Carantathraiel

Wanderers

"Yeah," Ruli began carefully. "No offense to Ed, but putting Ysaryn in that sort of potential position is a horrible idea." He warned, shaking his head. "Not that I doubt Ed's ability to keep her sticky fingers out of empire business, but she's not really a team player."

When she mentioned Ulrich's son's, Ruli met her gaze, wrinkling his brow. Gods, that sounded horrid, too. His sons had given Ruli an uneasy feeling. Mostly the third one. The older two seemed about as ready to rule as Ruli was.
"I suppose once you've abdicated, we'll have to officially offer you a home here. Unless you want to live in the palace. Seems far too large, if you ask me."

Wanderers

"Because people are draining." Ruli commented. "Plus, I've seen you in meetings, it took all your strength not to bitch slap everyone, so I can understand why you're exhausted." He added with a grin over his shoulder. He gathered the last of the supplies and sat across from her. He grabbed the wine and uncorked it, pouring them both a glass.

"I wasn't going to say no. I just had to go into town and buy a few things. I don't know if you noticed that my house has no food in it." He shrugged, sipping his wine before biting into a squash. "With just the role of paladin, you won't have to deal with all that, right? Or, I suppose you'll abdicate to a family member, so will you still attend?"

Wanderers

Ysaryn chuckled, flushing proudly. "He behaves like it has been a few years. I enjoy him." She declared with a smile, strolling up the last bit of stairs and into the small courtyard of Kire's house. She opened the door, then glanced down at Kire as her stomach growled. Another chuckle.
Then she turned her head and called into the house. "Whatever you're cooking, it smells great."
"I know." Ruli answered back, before appearing around the corner and grinning at them. But the moment he caught sight of Kire, his smile vanished, and he ogled. "Wow." He stammered. "Thats, uh. Thats a much better look than the fancy stuff."
Ysaryn grinned crookedly. "Looks like you're going to be cleaning the house tomorrow."
"Get out."
She laughed, winked at Kire, then turned and sauntered out.

Ruli cleared his throat. "So, uh. I .. my kitchen isn't really equipped for baking cakes. No oven, so. I ... yeah." He greeted awkwardly, taking a final glance over Kire's dress before he turned and went back to the kitchen.
The cake sitting on the table was small but elegantly decorated, whorls of bright orange decorated the pristine white icing, and the scent of oranges filled the air among the aroma of dinner. Which, glancing over, was stuffed squash, filled with spiced meat and rice. A bowl of salad and another with warm bread sat beside the cake. "Did you bring the wine? It'll go well with the meal, I made sure."

Wanderers

Ruli watched her go. He hadn't meant dinner tonight, but now that it was happening, he felt excited. Despite the disaster that was their last dinner attempt, he was glad they were doing it again. He turned toward his house and jogged up the stairs, needing to gather the ingredients from the next town over.

When Kire crossed over that evening, it was Ysaryn who found her first, the elf sitting in the chamber just beyond the gate. "Well met." She grinned toothily. "I am hearing you are here for a meal? Maybe a bit of dessert?" She said the last word with a flick of her eyebrow.
With a chuckle, she fell into step, walking with Kire. "He make me clean house. I demand to know why."

As they stepped outside, the Ziadi side of the cliffs were bathed in purple shade, the air still warm and humid. It smelled heavily of smoke from all the lit fires, the aroma of cooked fish. "So, is this a good thing? Rulitus refused to answer."

Wanderers

"I would day your remorse makes you better. But I don't have much ground to stand on." Ruli said sheepishly. "Maybe Gavin is your salvation. The last of the Gemini. The ally. He can help to mend the bridges, I don't know. This sort of advice is better from Envy. Not that you asked for it." He shrugged again, hands back in his pockets.

There was another question he wanted to ask, but he had no idea how to ask it. How it made him sound. So he stared at the sea, thinking. "Can I make you dinner done night? I'll promise cake."

