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Post by Treijim on Nov 24, 2007 17:17:17 GMT 9.5
Darinian turned around and sheltered his face from the snow, squinting in the darkness to see who it was. He didn't recognise the small figure, but he said something about a boy's father and a servant. A little baffled, he approached the youth to stop him from proceeding, lest he stumble upon the possibly injured man before Darinian did. He held up both his hands.
"The boy's father?" he said loudly so he could hear himself above the snow. "What are you babbling about? I'm looking for something I dropped earlier, and no you cannot help. You would only get in my way."
He went to push past Aidan but stopped as he caught sight of something under an old tree just past the youth. Assuming it was the injured witness he was looking for, he took a step towards the man but then stopped, realising Aidan was still there. He paused and quickly came up with something else.
"What's that?" he said to Aidan but also to himself. He turned Aidan around and pointed to the man, pretending to only just have seen him. "Is that a man? We should see if he is hurt!" And he trudged to the man's side, leaning in quite closely. Then, despite his old age, he lifted the man up in his arms and began to carry him towards the road, turning slightly to face the gate more.
"What are you waiting for? Come and open the gate for me," he called back to Aidan. He gave no indication of the man's status.
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Post by laurabeth on Nov 25, 2007 5:35:38 GMT 9.5
["We should see if he is hurt!" XD]
Colin followed Aidan willingly. He slipped on his nearly-dry cloak and proceeded outside. He nodded or said something small to the instructions or comments Aidan made, trying hard to hear him over the roar of wind in his ears. The cold was biting after the long stay in the heat of the inn. When Aidan left him to question Darinian, he pulled back out of sight between a couple buildings. Not only was he out of sight, but he was out of the wind and sting of snow.
Colin tried to watch the figures attentively, but his imagination was taking over. What if his father had been injured? Would he be able to take care of himself? What if he died? A chill went down his spine that had nothing to do with the chill air. His mind raced past empty fantasies of life without a dad. A tear slid down his pale cheek, but slowly hardened to ice. He rubbed at it with his bemittened hand, blinking out the rest of his tears.
He suddenly was aware of Darinian carrying a body, and Aidan still close by. He could have exploded with both fear and happiness. It hurt to stay there, but he was afraid going out to them would ruin Aidan's plan. He stomped his foot impatiently, making his cold toes sting. He hugged himself and bit his lower lip, anxiously watching Aidan's next moves.
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Post by Ethereal Panda on Nov 30, 2007 16:24:15 GMT 9.5
A bit confused at Darinian's behavior, Aidan ran ahead and against the force of the wind pulled the gate open. After Darinian had passed, he slipped in before the wind slammed it shut again. Catching Colin's eye's, he bit his lip and shrugged his shoulders. Before Colin could run to check on his father, he motioned with his hand for the boy to wait a bit longer. Although he knew the anticipation was tearing Colin up inside, he wanted to play it safe.
"Is he alive?" Aidan took a few steps to face Darinian and continued, "There's a light coming from the guard tower. Maybe we should take him there since he seems to be wounded."
Aidan took a few sidesteps toward the tower. He started to relax a little, "He probably wouldn't try anything inside the city," he reassured himself under his breath.
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Post by Treijim on Dec 7, 2007 6:50:00 GMT 9.5
"I may be a highly respected and valuable member of the institute," Darinian began as he half-turned to face Aidan, "but with the likes of you around, they would assume it was you that brought this poor man his pain. No, we need to take him somewhere nobody will find us." He paused and glanced towards the glow of the guardhouse. "I know just the place. Do you have bandages?"
Darinian didn't wait around to hear Aidan's response, he wasn't trying in the least to get the boy off his tracks. He turned sharply into a small alley and went down some steps where the snow and wind did not reach. He opened a door that led to a small yard with a sealed well and vanished into the warm glow of the building. He left the door open for Aidan but did not turn to see who had followed him. Though he spoke of being discovered, his actions suggested he couldn't care less who would stumble upon him and the injured man now.
