Gysalin discussion

This, would be Russet's old home and Amber's current one, the epitome of a dilapidated ruin. The roof leaks, making the house perpetually dank and soggy. Mildew creeps across the walls and bugs scamper to and fro. The insides are small and cramped, holes speckling the floorboards. The house seems to always be cast in darkness, never filled with quite enough light. In this house, there is no escape, forcing interaction upon the inhabitants. Everything about it seems to droop with a maudlin quality, weary of it's burdens.

A small basin of water in front of her, Amber kneels in the small clearing behind her home, thoroughly scrubbing each article of clothing. All is quiet around her, crickets chirping a soft symphony behind her. The bushes rustle, night animals scurrying about, fulfilling their nocturnal activities. A candle is placed on the dirt near her, providing her with just enough light to complete her task. The moon and stars are out tonight, too, painting the world in dark blues and soft grays, shadows flickering back and forth. In the distance, a wolf bays, a long, desolate sound. Amber bites her lip in pity. No one should be alone, not even forest animals. The girl darts a glance at her silent, decaying home. It's still inside, her mother having already retired for the night and her father...Well, being her father. He would not stumble home for another few hours, leaving Amber with a few more hours of reprieve.

Amber is back to looking down at her work when something drops out of one of the trees, landing directly in front of her. With a small screech, she skitters backwards, splashing water on herself and her assailant in the process. Her hand hovers over her heart, the organ pounding an erratic tempo beneath her fingertips.

It isn't until the candle catches a flash of copper, that Amber's heart rate starts to slow. In an instant, she's on the other side of the basin, throwing her arms around her brother. "Russet!" She cries happily, kissing his cheek while simultaneously smacking his arm. "Give a girl some warning, would you?"

One arm wrapping around her waist, Russet's chest rumbles against her ear as he speaks, low voice filled with affection and amusement. "I believe that custom dictates that one should not give forewarning when they plan on giving surprise presents."

Amber pulls away from him, arms still tightly clenched around his body as if the moment she let him go, he'd vanish. Her brother didn't visit her as often as she'd like. Amber's brows pucker together, but a smile ghosts her lips. "Present?"

"Why, yes." The arm not wrapped around her appears, twirling an orange in his palm.

Amber's eyes light up and she finally releases her brother, snatching the fruit. Hands greedy, she quickly disposes of the peel, sinking her teeth into its succulent flesh. "Mmmm, this is fantastic, Russet! How could you afford fresh fruit?" Sticky juice dribbles over her chin, but she doesn't care, too caught up in the euphoria of the fruit to bother wiping it away.

Reaching out to brush hair away from the splattering juices, Russet murmurs softly, "I can afford the world for you, Bambi."

By now, Russet and Amber have ventured a ways into the forest, the branches providing privacy and comfort. Both draw strength from the woods. The half-siblings sit on the trunk of a fallen tree, knees pressed together as they catch up.

Lightly, Amber kicks one foot back and forth, not quite able to reach the ground as her head leans against the muscle of Russet's shoulder. They're hands are clasped between them and Amber's eyes trace the freckles dotting her brother's hand. They've always sat like this with each other, ever since Amber was old enough to walk and hold her head up by herself. To her, Russet holds all the traits that her father always should have. In his presence, she is soothed and calmed, confident that with her brother at her side, she can take on the world, that no harm will ever touch her so long as Russet's there to protect her. Russet has always been the one she ran to when she cut her knee playing in the woods, or when she she needed advice.

"Russet...." Amber starts, absently reaching up and wiping the remainder of the juice away from her mouth with her sleeve. Her fingers shake. She bites her lip, hesitating. "I...I'm scared," she finally whispers, voice no more than a ghost of a sound. The girl blinks tears away. Russet always told her to be strong and she always strove to live up to her brother's approval. She wouldn't fail him now, not when this...not when this could be the last time she ever saw him. Alive.

