Cats and Mice (Closed)

[Winters-Feather]

There it was with the 'pixie' thing again. Maar sighed, scowling in indignation.
"I told you," she snapped back, "I'm fae, not a fairy or a pixie, you twit!"
Her patience lost, she rolled her eyes at the assassin's mocking works.
It's your name, idiot, she thought.
The woman was a horrible liar, even more so than the fae herself, and that was saying something.

You can find out a lot about a person just from their names, she thought as she continued to snatch up phrases from the letter. Especially if they were a noblewoman. It really wouldn't be too hard for her to conduct research when she wasn't so bored... But why even bother? Only one other thing really popped out to her, and that was the repetition of the word curse. Most of it didn't really make much sense; on a first glance, none of these sort of things really did. Nobles were so.... stiffy in their letters to each other.

However, it amused Maar that Tiraris was so protective over the document.
She giggled as she held the thing away from the woman, moving back towards the window. The fae crumbled up the document.
"What would you do if I burned it?" she gleefully asked, testing the woman.

[GoblinFae]

'It could not be that easy,' Tiraris thought as the fae suggested burning the letter. 'That has to be the most wonderful thing I have heard in a long time. Now to get her to follow through with that threat.' The assassin's eyes widened as she lunged again for the letter.

"That would be a very bad idea. Just give it back to me. What use is it to you? None! Believe you me, you will greatly regret burning it. You tempt your fate by doing so. I cannot be held responsible for the harm that will befall you for damaging the letter."

The assassin wondered if the other would take the bait. There were those who liked to call bluffs, to do the opposite of what they are told. Tiraris hoped that Maar was one of them. Already, she could hear the guards moving down the hall. A few more minutes and then they would be banging down the door. Either way, she was going to win.

[Winters-Feather]

The fae giggled as she avoided yet another lunge from Tiraris' part. She was enjoying this woman's antics. So whatever was on this document was important to her... Or maybe it was because Devdarra wasn't supposed to have it. Certainly the woman didn't want the fae to have it.
Just as well, she thought, amused.
She didn't suppose she would have wanted herself to have possessed such a thing, either.

Maar's eyes turned towards the torch.  The woman was a bit wrong. The letter was useful to her, for now; it was her ticket out of here. The question had only been a test. Certainly she was tempted to set it ablaze, but it wouldn't benefit her. In the spirit of things, she was also tempted to set the curtains ablaze. After all, if the woman couldn't be held responsible for the damage of the letter, than the fae was sure that the assassin would be held responsible  for this. Instead, however,  she dropped it by the red headed woman's feet. The fae wasn't one for showy exits, and, besides, there was no reason to make such a mess.

So, Maar held the letter out of the window and dropped it, the torch's glow twinkling in her eyes.
"I bet you'd get to it faster than any servant might, if you leave now," she whispered mischievously as a hand moved towards her side, prepared to fight if need be. The fae could also hear the sound of approaching guards. If she couldn't escape through the window, then she'd find another way to escape undetected.

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris kicked the fallen torch out of her, uncaring that one of the rugs had slowly begun to catch fire. "Poor choice of action pumpkin," she smirked, catching Maar's wrist in an iron grip. "As long as the letter was in your possession you had a chance. Now nothing is stopping me from handing you over to Devdarra. The letter I can retrieve later. Right now you are the main attraction after all."

A soft laugh bubbled up past her lips as the flames behind her began to cast small flickering shadows about the room. The red in the assassin's eyes became almost manic in their gaze as the pupil seemed to recede and the whites darkened in the lighting.

Behind the pair, the door finally smashed open. Guards flooded the room, some moving to put out the fire while others moved to surround the two women. "Time is up. Game over," Tiraris whispered into Maar's ear before letting her go and moving to the side.

[Winters-Feather]

Maar blinked up innocently at Tiraris as the assassin made snide remarks. Again, she realized she had probably had made a mistake, though the fae was hesitant to fully accept that as a fact. Perhaps there was a way out of this, yet. There always was. Always. The vain creature smiled at the prospect of being the "main attraction."
"I don't mind that... Lady Tiraris," she smirked back.

Her blue eyes observed the woman's, the smile never quite leaving her face.
She's mad, the fae thought calmly with some sympathy. She recalled earlier about how the letter mentioned a curse, and the display of the woman's magic.
Pity, really, Maar thought as her eyes indifferently scanned the shadows that surrounded them. She stood like that, with her head down, as the guards circled around them.

