Vel finished mopping up the ink, barely a trace on the floor now. She wrapped up the even more soiled shirt in some other clothing before storing it in her pack. She looked about the room and realized that not everyone had left. Somehow, and without a drop wine, Jez was sleeping soundly.
A miracle perhaps. Vel pulled free a blanket from her pack and carefully laid it over the slumbering women before she picked up her book, the ink beginning to dry on the ruined pages. Good. At least it wouldn't make more of a mess as she searched for a new inkwell and replaced the messy ink pen.
Minutes, maybe half an hour after everyone else, Vel found herself moving out of the room as quietly as she could so as not to disturb the sleeping Jez as she left to find a good quiet place to pick up the translations of this letter.
Shel had no desire to be near anyone at this point—not even the kind mute or her knowing glances from behind that hood of hers. To be honest, the orc needed a break from the lady rogues and... just from it all. From the bumbling foolishness of Su, to the unwarranted aggression of Mynx, and the controlling cunning nature of Sheva... Shel was irritated.
Even so, such mild annoyances paled in comparison to the feverish upset that had stirred within the orc at the end of their little game, which made such quarrels seem rather petty. Shel's instincts were reprimanding her, reminding her that in reality these women were little more than distractions from what really mattered: the true enemies, the true problems. It would be wiser to only expend valuable energy into actual threats, not trivialities with these naive treasure seekers.
Shel therefore suppressed her emotions, going numb before losing herself in the depths of the Annex as she began to wander aimlessly down its empty corridors in search of solace. In search of quiet. But where did one find such things in life? Did they even truly exist? Shel was cynical. There was little peace where she came from and, just as she was in the midst of discovering, little of it in the outside world. It was infuriating, but just as Rhok's mother and the other Wise Women had claimed before she was evicted from the tribe:
'You had best get used to it, Shel. It is the way of the world. No matter where you run, you won't escape it. War drums beat fiercely among all. Everywhere you go, there it will be... the same song and dance... following you... inside of you. But you are an undisciplined fool who believes little of what you don't see with your own two eyes. So go out into the world with no shield but your arrogance! You will see how far your posturing will get you among wolves—and may they not consume you!—because you are no longer welcome here. You question our laws and mock the sound judgment of this tribunal with your accusations. So let it be known that any orc who acts in this manner is undeserving of the protection of our horde. Now go.'
Shel abruptly thrust Balder's smoking pipe away from her at the rise of this memory, its weight starting to feel more like a burden that slowed her down. She paid little attention to where the thing landed as she attempted to quell her bubbling emotions once more. There is no such thing as peace, echoed in Shel's mind like some mantra that accompanied that deep and stoic drum beat; even as the meandering halls seemed to grow darker with every step she took. In the night, the Annex truly did give off an eerie feel—void and lifeless. It felt a bit uncanny too, the way these passageways mirrored her own life. Shel really had little idea where she was even going anymore. The path felt dark.
Yet the she-orc strode on. She was unsure of how long exactly she had been walking on this journey to nowhere, but her gaze remained focused nonetheless. The only way seemed to be forward... so always forward she went, towards the... light? Unexpectedly, Shel could see the faintest of glows pulsating like a heart beat at the dead end of the corridor. Was there something alive in the darkness? Growing evermore curious, the orc slowly trekked towards the strange gleam as a moth does to a flame. At the end of this path, an obscure oaken door stood staunchly, partly open. On its leaf, there hung bronze signage that displayed a credo in bold, embossed lettering:
*
We turn iron into gold
And seek youth for the old
Wielding knowledge to uncover
Mysteries untold
We turn water into wine
And seek to blur the line
Challenging nature until
Fate is redefined
*
Welcome to the Alchemist's Lair
We thirst for fluid spirituality
We defy fixed physicality
We stay curious
*
Now sufficiently distracted from her inner troubles and unable to resist her impulses to explore such an intriguing sight, Shel slowly pushed open the door as its hinges creaked in protest.
Vel made her way through the dark halls clutching her ruined book and corked inkwell. Maybe if she was lucky she could get into the library, if she could find it. It shouldn't be hard but it was a large building and she'd never been here before, and of course being as late as it was, there was no one around for her to ask for directions.
Whatever, after today she really didn't want company. She had much more pressing matters to take care of before the morning. Tucking her book under one arm and pocketing her inkwell and quill she continued to walk. She just needed a quiet, empty place and the library was the best option if she was allowed in so late. And if she got the translation done early, she could wander the library on her own time. That would be a dream come true.