Russet knows where this is heading, but tries to lighten his sister's mood instead. "Of what, Bambi? I promise I won't let the other forest animals bully you." His tone and the squeeze he gives to Amber's hand are both playful.

Amber smiles, a thin, wavering one despite the tears putting pressure behind her lids. "Thanks, but...The test, Russet." Her throat constricts, tight and uncomfortable. "I think I'm human," she whispers, each word almost physically painful, sealing her imminent death. There would be no more surprise oranges from Russet.

Russet's face contorts into an expression of anger, lips peeling back and jaw clenching. "That man," he replies, tone wound tighter than a corkscrew, "did not pollute you." The bandit's cobalt eyes flash in the darkness, barely controlled hostility snarling in their depths. "You're a mage, Amber. Ma's a mage and I was present the day you were born. You're a mage," Russet repeats.

Amber turns her face into Russet's shoulder, wishing that she could hide from the world, that she lived somewhere--anywhere--else. That Russet's father was hers, too. "Why can't I do any magic, then?" she mumbles into her brother's cloak. "Even if I'm not a human, I'm practically no better than one." Amber's tone is abysmal, heavy with depression.

Russet shifts, two fingers under Amber's chin as he tilts her head up to look at him. His eyes are twin diamonds set in his skull, hard and unyielding. "Listen to me. We'll figure something out. I won't let them take you from me." Russet shushes Amber when she makes to protest. "I'll give this kingdom a fight like it's never seen if they so much as try. You will not die."

It's a little frightening, the way Russet acts sometimes. His eyes burn with bright intensity, boring into Amber's, willing her to see things his way. Her father's eyes can get feverishly intense, too. But Russet always manages to maintain a sheen of intelligence and control, different from the rampant anger her father adopted. But still. It's scary to think of her brother and father in similar terms. Most of the time, they remained on opposite poles of her brain, but then there were times when the line seemed to blur, commonalities found between the two.

She hates herself a little, every time she likens her brother to the man who raised her.

Amber nods, a small movement, barely perceptible that she knows Russet will catch nonetheless. "Okay," she sighs. "You're right." She doesn't want to spend her limited time with her brother bickering, bogged down by the uncertainty the future holds. A forced smile she knows Russet will see through curves her lips. "Has anything interesting happened to you since the last time we saw each other?"

Sensing his sister's desire for a subject change, Russet launches into a humorous tale about a blind old man stumbling through the bandit's woods, and his bumbling attempts to convince the young woman at his side to elope with him. People watching keeps Russet entertained on slow nights.

Virith had heard quite a bit of their conversation whilst wandering in search of a luna moth. It was quite sad really; the girl seems very kind-- perhaps a bit to docile for her own good, but nevertheless... A frustrated sigh escapes her lips as she examines the brush. She just needs one wing. Good Goddess.

Russet's body stills, ears picking up a sound that doesn't belong to the forest or it's animals. He keeps chatting though, unwilling to give away any sort of advantage.

Amber senses the change in her brother's demeanor. Brows pulled together, she sends him a questioning glance. His eyes tell her to stay on alert.

Casually, Russet disentangles himself from his sister, standing in front of her while he continues with his story. Maybe he hadn't actually heard anything, but...The bandit spends more time in the woods than any where else, perpetually tuned into the patterns and noises the forest makes, part of the reason as to why it was so easy for him to pick out travelers. They disrupted the natural flow.

Virith's eyes alight on a moth-- iridescent minty green wings flutter on the trunk of a birch tree.

There you are~

Footsteps barely there, she begins to approach the moth, smiling triumphantly.

Russet can pick up on no other noises, but...Instincts. Russet is a man that has learned to trust his instincts and they howl that he and his sister are not alone.

Ruset sends out a small probe of magic, designed to test for sentient life. Mmm, Amber, yes, his mother, yes, woodland creatures, yes--Oh. Helloooo. What have we here?

Tossing a protective bubble at his sister, Russet flings another spell at the intruder, a stun spell. It's simple, effective, and doesn't require much energy. Perfect for his purposes.