The room was, more or less, the inside of a small cabin. It had one unmade bed, a single lantern on a stack of books which was now dimming, and a fireplace that held humming embers. He flicked his hand at the fire and it sparked up a little. The old rug had books scattered over it and the desk had yet more books. Some of them were so old the titles could no longer be read. He turned to see if Aidan had entered with those bandages yet. Then he turned his attention to the man who seemed to be moving, but Darinian gave no indication of the man's condition.
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Post by laurabeth on Dec 7, 2007 9:26:46 GMT 9.5
"What are they doing?" He asked himself, still hugging himself tightly against the cold. He watched as both Darinian and Aidan disappeared into an alley. He screwed up his face in an attempt to resist the urge to follow, but was soon sprinting out of his hiding spot and after them. The streets were empty, most likely due to the frigid air, so no one saw him slip on the ice. He fell, again, and his face was planted deeply into a patch of loose snow. He pushed himself up with his arms and gasped for air. He was soon on his feet again and hurriedly walking after the two.
When he reached the alleyway, he could see no one. He moved quickly down the path. A small, square light, barely visible through the falling snow, appeared just ahead of him. Then, a door opening, and a man entering. Colin stopped and waited for Aidan's next move.
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Post by Ethereal Panda on Dec 7, 2007 19:49:36 GMT 9.5
Aidan clenched his teeth attempting to ignore the insult. "Institute..." he thought to himself, "he's a member of the Carson Institute?" Surprised at this discovery, Aidan gave up trying to formulate a new plan and just followed the man expecting Colin to remain close behind. While walking down the steps, he opened a pouch hanging off the side of his belt and removed some bandages his mother had given him before he had left. "How does she always seem to know," he muttered under his breath.
After catching up to Darinian, he entered the warm cabin and left the door slightly cracked for Colin should he want to get out of the cold. Walking up to Darinian, Aidan handed him the bandages and said, "It's not much, but it's all I have. Whose place is this?" He walked around trying to get a better view of the injured man and asked, "Do you think he's going to be alright?"
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Post by Treijim on Dec 12, 2007 19:22:48 GMT 9.5
Darinian took the bandages without a word and laid the man on the bed on his back, and then Darinian stared past Aidan. He could see a small figure just outside, peering in through the door. For the smallest moment he became lost in his gaze, not sure what he was looking at. Then, paying the boy outside no heed, he turned his attention back to the man, who mumbled something but could not open his eyes, likely due to pain. His clothes were stained with blood, but it couldn't be told by looking how he had been hurt.
"Your friend can come inside if he wants," Darinian said. "No point standing around in the snow freezing cold while his father is hurt. Perhaps his son's presence will grant him some strength. Perhaps he could get some warm rugs and boil some water to soak rags in. This man is lucky he hasn't frozen to death." Then he stopped and closed his eyes for a moment, turning again to look at Aidan after bandaging the man's upper arm. "This is just a home," he said sharply, in answer to Aidan's question. "It is just somebody's home."
The man on the bed mumbled something inaudible, drifting in and out of consciousness and barely able to distinguish where he was or what was happening. Finally, it seemed as though he was asleep, though his body was trembling from cold.
"This is just a home," Darinian said one final time, though softly, and more to himself.
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Post by laurabeth on Dec 13, 2007 1:43:48 GMT 9.5
Colin had slipped closer and closer to the small home, stretching his head this way and that to get a better view of his father upon the bed. Aidan was standing nearby, looking down at the man, and holding out some bandages. He was confused, wondering what was going on in the older man's head. Darinian was being very helpful, much the opposite of the way he had acted in the inn.
He reached the doorway and saw his father shivering on the bed. He moved quickly to the side of the bed and knelt down next to him. His mouth gave a wobbly smile, and his hand grabbed his father's. It was very cold, and it frightened Colin. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say. Turning his head, he looked up at Aidan, his eyes silently asking if his father would be alright.
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Post by Ethereal Panda on Dec 20, 2007 10:59:44 GMT 9.5
Aidan looked down at the boy and gave him the best reassuring look he had. He wasn't sure that Colin's father would survive the night, but there was no reason to tell him that now. Not really having any desire to pull him away from his father's side, Aidan decided he'd go fetch the snow to boil himself. He patted the boy on the shoulder before turning away. Grabbing an old beat up pot near the fire, he stepped outside and pulled the door shut behind him.
