Ellen was bristled visibly and kept an eye on the lingering henchman that watched their leader patiently. They seemed content enough to leave her alone after the signal from the dark figure. She stood uneasy, shifting from foot to foot, a grimace twisting her face as he began his slow and strange tale. She didn't appreciate theatrics.
The redhead preferred to just say what needed to be said instead of beating around the bush--but she'd learned in her dealings with the Prince that he enjoyed the verbal game. So she kept her mouth clamped tightly shut. So tight that her teeth hurt, for that was the only way she could keep from snapping at him to hurry up.
She hovered near Niv, anxious as to why he might be interested in her, but she had a growing suspicion that was ultimately confirmed. He was angry that Niv had saved Gangui from an assassination attempt orchestrated by none other than himself. Ellen felt sick. Her mouth was dry and her stomach rolled. She knew they were at odds, but she never really expected it to come to this.
Why are you surprised? an angry voice inside her head screamed.
He had given her every opportunity to expect something like this, and never made any attempts to hide it. Ellen knew that her--what... friend? acquaintance?--had a less than stellar track record. But she never expected to him do something to bold and openly cruel. How could she have been so wrong about a person? Perhaps she had just fooled herself into believing he wasn't so terrible because she was desperate to feel good about herself as well, another half Avriel. Nightshade Eld had been the only other she'd ever met, but that was seasons ago now and she hadn't seen the woman since.
So all she had was the leader of the Al'Angyryl to reflect on, and apparently he was far from finished. It seemed a simple warning was not what he had in mind.
"Reprimand? I don't think that's really necessary. Niv is only a--!"
Ellen reached toward her friend, moving to shield her with a hand and insert herself between the two. Perhaps it was more naivete, thinking that she could reason with the creature. That was not the case. Her fingers closed on empty air as he snatched Niv up. He was so much faster and stronger than her, yet she'd never really witnessed it firsthand.
"Wait--!" Her mouth opened, but he moved too quick. She couldn't form a plea. All she could do was choke on the words as the Tunäwä tumbled through the air.
Her legs moved on their own accord. She tried to chase after her friend, to catch her before it was too late, but she was halfway to the fireplace as the Tunäwä was swallowed by the flames. Ellen stumbled and fell, sliding and crawling to the edge of the mantle. She thrust an arm briefly into the belching fire but shrieked in pain and pulled back as it singed her skin. Niv was already gone. The logs shifted, spitting embers at her with an air of finality.
She sat there for a long moment, staring slack-jawed into the flames. It was getting hard to breathe. She grabbed the front of her shirt, struggling to draw in a breath as tears wells and spilled down her cheeks. She gasped and clawed at her chest, dragging in rapid and ragged lungfuls before coughing as the tears choked and blinded her.
Ellen turned, head spinning, and saw the black smudge that was the Prince. She blinked away more tears, staring at him with a strange, pained expression.
"You," she finally choked out. "You..." Another ragged breath, a her hand found her knife. She ripped it from its sheath and climbed clumsily to her feet. "I'm--going--to kill you."
Her body shook, but her voice had found some strength. The words were a snarl, and she bared her teeth as grief and shock were rapidly replaced with an adrenaline-fueled rage. He was fully armored with a mace at his side and a small army behind him. She had a knife. But she didn't care. Ellen screamed again, furious and dazed, and charged him. She ran as fast as could in her battered and bandaged condition, but it felt like she was moving at a snail's pace. Her blood roared in her ears and all she saw was him.
She lifted the blade, ready to drive it down into his eye socket when a large hand suddenly grabbed the back of her shirt and jerked her right off her feet. She grunted and fell hard, knife clattering across the floor. Ellen looked up just in time to see one of the men that had grabbed her earlier come down hard with his first, then everything went dark.
The redhead preferred to just say what needed to be said instead of beating around the bush--but she'd learned in her dealings with the Prince that he enjoyed the verbal game. So she kept her mouth clamped tightly shut. So tight that her teeth hurt, for that was the only way she could keep from snapping at him to hurry up.
She hovered near Niv, anxious as to why he might be interested in her, but she had a growing suspicion that was ultimately confirmed. He was angry that Niv had saved Gangui from an assassination attempt orchestrated by none other than himself. Ellen felt sick. Her mouth was dry and her stomach rolled. She knew they were at odds, but she never really expected it to come to this.
Why are you surprised? an angry voice inside her head screamed.
He had given her every opportunity to expect something like this, and never made any attempts to hide it. Ellen knew that her--what... friend? acquaintance?--had a less than stellar track record. But she never expected to him do something to bold and openly cruel. How could she have been so wrong about a person? Perhaps she had just fooled herself into believing he wasn't so terrible because she was desperate to feel good about herself as well, another half Avriel. Nightshade Eld had been the only other she'd ever met, but that was seasons ago now and she hadn't seen the woman since.
So all she had was the leader of the Al'Angyryl to reflect on, and apparently he was far from finished. It seemed a simple warning was not what he had in mind.
"Reprimand? I don't think that's really necessary. Niv is only a--!"
Ellen reached toward her friend, moving to shield her with a hand and insert herself between the two. Perhaps it was more naivete, thinking that she could reason with the creature. That was not the case. Her fingers closed on empty air as he snatched Niv up. He was so much faster and stronger than her, yet she'd never really witnessed it firsthand.
"Wait--!" Her mouth opened, but he moved too quick. She couldn't form a plea. All she could do was choke on the words as the Tunäwä tumbled through the air.
Her legs moved on their own accord. She tried to chase after her friend, to catch her before it was too late, but she was halfway to the fireplace as the Tunäwä was swallowed by the flames. Ellen stumbled and fell, sliding and crawling to the edge of the mantle. She thrust an arm briefly into the belching fire but shrieked in pain and pulled back as it singed her skin. Niv was already gone. The logs shifted, spitting embers at her with an air of finality.
She sat there for a long moment, staring slack-jawed into the flames. It was getting hard to breathe. She grabbed the front of her shirt, struggling to draw in a breath as tears wells and spilled down her cheeks. She gasped and clawed at her chest, dragging in rapid and ragged lungfuls before coughing as the tears choked and blinded her.
Ellen turned, head spinning, and saw the black smudge that was the Prince. She blinked away more tears, staring at him with a strange, pained expression.
"You," she finally choked out. "You..." Another ragged breath, a her hand found her knife. She ripped it from its sheath and climbed clumsily to her feet. "I'm--going--to kill you."
Her body shook, but her voice had found some strength. The words were a snarl, and she bared her teeth as grief and shock were rapidly replaced with an adrenaline-fueled rage. He was fully armored with a mace at his side and a small army behind him. She had a knife. But she didn't care. Ellen screamed again, furious and dazed, and charged him. She ran as fast as could in her battered and bandaged condition, but it felt like she was moving at a snail's pace. Her blood roared in her ears and all she saw was him.
She lifted the blade, ready to drive it down into his eye socket when a large hand suddenly grabbed the back of her shirt and jerked her right off her feet. She grunted and fell hard, knife clattering across the floor. Ellen looked up just in time to see one of the men that had grabbed her earlier come down hard with his first, then everything went dark.
