A Brief Trip Home

[Ayshela]

Ayshela wanders into Wyvern's office, cloak swirling about her. No hiding today, she has a definite purpose in mind this time. Looking about the office she completely fails to see what she's looking for. It's not on the table, nor the desk, and she really doesn't want to go riffling through the filing cabinet. Mice. Where could it be??

 

With a thoughtful look and a sudden grin, she flips a geld onto Wyvern's desk and finds a seat out of the likely traffic pattern. Within seconds Wyvern zips through the door and over his desk, scattering everything but the geld off it in the process. Looking from the geld to Ayshela he cries "Ah! So you finally decided to invest in .." Ayshela cuts him off quickly. "No, the only thing i'm investing in is a little bit of your time. I'd like an application, please."

 

Wyvern hunts briefly through the filing cabinet before finding what he's looking for. "Here you go. If you're sure there's nothing else you need I'll just be off then, there's another opportunity..." and his words fade as he disappears down the hall.

 

Seating herself at the table where the forms had been dropped, Ayshela begins to write:

 

Name: Ayshela

Gender: Female, last time I checked

Race: fast

Blood Type: warm

 

Ignoring questions regarding income source and amount, and several offers of investment opportunities and services to safeguard valuables, she reaches the section about qualifications. Ahh, here we go.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Ayshela sank into her familiar chair in the corner of the Cabaret Room with a barely audible sigh of relief. It had been a very long week. A very busy and stressful one as well, but lately that seemed to go without saying. Lifting her drink she sipped slowly, welcomed the fire coursing through her, and began to think.

 

She liked it here. Letting her eyes drift with her mind, she looked across the room and noticed how many of the once strange faces she now recognized. Some she still didn't know, and none did she know well, but all had welcomed her. Here was a good place. She was not looking forward to leaving in the morning.

 

HopperWolf looked over from his place by the fire. He seemed almost to have heard Ayshela's mental sighs. Padding over to her, he sat by her feet and looked up with a curious look in his yellow eyes.

 

Ruffling his fur affectionately, Ayshela said "No, I haven't lost my mind. Not yet anyway. I'll be fine, I just have to go home for a bit and I find that I really don't want to. But now I'd best get some sleep, it's going to be an early morning."

 

HopperWolf watched Ayshela slip out of the room before padding back to curl up in his place by the fire. Letting his head sink down upon his paws he thought it would be an early morning indeed.

 

* * * * *

 

Just before dawn, Ayshela appeared at the end of an alley and glanced around the quiet town before heading down the road toward the edge of the forest. HopperWolf was at the edge of town waiting for her. He cast a puzzled look at her soft grey cloak. Noticing it, Ayshela laughed quietly.

 

"You're quite correct, it's not usually grey. But then, I've not been much in towns."

 

Removing her cloak after another glance about the quiet town, Ayshela turned the mottled brown and green side out and put it back on. Twisting her hair into a careless knot and securing it with a clip, she started to raise the hood and suddenly remembered something.

 

"Oh, I'm doubly glad you came to see me off! I'll miss you, friend, but I don't expect to be gone long. If all goes well I should be back within a week. Yet, there is an element of risk. If I'm not back within a month, this will need to be given to the inkeeper. Will you keep it for me, please?"

 

Taking a long silver chain from her neck, Ayshela looked to HopperWolf. Seeing his nod of acquiescence, she hooked the chain around his neck, combing the fur of his ruff over to hide both the chain and the small key it held. Giving HopperWolf a gentle hug of thanks and farewell, she pulled up the hood of her cloak and turned, striding into the forest to blend into the shadows.

 

* * * * *

 

Late the next evening, Ayshela arrived in the vicinity of her home. Peering into the treetops she saw her village, concealed from intruders and efficiently guarded. Debating whether to make her appearance now or in the morning, she decided to wait. It was likely to be unpleasant enough without tiredness making it worse. Clambering up a friendly tree she remembered from childhood, she rested on the relatively broad span where three major branches diverged, pulled her cloak tightly around her and sank into an uneasy sleep.

 

* * * * *

 

Early the next morning, as the sun began to dimly peer through the fog, Ayshela appeared at the sentry post.

"Good Goddess, it's you! I never thought you'd dare to show your face here again." shouted Sentry Allain. "How in heaven's name did you get past the patrols?"

 

Ayshela looked at him with a carefully expressionless face and said "It's not that difficult to avoid men who couldn't be quiet if their lives depended on it - and aren't."

 

Allain scowled. "Did you at least bring back the proof you said you'd find?"

