Private Tales The Mountains Ahead

[Kasim Areth]

He drummed his fingers against his chin for a moment. The Jesters gaze wandered around the room for a few moments, then came back to Aviana. ”Not here.”

Kasim said as the bar tender walked away.

”I'll tell you when we're in the room. “ It was important to remember exactly where they were sitting. This village was only a few miles from the opening of the deep roads, at least one of the openings, and stories of monsters and what sat below the earth were often not very welcome. Paranoia and fear were intensely powerful motivators, and most of the time people preferred to ignore the darkness closest to them. ”We can snuggle up by the fire.”

The Jester joked, glancing towards one if the nearby patrons that was looking at him. Kasim smiled, though said nothing.

It was clear these people weren't exactly entirely use to outsiders. Kasim didn't want to get on their badside, especially with that odd little feeling still in his head.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana tensed up slightly at the mention of snuggling by the fire, and her gaze snapped to the man that Kasim glanced to. Of course, it would be the obvious assumption to make that the two of them were an item. They were both young and traveling alone together.

Her cheeks turned a deep shade of pink, almost red, as she blushed. She quickly covered the mild embarrassment by taking a longer swig from her mead than was strictly lady like. It wasn't as if she was sitting at court at the moment anyways. She doubted that any of the locals here knew what the etiquette was for such formal settings, anyways.

Sometimes she forgot that Kasim was a jester by trade. Casual flirting was a simple, natural thing for him. She was still getting used to it, and she wasn't sure if she'd ever get accustomed to little remarks like the one he'd just made.

"It's hardly cold enough to warrant fireside cuddling." She finally responded, setting the cup down on the table with a quiet chuckle.

 

[Kasim Areth]

It was of course that very idea Kasim wanted to encourage in everyone around them. He wanted people in this village to think that he and Aviana were simply a couple traveling to wherever it was they were going.

That assumption would mean less questions and less questions meant less risks.

Sure flirting was fun, and of course seeing Aviana turn the shade of a strawberry was no less than utterly hilarious. But there was always a purpose to the things he did. Early on after leaving Vel Anir he had learned that if you didn't control the narrative around you then others would do it for you, and they would do it in a much more negative way. So best to do it yourself.

”Well.” He began with an almost trademark grin. ”Only if we keep our clothes on.”

Kasim had no idea if Aviana would take him seriously, but he knew the batch of giggling ladies just to the left of him certainly did.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

There was a beat where Aviana considered tossing her drink into Kasim's smug, handsome face; but then she paused. They had been traveling together for weeks now, and he'd not said anything so bold to her. In fact, he'd been a proper gentleman to her for the entire journey.

Her lips pursed slightly as she watched his features intently, trying to get a read on his expression. She blinked once, and then realized what he was doing.

Her father would have glowed with pride at how deftly the man was able to guide a conversation along.

Kasim was speaking more to the people around them, than actually to her. He'd steered the conversation away from the unpleasantness of the deep roads, and instead brought it to something that could very well have been normal for a traveling couple. Weaving a simple tale, without having to actually tell a story.

Nevertheless, the stubborn blush refused to leave her cheeks. She wasn't sure if she should play along, or how to react at all, really. She bit at her bottom lip, then raised her gaze to meet his. What harm was there in going along with it? The jester knew what he was doing, and he wouldn't take her response seriously.

"My dear, you will have to do better than that if you hope to get me out of these clothes." She countered with a coy grin.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Ah she got it. At least he was pretty sure she did. There was always a chance that she had fallen for his roguish charms and was now in love.

It had happened more than once.

"Truly?" Kasim mused for a second, tapping his chin as the bartender returned with the drinks that they had ordered. The man gave him a scandalous look, as if he were somehow insulting Aviana by speaking about such things so openly. It was probably true, but that was half the impression he was trying to create. "Well, I suppose I have a few things up my sleeves still."

He did, but they probably weren't going to make an appearance here. Kasim wasn't really trying to seduce Aviana, just trying to make everyone think that they were together. Well, more together than they really were.

