Fifteen Years Later
Jan. 6th, 2008 04:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dolevalanTitle: Fifteen Years Later
Fandom/original: Rhedrah (A.U. We can only hope.)
Rating: PG
A/N: A much, much delayed fic for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
thysalyx. I don't know where this version of Rhedrah's future came from. Let's just hope it doesn't quite happen this way.
Everyone knew a stranger had come to town. It was a rare enough occurrence. Everyone was afraid. And yet not so afraid to have killed curiosity. It wasn’t quite dead. Of course, Zoyala knew almost immediately. All the gossip passed through her. It was a function of running an inn, she had found. Especially in a town small enough that the inn was all there was.
He looked the same, nearly. There was a streak or two of gray in his hair, at the temples, perhaps some new lines. But otherwise, it might have been fifteen years ago. It could have been the day after she’d commented on his charcoal drawing, or the day before he’d stolen a spell book, or any day in between.
Dilan sat down. “Miss Jirah. I hear you serve Alaronese wine, here. Not something you get much of, in this part of the world.”
“We try to keep well-stocked as we can afford. That’s not something that gets much call for, these days.”
“Well, I’m feeling nostalgic.”
She fetched then wine and, as she poured it, murmured in Alaronese, “If you feel that nostalgic, take a walk with me tonight after close. Unless you’re here to kill me.”
He looked mock offended, though he seemed amused. “I wouldn’t bother paying for the wine, if that was the case.” He set down a silver coin. She didn’t bother looking who had minted it, but slid it away into her skirt. In accented Chelimbese, she said, “Thank you, sir,” and went to tend another customer.
--
Dominic looked over the ridge, frowning. “More than they told us.”
Chase shrugged. “More than they saw. Can’t get good help these days.”
Senick shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”
Dominic frowned. “Of course it does. The strategy changes.”
“But the end doesn’t.” The young man didn’t look at the others, only at the camp below. “We kill them all.”
“Senick…”
“We are doing this my way, Canungar.”
Dominic shook his head. As much as he would lose little enough sleep over these drow, Senick was growing worse day by day. Ever since the fall of Tashalar, he’d been a man whose demons had grown fangs. Dom almost allowed himself a grim smile. Even in death, she was manipulating them both. She’d promised him he’d live, and she’d been right. But he wished to his goddess he knew to what end, now that this endless skirmish and slaughter was all there was left.
--
“Jirah?” Dilan asked. “I’d no idea you were so sentimental, Zoy.”
She snorted. “Zoy. There’s a name I’ve not heard in ages. Zoyala Colsirdi died years ago, don’t you know that?” Softer, she added, “Besides. It’s not sentiment. It’s a clue.”
“In hiding, but wanting to be found? Hardly logical.”
“Isn’t it?” She smiled. “You found me.”
“And you thought I might be here to kill you.”
“To try, perhaps. I don’t know that it would matter a great deal, anymore.”
He tilted his head up at her; even in her half-elf body, she was still taller than he was. “Congratulations, by the way. On Hadhrune.”
“Mm. If you hadn’t left him, it would have been even harder.”
He shrugged. “Coincidence. It was time.”
“Yes,” a bit more roughly. “Yes, it was. But in the end…”
“Everyone’s still dead.”
“Everyone’s still dead.”
--
Georg looked at the group in front of him. The sight was not encouraging. Mei stood at his back, arms crossed, unsmiling. But then, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her smile.
“You’ve come to me for training. Fine. I’ll train you. But I am training you to a purpose. And if any of you betray that purpose, I will kill you myself. I’d rather three men I can trust, than three hundred I can’t.” That, as so much else, he had learned from Aluza. “There will be tests of loyalty, on each of you, and those that pass will live. That is how this will be run. Any questions?”
The children trembled. And they were children, no mistaking it. Most of them were too young to remember Thay or Ruathym. They only knew Grazz’t, and demon rule. That they were here at all was a minor miracle. They were children. But they were all he had to work with. Mei touched his shoulder. He nodded, but did not turn around.
“Very well. We begin.”
--
“Where’s Kyrin?”
“Nearby, I’m sure. He almost never goes into town. I’m sure you can understand why.”
“Are you in contact with anyone else?”
She smiled at him. “You used to be less obvious, pumping for information.”
“Ah,” he said dryly. “I must be losing my touch.”
“Do you even have a side, these days, Dilan?”
He laughed quietly. “And you used to be much less direct. The peasants have been a bad influence, Zoy.”
“Well. Perhaps we’ll both leave be.”
They walked in silence, for a bit. Finally, Dilan said, “I was sorry to hear about Alaron.” She nodded. “There was a rumor you were traveling with an archon, for a time.”
“He left.”
“Oh?”
Low, she said, “I did some things he could not condone.”
“I can imagine. Necessary, no doubt.”
“You’re not going to get a rise out of me, even if you keep trying.” She stopped, and turned. “If you aren’t here to kill me, what are you here for?”
“Wouldn’t believe I just missed you?”
“I’m flattered. No, I wouldn’t.”
Dilan shrugged. “I know you’re powerful. We all need allies. You’ve no country left, the Child and the other Hand are gone. The Great Portal is done with. What are you fighting for now?”
“If you hadn’t noticed,” she said, coolly, “I’m not fighting for anything. I’m running an inn in the backwoods of what’s left of Chelimber, because Mel asked Adrianna to give me sanctuary. Kyrin is hiding. The few friends I have left alive are refugees scattered around the world. So I can do this,” she held up a hand and set it aflame before dismissing the spell. “Little good it did us before. This world is done with, Dilan. I’m surviving. That’s all.”
Quietly, he said, “It doesn’t have to be.”