She had half the mind to yank down the curtain and ride down towards the safety of the ground using its shadow, but that wouldn't have worked; there were too many of them she'd have had to fight off, and someone would have been able to grab hold of it.
The fae turned towards Tiraris. She loved living and she hated to admit it, but this woman just might be her key to keep her from a cell with iron cuffs.
"I can help you, Tiraris. I'm willing to," she boldly declared, "With this... curse, if you want to call it that. I've helped many."
The fae chuckled as the guards seemed to be confused by this speech, throwing both the fae and Tiraris concerned glances.
Perfect.  

"I'm being sincere, you know," she continued in a softer and more solemn voice. Maar stood at full height, all though it wasn't much for the doppelganger.
"I couldn't lie even if I tried."
She chuckled as the guards slowly and carefully began to close in on her. With a sigh, she held her hands over her hands, being surprisingly obedient.

[GoblinFae]

The woman paused, listening to the fae's words even as she tried to convince herself that she should not, that the other had to be lying. No one had succeeded before, no one ever would succeed now. It was useless to try. Yet, that tiny piece of buried heart cried out to be heard, begging to give the woman a chance.

'I've helped many,' rang over and over in her head. 'Not like this you have not, of that I can be sure. You do not know if you do not let her try. It is only a ploy for her freedom. She is an opportunist with on reason to help you. She is fae, she cannot lie.'

"I have heard enough twisted truths from your kind to know that not to be true, Maar. We all find a way around the truth. Get her out of here," she commanded turning away from both men and fae.

A heavy sigh made her nostrils flare as her magic danced and finally quelled beneath the surface. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the balcony railing tightly and stared, unseeing at the view. 'Calm Tiraris, calm. What if it was the truth?' The hands tightened once more.

Behind her, the assassin could hear the approaching footsteps of the lord of the manor as well as his irritating screeching. Making a quick decision, Tiraris hopped over the railing and down to the earth below. Her knees groaned slightly upon impact but, the quick sweep of her hand reclaimed the discarded letter, distracting her from the twinge of pain.

From above Devdarra shouted down at her, demanding her presence with the prisoner for interrogation. Tiraris rolled her eyes before slowly nodding. She would take her sweet time getting there, thank you very much. By all rights she should not even be required to stay. The woman smirked as she strode through the gardens. 'I got his bargaining chip, the world now sits in the palm of my hand.'

[Winters-Feather]

Maar only shrugged at Tiraris' words, knowing fully well she had gotten the woman's attention.
"It is true, and you know it to be so," she said  with a knowing  grin.
She could feel the assassin's magic's flares and how she tried to contain it within her.
She'll come back, the fae thought with certainty and chuckled quietly.
The guards held her head down as they ensnared her wrists in iron cuffs. She scoffed at their efforts, glad that she was wearing gloves. However, it did ensure that she wouldn't shadow walk until they were off.
At least it hasn't affected my glamour, she thought, Yet.

At the sound of Devdarra's thundering voice, Maar hid her scar, her youthful cheeks as smooth as ever. The fae ruefully grinned up at the noble as he shouted out the window for Tiraris.
"Oh, don't make such a fuss," she snapped as the guards escorted her out of the room.
The fae quietly followed the men down the steps, past the fearful whispering maids as they went down towards the darkness of the cellar, which seemed more like a dungeon than storage for food and wine.  She was lead down a damp hall towards a small, locked room. A guard solemnly opened the lock before instructing the others to secure her in a wooden chair with shackles at the feet. Once again, Maar was glad that she was covered from head to toe. As she looked around the room, she picked up its details. There was a desk with an inkwell and interesting instruments of torture lining a wall. The fae wrinkled her nose at their stink, but said nothing. She watched coldly as the guards hung torches on the wall, and stripped her of her weapons. They made a small pile of her things on top of the desk before scrambling out of the room.

Maar took in a deep breath when she was alone, her mind calm and steady. She'd been through tough times before. She had experience with this, long ago, and surely she could handle it again. Besides, despite all his roar, the fae hardly cut Devdarra out to be an intimating man. Not to her, anyway. The fae tried to make herself comfortable as she waited for Devdarra to come and thank her for what had happened earlier. She smiled as she began to hum an old ditty, the eerie melody echoing against the stone walls.

[GoblinFae]

The nobleman paced angrily as he quickly lost his patience with Tiraris. When the woman at last arrived he nearly lunged at her until he caught the predatory look in her eyes. It was the same one that earned him the still healing cut that marred his face. His hands lowered to his side in clenched fists as he growled at her for taking so long.