Wanderers

Ruli turned away from her as she turned to face the ocean, letting her speak without the weight of his stare. Her words made a few things more easy to understand. Ikegai. Gael. Gavin's presence here.

"Not an excuse, but not a condemnation, either." Ruli said. "I guess we're both trying to fight for redemption. Maybe that's why we run headfirst into danger. If we die, at least we will have died trying."
He shrugged, then sighed. "How do you feel now, about the executions. Not just the act of it, but what it means."

Wanderers

Ruli grinned, thinking about Envy. "He's family." Ruli summed. "My first and oldest friend, too."

He listened as they climbed and she spoke about the offer to atone and fight for a clean slate. He glanced sideways at her, raising his eyebrow. "The horrible thing." He began, knowing she knew what he'd ask. "Was it the Gemini?" He wondered. They reached the platform that would lead to his house unless they went into the caves instead, and he stopped, offering them time outside of prying ears. "What started the feud between your families?"

Wanderers

He felt ... strange when she continued walking. Grateful that she'd offered no argument and didn't ask anything further. But also ... longing. Like he wanted her to ask more because it was refreshing to open up for once and not feel terrified. In fact, she'd been angry on his behalf, where instead he'd been haunted.
Ruli watched her for a few seconds before he began walking after her again.

"No one else knows." Ruli said quietly. "Just Envy. I'd like to keep it that way. Please." Gods, please don't let Ysaryn put the pieces together. Her shrewd mind would instantly put together his whole background, and as much as they got along, he wouldn't put it past her to put a knife through his heart. "I did a lot of horrible things that I'm still trying to make up for. Its easier without people watching me."
He inhaled deeply, trying to push it all out of his mind, to redirect his thoughts to something more positive. Slowly, he started toward the stairs again.
Clearing his throat, Ruli started the climb. "So. If you were never offered the Ring, would you remain empress?" He asked quietly, still not sure that that was shared knowledge yet. Granted, few of the elves passing them would care an ounce. "I get the feeling you never wanted it to begin with, is being a paladin just an out?"

Wanderers

He raised his eyebrows in agreement, pausing in his walk to turn partly toward her, waiting, without looking her way. Terrible. One of the many words he'd heard himself repeat in his head on the days he'd allowed himself to look back. He looked at her again when she asked why, his brow furrowing. After all the things she'd seen as an empress and a paladin, she still needed to ask why? Because cruelty will always be found.

She stepped closer, and he tensed just slightly, feeling her touch the line embedded in his cheek. "I ran away." He confirmed. "The only one to do so and live, as far as I know. Unless others did before me and we were just lied to." Which, frankly, wouldn't surprise him. "I kept crawling through the sand until I couldn't. Woke up in the company of buzzards after days, I think. I didn't keep track. Found Ziad a few days later. I did the same thing Envy did. I went underground. To shade."
Ruli inhaled, reaching up to grasp her wrist gently, prying her hand away from his face. "I gave you one question, and you've gotten far more than that. I think I'm due the next five. And I don't see your boots." Ruli jerked his head to point out the lack of footware on the beach, which meant Narda or Envy likely had them.

Wanderers

When she asked if 'they' were elves, Ruli nodded. He had already admitted to being a half breed, so she knew he belonged to some tribe or the other. And she moved on to the poison and Ruli only blinked, glancing ahead as they neared the wood pile. He deabted on not answering. he'd told her one question. But the poison, she had faced that, as well. She'd experienced it.

So he nodded.

"I told your cousin when she looked me over. Its not exactly a poison, but a drug that effects your mind." There it was. He could talk clinically. Distance himself. "Mix it in water, the only water available, and all it does is make you lethargic. But wean off it, your brain tells you you're missing something vital, and it begins to shut you down. Its excruciating. The dose the Gemini fired at you must have been enough to give your body a taste, masked by the adrenalin, and when it started to leave your system, you reacted like you'd been poisoned."
Ruli glanced at her cautiously. "It was to control us. As punishment, they'd wean us, some even died. None of us dared to run, knowing we would be doomed. One day I just didn't care."