Dark Secrets

A/N: Thought you all might like a bit of a pronunciation guide for the names.
Vowel sounds: a e i o u - ah eh ee oh oo (E's are slightly longer and often sound more like a soft 'ay,' as in 'hey.')
So:
Velash'avel [veil ah sh -very short pause- ah vell]
Ayderen [pretty easy, but: aid air en]
Selehashvir [seh lay hosh veer]
Liehnaner [lee ehn ah ner]


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Chapter 2: Deal

The slave had found shelter in an alley with an awning over it. He needed to stop and think about his next move. He could get a hotel, but the authorities would go around asking, and find him in no time. He had no family to speak of, and really no place to go.

Velash'avel happened to use that particular alley frequently to get between his home and the market, being conveniently placed between the two as a shortcut. He was returning home now, holding two canvas bags full of groceries in one hand and a metal flask in the other. He was dressed in low-end noble clothing, loose forest-green pants ending in close-fitting hems around mid-calf, laced sandals and a subtley embroidered white linen shirt. Save for the three silver studs in each ear and an eyebrow piercing, he wore no jewelry.

The streets were still wet from the night before, and the hot sun overhead was making for a nastily muggy day, the only reprieve being the constant breezes that came with living on a floating continent.

He took a swig from his flask and paused as he swallowed the liquid, looking at what at first seemed like another of the nobility slumped against the alley wall. The man was young, and looked like he'd been through a part of Feythis. He was dirty, and his clothes were still damp as though he'd spent the night outside. He continued down the alley and toward the man, able to see more detail as he got nearer.

The boy stirred, not really wanting to wake up. He was uncomfortable, and wet. He heard movement near him, and turned his head. He saw a man coming towards him. His eyes flitted over the mark on the other shad's cheek, and panic welled up inside him. That mark meant he was part of the military. If he was part of the military, surely he must know of the murder by now, and being dressed in dirty noble's clothes made him suspicious. He had to think quick. He couldn't come up with an excuse, so he decided to bolt. He ran as fast as he could down the end of the alley, not daring to look back.

Startled only for a second, Velash'avel put the flask in one of the bags and gave chase, having caught just enough of the man's face to have recognized him. What was the slave doing out here? Not shopping, obviously. His bags hardly even threw off his balance, and with a tiny bit of help from a quickly-thought spell of wind, he was quickly gaining on the other maryshad. "Wait!" he called, and shoved magick into the command, making it more compelling, but without a name to say it wouldn't be nearly as effective.

The boy stumbled, and had to fight to keep moving. He had been slowed down drastically, and knew he was going to be caught. "S-stay back! I'll fight you!"

Velash'avel caught up with the slave shortly after and ran just past him, then slid to a halt and spun to face him. He kept several paces between them, and huffed through a spreading smile. "No doubt you would." His voice was rich and deep, but hardly seductive. Not that he was trying. "I was going to leave you alone, but now that you've tried to run, you have me all curious." His speech was oddly informal for a noble, yet he spoke in the more complicated dialect.

The boy put up his fists. "Who are you? Why are you talking like you've seen me before?" He shook his head. "You know what? Just go away, I don't even wanna know!"

Velash'avel shrugged, his small smile fading. "Very well. I'll leave, but I'll be telling the authorities about some wily noble -or is it ex-noble? My condolences, if that is the case- that is lurking in the alleyways."

The boys eyes flew open. "You wouldn't! For all you know I was out drinking and got lost or something!"

The man tilted his head slightly. "If you smelled like a tavern, I would readily believe that."

Confused, the boy smelled himself, then jerked his head back. "Well, I don't smell pretty.... I have some gold. Would that be enough to get you to leave me be?"

Now Velash'avel just felt insulted. "Do I look like I am want for money?" He shook his head. "You taste like fear and run like a man whose life depends on escape." And it was his fault the poor sap was in any trouble at all. "I don't know what happened, but if you tell me, I might be willing to turn a blind eye. Or..." he glanced away, skywards, "if you're compelling enough, I might help you out."

The boy was suspicious. But he thought he didn't have much to lose. He heaved a heavy sigh and said, "Fine. The master of my house, something bad happened to him. The blame was going to fall on me because it happened, and most of the people in the house are sure I was the culprit anyway. I feared for my life, so I fled." He looked down at the ground. "There it is."

Velash'avel looked at the ex-slave's face, then let out a soft sigh. He understood what it was like to be a slave, though his situation was vastly different from the common man's. "Being blamed for a murder you didn't do, hm? Well, once they have people investigating it without a biased eye and get some real suspects, I'll trust they'll let you be. Until then, you should find some place safe to stay."

The boy nodded. "I... I don't really have anywhere to go..." The boy had spent most of the night thinking about it. "I'm not too bright, so I couldn't lie if they started asking at hotels and stuff."

Velash'avel rubbed a finger back and forth across his lower lip in thought. "I see. Well, I've heard tales that some people hide in brothels, but I also hear that life in one isn't always the best, and it's no good if who you're running from frequents them." He sighed and shook his head. 'I can't believe I'm about to do this,' he thought. "I suppose...you could stay with me, if you wanted, until things die down."

The boy's eyes lit up. "Really? You mean it?" He was about to throw his arms around the older man, and then calmed down. "Ah... I mean, thank you so much."

Velash'avel raised a brow. "Er...yes. But don't think it'll be free. You're going to have to earn your keep. Now then, what's your name?"

The boy thought for a minute. It had been a while since he was called anything other than, "Boy," or, "Slave." "It's... Ayderen. What's yours?" He held out his hand to the other shad.

"Velash'avel," he said simply, taking Ayderen's hand with his left. A short jolt of energy jumped between their palms, and he smiled softly. "Ease up a bit. I promise I won't eat you." He let Ayderen's hand go and turned, heading on down the alley. "Come on now."

Ayderen looked after him, confused. "Oh.. ok." He trotted after the man, questions buzzing around his head. He had not said anything about a murder, but this man seemed to know. And the offer to hide him was a little out there. He was nervous, but he wasn't going to turn down kindness where he could find it.

They wound through the rest of the alley way and several streets, till they were almost to the outskirts of the city. Being less populated, it was easier to have privacy, and his domed house sat fairly secluded on a small hill. The next nearest buildings were anywhere from forty to one-hundred feet away, partially due to the fact that Velash'avel technically owned the chunk of land his house sat on. It was all just grass, not even so much as a garden or pond as many of the nobility were fond of, and the path to the doorway of the house was laid with fitted, flat rocks. The air above it shimmered a little and the lock sounded as it was undone, and Velash'avel pushed it open.

He went straight to the kitchen, off to the right past the living room, leaving the door to shut and lock itself behind them. The interior was lovely, but didn't seem quite...lived-in. Decorations were sparse, and the living room contained a couch and a single cushioned chair and a low table on which sat a small polished and carved wooden chest. There was a hallway curving beyond the kitchen, leading to the rest of the rooms. All in all the structure was not dissimilar to a spiral sea-shell. Velash'avel busied himself putting away the groceries, and spoke while he did. "Ayderen is a lowborn name, isn't it?" he asked casually.

"Yeah," