"Ktai Returns to the Palace" 4/16/2004 Cast: Ktai, Rayek Logger: Ktai Event: After her extended absence from Rayek's side, Ktai returns to the Palace, unsure what awaits. What she finds is more than she dared hope. ---- In the distance, a figure cloaked in shadows approaches the Palace. To some who have been in residence, she might seem vaguely familiar. Perhaps it is the fact that she glides in the air, rather than walks the ground that may seem more familiar than not. Rayek, as has been his habit since the Palace sits in this barren place, is outside on a rock, like the lizard-blooded airwalker he is. Eyes closed and soaking up sunlight. It might be the shift in air currents. Might be some sort of magic sense. Whatever it is, he opens his eyes and peers toward the approaching figure before climbing to his feet. She moves swiftly, with unerring accuracy towards the Palace, even though it is clear that she is weary from travels. She's sworn to herself to get there today, no matter if she should drop on the steps from exhaustion. It's not often that the gliders show up here, so Rayek sends a thread of a sending out to investigate. Wariness, curiosity, a thin line of hope all mingle together in that touch. The send is received by the approaching elf, and by the surprise that jerks the slight slump out of her approaching form, she is indeed who she appears to be. A mixture of emotions swell within the returned send, though she is all but spent for sending while she focuses thus on arriving in all due haste now. ** Rayek...?! ** ** ! ** That's unshielded, the honest reaction to that answer, and he steps down from his rock perch onto the air and then the ground. ** Ktai. ** She's close enough to see her face now, and a tired but ecstatic smile bursts across her face. She's made it, more or less, in one piece, and he's right there. It honestly doesn't occur to her that so much time has passed that he might have given her up for gone. But she's almost close enough to land and walk now... yet she would rather glide, for it's far faster. Rayek starts walking to close the distance. He's still not entirely sure that he's seeing things clearly. He has to trust the send, because there are no lies in sending, but he can't be blamed for being stunned, can he? So he walks toward saying, ** You've come back? ** At this point, she alights on the ground, not quite running, but walking fast. She's grinning, though hesitant to fling her arms out and run pell-mell into him. ** Yes, I'm back... if you'll have me here again... ** There's a bit of hesitance in her send, and her grin falters a bit. ** This is the Palace, all elves are welcome here, ** he points out, almost formally. And then there's a shift, a slight warming, and he adds, more privately, ** You are welcome here, Ktai. ** A slight blush tinges her cheeks, and her grin turns to a wistful smile. ** I have been too long away... but no more. ** And at last, she is within reach, and she simply stops, black eyes looking quietly to you. A few wisps of hair fall into her face, and she ignores them for now. Ktai An elf of an undeterminable age stands before you, not quite looking your way. Her long and loose hair lightly dusts her ankles. Dark eyes of a softly tired black regard you from under long black lashes, and as she tilts her head to look to you, a single gold necklace reflects the light, carrying to the gold trim of her clothing. She wears long loose light yellow robes, billowing and full. They are caught up at the waist by a thin cord, tied about her twice. The yellow is almost something of an afterthought of color on this otherwise oddly grayish elf... even though her hair is flawlessly black, it gives the appearance of being an inexplicable shade of deep grey. Her slender pale fingers attribute to the fact that Ktai has spent over two hands of turns in the shadows of the Mountain, and this may reflect in the sad eyes that look to you. Rayek looks you over, head to toe and back then offers a hand. Where you've gotten paler, he's gotten dark again, testament to being out in the sun for hours on end. ** Come. There's food and water inside. You can rest. And tell me where you've been. ** Her fingers are slightly chilled, but she takes your hand and nods, moving along with you when you walk. ** I've been to the Mountain... ** She braces herself for the inevitable explosion. Rayek turns you carefully and sets a pace that covers ground but won't exhaust you. There's not an explosion. There's ... resignation and muted anger, but no fury. Not yet at any rate. ** I was afraid of that. How did you get away? ** Ktai shakes her head. ** I wasn't within, so leaving was not difficult. I hid myself in the caverns at the foot of the Mountain. I am certain that Winnowill knew I was there, but she didn't seem inclined to send anyone to retrieve me. ** That prompts him to raise an eyebrow and glance sideways at you. ** Then ... why? Why did you go? ** Ktai sighs and shakes her head. ** Eveshka. Wayward child of mine seems to