Gilean stood upon a quiet pier on the edge of New Thalos. He glanced around and didn't see anyone else in the surrounding area of abandoned warehouses. Content that nobody saw him, he pulled a small but heavy steel box from within the folds of his robes. He slid open the sturdy latch and lifted the lid. Within, lay the necklace. It wasn't quite as pristine as the one Claire had been tasked with hiding away, but it was beautiful nonetheless. Each of its many beads held the smallest sparkle of inner light.
The necklace held a strange attraction for Gilean. It was almost as if there were an unknown connection to something greater than this plane of existance. When he and Claire had visited that plane to retrieve Kaliadra and Sanria everything felt so familiar. Then, when Velentham had touched him, it was like the impenetrable clouds of his past had started to part. His past was still mainly a mystery but Glean could now remember feelings...impressions. He felt a strange kinship with Velentham. He felt that there was much more to his life than his youthful years could account for. He also felt a conviction and a defiance, but he knew not against what. This necklace seemed to whisper im his mind that it could help him... reconnect him.
Gilean realized with a bit of a start that he had been staring into the box for much longer than he intended. Content that its contents were indeed in their place he clapped the lid shut, ignoring the small tinge of regret that tugged upon his heart. He slid the latch closed and wrapped his hands about the box. He closed his eyes, whispering a devout prayer to Lathander. In response to his calling, a white light flared brightly from between his fingers and he knew his ward of locking was in place. With a nod of satisfaction Gilean tucked the box back within the folds of his robes.
He took a final look around and, satisfied that he was still alone, invoked a much simpler favor. His feet rose from the ground in response and Gilean lifted his gaze towards the subtle curve of the horizon. With the conviction of his duty driving him forward, he set off in flight over the vast expanse of the Sea of Swords to dispose of his charge.
Having Tea
"I knew you'd stay for tea," Karen, the help, said, her grin broad.
"I forgot my pack," Sanria said. Still, Throm simply looked weak. "Are you alright? You don't look quite your old self just yet."
"I am alright indeed. Feels good to be...myself again. Looking and feeling are to separate things. I'd rather look like hell and feel better than the opposite."
Karen, the help, held out a cup of tea, already poured, for Sanria. "Well, drink up the both of you. If you need me, I'll be in the kitchen." Karen, the help, seemed to nearly skip out of the room.
Throm looked too cold to Sanria. "Do you need to be closer to the fire?"
"I somehow think I could lie upon the coals and it wouldn't do the trick. Ever had those days?" Even with her coaxing, Throm wouldn't get up. Sanria did the one thing she had learned to do well in the past few months. She levitated Throm over to the fire, surprised by how light the man was. She set him on the floor before the fire and seated herself at his side.
"Come. Drink your tea or I can't leave."
Karen, the help, called from around the corner, "There's a whole pot."
Sanria finished her tea with a tinge of regret. "Well, if you'd like for me to drink the pot, I shall. Otherwise, I'll let you warm up by your lonesome. Or with Karen..."
"I wouldn't be opposed to you drinking the pot, I shall not I think," Throm said.
Before Sanria could even formulate a response, Karen, the help, whirled in from the kitchen, pot in hand, refilling both cups. A grin was perpetually on her face, and Sanria knew the woman was scheming. Still, she would have to end the visit at some point...no matter how accommodating and like his old self Throm was behaving. "Hang about infinitely if you will," he said, and Sanria's girlish heart soared.
They spoke more about his situation, Lithanus, the tea... it all seemed so right. As though the man Sanria found herself beside was the one she had met many years ago, and the green glow that came from his eyes was even more proof. Could she dare hope... Sanria looked down, her cup finished. "I think I've finished all my tea," she whispered, trying to avoid another refill.
"Would you like me to call for Karen?"
"Do we need more tea?" In a flash, Sanria's cup was full.
"There will be no empty cups in this house."
"I appreciate the tea and the conversation," Sanria said, finally getting up to leave.
"As do I. I can't tell you how relieved I am you stopped by."
"Relieved?"
"Things left unsaid and all that. I'm just glad we were able to have tea."
"Indeed. I suppose if we're speaking of things left unsaid, I should tell you the rest of what hasn't been said, then I can leave with a clear conscious?"
"I can't speak for your conscious but I would imagine it to be the truth yes."
Sanria leaned to Throm's ear. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to tell him how madly in love with him she was, just how long she had been, just how happy she was that he seemed like his old self, just how elated that at long last they could be together - the sky was the limit... but she chose instead to employ his own methods. She would not rush this. She would not ruin what she had waited so long to have. She would savor every moment with this old Throm. Getting to know him all over again. She whispered simply, "The tea was exquisite."
Sanria left the manor without even knowing how she got home. After so much doubt, she knew... at long last... she had her Throm.
"I forgot my pack," Sanria said. Still, Throm simply looked weak. "Are you alright? You don't look quite your old self just yet."
"I am alright indeed. Feels good to be...myself again. Looking and feeling are to separate things. I'd rather look like hell and feel better than the opposite."
Karen, the help, held out a cup of tea, already poured, for Sanria. "Well, drink up the both of you. If you need me, I'll be in the kitchen." Karen, the help, seemed to nearly skip out of the room.
Throm looked too cold to Sanria. "Do you need to be closer to the fire?"
"I somehow think I could lie upon the coals and it wouldn't do the trick. Ever had those days?" Even with her coaxing, Throm wouldn't get up. Sanria did the one thing she had learned to do well in the past few months. She levitated Throm over to the fire, surprised by how light the man was. She set him on the floor before the fire and seated herself at his side.
