Completed Of Books & Brothers

[Elias]

"She's certainly something," Eli pauses, "For a while, I was under her tutelage. Before things changed."

It was Ventress' sense of duty to the House she serves that had stimulated much of Eli's growth as a young teen. Her training had been harsh and unforgiving. Second only to Mars Pallatrix in brutality. Made the rest of the Proctors seem easy.

"It was my first time returning since the Proctors came for me. Everything's gone except for a few useless things and people there to keep the place from falling apart." Not that he could even remember what it looked like before their family made their home elsewhere.

 

[Elspeth Sirl]

Before things changed.

The Revolution really had changed so many things for Vel Anir, but Elspeth was deeply curious how it had changed things for him. For the Initiates at the Academy. She'd heard what had happened on his graduation - hardly any high Noble hadn't - but she wasn't sure if what she'd been told was the full story. Elsi wanted to ask, but it seemed terribly inappropriate considering there had been deaths, disappearances, and exiles. Had he lost any friends?

Did he have any friends?

"How sad," she set her tea cup aside, now half drained and cooling, "it was such a lovely place to live. To think of it in such a state ... I'm certain something could be done for it." But father wouldn't hear of it. Just one more subject he refused to speak on. More and more it was becoming difficult to understand how she was expected to take over and lead their House if he wouldn't speak to her on things such as their estates.

There was silence for a few moments as she searched for the right subject to transition to. Speaking on their parents wasn't terribly conducive to a warming conversation.

"Elias," she began softly, tentatively, "if you do not ...hate me, what do you wish of me? Are you just here to return the book?"

 

[Elias]

Certainly, something could. But to Eli, it'd be a waste of time and money.

Truth be told, he had no expectations for his sister. No wishes. It was a lie to say he never thought of her. Actually, he thought of her quite a lot, though oft without much sentimentality. Simple as he was, he was tactful enough to not spit such words out in her face.

"I'm going to sit," he said and does as such. After a pause, he continues, "I'm going to be a Knight. No idea when, or if, there'll be another chance for this. I had some questions to ask you."

 

[Elspeth Sirl]

A Knight?

Elspeth blinked, both surprised and ... proud? Knights had dangerous jobs, but at the very least it meant he was remaining loyal to Vel Anir. He hadn't opted for exile, and that fact brought with it such relief. She wanted to remark on how wonderful that was but the sense of seriousness in his words stopped her.

"Alright," was her response, "I'll do my best to answer. Ask away."

 

[Elias]

Elias sat in the chair with a soldier's stiff posture and studied his sister's features. Thought to himself how little resemblance they shared. He folded his hands one over the other on the tabletop, tapping a finger on the back of his bottom hand.

After a sigh, he asked: "Have you ever felt the sun in your blood?"

 

[Elspeth Sirl]

Elspeth held silent for several moments, the pinch of her brow tightening in clear confusion. Was...this a trick question? Some form of family-only code question she should know the answer to? Was he calling out her paleness in comparison to his own tanned complexion? Perhaps her brother had experienced heavy brain trauma?

"I..." the young woman could only offer him a trying smile, "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean. The sun in my blood?"

 

[Elias]

"Hm. Never mind," Elias nonchalantly waved the question away. "When I visited the old castle, I found something our father left behind. There's an old crypt on the grounds. Hidden. Ventress and I sniffed it out. Found the Annals of our House. Are you familiar with its existence?"

 

[Elspeth Sirl]

Well, for all her intellect and education, Elias certainly was succeeding at making her feel a fool. Elspeth frowned as he spoke of the crypt - something of which she had no awareness of.

"No," she replied after a moment, "as I said, I've not been since many years past. I rarely was allowed to venture out of mother and father's sight."

But it must have been something of importance to him to bring it up and that, naturally, made her deeply curious. "What did you learn from them?"

 

[Elias]

Elias nodded in acknowledgment. Recorded in the Annals were the accounts of previous patriarchs. It possessed the House's history and its secrets. The good and bad. It was information that would be of great use to succeeding heads of the family.

"This and that. Didn't have my hands on it for long. But I did find some interesting entries about family members in the past who had the same magic as me."

The smell of cooking had made its way into the Solar. Elias had never eaten duck before, or at least he couldn't recall if he had, but it smelled divine.

"Anyways, Ventress and I hid the fuckin' thing. I instructed her that she's to hand it over to you upon my untimely demise. Or, I get back from my assignment, and I'll just show you myself. Whatever happens."

 

[Elspeth Sirl]

There was some concern of course, regarding the history of their family. The fire of House Sirl was not an unknown attribute of their lineage but shortly beyond her birth when she showed nary a sign of magical talent or possession, it became a non-issue. Still, Elspeth couldn't help but feel slighted in now knowing that her father had not deigned to even tell her about the book.

Did it not occur to him that despite the fact she was not possessed of magic, that her children and future descendants would? Would it not be important that she have that information so that she might better plan for those potential futures.

Or did their father simply think to live forever in his depression, never to turn over the reigns to either of them?

Or, she realized rather suddenly as her brother seemed to confess charge of the situation, had her father secretly meant for him to be the heir and not told her that either?

"I see," Elsi's brow furrowed ever deeper as she measured the sudden rise of her temper - something that so seldom occurred it almost took her by surprise, "is there a reason that you did not simply consider the third option of bringing it straight to me yourself?"