think she can convert the entire Mountain. ** She sighs heavily. ** I just don't know what to do about her anymore. ** Rayek ahhs, both aloud and in his send and nods, the corner of his mouth quirked up slightly. ** Maybe you should let her go. ** Ktai smirks slightly. ** And when have you ever known me to let go, Rayek? How many turns of the seasons did I chase after you before you'd finally look at me? ** There's gentle teasing in her sends. Rayek's smile widens a little. ** And what did it get you, chasing me for so long, in the end? ** That's teasing, too. There's a flash of wickedness in her smile. ** Only the best nights of my life... ** Oh, she blushes after the comment, but she's glad she made it none- the-less. Rayek answers that with open amusement as he nears the Palace doorway. ** And aching feet and an aching body and a new respect for patience, hm? ** Ktai laughs softly. ** Only when you were being irritable. Which, I'll admit, was more often than not... ** She flashes a smile at you. ** I hope that hasn't changed. ** ** Hah. Me? Irritable? Never. ** Ktai snorts as she nears the Palace with you. ** Always, I suppose. ** [At this point, Ktai's RL guest arrived and this log ends.] [Several days later, we picked up the scene...] Date: 4/29/04 Cast: Ktai, Rayek Rayek leads Ktai to his chambers, then, where rest can be had. Where there is food and drink. Ekuar, that ancient elf, is still hitching about the palace halls, but after leaving fruit and a pitcher overflowing with sparkling water, he winks at the brownskin and leaves the two airwalkers alone. Rest is indeed something that Ktai may need, although she is not contemplating it right now. The dread lethargy that had slipped over her as she first caught sight of the Palace and wondered what she would find there has melted to a strangely bright euphoria, leaving all thoughts of sleep at the wayside. The water, however, catches her attention for a moment, but she seems unsure, almost hesitant to allow herself to call this place home once more. She seems... afraid. Rayek's brow furrows as he sits and offers her a hand. ** Something's wrong, still? You can make yourself comfortable. ** Ktai shakes her head and looks around slowly, her dark eyes so still, so quiet. At length, the obsidian gaze falls to him, and a softness creeps into them. ** When I left... and I wasn't sure that I would be coming back... ** She looks away, a pain etching itself over her pale features. ** I didn't tell you goodbye. And yet, even still, you're here... being so kind. I don't feel... as if I deserve this. I left you... ** Her send falters as emotions wash over her and she stops sending, lest she give way what she feels. Rayek glances at his knees and lets slip a thread of amusement, though it's faint. ** You'd prefer it if I was angry with you? Hurt or betrayed? If I refused to speak with you because you left me without a word? ** ** I... I don't know. ** The send is a whisper. That's what she had expected, what she had prepared herself to return to. But now... now she's at a loss. She doesn't know what to think, what to feel, and she wraps that all up into a send and hangs it out there for Rayek to see. Rayek looks up at her again, and shakes his head. He heaves a sigh aloud and squares his shoulders. Perhaps it's all this time in the Palace that has mellowed him. ** I've gotten used to being the one left behind, Ktai. If you ask me if I like it, I'd have to confess that I don't, but there's no point in chasing after someone who doesn't want to stay. You would have come back to me, one way or another. ** Something glitters at her cheek, then falls to the floor. Another tear follows the first, then another, and another. Stupid, stupid, so blitheringly stupid. She takes a deep breath, but it breaks halfway through, and she struggles to control herself, just like she used to. But she's so tired, and so upset... ** I'm sorry... ** she manages to send, the emotions so thick in the send that words truly wouldn't be necessary to illustrate what she wanted to say. She wants so desperately to love him, but she's so afraid that she's turned him from her that she just stands there, head bowed, tears falling one after the other. Rayek sighs and climbs to his feet. He steps close and tips her chin up, fingers light against her skin. ** What good will it do me to give you water if you're just going to cry yourself dry again? ** There's that faint humor again, but it fades into something warmer. ** Enough apologizing. It changes nothing. ** At his touch, she startles, chin rising and eyes flickering up to his. A thousand things flicker in those watered black depths, and when she blinks, two more tears slip down her cheeks. She takes one or two steadying breaths, and shivers. ** I... I thought that you would hate me... ** she admits, her eyes looking off and down to the side. Rayek turns his hand so that he can cup her chin, and dash away those tears with the flat of his thumb. He shakes his head a little. ** Hate you. No. ** Sends