Paint me, Immortality

[Lion]

The horses were getting impatient though it wasn't even midday.  After the ostlers and stable hands had taken care of them as was the morning ritual, they were let out in field to graze, run, and do horse stuff that horses were keen to do.  They frolicked and bit each other or chased their buddies and what not.  Raif watched them from the edge of the stable yard, waiting for his sister to arrive.  Though he'd always been an early riser, up and dressed as soon as the dawn rose above the tips of the eastern hills, he didn't expect his sister to be so.  Yet, early morning was soon gone after he'd spent quite a decent amount of time merely trying to convince father to let her go with them, especially without a trail of guards following close behind them.  An effort not wasted as long as his sister did not contest to going.

He was sure she'd gotten the message by not that her brother was waiting for her.  He would have told her himself, but he wasn't sure she was so eager to be disturbed so early in the morning.  It must have been only eight o'clock and a breeze blew through the air that gave him the shivers through his riding suit.  Raif looked down at his clothes, feeling along the dark silken waistcoat that was riddled with gold embroidery.  A little gaudy, but not unfashionable.  His shirt sleeves were white, nicely contrasting the blue of the vest and that of his trousers.  His dark riding boots were glossed to the point that he could see his own face in the sheen of the leather.  That was a nice touch to, though it would fade as the day would come to an end.  There wasn't much complexity to his chosen attire, it was a simple outfit for a simple task to the start of a simple day.  Then he looked at his hand, the singular black glove caressing it tenderly.  His right reached for his left, fingers lingering at the edge of the opening, wondering if he ought to take it off.

Raif swallowed hard on a dried throat and his fingers pulled away instantly when he heard noises from the chamber leading out to the stables, somebody on their way.  "Hearth, come on," he insisted with vague impatience, though it wasn't intentional.  "The horses are getting antsy.  While I don't mind getting bucked off now and again, I'm not about to have my baby sister get hurt because she took so long.  Now come on, don't be shy.  We'll only be away a while and getting out will do you some good!"

[Anonymous]

It wasn't like Hearth to ever arrive late for an appointment, especially if that appointment was with her family, but sometimes, these things were out of her control. The news that Raif had been waiting for her was not exactly brought to her at posthaste, and the servant who brought it stumbled with the message, mixing up where exactly Raif was, fumbling his location a dozen times, before finally deciding that he was out near the stable yard, near the horses, and that he had probably been waiting for her for quite some time.

The servant was probably jitterier than Hearth was, and zoomed away after delivering the message, fearing punishment for being so airheaded. Hearth would have liked to assure the servant that it was okay, that she understood what it was like to make mistakes, but he was gone before she could've put in a word edgewise. She had no time to talk anyhow – the last thing she wanted to do was upset Raif, who had set aside this day for them to go riding in town together. Riding was something Hearth liked very much, but never was able to do, her crippling fear of crowds making it difficult for her to navigate through populated areas...

She wanted to hurry, to get ready at posthaste, but she was someone who could not be rushed for the life of her. Even with the help of her servants, getting her hair properly brushed, neatly buttoning her dress, and fixing her hairband were things that took a while for her to do – not because Hearth was vain, but because the last thing Hearth ever wanted was to be made fun of for looking frumpy or messy. If she was going out riding today, she had to look her best – there were no ifs, ands, and buts about it!

Eventually, Hearth made her way to the chambers, dressed well, but in a practical fashion that would do well for riding. She sported a white top with puffed sleeves, along with bonny blue riding pants and white riding boots, along with her usual blue ribboned headband, which kept her hair back, and out of her eyes. Hearth was normally one who stuck to dresses and skirts, but it would be awkward to ride while wearing such frilly clothing, even if she were to wear riding pants underneath them. She was a little nervous about this change of her usual attire – she wasn't sure pants were her things, really, considering that she rarely ever wore them, but she figured she'd get used to them eventually.

Hearth quickened her pace as she made her way down the chamber, finally stepping into the light, finding Raif was already there. "S-Sorry I'm l-late!" Hearth stammered, her cornflower blue eyes wide with anxiety. "I-I hope I d-didn't make you w-w-wait too l-l-long! M-My apologies..." She hoped he wouldn't think less of her because she had been so careless – especially after having gone through the trouble to arrange this outing, with not a guard in sight! She twiddled her fingers together, hoping he wouldn't be mad at her.

[Lion]

Raif flexed his gloved hand, moving the joints stiffly from a shiver of the cold wind.  He pushed back his dark hair which was long enough to comb neatly but short enough that it didn't cover his neck.  It seemed sort of funny how he never really considered his hair.  It was rather pretentious, he felt, to be so preoccupied with one's hair.  It grew or was trimmed, tamed or wild, nearly defined a person or mood.  Angry people had angry hair, calm people had calm hair.  The breeze shifted through his locks, thick and difficult.  What did that mean to him, he couldn't say.

As he expected, his sister stepped out into the morning light, ready and seemingly a little out of breath.  His darling little sister, and surely the prettiest thing the world would ever know.  It was a shame that she was so incredibly shy and couldn't break free of that terrible stutter.  Not that it would ruin her, but even Raif knew that Father's plans to marry her off to hopefully 'fix' the problem was not something that would work.  He wondered momentarily if she even wanted to be free of the stammer, but that was not a choice that was up to him.  Raif smiled at her and reached out to give her a hug.

"Don't worry.  I'll wait as long as I have to as long as you hold up your end of the bargain.  Of course, if you don't want to go I can understand.  I didn't check to see if you had a lesson today with your speech therapist.  And by the way, though I want you to get better, I hope it doesn't change too much.  I've always liked your stammer," he said politely, patting her cheek.  Perhaps it was only natural for him to humor her about it.  But a part of him knew it wasn't the most comfortable subject to bring up, but at least it was a thousand times more comfortable than asking who she wanted to marry.  That was not an idea he wanted to or was ready to entertain

"Come along now.  The horses are waiting."  He led them out to where two stable hands were waiting, one holding each of their respective horses.  Raif's horse was a black mare, large and glossy as she always was when freshly brushed.  She was vibrant and eager when she saw her rider.  Aodan was the name she responded to and she resisted the hands of the stable boy that brought her to Raif and tried to bite him when he attempted to old the bit on her head.  She was fiery and knocked her head into the stable hand as she trotted forward to meet them both.  Aodan first have her attentions to Raif, nudging her nose into his chest.  He pet her lovingly with his gloved hand, scratching her chin.  She chuffed and then turned to Hearth, who she expected to be as generous with her with strokes and affections.

