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Archives: Hunt for Kiran

Chapter 6: The Lorelai Homestead

    Mica brought his brother, Adriel, and Adriel’s two companions to the door of his home. With some dread, Mica turned the knob to the door and swung the door inward. No noise nor smell of cooking came from within. Mica sighed and invited the dark elves into his home. “Seems Parsley is either not here, or napping. I’m going to change my shirt, in the mean time, make yourselves at home.” Mica gave a heartfelt wave over his shoulder and went to his bedroom to change.

    Adriel stepped inside after his brother and glanced around the house. He was disappointed that his sister-in-law wasn’t there, but it was probably best for Mica. Adriel took a seat at Mica’s table and waited for Sythenra and Yrsanne to join him.

    Yrsanne went to the table where Adriel was sitting. She wasn’t tired but a little rest could be useful. Outside of the window she could see the dusty street where wind sang quietly. Yrsanne sat down near Adriel, taking her rapier off of her belt.

    Her steps were slow and quiet. Parsley made her way to the front door of her house, basket in hand, but sighed when her hand rested on the door knob. Seems I’m living to put food on my plate again... Her head shook her doubts from her mind and she pushed the door open with her basket dangling off of her wrist now. Her trip to the market was quick, but already Mica had brought in visitors.

    “Hello?” Parsley looked around the room at the three visitors and placed the basket on the counter next to the door before she rested her hands on her hips, “Who’re all of you, and where’s Mica?”

    When the slim and colorfully dressed dark elf woman entered, Adriel was certain she must be Mica’s wife. The young dark elf stood from her table and bent at the waist, giving her a small bow. “Mica is here,” he replied. “You must be Parsley. I am Mica’s half-brother Adriel, and these are my companions, Yrsanne and Sythenra.”

    Sythenra didn’t stare at Parsley, finding rude to. She nodded after she was introduced. “Pleasure to meet you, Parsley,” Sythenra said to her. She listened to the conversation, saying nothing, which was normal for her.

    Parsley gave a smile at Adriel’s politeness and nodded at his bow, following his introductions with her eyes. She shook her head when he finished. “Mica better be here. Always just inviting guests without my know how.” She sighed and moved the basket further along the counter where she had earlier placed it and nodded again to all three visitors. “Right, then. Make yourselves at home, but don’t destroy anything. Mica will get off the hook easy this time, simply because you’re—” She motioned to Adriel, “—his half brother.” Subconsciously, she pulled her cloak closer to her and leaned on the counter.

    With his shirt changed, Mica returned to the living area. Parsley had returned, and was interrogating his guests. “Always inviting guests, eh?” The half-elf’s brows furrowed. “This is the first time I’ve brought home anyone, Pars. The last person I brought home ended up married to me.” He moved over to her and kissed her brow. “Now stop thinking ill of them just ’cause—because they are dark elves. That would be like the pot calling the kettle black, my dear.”

    Parsley smiled again as Mica kissed her brow, then watched him as he moved across the room. “That may be true... but I’m just being on the safe side.” Her face relaxed and she looked a little more comfortable when Mica was in the room, “You’re right again.” Her cloak fell back to its spot on her back..

    Adriel felt a little uncomfortable after coming in without her invitation now. However, he let his brother deal with her.

    Mica ruffled Parsley’s hair. “I’ll start dinner,” he said. He gave Adriel and the other dark elves a small glance. “You three aren’t vegetarians by any chance are you?”

    “Ah...no, light elves are the ones who do not eat meat,” Adriel replied to Mica. Most dark elves ate meat. While light elves felt it was better to respect the forest by nurturing every form of life, dark elves realized that it was also important to cull the herds as wolves and other predators did. However, they only took what they needed from the forest, respecting the balance of nature.

    Mica nodded. “Good to hear.” He laughed a little as he went into the kitchen taking the basket from Parsley. “I don’t think I’d be able to cook something that didn’t have some base of meat in it.”

    Taking a knife from the block, he began to slice up the meat quickly and with added precision sliced up vegetables. Placing the meat and vegetation on skewers he slipped them into groves at the base of the fireplace. He took out a small bottle of wine, and, with the knife, removed the cork. Slipping the knife into the cleaning basin, Mica then turned his attention to the wine. Mixing the wine with a few spices and herbs he had in the kitchen, he made a sauce and then skillfully applied it to the cooking meat and vegetables.