With a little wandering in the darkness she eventually came to a set of large double doors, which she could only assume were the entrance to the library, practically the heart of this place. She looked at the elegant carvings on the doors and taking just a moment to appreciate them before she tested the door.
As she'd feared, there was no going in so late. She'd have to settle for another empty room. Maybe she could just sit here in the dark and translate till morning, no one would come to open the doors till first light, perhaps not till much later.
Upon entering the Alchemist's Lair to inspect the glow, the first sight that Shel happened upon was a balding human male with a long white beard and hair growing out of his ears. He appeared quite exhausted as he snored over his work; yet it was quite obvious that he was some elderly scholar of this Annex. But what was he working on, and so late into the night?
Shel moved on from her curiosity of who this human was, however, as she became more enthralled by what was around him. The source of pulsating light had been coming from a shelf filled with numerous vials that held glowing liquids of azure, ochre, and crimson. I must investigate this strange sight, the she-orc could not help but think; not only because she found them beautiful, but she'd also noticed the elixirs appeared rather similar to what Balder had given her to administer upon Maso.
Vel sank to the floor, cross legged. Since the darkness wasn't a problem for her then working right here was just as well. She set her inkwell beside her as she flipped open her book back to the page she'd begun to write on.
Unfortunately it was smudged beyond recognition leaving her to start again as she laid the letter out on the other side and began again. The beginning of the letter was a fairly basic contract. And after that raid she wasn't surprised to see that it emphasised on the elimination of anyone else seeking the ice tears. This confirmed it, suspicious that they weren't the only ones and that, that raid wasn’t just by normal bandits.
More surprisingly though there was a list of books and instructions to seek them for answers about the tears. She made sure the underline them for later reference, taking the time to write them on a separate page also so she could get right to it in the morning.
Moving towards the far end of the lab, Shel began to inspect some of the contents of a storage shelf, ever mindful to not wake the sleeping alchemist. The first items she happened upon were many different types of herbs and ingredients—some dangerous, some not.
Lavender
Stinging Nettle
Heather
Rose Petal
Arachnid Venom
Lead
Iron
Mercury
Raising a brow, the orc noticed yet another shelf directly to her left, quickly distracted by its more macabre display. It was shocking really. A collection of preserved body parts from various races from Eisignol sat neatly in organised jars, again labelled with a sign. This time, the inscription read Anatomical Analyses of Primitives and Cursed, the words leaving Shel's expression hardened before she could see what was floating within.
Werewolf Paw
Goblin Tongue
Brain of Dusha-Kin
Ocecat Claw
Eye of Giant
Orcish Jawbone
Vampiric Blood
Heart of Undead
Just what was all of this for? Shel wondered briefly who each of these individuals had been before their parts had become little more than dissections and experiments. Still, the alchemist snored away, giving the orc a bit more time to explore his haunts. So she finally moved on towards the vials that had been the source of the glow from the hallway; this section of the lab stock stored beneath the label of Tinctures and Tonics.
Flask of Soothed Mind
Flesh Eater
Scream
Tonic of Ecstasy
Draught of Eternal Sleep
Ember Glow
Philter of Blinding Light
Hiccough Cure
Balance
Hmm, how intriguing, Shel thought as she reached out towards one of the vials in a dreadful sort of wonderment (despite the fact that she had not been raised to look much towards science or magic). Because, as a rule, the orcish race tended to value brute strength above all else—and though they usually learned to read (so to not be easily taken advantage of by enemies), the orc scoffed at the human and elven weaklings who poured their time into books instead of settling matters with good, old-fashioned fighting.
Still... Shel considered as she continued on studying the labels carefully. These are things I could use against Rhok and his mother. Things no one at home would ever expect... just like a giant attack. More potions soon began to catch her eye—things like Draught of Dominance and Vial of Impotence—each of which were very tempting to seize. But she was only here to look... and touch. Thus Shel began to pick through a few random vials as she lost track of time; at least until the alchemist let out a throaty snort. This stirring startled Shel, instinctively causing her to veer towards the nearest window to hide behind a heavy drape.
As the alchemist slowly woke, he shook his head to stave off tiredness (and oblivious to the fact that he was no longer alone) before starting to work as if he had never fallen asleep at all. Frustrated, Shel waited inside the drape, considering her next move while a slight breeze from an open window combed through her mane of hair.
Vel was becoming more and more concerned with what was contained in these letters. Directions to research the tears, orders to kill anyone and everyone who got in their way of doing so and a spell, a powerful spell that would kill any of the bandits who said too much. Someone really didn't want this information getting out, and someone really didn't want anyone else finding the tears.