Virith's ears flick and she slides out of her stalking stance, allowing the moth to float away.
Magic...?
She sniffs the air, turning her nose up to the breeze slightly. Hemlock and oranges. And... a much weaker scent. Similar to Roan's, but with an underlying current of something rather interesting.

Oop--!

She narrowly turns to avoid a stunning spell, pulling a dagger from thin air.

When he casts something like a stun spell and it hits, Russet can sense it, like there's an invisible string leading from his quarry back to him. This one doesn't stick.

Interesting.

Russet bares his teeth at the darkness and pulls the crossbow slung over his shoulders into ready position, just in case.

In a sing-song voice, Russet calls out to the forest, "Marco?"

"Polo...?" Virith responds cautiously, making herself visible. Her ears flick once more under her thick hair.

The ginger-headed man has a weapon. So does she. It's an even playing field.

Elf. Voice cold, Russet asks, "What are you doing in these woods?" The crossbow moves, training on her heart. It's a distraction tactic, though. The true danger to the woman lies in the invisible, what spell Russet might use, not the human weapon.

"Looking for a luna moth." Virith answers truthfully, eying the crossbow with disdain before dismissing the non-threat. "Why did you attack me?"

"Just call me a xenophobe." Mentally, Russet picks at the barrier he encompassed around Amber, searching for cracks or crevices where the elf could weasel her magic through. It's completely sealed, not one flaw able to be detected.

"I'll not. It would be inaccurate, I think." Virith observes. She can feel the barrier. It's well constructed, but unnecessary.

"If I may continue my search...?"

"No," Russet answers, taking a prowling step forward. The crossbow range is quite limited; the closer he is, the bigger punch it has. "Stay the hell out of my woods and don't return if you like having four appendages, elf."

Amber watches her brother. This is a side of Russet that she doesn't normally see. The king of bandits is out to play, animalistic and deadly. She has no doubts that if the elf made one wrong move, he really would drive and arrow through her heart.

"Russet..." she warns. "Leave her be."

"All of you mages keep calling me 'elf.' It is quite irritating. Please let me find the ingredients for this potion. I cannot promise that I will stay out of these woods, but I will keep out of your way." Virith is not above pleading for the lives of her people. Her eyes are imploring as they dart between both siblings.

Russet cocks one lazy brow. "Would you prefer wench?" He listens to the rest of her words before speaking again, ignoring the blatant plea. "No," he replies bluntly. "I saw you at the castle earlier; associating myself with the king's enemies seems ill-advised." Best for the general public to see him holding hands with the king. In actuality, he didn't give a damn who the man interacted with. But he would not have strange elves lurking near his sister.

"What do you need the ingredients for?" Amber asks, curious.

"The king's enemy. Laughable. You think he is really pulling the strings? In any case, I am not his enemy, certainly, if I am making him a sword." Turning away, the elf's red lips pulled up in a pretty smile at the younger girl. "That is why I need the ingredients, you see. I have been coerced into making a sword for the king, lest my people be killed or worse."

Amber's brows draw together sympathetically, mouth forming an, "Aww." Moving away from the log, she exits the bubble Russet made. Immediately, the magic collapses, the object it intended to protect now gone. Amber has practiced extensively with Russet; she knows how all his spells work. That one, had prevented outside forces from touching her while allowing her possibilities to attack back.

She tugs on her brother's sleeve. "Quit pestering her."

Russet shakes her off, moving to stand between Amber and the elf. His mind whirls, spurting out rapid fire calculations. She doesn't like the king. Good. She doesn't intend to stay. Good. He can potentially cut her off from what she needs. Good. She's an elf. Good.

"Let's strike a bargain."

Virith raises an eyebrow, eyes glittering with amusement. He is like a little guard puppy. "I am listening?"

