Shadowsblade a Whateley Tale: Written by Shadowsblade
Created for war and forged in pain, dealing with demons within and
without.
In this part, Rohanna lays parts of her past to rest and more will come
in the chapters that follow.
This one chapter only contains one of the four funerals that come in her
life, so suddenly and all at that same time!
I hope that my readers love this part? I seem to have lost some of you
with the last 2 postings? for some reason?
To all my readers, thanks for your posts. I do read each one and some of
the ones posted recently, they added to my ideas on where to go in long
term plot ideas! So keep posting and thinking out there!
Copyright © 2016 by Shadowsblade
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods,
without the prior written permission of the Author, except in the case
of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other
noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
----------------------------------------------------
When Nikki cried, I went more than insane and stormed down the hallway
wanting to wreck the world. This pain was not from Nikki's loss, but
mine!
All this time, my only deep dark thoughts where the main focus was even
Aunghadhail. I wanted her death, I craved it, then each time I gave her
pause and started to actually forgive her for past deeds. Aunghadhail
would do some small thing to remind me or the world would remind me of
her VAST number of past evil deeds...that she did most willingly!
As I stalked down that hallway, the other Poesies moved out of the way
of my growing fury, each one knew that I was not one to be messed with
on a bad day and a fellow elf Nikki, a sister of sorts to me. She being
in pain was one of those days.
Sara was flying up the stairs, as she shared on some level with Nikki
many emotions. But on her path to help Nikki out, she spotted me and my
spilling over rage. Seeing that unhinged anger in me growing fast, she
thought it would be far better to help me out and deal with Nikki later
as she had support in her own room via her roommate Toni.
Sara ran up to my face and held me close enough to whisper in my ear, "I
know, I know. Please lets go to your room and calm down and plan out
what to do?"
"Calm down, plan what? The Don dies tonight...oath or not. Swear or not,
that boy is mine, then I find the rest who killed Aunghadhail and end
them!"
"If you truly care for anyone? Me or Nikki, you will go to that room of
yours and calm down. Then plan for any revenge from there!" and she
dragged the one of me she already had in her arms, down the hallway to
my room.
Sara shoved me none to gently into my room and onto my bed. She slammed
the door hard and spun to me, "Twin in here now!" she barked at me.
With some concentrated effort, the twin 'ported' to my room with a small
bang and angrily plopped down on the bed's edge with me.
"Well that seems to be a little better, I guess we have some work to do
on that 'port' of yours Ro?"
"Yes we do, I lose where my other part is at sometimes. Relative to the
dimension I travel through to 'port' All the excess information both
sets of them, it gets me more than confused at times."
"Well that will come later. But I know why you are mad?" she states and
asks me at the same time.
"No you don't...not even a clue."
"FINE. then tell me please?" Sara shout at me more than angry at me.
"I am not that upset that Nikki lost Aung, I personally see that as a
good thing and not even close to being bad! What makes me mad, MAD as I
can get! Killing the 'last' part of Aunghadhail's soul SHOULD have been
my revenge! AND not some teen witch trying to please a oversexed HUMAN
BOY!"
"I get it, I really do. Remember I saw that little bit of past life in
your head and even I blame Aunghadhail for all that pain. Heck even I
wanted her dead, after experiencing that nightmare memory of yours and I
am not even you darn it!"
"Yes Sara, I actually am happy you did and now someone really
understands what I am saying each day...heck screaming it!"
Sara sits between the two me and hugs both of us close, "Ro, please look
at this as the death of the Sidhe of the past and a rebirth of them as a
people. The old Queen is dead and gone. Now Nikki might take her place
someday, but now you can guide her to a being a better ruler, via you
knowing what evil was done in the past and there will be none of that
evil influence of Aunghadhail's?"
When I fall back to lay on my bed, Sara follows and I start crying so
badly I can barely be understood any more, "Sara, this is so unfair! I
earned that revenge, being denied it is so unfair and Gaea owed this one
to me!"
"Well I guess next time Gaea shows up, I will have to give her a beating
AND get that vengeance for you!"
"Ya right, she will not show up now? But I wonder if I can get away with
kicking 'The Don' in the nuts at dinner tonight?"
"I'll hold him down for ya!" Sara offers with a evil grin.
Hours later, Sara is holding me close, trying hard to keep me calm as
she can. By talking over the past of the Drow, as best that part of me
can tell her with the Geas still in place. Violet and Lilac sit on the
shelf above us, munching away on some new mint candy I picked up this
week.
There is a knock at my door and listen to who it might be and find it's
Carson, Everheart, Sir Wallace and someone I am not sure of. Then a
thought dawns on me, "Shoot I forgot my punishment at Hawthorn! Carson
is here and I bet she is mad at me!"
"That's who is at the door right now...Carson?" Sara asks me in a
whisper.
"Yes she is, then Everheart, Sir Wallace and someone else?"
"Well I will tell them all to go away, this cottage's Sidhe is in
mourning again and we need a break!"
Before Sara can get to the door, a man speaks through it, "Rohanna, it's
Mr. Reilly. Please open up for me?"
"SHIT this is bad!" I panic.
"No it's not, I am sure he rushed here to be with Nikki and her mom plus
brother are on the next flight?" Sara tells me and waves off my fear
with ease.
Sara opens the door to Mr. Reilly with a smile, "Hi sir, so what's up
and did ya bring any pizza with ya?"
"No Sara, we need to talk to Rohanna now."
"Is this bad and I should slam the door in your face or a friendly
visit?" Sara asked him, but really demanded from her tone of voice.
"I want to talk with her, over what is traditional for a funeral for
Aunghadhail. So that we do this right and she was honored correctly in
her last death for all time."
"Come on in Sir, I can help out with that." I said not too sure of what
might happen. I might get mad again or just plan shove them all out of
my door within seconds...I just did not know right now.
"Thanks Rohanna, I know this is painful for you too. But I want to do
this right, it's the old military man in me saying so?"
"Yes Sir, I would offer you all seats, but my room is really set-up for
one user right now?"
The men offer Carson my only other seat at my desk, Sara tosses my
meditation mat into a corner and plops on that. Everheart takes a spot
leaning on a wall near the door, Sir Wallace grabs a spot on my window
ledge and Mr. Reilly finds a spot sitting on my desk after I move a few
projects aside for him.
Carson smiles at me when I sit back down, "I had heard you redecorated
with some plants, but this is stupendous and so very Grove like in
here."
"Thanks ma'am, Rosalyn or Blackrose suggested it to me and helped with
lots of the planning of all of this. Her skills made most of the plants
fit to the room."
"I might have to get her teacher over here and have her grade this for
extra credit then."
"I am sure that she will love that ma'am."
"But Rohanna, what do you think we should do for a funeral for
Aunghadhail's spirit?"
"Well the basics are, no cut flowers, gifts for any children that are
about?"
"The main ceremony?" Sir Wallace asks me.