Fandom/original: Rhedrah (A.U. We can only hope.)
Rating: PG
A/N: A much, much delayed fic for
thysalyx. I don't know where this version of Rhedrah's future came from. Let's just hope it doesn't quite happen this way.Everyone knew a stranger had come to town. It was a rare enough occurrence. Everyone was afraid. And yet not so afraid to have killed curiosity. It wasn’t quite dead. Of course, Zoyala knew almost immediately. All the gossip passed through her. It was a function of running an inn, she had found. Especially in a town small enough that the inn was all there was.
He looked the same, nearly. There was a streak or two of gray in his hair, at the temples, perhaps some new lines. But otherwise, it might have been fifteen years ago. It could have been the day after she’d commented on his charcoal drawing, or the day before he’d stolen a spell book, or any day in between.
Dilan sat down. “Miss Jirah. I hear you serve Alaronese wine, here. Not something you get much of, in this part of the world.”
“We try to keep well-stocked as we can afford. That’s not something that gets much call for, these days.”
“Well, I’m feeling nostalgic.”
She fetched then wine and, as she poured it, murmured in Alaronese, “If you feel that nostalgic, take a walk with me tonight after close. Unless you’re here to kill me.”
He looked mock offended, though he seemed amused. “I wouldn’t bother paying for the wine, if that was the case.” He set down a silver coin. She didn’t bother looking who had minted it, but slid it away into her skirt. In accented Chelimbese, she said, “Thank you, sir,” and went to tend another customer.
--
Dominic looked over the ridge, frowning. “More than they told us.”
Chase shrugged. “More than they saw. Can’t get good help these days.”
Senick shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”
Dominic frowned. “Of course it does. The strategy changes.”
“But the end doesn’t.” The young man didn’t look at the others, only at the camp below. “We kill them all.”
“Senick…”
“We are doing this my way, Canungar.”
Dominic shook his head. As much as he would lose little enough sleep over these drow, Senick was growing worse day by day. Ever since the fall of Tashalar, he’d been a man whose demons had grown fangs. Dom almost allowed himself a grim smile. Even in death, she was manipulating them both. She’d promised him he’d live, and she’d been right. But he wished to his goddess he knew to what end, now that this endless skirmish and slaughter was all there was left.
--
“Jirah?” Dilan asked. “I’d no idea you were so sentimental, Zoy.”
She snorted. “Zoy. There’s a name I’ve not heard in ages. Zoyala Colsirdi died years ago, don’t you know that?” Softer, she added, “Besides. It’s not sentiment. It’s a clue.”
“In hiding, but wanting to be found? Hardly logical.”
“Isn’t it?” She smiled. “You found me.”
“And you thought I might be here to kill you.”
“To try, perhaps. I don’t know that it would matter a great deal, anymore.”
He tilted his head up at her; even in her half-elf body, she was still taller than he was. “Congratulations, by the way. On Hadhrune.”
“Mm. If you hadn’t left him, it would have been even harder.”
He shrugged. “Coincidence. It was time.”
“Yes,” a bit more roughly. “Yes, it was. But in the end…”
“Everyone’s still dead.”
“Everyone’s still dead.”
--
Georg looked at the group in front of him. The sight was not encouraging. Mei stood at his back, arms crossed, unsmiling. But then, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her smile.
“You’ve come to me for training. Fine. I’ll train you. But I am training you to a purpose. And if any of you betray that purpose, I will kill you myself. I’d rather three men I can trust, than three hundred I can’t.” That, as so much else, he had learned from Aluza. “There will be tests of loyalty, on each of you, and those that pass will live. That is how this will be run. Any questions?”
The children trembled. And they were children, no mistaking it. Most of them were too young to remember Thay or Ruathym. They only knew Grazz’t, and demon rule. That they were here at all was a minor miracle. They were children. But they were all he had to work with. Mei touched his shoulder. He nodded, but did not turn around.
“Very well. We begin.”
--
“Where’s Kyrin?”
“Nearby, I’m sure. He almost never goes into town. I’m sure you can understand why.”
“Are you in contact with anyone else?”
She smiled at him. “You used to be less obvious, pumping for information.”
“Ah,” he said dryly. “I must be losing my touch.”
“Do you even have a side, these days, Dilan?”
He laughed quietly. “And you used to be much less direct. The peasants have been a bad influence, Zoy.”
“Well. Perhaps we’ll both leave be.”
They walked in silence, for a bit. Finally, Dilan said, “I was sorry to hear about Alaron.” She nodded. “There was a rumor you were traveling with an archon, for a time.”
“He left.”
“Oh?”
Low, she said, “I did some things he could not condone.”
“I can imagine. Necessary, no doubt.”
“You’re not going to get a rise out of me, even if you keep trying.” She stopped, and turned. “If you aren’t here to kill me, what are you here for?”
“Wouldn’t believe I just missed you?”
“I’m flattered. No, I wouldn’t.”
Dilan shrugged. “I know you’re powerful. We all need allies. You’ve no country left, the Child and the other Hand are gone. The Great Portal is done with. What are you fighting for now?”
“If you hadn’t noticed,” she said, coolly, “I’m not fighting for anything. I’m running an inn in the backwoods of what’s left of Chelimber, because Mel asked Adrianna to give me sanctuary. Kyrin is hiding. The few friends I have left alive are refugees scattered around the world. So I can do this,” she held up a hand and set it aflame before dismissing the spell. “Little good it did us before. This world is done with, Dilan. I’m surviving. That’s all.”
Quietly, he said, “It doesn’t have to be.”
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Date: 2008-01-07 03:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-07 03:21 am (UTC)