The cover and saddle was placed and secured on her back when she was distracted with all the petting.  She couldn't very well buck and kick at the stable hands when she was neighing with pleasure.  As soon as that was done, Raif flung himself onto the saddle, sitting high and keeping his back straight as was his custom.  "Alright then, climb on we'll get on our way."  While he was calm, Aodan moved around, anxious to get a move on; sensing someone behind her, she bucked and nearly hit the head of the stable hand that put the saddle on her.

[Anonymous]

Nervously, Hearth twiddled her fingers together, hoping that she hadn't angered her brother with her unladylike tardiness. But Raif was ever a gentleman, and welcomed her with open arms, drawing her in for a hug. She smiled as he did so, although she didn't expect to be welcomed so fondly. She returned his hug – albeit, a tad awkwardly – that soft smile still on her face, glad that she had somehow managed to arrive on time. In a world where she constantly felt pressured to live up to her father's sky high expectations, it was nice to know that she could relax a little, in the presence of her brother.

"O-Of course I w-want to go!" Hearth assured, nodding – a little too loudly, a little too enthusiastic. That was always a problem with her; sometimes, she was too eager or excited, and ended up talking a little more loudly than normal. She bit her lip, and twiddled her fingers again, and this time, spoke softly. "I-I mean..." she started, scraping for words. "It's g-good weather for r-riding today, so I-I'm l-l-looking forward t-to it."

Did Raif really like her stutter, she wondered? As he patted her cheek, that very cheek flushed red, wondering how something as unsightly as her stammer could ever be liked. Father was certain that it was a blemish on her personality, and Hearth had never thought of it as something to be proud of. Then again, she had never been given that option.

She shuffled her riding boots around, and cast her cornflower blue eyes down toward them. "I-I don't think t-therapy will ch-ch-change me too much," she offered, "B-But I h-hope... that S-Sir A-Atrasan c-can e-erase my stutter for g-good." It was her sincerest wish – to talk normally, like everyone else, so she could be the daughter that Father wanted her to be. So that she could feel a little braver, and have more confidence in herself.

The stable hands soon brought the horses out – Aodan, Raif's black mare, and Dane, Hearth's dapple grey gelding. While Aodan was vibrant and enthusiastic, Dane seemed bored and apathetic. Raif's mare was a lot more amicable, for after it had soaked up its share of pets and pats from Raif, she turned to Hearth, demanding the same. Hearth smiled a little, cooing at the black mare, while petting her on the nose, laughing. She drew back, so Raif could mount her, and turned to Dane – bored and uninterested as ever.

The dapple grey, snorted in Hearth's direction, which blew her blunt bangs out of place, and seemed to laugh at his small gesture. She frowned at him, but pet his nose anyway, which he did not object to. The stable hands never had a problem with Dane – the ol' dapple grey let them saddle him up and get the reigns over his head without much objection – he would go along with anything. Hearth, after some hesitation, managed to get seated on the saddle, and, after a moment of thought, recalled how to hold the reigns, and did so properly.

Finally seated, Hearth was prepared to leave. She was about to announce that she was ready as well, but was interrupted by Aodan's buck, which almost took out the poor stable hand who had saddled her. The stable hand, wide eyed, backed farther away from the mare, and Dane let out a long, whinnying neigh, which sounded more like a laugh than anything else. Hearth smiled, shaking her head, and asked, "W-Where a-are we g-going t-t-today, Raif?" It would be nice to finally get out of the house – she could paint any time, but it was rare that she was able to go riding with her brother.

[Lion]

Raif pulled the reins in and readjusted his seating when Aodan bucked again.  She really was ready to leave now wasn't she?!  He hadn't seen this much energy in her since before she had her first foal.  Afterward she seemed already to compete in professional races, though he never wanted to let her race.  Just as she was eager to go out to run and prance and toss her beautiful black mane, Raif was ready to have her energy expended and have her retire into her stall.  Then she would be eager to start the process all over again tomorrow.  But for now, he just wanted her to relax a little, or he might be forced to make her do so, which he really didn't want to do.

After a few tugs on the reins and muttering gentle soothing words to convince her that they'd get going very soon.  As soon as she stood still, he took her under his command and grabbed the reins tightly, wrapping them in his hands.  He looked at Hearth, seeing that she was settled on her horse, Dane, who he was glad was very calm with his sister.  He was horse that was older than Aodan and even-tempered enough that he was the ideal horse with which to learn the equestrian arts.  He'd mellowed significantly over the years and had become even easier to handle because he was a gelding.  Aodan on the other hand was almost temper charged, and might even been mistaken for a stallion if no one took the time to look for all the right materials.  But she was a powerful creature to be handled and wouldn't let just anyone near her.  It took a special hand to tame the heart of the beast.

 Raif shifted in his seat and turned to look at his sister.  "Well, I suppose you wouldn't mind a little stroll through the city then perhaps a ride in the country would you?  Something to relax us both, I think would be best."  He steered Aodan out ready to leave, motioning for Hearth to follow him as he did so.  "Why don't we see where the day takes us then?  But there's one thing for certain that I'll bet dear sister, and that's that you can't beat me to out of the gate!"  And with that he slapped Aodan's reins and nudged her off into a run.

[Anonymous]

A stroll through the city and country – it was just the sort of ride that would relax Hearth. It seemed like she was always tense nowadays, although she wasn't sure why. A lot of her life was hung up in the balance, and these days, it seemed like nothing about her future was under her own control. Would her stutter remain for the rest of her life? Would her father really marry her off, and send her far away? It was impossible for Hearth to not feel some anxiety about all these things that hung in the balance; sometimes she'd get jittery if she thought too much about it all. So it would be great, to get out and get some fresh air, to find some peace, while riding with Raif.