It was curious seeing as most thought they were only stories. This job suddenly became a lot more dangerous and confirmed that the attack wasn't just any old band of thieves. If there were others after the tears, they could find themselves in deeper water than they originally anticipated.
Now that it was quiet and she was undisturbed Vel found it easy and quick to finish translating the letters, all the needed information was written down, including the strange signature Archmage of the ice courts. She didn't recognize the name Halloi Grum, but perhaps someone else in the party would. Other then that the list of books that could lead them to the information they needed would give them an edge in their search of the massive library behind her.
She gently blew on the ink to help it dry faster, and once she was satisfied that it wouldn't smudge again she carefully folded the letters and laid them between the pages before corking her ink and pushing herself to stand.
This information shouldn't wait to be given to Tris, so he could share it with Balder and Adam. But if she remembered correctly, the boys were out having a night themselves, with women and booze. So Shel thought. Regardless of what it was, she didn't have any idea where to find them. Balder was here but Tris had made her promise. Damn him for putting her in this position. She could wander out into the courtyard and wait for the Archer to return and give it to him then.
Fresh air sounded nice to. She carefully put her inkwell in her pocket and started off down the halls to find her way out. It took a bit of woundring, and already this night was beginning to feel long before she finally found the familiar door she'd come in earlier. She slowly pushed the door open and stepped out into the moonlight. She expected the courtyard to be empty but was surprised to see Su Lin fast asleep under a tree and Mynx nowhere to be seen.
Cautiously she approached the women but was relieved to see she was both breathing and seemed unharmed. It was to bad she hadn't another blanket with her, she could perhaps use her cloak but this was far from a private setting and she'd rather not risk being spotted by someone passing by.
A significant amount of time passed as Shel hid behind that drape, each minute feeling more like an eon to the impatient orc. The alchemist did not appear to have any intention of moving any time soon, as the nap seemed to revitalise him to once more slave away over his scrolls and philters. Barely breathing, Shel did not dare move, fearful that any restlessness would get the better of her and reveal her location to this white-bearded human. (Or the fact that she still held one of his vials within her cloak.)
Then finally, like some saving grace, the alchemist awkwardly knocked over a candle on his workstation, throwing his concentration off for just long enough to give Shel a sliver of time to consider that two story window beside her. While the human scrambled to keep anything from going alight in his lab, the orc ebbed herself over the sill, barely escaping from the room unnoticed. Or so she thought... because just below where Shel was dangling sat Vel and her assortment of letters.
Vel watched the sleeping women for a moment, everything seemed still beside her breathing and the soft night wind. How late was it really? That dice game had gone on a while before it spiraled out of control. What a mess that had been. She hoped Mynx wasn't to angry at her but she was sure there would be a lot more hell to pay if she'd done more then just scratch the prisoner.
She shifted he book to her other hand before cocking her head to the side. A strange scraping noise permeating the air, it wouldn’t have been noticeable if it wasn’t so still outside. She glanced around the clearing but there was no one else here she could see beside Su Lin. After a moment of investigation she glanced up towards the building.
If she was still alive she might have pailed at the sight of the Orc women dangling some fifteen feet or more in the air. How did she even get there? Perhaps the better question was why? She dropped her book and quickly came over to stand just below her gazing up at her. Was the Orc that distressed over the events of the night? No that wasn't near far enough of a drop. Was she in some sort of trouble? She couldn't call up to the women all she could do was wait to see what happened, if she ran to try and get to the window she could drop and hurt herself, but if she waited here she could at least catch her!
Drepa! Shel thought, cursing herself in Orcish as her knuckles began to turn bone white from holding up her own body weight. With inhales shortened by mild anxiety, she glanced down over her left shoulder to consider any possibilities of a safe way down. A jump landing would be painful enough, that much she could easily assume (and she did not want to risk shattering that vial). It was best to climb, she figured... even if she would have an audience while doing so. Wonderful.
Unaware of exactly who was standing in the darkness below, Shel stubbornly refused to ask the silhouette for help, instead risking her best attempt at a solo descent. Whoever it was would probably give her an ear lashing (and she just was not in the mood), so she would get herself down as soon as possible before running off. Not to mention, she got herself into this predicament, didn't she? She would get herself out of it, damn it. Hence the orc extended her left foot towards a jutting stone on a lower part of the building's facade, using the thing for support, even though the stretch did appear quite dubious.
Hm. So far, so good.
