Taigh Nikola (Nikki's House)

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Nikola
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Taigh Nikola (Nikki's House)

Post by Nikola »

“Mamai! Mamai!”

Nikki bolted upright in her bed fully awake, the words still hanging in the air before her, her breath short and labored. The dream had come again. It was always the same. Something in the dream always jarred her awake calling out for her mother. She could never remember the dream beyond the first moment of awakening, but it elicited a deep sense of panic and loss, causing her heart to ache as though it might break. She wished she knew why, but it was as though there was a wall erected around a part of her memory built of stone she could not penetrate or break down.

She focused inward to calm the rapid beating of her heart, her breathing coming more naturally rhythmic as her body and mind relaxed. A glance out the window of her bedroom told her it was still night and morning would not come for several hours more. She sighed and brushed a lock of hair back from where it clung to a slight sheen of moisture across her face. Throwing off the coverlet that had blanketed her in sleep, she swung her feet off the edge of the bed onto the cold floor and levered herself to her feet.

The moon cast silvery light across the room, guiding her way as she padded silently on bare feet to the window. Outside her window the wood was quiet but for the usual quiet and mostly distant sounds of night critters going about their business. The indigo sky was alight with stars, the full moon casting her cold light upon the earth. There would be no more sleep for Nikola this night.

Turning from her window she pulled a robe from her armoire and slipped it on over her night dress as she headed out of her bed chamber. She took no light as she knew well the halls and pathways of her home. In the kitchen she stoked the smoldering embers in the hearth and added more wood to the dying fire as the newly awakened flames licked lazily at the fresh fuel provided. She filled a kettle with fresh water and placed it on the iron grate spanning the fire and left it to heat while she measured out the desired number of mint leaves into a ceramic teapot.

As she waited for the water to heat, she leaned forward against the countertop and let her gaze rise to the stars as her mind drifted back to the dream. She remembered her parents only dimly. Memories occasionally tried to resurface, but as soon as she took note they receded beyond her reach. It had always been so, at least for as long as she could remember. The couple who had raised her were not her parents, but had been kind and loving toward her and had been her family in all but blood. They had never betrayed her true heritage to her, never even hinted of it until she was a young teenager.

Rose, her adoptive mother, had taken ill. The priests had not been able to cure her and Bannon, her adoptive father, had called in a sorcerer to see if he could do what the priests could not. The sorcerer tried several spells, and was able to relieve some of Rose’s suffering, but in the end the illness progressed unchecked and she had died not long after. The sorcerer had checked Bannon and Nikki each in turn for signs of the same disease and during the process Nikki could have sworn he saw through to her very soul. There was no sign of the same disease in either Nikki or Bannon, but the sorcerer had seen something in the young teenager that intrigued him. She recalled peering out the window as Bannon escorted the wizened old man out through the gate. He was speaking urgently to Bannon and at one point she thought she heard him say
“…must tell her.” Bannon’s reaction had been one of anger and determination and his mood forestalled any questions that Nikki thought to ask.

After they buried Rose, Bannon and Nikki had packed what belongings they could easily pack into a single cart and left, heading south to begin a new life. Nikki had been saddened to leave behind the only life she had ever known, yet at the same time thrilled about the prospect of new adventures. The adventures they endured were, however, not the stuff of legends written about in the books she liked to read. Instead the road had been long, hard and lonely as Bannon preferred to stay clear of others as much as was humanly possible. They slept under the stars rather than staying an inns and ate only what they were able to harvest or hunt along the way. Nikki had tried to ask why, but Bannon had refused to say anything about it.
“Trust my judgment,” he would simply say and she let it be, choosing to do just that.

The hiss of water about to boil brought her attention back to the here and now and she used a heavy padded cloth to lift the kettle from the fire and pour the hot liquid into the teapot. Two lumps of sugar cane went into a mug as she waited for the mint leaves to steep. Her thoughts turned to John while she waited, wondering where he was tonight and whether he held her in his thoughts so far away from Paz and Bravia. The last months had been filled with the busyness of leading the province and they simply had not had the time to spare to build on their relationship. In time, perhaps, once he returned. She would hope.