 

Ayshela noted the crafty gleam of his eye and the way his hand hovered near his sword. "I found it, as I said I would, where I knew I would. It's in safekeeping, where it can't be taken from my dead body and destroyed. Should anything untoward happen to me, those who hold the key to its whereabouts will do as they've been directed. And now, I've come to see my mother, which right you cannot deny me."

 

Allain glared at her for a moment, then called up to the nearest platform, "Ayshela to see the Lady Helene."

As the ladder lowered, he looked at Ayshela once more and mumbled "You'd better hope that proof is as conclusive as you say. If it isn't, I'll take great pleasure in throwing you off the highest platform myself."

 

Ayshela simply glanced at him and mumbled in return "It is, and you'd never ever believe who it implicates. You want to throw me off? Go right ahead, I'll take you with me." and began to climb the ladder.

 

Nodding politely to the sentry at the top of the ladder, she made her way from one platform to another ignoring the curious looks. Reaching her mother's home she knocked once and entered. Lady Helene entered the room and stopped short in unfeigned shock.

 

"AYSHELA?!?! Is it really you? We thought... we heard..."

 

"That I was dead? I'm sure you did. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it was an erroneous report."

 

"Dis.. No! I never hoped, I never wanted.." Lady Helene trailed off into silence under Ayshela's mocking look.

 

"I know you did. I have always known. I can't begin to tell you how often I wished it had been. But that's irrelevant right now. I've come to see grandma."

 

Wordlessly gesturing at the inner doorway, Lady Helene watched Ayshela turn and cross the room.

 

Stepping through the doorway, Ayshela stopped to let her eyes adjust to the gloom. "Gran?" she said as vague forms began to become familiar objects. Seeing a movement in the chair in the corner, she leaped across to greet her.

 

"Gran!! How are you? I'm so glad to see you!" she exclaimed, bending to hug the frail old woman who hadn't managed to rise from the chair yet.

 

"Oh, I'm alright. I'll be around for a little bit yet. How are you? You look well, I'm glad to see. I've missed you."

 

"I'm fine, Gran. I'm sorry, I've missed you too, but I've been looking for something rather," and Ayshela paused for a moment to find the right word. "Well, rather - important, to several people including myself."

 

"Oh. I see. I wondered if it was because they didn't want you back after what you did. I never did understand why you did it."

 

"I didn't Gran. That's why I had to go away. So I could prove I didn't."

 

"Oh. Are you sure?" And Ayshela watched as her grandmother paused for thought and seemed to fall asleep.

 

Kissing her softly on the cheek, Ayshela said "I'm sure, Gran, but I can't ever tell you who it was." then turned and left, knowing that while she'd been in time, she would never see her grandmother again.

 

Meeting her mother in the front room again, she refused the offer of breakfast. "It's quite alright, I'm sure I don't want anything to eat right now. I'll be off again so you can have the taint of evil scrubbed from your home. Good morning."

 

Ignoring the half-hearted "Well, really! I never..." Ayshela left and closed the door softly behind her, and began to retrace her steps.

 

* * * * *

 

Late the next night, Ayshela returned to town. Still somewhat confused and upset, she found herself unwilling to return to her table at the bar and climbed up to the window of her room instead.

 

Seated before the mirror, only a candle lighting the gloom, she gazed at her reflection in bewilderment. Two images seemed to split off, to gaze at her in return. One dark, twisted, evil, with a veneer of civility. The kind of person who would sabotage equipment to deadly effect, as they said she did. The other lighter - flawed, imperfect, but pleasant and concerned about others. Not one who would ever put another at risk. Looking back and forth between the two she realized that they were projections of others' perceptions. One as her family saw her, (or would have her believe she was) the other as her friends saw her (or would like to convince her she was).

 

Hearing the sound of padding in the hallway and sniffing at the door, Ayshela turned to let HopperWolf in. Trust his loyal heart to know she was back.

 

The dark projection caught her eye again as she turned and she paused to wonder about Gran. What kind of person could have borne and raised someone as cruel and manipulative as her mother? Were there bits of that in Gran as well? Was her mother cruel by nature, or by force of circumstances? Yet there was so much circumstances would not explain.

 

Shrugging and turning toward the door again, the lighter projection caught her eye and she stopped. Which is true? Which is illusion? One, or the other, some of both or maybe neither? How to tell? Well enough to say "Go on and do your best, be true to yourself always." What if you weren't sure which was the real you, and which was distorted illusion? How do you tell the difference?

 

Hearing a soft whine at the door Ayshela shrugged off the questions for now, watched the images fade, and turned toward the door where her friend awaited her.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

As she finishes writing, Ayshela looks up and notices that the office is still empty. Fair enough, she needs no assistance for this part. She flexes her fingers as the ink dries on the application, then lays it on the desk and turns to leave. Pulling her cloak tighter around her and raising the hood, she strides down the hall and blends into the shadows once more.