"Th-That sounds p-perfect," Hearth agreed, smiling gently and nodding. "I-It's been so l-long, since I-I've been in the c-country..." She held the reins tighter, and Dane stood attentive and at the ready, responding well to Hearth's touch. He was an older horse with a gentle temperament, and wasn't nearly as wild as Aodan, but, he was better suited to Hearth's timid personality and inexperience with riding. She found herself feeling excited, ready for this ride – after all, how long had it been, since she had rode a horse, especially in the country? Hearth, who had never left the house much for anything, found herself grinning at the prospect of finally leaving, and taking a break from the stress of being a member of House Stone.

But then, Raif issued a challenge, daring Hearth to race him out of the gate. Hearth's eyes widen a little at the suddenness of his proposal, and watched as Aodan and Raif took off, racing towards the gate. "H-Hey!" she called out, a little flustered by the suddenness of the challenge, but smiled nonetheless, gripping Dane's reigns tightly. "L-Let's g-g-go, Dane!" she urged, and the gelding took off. He was not as fast as Aodan, poor Dane, and started out with a leisurely trot, and only moved up to a paced canter at Hearth's insistence.

The sound of Dane's hooves collided with the rocky plain, as Dane raced against Aodan at a steady canter. Hearth would not gallop, not even with Dane, she was not confident enough to race to such extremes. Still, Dane caught up to Aodan regardless – and was a few feet behind her, at best. "C-C'mon, D-Dane!" she urged the gelding, who did not seem to care enough to go any faster. The gate was approaching, and Dane was still chugging along at his steady rate... For his age, he was preforming well though, and that's all Hearth asked of her mount.

[Lion]

This was just what Aodan needed, a chance to stretch her legs and show just who the alpha horse was.  It wasn't that it really mattered, but she was still a young horse wanted to make her rider proud of her.  Raif was a competent rider and there was a restlessness that the young mare was eager to impress upon someone and since Raif was brave enough to ride her (and she was just tamed enough to let him), it was the obvious choice after all.  It was enough that the wind was now at her back and her competition at her tail.

Raif was poised low, just letting the horse beneath him run to her heart's content.  They were coming pretty fast up on the gate, or as fast as the horses would go along.  He looked back momentarily to see Hearth coming up on Aodan with Dane.   For a moment it seemed Aodan too looked back and whinnied indignantly at the thought of having the gelding so far on her so quickly, but she failed to realize that Dane was for more experienced in these things than her.  "Come, on, Hearth!" Raif pressed, and was half tempted to pull on Aodan's reins to slow her down.  If only he'd been looking ahead, however, as there was a sudden scrape of hooves on rocky gravel as Aodan stopped just before the side of the fence instead of the gate opening abruptly.  The force of the sudden stop sent Raif hurdling from his saddle and over the fence, landing hard on the gravel in a roll.

Aodan neighed in horror, but looked rather stupid as she saw Dane already standing outside the gate.  Raif looked up and saw his sister.  After the spinning in his head subsided, he dizzily stood up on his two feet.  "I know that looked bad!" he shouted at her.  "I'm okay, I'm okay!  Just a bit dusty, nothing serious!"  Raif smiled, his face slightly dirty.  He dusted off his clothing and walked back, a little shakily to be sure, back to the awaiting Aodan and led her back outside.  He got back in the saddle and nudged his horse into a walk.  He gestured for Hearth to walk beside him.  "I guess that was quite a bad idea wasn't it."  He tried to laugh, though his head still hurt.  "Just do me a favor, will you?  Don't tell father, please."  Hopefully they could walk into town and not have any more accidents.  What a tragic start to what was supposed to be a peaceful day.

[Anonymous]

Dane was an old, wise brand of horse – while there was great power stashes away in his old bones, he had grown to learn that sometimes, slow and steady really does win the race. As Hearth urged him on, Dane diligently stuck to his quick canter, lagging behind the more enthusiastic mare. To Hearth, the old gelding just seemed stubborn, but Dane was older, and wiser, and would not be hurried along by a young buck like Hearth, especially if there was no reason to it. Hearth, biting her lip, would not give up, though – for, wouldn't it be nice, to win this one little race?

They were so close, yet so far away! Hearth smiled a little, as Aodan whinnied indignantly at how close they had come. That, and Raif's own acknowledgements made her wish to ride just a little face, to catch up to them, just a little more...! She urged Dane on once more, her reigns held tightly in her hands, but Dane did not oblige, and only kept his eyes on the gate, staying focused. "D-Dane!" she urged, a little frustrated at the gelding, but her ride only snorted, hot air coming out of his nose in an annoyed fashion, as if he were trying to say – just trust me.

She didn't expect what happened next. Raif, who had been looking at her, who hadn't been looking ahead, suddenly went hurdling off Aodan, tumbling on the road, as a result of a quick stop the mare had made. Hearth gasped aloud, her eyes widening in fright, pulling Dane to a complete stop. "R-Raif!" she called out, fearful, and was about to get off Dane, before he called out to her, telling her that he was fine. Hearth, deciding to stay in the saddle, still looked up at her brother with worried eyes – how could he be fine, after taking such a fall?

"I-I... I won't tell f-father," she promised, without hesitation – because if Raif trusted her not to tell father, of course she wouldn't tell him! In fact, it kind of made her feel good, in a way, to keep a secret from her father on Raif's behalf, even if it was just a small thing like this. It made her feel included, even if the secret was one that involved Raif's being hurt. "A-Are you s-sure y-you're okay, R-Raif?" she asked, walking Dane beside him. "T-That was q-quite a f-fall! I d-don't w-want y-you to p-push yourself, if y-you've been b-b-b-badly hurt..." Oh, if only she had some useful magic, like healing! If something really had gone wrong, then at least she would've been able to do something...

[Lion]

There was some comfort in knowing that Hearth understood the value of silence.  Raif did not want to turn his sister into some secret-possessing tool, but it was good to know that he could place his trust in her when he needed to.  That was what family did for each other after all, there wasn't any reason why it should be any other way.  Raif smiled, unable to contain his sudden flash of pride in her, even if it was just for something as small as this.  He could understand her worry, and no doubt father would be livid if he knew they were racing horses and moreso since one of them had an accident.  He could just imagine the look on Rhys' face, insinuating all the what-ifs and wherefores and what-were-you-thinkings that would go on for at least a few hours.  While he honored his father, he didn't need to be lectured; he ought to reserve all that breath for certain brothers that needed it more.