The ruse seemed to work at least, with the women behind him giggling and at least one other patron flashing him a quick thumbs up before Aviana could see.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

She offered a warm, reassuring smile to the bartender before the man turned to leave. Perhaps the people here were more prudish than she first thought?

Her weight shifted slightly in the chair, and she risked a quick glance around the inn to the other patrons as if trying to make sure that no one was listening in. A hand reached out to rest on top of Kasim's forearm, and she leaned over to make it look as if she was whispering something suggestive in his ear.

"Well. You certainly gave them something to talk about." She murmured softly to him, low enough that only he would hear her.

 

[Kasim Areth]

He smirked slightly.

She was taking queues from him, it was a good thing to sell the ruse, but it also leaned into his more...mischievous sensibilities. A thought entered his mind, one that the angel on his shoulder began to screech at him for. As she pulled back slightly Kasim gently placed his hand over hers.

"I did?" He mused quietly, almost a whisper, turning his head so that his lips were just inches away from hers. "Want to give them something more?"

Kasim's voice was smooth, practiced honey.

The Jester knew exactly what he was doing, though why he was doing it would be more difficult to tell.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

This was a game Aviana had played before, but she was almost surprised to see it coming from the jester. The tone was a familiar one, but not one that she'd heard from Kasim before. She wasn't as certain anymore that this little performance was just for the onlookers. It suddenly felt as if she'd stepped into more dangerous waters.

Her gaze flicked towards the women that were seated behind Kasim, both of which were blatantly staring at the man. He must have been a rare sight in a place like this. For Aviana, it was as if she'd been teleported back home and into her father's court.

A faint smile flickered at the corner of her mouth as he leaned his face so close to hers. She shifted her gaze back to meet his own, squeezing his arm gently as she nearly closed the distance between their lips. When she stopped, there was a mere hair's breadth left between them, and she turned her head to the side instead. She gathered her glass in her free hand and raised it to her lips, taking a small sip from the contents.

"Like I said, you'll have to do better." She purred back to him, lightly trailing her finger along the length of his forearm before she pulled her hand away.

 

[Kasim Areth]

If Kasim was at all bothered by the response he didn't show it. Instead he simply clicked his tongue and glanced towards the ladies who were now almost too obviously watching him. "Perhaps I'll go into the night and gather some flowers then."

Another batch of giggles, though the Jester annoyed them.

For some reason he couldn't help but think of the Royal Court in Vel Anir. These sorts of things weren't uncommon there either, and small games of push and pull were often played between the children of the Great Houses. Of course, within Vel Anir there were undertones of death and assassination, but that didn't make it any less fun.

Kasim had always been good at it, part of why he had chosen to become a Jester. It was generally easier when he could do magic, the Runes were fun little tricks to show off with.

"I suppose I'll wait though." He mused just a little too loudly to himself. "The other ladies will get jealous if they see how well I treat you."

It was rather obvious what he was talking about.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

It made sense for a jester to be cognizant of the game, and to know the ins-and-outs of court, but that didn't mean that Aviana had to enjoy it. The mask was something she donned out of necessity, not because she wanted to. Her tongue pressed against the inside of her cheek as she grappled with the decision of whether or not to keep playing along.

She knew how to go through the motions, but she'd never derived pleasure from toying with other people's emotions. Trickery, half-truths, and capriciousness were the traits of mainlanders. Whenever they visited court back home, Aviana had always been forced to be on her guard. More so than usual.

A sharp pang of homesickness washed over her, and the muscles in her jaw flexed as she kept her expression neutral. She'd reached the point in this dance where Kieran would have stepped forward and claimed that one of Aviana's parents, usually her mother, wanted to speak with her.

Subconsciously, her hand reached up to clutch at the pendant she wore beneath her tunic.

Enough, you've a role to play. She chastised herself, swallowed back her tears and turned her gaze back to Kasim. The smile that she donned would have fooled even the most smitten of suitors back home.

"Please." She retorted. "As if you'll have the energy to pick flowers once we're through."

 

[Kasim Areth]

Despite the mask that he wore, despite the facade of his entire being, Kasim wasn't the heartless Jester going from place to place breaking hearts and slitting throats.

