"Chance Encounter" by Jessica M. Jordan

Players: Kalev Tique (Amanda Jones) and Rune Sareth (Jsong, me)

Rune Sareth (Jsong)
(10/6/2003 7:18:11 PM)
Rune limped visibly. He was favoring his right leg - one could not be so sure from a distance if it was his knee, his ankle, or his foot.. Perhaps all three? He was not usually the sort of person who allowed anyone to see his weaknesses, and when he reached that particular section of the street he attempted to right his stride. He failed miserably, and almost stumbled when he put his full weight on his right leg. There must be a rune he knew to cast to alleviate the pain - but he couldn't quite concentrate enough to remember it. Perhaps that had been Melody's aim.
He had not seen her angry towards himself in quite some time. Years, and years. Of course, it had not been until the day previous that he had chosen to let someone into their sanctuary - their one place to be themselves. He had tried to explain to his mentor, to make her see - but her eyes did not chose to see. They chose to harshly accuse and punish. She hadn't lifted a finger, very unlike her. She had relied totally on her art to harm him. He glanced up away from the cobblestone and around to see if the one person he sought was in the area.

Kalev Tique (Amanda_)
(10/6/2003 7:24:50 PM)
Kalev's head came up slightly as she heard someone coming, her ears having captured the sign a bit sooner than most would have. Her eyes searched around slowly though she showed no sign of moving from her place against the wall just yet. She had been drifting in and out of thought on her projects and things she wanted to do, and had not quite reached a conclusion on what she was pondering when she had caught the sound. Well enough, she supposed, as she lifted her head fully and looked around thoroughly to find whomever it was. She probably wouldn't have wanted to know that particular answer right at this moment, anyways.
Her eyes narrowed as they found the figure and she smiled upon making it out that it was Rune, realizing that she had been hoping to see him again. She watched him for a long moment, then realized that he didn't look quite right... a bit off-balance he was tonight. Frowning, she pushed off the way and made her way towards him with measured steps, not wanting to disturb him muchly had he rather be alone.
"Rune?"

Rune Sareth (Jsong)
(10/6/2003 7:29:53 PM)
A relieved sigh escaped his lips. "Kalev."
He smiled at her as best he could and gestured to a small thigh high wall bordering one of the shops, and made his way there - trying his best to not give his pain completely away. Sitting would ease it, at least he hoped it would. He kept his eyes on the ground in front of him to be careful, but when he got close to the wall he turned his attention to her, a much more pleasent vision.
"How are you tonight? I thought I cautioned you against this area." It had become custom for him to remark on her choice of location. He gave her a small grin, and then grimaced as he sat down. He stretched out his right leg, trying not to bend it too much.

Kalev Tique (Amanda_)
(10/6/2003 7:33:18 PM)
"I am doing quite well, Rune. And you did, and you should be relieved to know that I only just arrived and have not been lingering here for a long time." She smiled warmly upon seeing him, though her eyes were slightly shadowed as she saw that something was indeed wrong with him, as much as he tried to hide it. Wondering what had happened to him, she followed him over to the wall and pushed herself up onto it, settling comfortably next to him.
Adjusting her cloak around her, she peered over at him with a bit of a frown on her face, her eyes studing his own face for a long moment before speaking. "You don't seem to be doing well, though."

Rune Sareth (Jsong)
(10/6/2003 7:39:59 PM)
Of course she had noticed. He had wanted her to. He glanced around himself out of habit, seeing only a few other forms on this questionable street. But she won a smile from him when she revealed that she had only just gotten here. But then again, it was earlier than Rune usually came to this section of the City. Mostly running his mentor's errands, but lately.. Just because he wanted to.
"Remember those stairs up to my place?" He grinned and gave a shake of his head to indicate that he'd fallen down them, even though he'd been graceful enough ascending them with Kalev the previous evening.. Though, were he to reveal his leg - there would be no marks on it. He had worn loose pants just in case it would ease the pain, but it hadn't. He wore his usual close fitting shirt and his dark green cloak. The crossing bands across his chest held a dagger on his back, a new addition to his attire. His boots were absent, in their place, soft chamber slippers that seemed to be fit exactly for him, which they were.