"It should be held within the next day Sir, a Military style one. Kind
of like a Viking funeral, because we don't have body or tomb set-up for
her to lay in?"
Carson speaks up next in her more kind sounding voice, one that I have
rarely heard of late, "And where should we do this Rohanna, on the
campus or?"
"The Grove, the far side nearest Melville has a beautiful great clearing
for this service, I can get the Grove to move itself out of the way for
this...for the day anyway?"
"So we do the basics, all that want to show up should be dressed and a
small military unit that the ROTC can do. A small funeral pyre with what
as a center piece?"
"I am sure the Burning Oak of Aunghadhail's house put on something would
be the right one for this?"
"Well lets us all get moving then, we have plans to make happen!" Cason
said to the room, as she stood and took charge of the group.
"I will follow along soon Mrs. Carson, I have to talk to Rohanna for a
little bit now?" Mr. Reilly said to her, as she left.
"Please take your time and come to my office when you're done Mr.
Reilly?"
After they all had left, he got up off the desk and opened the door a
second time, "Sara if you don't mind...please?"
"Only if you do understand, that she is not really on her best day
today. This crown crap, caused her lots of pain you may never really
hear about or understand like I do!"
"Yes, Sara. Now please, I need the room for a bit?"
After she had nodded to him, she got up and started to leave my room.
But not before she spoke to me, "Ro if you get upset, come to my room
right then...please don't wait and simmer too long?"
"I will try Sara...love."
Mr. Reilly gave me more than a double take when I said that to Sara,
that 'love' part must have surprised him a little bit. When she was
gone, he stood in the center of my room and glared at me for a very long
time. My guess is that, he was thinking of what to say?
"Rohanna? I have to ask this because you promised to look after Nikki
for me. Where were you when Aunghadhail died and my Nikki was in
danger?"
"I was here at Whateley Sir, they did not ask for me come with them up
to ARC." I did not like where this questioning was going to.
"Maybe you should have gone with them anyway and helped?"
"I don't think that I could have helped one bit, sir? That fight was
held in another's mind and is really far outside any of my training."
"I still think you should have been there!" he lashed out at me, I am
sure in pain from seeing his only daughter hurt so badly.
"ARE YOU saying I did not do my duty and ran from a fight!" I demanded,
as I stood up to him.
"No, but you should have helped somehow in that fight!"
"So you actually think I would not go and toss myself into a fight to
save Nikki...A child, family in my eyes, from pain and violate so many
oaths that I can't even count them all or say them to you!"
"It's just?"
"What? Is that a yes or a no?"
"Rohanna?"
"Well then, you think I should be dead and not Aunghadhail! So lets fix
that now...STAY RIGHT HERE AND DO NOT MOVE AN INCH...SIR!" I yell at
him.
One of me rushes out the door and the other stands next to him, to keep
him in place. I knock on Gwen's door and when she opens it, I rush in
and ask her for something she has been holding for me, "Gwen I need that
box, with the dagger inside it for a minute or two. Can I have it?"
"After today and all this crap! No way am I giving that to you!"
"I need it, swear I don't want to hurt myself with it. Mr. Reilly needs
to see it for a second?" I told the truth, I did not want to die...but
honor and oaths asked for it.
Gwen dove under her bed and pulled out a long storage box from under it.
After she searched it for a few second she reluctantly handed the wooden
box to me, "Here, now swear to me that you don't want to hurt yourself
with this?"
"I just did, but I will swear again. I don't want to hurt myself with
this."
"Okay, but I don't like you having that nasty blade in your possession
any more and maybe we should destroy it someday?"
"We can discus that later, got to run...bye." I hoped that we would talk
about that later?
Soon enough I was back in my room, the box was nearly slammed onto my
desk and opened up. My hand picked up the red blade and I walked over to
Mr. Reilly, "Now tell me once more that you think I was not honoring my
oath and I would have not stood up to die to protect Nikki from this
pain with my very life...EVEN though I hated Aunghadhail with every
breath I took"
"I am not sure, you might have?" he said reluctantly and not very sure
of what I was doing with such a wicked blade in my hand.
I grab his right hand, then quickly place the handle of the blade with a
piece of silk covering it and close his fingers over the hilt for him,
"Now you have a blade, that can kill a Drow with one small scratch,
please don't touch the blade as you use it or after."
"What Rohanna? I don't want this...thing?"
"You sure sounded only a minute ago, you wanted me gone and Aunghadhail
back? So this is how you punished a Drow in Aung's little world for
breaking an oath...you kill us."
"I can't do that!" and he drops the blade to the floor from the shock
that I even asked him to do such a deed.
"So you can't do the deed yourself then?" and I snatched the blade from
the floor, "I will do it for you, the royals of her time...they were
weak too. Give me the word and it's done?"
He just stood there staring right at me, as silent as he ever could be,
"Well do I or don't I? You just said that I did not honor my oath to you
and this is how Drow gets punished!" I say again to him, as that blade
hovers over my hand, ready to slice it and be done.
"Stop that, are you nuts or something. They told me you had issues. But
that!"
"So that is a no, you are not offended by my actions then?" I had to
question him again.
"NO...NO...no, I would have never asked for that?" he doubted his own
words.
"But you did say that, or said it only a few minutes ago, you have to
understand this. We Drow don't see the world like you humans do. We only
see black and white, wrong or right, succeed or fail and that 'gray'
that humans use to hide behind all the time is meaningless to me after
my change. Yes I know the word, but it's meaning has faded to nothing
and I no longer really understand it like I used to?"
"Rohanna, I do understand now. I was...." he stopped as he tried to find
the words he needed to say again.
"You were trying to protect your kid and would die for them? And you
thought that...just if...I was there. Nikki would be fine now and
you...in pain blamed the only one you thought could have saved her at
the time. You think that you failed too, in your protecting her and then
lashed out at me for it?"
"Yes, you are right. I did lash out at you and I am so sorry for that
can you..."
"Forgiving is easy for me, you have to live with the choice to do so and
I do not?"
"So I know more about Drows, than I really ever wanted to know? he
laughs a little at me.
"Yes you do."
"I have to ask, you sounded back there like you had kids at one time?"
he asked me.
As I place the blade back into it's box, I tell him without even daring
to glance his way, "I had two, that were taken from me at birth by
Aunghadhail's leaders above me and I never saw them again."
"So you never got to know them at all?" he chokes up to me.
"I knew them well, you have to know this now. Because you have a Sidhe
daughter. We mentally talk to our children as mothers, during that year
long pregnancy with them and we do understand one another. Most Elvin
children come into the world understanding our native language day one
and learn to actually speak it later in life."
"Great, I have to look forward to a moody daughter for a year!"
I have to laugh at him, "Yes and so does the father."
"Ohh I don't want to think about that right now, maybe she can wait a
few decades?"
"I don't think you will get a vote in that for too much longer...sir?"
"I have to be getting back to Nikki, her mother will be here soon with
Troy and the family friends."
