Post by Monuv on Dec 1, 2007 16:24:17 GMT -5
Although the common room was oppressively loud and hot, Monuv felt at home here. His long stay at the inn had gone on for over a year, leaving now felt strange, this was the longest he had ever stayed in one place by a long while. He saw Thelanya come in, but there was no way in hell he could have made himself known, but when he saw Icilis he didn't want to. Several things rushed up in Monuv's alcohol-befuddled mind, none of which were particularly good. The couple finally went upstairs and Monuv realized Koria was finishing cleaning the room, this brought a wave of sudden fear up from his subconscious.
Monuv was fine going about the rest of his life without ever seeing Icilis again. The brothers were now so far removed from each other, they might as well not call each other blood. Seeing Icilis always confused Monuv, the past was something to put to bed, not to stir up as a child does to a beehive.
This strange fear almost paralyzed Monuv. He was a priest of the highest order, well respected and honored among the church leaders in Stormwind. He had faced evils and monsters so great and powerful, there was little in this world that would cause him to break out into a sweat, let alone nearly shut down from fear. It was not a fear of physical harm that kept Monuv still, but something he could not explain. It was as if he felt he had done something so terribly wrong that he could not forgive himself, nor ask forgiveness from another.
Yet this was not reality, he would tell himself again and again, but simply the past swirling around you and stinging you at every opportunity.
When Koria finally came downstairs, the sigh of relief Monuv exhaled literally released him from the fear. His back ached as if he had been sitting uncomfortably for hours and his shoulders sagged downward.
"Hey..." Koria's eyes wore their concern for all to see. "It's ok, it's ok." She pushed several glaring patrons aside and pulled the haggardly looking priest up into her arms with ease. "Thel brought him here, it's ok."
Monuv's eyes were already wet, there was nothing he could do to hold them back, his body reacts immediately to the feelings inside him. This made him feel worse still, and all the more weak in public no less. He tried nonchalantly to wipe them away, but he knew all eyes were upon him, although none truly were.
Koria continued to hold him for a moment more, "I know, I know, it's ok. I promise." She grabbed Monuv's shoulders and squared him off face to face. "I promise." Monuv could only nod his head in reply. "Go wash your face and come upstairs, Thel and I will leave you two alone... ok?" He nodded again, still not in control of his voice. "Ok."
Koria kissed him roughly, as she always did, and started to push and shove her way back to the stairs. Monuv waited where she left him until Koria and Thelanya came down and left, both smiling and waving toward him. He could see Koria speaking directly into Thel's ear, telling all of his secrets.
Monuv surprised himself when he took his first step, he did not expect it to go so well. Then another and another, until finally he was staring at the first of the stairs.
"Are you ok, brother?" The guard keeping watch on the stairs yelled out to Monuv, obviously it would have been a good idea to clean up before facing Icilis again. Without a reply, Monuv struck out to the top of the steps, rounded the corner to his room. The door was open and it was lit sparsely with a few candles. The broom was left, forgotten, against the door as if to hold it open. Inside, surrounded by shadows, was his brother looking out the window at the lights of the docks.
Icilis was not in battle raiments, but a comfortable black velvet robe and wrapped in a thick winter cloak. He turned and saw Monuv, himself dressed in a simple mageweave robe, slippers, and the symbol of his order dangling around his neck. Neither spoke for a moment. Monuv took a few steps into the room and out of the light in the hall.
Icilis spoke first, "You look terrible."
Monuv couldn't help but to let loose a single disheartened chuckle at this. "Hello Icilis," he had to clear his throat several times before attempting to speak. "What brings you here?"
"Errands." Icilis looked away back out the window and again several moments passed before either spoke. "I do not come here of my own volition, I would have left you in peace as you wished, or I should say as I thought you would have wished." He looked back at Monuv and stepped away from the window to sit on the bed. Monuv sat himself down on the only chair in the room, almost sitting on the armrest before adjusting himself.
"I had," Monuv cleared his throat again, damning the lump caught in it, "um, resigned myself to that."
