Seems we owe you a great debt, Keernan. If there's anything we can do for you I... I still don't think we could ever fully repay you." he frowned and his eyes glistened as he turned back to Syuri, a hand reaching to cup her face.

"I'm so glad you're safe.." he frowned at her, the dark circles under his eyes causing her more than a little guilt. She placed her hand over his and nodded with a reassuring smile.

"I know. I'm not going anywhere. But I can tell you haven't slept in days so go get some rest. I'll come by in the morning to see what needs done." she nodded.

 

[Keernan]

Keernan hadn't thought of it that way before. This second life was perhaps a gift. It didn't really feel like another chance. It felt like a different life. The only link between then and now a scattering of memories, this body and a first name.

Whatever had breathed that life into him had come with power too. He didn't have any great plans for how to use it. Keernan travelled fairly aimlessly. He didn't feel a part of any community, didn't try to build.

He always tried to help. If he left behind those in need he always feel a deep pang of guilt.

What do I want to do with this time?

Before he could give the question further thought, Syuri's father burst in. A leader of people. Strong. Stretched to breaking point by the near loss of his daughter.

"You owe me nothing, but Syuri has offered a kindness in letting me stay," Keernan said. "The journey was...exhausting."

 

[Syuri]

Matthias' eyes creased in a smile of such warmth as he looked proudly down at his daughter, a large hand cupping her face delicately as he gave a nod at Keernan's words. "Kind she is." he leaned to press another kiss down on her head before stepping back. "I've heard takes of your heroics, Keernan. I won't disturb your rest any longer. I should do as my daughter instructs and get some rest of my own now that I can sleep soundly." he sighed, walking backwards toward the door as though she might disappear if he dared turn his back.

Syuri chuckled at him. "Good night, Atar." she shooed him affectionately, and the man dipped his chin and finally stepped outside. Syuri gave a small shrug to Keernan and gave a breathy laugh. "Like I said.. We don't get much excitement around here.." she mused

 

[Keernan]

Keernan watched the man as he took his time leaving. It was hard for him to get his mindset aligned to what it would have been for the locals. Their entire, peaceful world had been turned on end. He felt a little jealousy that there was no one who cared for him in the same way.

"Heroics," he mused to himself. It was a nice way of putting it even if he wasn't sure he fully agreed.

"Could someone feed your pet?" he asked. "You could always travel with me to visit the next town over if your own could spare you for a few days."

 

[Syuri]

"Well.." Syuri shrugged with a warm smirk. "That's what they were." she chuckled, but her expression paused at his question before her brows slowly rose in question.

"Me?.." her head tilted and her lips twisted in consideration. She'd really never been anywhere, she'd always wanted to travel, but now faced with the real possibility of it, her stomach flipped uneasily with nerves and she looked positively flustered as she stammered and tripped over her words.

"I.. I don't know if.. I'd probably just slow you down, i'm really not sure my father would cope and Tyr needs me too I.." she stopped talking and rubbed at her brow with a huff as she gave herself a mental kick.

"Maybe." she answered and her arms fell to her sides with a shrug. "I'll sleep on it..." she smiled sheepishly and cleared her throat. Mango seemed to be glaring at her.

 

[Keernan]

"A journey isn't made more interesting by being over quickly," he replied. "But it is vastly improved with some company."

Keernan was truly oblivious to how melodramatic the statement had sounded. If it had been made back at the bar someone would certainly have rolled their eyes.

"Sleep on it," he agreed. "It is only one town over, though I imagine it is very different to here."

 

[Syuri]

Syuri couldn't resist a smile at his statement and her head tilted as she considered him in silence for a moment before pulling in a breath and letting it out in a soft huff. "Alright..." she'd made her mind up. "I'll come with you. If you're sure that's alright. I wouldn't be a burden, at least I'll try not to be.." she smiled nervously at him..

Now she just had to break the news to her father and brother.

 

[Keernan]

Keernan settled back into his chair, a broad smile across his face. He felt quite content here by the fire and was tempted to just drop off to sleep here.

"Good," he replied simply.

"You won't be a burden," he dismissed. "And whilst faerie queens are one thing, common bandits don't really frighten my like the Allryssian does."

The smile slowly faded. With his gaze on the fire Keernan tilted his head to one side. There was an unearned familiarity in the way he had talked about the fae. No one had said anything about being a queen either.

 

[Syuri]

Syuri bit on her lip to stop herself from grinning with nervous excitement. She didn't know how she was going to sleep. "I.. I should pack, right?..right." she nodded and had been about to turn away when his words gave her pause.

"Queen?.. Is that what she is?.." Syuri asked, her curiosity getting the better of her, and she slumped back into the cushions in front of the hearth, sitting up and wrapping her arms around her knees as she tilted her head at him.

"How is it that you know so much about them, Keernan? About the changelings and the nyxies, and her. ?"

 

[Keernan]

"If you would like. To be honest I wasn't going to set out at first light," he replied. "Will see how I feel in the morning."

The corner of his cheek twitched. It was a tell. He wasn't lying, but he was briefly avoiding the other question.

"I don't know," he said. It was clear from his expression that the answer didn't set well with him either.

"I don't know if it's like my name. Something I knew before?"

 

[Syuri]

"Alright, no of course not." her head shook, realising she was getting carried away with herself. She'd never packed before.

