The Ones Left Behind [Closed]

[Saalyn]

The attack on the Imbloc Festival had only served to further solidify Saalyn’s dislike of such events. The blonde woman had never been fond of large crowds, nor the idea of forgetting her people’s distrust of the Seelie for even that short a period of time. There was also something about the showiness of it all that she found off-putting, and so she generally kept her distance from the celebrations, experiencing it all solely through the gossip of her fellow sidhe.

But this year the talk about the Festival had turned dark, just like the sky ominously had since it’s close. Whispers of the attack on the festival grounds traveled through the air of the Unseelie caverns like energy through a thundercloud, but more than this, Saalyn saw the carnage with her own eyes, and felt it with her own hands as the injured were brought back in droves to the safety of their court.

She was sought after immediately for her Restorative Hand, and had been working tirelessly on easing the suffering of her people ever since. The sleeves of her once-white blouse were rolled to her elbows, yet they, and her pale flesh, were now stained a deep scarlet, one that seemed would never come clean. How many bodies had she touched this eve? How many had she passed by, having not reached them in time? Saalyn had lost count some time ago, partly because there were so many, and partly because it was a waste of energy trying to keep up with such a pointless number.

”Is this the beginning of the war?” she idly pondered as she took a moment to catch her breath, her chest heaving from the fatigue that was setting in after a full night of exerting her regenerative powers. The Niceven had known that an attack was inevitably in their future, only she had wrongly anticipated that it would be a direct assault on their kingdom, not on the Festival. In hindsight, it was a foolish idea. Why go after a fortified kingdom when there was a group of unprotected faerie ripe for the picking? But what were these shadow creatures that the dying kept muttering about? Were they in league with the Drow, or a whole other threat altogether?

She sighed at the thought as she made to wipe the sweat from her brow, carelessly smearing more blood across her already crimson-coated face. She likely looked more a warrior than a medic amongst the bodies, a slaughterer instead of a savior. Her thoughts briefly drifted to Alecto, who had been ordered by King Cel to attend the festival as a lookout. The fact that Saalyn had yet to see the dark-haired warrior woman was both a relief and a concern, leaving her with nothing to do but silently pray for the Denwyr’s safety.

Cel, on the other hand, she knew was safe. Saalyn had heard enough talk amongst the living of his and Segwyn’s arrival—of how they had both bravely fought back the shadow creatures—to know that he was alive and well. As for the Sluagh King…it seemed she owed him her gratitude the next time they spoke, and possibly an apology for her previous questioning of his character.

In the meantime, she would do what she could, as both a Niceven of the Unseelie and as a wielder of the Hand of Restoration. With her King currently absent, and she currently serving as his top advisor, Saalyn believed she had to set an example. Keeping a calm demeanor would hopefully relieve some of her people’s anxiety as her Hand helped to relieve their pain. It seemed that those two things were all she could do for now, and so she stood once again, her weary legs shaking unstably underneath her as she braced her hand against the wall to steady herself. As long as there were fae to be tended to, she would continue on.

[Jun]

”It will do no good to exhaust yourself M’lady.” Jun’s voice was soft as he held out a warm wet cloth and a glass of chilled water to Saalyn. Though his face appeared warm, his signature soft smile curled atop his lips, Jun’s eyes were flushed with concern. ”Please, take a moment to rest.” before you collapse, he added on silently, his hands itching to reach out to steady her before she fell.

After the attack on Imbolc, Jun had casually checked over Alecto to make sure she was alright before he had taken to surveying the wounded. Through careful direction, Jun had participated largely in orchestrating the safe return of all Unseelie, at times carrying those who could not walk for themselves, all the while issuing suggestions – he was not so brazen to attempt to order other Darklings around – to his fellow Unseelie. Though his rank was low, Jun’s commanding and calm presence in the face of tragedy had been a welcome beacon to many, and most had followed his direction without question.

Upon ensuring the return of everyone, Jun had taken to helping ease the pain of those who were the most grievously injured. Though he was no Sidhe and thus possessed no hand of magic capable of helping in these troubled times, Jun was well versed in first aid and surgical matters. He had helped who he could, primarily concentrating on the Human Garlangers that had been injured, knowing full well of their mortality. All the while he couldn’t help but scan the crowds for Ren. The fact that he had yet to spot the boy had given him no ease of mind. It was quite possible that his younger brother had vanished into the woods and had not yet returned to the caverns. Though Jun itched to look for him, duty came first.