Together they descended into the dungeons; Tiraris' smirk fading as Devdarra's grew. "Oh I am so pleased to see that you are enjoying your accommodations here," the man said with false sweetness as he approached his prisoner. Behind him, his assassin remained on the landing.

Tiraris wanted nothing to do with these proceedings. As far as she was concerned, Devdarra was an imbecile and a waste of space. Her business here had nothing to do with him and she waited impatiently for his departure. One way or another she was going to get what she needed out of Maar. Her curiosity was getting the better of her and demanding that she seek out the truth.

'If you think you can cross me Maar you have another thing coming. I will not be played. I know some of your tricks already and I am wary enough to suspect for more. In the end though I am not the one tripped in an iron cage.' From her place in the shadows, the assassin allowed a soft smirk to tug at the corner of her mouth. 'I always win.'

[Winters-Feather]

Maar smiled sweetly at Devdarra's snide comment. Her blue eyes strayed from him temperamentally as she grinned at Tiraris.
"You don't look so pleased," she retorted, which earned her a hard smack across the face.
Maar giggled.

"You'd do that to a child?" she sarcastically asked as the noble stripped her of her right glove, with some difficultly. The fae gasped and closed her mouth, setting her jaw hard. Intense pain shot up through her body as her hand was now exposed to the iron chair. The chair itself was rather cold, but to Maar, the touch of it felt like fire, a fire that she couldn't escape. She took in a deep breath and directed her mind away from it, balling her hand up into a fist. The first touch was always the most difficult, but she wouldn't give the noble the pleasure of seeing her visibly in pain.
He scoffed as he went for her left hand.
"Spare me your trickery. You and I both know that you're no child."

 Of course, the nobleman was furious. Among the string of insults he flung at her, he tried to pry answers out of the fae about how she was connected with Morindo, why was she snooping about and what did she find. More importantly, however, he wanted information about Morindo and his plans, which was the only reason, he said, why he was going to keep her alive. The fae only remained silent, earning her more hard slaps and punches. She squirmed in her seat, both bored, but also tired and in pain. She didn't have enough energy to hide the bruises that were forming on her body and face.
Been in contact with it too long, she realized in dismay.
Certainly wasn't enough to kill her just yet, but her shield was going to drop soon.

As time passed, Devdarra finally understood that this method clearly was not going to work. So, he went to the rack and picked up a small metallic wedging device. He held it up so that the fae could see before grabbing her small left hand and sticking it underneath her index finger. The man wore gloves so that her nails wouldn't scratch him as he slowly began to pry her nail out. She only stared blankly back at him, though once he began to pry it out when she still wouldn't give him answers about Morindo or even about her identity, she shut her eyes tightly. The fae grunted as her toes curled and her body tensed. Finding herself unable to contain it, she let out several short anguished cries of pain as her glamour finally slipped away.

In place of the child was a rather tall and pale woman with pointed ears and  sapphire hair. She was unnaturally pale, thanks to the pain inflicted on her. The cut that Tiraris had graced her with earlier was displayed on her cheek. The only things that were constant between the two forms were the large blue eyes, the shiny bruises that Devdarra had gave her, and her bleeding, nailless finger. Even her clothes were different; she was donned in a rather simple green tunic of Serendian style with comfortable and loose sleeves, brown breeches, and plain boots. The fae stared coldly at the noble and gave a wild grin, panting.
"Hello," Awari chocked out, her breath still uneven.

[GoblinFae]

Devdarra's methods of torture did not interest Tiraris in the slightest. She had seen worse things, most of them done by her own hand. She watched dispassionately as the woman suffered and screamed. The loss of the glamor though, that drew the assassin away from her shadowy corner.

As if under a spell, the woman found her hands wrapping around the bars of the cell and her forehead pressing against them before she had even realized her feet had moved. Curious eyes stared out of a blank face at the fae before. It was impossible to tell what was going in her mind, for even she did not know. Everything seemed so jumbled and yet so quiet as if time was the frozen top layer of a flowing stream.

The nobleman raised a brow at the assassin's behavior. He had wondered whether she really had the stomach or not to stay. The fact that she had gotten closer, intrigued him. "Care to play, pet?" He leered. In an instant, Tiraris' face closed off again and the stone impression returned.

"She does not know anything more about Morindo than anyone else. Let her go, Devdarra. Her quarrel is with me."