    “It’s quite cozy in here,” Yrsanne said, addressing no one in particular, just to break the awkward silence. “Sometimes it’s pleasant to stay in such places not thinking about job, isn’t it Adriel?”

“Hmm? I suppose,” Adriel replied. He had been watching his new found brother prepare dinner patiently. Though, he was thinking about their mission. What exactly was he going to do when he met Kiran? He just wanted to find him and hurt him, but he hadn’t really thought about killing him. He was sure that was what Mica had in mind. And would Mica be able to leave Marmo with them if it came to that? Or would Parsley join them...

    He looked across the table to his other guard, the silent Sythenra. {“Sythenra, what do you intend to do when we find Kiran?”} he asked her, slipping back into their native tongue.

    Mica’s ears perked at the sound of elven. {“I’m not stupid Adriel, I can speak the mother tongue as can my wife. Trying to slip into it to avoid attention just draws more attention, brother,”} Mica stated in elven, turning the meat to make sure that it was evenly cooked. “Anyone up for a salad as well? I’m famished, so I’m not too against preparing a lot of food.”

    Adriel’s ears jerked up when Mica spoke up. “I mean no offense,” he replied. “I am simply more comfortable speaking elven than common,” Adriel explained. “And I would like a salad, thank you.”

    “Not a problem. Talk in whatever you feel comfortable in.” Mica went about making the salad; shredding the lettuce as a base then cutting and adding tomatoes, carrots, and small bits of cheese. He put his thumb over the wine bottle’s opening and shook the wine. It wasn’t the easiest way to make a vinaigrette but Mica had little in the way of other means. He poured the frothy wine into a glass bowl and went to work on the fresher herbs. Once he had finished dealing with the herbs, he added them to the wine and whisked them until they were properly blended. He then added it to the salad and tossed it lightly to make sure that the vinaigrette had properly seasoned the salad.

    Parsley shifted, uncomfortable amongst the silence after the sudden change in tongues. She tried to keep up with Mica’s movements and cooking techniques with her eyes, but found herself falling behind. Instead she simply smiled at his effort and decided that it would be best if she kept out of his way.

    A slight throbbing made its presence known in the base of her neck, and Parsley nodded to the guests in hope of lightening the mood; “Make yourselves at home. Mica is a marvelous cook.” She smiled shyly at Mica’s back and excused herself from the kitchen area.

    “Thank you,” Adriel replied to Parsley with a gracious bow of his head. Glancing back to his companions, he returned his attention to Sythenra. Mica’s admonishment had interrupted the conversation, but Adriel still wanted to know her plans. “Sythenra?” he asked, letting her know he was still listening to what she had to say.

    Sythenra was lost in herself until Adriel said something to her, then the dark elf snapped back into attention. “Hmm? Oh, I was just going to ask him some questions about it,” she said to him. That was the truth, she didn’t hate the man like most other females he slept with did, she just wanted to know why he did it in the first place and what he plained to do about it.

    “I think we all have questions for him,” Adriel replied. “At least, before Mica chokes the life from him,” the dark elf chuckled. Adriel wasn’t certain he wanted Mica to kill Kiran, but as long as he got to meet his father and exact his own revenge, that was good enough.

    Mica slipped the meal on to plates and set them down in front of his guests. “Eat up.” He said. “Pars, food’s up. Get yer ass out here before it gets cold.”

    Reappearing in the kitchen, Parsley nodded her thanks to Mica before picking up her plate and giving a small smile to the guests. She bowed out of the room quickly, but with courtesy and didn’t stop until she was safely behind the closed door of the master bedroom. That Mica... Parsley swallowed a bite of her food and sighed quietly. I wonder what he got himself into this time? She sat with her back resting on the now closed door and picked at her food without the drive of hunger. I hope the guests don’t think I’m rude for this.

* * *

    “Thank you,” Adriel said, bowing his head to his brother graciously for the food. Parsley returned quickly, but she only stayed long enough to take her dinner off into the bedroom. Adriel’s ears fell in obvious disappointment. “Is she upset with us being here?” he asked Mica.