Many men, and women, had throughout the last five years told tale of what he really was. They tried to say he was an assassin, that he was a killer of nobles and a man not to be trusted. Rumor spread that a Court Bard like him would swoop through town and wreak all matter of harm and ill.

It was true in some ways, but wrong in so many others.

Kasim had a heart. He didn't like hurting others. It was why he had left home, why he'd run away from the fate that had been handed to him at birth. If he'd wanted it he could have had power, he could have had any woman he wanted, he could have had everything most men dreamed of.

But he'd thrown it away.

So when he saw that slight hesitation, the shake of her head, the noticeable shiver that ran through Aviana, Kasim stopped.

Everyone else in the room would have missed it, hell, her sister might have missed it, but Kasim knew what it was. He'd seen too much regret, too much sorrow and too much heartache to forget it. A part of him felt a pang of pity, but of course he said nothing. "I suppose you're right."

Kasim said the words.

"Perhaps I'll save it for tomorrow then." The words flowed in that same tone, but there was no suggestion behind them this time.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Her gaze softened as she met Kasim's and she subtly inclined her head in acknowledgement to the shift in his demeanor. Even though she couldn't actually voice her appreciation, she knew that the jester would be able to pick up on it.

She brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear, sipping from her glass of mead once again.

In an effort to keep up their little tale, she leaned over to lightly kiss his temple as she stood up. She then reached down to put the empty cup on the table top.

"I think I'll turn in for the night. Do you have the key to the room, or should I get it from the innkeeper?"

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim procured the small key with a flourish worthy of any Master Bard. The little metal object seemed to appear out of nowhere, his fingers shifting in just the right way to obscure the fact that he had pulled it from his sleeve.

He flashed her a brief smile. "I'll be up shortly, love."

It wasn't because of any awkwardness from their conversation, but rather because he wanted to feel out the room a little more. Kasim was almost entirely sure that everyone in the Inn now believed their story, he and Aviana had been pretty convincing. Still, there was something still...off.

He could feel it.

A natural sense for trouble really.

It was something he was gifted with, and something he would use to full effect here. Before Kasim settled down for the night he wanted to know what was happening in this sleepy little village. Especially since he knew full well they'd need all the rest that they could get.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

"Don't go picking too many flowers." She murmured softly in his ear, patting his shoulder as she took the key from him.

Kasim might have been able to read the room, to pick up the tension in the air, but Aviana didn't sense anything out of place. It made her a little apprehensive that he was so on edge, but she couldn't exactly voice those concerns here. For a brief moment, she considered making an excuse to stay down in the main room with him, but she had already committed.

Key in one hand, her carefully guarded satchel in the other, Aviana turned to make her way up the stairs. As she went, she noticed that a few of the men in the room had their attention fixated on her. It would seem that she was as much a delicacy in these parts as her companion. She was quick to avert her gaze from theirs, and she hurried up the wooden stairs.

The room was small, but cozy. One bed was against the far wall, beneath the window; and the other was tucked away against the right wall next to a writing desk. The fireplace was not currently lit, but it at least had firewood already in place. She set the key down on the desk, carefully placed the satchel on the bed beneath the window, and then went to get the fire started.

It was the first time she'd been alone weeks... and it terrified her.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim stayed downstairs, and counter to what he had originally thought, everyone left him alone.

He'd thought some of the men would speak to him, that some of the women would approach him, but everyone seemed to go back to their conversations. It was odd, and entirely unexpected. For some reason it made him feel even more ill-at ease. The simple trick with the Key was usually more than enough to draw interest, and everything he'd said to Aviana?

That would have drawn half a common room in the Allir Reaches.

Perhaps these people were more used to talk like that, but Kasim doubted it. Every indication of these people was that they were as conservative as the next little village. He and his companion should have started a small scandal all on their own, even with being from out of town.

Kasim frowned deeply, though wiped away the expression quickly as he finished his ale and stood. Instead of following however he wandered over to the corner of the room where a game of cards was going on. "Room for one more?"