Kalev Tique (Amanda_)
(10/6/2003 7:45:42 PM)
Her eyes warmed at his grin and his explanation, and she chuckled a bit, shaking her head at him. She took what he said at face value, as she did with everyone she met until they gave her reason to do otherwise. Kalev's sense of trust got her into more than her fair share of scrapes, but the times that it paid off and been true had far outnumbered the times she had gotten hurt by it. She saw no reason to change her approach now.
"Grown clumsy, have we? First you trip on the sidewalk and now you fall down the stairs. Perhaps I should teach you the fine art of walking sometime?" She grinned, her eyes dancing as she teased him. Relaxing next to him, she drew one leg up and hugged it to her chest, resting her head atop the knee so she was looking at him. She was dressed in her usual breeches and tunic, the soft material of the shirt the same hue as her eyes. Nothing else was apparant upon her, save a small pouch hanging from the leather cords she wore as a belt.
"Of course, you would have to quit hurting yourself long enough to learn it."

Rune Sareth (Jsong)
(10/6/2003 7:53:30 PM)
The fact that she accepted his lie so readily was troublesome to Rune. His expression went a bit distant, picturing Melody's face when he had returned to their residence. She had a right to be angry, it was her house, her home. He was allowed to live there, as she had put it yesterday. He turned his concentration back on Kalev, she was in his present, right before him. And she deserved his attention.
"Perhaps you should. You seem to be quite adept at it. It was a particularly nasty fall. I fear I shan't ever be able to walk straight again." He grinned at her teasing - it allowing him to take his mind off the pressing pain. "Tell me your day?" He drew up his good leg, his left, in almost a mirror pose of Kalev's. The exception being his right leg staying exactly where it was except for a slight shifting that he managed to keep painless. He lowered his head onto his knee and tilted her head at her playfully.

Kalev Tique (Amanda_)
(10/6/2003 7:59:58 PM)
She laughed softly at his comment about his leg, her head shaking a bit in mock exasperation. "Then if that is the case, I shall offer myself as a crutch to help straighten you out. I seem to be about the right height for that sort of thing."
She winked, the smile continuing to play across her lips as she mused over her day and whether or not it was worthy of retelling. But he had asked, and she saw no real reason not to tell him about it. It wasn't as if she were anything exciting or she had done anything extraordinary, but it was conversation. And she found herself growing to like her talks, her time with Rune more and more.
"It wasn't very eventful, I'm afraid. I got up and took a bath, got dressed and had a bite to eat. And then I started my mindless wanderings about the city. I played with a few children, entertained a few travelers as they were picnicing in one of the gardens, and happened across one of the loveliest little stores I have ever seen anywhere." She grinned, patting the pouch that rested at her hip with slender fingers. "And then I came here, and now I sit with you. A pleasant ending to a happy enough day."

Rune Sareth (Jsong)
(10/6/2003 8:06:45 PM)
His already flushed cheeks went a deeper shade of red and he smiled at her. He hated deceiving the woman before him - it was a new development. He had been brought up in the ideal that lies and deceit were needed to survive. He couldn't picture Kalev telling a fib, much less an outright lie. He noted that she did not ask how his day was, since it was obviously painful.
"I wouldn't object to using you as my crutch, Kalev, not at all. Children? Sounds like fun." He had never had experiences with children. He had seen them around, it was a City after all. There were bound to be children running around. But he had never specifically interacted with any. The thought of children had never entered into his future plans. He was meant to be a true force as a mage, not a father.
"What shop? What did you purchase?" Was he being forward and nosey? Perhaps, but he had let his guard down with her - and thought Kalev had let hers down as well. Perhaps the woman hadn't had any guard up to begin with? Naive, perhaps. But amazing.

Kalev Tique (Amanda_)
(10/6/2003 8:13:35 PM)
She grinned, shifting a bit to untie the strings the held the pouch to her belt. "Yes, children. And they are quite fun. I've been teaching a few of them how to play the flute, a smaller version than the one I have so it better fits their hands. You would get a laugh out of them I imagine, they are definitely full of surprises."
Her fingers brought the pouch around in front of her and she fiddled with the strings that bound it shut, glancing up at him as she did so. "And the shop was a little one on a street not far from here. I would have almost passed it by had not I nearly collided with a gentlemen coming out of it. It seems that an older man has taken an interest in tales that travelers and adventures bring with them into the city. He's offered a place for them to scribe, or have scribed, their most interesting stories in his shop. And then he offers them to the public for them to view or buy. The price of the story only pays for the cost of the material, so he isn't making any money off of someone else's story."
She upended the now opened pouch onto the palm of her open hand, spilling out its contents. Two minature, leather-bound books landed in it, each about a half-inch thick and four inches wide. "These are two that caught my eye. I'm hoping to one day turn them into songs of some sort."