    Mica’s brows furrowed. “...I’m not sure why she is acting this way. Perhaps she’s just being shy, or maybe she’s mad at me.” He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’ll check in on her after the meal.”

    Yrsanne listened to Adriel and Mica without interrupting them. She didn’t care much about Kiran’s fate or anything else but enjoying her meal. But somehow, she felt sympathy toward Parsley.

    Adriel nodded to Mica, though he was still feeling quite uncomfortable with the couple. The dark elf ate his meal silently and politely, showing the decorum of someone of high class.

    Sythenra watched as Parsley left the room. She blinked, confused by this sudden leave. “I hope I did nothing offensive,” she said to her friends in a sad tone. She had not meant any offense by her quiet nature. She continued to eat more of her meal as she pondered what had happened to angered Parsley.

    “It’s not you,” Mica stated as an excuse for Parsley’s behavior. “She’s like this at times.”

    Adriel nodded, then finished up his dinner. The meal continued quietly. When Adriel finished, he set his fork on the table and pushed his empty bowl back. “Thank you, brother. It was a good meal,” he said to Mica graciously, bowing his head slightly. Using a napkin, he wiped his lips before beginning to talk business. “Now, how will our journey proceed with Parsley in the picture? We must discuss it with her,” he asked, though he lowered his voice so hopefully Mica’s wife wouldn’t be able to hear through the door. With the way she was acting, he was unsure of if she would accompany them, or not. And would it strain their marriage if Mica left without her?

    “If she won’t come then she’ll stay here,” Mica spoke slowly and softly. “I am going to the mainland to find my bastard of a father, whether my wife has the stomach for it or not.”

    Sythenra listened to the conversation between Mica and Adriel and nodded. The mainland, she would be one step closer to finding out Kiran’s location for her own reasons. Once she had done this, she would ask him the questions that she always wanted to have answers too. The female dark elf continued to think about their quest. Sythenra then realized she had never asked Adriel’s reasons for finding his father, though she did have a small amount of choices as to why.

    Adriel nodded and dropped the subject. Mica could do what he wanted, of course, but Adriel wanted to speak to his wife about it. “Where will we be sleeping tonight?” Adriel asked. It was still rather early in the evening, but most ships left early in the morning. There wasn’t much left for them to do tonight besides wait, and Adriel wanted to escape the tension between Mica and Parsley as gracefully as he could.

* * *

    After attempting to eat more of her meal, Parsley simply sighed before placing the plate onto the carpet beside her. The room was only dimly light and Parsley found herself staring at the material that was draped over the window.

    This is stupid. Parsley stood and threw her cape onto the bed in front of her before heading towards the window with the thought of letting the light in. I should just deal with it. Her hand rested on the drapery until she sighed yet again and pulled them away from the window to lean herself on the sill. I’ve got to get over it sometime...right? Her eyes drifted endlessly amongst the sea of green that lay outside the city walls, the forest was calling her yet again. She looked to her cape, thrown across the bed and made a quick grab for it before she took her leave by the way of the window.

    What the hell am I doing? Using her hand to quiet her beating heart, Parsley stood with her back on the outside of their house. Why am I so afraid of meeting someone? Honestly. She swallowed deeply and shook her mint green bangs out of her eyes. This is stupid. I should just go and get to know them. I mean, if Mica brought them home then they must be kind.... Mica... Sighing loudly, the dark elf placed her hand back on the window sill and hoisted herself back into the room. He’ll leave me behind if I don’t pull it together. She sat on the window sill, still somewhat lost in her thoughts when her eyes finally fell back upon her untouched meal. Better get back out there before they start to worry.... that is, if they worried.

    Not allowing herself enough time to start up another internal fight, Parsley walked swiftly into the kitchen and swallowed deeply. “S-sorry about that...” Her eyes dropped to the floor and she felt her face flush in embarrassment, “I...” Don’t make yourself look any stupider than you already have. “I’m not very great at...at meeting new people.” Her eyes held themselves shut long enough for her to regain her posture and form, “Excuse my manners.”

    Adriel’s ears perked up when his new sister-in-law returned. “Please, do not be uncomfortable with us. I am your family now, and I hope that we may become better friends,” he said, sounding quite optimistic. He found it odd that a dark elf would be uncomfortable among her own kind, but if she lived in the city, perhaps there was a reason.