His voice sounded a tad more gruff than before.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Once Aviana got the fire going, she went to the door and locked it as quietly as she could. It would be some time before Kasim came upstairs to join her, and she wanted to take care of a few things while she had a moment of privacy.

She drew the curtains over the window, then carefully pulled the dragon egg out of the satchel. Cradling it in her arms, she made her way over to the hearth and sat down as close to the fire as she could without it being unbearable. She tilted her head back slightly so that she could pull the pendant free from beneath her tunic.

The large rune stone glowed a brilliant as she held it, the same color as her eyes. Her mother had given it to her the night she'd been forced to flee Minaris.

She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against the scaled surface of the egg, feeling the gentle warmth of it spread through her body, much like the fire. As quietly as she could, she hummed softly and her lips moved with silent words.

You're all I have left.

She wasn't sure how long she stayed like that, but when she lifted her head the sun had gone down. Giving a ragged sigh, she rose back up onto her feet and wrapped the egg back in the cloth before she tucked it back into the bag. The streaks of color were pulsating with more light, she noticed, and she hoped that was a good sign.

The necklace dimmed somewhat as the egg was put away. She curled her fingers around the stone, holding it close to her heart for a brief moment, before she also tucked it away.

 

[Kasim Areth]

As it turned out the game of cards was just that, a game of cards. Kasim talked to the men playing, he bantered and joked, he even learned a bit about their families. In the end though that feeling never left him. Something felt off, wrong, and he didn't like it at all. There was just...he couldn't explain it.

"Well lads." Kasim said as he slowly scooped up the coins in front of them, sliding them into a small purse on his belt and looking at the others. "I've got to get to bed, the love and I have a journey ahead of us in the morning. Best not to spend the whole night gambling."

He got a few nods, though one or two of the players growled something about having lost more money than the game was worth it.

Kasim gave them a short flourish and bow, then tossed some of the coins back on the table with a small wave. It was a gesture, and he quickly added that it was for their next round of drinks. No need to insult people with pity, better to seem generous instead. With a smile he headed up the steps.

Within just a few moments he was knocking on the door to the room he would share with Aviana. "It's me."

He called quietly.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

The sound of a knock at the door caused Aviana to jump, and she cursed quietly under her breath. It was ridiculous, she had even been expecting Kasim and it had still startled her.

"Coming." She softly called back, crossing the room and quickly unbolting the door to let him in.

"Sorry, should have unlocked the door sooner. I thought you were going to be longer." She murmured, holding the door open for him with a wry smile.

Once he'd stepped in, she shut the door behind him and quietly locked it again. A habit she'd picked up during her travels outside of Minaris, she realized flatly.

She smoothed her hands over her hair before asking, "Are you okay?"

Downstairs she hadn't been comfortable enough to ask him directly what was on his mind, but now that they were away from the locals she felt it was appropriate to bring it up.

 

[Kasim Areth]

He shrugged. "It's nothing, I think."

Glancing around the room Kasim saw how small it was, frowning for a moment when he saw the small beds and then the desk at the other end of the room.

"Paranoia mostly." Kasim had spent the last few years of his life traveling around the world. He'd never made it as far as Aviana's home, but he'd been to most of the two great continents and even the islands in the South West. The sense of things being wrong...it was usually right. "But it's never failed me before."

The Jester said with a shrug as he walked over to the desk and proceeded to drag it over towards the door. He pushed it into place in front of the lock, giving it one last press to ensure it was right up against the heavy wood. "Those people were...strange."

He explained finally.

"I couldn't get a read on them." As he spoke Kasim began to strip, taking off his boots and unconsciously pulling off his tunic. It was an act that he didn't seem to notice as he continued to speak. "They didn't respond like usual small town folk, it was like they were listening to us because they thought I wanted them to rather than because they were actually interested."

 

[Aviana Sabel]

As soon as she realized that he was pulling off his tunic, Aviana discreetly turned to the fire and propped an arm up on the mantle to lean against it. She didn't make a show of modesty, but she was careful to keep her eyes averted. The other hand hovered near her mouth, lightly fidgeting with the bottom lip as she listened to him explain his uneasiness.