[Ayshela]

Hmmmmmm

19 views and not one comment?

i hadn't expected Wyvern to see this for a couple of weeks, but i had rather hoped that if it just really sucked *someone* would have said something.

or even if it didn't.

[Salinye]

I haven't read this yet, but have peace of heart!! I posted my app way back on the 9th and no one has commented yet, and I don't think my app completely sucked either! (I guess that's a matter of opinion!) I also posted a writing in the stories forum and no one commented either. I'm thinking that that's just the way it is sometimes around here. :0)

 

Don't take it as an insult! (I've had to remind myself the same thing)

 

~Salinye

[Archaneus]

I just saw this today otherwise I would have done as you said noone had and posted something. No need to fear, I assure you this does not suck. Good job. I would emplore you though, please finish this.

[Alaeha]

Well... I've read it before, but I'm afraid I really didn't have anything constructive to say.

 

It's well done... I guess my primary suggestion would be to continue it. I want to know at least what it is that the character's supposed to have done.

[Ayshela]

Thank you all. i wasn't insulted, just a bit - well - baffled, i guess. Had thought with that many eyes across it someone would have had something to say.

 

i am pondering a continuation, though in a way this was not a specifically planned writing. Occassionally the words grab my hair and drag me to the keyboard. This was all borne from that final scene, actually. Yet there are paths to take from there which will illuminate earlier events. i have only to choose between them.

 

Thank you.

[Salinye]

I really enjoyed this! I hope you'll continue! I find myself wanting to know what it is she is needing to prove and who did it!

 

~Salinye

[WrenWind]

I would love to see more of this . Good job !!

[Wyvern]

Ayshela nervously fidgets in her applicant easychair as she waits for the Elder of Initiates' arrival, once again growing slightly anxious due to the lack of comments... After making sure that she has filled out all of the appropriate application forms and has a bit of spare bribe money to offer the greedy Elder if worst comes to worst, the applicant leans back in her easychair and lets out a dismal sigh, wondering how much longer the overgrown lizard would take to arrive...

 

As if to answer her question, Wyvern suddenly strides through the entrance of the Recruiter's Office carrying a large brown package of some sort, hissing curses under his breath due to the weight of the box he holds and nodding to Ayshela as he enters. Setting the heavy package next to his desk and wiping some sweat from his scaly brow, the lizard thoroughly apologizes to Ayshela for his lengthy absence and immediatly gets to reading over her application.

 

After having finished reading the application, the reptilian Elder turns to Ayshela, grinning and hissing:

 

"A very good application, Ayshela... I noticed that you've had a few mirror troubles here and there, and just might have the answer to all of your mirror problems..."

 

The eager applicant raises a brow curiously as Wyvern swifly unwraps the package resting by his desk, revealing a large, mirror-like object labeled "Ourlenne Mirrors™" with the subtitle "providing quality reflections since the second armagedon of terra."

 

Ayshela gazes at the object curiously and mutters:

 

"Ourlenne mirrors...?"

 

"Exactly!" exclaims Wyvern in response "Orlan mirrors for the guys, Cheyenne mirrors for the gals, and 'our' mirror since it belongs to everyone (for the appropriate price)!"

 

"I see..." murmers Ayshela, eyeing the "mirror" closely and noticing that it's nothing more than two poorly pasted photographs on a sheet of silver, one placed on each side of the plaque. The side currently facing Ayshela has a picture of Cheyenne, one of the sexiest and most fashionable woman of Terra, striking a particularly sensual pose on it. The other side of the "mirror" has a picture of Orlan, the sexy sexy man of Terra, "on duty" relaxing on the sun deck of the Pen while being massaged by a scantily clad female Dominion... Ayshela shakes her head in disbelief at the poorly constructed excuse for a mirror, and her eyes widen even further when she notices that the price tag is a foot long due to the number of digits on it...

 

"SSsssso..." hisses Wyvern hopefully "...would you be interested in buying an Ourlenne Mirror™ and ridding yourself of all those pesky multiple mirror images?"

 

Ayshela shakes her head as a response and Wyvern grumbles to himself, stamping her application ACCEPTED while crossing out another of his "no fail" schemes from a seemingly endless list of plots...

 

;-)

 

OOC: An ACCEPTED application, Ayshela, welcome to the Mighty Pen! My apologies for taking so long to respond, I enjoyed what's been written of your story thus far and look forward to reading more. Be sure to either post your e-mail address in this thread or send me a mail at elitwack90@hotmail.com so that I can send you a bit of additional Pen info. Once again, welcome!

[Ayshela]

OOC:

 

WOOT!! e-mail winging its way to you.