(no subject)
Title: Art and Business
Prompt Set: Various #2
Prompt: 076. Art
Timeline
Walking down the hallway at the top of the stairs, she passed by several doors, those that were open revealing bedrooms, individually decorated according to its occupant's tastes but all with the undeniable stamp of courtesan on them. The door at the end of the hall looked no different from any of the others, no placard or label to mark it as unique, but pushing it open led not to a bedroom but to an office, smaller even than the bedrooms Istrel had passed, but also with the sense about it that this space belonged to a courtesan, perhaps even more strongly than in the bedrooms.
Istrel stepped inside and lightly closed the door before sitting on one of the low stools that stood before the desk. She'd been in here many times before, and as always her gaze roamed up to the painted frieze that adorned the walls along the top. As always looking at that frieze, Istrel couldn't quite decide how she felt about it. It was lovely, yes, skillfully painted and extremely detailed depictions of goddesses and gods, nymphs and heroes, but looking closer… There was a panel with Nyri bathing, pale and delicate-seeming in the moonlight, just turning her head as Arder approached her in the guise of her lover. Istrel noted, not for the first time, that the figure of Arder left a trail of reddish-tinted water in his wake as he waded out to meet her. And a couple panels down, there was Tistir on the battlefield, victorious, shining in glory, but as ever Istrel could only look at the twisted and pained painted faces of his fallen foes, lying on the churned mud of the field.
Istrel jumped, apparently more tightly wound than she thought she was, as the door swung open and Rentia strode in, inclining her head ever so slightly to Istrel in greeting. For an instant, her presence seemed to draw all air from the room and leave behind a breathless, expectant silence. The sense of that only lasted for an instant, in the time between Rentia opening the door to Rentia sitting behind her desk, but it was long enough, and Istrel had to take a slow breath, offering Rentia a slight, mild smile. Rentia smiled back coolly, though there was what Istrel felt certain had to be real affection and welcome in the smile, just properly contained.
"Istrel. I thought you might come by today." She caught the question in Istrel's eyes and smiled a little more broadly. "It's been some time. If you didn't stop by soon, I'd be forced to wonder if you were ever coming again at all."
"I had to come back," Istrel answered lightly. "You get me my clients."
Rentia's smile became faintly sardonic. "I should hope that isn't the only reason."
Istrel froze for an instant, caught in Rentia's eyes-one of the few full-blooded Kyrians in the guild, Rentia always managed to seem a work of art herself, outshining any depiction of goddesses or nymphs on her walls. If there ever were a perfect woman, Istrel thought that Rentia might well be it. "No," she said at last, and pulled out the scroll tucked into her sash, sliding it across the desk to Rentia. "I spoke to Siaph. There wasn't much useful, I'm afraid, but what he could tell me…"
"Of course," Rentia responded as she unrolled the scroll and glanced over it, rolled it up once more and set it aside. She fixed Istrel with a look that could have penetrated solid stone. "Will he let us use him?"
The question gave Istrel pause. "As a weapon?"
"Yes."
"Siaph doesn't kill people."
Rentia's expression said everything necessary. He's a mage. Mages kill people.
"Siaph doesn't," Istrel repeated, trying to add some force to her tone. It seemed to satisfy Rentia for the moment, although Istrel knew that in time they would come back to it.
"Very well. There are some clients lined up for you, if you would like to take them on…"
Istrel tensed automatically, her mind flashing back home, to the Ghost waiting there. She could not have a client around that, not when there was any chance it might be seen and word would get back to the mages. "I can't," she said quickly.
"Why not?"
She ought to tell Rentia about Skailari, she knew, ought to tell her everything, but something stopped her. She wanted nothing to do with the Ghost, wanted nothing more than for it to be gone, but Rentia… If she told Rentia, she would want to make something of it, use it. No. "There's some business I've been trying to work out, and I can't have a client around."
Rentia studied her in silence for some time while Istrel looked steadily back, though she felt as if her hands would be shaking if she unfolded them and spread them out before her. Could Rentia see the deception? Not quite lie, but not whole truth either. "Our business?"
Istrel felt compelled to sigh in relief, but she held it back, unwilling to show the slightest movement or expression that would give her away. "Yes."