"Well tell me when you need me? And so you know this, Nikki more than
upset yesterday at me. I was sworn by a keeper of knowledge out in the
grove, to give her some books that Aung had left her to read just now.
She got very angry at me and saddened by that...tell her again for
me...I am so Sorry, but it had to be done...Sir?"
"When she settles down a bit more, I will get with her and find out what
is going on for you on that. But Rohanna, please make sure you are there
at this funeral of sorts?"
"I have to be, decorum dictates I must go."
"See you there and remember I am always there. I might get mad at you,
but I will come to my senses sooner or later?"
"Yes, now please get back to Nikki and give the comfort of your presence
to her."
When he is gone, I walk that box back to Gwen and hand it to her, "All
done, just had to let Mr. Reilly see it is all?"
"Well good, but we should get rid of this nasty thing!"
Since Gwen's roomy was off somewhere else right now, I close her door
for a bit of privacy, "We need to keep it, that blade is one of the ways
to kill a GOO off. At least in this dimension for a long time. I would
explain it all, but I don't have all week to help you understand what
took me years to learn about them."
"But that means Sara? She is good!"
"Yes, she is...for now. She will live far longer than us and who
knows...in fifty thousand years? Then add her relatives are not exactly
good and there is The Bastard still living who needs to meet that blade
someday!"
"I get it, but me holding this...thing? Is that wise for little old me
to do!"
"Who would think that there is a NUKE under your bed?" I laugh at her.
"Ohh I get it, who would think I had something this powerful!" she
smiles at me.
------------------------------------------
Thursday April 19, 9:35 pm
Poe cottage
For nearly an hour I rested in my room from all the madness of the day
so far and hoped it would all get better soon! As I relaxed, Sara
knocked on my door and slipped into my room after I said to come in. She
knew I had not gone to dinner and brought me some food off the table
that Mrs. Horton had set up in the sunroom. Horton had remembered that
this was a good idea from the last time and tradition for Elves to do at
times like this.
"Hey eat up, chows here!" she sang at me and tossed a pack of cookies at
the Pixies sitting over my bed.
"Sara I am not so sure I really need you right now?" I had to question
her.
"Ohh but you do, if you're not sure? Then I am sure you do! Besides you
need some food and this yummy stuff is not going to eat itself, now is
it?"
As she sat down on the meditation mat and started pulling out a few 'to-
go' boxes. My phone rang and out of habit of late I pressed the speaker
button, "Rohanna, this is Timothy John calling you about that part in
the movie for Mr. Martin?"
"Ohh shoot sir, I forgot to call you on that. We kind of had a death
here today and it got quite crazy to say the least."
"Who died, no one I know I hope?"
"Nope, no one you know. But can I get back to you on the part maybe on
Saturday?" I say, as Sara pokes me playfully and tries to get my
attention on her mouthing out 'Who...What!' as she grins at me!
"Sure you can, I will tell Martin what is going on and I am sure he will
understand your position there. Call you Saturday...I have to drop you
now, calls to make...bye!" and he hung up really quickly, as he sounded
very busy on his end.
"What was all that about?" Sara grins evilly at me.
"Somehow a Film director in Hollywood got his hands on the Boston vid of
the fight, the sim runs I have done and very surprisingly the pic's that
Peeper took of me on the first night I was here at Whateley."
"Really? The Boston and sim runs I understand. But the pic's that Peeper
took, never heard of that?"
"He surprised me coming back from the Grove and talking with Aung. She
had called to me via the Groves powers and I walked straight out of the
building...already dressed for bed!" I growl out to her.
"Can I see how bad this bunch of photos are?"
"Fine, you might as well. I am sure most of the world will see these
pic's sooner or later!" and I hand her my phone, after I find my file
copy of all of them.
Sara swipes through the pic's and smiles at each one of them. At one of
them, she grins to me, "I might make a poster of that one, it's quite a
good shot and shows..."
"Gimmee that!" I snatch it back from her hands.
"So Peeper is still alive after doing that?"
"Yes he is and I warned him not to let those out of his sight or ARC or
I would sue him to death...or me skinning him!"
"I will call Otto about that and have him track that down for you! The
case against Peeper should be easy, you own all the trademark rights to
'you' and you're a minor to boot!"
"Thanks Sara, I was thinking to do just that. But I got a little side
tracked is all."
"Hey, call me for some of these things? I am here for ya! But that one
pic...ohh baby that looks so sweet of you!"
"SARA!" I shout at her and stare daggers her way.
"Hey that's my job...LUST!" she says breathlessly to me.
"Yep and not right now please. I am not really feeling up to that?"
"Fine then, but what is this part in a movie bit?"
For the next half hour or so while eating, I catch her up on the film,
the part in it and meeting the Director the other day. Sara nodded at
each part of what I was telling her and seemed to be really intrigued at
the whole idea.
"Sounds like to me this is a great first step for being accepted by the
public and you being able to go outside as you really are. The only
caution I can give you...is the fans wanting your picture or signature
all the time. I had that issue as an author at times."
"I will have to think about that, in any case. I will still have my
illusions to fall back on to go out."
"If I were you, I would do it and take that job!"
"Ya think so?"
"Yep, this would get you out for the summer and have so much fun while
doing it!"
"I will have to talk to Mr. Reilly over this, before I can do it?"
"Yep, but he won't stop ya and I am very sure of that."
"But who will watch over me, I am still listed as a minor and need
someone adult there at all times...I think?"
"Have Bill do it, the studio can pay him a nice rate. Besides he needs
the cash for that up coming wedding of his, buying a house and he will
love being in Australia or New Zealand all that time. I used to live
down there and I loved it!"
"Both you and Nikki love this idea. Her to get me out there and not have
me spend all summer working out like a monk...she said to me."
"She is right, I am sure that if you're given two plus months off? All
you will do is practice and read all day!"
"Fine darn it, I will get the part in this movie and see how it goes." I
give into her good reasons and Nikki's.
For the rest of the night, Sara stayed in my room, we chatted most of
the night and watched some good movies via my entertainment system.
---------------------------------------------------
Friday April 20, 7:35 am
Poe cottage
Just after I my shower done and laid out a casual outfit for today's
classes. A very excited green haired Gwen bursts into my room without so
much as a knock, "Ro Look here! No class today, we have a open schedule
for the whole school to show up if students wanted to Aung's funeral out
in the Grove!"
"Well I guess Carson took what I said to heart and made it happen?"
"She asked you about this?"
"And who else here knows ancient funeral rights for a Sidhe queen?" I
ask Gwen more than sarcastically.
"I guess you? I have no clue, my memories are few about court life from
back then." she shrugs to me.
"Well then this is the time, to get my best armor out and give it a good
cleaning?" and I start to pull out that very ornate heavy Mithril armor
of mine. The set with most of my sad and worst memories attached to it.