Creating the illusion of nonchalance and dismissal of the elf as a threat, Russet takes a step forward, swiping a stick off the ground. In the dirt, he draws stick figures. One is of a drowning king. In another a castle is on fire. In a third, three figures stand with big grins, two girls and a boy. He keeps his eyes trained on the ground as he works, but all of his other senses are trained on the elf, muscles taunt and ready.

"First, explain to me your knowledge concerning the transmittance of magic from an elf to a mage." Best to have the facts straight first.

"An impossibility on a casual basis. But an eternally binding contract between an elf and a mage can be made." Virith's arms fold over her chest as she looks on at the drawings with barely contained amusement.

"And precisely how does it work? Does one party drain the other or does power bounce back and forth between the two of them, shared?" ((Total nerd moment. Almost used ionic/covalent bonds as a comparison.))

Gaze wary, Amber watches her brother, wondering what he's planning. Why would he want to steal an elf's powers? He's already one of the strongest mages in Gysalin.

"A link is created through elfin runes of the ancient sort and then the two sources of power, so to speak, become one power shared between the two beings." Virith explains becoming a bit leery of his thought process.

Russet looks up from the ground, meeting the elf's gaze head on. "Bind yourself to my sister and the forest is yours." His lips curl up into a mocking smile. "Think of it as the power we donate to the bond."

Amber freezes, heart abruptly pounding, palms coated with sweat. This could be it. This really could save her, if the elf agreed and wasn't lying.

She could live.

"Miss... will you tell me your name?" Virith ignores Russet for the moment, looking to his sister. This is a very serious thing-- life altering.

"Amber," the girl answers with a sweet smile. "And yours?" she asks politely.

"I am Virith. It is a pleasure Amber." The elf glances to Russet, showing her dagger very clearly, before placing it on the ground and approaching the girl. "Do you want this Amber? Will you die in that test if you do not make this link with me?"

Russet moves out of their way, placing his crossbow on the ground as a show of faith. A half-hearted one at that due to his magic, but it's something. He stays silent; sometimes you need to push and others you need to let them come to you. This is the latter.

Amber nods with all certainty. "I have magic, but...I can't access it. Really, I'm no better than a human. And I turn sixteen in less than a month...That's when I have to take the test," she adds after a pause, unsure if Virith is aware of their rituals.

"I am aware." Virith inhales subtly. "You actually have a larger magical capability than you think, little one. Something is blocking it however." Her eyes lower to meet Amber's.

"I would have been willing to make this bond with you if I had not been offered free passage through your brother's forest, but you must understand a few things about my power. I am not a normal elf, you see. I am the equivalent of a bastard child-- a very powerful one-- but a bastard nonetheless."

A bitter smile touches her lips. "I am a mixture of Fire and Winter. Depending on what your affinity is, you might end up gravitating toward fire or water. The power will be very difficult to control, as it is not of your kind, but it can be done. I am willing to teach you, if you will have my power. There may be a few other snags, I must warn you."

"Are the snags worse than death?" If the catches didn't leave his sister in eternal pain, they'd be worth it.

Ahhh. That explained Virith's unusual looks. They'd been studying elves on their last unit; she knew all about the animosity between the Nations. "Well...I just hope we start as soon as possible so that I can increase my odds of gaining enough control by my birthday."

"No." Virith shakes her head. "But the bond is intended for marriage. There will be an emotional link that might be a bit... uncomfortable. But I do not think it will adversely affect either of us. I have not found a mate in the seven-hundred years I have been alive, I do not think I will be finding one any time soon." The elf chuckles a bit. "And sharing another's thoughts is not so bad."

((Llol, if Russet and Viri were crushes. Would get so awk if Virith got hot and bothered by him...))

"I'll take it! There are worse people I could be privy to the thoughts of," Amber smiles. This is it. She'll make it. She won't be one more sad case, killed off because of her magic. She'll have Virith to help her out.

Russet raises his eyebrows. "Marriage? This link doesn't force...indelicate feelings upon the two parties, does it?" Russet wasn't quite sure what he would do if his sister became attracted to an elf, and a female, 700 plus years old at that.