"I assure you, I'm fine, Hearth.  Don't worry.  But thank you for your concern.  And do me one more favor, if you please, don't do what I just did as it was very dangerous and should it happen to you, you could be more hurt than I was.  Understand?  Good," he explained.  As he was already on his horse, Aodan, who was as stupefied as Raif was that the incident happened at all, still whinnied happily that he rider was not badly injured.  She walked alongside Dane quietly, then chuffing and trying to get his attention by nipping him in the ear.  "Aodan, stop that, girl!" Raif snapped venomously.  She settled down with a disgruntled snort.

"Goddamned animal.  Sometimes I can't wait until she gets older like Dane," he muttered.  "I think sometimes she wishes he wasn't fixed.  She's always been sweet on him.  But I doubt he really gives a damn about her like that."  Raif was amused by the idea, though he was sure the gelding thought the prospect was hardly amusing at all.  Poor old chum.  Sometimes he wondered if the gelding missed out on anything because of his condition.

That thought soon passed.  Raif kept up the pace and just sat back in the saddle.  Then he gestured to Hearth.  "So?" he looked at her.  "Did father decide who you were going to marry yet?"

[Anonymous]

It was nice, Hearth deciding, being outside with her brother, riding horseback, and enjoying the other's company. Doing this sort of thing was a treat for the youngest daughter of House Stone – for Hearth, who spent most of her time locked in her tower, painting, it was a challenge to go outside, where all those people awaited, by herself. Having Raif to talk to made her feel a little braver, protected – there was something about his demeanor that made him easy to be around, easy to talk to. She was quick to nod her head and smile when he warned her not to do what he had just done – of course, she wasn't brave enough to try such a thing anyway. "I-I p-promise," she assured, with a firm nod – she would never do something that would make her family worry about her anyway, not if she could help it.

When he asked about her marriage, and if father had picked anyone yet, she froze for a second, as if her being married off was news to her. But then she remembered – oh, right, the marriage. It was something she tried to forget about, and for most of her days, the knowledge stayed tucked away, in the back of her head, where it wouldn't bother her, or make her anxious, during everyday tasks.

"N-Not y-yet..." she murmured softly, shaking her head to the contrary. "H-He... seems to be h-having some t-trouble d-d-deciding..." And it made sense, she supposed – his marriage, to their mother, had been arranged, hadn't it? He'd never been with any other woman but the High Lady. But with Hearth – well, how many suitors had he invited to the castle, only to brush them away? Some of them had been nice, others had been standoffish at best... She supposed that he was studying them for computability, or something, but Hearth truly felt the whole ordeal would be a lot easier to deal with if she could just get used to one person.

"B-But h-he w-wants h-him to be f-from a house... o-o-outside of F-F-F..." She stopped to take a deep breath, as she sometimes had to do when her words got struck in her throat. "...outside of F-F-Fallial," she finished, biting her lip. She had almost forgotten – Father thought it would be good for her, to see some different sights, so that maybe she would grow more independent and strong. It didn't matter if the youngest stayed in the House or not – to Rhys, marrying her off to a noble house of a province other than Fallial would be a good way to expand his connections and friendship with other nobles, or something like that, he had said. Hearth didn't really understand it, but if it made Father happy, how could she refuse? It was not her place to do so.

She was quiet for a moment. The whole time she spoke, she had been staring intently ahead at the road, pretending to pay attention, but really, she was lost in the twisted reality of her situation. Talking about it had brought her fate to light – that she was to be married off, most likely outside of Fallial if Father could find someone suitable, and that she might not be able to live in House Stone anymore, or even in her home province anymore, if things went according to her father's plan. She loved him dearly, so how could she refuse him? But still... but still...

Suddenly, Hearth looked over to Raif, searching him for a second, before finally confiding, "But I... I..." She took another deep breath, to sort out the words, letter by letter, writing them out in her head, testing them mentally before saying them, "But I... d-don't think I w-want to leave h-h-home." It was a horrible thing to admit, and she wished she could've taken her words back – because it was blasphemy, to speak out against what her father truly and honestly wanted for her.

She shook her head, wanting nothing more than to retract her words. "N-No, t-that's n-not..." She tried to take them back, but she knew that whatever she said after this wouldn't take back the things she said. Hearth bit her lip again – why was it so easy for some people to talk about anything, when she couldn't even convey a simple idea without pondering it over a spell? "F-Forget I s-s-said a-anything," she mumbled, so softly that one could barely hear her request anyway. As usual, whenever she tried to speak, she always ended up wishing that she had never said anything in the first place.

[Lion]

Raif for the life of him could not recall a moment where he'd spent any actual constructive time with his sister.  Perhaps a part of him felt that she needed to flourish a little, if only to help her grow into a mature, strong woman, that he'd hoped she'd be.   But Raif refused to let himself be the one to dictate who and what she ought to be.  Even if she was just a child, he wished she could make up her mind just a little more often, and, in doing so, could keep what she thought rather than just changing it to match those.  However, he could see the need for some approval in her gaze as she sought to answer his question.  And a part of him then regretted even asking it for she struggled so even to find the words to begin.

"Hearth, you don't have to answ-" he began softly, not wanting to push her if she didn't seem ready.  But when it finally came out, he said nothing and merely listened.  Meanwhile he considered the whole ordeal in his head.  While he did understand Father's method of sorting through the riffraff, it didn't seem to make much sense to toss them into a spinning door and see which one shot out at him first.  He knew he wasn't as close to Hearth as he would have liked, but even observation showed that the girl needed time.  And those handling her needed patience.  Lots of patience.  If Father meant to marry her off right away, he was so far doing a terrible job of understanding his own daughter's needs.