"Come. Drink your tea or I can't leave."
Karen, the help, called from around the corner, "There's a whole pot."
Sanria finished her tea with a tinge of regret. "Well, if you'd like for me to drink the pot, I shall. Otherwise, I'll let you warm up by your lonesome. Or with Karen..."
"I wouldn't be opposed to you drinking the pot, I shall not I think," Throm said.
Before Sanria could even formulate a response, Karen, the help, whirled in from the kitchen, pot in hand, refilling both cups. A grin was perpetually on her face, and Sanria knew the woman was scheming. Still, she would have to end the visit at some point...no matter how accommodating and like his old self Throm was behaving. "Hang about infinitely if you will," he said, and Sanria's girlish heart soared.
They spoke more about his situation, Lithanus, the tea... it all seemed so right. As though the man Sanria found herself beside was the one she had met many years ago, and the green glow that came from his eyes was even more proof. Could she dare hope... Sanria looked down, her cup finished. "I think I've finished all my tea," she whispered, trying to avoid another refill.
"Would you like me to call for Karen?"
"Do we need more tea?" In a flash, Sanria's cup was full.
"There will be no empty cups in this house."
"I appreciate the tea and the conversation," Sanria said, finally getting up to leave.
"As do I. I can't tell you how relieved I am you stopped by."
"Relieved?"
"Things left unsaid and all that. I'm just glad we were able to have tea."
"Indeed. I suppose if we're speaking of things left unsaid, I should tell you the rest of what hasn't been said, then I can leave with a clear conscious?"
"I can't speak for your conscious but I would imagine it to be the truth yes."
Sanria leaned to Throm's ear. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to tell him how madly in love with him she was, just how long she had been, just how happy she was that he seemed like his old self, just how elated that at long last they could be together - the sky was the limit... but she chose instead to employ his own methods. She would not rush this. She would not ruin what she had waited so long to have. She would savor every moment with this old Throm. Getting to know him all over again. She whispered simply, "The tea was exquisite."
Sanria left the manor without even knowing how she got home. After so much doubt, she knew... at long last... she had her Throm.
Warm Greetings
Sanria walked up to the gates of the manor with a tiny sigh. She would go in, tell Throm she had decided to stay and would leave. There could be nothing simpler. But it wasn't at all simple. she'd have to look at his projection again, endure the rather uncaring nonchalance, remember just how much she wished he was the way he was when she first met him. It was too much. Sanria turned to go when a voice rang out across the grounds, "Lady Sanria? Is that you? Let me get the gate!"
Karen, the help, came to the gate with a broad smile and opened it. "Oh it's so good to see you! You'll stay for tea. Sir uth Bannon is weak, but he is managing and it will be nice." The woman led Sanria to the doors. "Sergi said he'd probably need a wheelchair to get around, and I told him, not a chance. Isn't that something?"
"Indeed. I wouldn't have thought Sergi the type."
"Me either! And here's the master now."
"A guest?" Throm asked from beneath his hood.
"Indeed. Lady Sanria no less," Karen, the help, said matter-of-factly.
Sanria couldn't believe her eyes. There was no projection. What sat before her was the flesh and blood Throm she knew - though all wrapped up in a thick cloak and looking more like a lump than the upstanding man she knew. It didn't matter. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest. 'He doesn't love you,' she had to remind herself. 'Those days are so long gone.'
Sanria gave her decision with as little emotion as she could manage, but still the faint glimmer of green eyes kept tripping her up inside. He asked about Colin, he asked about Orn, he asked her so many questions - why? She answered them, but this Throm clearly was not the detached soul that had been haunting about recently. She had to get out of there - before her hopes were raised. "Good to see you whole again," she managed. It sounded foolish.
As she walked long the grounds, Sanria thought over so much, but her thoughts traveled along the far-stretching continuum that was time to the last time she'd seen those green eyes really look at her. She reached up to grab the pack over her shoulder, a smile on her face, and noticed for the first time her pack wasn't there. She'd left it behind. She'd have to go back. She smiled at her folly and turned around to go back to the manor.
Karen, the help, came to the gate with a broad smile and opened it. "Oh it's so good to see you! You'll stay for tea. Sir uth Bannon is weak, but he is managing and it will be nice." The woman led Sanria to the doors. "Sergi said he'd probably need a wheelchair to get around, and I told him, not a chance. Isn't that something?"
"Indeed. I wouldn't have thought Sergi the type."
"Me either! And here's the master now."
"A guest?" Throm asked from beneath his hood.
"Indeed. Lady Sanria no less," Karen, the help, said matter-of-factly.
Sanria couldn't believe her eyes. There was no projection. What sat before her was the flesh and blood Throm she knew - though all wrapped up in a thick cloak and looking more like a lump than the upstanding man she knew. It didn't matter. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest. 'He doesn't love you,' she had to remind herself. 'Those days are so long gone.'
Sanria gave her decision with as little emotion as she could manage, but still the faint glimmer of green eyes kept tripping her up inside. He asked about Colin, he asked about Orn, he asked her so many questions - why? She answered them, but this Throm clearly was not the detached soul that had been haunting about recently. She had to get out of there - before her hopes were raised. "Good to see you whole again," she managed. It sounded foolish.
As she walked long the grounds, Sanria thought over so much, but her thoughts traveled along the far-stretching continuum that was time to the last time she'd seen those green eyes really look at her. She reached up to grab the pack over her shoulder, a smile on her face, and noticed for the first time her pack wasn't there. She'd left it behind. She'd have to go back. She smiled at her folly and turned around to go back to the manor.
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