"Yes well, nothing went according to plans, why should this?" Icilis stared off into space, his eyes scanning back and forth.
"Thelanya was worried about you." This brought his gaze back to Monuv which made his breath catch for a moment. "I'm sorry, I-"
"It is fine... my brother... it is fine. I understand there is much emotion between us, from the past I mean to say." Was that a tinge of warmth in his voice? "It has taken me nearly the entirety of my life since our parent's death to come to where I am today."
"What do you mean? Where are you today?"
"At peace, at peace." Icilis pulled a small scroll from his robes. "Even still, I thought you would not wish to see me, but I do have something for you." Icilis handed them to his brother without a word. "Since I was a child, every night, all night, I would have nightmares. Sometimes I would remember them, but they would not make sense. Sometimes they were so glaringly clear I could see every detail of that night, the night Fechak first came into our lives."
"How old are you?" Monuv had always wondered how much older Icilis was.
"I was nine when you were born." Icilis looked back at Monuv again.
"Every night you say?"
"All night, not a good night's sleep in twenty years."
"Mm." Monuv smiled slightly. "Maybe that's why you're so angry all the time." Icilis breathed out a small laugh. "What about... I have so many questions, if you don't wish to answer them or stay I understand."
"I will stay at least until the morning, then we are off to Theramore." Icilis knew Monuv had helped Thelanya a little while he was gone in the Outlands, but wasn't sure how much she had told them. "Thelanya is trying to find her child, I am here to help her. That said, I am famished so if you wish to talk let us take this elsewhere."
Monuv nodded and looked down again at the scroll Icilis gave him. "Oh, what is-?"
"Fechak wrote several letters to me, but as we were translating them, we were surprised to find one addressed to you. From what he wrote, I think he wanted me to read it first, or perhaps did not expect you to be capable to translate..." Icilis stood and unbuttoned the heavy cloak after feeling a sweat start to form under his collar.
"I saw him again when he sailed out." Monuv was slowly beginning to feel normal, although very on guard.
"Fechak?" Icilis was incredibly surprised to hear this, but it made sense considering where Monuv lived, or had lived for the last year. "I may have a few questions for you, then."
Monuv led the way out into the hall, motioning for his brother to follow. He had to take a deep breath to keep the ball from rising up into his throat once more.
Monuv was fine going about the rest of his life without ever seeing Icilis again. The brothers were now so far removed from each other, they might as well not call each other blood. Seeing Icilis always confused Monuv, the past was something to put to bed, not to stir up as a child does to a beehive.
This strange fear almost paralyzed Monuv. He was a priest of the highest order, well respected and honored among the church leaders in Stormwind. He had faced evils and monsters so great and powerful, there was little in this world that would cause him to break out into a sweat, let alone nearly shut down from fear. It was not a fear of physical harm that kept Monuv still, but something he could not explain. It was as if he felt he had done something so terribly wrong that he could not forgive himself, nor ask forgiveness from another.
Yet this was not reality, he would tell himself again and again, but simply the past swirling around you and stinging you at every opportunity.
When Koria finally came downstairs, the sigh of relief Monuv exhaled literally released him from the fear. His back ached as if he had been sitting uncomfortably for hours and his shoulders sagged downward.
"Hey..." Koria's eyes wore their concern for all to see. "It's ok, it's ok." She pushed several glaring patrons aside and pulled the haggardly looking priest up into her arms with ease. "Thel brought him here, it's ok."
Monuv's eyes were already wet, there was nothing he could do to hold them back, his body reacts immediately to the feelings inside him. This made him feel worse still, and all the more weak in public no less. He tried nonchalantly to wipe them away, but he knew all eyes were upon him, although none truly were.
Koria continued to hold him for a moment more, "I know, I know, it's ok. I promise." She grabbed Monuv's shoulders and squared him off face to face. "I promise." Monuv could only nod his head in reply. "Go wash your face and come upstairs, Thel and I will leave you two alone... ok?" He nodded again, still not in control of his voice. "Ok."
