[center][color=a2d39c][h3][i]Sorici Amberra[/i][/h3] [sub]Bride of Cuwarr Naxremis [@Cubix], sister-bride to Kalani Solle [@karamonnom][/sub][/color][/center] Sorici awoke, slightly confused as she realized she was alone in the massive bed. She feigned sleep for a moment while she tried to get her bearings. So Kalani was awake already, as was Cuwarr… Both were standing at the foot of the bed, talking quietly. She sat up, sleepily stretching and yawning, and rose to her feet, walking to Cuwarr’s other side. Taking her cues from Kalani, she folded her fingers into Cuwarr’s other hand, though the move was not nearly so graceful and natural as Kalani’s had been. She kept her face carefully blank, listening to Kalani questioning Lord Cuwarr. [hr] [center][color=f0a446][h3][b]Siadamkiru “Sia” Beneni[/b][/h3] [sub]Wife of Sorrin Lucielle [@WeepingLiberty] and Onyx Briyll [@Vesuvius00][/sub][/color][/center] Sia had applied the salve that Sorrin had offered to Onyx’s neck, then taken and chewed the leaves offered to her. Instantly the pain had dulled, then gone away entirely. She gave a smile of thanks to the little Gem girl. [color=f0a446]“Thank you, Sorrin. I will have Meiva look us over in the morning, when we regroup, but I’m sure your sister-bride will rest easier thanks to your medicine. As will I. It is a very useful skill you have – I will do my best to get you an instructor in medicine, if you would like.”[/color] Her eyes were suddenly finding it hard to focus. Sia couldn’t help but yawn. [color=f0a446]“Sleep now, Sorrin. You two could share the bed, if you wanted? I’ll take the sofa. We have an early start tomorrow.”[/color] ~~ It was just past dawn when Sia’s eyes snapped open. She quickly dressed in breeches and a soft wool tunic, donned her mail armor, fastened her cloak, and then went to rouse the girls, gently shaking their shoulders. First Sorrin, then Onyx. [color=f0a446]“Girls, it’s time to wake up. We’ll go to the great hall and grab raisin bread and turnovers to take on our way, but then we must leave.”[/color] [hr] [center][color=fda5e7][h3][i]Aerienna “Aery” Cassiel[/i][/h3] [sub](Former) Bride of Lugft Huron [@agentmanatee], sister-bride to Atallia Faeron [@NarcissisticPotato][/sub][/color][/center] Aery rolled over groggily, trying to free herself from the tendrils of sleep. Of course, then pain shot through her and she jolted fully awake, choking on a cry. It took a moment for things to catch up to her, at which point she curled back over on her side, tears streaming down her face. Hazy thoughts of the previous night were filtering back in through her head. Very unpleasant ones. She shifted, cringing as her bruised body folded, and squinted at her sister bride who was seemingly still passed out. Lugft was nowhere to be seen but – Wait. Nowhere to be seen… She dragged herself off the bed, legs crumpling under her and sending her down onto the flagstones. Faintly crying, though she bit her lip to muffle the sound, the girl pulled herself back to some semblance of standing, wobbling to her basket of clothing. She quickly pulled on the softest sweater and skirt she had, cringing as the gray wool chafed and stuck against the raw, burned-in handprint on her stomach. As quietly as she could, she picked up her basket and wobbled to the door, easing it open. She looked back to Tal’s sleeping form, tears coming to her eyes. [color=fda5e7]“I’m sorry, Tal…”[/color] she whispered, and then slipped out the door. [color=fda5e7]“I will come back and set you free.”[/color] She hurried down the hallway as well as she was able, stockinged feet making little sound. If it wasn’t for the bloodstain on her sweater top, or the panicked, wild look in her eyes, one might have mistaken her for a bride simply sent to fetch breakfast. She somewhat had no idea where she was going, but she headed away from the thick smell of blood, and away from the noise in the great hall. Up flights of stairs, looking back and making absolutely certain there was no one following her. She darted around in the shadows, finally ducking into another corridor, and breathing a sigh of relief, slumping against the wall. Then she was startled by a loud voice saying “Who goes there?” She whirled, stumbling and nearly falling, as she turned to face the guard who’d spoken. He seemed to do a bit of a double-take. “Lady Aymiria? How in Drun’s name did you get past me?!” Er… wha? [color=fda5e7]“I’m n-not Miry.”