As I lay it out piece by piece across my bed slowly, Gwen stands there
watching me, "I remember that suit. You wore it when Sara, that video
game on the computer and Jade caused that flash back of yours?"
"Yep I always seem to call this armor out, when I think I am in the most
trouble and need it's great protection." as I say that, all those bad
memories flow into my mind again and I start tearing up from all of
them.
"What's the matter Ro?" Gwen questions me while patting my back.
I sniff to her, "It's just that every time I see this armor, someone
died or something bad happened or something bad is going to
happen...there is not one good memory that I can recall from using this.
Maybe I should melt it all down and make a book end out of it."
"Why do that, it took you forever to make this I bet! So why destroy it,
all that pain is behind you. I am going to say this right now and I
believe it..." Gwen twists me by the shoulders to face her better, "I am
glad Aunghadhail is gone, the old ways are gone with her and us NEW
Sidhe will change how we do things from here on out!"
""You and Sara are saying the same thing to me, about Aung's passing
on?"
"Well I can understand that, great minds think alike!"
"Thanks Gwen, I just needed to hear that from another Elf is all!"
"But think of this, that armor saved you many times back then. So you
lived on in some strange way to get to here. That is a good thing to
have as a memory, isn't it?" And Gwen goes to hug me close to prove it.
Just as we let go, my door knocks and I can hear Mrs. Horton's voice ask
to come in. When she peaks into my room, "Ro, I have a small note here
from Mrs. Carson. She said you can move the Grove for the event today?
Or if you can't get it to cooperate, we need to know now so that the
guys can set-up somewhere else."
"Okay Ma'am I will get on that right now and go make that request of the
spirits out there. I am sure they will agree, I don't see a reason why
they would not?"
----------------------------------------------
Friday April 20, 11:25 am
Poe cottage
For an hour, I plead the case of Aunghadhail's funeral and what the
humans what to do for memorializing her with the deep Grove's spirits.
Once that is finished and agreed to. I watch over the parts of the
Grove, that open up to the assembling of a place to speak from and the
funeral pyre. Then where the Fae should line up to pay respects to Nikki
and her family.
That seems to finish quickly, the staff has it all in hand and now it's
time to eat. So I make way towards Crystal hall for a late breakfast.
Two bags of food get tossed onto my desk from getting breakfast to go
and I stand there thinking about what armor my new twin should wear and
realize that the set I need or want is in deep storage. So I start
building the ward to mask my taking the bronze box from my storage
place.
As I pull that box out and start finding that one leather set of armor.
I think to add my 'Killian Jabbress' blade to the Mithril outfit, as
that is my best dress blade. As I take that long thin case from the box
and carefully lay it on my desk next to my food. I watch as Violet is
flinging food at Lilac in one of their cute as heck fights. (Sword
Mistress)
Watching them at play, makes me realize that I have to bond Lilac into
our group as my twin's Pixie. As that is only fair to her and me, to
have that greater connection. We will both benefit from it.
Since Violet already has what I would call my best Pixie armor that I
still own, there is only one other set I have...Misty's set. The one
Pixie that I felt the most loss over since Khemir died of old age, that
is the set Violet now wears with pride. A Pixie lasting over a thousand
years, with the combat we both saw was very unusual indeed.
So I dig deeply into the large box, so much so. That I have to move some
boxes out of it, to get to where I want to. Then I pull 'her' box out
and set it aside. I try real hard not to even glance it's way as I
repack the box and send it back to storage.
As I sit to eat and then start cleaning my armor. That box just sits
there...staring at me and I avoid even looking at it from the memories
that it digs up. Those still fresh as the day they happened wounds from
her death.
Above me Violet sings out to me, because she can feel something is 'off'
in me, "What is it Rohanna?"
"Something that can wait, till I pull enough courage into myself to face
it again."
One of me is shining my Mithril armor and the other is making sure the
best leather armor I have, is looking good enough for this day. The
leather is the easiest to clean up and gets finished rather quickly by
my newer me. I think to move that body on to polishing my dress sword,
but change up that idea. When I realize that new me is not quite good
enough to handle sharp things, while I do two tasks...not just yet!
As that blade gets a final polish and I smile at my own fang filled
refection in the thin blade. I hear a knock at my door, after listening
a short bit. My ears can not tell who is there, this is a new person to
the cottage?
"Come in, please. The door is open." I sing out to it.
The door opens slowly and in peeks Josh from that night I had dinner out
with Nikki's family, "Hi Ro? Can I come in?" he smiles to me.
Part of me, that Drow part, is in some shock and comes out to make my
breath go faster. As I say to him, "Yes come in Josh, why are you here?"
"Well Mrs. Reilly and Troy, they both thought it might be a good idea
for us to come for this too? Annnn...." he stops and blinks in surprise
at seeing two of me, now that he is fully in the room.
"You were saying Josh?" I grin at his shock of discovery.
"There are two of you...you have a twin sister! Nikki never said that to
me?"
"Well the twin is a new thing kind of?" I try to explain to him.
"How can a twin be a NEW thing?" he asks and does several double takes
of both of us.
"Well the short version is, one of the stupid kids that goes here. He or
is it she now?.." I question the idea now, "Well she made a clone of me
and it nearly killed me. We are of two bodies."
"....And one mind." the other me finishes for us.
"Ohhh that is too strange!" he says.
"Strange, you say and you have an elf for more than one friend?"
"I guess that makes sense?" Josh says as he stands there a bit timid.
"So what do you want, or did you just come in to say hi?"
"Did Mr. Reilly talk to you last night?" he head goes to the floor
searching for the question and really looks cute doing it.
"Yes, we talked about many a thing and none of them were about you? Did
he forget to say something to me?"
"Shit!"
"Well that does not sound good?" I had to giggle at him.
"I had hoped he would have said something to you?"
"About what and take the chair at my desk...please? If you want too?" I
ask him, while shining that blade of mine.
"I'll stand for this." he tried to look brave now.
"Humm you're a little nervous right now, I can see and smell that you
are?"
"Smell?" he asked more than surprised.
"Yep, just like fear. It's almost the same scent? But tell me, what do
you want please?"
"I wanted to ask you out?"
"Out...for what?" I nearly stutter at the thoughts.
"I want to take you to my school prom?" Josh asks me sounding so unsure
to even ask the question, let alone utter the words.
Both of me just sit there and stare at him in shock for several minutes.
Until he asks me again, "Rohanna? Well...can you give me an answer on if
you want to go with me?"
"Would this be both of us?" we both say.
"....or just the one?" the one nearest him finishes up.
"Well you say that you are two now? So I would ask both, but that might
cost me a few extra bucks, that I will have to get together?"
"I have that handled, I am not poor by far." I say softly and go back to
cleaning my blade.
"Mr. Reilly has money I know, but I would never ask him to pay for your
date with me?"
"I do have my own money, far more than you think. Remember I bought a
Italian racing bike just for the fun of having one?" I grin at him.
"Ohhh ya I forgot that!" he grins to me.