    Mica rubbed his eyes to hide the disgust for his wife’s bad behavior. There was a time and place for arguments, and this was neither the time or the place. Mica would have a word with her when his sharp eared guests weren’t around.

    “Yeah...” Parsley swallowed and sensed the tension growing between her and her husband, “Sorry again.” She moved to stand beside Adriel, forcing herself to feel comfortable around the new family member. “So...” The silence was becoming far to eerie for her tastes. When people were talking they weren’t thinking about anything else, “Why did Mica bring you all home anyways?” She avoided direct eye contact with anyone, “Is something troubling us?”

    Mica’s eyebrow twitched. “First you take off...” he growled under his breath. “...And then you return to ask why I brought them here? Have you no damned respect for your own family, whether or not you have just met them?” He kicked his chair against the wall, the wooden furniture bursting at the force exuded. “The only thing that troubles ‘us’ is your lack of respect. They are here because I brought them here, no other reason is necessary to explain to the likes of you.”

    Adriel bit his tongue as Mica growled at Parsley. His ears fell back, a sign that he was very uncomfortable in this conflict. He had nearly forgotten how volatile Mica was after spending much of the day with a kinder version of his brother. Was this how he and Parsley always interacted? Mica seemed so adoring of his wife when he spoke of her earlier. Even if it was a bad relationship, most people had the decency to keep their conflicts away from company. Mica’s outburst was far more disrespectful to them than Parsley’s hiding. Adriel was at a loss for words, he wanted to diffuse the situation and not add more fuel to the fire, but how could he do that?

    The dark elf stepped between husband and wife. “Mica, please, I am not offended by Parsley,” Adriel said. “Is it not more offensive to quarrel in front of guests?”

    Mica growled at Adriel. Between Parsley’s hiding and Adriel pointing out the flaw in Mica’s argument, the tall half-elf was far from the good mood he was previously in. He wanted to yell at Adriel not to butt in where his marriage was concerned, but that would just escalate things. He needed a walk to cool his head, and prevent his rage from making him make a mistake that may well cause a great deal of lost lives.

    “Clean up the house and tend to the guests,” Mica grunted, walking past his guests. “I have things to attend to.” He ducked out into the night. Mica started towards the most lawless of the bars in town. There was only one way he was going to get rid of his anger and that was through mashing someone else’s face in.

    Parsley jumped violently at her husbands sudden outburst. Her first response was to force her eyes to the floor and accept everything he said to her. In defeat her ears dropped and she clutched her hands so tightly in front of her that her knuckles turned white. Her cape was drawn closer about her and she attempted to make herself as small as she could without curling up into a useless heap on the floor.

    She closed herself off as well as she could, but was brought back to reality as harshly as she had left when she heard the kitchen chair shatter beneath Mica’s rage. Another flinch and she nodded as humbly as she could when orders were shouted her direction.

    Too scared to think, Parsley held her breathe and didn’t so much as twitch until she heard the door slam off its supports behind her. Heartbeat still throbbing in vain, the dark elf slammed her eyes shut and forced her heart calm until the room was as silent as her mind. Quivering, Parsley blinked her eyes open suddenly as she remained herself of the presence of everyone else.

    “Oh!” She scrambled across the room and fumbled with the remains of the chair, gathering them into a little pile for easier disposal, “I’m very sorry. Mica doesn’t mean any harm, I’m sure of it.” Her hands still shook, but she hid them easily enough beneath her cloak as she turned to fully face her guests, “He’s just...” Her mind raced, and she swallowed deeply to try and calm herself down, “...Angry at my horrid behavior. It was stupid, really.” She forced a smile to show that she was really alright. “It’s alright, really.” Mica’s words throbbed as a migraine on the way and reminded her of her duties, “Can I get anyone anything?”

    Adriel hoped that he could have calmed Mica more, but at least there wasn’t a fight. Parsley seemed to have destroyed the camaraderie the two brothers found today, but it proved to show just how unstable Mica was. It would be a tough quest, but maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to have two bodyguards with him, if not to protect him from dangers outside, but from inside the party.

    As Parsley began to pick up the pieces of the broken chair, Adriel was astonished. He had never seen a dark elf woman subservient to her husband. Had she spent that much time around humans? “Parsley, since Mica isn’t here, we would like to speak to you.”