 

[Elias]

"Yeah," he answers immediately, "You're a stranger to me."

Eli knew she had as much of a right as he did to the contents in that book, but there were things pertaining to him that had left him troubled. He wanted time to think about it.

"Anyways, I came here because I thought changing that would be nice. Us being strangers, I mean."

 

[Elspeth Sirl]

That stung more than she would ever admit, but of course he was right. They were strangers.

Still, strangers they may be - that did not degrade their familial relation. She was his sister and no manner of distance of foreign nature would change that.

"It would," Elsi agreed with him, "though from the sounds of it your stay will be quite short before you depart to become a Knight. Does this mean you intend to write me during your travels, brother? It takes far more than a single shared meal to know someone, wouldn't you say?"

 

[Elias]

A wry smile finally breaks the stony mask he'd worn since entering Elsi's home. Maybe she'd be surprised how easily you could know someone. How little time it took. He refrained from spoiling the mood with any inappropriate talk.

Instead, he nodded, "I'll try."

Dropping his guard at last, Elias leans back into the seat.

"I plan on setting out this evening, actually."

 

[Elspeth Sirl]

Well, it was better than a no. A start, at the very least.

"Very well," she would have to try not to make a waste of their short time together, "did you have more questions for me?"

 

[Elias]

"Not really, no."

He turned both of his palms up in front of him on the table, "But if you had any for me..."

 

[Elspeth Sirl]

"Yes," Elsi's smile returned, small but warm, "countless many, accrued over the years, but one that comes to mind. What's become of your lady friend?" She took to her tea, "The one you spoke to me about the morning after your surgery in the infirmary tent?"

 

[Elias]

Elias gave Elsi a sideways look at first, as if quietly asking exactly which lady friend she meant.

"Oh! Hah." Of all the things to ask, it was that, huh? "She's in her element, I'd say. I have a feeling the Knights will suit her better than anyone else."

 

[Elspeth Sirl]

"Another Knight?" Elsi raised a brow faintly, curiously. He'd not given her too terribly much to go off of in that tent...

"I've only room in my life for one strong-willed woman. Two is just... mind-numbing."
"Now that I know you've someone in your life I am intrigued. Tell me about this strong-willed woman of yours."
"First, I must make it abundantly clear that she is not my woman. She's not."
...
"An Iniate. We just fuck, that's it. Ain't shit else to it than that. Is that what you wanted to hear? We fuck hard, and often."
"What's she like? Other than strong willed..."
"You go through years of hell with somebody, save their ass more times than you can count, get YOUR ass saved... then petty labels lose their meaning and can't define the bond you've forged."
"Is she pretty? What's her power?"
"Yeah. She's real pretty. Good with runes, well, the best with runes. Smart. Always got her nose in a book, even though she doesn't look the sort."

She knew enough about the Knights to understand what this all implied. That the lady friend was not only pretty and smart, a talented mage, but an accomplished warrior to boot. What she wasn't certain of was the connection. Elsi did not know much about how or where the Knights operated.

"Will you be joining her, then?"

 

[Elias]

"That's right. Without her putting a word in, it'd never have happened. I'd be in the reserve. Or exile." His eyes smiled, and he shrugged, "I'm just a tag-along."

 

[Elspeth Sirl]

"That was a good gesture of her on your behalf," Elspeth offered, "I daresay you won't be bored among the Knights, hm? Patched enough of them up to know what kinds of trouble they find..."

"If she had not put that word in, what would you have chosen?"

 

[Elias]

"I'm sure she had her reasons."

It was just how they were. Plenty of those in their class would have done a kind deed for the sake of it, but that wasn't the company that Elias kept. But Ral sticking her neck out for him didn't go unappreciated, no matter the reason.

The brother smiled and shrugged, "Whatever would be easiest, I reckon."

 

[Elspeth Sirl]

Easiest? Here she assumed Elias was the sort that relished in a challenge. But, she supposed, after the life of hardships he most certainly had already endured, easy might be a welcome respite in his life.

"Well, you will always be welcome here with me should you ever need a..." she was about to say soft landing but felt perhaps he might find such wording offensive, "place to stay. Your ladyfriend as well, as the least I can do in thanks for her own kind gesture to you."

In that respect, she felt it important that he felt welcome as family - which was far more than she assumed their father would offer him - and any person who was willing to do right by him had earned themselves a definitive level of respect from her.

"What's her name? I do not believe you ever told me."

 

[Elias]

"Sure. Thanks. And I'll, uh, pass on the word." Elias wondered exactly how receptive Ral would be to it. He sighs and thinks for a moment about how good the food smelled. He felt himself anticipating having it put down in front of him.

"Banick. Ralene." Eli wryly smiles, "You met."

 

[Elspeth Sirl]

"Ralene? Really?" Elsi raised her brows in a look of mild shock. She supposed that made quite a bit of sense, having interacted with the young Initiate in Wissburg and knowing how her brother described her - but there was one thing that didn't quite add up.

"She ... is not with Edric? They played a false marriage in Wissburg as a cover, but did genuinely seem close."

 

[Elias]

"I'm sure they've shared a bed here and there," Elias comments and raises an eyebrow contemplatively, "Yeah, he's a specimen. Capable too. Probably the best of us."

He waves a hand in the air, "Don't bother me none. We ain't like that."