"So if you need to pay more for the two of me, I will pay the extra
part. But that first bill, for one of me? That is still yours to pay
for. As that is the tradition and I am not interfering in that practice
in anyway." I say flatly to him.
"So you're coming?" he yelps out a little excited at the thoughts.
"I have to think about it and I need two things from you?"
"What...what...what!" he asks all to excited now to contain it.
"One, I need a date to think over, the date of the prom. Then, am I
going as a Drow, or as the illusion of a blond that you have seen?"
"What ever you want too I guess?"
"No that is up to you? You have to live with me showing up to your
school looking all the part of a mutant and all the attention that will
bring you knowing one!" I warn him.
"My school is a very upper class one, not a bunch of H1 bigots! So darn
it come as you are now then?"
"Are you sure, I really don't want to hear that you got beat to shit, by
a bunch of morons at your school?"
"I have it handled, besides...my dad is a US Senator!"
"Really! I might have to talk to him someday on a few issues then?"
"Everyone wants something from him, so what do you want?' he laughs at
me.
"Land that we elves call home, just like the native americans have now.
Our own ways, rules, life styles, laws and totally independent from US
laws." I say flatly and to the point.
"Now that is a big question to ask him, I might even ask for you?
Because I am more than curious myself!"
"Go ahead if you want to? I can wait for his answer or someone else to
give one...I have time on my side."
"Yep that you do, but this tree in here and the fruits. Are they real?"
"Yes they are, let me get one for you to try out?" and I stand up, to
grab one for him.
After I pick one off the tree, I go to hand it to Josh and he grabs my
arm suddenly. To reverse spin me to the wall and pins me with one arm
wrapped around my back, with the other remaining free.
I breath into his face so close it nearly touches mine, "This is a bad
idea?"
"What, taking that kiss I wanted today like you told me I should?"
"I am not so sure this is a good idea you and me getting involved?"
"I do!" he smiles at me.
"I am not, this...this I am not so sure, that I am ready for this in my
life. Besides, there are many things to consider first."
"What I like you, don't you like me?"
"I am not sure? We dating can get to be a real issue, I live so far away
from you?"
"You teleport across the whole nation, or so Troy tells me...faster than
walking!"
"Yes, but me...a Drow and a human?" I question him.
"I am over it and like your looks!"
"But you're human, if we ever went to the next level in this...I would
break you like a dry twig!"
"So, we start slow and careful then?"
"Then if we wanted kids?"
"We have them, but that is years away?" he reasoned back to me, not
really understanding how Drow love.
"But we could never have them, Drow only have kids with other Drow?"
"If we go that far, we adopt I guess."
"I can't think that far, or want too. If we went that far, then I would
have to deal with losing you in fifty or so very short years?"
"Great years!" he states then steals that kiss.
We part when my door suddenly pops open and Sara's head pokes in! "Hey
am I interrupting anything!" she grins at me being pinned to the wall by
Josh.
"Yes Sara you are!" I shout at her and shove him off me, "I could
strangle you with one of your own tentacles right now!"
"Sounds fun to me and who is this yummy boy in here...so very alone with
you?" her eyebrows arch knowingly to me and she winks.
"I should have known that you would feel or smell the lust coming off my
room right now and rush up here to see what I was up too!"
"Who is this? Josh asks, as he leers at the sexy girl that just entered
my room and I spot both of his eyes resting on Sara's breasts far too
long!
"Sara, meet Josh one of Nikki's friends and Josh...This is Sara or
Kellith Lust demon, Daughter of the Void, or the Mistress of Flesh."
"Hey I don't introduce you as 'Rohanna the Drow...slayer of thousands!'
But this is the one Nikki told me about?!" she giggles at him, "The one
boy, who stole a kiss from the fierce warrior Drow know as Rohanna!"
"So you're kidding me...right?" he questions me, as I move back to my
bed and hand him that fruit off the tree in my passing by him.
"Nope, not one bit!" I poke Sara on her boob, as I pass by her. The ones
he was just leering at, "this is just a pretty shell and there is a real
demon beneath it. A rather sexy one, but still a demon of lust and
perversion."
"Hey, no poking the boob! Unless you mean it?" she grins at me.
"Josh you might want to leave my room right now, before she corrupts you
into something very...ahh intimate?"
Josh gulps at me, "What me and three girls!"
"No, two Drow and a lust demon. Then add your soon to be twisted mind?"
I admit that he might get damaged by the both of us.
"I am going to leave, so you can continue getting ready for the funeral
Rohanna and please tell me your answer soon on that Prom date?" he asks
me once again and runs from my room.
Sara points at Josh's fleeing back and swings her pointing or accusing
finger at me or back to him more than once, "You, him...date...prom?
That's too funny!"
"Why, because you're not going with us?"
"Ohh no, leave me out of that...PLEASE! I do not want to interfere in
your human dates with guys anytime soon? Besides that, I do not poach my
friends dates or lovers!"
"QUIET YOU!" and I jab my sword at her, that I had just picked up to
resume polishing the blade, "OR STAB!"
"Why yes ma'am or Jabbress. I know my place, especially when you have
sharp pointy things in your hands and they are pointed at me!" Sara gave
in to me.
"You better!" I warn her again, with a new jab in her direction.
"Warning noted and by the way? That blade looks like the one Drow that
was at your mental house's door that first night we met...she was
holding it!"
"It should, this is my Sword Mistress blade. It shows to others, that I
am a teacher, not a student anymore and have attained a very high rank
in my instructing of other Sidhe in the art of the blade."
"May I see that one?"
"I would use a cloth to hold it, this blade has Orichalcum in it's
alloy." I say to her, as a hand her the blade with a polishing cloth
covering the hilt, so it does not burn her flesh any.
While she examined the blade and seemed to be reading it's many
engravings. I pulled on that Mithril armor piece by piece and made sure
that it was laying correctly on my body.
The other me stepped into the leather armor, in the same manner.
Sara glances at me from that dress blade of mine and whispers out to me,
"Hey that is the same leather armor she wore that night too and the
armor you wore in the dream I entered. Where you were the instructor?"
"The very same, this is Elvin academy instructors amour and the markings
show to others, what classes I am a Mistress over." I say to her and
finish up putting on the set of armor. Then add the long red sash across
my chest to it, going from right shoulder to left hip.
The next part is, my instructors baton. One for each body, the Mithril
armor one of me. Pulls out the Bow Mistress one and hangs it from her
right hip. The smooth black leather armor one, hangs the Sword or blade
Mistress baton from her hip.
The last part placed on both of me, was a small metal plate. It was
placed on my left breast of both sets of armor and that is where my
heart would be if I was only a regular Sidhe. That plate held my award
medals set engraved on it or small magic gems showing my many
accomplishments.
That plate, showed my years at the academy instructing and my combat
history for my many units. To explain each small line of engraving on
each of them or each small pin or medal, would take hours to cover
fully.
