Avalaon

Familiar Hell or Unknown Heaven?

Shaking his head gently, Vin smiled. "Just be there to meet her. You can do that for me. It will do her good to see you and know that you are alright. It will allow her closure and set her mind at ease. Sometimes when we don't know what happens to something, our minds can't ever let it go. I'm sure she's still wondering. I'll be happy when she knows this particular mystery had a happy ending."

Rising, he offered his hand to Ezner. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Ezner."

Familiar Hell or Unknown Heaven?

Vin gave the young man a smile, reaching over and patting him on the arm gently. "Elisabeth was never who she was supposed to be in Viden. We hated taking her away from there but she needed to connect to people and she wouldn't have if we had stayed. It makes me happy to know that you two made a real connection and that she helped you. I know it will make her happy too."

In response to the name of the ship, Vin rose and found his way over to another table, shuffling some papers around. "Ah, here it is. 'Star of Scalvoris', due to arrive on the 38th of Ashan. She should already be at sea if she made the boat."

Familiar Hell or Unknown Heaven?

Vin sat and watched the young man with interest. He couldn't quite imagine what trouble he could have been in but that wasn't here or there.

As Ezner asked about Elisabeth, the academic nodded. "We got a letter from her a few trials back. She was intending on sailing from Scalvoris back to Rharne, arriving on Ashan 38 supposedly. Said she had something to talk to us about so I'm not sure what that's all about but I guess we will find out."

Noting Ezner's discomfort, he felt compelled to offer the younger man something. "Ezner, you made an impact on her. She wouldn't speak of it much but I do know that she considers you a friend. You don't hurt that much for people who you don't care about. I know that she will be beyond excited to know that you are alright."

Familiar Hell or Unknown Heaven?

The man stood in the doorway and listened to what Ezner had to say, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I'm sorry to say that Elisabeth isn't here right now. She's been out of Rharne for a bit now. Wait a minute. Did you say your name is Ezner? I remember that name. She mentioned you."

His eyes lit up a bit in recognition, motioning the man to come inside. "Might as well come in and get warm. Ashan may be better than Cylus but it's still nippy out there." Closing the door behind him, Vin led Ezner to a small table in the kitchen, offering him a seat. Everything in the room was just as Ezner would remember from his night with Elisabeth. The fireplace softly crackling. smells of food permeating the house...and yet one thing was different. The couch. The couch in front of the fireplace was different. It wasn't Ezner's couch.

Vin took a seat and regarded the young man. "I suppose I should tell you the story from the start. Elisabeth came to me one day, upset. This was...A few 10-trials into Zi'da, I think. Before she left. She told me that she had met you in the Earth Marketplace and that you were in trouble. She wouldn't elaborate and I knew better than to push. But she said you vanished and that it had been a whole season since seeing you. I don't know what kind of trouble you were in...but she thought it was enough that you probably were dead. It broke her to pieces. She blamed herself...and that's why she came to talk to me. Elisabeth felt like she needed to tell someone. Soon after our conversation, she left with some friends of hers to visit Viden and Scalvoris. I think she just needed some time away from Rharne. A lot happened last cycle."

Familiar Hell or Unknown Heaven?

The door opened and who answered was most assuredly not Elisabeth. A handsome, middle-aged man smiled at the visitor, holding on to the door. "Well, hello. What can I do for you?"

Blankets, Breakfast, and Blue Eyes

As he moved over to the chest, her cerulean eyes followed him, curious to see what he would do. Elisabeth watched as he pulled out his clothing and laid it out, just so. It was easy to see that he was not well versed in colors or anything – and why would he? It was of no matter. That was something easily taught.

When he took her hand and led her to the ornate bathroom, her eyebrow arched a bit, unsure why she was being taken there. That became perfectly clear as he began to disrobe. Elisabeth’s first instinct was to turn away to give him privacy, but the fact was, he had brought her in there. He wanted her there, for whatever reason. She could not know that slaves often had no shame about their bodies but given enough time, the young woman would probably figure it out. All she knew in that moment was that he wanted her with him, and she wouldn’t deny him that or give him any indication that she was uncomfortable. She did a brief pass over his body to make sure that he looked healthy, which he did. Other than that, she tried to keep her eyes elsewhere without attracting too much attention to the fact that she was.