The aroma of heated mint leaves at last reached the right flavor and she poured the hot liquid over the sugar cane in her mug, using a spoon to stir the mixture until the sugar had melted completely. Leaving the spoon on the counter, she took her mug and opened the door that led from the kitchen onto the back veranda where she settled onto the wooden surface with her back leaning against a support beam. Cupping both hands about the warm mug, she sipped her tea and listened to the quiet song of the night, closing her eyes as the moon bathed her face in its soft and silvery light.
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Johnstone
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Re: Taigh Nikola (Nikki's House)

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Thinking back, John figured it had been month since he set foot out of Paz. This had been the longest stretch of time that he had gone without seeing Nikki. Usually they traveled together, he missed her. He missed being in her company and just talking to her, but she had been so busy leading Bravia that she could not come. John had planned this trip for a long long time and was enjoying exploring the northern territories. He had seen so many peasant villages, which he had heard about, but he did not realize how crowded some of them were.

Missing Nikki even more, John decided to use the little time he had to write to her.
My dearest Nikki,

It seems like it had been an eternity since I looked into your eyes. I miss having you with me here on this journey. You would have loved it. The weather has held up nicely. I have only had to stay on the road a couple of times. Most of the time I make the next town and am able to stay at the inns. I have never seen so many peasants before. They have been amassing in the town since they have had troubles finding work out of towns. I work with them in orchards and one even spoke of Paz, which led me to think even more about you. I believe I am about half way through my trip this time and may be able to be home in another month or so. I have been able to pick up some spare wood and other items for Paz. I pray that you are safe and know that I love you with every fiber that is within me. I can't wait to have back in my arms.

Love always, forever, and more each day,
John
John spoke to the inn keeper and asked for a runner to take the message to Bravia. He was not sure exactly where NIkki was, but was sure she had to be in the borders of Bravia. John paid the runner nicely and the runner set off.
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Nikola
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Re: Taigh Nikola (Nikki's House)

Post by Nikola »

A knock on her office door caused Nikki to look up from the pile of papers on her desk. Well, not exactly a pile as there was no case for her to work on in her role as Prosecutor. No, the actual “pile” of papers was bound in leather in the form of a book which she had been reading.

“Enter,” she called out and the door opened. “Messenger for my lady,” the page announced and she beckoned the peasant to enter. The poor fellow looked bone weary, covered in dust and grime as he stepped hesitantly across the threshold. After several awkward steps he attempted an awkward bow that very nearly had him falling forward onto his face. The page caught the peasant before he collapsed and set him back on his feet where he swayed wearily, appearing uncertain and a little frightened.

“Bring him some food,” she ordered the page as she came around her desk and helped the weary messenger onto a wooden chair. She smiled encouragingly at him as he sat nervously before her. “You need not bow to me, good sir. I am no longer the Vicerine, merely the Public Prosecutor. Now what brings you here to Bravia Castle?”

The messenger seemed to suddenly recall the purpose of his visit and reached into the tattered rags that passed for clothes, withdrawing what appeared to be a letter and thrusting it out to her. She took it from him, her heart skipping a beat as she recognized the familiar script that told her the letter was from John. She gave the messenger a questioning look.

“Did you bring this the whole way yourself?”

He nodded wearily in answer. The page returned with a small loaf of bread, an ear of sweet corn and a jug of water on a tray which he set onto the small table next to the chair upon which the messenger was perched.

“Please, eat, drink and revive your strength,” she encouraged him and the fellow gave her a thankful look before taking up the jug and drinking thirstily, ignoring or not noticing the empty glass that remained untouched on the tray. The page and Nikki exchanged surprised looks, but she gave a slight shake of her head as the page seemed ready to rebuke the fellow for his lack of manners.