Jun had noticed Saalyn when she had first arrived. After all, who wouldn’t? The woman was the highest ranking member of the court after their King. Her presence was commanding and her take-charge attitude commendable. Jun found himself softly smiling as he watched her work from afar, just a tad envious of her hand of power. Still, she had quickly over done it, and before long he witnessed her chest heaving from exhaustion. He decided at that point he could watch no more. Leaving the Pixie he had just finished bandaging, Jun deftly came to Saalyn’s side with his offering.

Unlike the female, Jun had maintained clean hands. After all, the blood of a human Garlanger was toxic to other faerie. He would do no good to accidently infect another faerie due to his own hygienic carelessness. The rest of him was not in as good of shape. His white dress shirt was shredded and blood-stained, his minor wounds revealed but untreated as he considered them to be too small to be concerned with. His face, lightly speckled with blood, showed a distinct calm despite the situation at hand.

(ooc: sorry for the poor quality. I'm having a hard time posting today for some reason -.-)

[Skylla]

Hey guys, keep in mind the Shades attacked Imbolc. Any speculation that the Drow might be behind the take is just that, pure speculation.

[Saalyn]

Saalyn looked at the towel and glass being held out to her before her gray eyes traveled upward to see the face of the person who was offering them to her. It was a man, a handsome one, with a gentle smile and concerned eyes that were being directed at her and her current disposition. Did she really look so pathetic as to need rescuing? She would have rolled her eyes at the idea had she not cared about the energy wasted to do so. Instead she offered him a fleeting smile in return, one borne more out of politeness than any genuine gratitude.

“Your suggestion is noted, Nimbus, but we Sidhe have a higher endurance than you know,” the blonde woman stated evenly as she took the damp cloth from his hand, using it to clean her arms and face while she ignored the offered glass of water. Now that she wasn’t just another body in the crowd, now that she was aware of someone watching her directly, Saalyn slipped back into the image of a proper Niceven—her back straightened, and her shaking stopped as she willed her body to obey.

She began to walk forward, her fatigue contributing more to her rudeness than her personality ever could, before she paused and spared a glance over her shoulder. This man…she had seen him flitting about the room the entire evening out of the corner of her eye, helping where she could not, namely with the humans. Even if she had wanted to help the poor Garlangers, it would have been foolhardy for someone in Saalyn’s position to get near them, or more specifically their blood. It would have been poison to a pureblooded Sidhe like herserlf, but the prospect of spreading that poison to the other fae she was trying to help was even more reason to leave them to the others like this man.

If he was actually capable of helping the sick, then perhaps this Nimbus wasn’t completely useless. It was with such thoughts that she called out to him. “Follow me,” she simply said, turning around to reenter the throng of blood and bodies, assuming that he would do as she had told.

It didn’t take long before Saalyn was kneeling on the floor beside another wounded faerie, a fellow Sidhe no less, whose natural glow was fading little by little. The woman had been slit open from her abdomen to her neck. The severity of the wound lied in it’s lower portions, and was likely the only reason why she had managed to stay amongst the living up until this point.

Taking a deep breath in and out of her mouth, Saalyn placed her hands over the woman’s lower ribcage and closed her eyes. It was a delicate process, weaving muscle tissue and veins and skin back together in a body that wasn’t hers. When her own body needed repair, Saalyn barely had to give it any thought, as if the process were as much a reflex as jumping at a starling sound. Perhaps it was because her magic resided within her body, and thus knew instinctively how everything worked. But every fae was different, which meant that every healing was different, and explained why it could be such a taxing effort when one had to repeat that process over and over again.

It took a few minutes—she had slowed down considerably over the course of the night—but soon the woman’s body was sealed, no sign that a blade had marred her flesh visible in the slightest. When the recovering Sidhe whispered her weak thanks, Saalyn only nodded before reaching for the man beside her to help her stand.

“What is your name, Nimbus?” she asked once they were both to their feet, her breathing still a bit labored despite her best efforts to bring it under control. “I suppose I could use your assistance in helping me locate our brothers and sisters that need my Hand, though your talents could likely be used elsewhere for better means.” Here Saalyn caught his eye, her knowing glance telling him that she had taken note of his earlier work amongst the wounded.

[Jun]

Jun would have never been as so presumptuous as to assume that Saalyn needed ‘rescuing.’ The courtesy he had extended was nothing more than that – a courtesy. In all honesty, Jun had intended to walk away after she had accepted or declined the items, fully aware that the woman could handle herself; her position dictated her strength to those around her. Her somewhat harsh words were immediately attributed to pride, a common characteristic of faerie, especially those in higher positions. It did little to affect the natural smile on Jun’s face.

He took a step back, rotating to briefly watch her depart, a dip of his head given in respect. Jun was in the process of moving to return to his original work when he heard her strong voice ring out over the general moaning public. His body wasted no time in smoothly redirecting itself, transitioning into a long-strided walk to bring him quickly to her, where he maintained position one or two paces behind her. Saalyn struck Jun as a woman who liked to assert her independence and her superiority over others. Her quick dismissal followed by her subsequent desire for his company was typical of a hot-blooded faerie. Jun tilted his head at the thought as he leveled his eyes on her backside. Though he was not a man to dismiss a woman because of her personality flaws, a part of him had been hoping to see something different from Saalyn, something that set her apart from the other simpering faerie around them.

Jun didn’t have to wait long. As he came to a stop next to Saalyn, he watched wordlessly as she worked her magic on the Sidhe woman. It was there he saw that spark – the little something he had not managed to witness from his previous position across the room. There was honesty in Saalyns work, a genuine concern for her Unseelie subjects that Jun found himself pleased to bear witness to.

The Nimbus was quick to offer his arm for her to use as leverage to stand, noting her substantial weakness but saying nothing of it. Jun was not the type to poke and prod something into doing something they didn’t feel like doing. He had made the suggestion once, she had discarded it. Her fatigue was on herself now. His attention did drift momentarily from her as he held the glass of water he still harbored to the Sidhe woman who accepted it wordlessly.

Her inquiry of his name was taken with a smile and Jun dipped his head slightly, not once breaking eye contact with her, ”Jun, Conri of the court M’lady.” Though Jun was usually one for formalities, especially in the face of those ranking above him, he was not about to sacrifice this woman’s time for his own devices. He would quite possibly anger her if he did. Her gaze was noted with a more serious nod and Jun’s eyes briefly left hers to gaze out across the room, ”You are quite right. The Shades’ have left many a Garlanger wounded. Had the King and his tentacled companion not arrived in such a timely manner I fear we would have suffered many more casualties; fire or no fire.” His eyes grew slightly distant as his uncertainty regarding his borther’s whereabouts hit him full force once again. He turned back towards her and smiled, ”Then If you’ll excuse me.” Jun took a step back and issued a very curt bow before he turned sharply on his heels and started back towards the corner housing the most Garlanger.

[Saalyn]

Jun’s words caught Saalyn like a hand closing around her throat. Her gray eyes widened for only the most fleeting of seconds before her features settled back into their natural placid state. This man had been at the Festival during the attack, had seemingly witnessed a great deal of the battle that had commenced upon the shadow creatures’ arrival, and as a result, the Nimbus’s usefulness suddenly leaped forward several bounds in her mind.

“Hold,” she stated more than ordered, remaining stationary from where they had just parted. Saalyn kept her eyes level as he turned back around, making sure to meet his brown ones directly. “You witnessed the attack firsthand?” she asked before glancing around a moment for a place where they might talk in peace. “Perhaps I shall follow your advice after all, Jun. Come keep me company while I rest.” This was spoken much more instructively—she expected him to come with no question, though her reaction to his previous statement likely gave away the meaning behind her sudden interest in him.

