I Would Rather Be Blind -open-

[[-Kay-]]

It had been a long time since Laemiri had walked the streets of Ilirea. She had gone back to the hallowed halls of Du Weldenvarden to seek a cure to the affliction that lingered deep within her flesh that had been slowly stealing her sight for many years. She was completely blind now, but she could use her mind to see what those around her were seeing. To sense when things were coming her way. She had yet to discover a spell that would recover her sight, but she was confident that if she took enough time to look that she would find what she sought.

She was paler than when she had left this city. Her already pale skin had an almost transparent appearance to it. Along her throat, chest and arms you could see the faint blue traces of veins and arteries. Her eyes, which had formerly had a green-blue color to them were now a bright silver which had been brought on by the blindness and her attempts to use magic to repair them. But it seems her illness was magic related, not due to the physical world. She ran a hand through her dark mane of curls, not bothering to pick out the flowers and such that had tangled themselves in there. If she looked wild and untamed, so be it. She wasn't a vain elf and she was weary from her journey. She stretched her mind out towards her companion, who was lazily soaring above her. 'Eitauv, what are you doing up there? Come join me, dear brother. I wish to lounge in your company near this small inn.'

[/i]

A deep chuckle responded to her thought. 'No, dear Laemiri. I don't think I will. I'm off to hunt on the plains near here. I'm sure you can manage on your own. Besides, all who knew you here in the city are gone, and you are wearing those black lace gloves. No one will see your gedwëy ignasia. Just keep to yourself and that won't be an issue. I'll be back soon. Stay out of trouble.'[/color] He thought these words back to her before winging off. From how high above he had been he had been little more than a speck of indigo, easily mistaken for a bird.

Laemiri sighed and sat on a log near the entrance to the stables of the inn, wiping her hands on her black skirts before beginning to whisper to a stick, using her magic to shape it into what she wanted it to be. She didn't look up and around at the surrounding people and buildings. She understood that her eyes were a bit of a shocker to most people, their unnatural coloration causing some to be a bit uneasy. So instead she let her dark hair become a curtain, falling down onto her shoulders and down her back. The violet blade that marked her as a Rider was hidden behind a spell, as were the rest of her weapons and such. To the world she was just an elf that was sitting by herself near a stable, and even the part about the elf was difficult enough to tell given that she wasn't looking past the rowan branch in her hands.
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LYRICS brick by boring brick - paramore NOTES any response to this would be welcome, all characters are invited to join in! WORD COUNT 557

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[Riley]

Riley rode into Ilirea, he hadn't been here since he had been asked to leave during his training. Not that he was angry, he understood why he had been asked to leave. While he could use magic, he did not have the talent for it. Why should the Riders waste their time on one such as him? Especially when there were others who needed teaching more than him. The black and white horse grunted under him, the mare was tired from traveling. Riley scratched the horse's flank gently, turning toward an inn he had stayed in before he left. His thoughts wondered back to his training here, he smiled, those had been fun days. Despite the hard work, and some of the elves looking down on him, he had enjoyed it. He wished he had been able to stay and learn more, but knew it hadn't been meant to be.

Riley rode to the stables of an inn, seeing a woman with a rowan branch in her hands. His eyes moved past her for the moment as he dismounted his horse. "I'd like you to care for my horse for the night." He spoke to the stable master, pulling his hood farther over his face. The man nodded, and told him the price. Riley took his saddle bags from the saddle, and paid the man half. Despite not meaning too, he caught a stray thought from one of the stable hands, and reached up, gripping the boys shoulder tightly. "You. Will. Not. Strike. Claudia." He instructed, bringing barriers up around his mind. The boy paled and nodded, his eyes darting to the sword at Riley's hip.

Claudia the horse broke free from the stable hand and rubbed her nose into his back, Riley turned and smiled at the horse. Not knowing he was so close to the woman with the rowan branch in her hand, "Easy Claudia. I have told them not to hurt you, if they do wake me. I will deal with them my friend. Rest easy." He spoke in the ancient language, Claudia calming down as he did. He stroked the horse a few times before handing her off again, "Treat her well." He instructed, turning to face the inn and sighing.

[[-Kay-]]

Laemiri listened to the proceedings with a practiced ear. Her mentality as a Rider taught her to allow these things to work themselves out, but to keep her guard up in case she needed to help defend the human man in front of her. She looked up, her icy eyes unseeing as she stretched her mind to the stablemaster and saw through his. "Dear sir, please. Come sit and keep me company. It is a beautiful day and what better way to spend it than to converse with a stranger and to enjoy it rather than spend it indoors?" She released the st ablemaster's mind and turned her head to where the sound of the man's sigh had come from.

