It is said that when the Immortal Treid was slain, his heart was buried in the shadows of the ice, cursed by the Immortal Audrae. His people built a city atop the frozen wasteland in hopes of one day finding it and resurrecting their fallen leader.
The click of a sword entering it's "home" sounded out through Sunai's words to the conscious assassin, Norgrim finally coming down entirely from the high as his body relaxed further still. His head turning, vision now returning entirely as his peripheral came back into view, the young male finally took in the sight of what occurred. An exhale escaping in the form of a sigh, remembering just why he took the time to walk all this way before being attacked.
Turning about, Sunai's words failed to register to him while being whispered to the pinned male, Norgrim in the meantime finally locating the parcel Vasir initially gave to him to deliver. Upon it was the tablet he froze to the top of the case, not being keen on carrying or losing such a thing. Again it was hefted into his right arm, nearly cradled within the leathersmith's arm before removing some errant snow off of the container.
"'Now, would you mind coming in? I'd like to see this package from Vasir if you please."
The first words uttered to him directly, Norgrim's head snapped about to catch the female's eyes. Already near her door, he followed her in, both eager to actually sit down and absorb what happened better as well as finally having a moment to talk. After all while he appeared calm, the young Ellune was far from it, he nearly was killed after all which is something that is far from easy to let go. All the same a light nod given to the female preceded his advance into the building.
"Heh, not at all. I need a few moments as is anyway after that.. you can likely tell that from a glance."[/align]
Alea's bare feet padded down the stone floor of the hallway until she reached a small living room. It was dark and sparsely furnished. A small rounded table of ice, littered with papers and a pen knife, treated with plain ice chairs, occupied the center. A chest and a few baskets of storage were kept against the side of the room. She meandered around the table and chairs, flicking off the garment worn about her head absently and tossed into an open basket.
'Take a seat...' She called out. With the lack of light and only one functioning eye, she felt about the window frame for the latch to the shutters. She pulled the hook from its secure position and shoved the shutters outward. It creaked from disuse. Light flooded in.
It illuminated her face. She turned her face in discomfort. She disliked light and the way the made her disfigurements so prominent. She did not care about the ugliness that the scars they represented. She was never that kind of girl. It was that every time she caught her own reflection, she would notice ever scar as a memento, representing old stories that were riddled with pain and tragedy. She hated mirrors.
'I was told by Varai that if he had a package, that he would deliver it to me personally,' She spoke as she took a small ice glass to a barrel and began to fill it. The liquid was a cool blue and seemed alcoholic. 'But, of course, he must have sent you for a reason?' She filled the glass and offered it to her guest.
Pausing for a moment upon entering, the young Ellune let his eyes adjust before continuing. Letting the female move to a window before her home was illuminated, Norgrim began to step towards the table which was most prevalent. Eyes moving up to her battle worn face, having seen many who bore similar scars in Solaero back when the young male lived with his father and siblings. As such he didn't immediately flinch, yet there was a visible pause from the sight. Gazing upon her for but a moment before turning his attention back to the parcel which the man continued cradling as it were.
"I was told by Varai that if he had a package, that he would deliver it to me personally. But, of course, he must have sent you for a reason?"
Having already lowered himself into a chair, Norgrim listened while his parcel now sat between the pair. Looking up to Sunai's single eyed stare, the young man didn't pause in grasping the glass from her hand. All the same he didn't readily drink from it, gazing at the liquid therein before giving the glass a light swirl.
"Vasir you mean? The only thing I can guess is that he sent me to you for training, I know he mentioned something of it, yet due to what just happened and my being so focused on finding your home... Well that slipped my mind for the moment."
Finally taking a sip of the liquid, Norgrim only slightly winced at the taste before swallowing. The man wasn't all that used to liquor after all, or at least what to him seemed it. It tasted as such and had the odor of fermented furr tree fruit, not entirely unpleasant yet all the same a touch too strong. All the same he didn't refuse, after all he likely needed it as his words trailed off. The young man's eyes focused on the parcel as he seemed momentarily lost in thought, finally the full gravity of what he inadvertently did hitting him.