"Of course not. Do not be ridiculous." Virith rolls her eyes before smiling at Amber.

"I am honored." Her ears flick as her eyes light up. "When is your birthday, little one?"

(("Viri... Why do I suddenly feel attracted to Russet...?"

"Uh..."))

((Er...All siblings get like that at some point and will either go to one of two extremes; get over it, or turn out like the Lannisters. No need to worry! ^_^'

Argh, don't pin me down by this date, cause it may change depending on how the rp turns out.))

"Twenty-three days."

"Do you need anything to form the link?" He'd send all his men scurrying through the whole kingdom to grab the necessary items.

((LLol! Kay!))

"We shall start right now, then. I do not, thank you." Virith holds out her left hand.

"Hold my wrist and I shall do the rest. This might sting a bit."

As his sister complies, Russet prowls closer, eyes narrowed. If the elf made any move that seemed to go against the ritual...He doesn't even finish the threat mentally.

Virith grasps her wrist in return, taking a deep breath.

"Iarraim ar na déithe d'aois, chun ceangal mo anam agus dá cuid do eternity chomh fada agus cónaí orainn le chéile. Is féidir linn roinnt lenár gcumhachtaí, smaointe, agus grá dá chéile. Séala ár nasc le do rian, abjure agam duit."

Her eyes seem to become illuminated, strange symbols flowing in glowing script around their feet. The same script begins to carve its self onto their wrists, taking on the appearance of an aged scar in the shape of a series of Celtic knots.

((Fen, did you pull this from some website?))

Amber gasps, gaze flickering between her arm and Virith. Imgages scrawl across her flesh, symbolizing her connection with the elf. Her flesh tingles, but there's no pain, despite the scarred appearance.

Russet can feel the magic pulsing in the air, a dull throb just beneathe his consciousness that he can't quite lock onto...Not attuned to it...But he can still taste the magic permeating the woods. Vaguely, he wonders if anyone else can.

((Kinda. Google translate.))

Warmth floods into Virith's head, sunshine and happiness tainted by a seed of doubt. "Tá sé déanta." The final words drag through her lips tiredly. She glances down at the binding rune, which flashes red and quiets, all traces of magic fading into the wind.

"That is the end of it." Her back straightens, refusing to show any trace of exhaustion.

((What language? Gaelic? Celtic? (Is Celtic a language?) Something along those lines?))

Fatigue arches through Amber, as if she had just dumped all the necessary magic into the binding ritual. Worry niggles at the back of her conscience, concern for someone...Or a group of someones. Amber guesses the leverage the king had used to coerce Virith.

Russet takes his sister's hand, examining it as he turns her to face him. His thumb traces the runes. They look like they've been there for years, not mere seconds. "How do you feel?" All of Russet is focused on his sister, concern etched into his features.

Amber shakes her head, glancing at the elf. "I'm fine, Russet." She smiles at the older woman. "Thank you, you've got no idea how much I appreciate this." Gratitude bubbles within her chest.

((Irish!))

"I went ahead and healed the markings from the runes." Virith smiles to her new partner. "They should not bother you. And I have a very good idea, little one."

She can feel gratitude, love, happiness...

((Wasn't sure if Irish was a language or not...Like Indian...))

"What is it?" Curiosity nips at Amber.

"No, Amber, a good idea of how much you appreciate this rune." A chuckle escapes Virith's lips.

"Oh...!" Amber laughs along with her binding partner. She feels giddy, excitement coursing through her veins. She's eager to see what she can do.

Russet frowns at them. "I feel left out."

Virith smirks a bit before turning to Amber once again, feeling excitement. Not hers. "Hm... I suppose he's taught you to meditate, yes?" She indicates Russet with a nod.

"Of course," Russet answers for her.

"And my teachers, too," Amber adds with a nod.

"You are aware of the block you feel that is keeping you from your powers?" Virith asks.

Amber shakes her head. "I don't know what's wrong."