Like a trained soldier, Liz held a rigid posture as she waited. Patience was a virtue this woman most definitely had, though her eyes narrowed minutely as the silence continued. She could only study the subject before her for so long before her mind wandered.

[i]Coins jingled as the bag in Liz's hands was set on the table, and the quiet whistle of her brother mingled with the sound to create a momentary melody. He had always been the nosy sort. His fingers found the opening, tugging until the mound of golden coins within were revealed.

"Another noble off the list, I take it?"

Elizabeth nodded, moving without hesitation to clean her weapons and her gear. "Another power shift, another fresh round of contracts."

She sounded almost bored, and the truth behind that bland tone of voice was quite on point. She had been doing this for years...centuries. Their longer life span, deemed potential immortality, had left Liz following the same career path for so long it wasn't producing quite the same level of thrill. The tension of a new assassin...constantly considering the best methods, the best move, the right times... that was no longer necessary. Liz had exceeded the professionals at this point, confident enough she'd become capable of completing a contract in less than a day. 

Her brother was all to aware of the fact, and perhaps that was what motivated the raven-haired man to waggle the official looking parchment in his hands teasingly. "Maybe it's time you explore your options, Lizzy." 

Her eyes narrowed as she reached out to snatch the parchment from him. "I hate when you call me that." There was only a momentary glare as the woman took hold of the message. It wasn't yet opened, leaving her unsure how Sam may have been aware of its contents. The seal was ornate, twisting designs leading to a centralized symbol that looked vaguely familiar. It was already tattered looking. Messages coming in and out of their kingdom were often delayed. Few travelers were willing to move into the dark, pine forests of the southern lands, and even fewer Lycians were willing to go out and retrieve incoming messages.

Liz settled herself in a large armchair, the fireplace before her roaring and casting an orange glow over the dark wax that bound her letter. Silken thread dangled from the wax, a metallic charm bearing a similar symbol. It looked royal. As the seal was broken and the parchment opened, Sam bounced over toward the chair, reading right over his sister's shoulder without shame. She either didn't care, or was too surprised by the contents to pay much attention to her brother.

The letter was long, delicate looping script describing an elven kingdom Liz had heard of only in the storybooks. She would go on to describe the letter as a request to attend the dark elven court, though the words contained within the letter were nothing short of a demand. There was no denying the elven queen thought highly of herself. 

It was an experience Liz would not soon forget. The opportunity to utilize her skill set in a different environment entirely had been enticing by itself, but the offer to expand upon her rumored affinity for shadow magic had been the true motivation to make the final decision. When she met the Dark Queen herself there had been no doubt she made the right decision, yet her introduction to the Queen's consort had been another experience entirely.[/i]

Idle magic had been brewing as the memories danced about her mind's eye. Shadow magic tainted by the light-magic forms often presented as varying shades of violet, yet the magics that now furled around Liz were undoubtedly pure. Perhaps to some they would be deemed black, but there was a depth there that made the word seem inadequate. There was no light where this smokey substance slithered about her form, it was an absolute absence of it. A void. An abyss. Thin, smoke-like tendrils danced about her shoulders and arms, slithering over her form as if offering an old friend a wholehearted embrace.

Thortan's whistle had snapped Liz back to the present, and the shadows dissipated with a soft, curious whispering sound. She blinked once as she caught up with her surroundings, forgetting to be irritated that she had been whistled at like a dog being told to come. She had moved toward him without question, leaving their newcomer to consider his options at his own pace. He would catch up, eventually.

[@Cerces22]