Making her way across the room, Saalyn weaved around the bodies that littered the jade floors until she found a relatively secluded spot to sit. Although she wasn’t particularly found of sitting directly on the ground, her current fatigue ruled in favor of disregarding the preference for the time being. In fact, her body seemed to sink into the cool, stone floor as she eased herself down with a nearly inaudible groan. The blonde likely would have given anything for a warm bath and a change of clothes at the moment, but there were more pressing matters at hand than her aching joints and stained linens.

Still, she waited until Jun was seated beside her before she spoke, retrieving the cloth she had tucked away to wipe away the fresh blood from her hands. “I find it admirable that you did not run away once the fighting began, especially since I don’t sense any magic in you,” Saalyn began, the small upward turn of her lips evidence of her approval. Although she typically thought very little of the lesser Fae, the Niceven was also not blind to their occasional achievements. If she could be impressed, they could gain her respect, and Jun seemed likely on his way to doing just that.

Before continuing, she took a moment to study his face, common as it may be. He didn’t possess the beauty of a Sidhe, or the mysterious allure of a human, but Saalyn found him pleasant nonetheless. Perhaps it was his soft features that she found appealing, unlike the majority of the males she had encountered with their hard, angular faces. Whatever the reason, she felt at ease speaking with him, and even reached out with the cloth in her hand to wipe away the speckles of blood that were scattered upon his face.

“Do you care to share your story with me, Jun?” she questioned as she worked at clearing his skin, “I’ve only heard the moans of the dying, whispers of shadows emerging from the forest…” Her words trailed, and whether she intended for it to be seen or not, Saalyn’s concern entered her ashen eyes as her brow knitted between them. All of this was disturbing. The ruthlessness of the attack, the attackers themselves… There was too much she didn’t know or understand and it was beginning to make her anxious.

Sighing, Saalyn returned her hands to her lap and looked out across the room and the carnage that was housed there. “I would like to know the truth of what happened at that place,” she eventually uttered, her voice quiet and tired.

[Jun]

Indeed, as Saalyn spoke, Jun’s body froze in mid-step and slowly rotated back around so that he could view her. Once again, her flippant method of first dismissing him (albeit indirectly) and then refusing to relinquish her hold on his attention was cause for the lingering smile in Jun’s eyes. It was almost as if he had expected her to once again call him to her side. He was inwardly pleased when she decided to take his advice and thus followed her without hesitation. Jun was never the type to turn down a lady when they required his services – if the request was reasonable of course.

He waited until she was seated before he slipped down beside her. Resting lightly on his heels, his legs folded underneath him, Jun appeared to be anything but relaxed. His back straight, he seemed poised and collected, as always. This was how he functioned in public; Jun never allowed himself the luxuries he felt were better reserved for when he was out of the public eye. That and in this position he was able to come to his feet much faster should the need arise.

Jun took Saalyn’s comment about his magic for what it was – the truth. Jun knew all too well just how much he lacked when it came to what the faerie considered to be “proper.” He had been born from the loins of two ordinary Nimbus, one of whose lineage had been so tainted by human blood that it had been a wonder they were even considered a Nimbus in the first place. He had lived a millennium without coming into power, despite his prolonged contact with Sidhe flesh in the past. While Jun had basically accepted the fact that he was quite possibly destined to stay the way he was, a small part of him couldn’t help but wish for what he didn’t have. At the same time, it was faerie of Sidhe blood that had effectively ruined his life. Thus, Jun looked upon them with an admiration laced with envy and hatred, neither of which he allowed to cloud his thoughts. He would rise to power even without their blood; Jun was a master of his own destiny.

His smile wavered ever so slightly when Saalyn reached forward to wipe the blood from his face. While Jun welcomed the gesture, he was naturally wary of a Sidhe touch. He had managed to avoid them over the past five hundred years, but now, back in Alanor, this was the second time he had been so close to one. The first time had been with Alecto, and strangely enough he had felt much more comfortable in her company than he did in Saalyn’s. It was silly of him, really. Saalyn obviously meant him no harm; he was being a fool.

Her words quickly broke him of his mental chiding and Jun dipped his head, ”Of course M’lady.” He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts before he began. With a soft and steady voice, Jun related the night’s events in vivid detail, his photographic memory combined with his excellent speaking skills more than enough to depict the disaster of Imbolc. He mentioned the Queen’s arrival and her entourage, followed quickly by the procession of torch bearers and the lighting of the bonfire. From there he described the first unexpected volley of arrows, his immediate response (to head for the fire), and what he had witnessed from that position.