[/color] Wait, that wasn’t what she was supposed to say. [color=fda5e7]“Erm, I am Miry. Yes. Totally so.”[/color] Her brain was not cooperating. The guardsman frowned, suddenly suspicious, but was saved from answering by the door to the girls’ room bursting open. [hr] [center][color=c2a5fd][h3][i]Aymiria “Miry” Cassiel[/i][/h3] [sub]Bride of Zakroti Unalim [@darkwolf687], sister-bride to Kasari Liesma [@WeepingLiberty][/sub][/color][/center] Miry woke up, a little disoriented. She was snuggled against something warm, a bit larger than her. Then the events of the previous night caught up to her and she panicked for a moment, then relaxed as a little lizard opened one eye and grumbled at her. Right. She was sharing a bed with Kasari and must have snuggled up to the taller girl in her sleep. It was awfully warm and cosy, what with Bunny pressed between them and Leo draped across both of them. She couldn’t seem to think of what had woken her up so suddenly – Oh. A sharp insistent… tugging at the back of her mind. Wait. Tugging? That meant… Aery was either nearby, or in danger. Or both. Another tug and Miry carefully extricated herself from Kasari and Leo and hurried to the door. Another tug, sharper than the last one, as she heard the raised voice of a guardsman and what sounded like – her sister’s voice? Miry flung the door open, entirely not expecting to see her sister. She shoved past the dumbstruck guard, adrenaline making her motions a lot stronger than usual. Then she flung her arms around her sister, which caused the slightly-bigger twin to cry in pain and stumble against the wall. In horror Miry recoiled, terrified of hurting her sister, and then wrapped her arms around her again, more gently, taking the basket and carefully guiding Aery into the room. She glared at the guard, who had moved as though he was going to argue. [color=c2a5fd]“Do not disturb us until my lord Zakroti comes.”[/color] The words surprised her, and apparently surprised the man-at-arms too. She took advantage of that stricken moment to slam the door shut in the guard’s face. The moment they were inside the room, Aery broke down, sobs wracking her small frame. Miry caught her, carefully holding her twin, taking the few steps to the couch before helping Aery down onto it, curling her body so that she was still cradling the bigger twin. She inadvertently trailed her fingers over Aery’s burned stomach, who choked, biting her lip to stifle the cry. Miry tensed, hands going to the faintly damp fabric at Aery’s stomach, carefully starting to undo the buttons. Aery shook her head, whole body trembling, but Miry was insistent at undoing the buttons. When she was confronted by the burned area, she just stared for a long moment, rage making her go pale. Finally with a flick of her hand she called the remaining water from the pitcher, spreading it over the wound which caused Aery to tense up, but then relax as the area numbed itself. Miry carefully buttoned her twin’s blouse again, then wrapped her arms around Aery slowly, pressing her lips against her sister’s forehead in a tender way, carefully rocking her. Aery whimpered again, nuzzling against Miry’s chest as though trying to hide. Miry didn’t know what to do, there was nothing she could say… well… She started humming a tune, the lilting melody that had been the theme of the girls’ favorite play. Aery fell asleep sometime during it, thankfully, but Miry just kept humming and rocking her, waiting for the inevitable knock on the door and the need to explain herself. And plotting, of course – always plotting. That burn on her sister’s stomach, the tears and the way she’d folded herself up… whoever had hurt her so badly would need to pay. In blood and tears. [hr] [hider=summary] [color=a2d39c][b]Sorici:[/b]Wakes up disoriented, mechanically forces self to appear to be romantically attached to Cuwarr. [/color] [color=f0a446][b]Siadamkiru:[/b]Thanks Sorrin for her medicine and offers to find a mentor for her. Sleepsleep, then waking-up montage. Not going to puppet anyone through.[/color] [color=fda5e7][b]Aerienna:[/b]Takes her chances and runs – as luck would have it, finds Zakroti’s people.[/color] [color=c2a5fd][b]Aymiria:[/b] Rescues Aery, sweeping her away from the prying of guardsmen, and calms her down. Plots revenge on Lugft.[/color] [/hider]