As I add the swords belt and scabbard to the whole package of both
armors. Sara finally hands me back the long thin blade and I slide it
into it's home on the belt. "There all set for this day, I hope that I
look good enough?"
"You look great, that armor will gleam in the sunlight today and
Rohanna?"
"Yes Sara?"
"You did know that blade has several languages carved on it?"
"Yes I do, most I know...some I don't?"
"Some of those, they are very old GOO languages and might even be
spells? I am not sure yet, because I don't dare read them fully? Not
until that blade is in a safer spot than inside Poe."
"Maybe one day we will try them out and see what happens. There is a
very long story behind me being awarded that blade...a very long one!"
"Humm I have to hear that one someday and how in the heck do you fight
with a blade so thin?"
"That is where skill becomes a factor, mine and the maker of the blade.
This blade is far stronger than it looks and I am very good at using it!
The art of using it comes in with blocking blows and defecting them.
Then sliding a strike in and slicing a target to ribbons!"
"Just as I thought, skill like always! But lets go, as I entered your
room. I watched Nikki and her family leave for the Grove."
---------------------------------------------
As the sun starts to set
We both walked out to the Grove, to where the rest of the school was
gathered and took a spot near the edge along a line of the schools
fellow Sidhe. My head nodded in turn to each that showed up and I gave
each one a large smile as I walked to the lines far end. My Bow was
already at hand, the other me slid her blade from her sheath to show
respect and we all waited for the main group with Nikki to arrive.
Rascal leaned over to me as we all waited, "You look so beautiful in
that armor Lady Rohanna, nothing here is outshining you today!"
"Thanks Rodger, I hoped I would pass muster in this?"
Some time later a precession of Team Kimba showed up with Chou in the
lead Followed by Jade and Jinn, who were holding a flag bearing
Aunghadhail's Burning Oak Crest on it. Behind them was, Phase and Hank,
and Toni and Billie. Holding a small platform, that held a wooden shield
of Aunghadhail's Burning Oak Crest. This last representation of
Aunghadhail was placed gently on a briar at the clearings center.
Nikki came next in the line and tried to say some words, but quickly was
taken silent by her growing sadness. She ran off to her family, when her
courage failed her and the sadness took the lead.
From there, Charlie Lodgeman gave a small short speech and lit the
funeral pyre. As Jericho played guitar and Cody (Kodiak) spoke a short
line or two, then started to sing. As it burned on, with him singing
with the rising and falling flames. The ROTC cadets fired a salute and
the Weres howled or growled and finally roared out a goodbye of their
own to the growing night.
When most of the school was breaking up to walk back to the main campus.
I stood on that fires edge, with the warm orange and red light it gave
off dancing off my armor all shining around me. I waved a hand through
the flames with a Mithril gauntleted hand, playing with them, the heat
and the flame nothing at all to that hard armor.
Normally I would have been in tears by now, but strangely this felt
right to be saying goodbye to the last of the old Sidhe this way. The
ancient Sidhe, the ones that cursed me into this new existence. They all
were fading with this fire and the new ones in my life...they all stood
around me now.
Constance walked past me as I stood there staring at the fire and looked
over my armor for the first time really closely, "That is the best
armor, I think I have ever seen. And those medals and awards Ro. I think
I actually recognize some of them?"
"Constance, please don't say one of your family ancestors has them.
Because to me, each one represents pain and death to me at the orders of
ancient elves like them. AND having even one of them, meant they were
there and gave those orders...SO keep that to yourself for now?"
"Yes, Rohanna. I will and see you later." Constance says softly back to
me, realizing she hit a deep wound somewhere in the Drow standing by the
flames.
Right then, it struck me that I need to get rid of one of those award
plates and let it burn in the flames. To show I was leaving that past
behind me and not get angry at the new Sidhe around me, like Constance
for something a family member did so long ago.
So the original me, took the plate off my clone in the leather armor. As
that one represented the older me most of all, by her wearing that set
of leather and tossed the plate deep into the center of the flames to
pass on burning into ashes...to be forgotten for now.
Gwen took a place next to me, then spoke while the plate with my awards
smoked in the fire and the magic held in some of the gems on the palte
popped brightly in the flames, "Well Rohanna the last of Aunghadhail is
gone, all that we have left from her is in each of us or what she wrote
down?"
"So I guess Nikki showed you those books?"
"Yes, she read them just before coming out here and wanted me to tell
you to come see her in her room tonight...after this?"
"Was she still mad at me?"
"Strangely no, not at you. But at herself, for tossing all that rage on
you and Nikki knows that she messed up."
"I'll see you both there soon."
As Gwen walked off and I stared at the dancing flames. My sight fell to
the growing pile of ashes and a thought formed deep in my mind. 'I might
not have liked Aunghadhail at all times, but this pile of ash is most
certainly a sad tombstone for anyone?'
Then it hit me like bolt out of the blue and I ran off after Caitlin!
-------------------------
I ran up to her and some of the outcast corner folks, "Caitlin, I need
to ask you a very important question now!"
"What Ro?"
"Can we talk in the magic arts building, please meet me at the entrance
in ten minutes?"
"Fine I will be there?"
"Thanks!" I shouted as I ran off towards Poe.
After I ran into my room, I tossed both sets of armor into storage and
dressed in my regular clothes as fast as I could. Then came me facing
that small box again, I drew a fast breath, snatched it off my far table
and ported to Mystical arts building doors.
My port ended at the doors of the Kirby Building with a small bang,
smaller than last time I tried. But still very far from my normal silent
and fast porting that was normal for me.
"Wow Rohanna, that port of yours sure got noisy? Is that because of what
Jobe and the new twin did?" Caitlin asks me.
"Yes," I growl to her, "It is messed up and I have trouble with it now."
"Well I will drop talking about that for ya and slap her later today for
ya! But why the call to meet up here?"
"Can we chat in one of the magic lab rooms?"
"Yep, I have to keys to every building in Whateley...so lets go!"
Caitlin guides me to one of the many magic lab rooms downstairs and we
enter without instructor permission or anyone noticing us! Once we were
inside the room and the door shut. One of my best, but still blank
daggers flows from storage and I hand it to her.
"Cat, I need this to be made into a focus for passing and holding
essence in for a large spell."
"For what?"
I place my small box on a table at the rooms edge and sigh at it, "Your
next."
Then move away to open my large storage space, via it's inky black
doorway and slide the large bronze-gold box from it and open it in front
of her, "I trust that you will not say anything about this
Cat...please?"
"I figured that, but I am sure you need to hear it too. I will never
talk about this." she swore to me.
"Thanks," I smile to her and pull out a box, then a small leather bag
from that one of the five inside that match.
All that mess is put away and I hand her that small bag, "This needs
essence from more than one Sidhe to grow, so I need a focus for tonight.
If I had thought about this faster, I could have done it myself in a
week. But I did not know Kodiak was coming with the Winter Crown
yesterday."
"Okay, so why not just wait?"