“Arrange for a room at the inn with a bath and clean clothes for this man. I fear he has traveled a long way and is in need of rest.” She saw the page frown doubtfully at the man as the peasant tore into the loaf of bread. “Tell the innkeeper I will cover the cost.” The page eyed Nikola then nodded and left the room to do as she had asked.

The messenger was beginning to slow his attack on the food now that he had filled his belly with water and bread and approached the ear of sweet corn with slightly less vigor, seeming to savor every bite of the sweet golden vegetable.


“What can you tell me of the man who gave you this letter? Was he well?” she asked, looking at the unopened envelope she still held.

The peasant shrugged as he chewed the last bite of his corn. Upon swallowing, he responded.
“Seemed a’right tae me, milady. Dinnae seem ill or nuthin’ if that be ta meanin’ of yer question.”

She smiled and nodded her thanks, still hesitant to open the letter until she could be alone. The page returned to escort the peasant to the Inn.

“This young man will take you to an Inn. Please avail yourself of the baths and get some more food and a good night’s sleep. I may have a letter to send back with you, so please do not leave until you have heard from me.”

The peasant rose from his seat and bowed again before turning to follow the page out the door. Nikki noticed with satisfaction that he seemed steadier on his feet now. She closed the door and returned to her desk, softly caressing the seal with her thumb before breaking it and opening the letter.

She read it several times before pressing it to her chest, her eyes closed as she tried to picture John standing in front of her, looking into her very soul with those eyes.
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Nikola
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Re: Taigh Nikola (Nikki's House)

Post by Nikola »

She had arrived home earlier than usual as she found she simply could not concentrate at work whilst she held John’s yet unanswered letter. She had taken her leave of the castle after ascertaining where the peasant messenger was staying and went directly to the Inn to check on him. She learned that he had, indeed, availed himself of the baths and had not emerged from his room since locking himself in after a hearty meal. She paid the innkeeper for the room, the bath and the meal and assured him she would be back early the next morning to settle any remaining charges.

Once home, she had made herself a quick meal of bread and cheese and washed it down with a glass of John’s iskir berry wine, all the while feeling like a small child at Yule. Now she sat at the table, John’s letter spread before her as she read it again. The day was fading quickly to evening and she had to light a lantern to see the words clearly now, but it hardly mattered as she already knew them by heart.

Slipping a clean sheet of parchment from a small stack she kept handy in her writing kit, she set it on the table in front of her as she moved John’s letter to the side. After unstopping the inkwell, she dipped a quill pen into the dark liquid and tapped it gently on the edge of the well to relieve it of too much ink. With a smile, she pressed pen to parchment and began to write.

My sweet John,

My heart rejoiced to receive your letter. I wish I could have gone with you on this journey, but I understand why you could not wait. I am glad to know you are well and are enjoying your expedition. I may be absent, but please know that my spirit is with you, wherever you are. You carry my heart with you, so you will never truly be alone when we are apart.

I have heard rumors of zombies arising from their crypts and golems coming down from the mountains to fight them off. I do hope you are not caught in the midst of any such uprising whilst you are alone. I fear for your safety as some of the peasants may choose fight on the side of the zombies, according to the fragments of prophecy I have found. Please be careful and come home to me safe and whole.

I love you with all my heart, and look forward with eager anticipation for your return.

Nikki
It wasn’t a long letter, but so much she wanted to share with him would best be shared face to face. It would have to be enough. Enough to let him know that her heart was true and belonged only to him. Enough to let him know that she missed him. She stoppered the inkwell and used it to anchor the parchment to allow the ink to dry while she cleaned her pen and set it back into its place to be ready for its next use.