At first, she was tempted to make a joke about him knowing what she felt like all the time, but she decided against it. If he was rattled, there was cause for concern.

"They seemed plenty interested when I was down there? Did something happen after I left?" She asked curiously, not taking her blue gaze off of the dancing flames in front of her.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim sat himself down on the bed, hanging his tunic off the corner and frowning slightly. "They responded when you were down there because they knew I wanted them to."

Was that paranoia speaking again? Was he going insane? Kasim couldn't rule it out really. He didn't know any of these people and the culture of this village might have been utterly different than any other he had visited before. For all he knew they just didn't care about this sort of stuff.

"If I had said half those things in Anaset..." A small village on the coast near Vel Anir. "The local Women's Council would have come and strung me up for 'harming your decency'."

Unconsciously he glanced down at his torso, inspecting the runes cut into his flesh and drawn with thick black ink. "It just seems...off."

He couldn't really explain it better than that.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Trying to have a conversation with someone, especially someone who was clearly upset, while staring at the wall was proving more difficult than Aviana originally thought it would be. She turned to face him, curling one arm over her chest to support the one that was still toying with her bottom lip.

The runes that were etched into his flesh were something she hadn't seen before, and it immediately piqued her interest, but she knew that this was not the time to change the subject. She could ask about them at another time.

"Perhaps they're just overly polite here?" She offered, gesturing towards him with the hand that had been drumming her fingers against her lips.

Her attention briefly turned to the desk that had been shoved against the door, then back to Kasim. If she hadn't known that he was concerned about a possible threat, she might have been mildly worried that a man had locked her in a room, blocked the door, and then taken his shirt off. She blinked at the realization that she wasn't afraid of Kasim trying anything like that with her, coming to terms with the fact that she had started to trust the jester.

That in and of itself was startling.

She moved a little closer to him and squatted down, resting her elbows on top of her knees. Her head dipped down slightly so that she could meet his gaze. "If you're not comfortable here, we can leave. Another night in the wilderness won't kill us."

 

[Kasim Areth]

It was possible, but overly polite would be more inclined to string him up than not, at least he thought so. For a moment Kasim continued his routine of checking the Runes, shaking his head.

"We've already paid for the room and the stables." Briefly he wondered if any of that would actually matter if they just decided to walk out of here. Usually in a village like this it would, the Innkeeper would get insulted, the mayor would wonder why they were leaving, half a dozen tiny little incidents.

Here he wasn't sure.

Still, Kasim wanted to lean on the side of caution. The unfortunate fact was that he didn't exactly know which side that was. Would it be easier to leave or stay? Which option was safer? He had no idea, and that made him about as nervous as could be.

"I think we'll be alright with that." He told her, pointing to the desk. "I doubt anyone will break in."

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Her gaze flicked over to the desk, and then back to Kasim. His nervousness was infectious, and she shifted uncomfortably on the floor.

When it became clear that he'd made up his mind, she gave a small nod if her head and she stood up. Her hands pulled the ties and pins from her hair, letting the long tresses fall freely past her shoulders. Sleeping out in the wilderness had been less nerve-wracking than this.

Not sure what else to do with herself, she went over to her own small bed and sat down on the edge of it. Her hands rubbed at her face and she sighed softly.

"I guess so."

Her thoughts drifted to a dark night, and a storm brewing on the horizon. If someone wanted to break in, a flimsy desk wouldn't stop them.

"Should I go down to the stable to get my sword?" She asked with a puzzled expression.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"You didn't bring your sword?" For the first time Kasim finally paid attention to the room around them. He looked up at her, what she was wearing, and the things she had brought.

His lips thinned immediately.

"No." The Jester's eyes wandered towards his own blade sitting next to the door. He had never let the thing out of his sight, mostly because if someone pulled it from it's scabbard and revealed the rune mark there would very likely be no small amount of trouble. "Better to stay up here."

He considered for a moment. "I doubt we'll get attacked. Like I said it's just paranoia."

Kasim tried to give Aviana a reassuring smile.

"Been out of a bed for too long." It was a bad excuse, and she would know it.