Next came the right foot. Tilting her head to glimpse down a second time, Shel spotted another stone that might be suitable for support, one that almost appeared reachable. All she needed to do was make sure that her left arm held fast to its hold as she balanced her weight on each foothold. Well, here goes nothing, the she-orc mused on obstinately, stretching herself out like some starfish on the stone wall... now in a literal stone-wall.
Because from Shel's current vantage point, it was difficult to see that there were no other crevices to reach further below, a fact that was plainly visible to Vel from her position in the courtyard.
Vel watched nervously as the women started to stubbornly stretch down, searching for foot holds. She found one yes, but further beyond there weren't any the orc would be able to reach beyond those. She might have thought of climbing up after her but with no hand and foot holds and no way to bring her down safely all Vel could do was pace underneath her in anticipation of an inevitable fall.
Where's Balder when you need him? was all Shel could critically think to herself as beads of sweat started to pearl upon her brow. Of all the times a giant could fetch you, when you were dangling five meters over the ground whilst clutching on to a building would be it.
But as always, Shel resorted to work with what resources she had at her disposal. Glancing down, she addressed the person who stood gazing up at her like she was just some decorative streamer that hung from the facade of the Annex.
"You wouldn't happen to have a ladder hidden in that hood, now would you?" Shel joked in a bit of a loud whisper. Yet she received no response. There was no laugh, nor a sigh, nor an ear-lashing. Nothing but silence. Discouraged at this, Shel was once more reminded that she truly was alone in this life.
So without a second thought, the orc decided to just take the leap... ready to risk a fall on the whim of instinct to get herself out of her predicament. Having noticed a small patch of shrubbery just to the right of the hooded figure, Shel launched herself from the Annex exterior with every bit of momentum that she could muster.
The undead could likely see the orc's every movement—from her flinging herself with a hardy push to aiming for the softest landing possible. In any case, this was Shel's best attempt at improvisation: she would try an agile roll into the brush, even if such gymnastic leaps were not an Orcish specialty.
Vel's mouth fell open a little as she watched the orc push away from the wall. Orcs were stubborn but she hadn't anticipated her pushing away from the wall on her own. How did one catch a falling person? There wasn't a lot of time to think about it. All Vel could think to do was throw herself where the She-orc would land to break her fall.
Vel dove into the shrubs without a second thought, fearing the injury would be worse on the living then it would be on the dead. Pain was a mute feeling for the undead so the weight that crashed against her back while nothing to shake a stick at bearly caused the undead to gruff from under the hood as she laid across the crushed shrubs.
Shel suppressed every urge she felt to squeal like a little girl as she plummeted straight down into the foliage and right on top of…
"...Velaire?"
I should've known. No wonder there was silence.
"Are you… all right?" the orc inquired genuinely as she stood to her feet (albeit rather clumsily as she clambered out of the brush), attempting to walk off any pain from her fall. But she did not wait for an answer, knowing that there likely would be none.
"I'm… just fine…" she half-lied before continuing on with a dose of truth: "I've... had worse."
And then there was a moment of silence whilst the orc picked twigs out of her ebony hair.
...
"Erm, but we should go," Shel murmured in anticipation as she noticed the alchemist sticking his head out of his window to see what the commotion was. Subsequently, the orc's bare hand grabbed the undead's gloved one, dragging her away from the scene of the crime as a dog barked on and on in the distance. She had to get out of sight of this alchemist, that was for sure.
"Have you seen the library, Vel?" Shel blurted out, hoping to act natural enough as she held tight to the hooded woman's wrist, dragging her along. "We should go there. I need to... do some reading."
All the questions, she knew Shel couldn't have possibly forgotten. But perhaps it was a force of habit. She started to pick herself up glad that at least Shel was alright, but before she could dust away the leaves and dirt from her clothing Shel took hold of her wrist and started dragging her away. She could have stopped the She-orc in her tracks with ease but she allowed herself to be pulled long, though somewhat bewildered. If she had a tongue she'd tell Shel that the Library was locked, unfortunately for them both She had no such thing anymore.
Vel walked after the Orc women quietly, wishing she could voice the question of what the hell she'd been doing up there anyway.
Feigning innocence as the alchemist continued studying the two of them from his high wall, Shel turned to link arms with Vel, hoping to appear like two gabby women returning home from a late night in the village proper. Thankfully, he did turn aside to close his window with an unperturbed yawn some moments later.
Once safely on the opposite end of the courtyard, Shel and Vel stood dwarfed by the mighty columns and classical archways of the Annex Library. It was stunning, to say the least. Yet once the two walked up the stairs to the main entrance with a mind to enter, they were stopped by two spears that crossed in an x shape over the double doors.