She poured another glass of iskir wine and walked outside where she could view the stars as they gradually came into view in the darkening sky, sipping the dark, sweet liquid as she thought of John, wondering whether the constellations she knew so well here in Bravia looked any different wherever John was.
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Nikola
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Re: Taigh Nikola (Nikki's House)

Post by Nikola »

The following morning she took the letter to the Inn, sealed by her hand and addressed to John. After insuring that the messenger had breakfasted well and been supplied with as much food as the Inn could spare and the peasant could carry, she arranged for a mounted escort to accompany him to the northern borders of Bravia where he would part company and begin the journey back to wherever John was. She watched as the escort disappeared into the distance before releasing a sigh and turning back to the castle. It was time to return to her real home and arrangements needed to be made.

Upon reaching her office, she insured that there was no matter needing attention, then left a note for the Vicerine to send for her if and when she may be needed. Her next stop was the rooms she called home when she was at the castle. She packed what little she would need for the journey and called for a page to deliver her pack to the stables to be fastened to her gear and to have a horse saddled. She really would need to find a horse of her own one day, but for now she was grateful for the use of the castle stables. Her final stop was to the castle kitchens where the cook packed enough food for the journey back to Paz and home.

At the stables she found a horse ready for her to ride, her pack already attached to the saddle. The food she carried in a pack she wore slung across her back. She smiled to see which horse had been chosen for her. She was a sweet mare whom Nikki had ridden many times before and who now whickered a greeting as Nikki approached her to let her her smell her hands before stroking her nose. After double checking the gear, she gave the groomsman several freznics and mounted, leading the mare out of the stableyard and onto the road to Paz. It was time and there were things that needed to be done at home.
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Nikola
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Re: Taigh Nikola (Nikki's House)

Post by Nikola »

Home. Arriving back at her own home had felt so good to Nikki, yet the quiet stillness of the place made her heart ache. After seeing to the sweet mare’s needs, Nikki had carried her packs into her home and settled in for the night. The following day she had taken the mare back into Paz and arranged for its return to the castle in Bravia. She really did need to get a horse of her own, but that would have to wait.

Since returning to Paz she had agreed to serve as mayor for the Town and had spent the past month learning the ins and outs of that office. She had kept busy keeping things going, arranging trades for wood and the like with the mayor of Imperius. Jandar seemed a good sort and she very much appreciated his willingness to trade for the prized fish that Paz was known for. Her term was winding down and she had already made some initial efforts at arranging another trade with Imperius, but that would likely be finalized through Gawain as the next mayor of Paz.

Tonight, the dream had awakened her again and as usual she had been unable to return to sleep so had risen from her bed in the middle of the night to brew her favorite mint tea. Now she sat cuddled in her favorite chair before the fire, wrapped in a soft blanket against the winter's chill as she sipped her tea. She couldn’t see the snow falling outside, but she could feel it in her bones.

The tea calmed her as it usually did and as its warmth filled her, she relaxed and allowed her mind to wander down memory lane. Bannon had brought them as far as Paz and had searched for a ship to take them across the sea. But none ever came. After several days of living in the town’s inn, Bannon seemed to relax among the friendly citizens of Paz. Most kept to themselves, but were warm and welcoming whenever they met them out in the marketplace. Young Nikki had not been allowed out much as Bannon insisted she remain in the Inn to work on her studies.

She remembered being so excited when Bannon came to the Inn one evening and announced that he had found them a house and they would be staying here in Paz. They had packed up their few belongings and settled with the innkeeper. They traveled to their new home in the dead of night which puzzled Nikki, yet it was still an adventure. The moon was only half full, but shed just enough light to illuminate their path. Once they got to the house, Bannon had lit a fire in this very hearth and they had bedded down on the floor in front of it for the rest of the night.

Over the next several weeks, Nikki had helped Bannon make the house livable, she tending to the interior while he worked on repairing the outside walls and roof. The house was in a deplorable condition, but it was going to be home and that made it worth the work. As it turned out, the house was set deep in the woods a good way outside of town. The path … one couldn’t really call it a road … was little used and Bannon seemed to prefer to leave it in its overgrown condition.

