Post by Aura on Dec 1, 2007 15:19:35 GMT -5
Chapter Two -- The Illusive Outside World
Lilytha huddled down close, her eyes reflecting the strange sight infront of her. She took a quick glance around her, but of course, who would be here, in her own home, when all were dead and gone? Sometimes she had thought that it was a fate picking them off, and sometimes she just thought that they were unlucky, so unlucky to have had this done to them. Some thought themselves unlucky for the ungrateful family they had, but Lilytha envied them for even having someone to be annoyed with - now everyone in the world she had to be polite to, as it seemed all were strangers.
Now Errie had come, there was much talk arising in Jirapa of what would be happening. There were rumors that Prince Asbidant was thinking of closing the gate into Asbidant and Jirapa, enclosing them so as to make a defense against the outside world. People seemed to think that the news Errie had brought must be bad, of attacks, and Lilytha wasn't so sure herself, trying to remember the exact words of her new friend when she had first come into the town. Things about them being victorious in a far away land. But then she had trailed off, and Lilytha could remember nothing more of it. None in the town blamed Errie, of course, for they had learned many times, the hard way of how civil war, however small, always ended in more pain for them than anyone else. And if the poor people of Jirapa didn't have each other, then who else did they have?
Lilytha wondered if she dare touch the cursed thing infront of her. She looked into its swirling depths and knew that she could watch it forever if she so wished. Even now when she had only glanced at it, she felt her eyes being drawn into the center, into the mysteries within... she tore her eyes away, not wanting to watch it any longer. Lilytha picked it up in the rags that she had draped it with and carried it to her bed, rolling it under carefully, wondering if she would ever do what she had planned with the thing. She hoped so. Once an oath was sworn with Lilytha it was rarely denied the consequences. And when it was something as personal as the death of her sister... then she was certainly never going to let that chance pass her by.
She wandered outside, to the busy streets of Jirapa, and looked up to the sky. The sun was near directly over them - which meant it was almost midday, and almost time to pay Kirri a little visit, as she always did. She set off through Jirapa, winding her way past the traders, the beggars, the carts, the horses, the animals, and the endless throng of people. At first she had felt guilty for doing this, but she had shaken off her guilt, somehow, and now just felt it right, what she had to do. Kirri was fine with it, so why not she? She just had good friends, that was all.
Lilytha had made her way past the slum like dwellings, and into the cleaner, prettier, and all around better houses. These were where the more important people lived, nearer to the castle where the Royals themselves resided. Lilytha kept on walking, until she came to a pretty little house with a thatched roof and flowers outside. It was very close to the outer wall protecting the castle, or at least the closed gateway too it. Lilytha knocked once, paused, then knocked three times again. It was a childish things that they used to do so as to know who was outside the door before they opened it, and she had carried it on. It was almost like tradition for Lilytha and Kirri, so she waited for the answer.
-- --- --
And, I'm sorry, so sorry... I didn't even know...
She tried once again to explain. It was hard for Amber to apologies, as she was terrible at it. She didn't much like being apologized too either, though she liked the argument before. If she was ever given a gift, she would find it very hard to show on the outside that she was grateful. It wasn't that she was a bad person, it was just the way that she was and had always been, unable to accept anything with a word of thanks that didn't sound fake. Which was why her sorries kept on sounding unfelt and bland, but Kirri didn't seem to mind.
Infact, he seemed to be doing anything but minding. He was turning around on the chair that his father had had made for him. It was a wooden masterpiece, and swiveled around at the seat, allowing him to turn freely. Why the hell they had made it Amber just didn't know, though Kirri seemed to love it. Maybe he had requested it himself, and if he had... then what a weird imagination Kirri had. But then again, Amber already knew that, having known him for about three years. She had never seen his home in the Kingdom of Asbidant, though, and now she was here, in Jirapa, the center of it, trying to explain why she hadn't been able to assassinate the people trying to sacrifice Rose.
It just wasn't in the plan, I mean, you told me specifically that you would be there. I trusted you with the timings... hey, why didn't you come anyway?
Kirri looked up, realizing he was being addressed, and thought for a moment. His eyes lit up when he remembered, then his face sobered once again as he remembered the situation. Amber rolled her eyes but said nothing and awaited his answer, for it was something that he had not yet told her the events of.