[Winters-Feather]

In silence, Awari watched in mild surprise as Tiraris spoke up to her defense.
So she finally made up her mind, she thought as her eyes flickered back and forth between Devdarra and the assassin, waiting to see what the nobleman would do. He only scoffed at the woman's proposition.
"Don't tell me that this fairy had made you grown soft," he spat before turning around and grabbing a chunkful of Awari's hair as he pulled her head back, revealing her throat. The fae hissed in anger and pan as he pressed the iron wedge against her vocal cords. She closed her eyes, her mouth dry.  A glint of light flashed in the noble's eyes; he was clearly enjoying this.

"Fae's bane. It's amazing she lasted this long," he said with a chuckle as he began to press the device harder against her throat, causing her to whimper.
"It's pathetic how weak their race is... You thought you could outsmart me, eh? Vermin."
The man growled as he stared down at Awari.
"I don't care with whom you have a quarrel, with. Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right this second. After all, Morindo's dead."
"Lies," Awari rasped back as she narrowed her eyes. There was no point in withholding that bit anymore. "He's still alive."

Devdarra's eyes widened at this as he drew the wedge back. The fae coughed and spat up blood. The noble shot Tiraris a dirty look before grabbing hold of Awari's left hand again, the fae not even flinching. She screamed again, louder this time, as he quickly ripped out her middle finger's nail, out of spite. Awari groaned as she clutched her teeth, trying to force her eyes to stay open as she hovered in a state between consciousness and sleep. In a way, his insult had been right. Between the shackles touching her exposed wrists and wedge being held at her throat, her body felt  as if it were on fire. The agony of her nails being ripped out didn't help much either; it most likely infected her. He was right; he could do worse. But unlike humans who could at least live through a few weeks or more of such simple torture, the fae doubted she could last for two. Not that it mattered. She doubted that he'd let her die that easy. Besides, she was determined to escape by then.

 Devdarra looked down at her with distaste before slamming the wedging device on the table.
"I'll deal with you again tomorrow," he warned, "And next time, I won't go as easy."
The nobleman left the cell door unlocked as he walked past Tiraris.
"You have ten minutes alone with the prisoner," he hissed, "Then I expect you in my office. The guard will lock up after you."

Awari forced herself to pay attention, staring quietly at the both of them.

[GoblinFae]

She refused to react to the man's brutality. It was a gamble she had been willing to take and as far as Tiraris was concerned better the fae than her. The woman kept still and silent until Devdarra at last exited and passed her.

Turning, she latched onto his wrist and unbalanced him into leaning back against the cell bars with her pinning him. There was a playfulness in her eyes that made her movements seem seductive except for her smile that reminded of the danger that lay just beneath the surface.

"I would not say I have grown soft," she whispered sweetly, running a long finger along his still healing cheek. Do not take me for a fool Devdarra. The agreement was that he lived; I am not careless enough to take life unnecessarily." Chuckling she stepped back and allowed him to slink away. As he glanced back at her from the stairs, she waved coyly. "See you upstairs sweetheart," the assassin teased, blowing him a kiss.

The minute the guard departed and closed the door, her mask dropped to allow the stone one to once more take its place. Silently and swiftly Tiraris entered the cell and knelt before Maar to examine her hand. "Who are you? Truthfully, no tricks now. If you thought Devdarra was bad you have never seen me." The hand that gripped the fae's was firm but gentle for now. It would not take much though for Tiraris to crush the already injured fingers, and she fully intended to do so if need be.

[Winters-Feather]

Awari watched as Tiraris pinned Devdarra against the cell's bars. She chuckled at the sight, though it quickly turn to coughs and sputters. As Tiraris approached  and knelt before her, the fae weakly smile. Awari winced as the woman held her hand, though a bit surprised at how almost gentle she was. She didn't quite respond to the question right away. Even though she was stripped down to her true form, the fae was reluctant to let the assassin know her true name. Still, Awari knew that this was no time to be trifling about such personal matters. She was protective of it, it was true, but the creature knew she was going to have to share it.The fae sighed.

After a moment's hesitation, Awari tried to sit up as straight as she could. she lifted her head with as much dignity and elegance as she could muster.
"I do not fear you or that man," she said quietly, "As for who I am... This is who I am. I'm a fae, a master thief, have lived through most of the millennium... and my true name is Awari. There is not much more of me you need to know than that."
The fae paused as she took in a deep breath before asking a question she probably already knew the answer to.
"Now what is it that you want of me?" she asked quietly.