The fire crackled before her eyes, her cup of tea cooling in her hands but Nikki was barely aware of either as she remembered that time so long ago now. Once, the quiet and solitude of this place had driven her to distraction, but now she had come to appreciate why Bannon seemed to love it so much. Only now had she begun to realize why the solitude and separation had seemed so important to him. She frowned down at the cup in her hand and felt it grow warm again as the liquid within heated, seemingly of its own accord.

She started, nearly dropping the cup, but managed to maintain her hold on it.
Well, that's new, she thought as she raised the cup to her lips to sample the newly heated tea but the liquid was too hot and she burned her tongue. Sighing, she set the cup aside and stared back into the fire. She was only beginning to understand why Bannon had so desperately tried to keep her hidden from the world and not for the first time she wondered just exactly who, or what, she was.
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Nikola
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Re: Taigh Nikola (Nikki's House)

Post by Nikola »

Home at last after a long day at the castle, Nikki did not even bother to light a lantern. Dusk lay heavy on the land, but there was light enough to see. She hung her coat on the rack that stood just inside the front foyer and pulled off her winter boots to slip her feet into thick, warm slippers. From there she made her way through the shadows to her kitchen where she stoked the cooling embers left from the morning’s fire back into life and added wood to fuel the flames. Once the fire was going, she hung a kettle of water over the fire for the tea she knew she would want before going to bed.

On the table sat a decanter of John’s iskir berry wine. She pulled a wine glass from the cupboard and filled it with the sweet liquid, swirling it carefully in the glass before taking a sip. She closed her eyes in appreciation of the sweet berry flavor and the way it warmed her gullet on the way down. She looked down at the dark liquid in her glass, its rich color masked by the growing shadows that were rapidly filling her kitchen. A sigh escaped her lips before she took another sip and moved over to the window to stare out across the garden.

It had been months since she and John had gone traveling about the far reaches of Secfenia. During that time they had been through some incredible, and sometimes dangerous, adventures. Other than being with John, the best part of the trip was meeting Starr and bringing the mare home to live with her. She and her new horse had formed a bond that even Nikki could not explain, but she knew was real for her as well as for Starr. She could see it in the mare’s eyes and in the way she moved and reacted whenever Nikki was present.

Then there were her powers. Those had come springing forth during that trip, wild at first in response to attacks from yvyrms, but as more attacks came, she began to learn, more accidentally than by design, how to control them. At first John had been shocked and had withdrawn for a time, but he had later come back in full support of her. During the remainder of their trip and even more so after she returned home, she had found time to practice so that now her control was far better than it had been during that first desperate battle. Using the power still drained her, but she was learning how to ration and mold the power so that she could use only what was needed without totally depleting her own energy in the process. She still tired, but not so much that she passed out afterward and she was learning how to build her physical strength and stamina both prior to using her powers and after to help keep her energy levels fairly even.

Starr seemed to know whenever Nikki was using her powers. She found that odd in an interesting way, but had decided it was nothing more than a lasting result of that first battle shortly after she got Starr when they had fought off a band of Yvyrm together and she had unknowingly wrapped Starr in a protective bubble of that power and the mare seemed to understand that something out of the ordinary had happened. She had been very protective of Nikki ever since. As if the mare knew Nikki was thinking of her, a whicker came from the direction of the barn where Starr was bedded down for the night, bringing a smile to Nikki’s lips.


“Goodnight, Starr!” she called out the window and turned back to the fire, drinking more of the sweet wine as she found a lantern and lit it, dispelling the shadows at last. Finding some bread and cheese, she settled into a chair for a snack after pulling papers out of her pack to study.

Iris was overseeing the construction of Nikki’s new home in town. It was still near the edge of town, but closer to the castle in Bravia City where Nikki spent most of her time. She had considered building a home there in Bravia City, but had decided against it, knowing that she would not always be the Vicerine, but while she was she had rooms at the castle that were more than adequate for her purposes. This new house would be in the town of Paz which would lend itself to hosting guests and such and being able to be more involved in the town itself. Her small taigh here nestled in the forest outside of Paz would always be her home, but would soon become more of an escape than a constant home. Goodness knows she spent most of her time at the castle anyway, but this would always be home. There were things about this taigh that even John did not yet know. Things he might never know.

