The cold wind of the highlands blew against the skin of Ethalis Emberdale, a tender caress, but to its chill she had long now been immune. The cloak attached to her metallic spaulders fluttered behind her back, exposing armour designed in true Ren'dorei fashion. So many parts of her dark skin were exposed to the elements, yet she could not feel a thing. The Void's chill was her constant shroud.
Stood over at the battlements, the blademistress kept a wary eye at the humans below now crowding Magister Ravenfall's former residence in the city of Stromgarde. Now equipment was carried in boxes, deposited at the very entrance, where carriages would claim the cargo in order to deliver it to the new location. In his and his retinue's absence, only one individual had been asked to stay behind, his most trusted warrior. Ethalis clenched her fist tightly, barely crushing the small gem which was positioned there. If only that had been her only task.
Taking a deep breath, the Ren'dorei eased the hold of her fingers to take a glimpse of the azure stone, though it offered nothing promising. For a mindless child, it would have held great beauty, but for an elf, it was a rather common sight. To her, as well as any practiced eye, it seemed hollow and dull, thus she slid it back to her pocket.
"Careful with that!" she called out to two workers upon catching a glimpse of their poor work when it came to handling a box. Her voice echoed in spite of the distance; the two men looked at the imposing female, bowing their heads before carrying on with their work.
Ethalis heaved a sigh and raised her gaze to the heavens, where all shades of lighter grey could be spotted on the clouds separated by dark veins. It was going to rain.
"We shall rest for the night." the overseer spoke, a rough man crossing the first half of his sixth decade. A parchment was held in front of his creased features, only slightly wet by the afternoon's downpour. "It has all been accounted for. Only the Magister's chamber remains, though I am confident that we can finish at work a few hours after dawn. No delay will be suffered."
The Ren'dorei nodded gently as her empty eyes examined the man. When his met hers briefly, he was quick to avert his gaze, eager to go through the list of tasks and chambers his crew was expected to complete. Having no intention to subject him to further discomfort, Ethalis averted her gaze, choosing to stare at the fading twilight left after dusk now that the clouds had mercifully begun their retreat.
"You have done well." she praised mechanically. "The second half of your payment will be delivered tomorrow, once the task has been complete. Haste is something Lord Ravenfall values, thus you will be rewarded."
Clumsily, the overseer performed a bow, one she caught with the corner of her eye.
"Thank the lord on our behalf." he spoke, his tone submissive. Fear. It was something easy to catch on the voices of mortals when they were presented with the work and wielders of the Void. Who could blame them?
The Ren'dorei nodded curtly, opting for silence.
It was not meant to last long. The Overseer lowered the parchment to look at her, a fat finger rising slightly. "There is one more matter, of course. What are we to do with the collection of white roses in Lord Ravenfall's private quarters?"
A twitch shook the elf's body. Her fingers deftly reached into her pocket, fishing out the small gem. It had remained unchanged since earlier in the morning.
"Burn them." she replied coldly, without averting her gaze. "Rip them out and cast them into flames. The Magister desires that only ashes are left behind."
It had almost been near midnight when the gem had emitted a soft, azure glow. With the absence of Voidstriders, a horse had been all that the blademistress could settle with, its stride hesitant and unsteady, its speed far from optimal. The steed had evidently not been impressed by the powers tainting its rider, but there was no other option. She had ridden to her destination, shrouded by the veil of night.
Her delay had granted the other individual the advantage of being the first to arrive. Past the boulders and onto the ghost of the broken of the two bridges of Thandol Span connecting the Highlands with the dwarven Wetlands stood the hooded figure, clad in black. His own mount had not been as subtle as his attire, an emerald hawkstrider sheltered nearby.
Upon her approach, his body visibly flinched. He too after all had been blessed with long ears upon birth, even if his own retained their peach colour. A verdant shine made its appearance beneath the bleak darkness of his hood. Even in spite of the distance separating the two, he chose to incline his head and keep his gaze locked on her.
Ethalis dismounted, making an effort to tie the horse to a nearby tree. It resisted, but her strong hands managed the reins without looking away from the objective. Step after step was signaled by the creeking of her armour as she approached the man, until eventually distance vanished from between them.
The Sin'dorei inclined his head for once more, wearing a pleasant smile on his lips. It was one she had seen before, not on his lips alone. It was the servant's smile, docile and unsuspecting as the overlooked were biding their time. For a moment, Ethalis could not help but wonder if this was the last expression Kelieren Alanis had offered Xoriana Ravenfall before causing the fire which claimed the lady's life for her brother's favour.
"The lord?" the man who had only been loyal to one Ravenfall in his life asked. He was evidently eager to skip introductions. For that, Ethalis could not be more grateful.
"He is currently leading an expedition in Netherstorm, seeking the relics to aid the ritual." she replied blankly, suppressing a shudder. Her digits reached for the gem for once more, presenting it to the archivist. "I have been entrusted with this, as well as the task at hand." The small stone vanished into her fist first, before being guided back to her pocket. "Am I to trust that your presence here means you have the answer to Magister Ravenfall's problems?"
Kelieren's smile became just a little wider. Had a spy's treachery not been known to the woman, she would have been disarmed by the kindness one could have believed to lie in it. "I have brought the vessel." he replied. His hand cast the cloak aside to reveal a large satchel beneath it.
As Ethalis reached for it, it became evident for it that she had underestimated its weight. It was heavy; her arms embraced it, barely feeling a smooth, spherical surface below. The unmistakable purity of the Void, its foul wrongness was all the item within emanated. A light flinch shook her ears as voices began to sing their songs of terror and desire. To resist was never easy, but she did so, keeping the satchel close enough to carry it and nothing more.
"A weapon?" she asked, barely arching a plum eyebrow.
The Sin'dorei clasped his hands together, shaking his head. He eventually gestured to the satchel. "Only if we accept that a weapon does not necessarily kill, or destroy." he replied softly. "This is of my own design. The orb holds a link with Ashfury's trinket and ah... Contains the situation, shall we say?" He tilted his head to the side, like a friendly librarian offering directions. "It should achieve a lot more than simply aid you in finding the girl. It keeps her... In line."
Looking down at her cargo, Ethalis merely nodded.
"Well then." Kelieren spoke. "Should I trust that you will deliver it to the Magister once he returns from his expedition, Miss Emberdale?"
"Sooner than that." she responded sternly. "If you are speaking the truth, such an item must not remain away from him for any longer than required."
"Why would I lie?" he laughed, waving his hand dismissively. "I believe my worth has been proven."
She looked up at him for a moment, her eyes gaze measuring. "Indeed." she eventually uttered. "That it has."
The archivist inclined his head for one last time. With elven grace, he made his way to the hawkstrider, mounting flawlessly under the Ren'dorei's observant eyes. "The time draws near, Miss Emberdale. I have nothing but deep respect for those in the front lines."
"And I for those in the shadows." she replied cooly. "May shadows guide."
"May the Old One triumph."
"May the Sun" she spoke all too calmly "never rise again."
With a command of his reins, the emerald hawkstrider obeyed the master's call in a manner greater than her fearful horse could. Under the sound of its charge, Ethalis moved to her own mount, carefully binding the satchel to the saddle, securing it with great care. It was for a long time that she watched the shadows of the night which had consumed the spy's form, ensuring that Kelieren Alendis was nowhere near to be found, that his journey was undoubtedly taking him to the High Home. Only then did she mount her horse, beginning her own journey to the destination of her choosing.
And for good measure, she dropped the gem from her pocket and crushed it underneath her boot before doing so.
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