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris found herself smiling despite herself. "I am not interested in you fearing me. As for him, you would have to be a fool to fear and I do not see you as one, Awari." The assassin continued to stare up into the other woman's eyes as she listened intently.

"Who said I wanted anything?" Smirking, she scratched the back of her head slightly before moving both hands back to Awari's. Tirairs pressed a gold hairpin into the fae's hand before standing and taking a step back. "Thieving is always a risky business. The risk of getting caught always runs high. But, I can understand that when opportunity rises sometimes one must take the plunge while others are distracted. If you follow me?

"Well Maar-I mean Awari, it was lovely talking with you, we must do it again sometime. But, if I do not leave now, then opportunity will be lost. Devdarra does love to hear the sound of his own voice. I would not be surprised if he is busy yelling at me for quite a few minutes."

The assassin exited the cell then and headed for the stairs. She was halfway up and completely enshrouded in shadow when she paused to speak. "They say there is honor among thieves and that the fae cannot lie. I wonder Awari, do you keep your promises?" Not waiting for an answer, she continued on her way until at last she was standing once more in Devdarra's office.

As she had anticipated he droned on and on about her ruining years of work and nearly completely destroying everything he had worked to achieve. After the third word though, Tiraris had begun to tune him out and stare out the window. With the letter close at hand, there was little that the nobleman could do to worry her. Instead, she wondered if the little fae, 'not so little now is she?' would manage to escape or not. 'Her choice now. I have done all I am willing to do.'

[Winters-Feather]

Awari quietly listened to Tiraris, watching as she took a hair pin out of her hair and placed it into the fae's undamaged hand. The fae grasped it with a grin.
There's always a way.
She said nothing more as the woman continued to speak, but only nodded her head as the assassin had left her to her own devices. The fae quickly calculated how much time she had. Devdarra did like to indulge himself in aimless chatter... She had at least twenty minutes before he would be interested in her again. By that time, she'd be gone. Awari patiently waited for Tiraris to leave before she quickly set to work on picking the locks at her wrists.

She couldn't reach the lock with her hands, so Awari had to bend to her hand to pick up the hair pin with her teeth. It took her a minute to get the trick of it, but the fae expertly released her right hand before going over to her left, and then to her feet. As soon as her limbs were free, Awari knelt down on the ground, panting. A wave of relief swept over her body, though it was quickly followed by a wave of illness.

Moments later, the fae wrinkled her nose as she turned away from the small pile of blood  and vomit. She slowly wobbled to her feet, feeling a lot more alert than she had before.
Awari made her way towards the desk harboring her things and quickly began to put them back in their original places. She tucked her left glove in a pouch, though she put her right one on. The fae felt for the letter she had stolen from Devdarra on her person and smiled triumphantly. He hadn't thought about searching her person.
I need to deliver this to Morindo, she thought, scheming her escape.
Awari took in a deep breath as she tested out her glamour. The fae covered up the bruises and  cuts, and made a glove for her left hand. She made her ears appear human and turned her blue hair blonde. It wasn't much, but the fae still felt awfully weak and sick; she had to be conservative.

Awari smiled as she slipped into the shadows, grateful for the darkness of the dungeon. She slithered past the guards and up the stairs, using whatever dark shadow she could, whether it was of a passing servant or of something hanging on the walls. Soon enough, the fae found herself in the streets, making her way towards Morindo's home. He was in his own office, and was shocked when the tall woman appeared seemingly out of no where.

"Relax. I've got you proof. What you do with it and Devdarra from now on is your business, not mine," she said to the baffled man as she pulled out the paper from her tunic. His eyes widened in recognition as his hand quickly went from the sword on his belt to reaching out for the piece.
"Maar?" he replied, to which she nodded.
The fae coldly gestured towards his purse.
"I believe you owe me," she said.
After a moment's hesitation, she added, "Also, send for a carriage. I've a need to visit that old doctor again."
----

Awari moaned in indignation.
"That stings," she protested as she leaned against an oak tree, her blue eyes sullenly looking at the river. Awari had dropped her glamour shield completely again once she had arrived at this spot. The fae had insisted the doctor treat her here, as she refused to step inside his home. The doctor ignored the  fae as he continue to clean her injured fingers with some sort of chemical or another.
"You should be dead," he muttered, to which she smiled in return.
"But I'm not," she retorted as she pressed a cool cloth against her forehead some more. She was going to need a fresh one soon.
"No,"  he agreed as he continued to work, "Try not to squirm, girl."
I'm older than you, Awari thought as she sleepily closed her eyes.