Koria kissed him roughly, as she always did, and started to push and shove her way back to the stairs. Monuv waited where she left him until Koria and Thelanya came down and left, both smiling and waving toward him. He could see Koria speaking directly into Thel's ear, telling all of his secrets.
Monuv surprised himself when he took his first step, he did not expect it to go so well. Then another and another, until finally he was staring at the first of the stairs.
"Are you ok, brother?" The guard keeping watch on the stairs yelled out to Monuv, obviously it would have been a good idea to clean up before facing Icilis again. Without a reply, Monuv struck out to the top of the steps, rounded the corner to his room. The door was open and it was lit sparsely with a few candles. The broom was left, forgotten, against the door as if to hold it open. Inside, surrounded by shadows, was his brother looking out the window at the lights of the docks.
Icilis was not in battle raiments, but a comfortable black velvet robe and wrapped in a thick winter cloak. He turned and saw Monuv, himself dressed in a simple mageweave robe, slippers, and the symbol of his order dangling around his neck. Neither spoke for a moment. Monuv took a few steps into the room and out of the light in the hall.
Icilis spoke first, "You look terrible."
Monuv couldn't help but to let loose a single disheartened chuckle at this. "Hello Icilis," he had to clear his throat several times before attempting to speak. "What brings you here?"
"Errands." Icilis looked away back out the window and again several moments passed before either spoke. "I do not come here of my own volition, I would have left you in peace as you wished, or I should say as I thought you would have wished." He looked back at Monuv and stepped away from the window to sit on the bed. Monuv sat himself down on the only chair in the room, almost sitting on the armrest before adjusting himself.
"I had," Monuv cleared his throat again, damning the lump caught in it, "um, resigned myself to that."
"Yes well, nothing went according to plans, why should this?" Icilis stared off into space, his eyes scanning back and forth.
"Thelanya was worried about you." This brought his gaze back to Monuv which made his breath catch for a moment. "I'm sorry, I-"
"It is fine... my brother... it is fine. I understand there is much emotion between us, from the past I mean to say." Was that a tinge of warmth in his voice? "It has taken me nearly the entirety of my life since our parent's death to come to where I am today."
"What do you mean? Where are you today?"
"At peace, at peace." Icilis pulled a small scroll from his robes. "Even still, I thought you would not wish to see me, but I do have something for you." Icilis handed them to his brother without a word. "Since I was a child, every night, all night, I would have nightmares. Sometimes I would remember them, but they would not make sense. Sometimes they were so glaringly clear I could see every detail of that night, the night Fechak first came into our lives."
"How old are you?" Monuv had always wondered how much older Icilis was.
"I was nine when you were born." Icilis looked back at Monuv again.
"Every night you say?"
"All night, not a good night's sleep in twenty years."
"Mm." Monuv smiled slightly. "Maybe that's why you're so angry all the time." Icilis breathed out a small laugh. "What about... I have so many questions, if you don't wish to answer them or stay I understand."
"I will stay at least until the morning, then we are off to Theramore." Icilis knew Monuv had helped Thelanya a little while he was gone in the Outlands, but wasn't sure how much she had told them. "Thelanya is trying to find her child, I am here to help her. That said, I am famished so if you wish to talk let us take this elsewhere."
Monuv nodded and looked down again at the scroll Icilis gave him. "Oh, what is-?"
"Fechak wrote several letters to me, but as we were translating them, we were surprised to find one addressed to you. From what he wrote, I think he wanted me to read it first, or perhaps did not expect you to be capable to translate..." Icilis stood and unbuttoned the heavy cloak after feeling a sweat start to form under his collar.
"I saw him again when he sailed out." Monuv was slowly beginning to feel normal, although very on guard.
"Fechak?" Icilis was incredibly surprised to hear this, but it made sense considering where Monuv lived, or had lived for the last year. "I may have a few questions for you, then."
Monuv led the way out into the hall, motioning for his brother to follow. He had to take a deep breath to keep the ball from rising up into his throat once more.