It was almost painful as he watched her struggle to find the right words to say.  But he forced pity to stay away from his heart, he merely waited for each troubled response that came out word by word.  Raif could not feel sorry for her.  If he did, he could not be in any position to help her when she needed it.  A part him couldn't help the frustration that came with the thought as he realized that the best thing to do was to do nothing, for she all had to come around on her own time.  Father thought that forcing her to be someone's bride would fix everything.  He had no idea just what kind of mess he would make with that kind of thinking.  But Raif could say nothing, he was after all only the second born and was honor-bound to keep his mouth shut even if he thought there was a better way to go about things.

She had a point, he soon realized.  She would most likely be sent off to live in a foreign land filled with foreign people, forced to a life of solitude away from the ones who loved her most.  Though he wouldn't openly admit it, perhaps what Raif had feared the most was that whoever she'd be carted off too, wouldn't know how to love her and appreciate her as she deserved.

"No no!  Hearth, don't be that way," he tried to console her.  "It's okay.  It's my fault.  I shouldn't have brought it up.  I'm sorry.  Don't worry, though, I'll keep it just between us.  You can tell me anything okay?  Just...I'm sorry."

[Anonymous]

Young Hearth wasn't sure just how she had managed to say something so blasphemous – even if a part of her realized that her words might have had a sliver of truth in them. She shut her eyes closed, shaking her head, trying to push away the thoughts from her mind; the girl was still unsure, if wanting to stay with her family made her a traitor to her father or not, but in the end, was it best to sweep the thoughts away, and wait until later, when she could figure out just how exactly to sort these confusing thoughts? It had worked so far, she knew, but one day, Hearth would have to come to terms with everything – but she wasn't ready for such a thing, not now, anyway.

Raif had been understanding, and apologized for bringing it up, but Hearth shook her head again, looking over at him, cornflower blue eyes wide. "Y-You don't h-h-h-have to apologize, R-Raif," she insisted, biting her lip. But, he had promised that he wouldn't tell Father – so at least Father wouldn't have to know she had said such a horrid thing.

But then, the thought that she could have such an ill though against the marriage, something that Father wished dearly for her...! She didn't like the idea that she had said something she didn't want Rhys to know about, but she couldn't very well take back her words. Hearth of all people knew the power of words, being one who could not use them properly, but she would've given the world, for the power to say what she was thinking perfectly. "I j-just... need to l-learn how to s-say wh-what I m-mean, is a-all."

Now she had gone and made things awkward – what kind of sister was she, anyway? Raif had been kind enough to bring her out riding and she had gone and made herself look like some kind of traitorous ninny. But she was no good at trying to change the subject of a conversation – hell, she could barely participate in conversations to begin with. But the last thing Hearth wanted was to leave the subject of her impending marriage up in the air, so she fought to find more words – any words – that would make a better topic than that.

"I... um..." She bit her lip again – she had learned in therapy not to begin talking until she had figured out what she wanted to say first, but applying knowledge was a lot harder than just learning it. "I w-want to th-thank you, R-Raif, f-for t-taking me o-outside t-t-t-today," Hearth stammered quickly, looking toward him again. The subject of her impending marriage had made her forget if she already thanked him already, but Hearth was someone who always thanked others more than average, anyway. "I f-feel like... life at H-House S-S-S-Stone just m-moves so f-fast. But wh-when I'm o-outside, there's no n-n-n-need to rush. It's v-very...." What was the word she was looking for here? She paused for a moment, until she found the word. "...c-comfortable. I wish I a-always f-felt this w-way."

[Lion]

"Yes you do," Raif agreed quietly and kept his eyes forward while on the horse.  The path was coming around a bend, hidden by a series of trees.  Aodan chuffed and snorted as she started up on the hill.  "But look at it this way, sister.  If you learn to say what you mean, you'll be a lot better off than most of us are.  And look how well you're lessons are going anyway.  Things will start looking up soon enough, okay?  Just keep your hopes."  His face turned grim but he said nothing more on the subject.  He was willing to let it drop, and so was she.

She spoke of their natural surroundings and after the sting left in the air on the discussion of marriage, the change of subject was a more than welcomed one.  He didn't like talking about something that made her uncomfortable.  "You're welcome, Hearth.  You're always welcome to come with me if you want to," he said and tried to smile.  But the sting was still there.  "Yes, we all need a break once in a while don't we?  I hate having to think or worry about political matters when I'm out riding.  It's always best to pause in the rush of life.  Take in the air and try to slow down.  You know how that's like, I think.  We all do our best.  And if we don't...well, then we aren't worthy of the beauty of life."

Raif took a long breath of pause as they finally reached the crest of the hill and approached the bend.  The way into town wasn't too far from here now.  Perhaps when they reached there, he could buy something for Hearth.  A new easel maybe.  Painting had always been her hobby and she was far better at it than he was.  The best thing he ever painted were a series of cuts he'd placed on a fellow student during fencing class.  Neither Father nor the teacher had been happy about that, though he secretly hoped that he'd catch a small smile of pride from Rhys at the fact that his son was turning out to be a good sword fighter after all.  But it just wasn't the case and the thought made Raif a little bitter, but he quickly shook it out of his head.

Hearth was right after all.  They were out here in the world the god's ha d made.  They ought to be able to enjoy it without bothersome thoughts to make their day sour so early in the morning.  Raif let out a random laugh and didn't care if Hearth thought him strange for it.  "Hearth, you know, I was thinking that perhaps I'd buy you a new easel once we get into town.  Would you like that?"  They were coming just around the bend and he looked back at her just before righting himself in the saddle.  But just then something caught his eye that made his smile slowly fade.

Aodan didn't even notice and simply kept on walking and didn't bother to notice the still form in the grass alongside the road.  Only when Raif pulled on the reins did she pause and chuff as if to question why they stopped.  "What the?  Who is that lying on the ground?"  He pointed off in the direction of the still body that was in the grass.  After a few seconds of deliberation, he quickly leapt out of the saddle.  "Dear Gods!  Hearth stay on the horse," he ordered fiercely and ran over to where the body was.  He knelt beside it and turned the form over.  It was a woman, middle-aged by the look of it and her face was bloodied and bruised.

"Hey!  Hey!" he said, shaking her a little.  "Are you okay, milady?  Milady?  Are you alright!?"  Her body barely moved, her eyes flickering open until they came up halfway.  Her eyes were glazed over and she clutched something in her hand.  Despite his order of before, something in him panicked and he yelled at Hearth.  "Hearth, get over here.  Now!"

