The days had been consuming Sanria, bleeding from one into the other with no end in sight. Since she had "welcomed" Thasmudyan into her home, she chose to stay clear of it and keep Nioma with her at the castle. She knew Leandra wouldn't cause much trouble and so she buried her nose in books, trying not to think about Colin being gone, Orn wanting to fight, or the ex-lover she was harboring from an entire government. Still, regardless of how hard she tried, the real world was there with her, peering over her shoulder as she read, whispering in her ears that things were closing in over her and suggesting that she would soon drown in it.
Enmach entered, cooing to Nioma, who was growing steadily. Sanria felt a pang of jealousy. When Enmach held the little girl, her bright blue eyes were rapt with attention. "I wanted to have her see you today," Enmach said, her eyes still on Nioma. "You've been busy quite a lot, lately."
"I know. Unfortunately it can't be helped." Sanria ran a hand through her hair. "There's so much to do and-"
"There is so much waiting to do, you mean." Sanria let her hand drop to her thigh and gave a singular nod. "Correct."
"Perhaps you should go home, Sanria. Relax."
"I can't... go home."
"Ah, Sir Thasmudyan."
"Right."
"And you can't think of anything else to do than try not to worry while you worry?" Enmach said with a knowing smile.
"That's not really fair, you know."
Sanria reached out to take Nioma when a swirl of golden dust appeared on her hand. It sparkled, then briefly lit, and when it faded, a card was between her fingers. On the front was the TriPower insignia, on the back, a summons, 'You are cordially invited At Midnight.' "What in the nine..."
"It appears to be a summons," Enmach smirked.
"But, from whom? Who in TriPower could be sending me anything like this? Do you think they could know about him?"
"About..."
"Thasmudyan, what if they know I'm keeping him and this whole Westbridge thing could be-"
"It's in druidic script." Sanria looked at at Enmach as the woman gave a small smile. "You should go," she said.
"What do you know of this?"
"Nothing, I assure you. But who do you know in TriPower that uses such a language?" Sanria stared at Enmach as the woman stared back, waiting. It finally hit her. "Ror..." she whispered.
"I'll watch over Nioma and ensure she gets to bed on time-"
"But-"
"And you should seek out this elf and meet him."
"Enmach, I can't go, I have-"
"Nothing to do but wait. So please, for the health of yourself and my own sanity... go."
It was much later that Sanria walked through the Haon'Dor, her hands on the trunks of trees. The ancient beings guided her with quiet whispers, telling her which paths to take to reach Ror. She could hear the humor in their voices as they guided her to the darkest, most remote, most ancient place in the forest to reveal a very tanned elven man lit by unknown light with a picnic basket at his side.
No. The immediate voice in the back of Sanria's skull stepped up with authority, throttling the absolutely shocked and guiltily smitten part, sending it into a quiet submission. The immediate voice then reminded her, in no uncertain terms, that this was a business trip, and that there was something Ror wanted: Throm's information. Calm descended over her as she moved into the tiny space between the trees. "Sir Ror."
"Ah, milady, how good to see you again!"
"I received your card..."
"Indeed! I assume you had no trouble to find the way?"
"No. The trees speak."
"I knew you'd understand."
Sanria's mind was reeling. Why would he bring her out at midnight, in a secluded part of the wood to ask her about Throm, knowing she wouldn't tell him anything? What was his angle? "I'm certain you didn't ask me
here for a picnic, did you?"
"Well, a picnic all by yourself without friends is... very lonely you know... And I figured you might want to get out of everything as well, and just sit, chat, do nothing. And eat of course."
"I... I've been very busy lately," she replied, quite unconvincingly.
"Apple?"
Slowly, Sanria defrosted by degrees. The sound of the river was not far off, and in the moonlight, could be seen reflecting between the trunks of the ancient trees. She brought up the things troubling her, letting the nature that surrounded her lift her burdens as it always did. She found herself inquiring after his studies, recalling his involvement with the Research Division. "So... how is TriPower..." she asked carefully.
"Still there," Ror replied with a grin.
"So... there's nothing going on... that you're aware of that might not be so... good? Like... lifestream research on living subjects?"
"Go on, I am interested."
"So am I," she said in a whisper. "I've merely heard rumors, is all."
She suddenly found him sitting at her side, whispering back, "You whisper too much. Which rumors?"
'People didn't do this,' she thought. 'No one invites someone out on a roman- a picnic at midnight and discusses business, do they?' She cleared her throat and forced herself to stare out into the darkness. "Simply rumors that there are people in your governmental organization that do research on others for their personal gain. Those with the capability to control the lifestream."
"And...then you thought of me?"