    She looked up slowly to Adriel’s gaze. Had Mica’s outburst been so unimportant? “Speak with me?” Her mint green hair twitched around her back as she shifted uncomfortably beneath the sudden attention, “About what?”

    Sythenra watched the half-dark elf leave the building with a angry expression on his face. She made no comment about his actions as she looked over at Parsley. Sythenra did wonder what Adriel wanted to speak to Parsley about because she didn’t know what they wanted to talk with her for. Just have to wait and see then, she thought.

    “Mica didn’t seem to want to tell you, but I think you should know what we planned,” Adriel explained. “I left home to find my father, and when I met Mica and found out he was my brother, he decided to go with me. We know Kiran isn’t on Marmo, so we must travel to Lodoss.”

    “Lodoss?” Parsley sighed relief at the topic, “That’s quite a distance...” She hurried about the kitchen, making sure that the mess from Mica’s outburst was completely erased before speaking again, “Am I able to come with you? Is that what you’re telling me?”

    Biting remarks and slamming doors bothered her, though it did not show. Yrsanne, unnoticed by the others, was gathering up the dishes on the table. Parsley had a strange life indeed, but that did not stop the soldier from feeling for it. As much as Yrsanne was a warrioress, she was also a woman. Her steps were inaudible and her black dress created the image of her floating on a thin layer of air. Though Parsley had cleaned up the chair before she could get to it, the table was clear before Parsley could even look at it. Housework was not her specialty, but it was not foreign to her.

    Parsley turned and blinked, within a moment the mess on the table was clean. Had it not been for the slight breeze that passed by her, Parsley would not have noticed Yrsanne as she drifted across the floor. She felt a twinge of comfort from the so simple action, but then again Parsley sometimes found herself breathless at the simple compassion of a smile at times like these. Parsley attempted to make quick eye contact with Yrsanne and smiled with a slight nod before turning back to the conversation at hand.

    Yrsanne’s head moved ever so slightly, which could have been a nod in return. A basin of water was conveniently set up in the kitchen and, while the others spoke, Yrsanne took to washing. Her thin fingers worked the water up and down in tiny cascades. Her eyes watched as, one by one, rivers ran down over the plates, wiping away the last remnants of their meal.

    This Mica was wild and unruly. Like the legendary berserkers, his rage was sealed to him like his shadow. For it, he caused the suffering of his wife. Parsley deserved no such treatment. It was unfair for her to give love and get violence in return. Every few moments, Yrsanne would glance through the partings in her hair to the table.

    The sound of the water from the wash basin again alerted Parsley to Yrsanne’s quick movements and subtle presence. With the relief of knowing that the work that Mica had wanted her to get done was getting attention, she was able to finally relax herself, even if in the slightest while shifting herself to a move comfortable standing position beneath her cloak. She would definitely need to find a way to repay Yrsanne and soon.

    Adriel nodded to Parsley. “If you wish...or if you think it is wise with travel with Mica,” the dark elven man replied. He noticed Yrsanne helping and he was grateful. It was good that Parsley was getting some help, and it would hopefully put her more at ease when she realized that their intentions were good.

    Parsley swallowed, and let her gaze drop to the floor as Adriel’s words roamed around her mind. She let her eyes wander to where Yrsanne was cleaning off the dishes and gave another slight nod towards her, but mostly to assure herself of her thoughts. She finally pulled her gaze back to Adriel as he had already spoken. “I would be honored to travel with Mica and yourselves. And I have full faith in Mica.” She nodded again and clasped her hands together underneath her cloak, “So long as I mind my manners this time I’m sure I maybe even to help prevent his tempers.”

    She scurried towards the cupboards and begun to gather food supplies for the journey before she stopped suddenly, her hands turning cold from her spontaneous thought. She spoke it aloud without really looking at anything asides from the counter beneath her hands; “Do you think... Mica will allow this? I mean, I may end up just being a burden to him...” She bit her bottom lip and remembered that there were eyes upon her.

    She quickly gathered the rest of the food and wrapped it in a square piece of fabric before turning towards Adriel suddenly with a smile on her face and her rather large bundle of dry foodstuffs outstretched towards him. “That’s alright.” Another nod, “Even if I can’t, if you guys are able to stop by, whenever you like you have a place of shelter and a meal waiting for you. It’s the least I can do.”