He bent over and began to scoop snow into the pot. The icy cold gradually made it's way through his worn gloves. As he finished Aidan stood and stared at the door for moment. He winced as the blizzard's cold wind tore through his jacket. Reasons for him to leave this place kept bubbling to the surface of his mind; he didn't understand why. "The jobs finished, right?" he questioned himself as he reached for the handle. He found his hands were trembling for more reasons than just the cold. Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he gathered his strength and pulled open the door stepping back inside. He couldn't leave Colin just yet.
With neither of the other two taking note of his return, Aidan removed his coat and draped it near the entrance. He walked over to the fireplace and rekindled the fire with a log sitting near by. After a few deep breaths the wood began to crackle and the fire grew bright. He hung the pot above it's warm glow, and sat down on the floor leaning his back against a wall. Pulling off his wet gloves, he placed them by his side and looked onward shifting his attention back and forth between Colin and Darinian. Aidan could feel the long day beginning to wear on him, but he felt that it was not yet the time to rest.
Finding himself uncomfortable in the silence, Aidan decided to indulge his curiosity despite knowing it was probably unwise to do so. "We seemed to have missed introductions. My name's Aidan and the little one over there is Colin. You mentioned the Institute. I assume you were referring to the Carson Institute? Are you a scholar?"
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Post by Treijim on Dec 23, 2007 20:24:50 GMT 9.5
Darinian was tending to the wound on the man's arm, which looked as though it had simply torn and bled of its own accord. After binding it tightly, he turned to Aidan. Again, it seemed as though the question had simply floated over the old man's head. Then he gave a mumble of acknowledgment after glancing warily at Colin.
"A scholar? A scholar? Do I look like a greenbook to you? No, boy, I am Master Darinian Bryce of the Venzet Carson Institute. I'm a Master scholar! Gracious, don't they teach scoundrels anything anymore? Would your mind draw a blank if I uttered Lady Trelinia?" His eyes -- which happened to currently be of the most penetrating nature -- shifted back and forth between Colin and Aidan.
He gave neither a chance to reply, adding, "Fetch me that water from the fire before it boils over, would you?" He nudged Colin's head as though it was a wooden ball on a spring and then waved at the pot hanging over the fire. The water was quite likely just getting warm. He didn't seem the least interested in the two boys, and he said nothing more, falling silent again while turning his attention back to the man.
There came the sound of something banging against something else from somewhere outside, much like a loose window clattering in its frame.
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Post by laurabeth on Dec 25, 2007 16:18:18 GMT 9.5
Colin didn't react at first to Darinian's prod, but soon looked up with a blank face. It took time to register what the man had said because his thoughts were centered on his father. He struggled to reply, but nothing came. He had decided that it did nothing to sit next to his father's limp form. Blinking, he slowly lifted off his feet which he was sitting on. He took a short step with his knees before getting a foot under himself and moving into a standing position.
The noise outside caught his attention, and he turned his head towards where it came from, as if he could see through the wall. "What was that?" He asked no one in particular, continuing to gaze at the wall. He squinted at it, almost forgetting what the older man had asked him to do. Colin turned to look at his father again, his expression again turning to one of worry and grief. He took a step forward and slowly pulled his attention back to the boiling water.
Picking up a piece of scrap cloth, Colin grabbed the handle of the pot and lifted it slowly off a hook, trying hard not to slosh any of the hot contents over. For a moment, he caught Aidan's eye and tried to smile, though he felt he failed. His attention drifted back to the pot. He found it much heavier than expected. He turned slowly, and began to walk to the bed upon which his father laid. Taking slow and careful steps, it took some time to reach the other side of the small building. Nearly to the end, his arm started to fatigue. He set it on the floor tediously, then straightened his back and looked at his father's face. "What's wrong with him?" He blurted out, now looking pleadingly at Darinian. "Is he going to be alright?"
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Post by Ethereal Panda on Jan 1, 2008 17:22:22 GMT 9.5
Although Aidan had already began to disregard Darinian's insults as nothing more than hot air, his pride's desire to defend his honor was still writhing under his skin. He decided to instead turn his attention to Colin. However even this became difficult when Colin's concern finally erupted. Though Colin's pleas tore deeply at Aidan's heart, he found himself desperately trying not acknowledge them. Aidan became overwhelmed with his own emotions.