Rune Sareth (Jsong)
(10/6/2003 8:19:53 PM)
Children's antics would definatley catch him off guard. He wondered how his mentor had delt with him as a child and grinned.
"That's very interesting! What are the stories about that you purchased?" Would anyone want to purchase his story one day? He doubted it would be a particularly pleasing one. Though it had been an interesting story so far, he had seen countless places and things that would make a commoner faint. He highly doubted that his life would ever be set to music, though he hoped to be held in high reguard in his future.
His eyes automatically went to the bindings of the books, since he rebound all his books periodically. They were of good quality stitching, but the thickness would do the pages some damage in time. "You might want to recopy those if you want to keep them around." He blinked as his senses picked up another person lingering in their area. Kalev really shouldn't frequent this place, she would come to be known.
"Would you mind if I secreted us away to another, more pleasent location?" He grinned at her. "Not that I intend on walking." He wondered if last night was the first time she'd traveled magically.

Kalev Tique (Amanda_)
(10/6/2003 8:28:55 PM)
"The first one is about a man's adventure into the lair of a lioness in search of one of her cubs. It becomes quite comical towards the middle of it, and by the time I reached the end of the story I discovered that he was in fact, talking about his mother-in-law when he chose to try and date her daughter." She grinned, holding up the first of the books before gesturing to the second. "This is a more serious one, concerning a traveling party that slowly dwindled away to just one young man. Each town he came to, something drew one of his companions away from him till only he was left, searching for something to draw him away from the pain he felt in his loneliness. It's sad, and from what I could gather, he still hadn't found what he was looking for when he wrote it."
Her eyes focused for a moment upon their bindings before she carefully tucked them away again, retying the pouch to her belt. "Copying them sounds like a good idea. Perhaps I shall engage your help with the task when I am ready to do it. And as for being spirited away... be my guest. The choice of location this evening was purely for the fact that I hoped to run into you, though I think it was more of an unconcious thought at the time."
She hadn't really grasped the notion that someone else was around, but then again all her senses had been focused upon Rune. A rather careless thing, but a happy one at the moment. "And thanks for the warning this time. You took me by a bit of surprise last evening." She grinned, reaching out to lightly wrap her hand around the lower part of his arm, ready to travel.

Rune Sareth (Jsong)
(10/6/2003 8:36:41 PM)
"I'd be glad to be of assistance. My apologies for the suddenness of our exit. My mentor had sensed you were there, and I needed to whisk you away. She doesn't take kindly to that sort of thing." He grinned at her and drew a small rune on her hand, the shape was visible as he took his hand away and allowed her to look as he drew a similar one on his own form. They dissapeared from view gradually this time. They reemerged in a very serene setting. It was one of his favorite places in the entire City, King Jeffrey's Park. He didn't know the formal title, and he didn't really care. It was there fore him to enjoy, and he would do just that. They were sitting much the same as they were when they left the street, but on a similarly shaped rock, next to the pond.
"You were looking for me? As a matter of fact, I was looking for you as well." He didn't glance around at the Park, he knew what that looked like. He was instead, trying to memorize the face before him.

((All this assuming she has no wards, magical resistance or such. *s* And if she does - feel free to alter my explanations to allow.)) Kalev Tique (Amanda_)
(10/6/2003 8:41:46 PM)
She peered curiously at the rune, and disappeared easily with him as the magic took hold. She traveled well with magic, the only thing remotely curious about her reappearance with him was the slight, almost non-existent shimmering of her cloak before it once again turned into its normal shade of dark gray.
"Then I am glad we found each other." She said softly, a smile warming her face as a blush warmed her cheeks and she looked at him for a moment, before looking around the park slowly. She had never been in this particular one, but like with the other gardens, she instantly felt more relaxed and comfortable than when she was out in the city. She peered around for a few moments, simply sitting with him on the rock before turning back to him with a content expression.
"Thank you for bringing me here. It is beautiful. And as for your mentor, I do hope that you didn't get into too much trouble. I'm sorry to have been the cause of it."