From then he elaborated on how Alecto had joined him, his eyes shining with what seemed to be a tense admiration of the warrior woman’s skills. ”The beasts could not follow us close to the blaze; they fell before it as if it sucked the energy from their bodies.” He murmured, his head tilting, ”But the Seelie Queen and her following party were not as lucky. They were nearly overrun before our King and his tentacled followers appeared.” He had many questions regarding those creatures and what had appeared to be their leader. The Nightflyer had looked towards Alecto with familiarity and she had returned the look. The fact that Jun, who made it his job to know everyone that resided in the Unseelie caverns, had yet to know of this man troubled him. Though Jun had already confirmed, in his mind, that this man was the one Ren had encountered in the Underdark, the fact that their King had kept these…creatures? Faerie?... from his subjects was a troubling matter.

Jun purposely left out the nature of his fighting. While he mentioned the fact that he had adequately defended himself, and in fact managed to take down several of the creatures, he was reluctant to mention that he had left a fair few alive but unconscious. He had a feeling that Saalyn would be the type to disapprove of his actions. Truth be told, even Jun was a bit shamed by himself. It was just that he had seen so much war in his lifetime that the male had outgrown it. The reality of mortality was etched deep into his mind. He wouldn’t kill unless necessary.

”Once the fighting quelled, the Seelie Queen left with our King to discuss the nature of the attack, I assume. I helped all I could back to the Unseelie caverns, and what you see now is the result of the Shades’ savagery.” Compared to what Jun had seen in his lifetime, this attack had been relatively tame. Taking time to breath, Jun cast his eyes out across the sea of moaning faerie, ”Alanor never fails to astound me with her secrets. These creatures were not one of her better ones. I can only hope that we will be able to retaliate in a swift and timely manner.” Anger colored his voice momentarily. Despite his dislike for death, Jun was not above vengeance.

[Saalyn]

As Jun began to tell his tale, Saalyn turned her calm, gray eyes to the man, keeping her gaze steadily upon him throughout the entirety of his recollection. As much as his words could tell her, Jun’s expressions could convey a story all of their own for her to interpret. And so the Niceven watched him carefully, taking note of the admiration present when he spoke of Alecto, and the flickering distrust when he spoke of Cel and Segwyn. Through it all, Saalyn’s face remained unchanged, betraying neither her relief of the Denwyr’s safety nor her concern at Jun’s apparent discontent for their King. She did, however, reveal a bit of her amusement from hearing about the Seelie Queen’s dilemma through a hasty smirk.

Once Jun had finished, Saalyn took a moment to consider all he had said. It seemed that the attack on the Festival had been a complete ambush, and gave away no indication of whether or not the Drow were involved in the ploy. She recalled her exchange with the Sluagh King just days prior, about how he had not spoken of the Shade at all. Did this mean that Segwyn was ignorant to their existence? Or was he playing both sides of the battle? Unsure of the answer, Saalyn made a note to speak with Cel on this matter later.

In the meantime, she returned her thoughts to the man seated beside her, or more specifically, the points he had raised in telling his story. “I’m not sure that retaliation is the best course of action, although I can understand your want of vengeance,” Saalyn replied, turning her gaze back out to the room filled with injured Unseelie. After seeing what had happened to their fellow citizens, it was only natural to desire a swift retribution to that monstrous carnage. Saalyn felt it herself, even though she had not been attacked personally. But this enemy, this shadow army, was new and foreign. It would be foolish, likely detrimental, for them to try to retaliate without knowing how to properly do so.

“Our first priority is to keep the people safe,” she added, giving reason behind her words, and possibly an answer to Jun’s unspoken questions about the secrets his Court was keeping, as she returned her gaze to his. Despite Jun’s physical poise, his eyes gave away his internal confliction, although Saalyn couldn’t name its exact source. Rather then give him empty words of comfort, she offered him a smile instead.