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris did not have to muse long before the study door was being thrown open and Devdarra's lackeys were piling into the room. "She's gone!" one breathlessly proclaimed. "I don't know how. One minute she was there and then the next she was gone."

The nobleman cast a nasty glance in the assassin's direction before conversing loudly and angrily with the other men. Tiraris did not wait a moment more than she had to and quickly exited the room, stopping only long enough to inform Devdarra that their contract was null and void before dashing away. The man did not even have a chance to drag her back, for as soon as he stepped out into the hallway he discovered it was empty.

While he vented his frustrations out on those that remained, the red-haired assassin scuttled on her way. She had a feeling she knew where to find Awari. After all what does any good assassin do after they have completed a job; return to the employer. Not, as adept at traveling so quickly as the other woman, it took Tiraris an hour to find her way back to Morindo's estate and then another hour just to find that the pesky little fae had been carted off the healer's for treatment.

With this new information in hand, she sped up her pace, making it there in record time for her. A search of the house revealed both occupants absent. Tiraris tried to think of where they would be and came up blank. It was only when she had exited the building that her sharp ears picked up the healer's patronizing tones. 'I would know that voice anywhere.' She causally made her way over to the pair, leaning against a tree across from them when she finally arrived. "If you were not so annoying, I actually might be impressed, pixie." A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she waited for the other to respond.

[Winters-Feather]

Awari could hear Tiraris approach and sighed. She had been drifting off to sleep into what could have potentially be a wonderful nap, but it appeared that would have to wait. The fae lazily fluttered opened her eyes and frowned at the term pixie.
"Must you call me that? I'm taller than you," the fae pointed out as she winced as the doctor started to bandage her fingers.

The good doctor scoffed at their exchange. He looked up at Tiraris.
"What are you doing here, again?" he barked, "If you're just going to stand around, then why don't you make yourself useful and boil some water."
"I believe she's come for a talk," Awari gently replied with an amused grin.
"That can wait," the old man snapped back, "Besides, you should be resting."
"As you say," the fae idly replied, obviously getting a kick out of this. She rummaged through her things before presenting the golden hair pin to Tiraris. The pretty and simple thing was now bent somewhat out of shape thanks to the work the fae had put it through.
"It came in handy," she said with approval.

[GoblinFae]

Her smirk widened at the fae's displeasure. "Aye you are." Tiraris chose to ignore the healer, opting to move closer and accept the hairpin instead. "Of course it did," she replied smugly as she replaced it in the hair at the base of her skull. "I am not in the habit of lugging around useless trinkets, no matter how small."

Behind her the man grumbled and made a show of being irritated until the assassin turned and gave him her attention. Despite his gruff nature, he really did have a soft spot for the fiery woman and her eccentric ways. They shared a brief moment and a small smile before he left to boil the water himself.

"What makes you think you can help me?" she asked bluntly. "There have been others before you; what makes you so sure you are going to be different? Or was that all a twisted truth? Do you have honor Awari?"

[Winters-Feather]

Awari chuckled as the old man left and admired his handiwork. Her hand still hurt, but not as intensely as before. She listened quietly to Tiraris' questions. They were all very valid, and, in truth Awari did not know how to answer all of them fully. At least, not yet.
"Of course I do," she replied, "I meant what I said."
The fae grinned smugly.

"As for why I believe I can assist you, it's because I have taught mages for hundreds of years now. I do not know what training you have been through or all the details of the nature of your magic. Besides, I think you'll find me rather persistent," she added, a glint of mischief passing in her eye.
The fae drew her right hand up to her left shoulder, where her tattoo was hidden by her clothes.
"I'm willing," she continued, "The only question that remains is are you, Tiraris? You'll have to entrust me with information about this magic and about the failed training. About yourself."

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris snorted softly and rolled her eyes. "You ask much of me with little to no promise of success. I have been put through much and had my fair share of snake oil and widow's bones. What you ask of me is nearly impossible with out reciprocation. Of course you are persistent. You have proven yourself to be a deceiver and a beguiler and a fine one at that. Blue blood does not make me foolish Awari. What do you possibly hope to gain from this? Money? Service? What?"

She stared intently at the woman as her voice lowered. "It is unfair that you ask so much of me and yet do not return the favor. Nothing is free in this world. What price do you ask for your non-guarantee?"