Close enough, at least.
Prompt Set: Various #2
Prompt: 076. Art
Timeline
Walking down the hallway at the top of the stairs, she passed by several doors, those that were open revealing bedrooms, individually decorated according to its occupant's tastes but all with the undeniable stamp of courtesan on them. The door at the end of the hall looked no different from any of the others, no placard or label to mark it as unique, but pushing it open led not to a bedroom but to an office, smaller even than the bedrooms Istrel had passed, but also with the sense about it that this space belonged to a courtesan, perhaps even more strongly than in the bedrooms.
Istrel stepped inside and lightly closed the door before sitting on one of the low stools that stood before the desk. She'd been in here many times before, and as always her gaze roamed up to the painted frieze that adorned the walls along the top. As always looking at that frieze, Istrel couldn't quite decide how she felt about it. It was lovely, yes, skillfully painted and extremely detailed depictions of goddesses and gods, nymphs and heroes, but looking closer… There was a panel with Nyri bathing, pale and delicate-seeming in the moonlight, just turning her head as Arder approached her in the guise of her lover. Istrel noted, not for the first time, that the figure of Arder left a trail of reddish-tinted water in his wake as he waded out to meet her. And a couple panels down, there was Tistir on the battlefield, victorious, shining in glory, but as ever Istrel could only look at the twisted and pained painted faces of his fallen foes, lying on the churned mud of the field.
Istrel jumped, apparently more tightly wound than she thought she was, as the door swung open and Rentia strode in, inclining her head ever so slightly to Istrel in greeting. For an instant, her presence seemed to draw all air from the room and leave behind a breathless, expectant silence. The sense of that only lasted for an instant, in the time between Rentia opening the door to Rentia sitting behind her desk, but it was long enough, and Istrel had to take a slow breath, offering Rentia a slight, mild smile. Rentia smiled back coolly, though there was what Istrel felt certain had to be real affection and welcome in the smile, just properly contained.
"Istrel. I thought you might come by today." She caught the question in Istrel's eyes and smiled a little more broadly. "It's been some time. If you didn't stop by soon, I'd be forced to wonder if you were ever coming again at all."
"I had to come back," Istrel answered lightly. "You get me my clients."
Rentia's smile became faintly sardonic. "I should hope that isn't the only reason."
Istrel froze for an instant, caught in Rentia's eyes-one of the few full-blooded Kyrians in the guild, Rentia always managed to seem a work of art herself, outshining any depiction of goddesses or nymphs on her walls. If there ever were a perfect woman, Istrel thought that Rentia might well be it. "No," she said at last, and pulled out the scroll tucked into her sash, sliding it across the desk to Rentia. "I spoke to Siaph. There wasn't much useful, I'm afraid, but what he could tell me…"
"Of course," Rentia responded as she unrolled the scroll and glanced over it, rolled it up once more and set it aside. She fixed Istrel with a look that could have penetrated solid stone. "Will he let us use him?"
The question gave Istrel pause. "As a weapon?"
"Yes."
"Siaph doesn't kill people."
Rentia's expression said everything necessary. He's a mage. Mages kill people.
"Siaph doesn't," Istrel repeated, trying to add some force to her tone. It seemed to satisfy Rentia for the moment, although Istrel knew that in time they would come back to it.
"Very well. There are some clients lined up for you, if you would like to take them on…"
Istrel tensed automatically, her mind flashing back home, to the Ghost waiting there. She could not have a client around that, not when there was any chance it might be seen and word would get back to the mages. "I can't," she said quickly.
"Why not?"
She ought to tell Rentia about Skailari, she knew, ought to tell her everything, but something stopped her. She wanted nothing to do with the Ghost, wanted nothing more than for it to be gone, but Rentia… If she told Rentia, she would want to make something of it, use it. No. "There's some business I've been trying to work out, and I can't have a client around."
Rentia studied her in silence for some time while Istrel looked steadily back, though she felt as if her hands would be shaking if she unfolded them and spread them out before her. Could Rentia see the deception? Not quite lie, but not whole truth either. "Our business?"
Istrel felt compelled to sigh in relief, but she held it back, unwilling to show the slightest movement or expression that would give her away. "Yes."
Close enough, at least.