"I would like this done tonight. So that this is planted by midnight,
for traditions sake and you're the only one who can work that fast."
"Yes I can Ro, but I don't have all the tools right now and even with
what tools Whateley has for my use, this will take a few days?"
"I knew this was coming," and as I say that, I pull my tool box for
crafting magic items from storage, "So Cat, use this crafting kit
please? Using it should speed you up a lot...I hope?"
Caitlin takes a few steps up to my kit, pulls a single drawer at a time
from the cabinet and seems to be making a mental list of the contents as
she goes, "This would do FINE! How did you get this?"
"It was my kit from back then, when I helped your kind make items for
the royals. This is no where near what you would need to make a world
shaking magic item, but it's a start at making a few nice things for
now?"
"Ohhh yes it is and can I use this later for some projects that I have
in mind?"
"If that is what you wish as a fee to do this for me...then yes. As I am
sure that you know how to use and treat the tools within this kit
correctly."
"Okay, deal! But what is this thing in the leather bag, that needs
planting and magic essence to grow?"
I pull the small bag open and slide into my hand a seed, a little bigger
than the size of my fist, "This a seed from one of the Groves Oak trees,
that was inside the palace of the royals. Not one that could start a
Grove by itself, but a nice one to represent Aunghadhail in life as a
small monument?"
"Fine I'll do it, anything else?"
Now it's time to face the sad music, I walk slowly to the box that was
placed on the table and sadly sigh as I open it "Misty, Gaea I miss you
so much."
From under a silk cover, I pull a small leather set of armor that is
torn across it's chest badly and covered in blood. My resolve fails me,
as tears start falling down my face. Then I key a small spell into the
armor and it springs from it's small Pixie size to full Elvin size.
As I hug that armor close to my chest, all I can think about is that
last time Misty breathed in life and I held her close just like this.
She whispered out only a few words then from her broken body, "Take me
home." and she was gone.
Taking her broken body home, took several decades to happen. I was not
allowed to leave my company of fighters for something that the Royals
did not know we did or had with the Pixies. None of the ones that
ordered us ever knew, that we had Pixies as friends like Misty and now
my Violet.
If they did, they would have ordered them away or enslaved them too and
us Drow could not live with that happening...ever.
After I got near enough to her home Grove. I took Misty's small body
back to her family clan, they laid her to rest at a small ceremony that
very night and gave me her belongings to use again. The clan offered one
of her many cousins to me, but I refused the request. I was just too
hurt to think of having a Pixie at the time.
It took over a hundred years for me to get over her death, she died so
young trying to save me and she did save me, but at the cost of her own
life. Misty was the most powerful Pixie I had ever seen, no one could
match her in a fight of staves or magic. She was legendary.
I must have stood there crying for sometime, as a now shocked Caitlin's
voice had to drag me back to the here and now, "Rohanna do you want some
time for this?" she asked in a supportive voice.
I drifted back to the room from that sad memory and found why Caitlin
was a little shocked. Violet had grown to Elvin size and was hugging me
too, while I hugged that sadly empty bloody armor to my chest.
"Sorry Cat," I sniffed to her, "the one who wore this armor, she was
very close to me and I was reliving their death."
"I understand more than you think,"
"Thanks Cat, but do you think you will be able to repair this armor for
Lilac to use?"
"Humm let me see that?" she asks me.
It takes effort on my part to hand it to her, because I want to hold
onto what Misty was and not let it go so soon in my mind. Caitlin takes
her time examining the armor and drops what I thought might be a spell
on it out of habit or who knows?
"I can repair this armor, but it will take days to do that and I have to
use your kit for this of course? Then I might have to buy some items at
the magic supply shop here, they will be expensive." she smiles to me.
"I thought that might be true, using my kit is not an issue and I will
pay for anything you need, plus your time. Cost is not a problem, I will
pay anything to get this armor repaired."
"Good, I am sure to need some Mithril and some gems for the spells."
"I have some pure Mithril in the kit already and what gems do you need?"
"I will use diamonds for some parts, but I could use some Diamonds of
Tuatha De' Danann'?"
"Cat, I have some of those and others back in my room. Just ask for any
number you need for this and they are yours! No cost is too high for
this to get repaired."
"I have to ask you this, when I clean this before I repair it. What do
you want done with the blood? I can save it for you, if you want it?"
"I would love for it to be saved, she was very close to me and I owe
her my life. What killed her, it most certainly would have killed me if
she did not sacrifice herself to stop it." I start to cry once again to
Cat.
"Rohanna, I will give this project the dignity it deserves. I know that
pain too well of late and I know this must be killing you to face it."
"Yes it is, I thought I would not have to face this again. But here it
is, ripping my guts out just like the day it happened to me and her."
"How about you get going and I start on this first project. I should be
easily done in an hour or so?"
"Thanks Cat...love ya!" and I am gone.
--------------------------------------------
Friday April 20, 8:25 pm
Melville cottage
A small giggle escapes my mouth, as I knock on Jobe's dorm room door
again. She opens it to me mad as heck, "What!" she yells at me, that
bark quickly changes to "EEEEP!" when she sees me and the door slams
shut. Gaea I love messing with her like this, it's too much fun!
A few seconds later, a laughing Belfy answers the door to me, "Hiya Ro,
What's cooking!"
"A small request of you?"
"Yep?"
"I am having a small get together for Aunghadhail of my own, I am
planting a Oak seed in her honor and I would hope that you would show up
and offer some magic essence to the planting, for it to grow off of?"
"Let me guess, this is tradition of some sort?" she questions me with a
small tilt of her head to me.
"Sort of, I just thought that a small pile of ashes in the Grove was a
sad tombstone for Aunghadhail?"
"Yes you are right on that, a tree would be far better for a Sidhe. I
will be there gladly."
"Can you get Jobe for me, she needs to hear this too."
"Mom, Door for you it's Rohanna!" she shouts out to the room behind her.
"I am not your Mom child!" a bellow comes from the room.
"Yes you are, Carson and the paperwork said so!" she corrects her.
"What does Rohanna want?" I hear the sheepish question.
"She wants to ask you something? AND NO! She is not holding a knife
right now and grinning for your skin!"
A very unhappy pretend Drow comes to the door and stares at me, "What do
you want?"
"Tradition and decorum require me to ask you this, I must ask even what
I would call an enemy this. I invite you to come to the Grove to plant a
Oak tree in Aunghadhail's honor. This is your choice to come or not.
Doing so would be a good thing, but not coming would not change anything
for the worse."
"Why ask me?"
"Even though Aunghadhail and I agree...you are not Sidhe. I have to
invite what may be called Sidhe, even one that I call an enemy to this
event."
"SO! You admit I am an elf then?" she smiles at me.
"Don't push it Jobe, I still hate you for this twin curse that I am
surpassing and would kill you where you stand if not for my oaths. So
come to this, as a honor it is or stay away and I know forever where you
stand as even being called a Sidhe."