"She certainly seemed to know you, in some way.." her brow arched. "Maybe you have some sort of history, from your past life. I don't know any elves who know so much about their kind as you do.. We, sort of thought they were myth. Stories we tell children when they misbehave." she laughed under her breath somewhat awkwardly now.. "Should probably stop doing that..." she frowned.

 

[Keernan]

"I don't know," he mused, "maybe they will pay attention and behave now!"

Keernan smiled innocently, not quite aware of how innaporiate the joke really was. Several children from the village had nearly died.

"Whether I know her or not I hope that we never cross paths again. I have never felt so...damaged inside. Like being torn apart without being touched."

 

[Syuri]

Syuri snorted and shrugged.. "I mean I guess.." she chuckled, but there was still a part of her that didn't fully believe that far queen's promise, that she'd find some sort of loophole. They didn't seem the most trustworthy of sorts..

Her brow furrowed as he spoke of how he'd felt and she reached a hand to rest over his to squeeze at it firmly. "Let's hope not." she smiled softly. She'd honestly been surprised that standing up to the woman had resulted in her releasing Keernan at all. If she'd refused and cast Syuri aside there wouldn't have been much she could have done about it. If she was certain about one thing though, it was that the woman hadn't seemed through with him.

"Get some rest, Keernan." she sighed as she got to her feet and lifted Mango into her arms and scratched her chin to a purr of approval.. "It's been a long day.." she let out a huff of a laugh and wandered toward her spiral stairs to climb to her bed.

"Goodnight."

 

[Keernan]

Keernan felt a warmth when she squeezed his hand. It was a pleasant flow, but soon it followed twisting tides and formed a knot at the back of his throat. The touch was welcome, the pang of loneliness that followed less so.

Keernan knew things that no mortal elf did. Could see things and do things that they could not either. He always felt slightly apart from them. Since he had died he had made very few connections. He found everything he passed interesting and yet felt like an observer on the other side of a pane of glass.

In the morning Syuri would find him fast asleep in the chair. Exhausting that went beyond the physical had claimed him before he could get back up. He had slept soundly and without worry.

Some of Syuri's worries would prove to be founded. The fae world was not done with Keernan yet.

 

[Syuri]

Syuri slept far longer than she might normally have. She was always up before first light, and yet the warm, coppery glow of the morning's golden hour cast through her windows, casting diamond shapes across the floor and painting everything in a rosy hue. She sat up amongst her disarray of blankets and pillows, her hair a tousled mess, and she stretched and rolled herself out of bed to peek over into the sitting room below. Her lips twisted into a sleepy grin to see the slumbering Keernan exactly where she'd left him, and the dishevelled ball of ginger fluff happily purring in his lap.

Her eyes were drawn to her door, more specifically the parchment that appeared to have been slipped underneath it. Silently, she dressed and snuck downstairs to retrieve it.

~ A small thank you. We are all forever grateful to you both.~
~P.S. Open the door.~
​

Syuri's brow furrowed in confusion and she did as the letter instructed, her icy gaze squinting in the blinding sun for a moment before they settled on the array of gifts that appeared to have been donated from every stall of the village market. Baskets of fresh foods, raw and dried meats, cheeses, breads and sweets. Bottles of fine elven wine, knit blankets and fur pelts.

She smiled as she looked over the offerings, her head shaking, but her smile faltered as her eyes settled on the two bows and matching quivers. Kip's father was the village bowyer and she knew his work when she saw it. The smaller of the two was ash wood, carved with acorns and autumn leaves. The larger was a dark hickory carved with vines and ivy. Syuri beamed with excitement and collected the haul and brought it inside, little by little.

When he woke, it'd be to the smell of smoked bacon, or to the sound of Syuri humming to herself in the most off-key melodies.

 

[Keernan]

The cat was long gone when Keernan stirred, inevitably drawn to the food. He felt a lethargy unlike anything he'd suffered before. Deep, all the way through his bones, exhaustion as if he had been running for an entire day.

For the chair he surveyed the goods around the inside the doorway. Obviously much of the food had been moved to the larder and away from feline eyes.

Keernan rolled his shoulders back regretting staying in the chair. He was used to sleeping rough on the roadside, but sleeping upright apparently did not agree with him.

He pushed himself to his feet, quite naturally following the sound of Syrui's voice. He could tell that it was much later than when he usually woke.

Keernan leaned against the doorframe as he spoke up.

"You went out for supplies without me even waking?" he asked, jabbing his thumb over one shoulder towards the gifts.

 

[Syuri]

Syuri looked up as Keernan spoke and her features warmed with a beaming smile.. “Good morning. The village left all of that outside the door with a thank you note..Help yourself.” she smirked and shook her head. “We have plenty of supplies for our trip at least..” she shrugged as she plated up the bacon and eggs, nodding toward the dark bow that sat on the table. “That’s for you too.” She smiled, and sliced up a loaf.

“You know I have a spare bedroom, right?..” she laughed under her breath. “You must be stiff as a board…I, your back, I mean..Not..” Syuri cleared her throat and rubbed her wrist across her brow. “Tea?..”

 

[Keernan]

"Not what?" he asked, with genuine innocence. "Tea would be very nice."

Keernan stretched out over his head. He was a tall man and had to bend his elbows to reach straight upwards. His long black hair had was decidedly more chaotic this morning.

"I hadn't intended to sleep in the chair. I remember thinking about going to the room and that's about it," he said with a soft chuckle.

"Very kind," he said softly, his gaze drawn towards the bow.