"That tablet I was given should have more on it as to why, I saw the old man writing far more than what was warranted for an address. I didn't read the whole thing either, seeing as it's of course addressed to you."
Taking another sip, his rough gaze turned up towards hers once again, exhaling after swallowing his second mouthful of the apparent liquor. The glass resting before him before Norgrim looked at the window behind Alea in an occasional glance, not 100% convinced that those who attacked him were gone.
Alea allowed the glass to leave her hand as well as her hopes that he would appreciate its taste. She turned to pour herself a glass.
Vasir you mean? The only thing I can guess is that he sent me to you for training, I know he mentioned something of it, yet due to what just happened and my being so focused on finding your home... Well that slipped my mind for the moment.
She did not appear to be listening as she gave the barrel a slight jerk. The barrel spluttered the last of its blue contents into her glass until it was almost to the lip. She raised the glass up to her eye level and watched the impurities start to settle to the bottom. She set it down with a clap on the only unoccupied section of the table where her visitor sat.
She nudged the other chair with her foot from under the table and sat heavily. She placed her leg over her knee with some grace and flicked her hair from her face with a hand. She watched the man opposite take a sip with slight difficulty. Fermented furr tree fruit certainly had a kick and this one had been aged for some time.
That tablet I was given should have more on it as to why, I saw the old man writing far more than what was warranted for an address. I didn't read the whole thing either, seeing as it's of course addressed to you.
Her left brow furrowed. The right brow had followed suit but it, and her useless eye, had long been burned off. She leaned over and snatched the tablet, holding it up to the light. She made a frown.
'I see.' she murmured simply.
She took the glass and raised it with a nod and brief eye contact. She downed the liquid contents and the glass was placed on the table with a loud clack. She wiped the liquid from her lips with her upper arm and grabbed the package with both hands. She lay it on top of the papers. The material was sort of woven material and her ice hand transformed into a hook. She tore through it and the contents were of ice that glowed.
A flashing vision took over her eyes. Two brown eyes, glaring through an icy helmet almost cleaved in half, were livid for a time and suddenly they seemed to glaze over as life seemed to rise out of them. Blood trailed down the side of his smooth, unmarked temple. His breathing, in smokey plumes that burst through the rainy night, had stopped as he expired his last. His head slumped away but the eyes continued to stare. She buried her face into his chest and there was darkness.
Her hands had already reached into the package and drawn out the same ice helmet, now intact.
She let it drop from frozen finger tips.
It did not smash but it clattered onto the floor and turned about as if like a rolling, dismembered head.
She turned away from it, her eyes burning until she noticed she was in the presence of a visitor in her house.
'Not something I expected,' was all she said. She stood up and clasped the helmet. She did not look at it as she placed it on the expired barrel.
She drew a fresh breath of air to rid herself of the unpleasantness felt.
'You already know that I am Alea Sunai. Mention my name in some taverns and you will easily find out that I was once the former leader of the Black Ice. But I prefer to keep to myself these days.' She disgarded her white robe, revealing lightly fitting trousers, tied at the top of her knees and wrapped cloth about her body. It revealed her shapely figure but also the same scars and burns that dominated her face were all about her grey Ellune body. The hook on her arm melted, revealing a stump.
'As you can tell, one does not work long for the Black Ice.' She gazed at the stump with some regret in her eyes and suddenly an icy hand burst into existence. She raised that same hand and the air about seemed to reverberate as an icy sword coalesced and rose out from her palm. At its completion, the blade teetered to one side and fell, she caught it and drew it to bear. 'The tablet says that you are Norgrim. I do not take on students, in fact, you would be my first out of retirement. So with introductions made: come. I will show you a few things with that sword of yours.'
She placed her hand to an adjacent panel of ice. The ice melted away to reveal a door to large rectangular space, well lit and empty. The floor, walls and ceiling were coated with a soft ice that seemed pliable and with a slight bounce underfoot.
Focused on the glass in front of him, Norgrim didn't pay much attention as Alea picked up the parcel that was hers. Taking another gulp of the liquid, this time forcing it down relatively quickly as the burn of it chased down into his stomach. Eyes opening only to see her look at the helmet which lay therein. The look upon her eyes that resulted was one he knew far too well, due largely to being the wearer of it on more than a single occasion. That pained tinge of remembering a lost loved one was similar throughout the Ellune, as such Norgim knew better than to speak as his eyes traveled down to what remained of the alcohol before him.