[Anonymous]

Even Raif agreed – it would be best if she just learned how to say what she meant. They would all be better off if she did, wouldn't they? If she could just decide what she wanted, or if she even wanted anything at all... But it was for the best, she knew, if she just kept her mouth closed – she had something to stand for, and that was House Stone. Trying to place anything about the family, the House, and her father was just silly – and thinking otherwise lead to embarrassing episodes like this one. Just keep calm and carry on.

But she was glad – it seemed like the topic of her marriage had finally been buried, and the awkwardness that had come with it was slowly starting to fade away. Hearth was able to relax a little more, easing up on Dane's reigns, no longer so tense. She knew – one day, she'd would have to face this trial head on, but if she could postpone it for just a little longer, when she had grown strong enough to face it, then she would, if she could. Never before had she been so grateful to Raif, who allowed the topic to drop, who allowed Hearth to breathe easy once again.

She looked towards Raif as he asked her about buying her a new easel, which made Hearth's cornflower blue eyes light up. She smiled, nodding once, laughing lightly. "I-I'd love th-that, R-Raif!" she exclaimed – she could never have enough easels, really, and acquiring new ones was always a pain. Sometimes she'd ask servants to buy them for her, but they always bought them either too small or too big for her liking. "I-If you wish... I-I could p-paint a p-portrait of you, wh-when we r-return h-h-h-home?" It would be the least she could do, to thank him for the new easel. While she normally didn't ask people permission to paint their portraits, it would be nice, to have something else they could do together.

Suddenly, Raif had stopped Aodan, which made Hearth do the same with Dane. The old gelding snorted with indifference, glad for the break, while Hearth looked toward Raif curiously. "Wh-what's wrong?" she asked, but her question was quickly answered. Off in the distance, someone's body was laying in the grass. She froze at the sight, hoping that what she was seeing wasn't a corpse, and gladly stayed in the saddle at Raif's command. Her hands shook, hoping that whomever was laying in the grass there was still alive.

Despite his previous order, Raif was now demanding that Hearth come over to the scene, which she did as quickly as her shaking hands allowed. She made her way over to Raif, crouching down near the woman – whose face looked as if she had been beaten, and was covered in blood. Her eyes grew wide, and her hands shook. "Adrastia above..." she muttered, saying a quick prayer under her breath, before continuing on.

It was times like these where she wished she was capable of healing magic... "L-Look Raif, it l-looks like s-she's o-o-opening her e-eyes!" she exclaimed, glad that she was not dead. "M-Miss, a-are you a-alright? P-Please be o-o-okay..." Hearth's cornflower blue eyes looked down toward her hands, noticing that she was clutching something. "R-Raif, s-she h-has s-something in her h-hand..." She wasn't sure if it was important or not, but Hearth couldn't think of anything she'd still hold on to, if she was in this sort of situation.

[Lion]

Raif didn't know what to do!  He'd never seen a dead body before....  Not a human one.  A dead stag with an arrow through the heart, even that goddamned mountain lion that had maimed his hand, was different when in comparison to the frail limp body of the woman right before his eyes.  he was partly horrified and did his best to maintain the composure he'd prized himself in keeping.  Especially in front of his sister.  He might not have been the eldest, but had a duty to uphold, to show leadership where it was needed and now was the best time to make use of that duty.  But what would happen if even a leader didn't know what to do?  For Raif, in his young mind, he could find not answer to satisfy himself.

The woman groaned in agony, the wounds around her face swollen and bleeding.  Grass clung to her moist, sweating skin and whichever way she moved came a soft yelp of pain that made Raif cringe from within.  He didn't like the sounds she was making, nor the way her face looked.  He doubted he'd be approved for letting Hearth set her eyes on a sight like this, but he didn't need to be bothered by that thought right now.  The woman coughed with what breath was available, a trail of blood leaving her lips.  "Don't....let...." she mumbled, trying to find the strength to speak them.

She clutched the paper in her hand tightly.  Raif looked at Hearth first, finding no words to tell her, accept to nod as an indication that he understood her.  He reached forward taking the woman's hand gently into his own, though she still did not let go of the paper.  The fragments that were visible outside of her grip were worn and bloodstained, most likely that of her own.

"Who are you?" he asked gently as he leaned in, trying to hear what she had to say.  "Can you tell me your name?  Do you know where you are?  What happened to you?"  The questions came out faster than he was realizing and he knew he probably was confusing her by asking her in the first place.  Suddenly her other hand reached out and grabbed him in a fiercely strong grip by the collar and yanked his head down to hers.  She could not lift her head, but she moved her mouth as if she was going to speak and Raif turned his head so that he could hear her better.

"Don't...."she repeated, this time her voice just barely above a whisper.  "Let..Angaelo...get the note."

"What?  Who is--?"Raif breathed, paralyzed with confusion and attempted understanding her again.  "What are you saying?"

"T-take...." She coughed another stream of blood from her mouth.  "it...to...Vincenzo.  Please...it must not...get into...Angaelo's....hands."

She looked Raif directly in the eye, then swerved her glazed gaze over to Hearth and stared at her as her body became still and her grip was loose.  Raif pried her hands away from his collar, blood staining his shirt there and he looked at Hearth.  "Take the note to Vincenzo.  Who is Vincenzo?"  He asked Hearth.  He took the note from the dead woman's hand and handed it to her and noted that it was folded over, fingerprinted with the blood of the dead.

He wasn't sure if he should open it.  The fold over was stamped with a wax seal marked with two V's one normal and the other upside down over it with a dot in the middle, looking very much like an eye.  "Should I open it?"

[Anonymous]

Hearth had never seen someone in such bad condition before. The woman's face was bruised and beaten beyond all belief, her skin soaked with her own blood, a mixture of purples and blues painted against the canvas that had been her face. While she didn't seem to be dead, the groans of agony that escaped from her lips told Hearth that she might not have much time left. More than ever, Hearth wished she were skilled in healing magic – to have to stand here, unable to do anything to fix this woman's wounds, it was heartbreaking. She covered her mouth with her hands, in an attempt to stop herself from gasping aloud, hoping, praying, that by some miracle, this woman could live on.