Dearest John. Their lives were so busy that they hardly had time for each other, crossing paths only rarely in the castle and mostly communicating by letter these days. Now he was off again, chopping the precious wood that the province needed to keep her mines open, carpenters building, smithies hammering and bakeries churning out food for the people of Bravia. She missed him, but the loss was tempered by the knowledge that he would eventually return home again.

She looked over the papers spread before her, making notes between bites of food and sips of wine until at last she could think no more. Gathering up the sheaves, she replaced them in the pack and set it aside before using a bit of the heated water in the kettle to wash her wine glass. Once the kitchen was clean and organized again, she poured steaming water over mint leaves in her teapot and allowed them to steep while she carried the pot with cup and saucer on a tray into her bedroom. There she changed into her nightclothes and robe before settling into a comfy arm chair and pouring herself a cup of mint tea. She doused the lantern and sat comfortably in her chair facing the bedroom window where she could watch the stars as they began twinkling into existence as the shadows turned the grey of evening into the black of night.

She smiled when the change came. The average human would not have noticed, but she had learned long ago to recognize the change and when it came, she knew she was safe from the mundane world that was Secfenia. “Safe” might not be the best word to use for where she was now, but nevertheless it was home, and that was enough.
Last edited by Nikola on Sat Jul 15, 2017 1:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Nikola
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Re: Taigh Nikola (Nikki's House)

Post by Nikola »

Her trip with John had been something the two of them had looked forward to for some time. A chance to get away again together, just the two of them, and go exploring in the wide world once more. They had had a pleasant journey for a time until the pigeons had caught up with them. Blast and blasted light! Bravia seemed to be coming apart at the seams and she was unable to do anything more than send notes of encouragement and instruction back home.

As time went on and things seemed to go from bad to worse, she had finally confronted John and told him she felt the need to return home…with or without him. He had been gracious, as always, and had escorted her home safely, depositing her at her little home in the forest. She had hoped he would stay, but instead he had immediately taken his galleon out to sail to faraway lands.

By the time she had returned, the Council had been replaced with a new one, and once again talks had stalled, as they always seemed to do. Nikki had spent most of her time back home working in her workshop, churning out multi-stat recipes for herself and to sell to the citizens of Paz. She figured to take them to Bravia City if they did not sell in Paz and if they still did not sell, she might just take her goods to Fenia. At least there, people were alive and active and perhaps even interested in bettering themselves.

Today, she had taken a walk through her forest, something that normally calmed her, but she felt even more agitated than ever. No word from John, virtual silence in Council and after sacrificing her trip with John she found herself totally and utterly alone. Normally she did not mind being alone, but something about it at this time just ate at her. By the time she had returned to the house, she could feel the light raging inside her, making her skin itch with the need to be released.

She stood at her kitchen window, where she often ended up whenever she was thinking things over. The sun was well below the horizon and stars were beginning to wink into life in the darkening sky. She had just poured herself a glass of John’s iskir berry wine, the last of her supply and stood at the window, seeking peace from the stars and finding none. Her mind buzzed with agitation, and she was aware of Starr pacing in her paddock. The mare always seemed to reflect her mood. She thought of John and all that had been left unsaid between them before he sailed away. She thought of Bravia, and all that had befallen the viceroyalty, feeling the helplessness of being unable to do anything that mattered, to affect change that might benefit the people of her land. She still thought of Bravia as “her” land, although she had not been Vicereine for some time now. It was her land. It was her home. Few knew how much she was willing to sacrifice to keep it safe.