    “I cannot say what Mica would do. He may be my brother, but we have only met this morning,” Adriel replied. He took the offered food and set it down on the table. “I believe the choice should be yours, not Mica’s.” I honestly cannot understand why this dark elf woman degrades herself by deferring to her husband in such a way. Any sensible woman I know would leave him or fight back just as hard.

    Parsley’s eyes give of a slight glimmer as she listened intently to Adriel’s words. She gives a slight smile and a nod. “If that’s the way it is... I shall go.”

    Adriel gave a small smile when Parsley agreed. Hopefully it wouldn’t upset Mica to the point of violence. “We should sleep. Tomorrow we must find a ship to Lodoss, and possibly Mica if he does not return tonight.”

    Yrsanne moved about the kitchen as if she floated on the air. By the time the conversation had completed, she had finished washing and was drying plates with a towel she discovered. Work in a kitchen was not at all what she was used to, but Parsley needed help after the behavior of her husband. The dark elf couldn’t guarantee that she wouldn’t stand up for the woman, should Mica act up again.

    Parsley gave Adriel a smile, “Yes. We should rest.” She looked accomplished and almost proud that she was able to make a decision without Mica.

    Adriel, Yrsanne, and Sythenra all settled into sleep wrapped in their bedrolls on the floor of the main room in the Lorelai household. Parsley had gone to bed in her own room, and Mica had not returned. Adriel was having a hard time falling asleep, partially due to the anxiety of leaving Marmo for the first time, and also worrying over Mica’s return.

* * *

    Mica returned shortly after he assumed everyone had went off to bed. Bloodied a little from the fight he started, the half-elf assassin opened the door as quietly as possible and slipped into his house. He shut the door behind him and slumped down with his back to the door. His face was tender and his knuckles bled from the numerous lacerations he incurred. “Better than beating Parsley...” he muttered under his breath, justifying his actions to himself.

    After stirring in bed all night, waiting and waiting for a certain sound, Parsley nearly leaped out of bed when she heard the slight click that the front door made as it opened and shut again. She pushed herself off of the bed and yanked her green hair into a rather large, but manageable knot at the base of her neck before steadying herself with a deep breath. Standing, she did her best to keep everything quiet as she made her way to the front door in her sleep shift and forced down a gasp as she caught sight of a bloody Mica sitting by the door. She froze, just where she was in sight of her husband and whispered just loud enough for him to hear her; “I’m sorry for being so rude earlier. I really am...” She swallowed deeply and held her breath—waiting for a response.

    Adriel heard Mica enter and considered getting up to meet his brother. However, Parsley was up first. The dark elf relaxed and laid back down, listening to the couple. He wasn’t eavesdropping to be rude, but he was concerned about the relationship.

    Mica glared at Parsley. He had just worked off the anger in the bar, and now around their sharp eared guests she asked him for forgiveness. He looked away from her and sighed. “Just go to bed. Everything is alright.” He wanted to take mental note of his injuries before he went to bed anyways, just in case a few bones were broken. That sort of thing he didn’t want her to see.

    Parsley bit her bottom lip and turned her gaze to the floor beneath her feet. Stupid! she thought harshly. I’m not the only elf here. She nodded at her husband, but headed into the kitchen instead if the bedroom. Her return brought cloths, wrappings and other dressings to Mica along with some herbs best suited for pain and healing.

    Her leave was as abrupt as her arrival and Parsley left the bedroom door open just slightly as she threw herself down into the clean sheets. The awkward tightness at the base of her neck reminded her to take her hair down again, but the tightness in her throat was much more of a discomfort.

* * *

    Mica bit the herbs, chewing them into a paste with his saliva. It was rough and sloppy, but he was no apothecary, and any needless tact or care was beyond his ken at the moment. He plastered the chewed concoction upon his visible wounds and bound the poultice in place with the strips of cloth. Frustrated and in pain, Mica closed his eyes and leaned against the door. There was no reason for him to move for the night.

    Adriel never stirred from his bed, but had listened. Sleep was threatening to overtake him, so he decided against rousing to speak to Mica. Once it sounded as if his brother had settled for the night, Adriel relaxed and allowed himself to finally sleep.

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