[RPG] [BT][Rio] Delvin Anaris ~ Dark Road Ahead

[Timothy Collett]

A piece of parchment with neat, even writing lies on the table.  At  
the top are four short lines, followed by several individually  
delineated points of explication.

Delvin looks at the first line again, and looks away.  Again.  He  
raises his glass to his lips, again, only to find that no liquid  
oblivion is forthcoming.  Sighing, he reaches for the bottle, again,  
but it, too, is empty.

"...Not that there was much oblivion to be found in that liquid in  
the first place," he murmurs to himself sadly.

There being little more point in sitting around in the chair, he  
pushes himself to his feet and starts to pace the room—only to fall  
back into the chair again as his legs refuse to support him.  Shaking  
his head, he puts his face in his hands.  "Ah, Gods," he murmurs  
brokenly into them.  "Gods, Gods, Gods...what have we come to?"

Deciding that he might as well follow his downward motion a little  
further, he sinks to his knees and begins to pray as tears trickle  
down his face.

"Arelien, Lady of the Sun, grant me courage and strength to persevere  
through this dark time.
"Mistarin, Wandering Sage of the Stars, grant me wisdom to lead my  
people safely through the night.
"Elanzel, Dark Lady of the New Moon, grant me cunning to outthink my  
foes.
"Aya, Silent Binder, take back your dead and the unbound spirits  
called Daimons, for they do not belong in this world."

His prayers seem to draw all the grief and rage out of him, and clear  
his head somewhat.  He feels a warmth upon his head, as of someone  
laying Her hand upon it in a gesture of comfort, and the emptiness in  
his heart seems to be filled with, if not courage, at least some  
measure of peace.

Delvin raises his head and looks around.  His gaze falls on the  
results of the referendum, still lying on the table.

"Very well," he says calmly.  He stands up, picks up the page and  
tosses it into the fire.  "Just because I have to accept it doesn't  
mean I have to keep looking at it, does it?"

He clears away the wine bottle and glass, and brings the map of  
Riombara that occupied the small table before back over to it.   
Looking at it, he shakes his head.

"Herkan, I hope you know what we're doing..."

--

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

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