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[Riley]

Riley looked to where the voice had come from, seeing the woman sitting there. His eyes moved over her face and head carefully. Was she blind? Then his eyes moved over her ears, seeing them end at points. He immediately put his fingers to his lips, then spun them over his chest. "Atra esterní ono thelduin." He didn't know what this elf did for a living, but he was fairly sure that it was of a higher rank than being a mercenary. At least as far as he was concerned. After her reply, he spoke again, "Un du evarínya ono varda." Completing the traditional elven greeting.

Riley sat down on the log next to the elf woman, giving her the proper amount of personal space. "Allow me to introduce myself alfa-kona. I am Riley Cypher, there are some who call me Wolfsbane." He offered her a slight bow, not sure if she knew he was bowing or not, but thought the gesture would be appreciated none the less.

[[-Kay-]]

Laemiri giggled a little bit at his greeting. "There is no need to speak to me so formally, youngling."

[/b] She said this as he sat beside her on the log. She shifted her body ever so slightly in his direction, tucking a strand of hair behind one of her sharply pointed ears. She smiled, tilting her head in his direction. "Well, Riley Cypher, he who is also called Wolfsbane, allow me introduce myself to you as well. My name is Laemiri. I have no wish to be called anything other than this. It is a pleasure to have made your aquaintance." She blinked slowly, cutting off the flow of magic that was twisting the rowan branch into a beautiful, but spindly shape.
"Might I inquire as to why you've decided to come to Ilirea?"[/size][/blockquote]

[Riley]

Riley chuckled softly, taking no offense at being called a youngling, he was probably still an infant by the Elves standards. "It is a pleasure to meet you Laemiri." He sighed and chuckled again when she asked what brought him here. "Well, I'm looking for work. I'm something of a jack-of-all-trades, however I have been unable to find suitable work. Well, work that aligns with my morals." He almost shuddered at some of the jobs he had been offered, "So I decided to see if there was work available here, maybe find something worthwhile." Riley shrugged, knowing he'd find work eventually.

"That was some beautiful and impressive magic." Riley wished he was able to use magic, with even a fraction of the skill that Laemiri had just shown. Then again, he was only human, and not even a gifted human.

[[-Kay-]]

She smiled a bit as he spoke back to her, listening to his words as they wove a pattern in her mind. "Thank you. But it is just a bit of busy work, I have far more impressive work that I've done. I just needed to pass the time." She turned the rowan branch over in her hands, her deft, pale white fingers skimming the bare wood softly. She had peeled back all of the bark to expose the beautifully colored raw wood beneath. It twisted in a spiral, small pieces of alexandrite and labradorite set deeply into the grain. Upward it curved, to where the tendrils snaked into a cage-like form around a large piece of green and red jasper that was polished like a giant marble. She offered it to him to examine, holding the handle towards him. "Well, Riley. I have a proposition for you. Perhaps you could be a companion to me. After all, I do need a bit of help getting around in rooms and buildings. I can't keep taking control of other's minds in order to see my way around, and I have yet to discover a spell that can cure my ailment. I'll pay your board and feed you. Get you whatever sort of weaponry or armor you may need. I do believe it could be beneficial to us both, and it would give you access to nearly anywhere you wanted to go. We could travel."

[/b] She stretched her mind out to Eitauv, where he was winging about on the plains after a herd of deer. 'Dear companion, what do you think of this boy?'[/i] she asked him, her channel of thoughts giving him all the images as were necessary. 'Mmm. I approve of this hatchling. However, perhaps we shall give it a few days to determine his true nature and purpose before you tell him of me. Just leave your gloves on, mask the gedwey ignasia on your palm, and keep your weaponry hidden from him. Allow him to believe you are nothing more than a blind elf that needs companionship.' Laemiri nodded, not noticing that she did so physically. 'Alright. But stay close, sky-brother. I want you to be able to reach me in a hurry should I need you.' 'Of course.'[/i] He showed her images of himself diving after the deer and toying with the herd before she retreated back into her own mind. She smiled a bit, shaking her head and 'looking' back at Riley. "Well, what do you say?"[/b][/size][/blockquote]

[Riley]

Riley listened to Laemiri taking the offered rowan branch and examining it. "Well it is far better magic than I am currently capable of. Though if I could find a way to improve I would be ecstatic." He spoke in the ancient language, not taking his eyes off of the branch in his hands. He turned it over in his hands, examining it carefully. "This goes to show the time and practice you have put in your ability." He offered her a smile, holding it out and gently placed it Laemiri's hand.

Riley carefully considered her offer, it would be beneficial to both of them. He did know she could get him places that he couldn't get into on his own, one way or the other. However, he was presented with the problem of his work, he doubted that she would approve if he came back covered in blood. Then he also knew that elves did not eat meat, and while he had lived that way before, he didn't want to give it up completely if he didn't have to.

"Laemiri, allow me to consider it for a while. It's not a lack of desire to travel with you, I have an appointment for a job in Teirm that I must be at in a week." Riley began, getting more comfortable as he faced her. The thought striking him, "However, if you would like to accompany me, I would enjoy the company, and it will give us time to get to know each other."