The final gulp of the liquid came with the dropping of the helmet, pausing before turning his gaze to the female after swallowing the last bit of liquor. Norgrim set the glass down. Now simply letting the liquor do it's part in calming his own nerves, the young Ellune perked up slightly while Alea finally began to speak.
"You already know that I am Alea Sunai. Mention my name in some taverns and you will easily find out that I was once the former leader of the Black Ice. But I prefer to keep to myself these days. As you can tell, one does not work long for the Black Ice."
The display of both her proficiency with nilas and in particular the mention of the words Black Ice caught the young man's attention. After all he didn't quite know just what that was yet twice he heard such words and both speakers claiming to be from it. Yet unfortunately, or more-so for the better, Alea only continued on. Norgrim not allowed to continue his minor tangent of thought as her words drowned out whatever he may have conjured.
"The tablet says that you are Norgrim. I do not take on students, in fact, you would be my first out of retirement. So with introductions made: come. I will show you a few things with that sword of yours."
Finally raising himself, the young Ellune's eyes traveled down to his scabbard, grasping the hilt of his blade in an inverse grip as his left arm tensed. Pulling the weapon free from it's home once more with a single click. Looking up just as Alea revealed the training area, much to Norgrim's surprise of course. After all hidden rooms he knew were possible but one that was like this he didn't expect, albeit today has been one of possibly far too many surprises.
"We will train here."
Beginning to step forward, Norgrim paused as his eyes locked onto those of Alea. The grip on his weapon tightening somewhat yet all the same, and likely due to the liquor, he showed no hesitation in the immediate question that burst forth from his lightly inebriated mouth.
"That's the second time I've heard the words 'Black Ice' and I still have no idea what that even is. Not to mention why you're even helping me, after all I just delivered a package. I can't even pay you for such as I have my own business to take care of which I barely do as is."[/align]
Alea strode into the room, rolling her shoulders to loosen up. She turned to see if Norgrim was following behind.
She noted that he was somewhat relaxed after finishing the glass of alcohol poured for him. The small amount of alcohol being consumed would be useful at loosening up the beginner. It also meant he had boldly come up with a question and Alea pursed her lips as she listened intently.
That's the second time I've heard the words 'Black Ice' and I still have no idea what that even is. Not to mention why you're even helping me, after all I just delivered a package. I can't even pay you for such as I have my own business to take care of which I barely do as is.
'Thank Vasir. He requested a few moments of my time to teach you a few forms. Ordinarily, I would have refused. However, Vasir provided me with a gift for which no amount of repayment is possible. Further, the attempt at your life this morning may not be the first. A few instructions to use that sword may save your life.' She started to walk to the middle of the room and she turned to face him once again. 'As for the Black Ice, the name is not secret. They are a sub-set of Treidhart's military that work on intelligence and tactical force. There are Operatives that walk among us incognito to keep the peace.'
Brow furrowing, Norgrim let out an exasperated sight at Alea's response. Not due to how direct her wording with it was, but just how little it answered. Regardless the young Ellune remained thankfully far before the point of total inebriation, gazing at her form before finally stepping into the room after her. Left arm idle at his side, his gift grasped within while Norgrim's right arm stretched away from him, extending with some pops escaping the worn limb.
"As for the Black Ice, the name is not secret. They are a sub-set of Treidhart's military that work on intelligence and tactical force. There are Operatives that walk among us incognito to keep the peace."
"Not secret? Could have fooled with me with that. Spent 5 years in this city and this is the first time I've heard of them, on top of that it's only when I'm approached by one questioning me about something that I wasn't aware was even happening."
Words trailing off, the young man took this moment to glance about the room. Exhaling slowly before his frame relaxed more before the woman, he simply walked about. Both as a means to get more accustomed to the new space, and to calm himself since the young man's nerves were still frayed somewhat from earlier.
"It's best to get started if we're going to, I can sit here asking you questions you likely don't have the answers for which won't do any of us good."