Rune Sareth (Jsong)
(10/6/2003 8:49:28 PM)
He caught the shimmer of her cloak, but did not ask for an explanation - he was holding back enough from her to allow her a single privacy.
"I am glad we've found each other as well. Quite a stoke of luck, you playing that flute while I was walking by." He could not help but wince at her mention of trouble from his mentor. Trouble was an understatement. He was amazed that she just didn't take his leg clean off. But there were more pleasent distractions at hand. He grinned at her and shifted his language to elven. It was such a clean transition from his last phrase, that a idle listener might mistake it for his native tongue. Light, almost melodious, and his properly accented words, spoke of experience beyond his visible years.
"Don't apologize. It was my own doing. Did you not enjoy yourself in my company?"

Kalev Tique (Amanda_) (10/6/2003 8:57:05 PM)
She blinked once, clearly caught by surprise with the sudden shift in languages. A smile slowly crept over her lips as her ears all but tingled at hearing the treasured language coming from this man's lips. He was indeed full of surprises she was beginning to find out, and so far not a one of them had disappointed her.
"If you believe in luck, then yes, I suppose that it was a stroke of luck. My beliefs lie in fate, and it has not discouraged me yet if it means that my playing attracted your attention." Her own language was fluid and melodious, her voice turning soft and slightly velvety as she allowed herself to sink into the tones and inflections of the beautiful language. Her face softened as well, almost as if speaking it brought out more of who she was, the delicate features of her face and being.
"I enjoyed myself in your company last evening, Rune, as I enjoy myself in it now. I do not apologize for knowing you, or wanting to know more about you. Merely for the fact that it brought a misfortune upon you."

Rune Sareth (Jsong)
(10/6/2003 9:03:33 PM)
He grinned at her reaction. Yes, this beautiful, musical language suited her. It had taken him a long while to master it, but his ease with the language did not betray that fact. He continued in her people's tongue because he saw that it pleased her.
"I'm not sure if I believe in luck. Maybe a happy coincidence? Serendipity?" He grinned at her. A happy coincidence she was indeed. "I choose to believe that what comes out of this life is what you put into it, what you aspire to, what you want to attain and hold as yours in life." His words seemed almost rehearsed, as if he's spoken then on countless occassions. He had huge plans for his future, this was plain.
"I am glad you enjoy my presence. And the misfortune was very happily received by her hand to show you more of myself." He unwittingly let the truth spill from his lips, and even gestured to his leg.

Kalev Tique (Amanda_)
(10/6/2003 9:09:11 PM)
"Then I do hope that your life has all to offer you what you wish to receive from it, my friend. I believe that you will go far, simply from seeing how well you seem to have your goals and ideals set before you. You deserve the best, and I have faith that it will come to you if you continue to work towards it." She smiled, accenting her words with a gentle squeeze of her hand to his, her slender fingers having somehow found their way over to where one of his hands rested. She blushed a bit and pulled it back, her eyebrows raising sharply at hearing the truth of what had happened to him.
"Your mentor harmed you physically? The stairs did not do it to you?" The questions were soft and curious, not harsh and accusing as one might expect at learning the truth behind a falsehood. She couldn't imagine anyone willfully harming someone they were supposed to care for. Discipline was one thing, abuse was quite another. Even so, she couldn't quite blink enough to keep a tear from welling up in her right eye and slipping down over her cheek as her gaze found his leg.
"I'm terribly sorry, Rune... does it hurt much? It is not permanent, is it?"

Rune Sareth (Jsong)
(10/6/2003 9:18:08 PM)
He watched sadly as her hand pulled away from his. Then looked up at her face, realizing that he had slipped the truth in. He sighed, this being exactly what he wanted to protect her from. She need not know this side of him. "Yes, Kalev, she did." He was unwilling to keep the charade going, it was much harder to lie to the woman in front of him than to his other aquaintences. He watched the tear fall down her cheek and hastily brushed it away with a graceful movement of his left hand - hating himself for causing her to shed it.
"It does not hurt much." A lie, the pain was more than anyone should ever know. He had gotten used to it over the years. "I don't think its permanent. That's really up to her. She'll calm down soon though, I hope... I'm sure." He put on a smile more for her benefit than his own. "She is good to me, Kalev. I owe so much..." He didn't complete that statement and shrugged almost helplessly, quite out of place for someone of such strong character.

