[RPG] [FEI][Taop] Ariana and Morthwyl ~ Darkness Descending?

[Timothy Collett]

Ariana sighs and strokes Morthwyl's hair as he writes a letter,  
irritation cutting through his fatigue for the first time in days.   
"Are you sure it's a good idea, beloved?  With the exertion of the  
battle beforehand, will you really be up to dinner with Sarig?"

He sighs, shivering slightly at her touch. "Do I have a choice?"

Ariana's brow creases.  "Surely Sarig will understand...he cannot  
object when you have been ill...and sleeping poorly."

Morthwyl grunts, half mockingly. "You'd be surprised what people can  
object to..."  He gets up slowly. "No, I must do this. If Sarig would  
understand that, he will also understand that I will not be much for  
entertainment tomorrow..."

Ariana smacks the desk in disgust.  "How can we be working with the  
people here?  Even if Hoshi is right, and they can be trusted not to  
stab us in the back any more, they are rude!  They clearly have no  
respect for Svunnetland, and they do not even practice common  
courtesy with Einar!"

He sighs heavily and runs his hand through Ariana's hair. "I know,  
believe me I know, but what would you have me do? Any other path I  
could take is only worse..."

Agitatedly, she whirls to the entrance to the tent, and pushes the  
flap back, looking east...toward home.  Then she turns back and lets  
the flap drop, arms crossed, eyes tight shut for a moment, before  
returning to Morthwyl's side.  Subdued now, she takes his hand in  
both of hers and looks down at it, murmuring, "I know...there is one  
other path I can see, but I could not ask you to take it.  I could  
not ask you to leave your home..."

"I too have seen that path, but it is not my path... not yet. I  
simply cannot bring myself to take the easy way out, for I fear it  
may be the end of everything I have fought to build during the last  
fifteen years..."

Ariana moves closer to him.  "I fear that end may come all too soon  
anyway.  After they are done with Anacan, what is to stop them from  
coming after us again?  My dreams of late have been filled with fire  
and ruin...and...home..."

He holds her close, his eyes staring blankly ahead. He remembers his  
own dreams and shivers. "Then may oblivion take them..."

She huddles into the curve of his arms, resting her head on his  
shoulder.  "I can only pray that the tide may turn, and what was  
taken from us may come back...though I fear that our honour may be  
lost forever."

--

"The only thing you can't trade for your heart's desire is your heart."
  ~ Miles Naismith Vorkosigan

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