We... got held up.
Amber blinked at him, expecting him to explain. When he didn't, she sighed in despair. She had forgotten how irritating Kirri could be, and with her own temper that was hard to control, this just may be a problem.
Elaborate.
She practically ordered, sitting back in the wooden seat that he had placed her in. It wasn't that comfortable and had way too many corners, and Amber would have preferred the floor but then that was just her, with her strange customs. She saw that these people of Jirapa considered it rude not to accept a chair, so she had taken one and had been trying to find a comfortable way of sitting on it ever since. She gave up and just sat there, wishing that she could be on the woven carpet.
By a guard.
This time Kirri didn't need Amber to say anything to make him speak. Her gaze told him to tell her more or pay the price, so he gibbered out things about that night.
Um... well the guard wanted a fight and we didn't because of course we had to get to Rose but we couldn't because he was holding us up so we asked him if he wanted a fight and he just stood there and we drew our swords but he didn't do much because he was either confused or stunned as he just stood there doing nothing so we ran away to find you and help Rose but it was too late and... yeah.
Kirri said quickly, then sat there, seemingly out of breath, when there was a knock on the door. Then three knocks. Kirri jumped up and ran to the door, leaving Amber waiting there to see who it was. Her face lit up when she was Lilytha standing there, and the three sat down to discuss, as they had done so many times before in the past, to discuss matters in Asbidant.
Kirri brought news of what Prince Asbidant's plans were from his father, Ghadi Keyes, who was a Chief Adviser to the Crown. Lilytha brought news from around the village of what the people knew and thought. Most were against his plans, and so were they. Amber brought tidings from outside, to the south of Asbidant. And so they discussed, and talked for hours, deciding on plans and ways in which to stop Prince Asbidant in his idea to cut off the outside world. They could not afford to do that. And knowing him, they would probably never open again, only to let people of importance in and out. They all knew that they would be trapped here, and so would all the other people with business outside. That could not happen.
So when Lilytha left with the food that Kirri always lent her from his fathers' seemingly endless stock, as Amber slipped away and as fletched another arrow for his bow, a plan was hatched between the three. And none would know of what this meant, not even they themselves. This was what would be the beginning of their career. It would be their lives from now on. Their lives as outlaws.
Their lives as rebels.
Now Errie had come, there was much talk arising in Jirapa of what would be happening. There were rumors that Prince Asbidant was thinking of closing the gate into Asbidant and Jirapa, enclosing them so as to make a defense against the outside world. People seemed to think that the news Errie had brought must be bad, of attacks, and Lilytha wasn't so sure herself, trying to remember the exact words of her new friend when she had first come into the town. Things about them being victorious in a far away land. But then she had trailed off, and Lilytha could remember nothing more of it. None in the town blamed Errie, of course, for they had learned many times, the hard way of how civil war, however small, always ended in more pain for them than anyone else. And if the poor people of Jirapa didn't have each other, then who else did they have?
Lilytha wondered if she dare touch the cursed thing infront of her. She looked into its swirling depths and knew that she could watch it forever if she so wished. Even now when she had only glanced at it, she felt her eyes being drawn into the center, into the mysteries within... she tore her eyes away, not wanting to watch it any longer. Lilytha picked it up in the rags that she had draped it with and carried it to her bed, rolling it under carefully, wondering if she would ever do what she had planned with the thing. She hoped so. Once an oath was sworn with Lilytha it was rarely denied the consequences. And when it was something as personal as the death of her sister... then she was certainly never going to let that chance pass her by.
She wandered outside, to the busy streets of Jirapa, and looked up to the sky. The sun was near directly over them - which meant it was almost midday, and almost time to pay Kirri a little visit, as she always did. She set off through Jirapa, winding her way past the traders, the beggars, the carts, the horses, the animals, and the endless throng of people. At first she had felt guilty for doing this, but she had shaken off her guilt, somehow, and now just felt it right, what she had to do. Kirri was fine with it, so why not she? She just had good friends, that was all.
