The Beginnings of Forgiveness
Tenth Day of the Ninth Month 293 AC
There was no one to feel the sudden gust of cold air in the narrow street by the Arl's bakery in Saltans, no one to see the two strange travelers who appeared by sorcery, one of a kindred unknown to these lands, a Djinn Lord of Armun Kelisk bedecked in silk and jewels,the other a daughter of this place who had walked dark roads indeed, garbed in simple wool dyed in the light green of summertime as though in defiance of her nature. "Thank you for bringing me here Jafir," Rina said softly to her companion. "I'll made up for the lost hours I promise..."
The Djinn raised a hand , forestalling her words: "Peace, young one, our work is important, but not so important that we cannot take a few hours pause and for reasons less important than this."
"It remains to be seen if this is important or merely vastly foolish," the winter-touched mage answered, as much to herself as to him. "King Viserys and the Princess are much better at talking though things than I am..."
She had to do this on her own, Rina had realized. Otherwise she would never know if her family truly accepted her for who and what she was now of if they had simply been swept up by the king's words, swimmers swept out by the tides.
She bid farewell to the Djinn an turned to the path to the keep still hesitating upon that first step. Abruptly she took a right and ended up in the front of the bakery, bought
two sweet-rolls and ate them on the spot as she had long fantasized as a girl. They tasted just as good as she remembered.
So fortified against her fears Rina made her way to the gates of the keep, more of a pair of overgrown towers really, the town of Saltpans itself limited where it could grow so it mostly went up from the kitchens and armsmen's barracks on the lowest level all the way to her father's study on the highest. As she looked up at the tower Rina was more than a little envious of those boots of far travel the Companions... the
other Companions wore. Rina had bad memories about climbing those stars...
The armsmen parted, just as her mother's letter had said but they did not welcome her, men she had known since girlhood drew not daring to meet her eyes, though her gaze as veiled in glamor and not the unearthly blue of winter's touch for a chill wind still dogged her steps.
From above the sounds of boyish quarreling could be heard "Dragons can't talk... your are stupid!" one said
"No, you are stupid, it was a magic dragon and magic can do anything at all!"
Both of them almost collided with Rina before offering still bows at her unexpected presence. The young woman could see her bothers in them... and her father. "What do you seek here my lady? the elder asked, trying to hide childish curiosity behind hurried manners.
"I'm..." she had been about to say 'no one important', but the words stuck in her throat. She had been no one for far too long in the Silent Sisters, and he would not go back to it now. "I'm here to talk to your lord grandfather and lady grandmother. They will tell you all you need to know."
Looking disappointed but too well trained to argue the two boys passed her by, leaving Rina to face the heavy oaken door that had figured to much in her nightmares... it was surprisingly easy to push aside.
Rather than look directly to he father she cast arcane silence upon the door just in case her nephews where tempted to eavesdrop.
"So it's true you are a witch," her faher's voice had not changed much since he had last heard it, though the tone was odd, more gruff than the anger she had expected whatever her mother;s assurances.
"Witch is a bit too general a term but it will do," she paused and nervously tried for a jest. "It's a little like calling a knight stabbing horse-riding person, it gets the basics across but not the nuance."
"A knight of magic... I heard about what the dragon is doing from.... well it doesn't matter now does it? How has he been treating you?"
Rina looked a her father, still grey-haired and broad shouldered, still with the same frown lines around his mouth, as though he had grown a second head.
How was he treating her? He asked that after where he had sent her and how he had done it? "Better than the Silent Sisters," she answered in spite of herself.
Ser Quincy Cox met his daughter's icy gaze without flinching. "There weren't any dragons to send you to before."
It wasn't an apology, not really, but it was still far more than Rina had ever expected to her from her father. For now it was enough
OOC: This is a bit of an odd one, Rina felt she had to do his alone, but it turned out OK because Lady Cox practically converted her husband after the quasi-religious experience meeting Viserys was for her.
And damn has this brought out everyone like the critical votes always do, me for example...