"Hm," Shel commented with crossed arms as she studied the intense stares of the men with spears. "You two look at me like you've never seen an orc before." Much too tired for this, the guards' stares turned into glares, before one of them dismissively commanded them to get lost.
Vel looked between the two Guards before she took Shel's wrist after a prolonged stretch of silence. She gestured down the hall trying to say that they should just go and leave the two men to their duty. She'd already tested one of the side doors and it was locked, they would just have to wait till the morning when the Library was open. For now the She-orc should probably sleep it was late, very late.
Taking this moment she gave a gentle but insistent tug away from the guarded doors. There was no use starting anything, they were guests after all. And she'd had enough drama for one night. She'd start to lead the She-orc down the hall, and hopefully back towards the rooms they were allowed to stay in. Glancing over her shoulder at the Orc.
Shel mock-saluted the guards before Vel took charge.
And the orc simply followed, saying little until she stopped the hooded woman, leading her towards a small, silent corner. It was somewhere rather open, but still unknown and unseen by others in the Annex at this time of night.
"I would love a smoke," Shel finally said once they were completely alone. Back at home, it was a common thing to talk beside a fire with a pipe before bed... but she had discarded Balder's earlier, unfortunately. She couldn't even remember where now, but finding it first thing tomorrow would definitely be a priority.
But for now... Shel felt exhausted as the events of the day were starting to take its toll. The orc sat down rather roughly, surveying the tiny scratches on her arms from the branches, which gave Vel free reign to guide the conversation for now.
Vel wasn't certain that the orc needed a puff more of anything. But she couldn't say that. She watched the women sit down before she slowly began to lower herself to the ground as well she reached into her pouch looking for something that she might be able to put on her hands. She wasn't known for carrying ointments because she didn't need them. So it didn't come as a surprise when she came up empty handed. She pulled free her book instead, hoping that the light that spilled through the window from the moon would be enough to read from.
"You seem hurt," Shel blurt out, interrupting Vel's subtle movements. She didn't know the woman fully, but still... she knew her well enough to tell something was a bit off.
"You didn't have to throw yourself below me."
Shel paused, considering Mynx.
"Or try to stop the ocecat at your own expense," she concluded, once more giving Vel space and time to write out a response... if she wanted to.
Vel paused looking to the orc for a moment before she looked down to her book. Pulling her quill free she wrote. "I'll be alright, Ash is a capable healer and I'll see him in the morning." It wasn't as if she'd suffer any more permanent damage then she already had, but Shel didn't need to know that. "Besides, there would be more trouble if Mynx had done more than just scratch the werewolf and that fall would have hurt you more than me." She turned the book around hoping she'd be able to see it under the moonlight.
Seizing the book with both hands, Shel began to read, not noticing if it bothered Vel that the pamphlet was no longer within her own grasp. It took some time in the darkness, but once the she-orc made out all of the words, she nodded in attentive recognition.
"Show me where," was all she replied, nonchalantly handing the writings back to Vel as she expected to see what this woman spoke about exactly. Shel wanted to see where and how Vel had been hurt.
Vel frowned a little under the hood but didn't take the book back till it was offered. She shifted under the orc's gaze before shaking her head quickly scrawling across the book that there really wasn't a need, she was perfectly fine. Turning the book quickly for the women to see before she could insist.
Shel had never seen Vel act so insistent as she did now… but she understood. So the orc placed her hands on her knees to stabilise herself as she stood to her feet, signalling that she meant to depart. It was late, so perhaps it was better that the library was not opened at this time. Rest was needed. Peace was needed.
"All right. Well, anyways, I really must sleep now," the orc murmured in a lengthy yawn, one that seemed a bit melodramatic. "I am heading to the stables," Shel informed Vel, not wanting to be too abrupt in her departure. "Will you return to the Annex?" she questioned rhetorically, this time only expecting body language as a response.
Vel relaxed a bit, watching the women push herself to her feet. She nodded quietly to her question. She wished she could express her appreciation for the concern, and to wish the women a good night, or at least a restful sleep.
Nodding towards the Annex, Shel uttered a quiet "well, go on then..." before she headed off towards the stables to check on Lu. Of course, the boar was right as rain and still snuggling the elk—just as she had been when Shel had left her. But now there was a sleeping giant in the mix, too.
Hesitantly, Shel tip-toed towards Balder to nestle up, positing herself slowly beside him to clutch on to his arm as he slumbered. Perhaps it was dangerous to lie like this beside one of his kind, but Shel did not care about hazard right now. The ache for any sort of comforting physical contact was just too strong, so risk was worth it to feel warm as she drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.
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