“But these are things you already seem to know,” she continued, “Rather than picking up a sword and giving chase to your assailants, you chose to help ease the suffering of your compatriots. It is not a quality meant for everyone, but an admirable one all the same. I’ll be sure the King hears of your exploits, Conri.”

[Jun]

Despite what Saalyn might think Jun harbored no ill-will towards their King. There were a few misgivings of course, but they were understandable. Jun knew that a true King never let his subjects in on every little detail of the court. To do so would be foolish. A commoner’s place was to serve his King with faith that the leader would perform admirably. Cel had done just this when he had arrived in time to save his people. Jun hoped that once the aftermath had been cleared, King Cel would come forth with a viable explanation or at least assurance for his people in order to keep them complacent in this time of confusion.

Had Jun known what Saalyn knew, he would have felt a bit more at ease. Jun was not the type that liked to idly sit by, unaware of what truly was going on – this was why concern flitted across his face when he spoke of Cel and Segwyn. On Earth Jun had been the one in charge – he knew everything, and what he didn’t know he made it his business to find out. The male was quickly finding that Alanor was more secretive than he could have imagined.

Jun raised an eyebrow as Saalyn dismissed his mention of retaliation. Surely she had not thought him so foolish as to bring up such a subject without thought behind it. Jun was more than aware that these creatures were an unknown and thus rushing after them would only serve as a foolish display of bravado. In all likelihood, the mere fact that non-fairy creatures were in Alanor was enough to warrant alarm. Though Jun was not above vengeance, he was not someone who charged head on without a relative plan. Jun was a strategist – a mathematician. He was the type to nit-pick details and plan until he exhausted all courses of action. Saalyn’s immediate assumption of his personality, judged by her words, practically wiped the glow from his smile.

The Nimbus let loose a soft, failure of a chuckle, a short exhalation of air as he smiled, ”Thank you, M’lady.” As always, he took the veiled praise and easily dismissed it. Jun’s face practically hardened into his typical smile, the façade he put into place when he felt he was dealing with a particularly troubling faerie. It was the expression of a gentle, in-control man. No longer would she see the subtle changes she had wrought from him previously – his politician mask was in place and would not budge. Jun mentally cursed; he had allowed himself a momentary display of weakness in lieu of attempting to get to know a woman he admired for her position, for her obvious compassion. In exchange, he had secured the knowledge that their court was indeed in good hands, yet he had betrayed himself in allowing this woman to draw conclusions other than what he wished to disperse. Never again would he allow such a folly on his part.

Jun was in the process of opening his mouth to say something more when a scream assaulted his ears from afar. Immediately he redirected his gaze, searching for the source of the scream. He soon found his eyes settling on a Sidhe woman and her Pixie companion; both had come bearing ‘gifts,’ one of which was a mutilated Shade. Jun’s expression did not change – that smile, though nearly invisible, was still present despite the shock of this new development.

(ooc: I was going to attempt to prolong it a bit, but decided it wouldn't be worth the effort. They can reconvene at a later date under a different setting )

[Saalyn]

Whatever the man might have believed, Saalyn hid no ulterior meanings between the words she spoke—she honestly found Jun’s actions to be commendable and worth mentioning to their King who was always looking for capable candidates to add to his Court. The Niceven generally was not the type to speak in riddles—she had tried before and found it was much too tiring of an effort. Instead, she either said what she wanted to say, or said nothing at all. If those around her decided to twist her meanings, then there was nothing much she could do about it. But, if the Nimbus had any doubts in her speech, he portrayed nothing of it, and to his uttered thanks, Saalyn only continued to smile.

That smile quickly faltered, however, upon hearing a scream erupt from the mass of Unseelie housed within the room. Saalyn immediately stood and scanned the crowd hastily, stiffening when she saw a small, white-haired faerie enter, dragging behind her one of the shadow-creatures from the Festival.

Quickly collecting herself, the blonde woman placed a hand on Jun’s arm. “You’ll have to forgive me, but I’m afraid I must cut our meeting short,” she stated, talking to him while keeping her gaze frozen on the woman with the Shade who was now standing before King Cel. “Thank you for you help, and your company,” she added, able to tear her eyes away from the scene for a brief moment to look upon the Nimbus one last time before disappearing into the mass of blood and bodies before them.

[end]