And he wanted a story. Oh boy.

Elisabeth had stories. A lot of stories. But most of them were not stories she really felt Ezner would appreciate right then. Oh, well, I visited some caverns that were filled with flame monsters that were intent on wiping out Rharne…or maybe I was burned alive trying to pass my Defiance initiation? The young mage was certain those would not be well received.

What the Beneath could she actually tell him? Broad strokes.

“Well, went to a formal Ball? It was open to everyone in the city and I had never been to something like that before. Really, all you do is dress up in fancy clothes, eat and talk to people. I knew a few people there, so it was alright. I danced a little, but I am not very good. I am sure I probably stepped on toes more than anything.”

She watched as he slipped into the cold water, shivering in response, realizing how cold the water had to be. Elisabeth searched her brain for anything else she could say that might have a positive impact on the situation. “Oh, I went to Viden. It was nice to go back there and visit for a bit. I think I’ve finally realized that while I will always have fond memories of the city, I can make new ones anywhere. I went to Scalvoris after that for a time. A lot of new experiences there. And then I came back to Rharne and you found me.” Ending on the positive note of them reconnecting hopefully would distract him from the fact that there were very large gaps in her stories.

Blankets, Breakfast, and Blue Eyes

Elisabeth had to admit – no one affected her like Ezner. He had, without even trying, found a vulnerable place in her heart. She wasn’t sure how it had happened either. Maybe it was because the young woman had felt so helpless, powerless to assist him in his previous situation. Maybe it was because they had met before any of the changes in her life had happened. When she was with Ezner, she was still that frightened girl in a new city that with no friends. He had seen the truest form of Elisabeth, which was very unlike the version that he saw before him.

Could he see the difference? Did he sense how different she was?

She knew inside the vast change…and also knew that eventually, she would have to confess things that scared her. How would he react to some of the things she had done?

There was no point worrying about it though. He was there and that was all that mattered right then. As his hand slipped up to her cheek to wipe the tear away, Elisabeth was reminded of their first meeting. With no reason to trust her, he had done the same thing and comforted her. He had lived horrors and yet, Ezner had been there for her. It was then that his eyes found their way to hers and he voice spoke. She didn’t need to hear his words – his eyes told her everything she needed to know. She wanted to say something in return but didn’t quite trust her voice.

She listened as tried to sort out what she had written. Elisabeth loved the excitement in his voice as he sounded out the letters and figured out the words. He held the letter close to his chest, claiming it to be a gift…which gave Elisabeth an idea. Looking around, she found another sheet of paper and quickly composed a letter. Folding it up, she handed it to him, smiling. “Something for you to work on in your spare time…but don’t read it now. Wait for a moment when you are feeling unsure.”

Blankets, Breakfast, and Blue Eyes

Sighing softly, Elisabeth realized that she still wasn’t reaching him. Why did she have such trouble helping those she cared about? It never worked the way she needed it to. The young woman wanted magic words that would take his pain away. Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away before he had the chance to see them. He didn’t need her tears anymore.

In the past, he had always given her his eyes. That was the way she knew he was listening to her…but he refused now. His hand found hers though and before she knew it, his arms were around her, holding her tightly as if she would vanish again. Elisabeth closed her eyes and just allowed him to take whatever he needed, gently setting her hands against his hips, speaking softly. “I’m here, Ezner. I’m not going anywhere. I promise I’m here.”

When he released her, he still wouldn’t look at her but at least he was speaking, and his pace had slowed. They were going to his room apparently. Squeezing his hand back, she followed him through the massive house. Nothing really made an impression on her besides the sheer size of the house and how lonely he must be without. Reaching her other hand over, she clasped his between both of hers, squeezing hard. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you.”

As soon as they arrived in his bedroom, she noticed that it seemed to be the only room lived in. The blanket. The fireplace. But he pulled her over to the desk and showed her the paper. Letting her hands slip over the surface, Elisabeth smiled. Taking the paper from his hand gently, she quickly found a writing instrument and set to work.

While some would have corrected his work, changing the ‘z’ for an ‘s’, she wouldn’t have changed a single thing about it. Not in a million arcs. Folding up the paper, she created a straight line directly below his sentences and wrote her own in a beautiful, flowing script.