"Given your line of work, yes." Sanria turned to face him, steeling herself against the face staring back at her. "Not implying anything, of course. Just that you might know if the rumors are true."
"I feel kind of... flattered," Ror said, smiling. "Thank you."
Of course he wouldn't know anything. He wasn't at the higher levels of TriPower... he studied books in libraries. She felt foolish. "I'm sorry. I believe I may have implied you knew more than you do."
"I told you before that there are things I know nothing about. And you might also recall I wanted to dig and research into a certain someone and his research."
And there it was. Sanria felt herself relax. She had been wrong about this picnic, and Enmach, too. She felt herself strengthen, she knew the reason would eventually come out, and it did. The basket of food - enough for two - was a ruse. It was time to get down business.
Sanria stood up and walked toward the trees. The moonlight sparkled on the river beyond, adding light to the darkness. "I simply can't do that. I'm sorry." She felt his hands on her shoulders and immediately stiffened.
"It's ok," he said.
"I am sorry. Truly." She turned to look up at him. "I know how frustrating it can be to see something you want right before you and not be able to get it. And I have the knowledge, at least part of it, you seek."
"It is ok. I did not invite you to discuss that, nor did I push for further information. But you must understand that if I am kept in the dark about such difficult things, I can not give answers in the future either."
"Throm is the past, my past. I'd prefer to keep him there."
"Well, Throm is also the Tripower's past, which makes it my past and present and future. And unfinished things from the past always come back sooner or later, whether you like it or not. I suspect - with so many problems in love and life - I do not..."
"You will simply have to discover your information some other way. I'm sorry."
Sanria walked to her pack and prepared to leave. She knew he couldn't be a friend to her when all he wanted was to know Throm's information. She knew where the lab was, knew what Throm had there, but still did not know everything, she was sure of it. One thing Throm had always left behind in a trail were secrets. She knew that each time she met with Ror, the need to know would be the reason, and each time would end in the same manner. She proposed they keep apart, a suggestion that was rejected by the elven man. "But clearly I called you here to have a picnic," Ror said.
"Alright. Then shall we finish our picnic?"
"I am contemplating whether that is the right thing to do. The question that I ask myself, if I am a friend to you, do I smile and play the game, avoiding that which is pretty much impossible to avoid... Or do I hurt you, so you may heal in time? Hurt now, or hurt later, that is the question..."
"If we can spare one another pain, then it would be best to be out with it."
"Fine, so be it. Who recruited Ror into the TriPower?" Ror asked, waiting quietly.
Sanria's mind screamed. Lies. From the moment she met him, lies. Ror had been hiding the facts. For what? Snippets of conversations flew into her mind, conversations held in private from long ago. Even Throm's own people did not trust him completely, and here was proof. Right before her face.
"Why would you pretend not to know of him?"
"I have my orders."
"I suppose you do. I thank you for being up front with me now."
"I disobeyed part of my orders, if Throm ever finds out..."
"Throm is dead," Sanria hissed. "Unless he wanted to get away from me so terribly that he faked the whole thing and had me take my own life in the process."
"You do not seem dead to me. So why would I lie?"
"They brought me back to life." Why was she telling him this? She heard him whisper from behind her, and she turned to face him. "If he is alive, you can take your orders right to him and ask him for his research yourself. I'll not set foot near his home, near his research, near his family-" Sanria fought to keep her emotions in check, but fresh betrayal, old wounds, and heartache allowed the tears to seep into her eyes. It was then she felt Ror's arms around her, shocking her out of her pain, sending her mind spinning again. This was not right. Not at all. She pulled back enough to look up at the elven face. "Please don't ask me."
"Lifestream research," Ror began, "done by people I am not aware of inside the Tripower. I need to learn about Throm. Because I need to know who can be trusted. If you want to stay out of it, give me a key and directions and I figure everything out for myself and I swear I will never ask or tell again."
"Then stop looking for Throm. Thasmudyan... was the subject."
Shame washed over Sanria as she walked away from Ror. How easily she had given up Thasmudyan. And why? To take the heat off of her own self? To get Thasmudyan out of her cavern? To help... She felt Ror's arm around her. He was still asking questions, though now about Thasmudyan, about his place in TriPower so many years ago. It incensed her. Ror was from the very same government that had passed through its doors not only the elf, but Thasmudyan and Throm. And Ror could not have known it, the way he answered the questions, the quirks of his mannerisms, the way he would pointedly let her bluster out her anger and as cool as you please continue his thoughts... he was so much like the man whose research he was chasing, like the man who had fallen into an abyss where Sanria could not follow. She had to get away and stay away. "Picnic next thursday?" Ror asked, after everything she had shouted at him. And the words were out before she knew they were coming: "Send me a card."