Alea witnessed her visitor's exasperated expression and she closed her eyes. It seemed that he was not satisfied with her answer and she cared not. But it was his verbal response that made those eyes flick open and the warm blue of before had frozen as cold and razor sharp as the blade in her hand:
Not secret? Could have fooled with me with that. Spent 5 years in this city and this is the first time I've heard of them, on top of that it's only when I'm approached by one questioning me about something that I wasn't aware was even happening.
Her eyes followed him as he walked about the room as if he owned the place. It seemed that this 'Norgrim' was insulting her intelligence when indeed as former leader of the Black Ice, she was well aware of the general public's perception and knowledge of the organization. It was mentioned in many taverns about - perhaps not where this bearded fellow seemed to frequent. But her body remained fixed to the floor as if she were a statue of ice herself.
It's best to get started if we're going to, I can sit here asking you questions you likely don't have the answers for which won't do any of us good.
Her top lip lifted in a sneer. The order issued by this mere subordinate followed by another insult at her 'supposed' inability to provide the answers he sought was the icing on a now rotting cake. As former leader of the Black Ice, she gave no concessions to rudeness, especially to one who had brought his would-be assassins to her doorstep, had his life saved be her and to top it off, had an opportunity to be taught self-defense by her.
'Let us begin. But I shall now alter the lesson.' Her ice sword dissipated. 'A lesson in respect will preserve your life than any sword lesson will.'
She leaped at her opponent in one stride. Whether he saw it coming mattered little - even if he had some form of skill to defend himself. The speed of which she advanced was legendary among Treidhart's fighters and she had beaten down, unscathed, the very best of these fighters with the move she was about to perform. An ice shield burst about her arm and was thrown forth to parry his sword, as she had done against hundreds of battle hardened foes before. Her other hand, now turned into an icy claw was thrown forth in order to grasp her opponent's other non-sword arm, while at the same time, a sheen of ice coated about her forehead. She thrust her head forward, sending the kiss of a headbutt toward her opponents face, more than extremely likely to connect and knock her opponent unconscious and depending on the severity of the connection, would leave a permanent memento of a broken nose...unless of course, he was among the absolute minuscule of all Oscillus who was as strong, or as quick, or as skilled, as she.
His irritation was clear, after all the young Ellune had little idea of just what occurred and was occurring. From his perspective it was only yesterday that his life was going on it's usual track before all of this catapulted him into the air metaphorically speaking. Unfortunately Alea took his words as an insult, granted Norgrim had no knowledge of such, only keeping his blade grasped while getting accustomed to the space. In fact his whole demeanor, as always worked against him, causing the young man to come off as far more aggressive or arrogant as he intended, albeit in this case the reaction was far from what he expected.
"Let us begin. But I shall now alter the lesson.' Her ice sword dissipated. 'A lesson in respect will preserve your life than any sword lesson will."
Ears perking at her phrasing, the young Ellune pivoted as she spoke. One foot still sliding by the time her sentence concluded and impact was felt. To him she didn't even move, let alone giving him a chance to answer as all he felt was a veritable block of ice smash into his blade holding arm. Just as quickly something akin to a shackle formed about his right arm before a sharp pain shot through his body. Their heads having met while Norgrim's stance adjusted, albeit in a purely instinctual way, in an attempt to brace his figure and endure the blow.
Only a grunt sounding from him, eyes watering before being forced shut, Norgrim was forced down to one knee. His body bearing the brunt of the force as his left arm fell limp momentarily. Right arm still suspended in Alea's while panting was heard from the young Ellune's form. No shriek of pain escaping him, yet at the same time no conscious reaction being shown either, for while the young male was hardier than the average Ellune he ultimately was no warrior. He was in fact unconscious where he knelt, his body only keeping itself partially upright due to his instinct and Alea's grasp.
Notes:
Wow, what a thread. Overall, I enjoyed the little exchanges your character had with the NPCs, the little battle in the middle and the final scuffle with Sunai. Despite Sunai's violent ending to the thread, there will be plenty of other opportunities in Treidhart for your character to pursue and grow in knowledge and relationships!
Please edit your grade request to say that it has been completed.