The woman was trying to speak, and eventually, she did manage to get some words out, through some prying from Raif. She couldn't answer any of the basics – who are you, what is your name, and who did this to you? – but she did end up telling them a few things. Don't let Angaelo get the note. And... to give the note to someone named Vincenzo. Hearth bit her lip, the names didn't sound familiar to her at all, but more importantly, why was this woman so concerned over a note, when she lay here dying, losing the last bits of her energy? Hearth found herself shaking, for eventually, the woman did slump over, unable to speak any longer. Was she... was she really dead?

She had just seen someone die.

Hearth barely registered when Raif asked if they should open the note. She stared at the woman for a moment, unable to comprehend such a thing – death. She had never seen anyone die, had never known anyone who had lived and then died. Her grandparents were dead, she knew that, but she had never talked to them – apparently, they had died long before she was born. The thought that this woman who had once been speaking to them would never speak to anyone again... it was something she couldn't wrap her head around.

And then she remembered – Raif's question. "I-I..." Should they open it? It seemed important to that woman, and she had cared more about the note than she seemed to care about herself. "I-I... I th-think you sh-should." She finally decided, nodding firmly. "I-It m-might g-g-give us a c-c-clue, about w-w-who this V-Vincenzo p-person is." It had been the woman's dying wish, something she wanted so badly that she had used the last of her strength to give them the request.

[Lion]

The gruesome state of the corpse of a woman had not been something that Raif would have wanted Hearth to see.  She was just a child, and it wasn't right for her to be exposed to something like that so young.  But there wasn't anything he could do about it and he knew that it was only inevitable for her to see it someday.  He couldn't always protect her, and here was one such moment that he knew it was best for her to look upon the face of death itself with open, fresh eyes.  Even if it was a little more than he could take himself.  He was only nineteen after all, a man in some state, but he'd never seen a dead body before either.

Raif just stared at the not, not being bear looking at the corpse and then kept his gaze on his sister when she finally managed to answer.  The stutter was as drawn out as ever but at least she said what was on her mind and he couldn't help but smile at that fact.  Raif felt along the creases of the bloody note and tried to flatten it out along his pantleg without breaking the wax seal, not just yet anyway.

The name Vincenzo had not been familiar to her.  He had hoped it would.  But then again artists were always popping up all around Fallial that it wasn't uncommon for even good ones to get left behind in the wake of artists that vied for the attention of their peers.  Raif felt his hand over the seal only after another minute of consideration did he decide it was best to break it and carefully opened the note and extended it for both of them to take a good look at.

Raif moved next to her and leaned over slightly so that she could see for herself, mouthing its inscription:
"When the clock strikes three, on the last day of Gossamer Seed, meet me at Goldring Gallery.  All that you will need will be found there.  Signed, A.V."

"What does that mean?  Gossamer Seed?  Sounds like a festival or a holiday of some kind.  Is there one coming up that I didn't know about?  What do you think?"  Raif handed the note over to her and let her take a look at it.  For as long as it took, he thought deep and hard at what the name could possibly mean.  He knew Goldring Gallery was a local art gallery in Lindolen, a small but gradually thriving one at that.  But he was not a painter, not like Hearth and there was a sudden great dependency on her to see if she could make any sense of what the note said.  A small anger rose up in him and he could have damned himself with his inability to even think of what they could be.

But just as he was lost deeply in consideration, his ears pricked back when he heard the sound of something that sounded remotely like an arrow came whizzing through the air at a rate he didn't like the sound of.  In an instant, he threw his body on top of Hearth's knocking her down as the bolt from a crossbow came and buried itself deeply in the heart of the tree nearest them.  He heard a great deal of shouting surrounding them.  Whoever was approaching them, they did it with such speed and stealth that he wouldn't have heard them even if he had been looking.

Raif scrambled up and was about to pull out Scorch and Frost, when a tip of a crossbow made its way to his neck.  "I wouldn't do that if I were you," said a dangerous voice, hidden behind a mask as a group of what appeared to be vagabonds and ragtag bandits began to surround them.  Raif still had his hands on the hilts of his rapiers and in a bold move, he raised a knee and knocked the man in the groin before unleashing the Scorch on him and pinning it through his hands and kicking the crossbow away.  More bolts made way towards their heads and he ducked and covered himself on his sister as he launched a blast of flame from scorch that came out like dragonfire and burned three men in their vicinity.

At the sights and sounds of the commotion the horses screeched and whinnied wildly in panic.   Aodan, not bearing to leave her rider in such distress but unsure what to do in distress herself, kicked like a creature of madness and threw her body around where it could strike anything, and whinnied the loudest.

"Stop right there!" A man's voice called out gravely just as a dagger bearing vagabond made way at Raif.  The lowly attacker paused just as he was about to impact Raif's chest and stayed still all the while.  "You, Fancyface, drop those rapiers!  And you, Toad, get off him will ya?  What are you crazy?  A suicidal dumbshit?  You trying to get yourself killed?  We got you surrounded anyway."

Raif snatched the note where he found it and crumpled it tightly in his free fist and let his fingers stuff it within the confines of his sleeve. And released the handle of his rapier.  "Why did you attack us he demanded?  Who the hell are you?!" he snapped savagely.

[Anonymous]

Gossamer Seed? Gossamer Seed... should she know what that was? The answer seemed to lie on the tip of her tongue, and yet, it seemed so far away. It was a term she knew she had heard before, and it was absolutely infuriating that she should forget at a moment when she needed that knowledge the most. Hearth bit her lip, scrolling through her mental rolodex, attempting to find its definition, but realizing that it'd slip away every time. She shook her head, but knew the definition would come to her sooner or later – hopefully sooner – but at the moment, the term was totally lost on her. She was so frustrated she could almost swear, but she kept quiet, letting her defeat sink in.

But then, there was the answer, right on the tip of her tongue! Her eyes lit up, and as soon as she was about to tell Raif just what Gossamer Seed was, Raif had thrown his body on her, nearly knocking the wind out of her. She let out a strained yelp in surprise, and was about to ask what was the matter, when her cornflower blue eyes noted the arrow that had struck the tree nearest them. Had she really been that close to being pinned with an arrow? Such a thought made her eyes widened, and swiftly, she picked herself up off the ground, her heart racing, nearly beating out of her chest. There were a group of bandits approaching – heading right for them.