She thought again of the buzz of activity at the beginning of this new Council term and how short-lived that had been. She considered how quiet chambers had become now, and she wanted to scream. This was the very heart of Bravia’s weakness. Pain in her hand brought her back to the moment and she looked down to see that the glass she had been holding had splintered into shards, one of which had pierced the flesh of her palm. Wine and blood spilled from the ruined glass over her hand onto the floor. She looked at the ruin as from a distance, the buzzing in her mind becoming louder. Without thought she threw back her head and screamed out her frustration.

The scream was replaced by a flood of light, flashing golden, red and blue as though her body was aflame. All the colors danced and flashed as the silent scream continued without pause until all became a single all-encompassing white, filling and replacing everything around Nikki. After what seemed an age, the scream stopped, the light faded, and the buzzing stopped.

Nikki opened her eyes to look upon a world that was unfamiliar to her. Gone was the kitchen and indeed the little house that she had called home for so many years. Gone was the yard and the forest that surrounded that little house. Another forest stood in its place. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw that she was in a clearing. There was a sense of magick to this place, but she could not say why. She seemed to be completely alone here, but for one other.

At the far end of the clearing stood a man. No, she corrected herself as her vision grew clearer. Not a man, although not precisely an elf.
“Where are we?” she asked him, “and who are you?”

He was casually surveying the clearing when she spoke to him. His eyes finally tracked to her and held her gaze. She tried to look away, but found she could not nor, she realized, did she really want to. He was light embodied, she thought. Fair of skin, long hair a silvery white that hung straight and silky, nearly as long as her own blonde tresses. His eyes were like sapphires set perfectly beneath dark brows. When he spoke, she could hear the laughter of water in his voice, could sense the thunder behind his words.

“You are in the Beloved Vale, sacred to my people.”

She frowned, having never heard of such a place and not knowing how she could have come here when just a moment ago she was in her kitchen. As though reading her thoughts, his lips curved slightly into what might have been a smile, but she could not be certain.

“You seem to have opened a passage between our worlds that has been closed for millennia.”

He drew closer to her, stopped several paces away and pierced her very soul with his eyes, as if reading every story of her life. At last he drew breath and spoke again.

“I am Vaelen, Lord of the High Vale, King of the Mystic Mountains, High Sidhe of the Summer Realm.” He paused before adding, “but you may call me Father.”
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Nikola
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Re: Taigh Nikola (Nikki's House)

Post by Nikola »

Nikki stared at the creature standing before her, her mind initially blank with shock at his pronouncement. “Father?” she mouthed the word, unable to comprehend its meaning. He was certainly not Bannon, the man who had raised her as his own. Nor did he resemble in the least the distant memory of the man from her dreams who she was certain was her real father.

She stared into sapphire eyes, searching behind them for the lie, yet finding none. After what seemed an eternity, she asked,
“What do you mean?”
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Re: Taigh Nikola (Nikki's House)

Post by Vaelen »

Vaelen watched the girl’s reaction to his words. He knew she cared nothing for his lofty titles. It would be that last one that disturbed her. He swept his right hand gracefully toward a patch of lush grass under the shade of an oak tree. “Come, Nikola. Sit.”

He arched an eyebrow as she started to protest and raised his hand in a stopping gesture. “Do not push me, daughter,” he ordered. Though his voice was gentle, his tone brooked no argument. He found a spark of pride as she raised her chin defiantly, and nodded slightly as she walked stiffly to the spot he had offered and lowered herself gracefully to the ground. He waited until she was settled and sat across from her, the shade of the tree generous enough of them both. “I have watched you since your birth. You and the others. You are almost all that is left now.”

He watched as she frowned, understanding clearly absent. He looked around the glade, seeing her little house just beyond the perimeter. He would have to heal that breech, but they were safe for the moment. His eyes could see what hers did not yet recognize…a dozen or more of his people stood guard over the portal, keeping to the shadows and poised to close the opening in an instant if needed. At last his eyes swung back to hers, smiling as he found her watching him, suspicion warring with curiosity in the depths of those eyes that so closely matched his own. “Nikola Ballintyne. What do you know of your family?”
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