don't lie, not even from Rayek. He means that. There's no hate toward you in him. He dares a little smile. ** You should have left me long before you did, if you'd had sense. ** That flares something within her, something that she'd had to bury for far too long. A fiery glitter comes to life in her eyes, and her gaze snaps back to his, her send suddenly much more like herself. ** I couldn't /leave/ you, Rayek... ** Emotions war for a moment, and her gaze settles on his cheek, because right now she can't bear to look him in the eyes. ** I love you... that's why I left the way I did. I knew... that if I didn't... I could never do what I had to do... could never... ** She trails off again, a soft sigh escaping her lips. ** It's the reason I came back to the Palace. To come back to you. ** There's a small defeat in her send, as if she maybe suspects that his comment was a bait and she fell for it. That. Of all the things that she's said since she's come back. That suspicion pricks him and prompts an echo of wounding. Of pain. From Rayek. His chin lifts a little and his lips thin. ** I'm not easy to love. ** That's sent a little flatly. No point in denying it. He knows it's true. There's a break in her send, the words and emotions settling, easing back into herself as she forces herself calm. ** Neither am I... ** She looks back, hesitant, the tears glittering in her eyes. Oh, to the Mountain with it. If he zaps her, he zaps her. She's been zapped before, she'll get over it if it happens again. She pulls away from his touch, only to throw herself at him and hug him close to her, burying her face in his shoulder. There's no zap, no jolt of pain or anything like that. There is a very stiff, very startled airwalker in her arms, but even that stiffness eases somewhat as the moments pass. He exhales, breath stirring her hair, and his arms curl around her, on hand at the small of her back, the other hand's fingers light against her hair as if he might be afraid to touch her. There's a curious hesitation, but it's not distaste. It's ... uncertainty. At his touch, hers lessens from desperate to gentled, her hands shifting to be only a light pressure at his back instead of a clinging one. A soft laugh escapes her as she realizes that he was also feeling as uncertain as she, and her shoulders seem to give, the tension releasing, allowing them to fall. ** I'm so sorry... I'll never go away again... not even if you threaten to zap me. ** He's done that before, granted not completely in command of his faculties, but she's not concerned. Instead, there's a vague sort of a glimmer in her sends that bespeaks of something far deeper that she wants to say, wants to feel, but isn't herself certain of it. ** Zap you. ** Curiosity there, and the very vaguest thread of humor again. ** Why would I do that? ** ** Because I'm bound to irritate you one way or the other. ** This time, there's a thread of humor in her reply. She turns her head slightly, still holding onto him for fear that he might vanish into the ether when she finally awakens. ** And because I'm irritated you expect me to zap you? ** Rayek shakes his head. ** No wonder the Palace chose him instead. ** Him. Suntop. That's clear in the send. That flicker of the bright-haired elf. This is wandering into dangerous territory, for she remembers all too well the arguments, the fights, the disaster that happened that first attracted her to this brilliant golden elf. Pulling back a bit now, so that she can look into his eyes, she shakes her head. ** No... because I distinctly remember a time when I was on the receiving end of those zaps. ** She neglects to mention the dreadclaw that ultimately dissolved the argument and the scar that still shows on her ankle when her skin is daystar kissed. She goes to send something else, but the rush of emotion and adrenaline has begun to wear thin, and the exhaustion of her trip creeps back into the edge of her awareness. Concern flickers through his sending -- yes, he's capable. And he sends, ** You should rest, Ktai. It's been a long journey. ** She's reluctant to leave the embrace that she's missed for so long, and that colors her send when she replies. ** Will you... stay with me...? For a little while? At least... until I am sleeping? ** Quiet assent and a smile: ** I'll stay until you wake again. ** Only then does she allow herself to slip slightly, fatigued magic supporting her where exhausted legs are failing. Slowly, she moves for the sleeping furs, each movement carefully measured so that she does not collapse before it is time. Rayek keeps a hand at her back, ready to reach should her magic fail her and, perhaps, he lends her a little of his own strength to stay on her feet until she's ready to lie down. She doesn't truly lie down; it's more of a grateful sinking into the furs, and truth to tell, she's mostly asleep before she's completely settled. But she sends a soft and somewhat muzzy send of a mix of love and contentment before the airwalker senses sleep overtake her.