No, no, no – things like this weren't supposed to happen! Hearth clasped her hands together, watching her brother go for his rapiers, and as soon as he did, a crossbow was pointed to his neck. Hearth let out a gasp, about to go over to her brother to aid him (she wasn't sure how, but she couldn't just stand there!) but another bandit was on her chest as quickly, keeping a dagger at her throat. Thankfully, Raif had managed to escape the vagabond's grasp, and was able to keep the bandits at bay, including the one that had held her by the throat with his dagger. She could do nothing but feel grateful that Raif was there beside her – so she kept her hands clasped, muttering prayers all the while.

Dane was gone, she noted – but he was a smart old horse, and he'd probably be back after the noise had calmed down. His loyalty was not as fierce as Aodan's, but perhaps that was because he was older. He could not be of use here, in a battle where flames and swords clashed brutally. Just like Hearth, it was probably better if someone like him didn't enter a battleground.

Finally, things seemed to die down once someone – a man's voice – called out for Raif to drop the rapiers. Hearth sucked in her breath. It seemed like every limb of hers was shaking. She hid behind her brother – which felt like the safest place in the world – clinging to his coat, as if that would save her from anything these men were trying to do. "W-We d-d-didn't m-mean you a-a-any h-harm..." Hearth muttered, a plea which probably wouldn't even be heard by them anyway. Such words – they would probably fall on deaf ears.

[Lion]

The man was right, they were completely surrounded.  But Raif felt disgusted with himself for giving up so easily, and anger surged at the fact that they were completely helpless here.  He wanted to fight, to fling them away with his mind and take his sister away from here.  He wouldn't be a victim or pawn to whatever game they were playing here, but it seemed they were going to have no choice.  And a thought dawned on him.  What if he kept fighting, what if he tried to get away and take Hearth with him?  There was severe doubt in his mind that these marauders...whoever they were, would let them get away with their lives.  And should he live and Hearth die?  Father would never forgive him...  And what of the contrast?  He didn't want to think about it.

So he resigned there at the mercy of these men that surrounded them...  They were probably just going to kill them anyway, Raif considered just as he put down his rapiers.  They were wrenched from him and taken by a man that obviously had never handled a rapier before.  Raif only frowned, grimacing at only their situation but the condescending gaze by which the man that stopped the fight peered at them.

"You might be right, little girl," the man said, nodding to Hearth.  "But the boy started it."

"You attacked us fir—" was all Raif managed to get out before the man's fist came flying into his gut.  Raif double over and couldn't breathe.  He held his stomach and once his lungs cleared and he was able to stand again, he stood closer to Hearth, trying to put himself between her and these strangers.  He looked behind him and saw the eyes between the trees, and knew that there was no way they could have escaped with their lives.

"There.  Now that everything is back in order, let's see what happened here," the man said.  He stepped around Raif and looked at the corpse of the woman they'd found earlier.  He knelt by her side and felt for a pulse.  Finding none, he further inspected the body, looking for something it seemed.  He seemed to find what he was looking for at the base of her neck and dropped her head where it had lain before.

Standing he approached the both of them and grinned a curious lip twist.  "Well, well, well," he said.  Raif said nothing, only stared at the man that eyed them with an edgy gaze.  "I think you two have a lot of explaining to do."

"We didn't do anything," Raif said defensively.  "Just let us go."

"Oh, I don't think that will be happening.  You two seem to be quite the loose end and we'll need to tie you up right quick."

"Adol, let's go!  Ain't no time!" the masked man at his side said.

"Alright, alright...."  He waited a moment, as if disappointed he couldn't enjoy this moment any longer.  "Grab them," he said simply.

Immediately those that surrounded them went in and put their arms on Raif and Hearth, with rope ready tie them up and yank them off.  "NO!" Raif yelled.  "Don't you touch, my sister!  Let her go!  We did nothing!"  Raif struggled and went for a man that tried to go after Hearth, kicking him in the gut.  He rolled away, but another put his arms around Hearth, while it took three to subdue her raging brother and he fell to the ground, as his arms were pulled around his back, a knee in his spine, and his arms were bound.  Burlap sacks were thrown around their heads and they were dragged away through the trees.

"Let's go," Adol murmured and they disappeared into the wilderness.  He remained behind and stared at an Aodan that neighed wildly and wanted to run through the trees after her rider.  And just as she was about to bolt through, Adol raised his hand in front of her and unleashed a blast of magic that scorched Aodan's face.  He turned back and followed his troupe as the horse cried out in pain and anguish before running back down the road.

[Anonymous]

Hearth sucked in her breath, watching helplessly as one of the men's fist flew into Raif's gut. Her blue eyes widened, and her hands were clasped over her mouth, unable to do anything but stare in shock. Adrastia above, this was not happening – this was all just some horrible nightmare that she was having, and soon she'd wake up in her studio, and everything would be back to normal... Right? Right?

She peeled her hands away from her eyes, but found that they were still in this same sticky situation. The man was bending over, feeling the woman's corpse – for a pulse, probably? – but found none, and gave them a suspicious look. Oh dear, this probably looked bad – but they hadn't done anything wrong! And now the man was talking about tying them up, as if they were criminals or something!

Adrastia, please, please, get us out of this situation – or at the very least, let my brother go free, so he can bring back help, Hearth prayed, trying to even out her breaths, trying not to get overwhelmed. But it was to no avail – no matter how much she prayed, she knew, there was no getting out of this. As one of the men said simply, Grab them, she felt a man's hands around her, but she couldn't even yell in fear. She was still as a stone, her eyes still locked onto Raif, watching him struggle, and she had never felt so helpless before in her life.

The youngest member of House Stone could only hope that maybe Raif would be able to get free, but in the end, they both met the same fate. A burlap sack was throw over her head, and Hearth shut her eyes tight, calling Adrastia's name over and over again in her head, still as a stone, what little was left of her voice gone.

She was shivering, but it wasn't because she was cold.