"I will think about it," and she slams the door on me.
-----------------------------------------------
"Well mom...Jobe, are you going to that memorial or what?" Belfy asks
her mom and roommate.
"Nope I don't think so, I owe that Drow enough already and being a part
of that little club of her elves is not for me." Jobe shakes her head to
her cloned daughter.
"Big mistake Jobe!"
"Why is that tell me?" Jobe demands.
"The staff here is pretty sure that Belphegor or dad cloning me from
Nikki directly with your little DNA traits, that made me a Sidhe. A
goofed up one, but still one anyway and that almost for sure gained me
that super long life they all seem to have."
"Ya and?"
"And since your DNA serum is what I am based on. Then that is what
changed you to a Sidhe or fake Drow, as Rohanna calls you!" Belfy
laughs, "You are most likely going to live a long life just like me and
now that it kind looks like Gramps maybe taking you back as his kid? You
might want to be more friendly to a Drow that will live as long as you
do and not make an enemy of Rohanna."
"So what do I care child!"
"You might want to, because Gwen told me this. Drow only see the world
in black or white, dead or alive. There is no 'grays' in Ro's world, she
loves you forever or will hate you forever and she is not one to
forgive...ever."
"Like I said child, why should I care?"
"Rohanna will live for thousands of years and WILL be a very important
Sidhe someday. Because I am so very sure that Nikki will be the Queen of
the Sidhe someday and they are declared sisters....Do you really want to
piss off, every elf forever Mom?"
"So politically, I should show up. Because sooner or later both of them
will be something to deal with?"
"You got it!"
-----------------------------------
Friday April 20, 9:15 pm
Poe cottage
As I walked into Poe's main doors, I noticed most the students were in
or around the sunroom eating a little and chatting it up. With a few
words to select Elvin students like Rascal, I was able to get all the
Sidhe headed towards my room for a meeting of us all. With them heading
towards my room, I went to Nikki's room and found her family all there.
Nikki cried at me as I knocked on her open doorframe, "Ro get in here
please, we need to talk!" and she shooed out her family and Toni rather
fast. Only Gwen was asked to stay.
After they all left the small room, Nikki pointed to a seat for me as
she closed the door. She was on her way back to sit on her bed, but
never made it. Nikki wrapped both arms around one of me and started to
cry for real to me.
"I am so very sorry for taking all that out on you, forgive me?"
"It's done, I know you were hurt and all that rage was just you coping
with Aung's loss."
"Thanks Ro," she says to me very softly while letting go to sit on her
bed.
"No need for that, you and me. We are the farthest non-related sisters
in the world now!" I jest with her.
"Yes we are. But the reason why I asked you to meet me here...besides
apologizing to you?" she starts crying again to me.
"Nikki please, it's all right now. All good and never was an issue."
"Rohanna, have you read that tome that Aung left you yet?"
"Not one word yet, have not really had the time to even think about it.
Why?"
"I read mine this morning and now I understand you a lot better. Aung,
she left me lots of little secrets on the Drow and now I know why you
act the way you do."
"I thought Aung would have told you that by now, or you would have
learned that for yourself?"
"This was a better explanation and it made sense to read it. Instead of
learning it so slowly and she added in so much other needed info on top
of that!"
"Did she tell you how to get that cursed book off my back!"
"That knowledge was not in the pages that I can read right now."
"Read right now?" I had to question that statement, as it made no sense
to me at all.
"Yes, read right now. Aunghadhail, she sealed chapters of that book from
me. At least till something happens in my life or a time limit expires
in some way?"
"So she kept that from you too and that leaves you no choice in giving
me full freedom?"
"Yes and she explained that to you and me more than once. You are not
ready for those limits to be removed. I think, that in the last few
weeks. You have journeyed so far down that new road in life...that you
should be free from that curse. But I have no idea how to release you."
"Thanks Nikki! I have tried so very hard not to go off half cocked and
hurt someone."
"I know, I would have skinned Jobe by now! If I were you?" she laughed
at me.
"Naw I have her on a short leash and obtained a oath from her for favors
to be named later!" I grin evilly back to Nikki.
"Good one!" Gwen laughs out at me, "that will teach her!"
"Nikki, I wanted to ask you before I did this?"
"What, anything?"
"I thought that when I was standing there at the burning funeral pyre,
that just a pile of ashes. That was a sad tombstone for Aunghadhail."
"It is, I am thinking of something more. Maybe in a few years when I can
do it better?" she starts to tear up and can't glance up at me from what
might be embarrassment.
"Nikki, from back before that sundering. I have bought with me a few
seeds from the main Grove nearest the ancient royals palace for the
West. This is just a small Oak, but one of the oldest I could find at
the time?"
Nikki grins up at me now, looking more than happy to me, "You want to
plant that for her!"
"Yes, but we need some essence sacrificed and your blood would bond it
to being Aunghadhail's tree better?"
"Yes, yes...we all should. Any and all Sidhe that show up. This should
be Aung's tree as well as our new tree!" she shouts to me.
"That was my plan, I have Caitlin making a me a spell focus now and she
will be done very soon. So we should be able to plant this seed by
midnight?"
"Great! But now I have a question for you?"
"Annnnd?" I stare at her.
"Since I got all mad at you and this happened." she taps the Winter
Crown laying on her bed, "I should ask you, did you call Timothy back
and take that acting job or what?"
"Not yet?"
"Well? Are you or aren't you?"
"Heck if I know? Me out there in a movie and everyone sees who I am, is
that such a good idea?"
"Yes it is and you know it!" Nikki barks at me.
"Yep, Nikki is right Ro, this is a good thing for you. A way cool summer
job and you get to be seen as a good thing too!" Gwen beams at me.
"I am just so not sure of this?" I have to admit.
"Rohanna! Everyone around you feels that this is a great move for you
and Sidhe in general to be seen in a movie like this. Gwen does, I do,
Sara does and My dad does too. Besides he talked to Bill up at ARC and
he is thrilled along with Jineen to look after ya where ever filming is
done?"
"Just me out there?" I stop and lay back on Toni's bed thinking.
"I get it now, you afraid of everyone seeing you as you are now. That
Drow in you has no idea what to think and that human is not ready to bee
seen out like this yet? Is that the reason for all the hesitation?"
"Yes." I say flatly.
"Well no one will know what you where or what you are now? Then Whateley
is a safe place that no one will know about or your in? Then you do the
movie and a few publicity events and done!"
"Fine then, lets call Timothy before I come to my senses again and say
no!"
"Great, I'll get him on my phone right now!" Nikki grins my way.
She leaps to her phone, hits the speed dial for his office and waits.
After a second the secretary has us waiting for him to drop off a call,
a deal he is finishing up and we are next for him to talk to.
"Hey hey! How is my fav elf doing Nikki!" Timothy starts in and more
than pisses me off personally.
"I am fine Tim and that is Sidhe to you please." Nikki chuckles at him
and corrects him a little s