Kalev Tique (Amanda_)
(10/6/2003 9:26:58 PM)
Her cheek tingled from where he brushed away the tear and her eyes raised up to meet his again, full of sadness for his pain and that he had to suffer such things, but also holding respect for him that he could endure and still hold his mentor in the place that he did. She nodded slowly at his explanations, studying his face for a quiet few moments before trusting herself to speak again.
"I hope that she does calm down, Rune, for your sake and for her own. I do not know what goes on in your life between you and her, the bond or the rules that hold it together, and I will not pry into it. It saddens me to see you in any pain, simply because I am growing to like you very much and I do not like for things that I value to suffer. That is your life, and I do not choose to tell you how to lead it."
She paused, looking down at her lap where her hands rested before looking back over to him once more. And then she reached out again, deliberately and conciously this time, to rest her hand atop his own. "I do choose to help you however I can or however you wish for me to, whether it to simply be company for you or to help you with some task. I like you, Rune. And while some elvish tongues may muster up some long-winded flowery description, I shall simply and honestly say that I am growing to like you more each time we talk."

Rune Sareth (Jsong)
(10/6/2003 9:35:22 PM)
He wanted to share those things with her, and he almost wanted her to pry. But she seemed content not to, so he wouldn't expand on the matter. They had other meetings, other times to talk - at least he fervently hoped they did. He left the matter simply with, "It is all I've ever known, Kalev." That was the simple truth - Melody was more a parent than he'd ever known.
He turned his palm up and took her delicate hand in his own. It was getting a bit chilly out, even with his cloak - and he murmured the audible spell for warmth, unconciously including her in it's effect. He smiled nervously at her explanation of her feelings - and was hesitant to reciprocate. His age old hold on his feelings coming into play. Revealing too much about oneself was dangerous, even to someone as seemingly innocent as Kalev was. He was still waiting for her to turn and run away as so many had done before.
"I'd welcome your company any time you choose to be in mine. This is all very new for me, you must realize."

Kalev Tique (Amanda_)
(10/6/2003 9:43:38 PM)
Her fingers wrapped gently against his own hand and she felt the warmth flow into her, covering her like a warm blanket. She smiled her thanks and nodded at his words, not willing, ready, or wanting right now to push things any farther than they had already gone.
"And I would welcome yours. I have been blessed with a fair share of friends throughout my life thus far, most who I have had to say goodbye to in one way or another. It is not always easy, this concept of friendship that folk seem to hold so dear. Elves tend to feel much deeper bonds with those they hold close to them, and they are very selective about those whom they choose to call friend. I understand their reasonings, for I was raised on them, but I also feel a loneliness at times that must linger at one point or another in every elf. And like your life is all you've ever known, mine has been much the same for myself. I work to make it better and to understand it more as time goes on."
She chuckled a bit, looking over to him with a sheepish smile as she pushed a lock of hair back behind one delicate ear. "And I am rambling, aren't I? You must get tired of hearing me talk after a while."

Rune Sareth (Jsong)
(10/6/2003 9:50:54 PM)
"Not at all, I would listen to you talk for hours on end. I enjoy hearing you speak, especially in your native tongue. Do me the honor of speaking to me in it from here on out?" He glanced upward, and noted the time by the stars progress, then back to Kalev. They would need to part soon, he had specific instructions to attend to - but he was strangely reluctant to let her hand out of his. It was all very confusing, these emotions that had not been a part of his life. He felt deep gratitude, respect, and love toward his mentor. But the things he was feeling to Kalev encompassed him quite differently. He needed time to sort this all out. Perhaps even seek the guidence of Melody in this instance, perhaps not. He felt that her guidence would lead to an unfortunate occurance - and he would not allow that.
"Forgive me Kalev. But I must leave you. I have obligations that I cannot ask you to accompany me on, as much as I wish I could." He smiled at her and lifted her palm to his face, touching it briefly to his cheek before letting it go. "We will see each other soon." A statement, not a question.

Kalev Tique (Amanda_)
(10/6/2003 9:55:05 PM)
"Then I shall look forward to it, Rune." She smiled warmly at him, giving his cheek the gentlest of caresses with her fingertips before lowering her hand back to her lap and standing from her seat on the rock, stretching her legs. She gave him a short, courtly bow and grinned at him, gesturing to his leg.
"When you have need for a crutch, m'lord, seek me out. And may the graces help with the pain, and the sun shine warmly upon your face on the morrow. Until we meet again, Rune." She spoke the words softly, in almost a song as she took one step backward and lifted her hand in a parting wave. Then she turned and stepped forward, blending quickly and effortlessly into the surroundings before she had time to miss his presence.