(no subject)
Title: Mistake
Prompt Set: Various #2
Prompt: 016. Weakness
Timeline
"So," Istrel said at length, "we need to talk, me and Skailari. Kaytam, I don't know if you'll have much input, but-" She stopped talking as she began to walk across the rom to the couch and took notice of a blanket piled in an indistinctly shaped lump on the floor where Istrel had left the body of the catlike spy-creature that morning. Istrel looked over her shoulder at Kaytam, who shrugged uncertainly.
"I saw that thing and I didn't know what it was or if I should touch it, but... I didn't want to have to look at it."
"I don't blame you," Istrel muttered as she sat down. "I'll get rid of it tomorrow, somehow. Anyway. Sit down." Kaytam sat beside her, but Skailari stood there unmoving until Istrel gave it an annoyed look. "Both of you."
It folded its legs and sat on the floor so fluidly it seemed as if it had just flowed into position. Istrel eyed it uncertainly and decided not to press the issue of sitting in chairs.
"There are two things. First, what do you want, Skailari?" The Ghost stared at her, as if it didn't understand the question, and perhaps it didn't. With a sigh, Istrel tried to explain. "Why did you want to talk to Siaph in the first place? What did you want him to do for you?"
"Spells. He put them on - he could take them off."
"What kind of spells?"
Skailari didn't answer, just gave her a flat look. Istrel wished she could read its expression, whether it meant "I don't know" or "go to hell", but there was no visible indication of either.
"Fine. Second question... could you find out why Siaph was killed?"
"Yes."
Relieved, Istrel nodded. "And the third thing-"
"You said there were only two things," Kaytam interrupted.
"I changed my mind," Istrel said, doing her very best not to quell her friend with a glare (and consequently being forced not to even look at her). She did not need commentary on this. "The third thing is, if we find that out, and if I do everything I can do to find those spells for you... can you help me get to them? The ones who had Siaph killed? I want... I want to hurt them, very badly."
"Yes."
Istrel nodded in satisfaction and sat back, for the moment needing no more answer than that, and Skailari of course said nothing. But Kaytam looked between Istrel and Skailari with an expression of concern and perhaps slight alarm. "I want to help!"
Trying not to sigh, trying not to let her frustration show too clearly, Istrel asked, "How?" Kaytam didn't have the resources Istrel did, and certainly she couldn't have hurt anyone, wouldn't hurt anyone, so Istrel couldn't understand just what kind of help she might offer.
"They're after you or Skailari, maybe both. The two of you can't do everything, you'll be noticed. So I could... I don't know, do things for you. No one's gonna notice me - no one's after me."
If only she weren't right, damn it! And still Istrel couldn't manage more than simple questions. "Why?"
"I already told you why," Kaytam said softly. "It matters to me 'cause it matters to you."
Istrel wanted so much to send her away, to keep her out of this however possible, but she couldn't bring herself to, not with Kaytam watching her so hopefully, the look in her brown eyes so painfully earnest..."You can help." Kaytam squeaked and lunged at Istrel happily to throw her arms around her neck. Istrel closed her eyes and wondered if she'd just made a mistake that would get another of her friends killed.
Prompt Set: Various #2
Prompt: 016. Weakness
Timeline
"So," Istrel said at length, "we need to talk, me and Skailari. Kaytam, I don't know if you'll have much input, but-" She stopped talking as she began to walk across the rom to the couch and took notice of a blanket piled in an indistinctly shaped lump on the floor where Istrel had left the body of the catlike spy-creature that morning. Istrel looked over her shoulder at Kaytam, who shrugged uncertainly.
"I saw that thing and I didn't know what it was or if I should touch it, but... I didn't want to have to look at it."
"I don't blame you," Istrel muttered as she sat down. "I'll get rid of it tomorrow, somehow. Anyway. Sit down." Kaytam sat beside her, but Skailari stood there unmoving until Istrel gave it an annoyed look. "Both of you."
It folded its legs and sat on the floor so fluidly it seemed as if it had just flowed into position. Istrel eyed it uncertainly and decided not to press the issue of sitting in chairs.
"There are two things. First, what do you want, Skailari?" The Ghost stared at her, as if it didn't understand the question, and perhaps it didn't. With a sigh, Istrel tried to explain. "Why did you want to talk to Siaph in the first place? What did you want him to do for you?"
"Spells. He put them on - he could take them off."
"What kind of spells?"
Skailari didn't answer, just gave her a flat look. Istrel wished she could read its expression, whether it meant "I don't know" or "go to hell", but there was no visible indication of either.
"Fine. Second question... could you find out why Siaph was killed?"
"Yes."
Relieved, Istrel nodded. "And the third thing-"
"You said there were only two things," Kaytam interrupted.
"I changed my mind," Istrel said, doing her very best not to quell her friend with a glare (and consequently being forced not to even look at her). She did not need commentary on this. "The third thing is, if we find that out, and if I do everything I can do to find those spells for you... can you help me get to them? The ones who had Siaph killed? I want... I want to hurt them, very badly."
"Yes."
Istrel nodded in satisfaction and sat back, for the moment needing no more answer than that, and Skailari of course said nothing. But Kaytam looked between Istrel and Skailari with an expression of concern and perhaps slight alarm. "I want to help!"
Trying not to sigh, trying not to let her frustration show too clearly, Istrel asked, "How?" Kaytam didn't have the resources Istrel did, and certainly she couldn't have hurt anyone, wouldn't hurt anyone, so Istrel couldn't understand just what kind of help she might offer.
"They're after you or Skailari, maybe both. The two of you can't do everything, you'll be noticed. So I could... I don't know, do things for you. No one's gonna notice me - no one's after me."
If only she weren't right, damn it! And still Istrel couldn't manage more than simple questions. "Why?"
"I already told you why," Kaytam said softly. "It matters to me 'cause it matters to you."
Istrel wanted so much to send her away, to keep her out of this however possible, but she couldn't bring herself to, not with Kaytam watching her so hopefully, the look in her brown eyes so painfully earnest..."You can help." Kaytam squeaked and lunged at Istrel happily to throw her arms around her neck. Istrel closed her eyes and wondered if she'd just made a mistake that would get another of her friends killed.