The banging outside broke his thoughts for a moment. He wouldn't have normally taken interest in the sound, but he was seeking any excuse to escape from the tension of the home. Reaching over to his gloves, he found that they had mostly dried in the short time he had been inside. He stood slowly groaning as though his bones were old and fragile. Approaching the door, he grabbed his coat and slipped it back on.
“I'll go check on that noise. Never can be too careful,” he trailed off.
Not awaiting permission, he twisted the door handle and once again pushed it open. This time, he found stepping out into the cold was much more bearable. He pulled the door shut behind him and took a few steps away from the house. Looking around through the pale air of the falling snow, he found nothing of particular interest.
While standing outside in the cold wind, Aidan knew he didn't expect to find anything, but that didn't stop him from continuing a slowly pace outward. He removed a small cylinder of wrapped paper from a hidden pocket in his sleeve and tucked the tip in his mouth. He pulled a match from the same pocket and cupped his hands over it as he struck it off a rough patch on his coat.
Taking a deep breath of the jarang's smoke momentarily calmed him. He knew his mother would be disappointed if she knew he was smoking, but those were not the worries that were plaguing him right now. He knew exactly what was bothering him. “Father,” he whispered into the wind. Lost in his own thoughts, Aidan didn't notice how far he had wandered away from the house.
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Post by Treijim on Jan 9, 2008 7:10:13 GMT 9.5
Darinian did not move when Colin started asking him questions. He took the pot from the floor with one arm and placed it on the beside table after knocking whatever was on it onto the floor. He dropped some cloths into it and let them warm up, though he did mumble something about the water being cold. Even after Aidan left the building, it didn't seem as though Darinian was even going to give Colin an answer. He didn't even turn to look at the boy.
"This water is barely warm," he grumbled aloud, but he didn't seem inclined to do anything about it, because he then added, "... Perfect." Then he muttered something more quietly, with a strange edge of puzzlement, "Where is that arrow...?"
"Spare a smoke?" came a voice from behind Aidan. An odd-looking man stepped around in front of the boy, his tattered hood pulled low but still showing a strange smirk. He gave no introduction and simply held out one gloved hand, the other shoved deep into the pockets of his heavy coat.
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Post by laurabeth on Jan 9, 2008 11:17:33 GMT 9.5
He knelt down next to his father, gripping the side of the old bed with his warmed fingers. His steel-blue eyes were fixed on the man's face, as if his gaze alone was keeping his dad alive. Colin ignored Darinian to the best of his ability at first, though he did turn his head slightly as Aidan walked out of the small house.
In the small amount of time that Colin had known the older boy, he had learned to respect him in several ways. One was his ability to handle a situation, and another was his bravery. Aidan was like a miniature version of Colin's own father--at least in the small boy's eyes. Youth have an interesting ability to sum up a person in a matter of hours.
His eyes suddenly refocused, and he caught sight his father's pale face again. He was becoming tired, and his thoughts began to trail off more than usual. When Darinian spoke, he looked up at the older man in dazed curiousity. "What's perfect?" He asked, tilting his head slightly to see the man's face more clearly.
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Post by Ethereal Panda on Jan 30, 2008 8:49:44 GMT 9.5
Aidan snapped his head up. He wasn't certain if the man had intentionally snuck up on him or if he had simply just been too deep in his own thoughts to notice. Though surprised, he tried to hide it and only casually slowed to a stop. Inclined by his normal distrust of strangers, he shifted his hips and propped a hand on his side, causing his coat to spread enough to make the blade on his thigh visible. He removed the smoke from his mouth and flicked it off into the wind.
C0cking his head, Aidan stated gruffly, "Cold night to be out looking for some jarang."
Rather than waiting for the man to request again, Aidan dug into his sleeve without taking his eyes off him. He outstretched an arm with the wrapped jarang held between the tips of index and middle finger. He was careful to only reach out far enough for the man to be able to reach obtain them, just in case he decided to get frisky.
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