Lilytha had made her way past the slum like dwellings, and into the cleaner, prettier, and all around better houses. These were where the more important people lived, nearer to the castle where the Royals themselves resided. Lilytha kept on walking, until she came to a pretty little house with a thatched roof and flowers outside. It was very close to the outer wall protecting the castle, or at least the closed gateway too it. Lilytha knocked once, paused, then knocked three times again. It was a childish things that they used to do so as to know who was outside the door before they opened it, and she had carried it on. It was almost like tradition for Lilytha and Kirri, so she waited for the answer.
-- --- --
And, I'm sorry, so sorry... I didn't even know...
She tried once again to explain. It was hard for Amber to apologies, as she was terrible at it. She didn't much like being apologized too either, though she liked the argument before. If she was ever given a gift, she would find it very hard to show on the outside that she was grateful. It wasn't that she was a bad person, it was just the way that she was and had always been, unable to accept anything with a word of thanks that didn't sound fake. Which was why her sorries kept on sounding unfelt and bland, but Kirri didn't seem to mind.
Infact, he seemed to be doing anything but minding. He was turning around on the chair that his father had had made for him. It was a wooden masterpiece, and swiveled around at the seat, allowing him to turn freely. Why the hell they had made it Amber just didn't know, though Kirri seemed to love it. Maybe he had requested it himself, and if he had... then what a weird imagination Kirri had. But then again, Amber already knew that, having known him for about three years. She had never seen his home in the Kingdom of Asbidant, though, and now she was here, in Jirapa, the center of it, trying to explain why she hadn't been able to assassinate the people trying to sacrifice Rose.
It just wasn't in the plan, I mean, you told me specifically that you would be there. I trusted you with the timings... hey, why didn't you come anyway?
Kirri looked up, realizing he was being addressed, and thought for a moment. His eyes lit up when he remembered, then his face sobered once again as he remembered the situation. Amber rolled her eyes but said nothing and awaited his answer, for it was something that he had not yet told her the events of.
We... got held up.
Amber blinked at him, expecting him to explain. When he didn't, she sighed in despair. She had forgotten how irritating Kirri could be, and with her own temper that was hard to control, this just may be a problem.
Elaborate.
She practically ordered, sitting back in the wooden seat that he had placed her in. It wasn't that comfortable and had way too many corners, and Amber would have preferred the floor but then that was just her, with her strange customs. She saw that these people of Jirapa considered it rude not to accept a chair, so she had taken one and had been trying to find a comfortable way of sitting on it ever since. She gave up and just sat there, wishing that she could be on the woven carpet.
By a guard.
This time Kirri didn't need Amber to say anything to make him speak. Her gaze told him to tell her more or pay the price, so he gibbered out things about that night.
Um... well the guard wanted a fight and we didn't because of course we had to get to Rose but we couldn't because he was holding us up so we asked him if he wanted a fight and he just stood there and we drew our swords but he didn't do much because he was either confused or stunned as he just stood there doing nothing so we ran away to find you and help Rose but it was too late and... yeah.
Kirri said quickly, then sat there, seemingly out of breath, when there was a knock on the door. Then three knocks. Kirri jumped up and ran to the door, leaving Amber waiting there to see who it was. Her face lit up when she was Lilytha standing there, and the three sat down to discuss, as they had done so many times before in the past, to discuss matters in Asbidant.
Kirri brought news of what Prince Asbidant's plans were from his father, Ghadi Keyes, who was a Chief Adviser to the Crown. Lilytha brought news from around the village of what the people knew and thought. Most were against his plans, and so were they. Amber brought tidings from outside, to the south of Asbidant. And so they discussed, and talked for hours, deciding on plans and ways in which to stop Prince Asbidant in his idea to cut off the outside world. They could not afford to do that. And knowing him, they would probably never open again, only to let people of importance in and out. They all knew that they would be trapped here, and so would all the other people with business outside. That could not happen.
So when Lilytha left with the food that Kirri always lent her from his fathers' seemingly endless stock, as Amber slipped away and as fletched another arrow for his bow, a plan was hatched between the three. And none would know of what this meant, not even they themselves. This was what would be the beginning of their career. It would be their lives from now on. Their lives as outlaws.
Their lives as rebels.