“My name is Elisabeth…and Ezner found me.”

Blankets, Breakfast, and Blue Eyes

Squeezing his hand after he said he would try, she smiled and spoke some words to him. “Blankets. Breakfast. Blue. You have more things of happiness than you realize, Ezner.”

She watched him change before her eyes. It had been obvious from the start that he was struggling, but the closer they got to the house, and within the house, the more distant he became, more he slipped into the man she knew before. Elisabeth wasn’t going to let that happen. Squeezing his hand again, she leaned into him, trying to let her words pierce whatever darkness he found himself in. “You promised to never be lost from me again. Come back to me. I’m here.”

Once they entered the house, the man with her began to race through it, pulling her along. Her sapphire eyes noted the effect it was having on him. Before long, in the room that was clearly an empty library, she stopped, forcing him to stop and turn to face her. Elisabeth was there to help him and help she would. Her voice was soft, perhaps even a whisper. “Stop. You are running through here…and I understand why. But you don’t need to. I agree – this place is much too large for you. You’ve been alone. You aren’t anymore though. I’m right here, standing in this house with you. You can feel me. You can hear my voice. You can see me. Ezner, you need to start understanding that. Think about what you were enduring when we first met versus right now. You found me. This is a good thing.”

She wasn’t sure how much he would understand, but she made a decision then and there, but remembered suddenly that it wasn’t her decision to make. It was their decision. “I think that you should collect enough clothing that you can stay at my house for the time being. It’s obvious you need some rest. Once you feel better, we can figure out how to deal with this house. But that’s just my opinion. I need to know how you feel about it. But not now. Let’s get your clothing and go back to my house. Once we had some food and are able to settle, maybe you’ll know what you want to do?” Her hand was still within his, giving him whatever support and warmth he needed.

Blankets, Breakfast, and Blue Eyes

She heard his whisper…but it wasn’t enough for her. He had been alone for a while and that thought tore her up, that she hadn’t been there to help him when he needed it. But she was now, and nothing was going to stop her from being a force of good in his life. Someone he could count on. Elisabeth’s hands remained over the tattoo, breathing deeply in and out before speaking again. “When you start feeling the tattoo affecting you, stop…take a deep breath…and remind yourself of something that doesn’t represent anything to do with the experience you had. Anything. Something small that you can conjure up in your mind. Something that when you think of it, makes you happy. Every time. Like, a flower…. or a book. It must be meaningful to you though.”

His wrists, she saw him flinch, but her hands had continued their path. Gentle fingers slowly worked warmth against the scars. It was that moment she felt a familiar sensation from the trials of their first meeting. It had been the first time in her young life that Elisabeth had ever felt the power of true rage. Regardless of Ezner being freed, that storm was still there, questioning why he had needed to live that life at all. Why anyone needed to. Her sapphire eyes found his, fingers still comforting as her voice conveyed her thoughts. “Same thing. You can pick a different memory or thing…but sometrial, I promise you, these scars will no longer bring you pain.”

He had replied to her comment about telling her what he was thinking in an odd manner, so clarification, she felt, was needed. “I want you to tell me things because you want to, not because you feel you need to. You do not need to tell me anything. I will never force you to do that.“

Smiling as she felt something against her hand, finding his fingers tangling with hers, and a soft squeeze. Giggling a bit, Elisabeth gave him a warm smile. “Hey, that’s my move. I suppose it’s alright if you borrow it ever now and then."

And they walked together, hand in hand, until he led her to a gate and large house. Eyes lifting at the sheer size of the place, Elisabeth silently wondered why he would have been given such a large place, having come from what he had. His sentiments only confirmed that belief. The young woman completely understood now the problems he had been facing in her absence. “Oh Ezner…I’m so sorry. I think I understand now. But, I will help you make this better.”

She allowed him to open the door but refused to let go of his other hand. No. He needed to feel her presence and know he wasn’t alone. Squeezing his hand hard, she nodded. “Ready. Let’s face it…together, shall we?”

Her smile was warm and bright. Maybe by being with him, she could bring a bit of light to the darkness his home had inflicted on his soul.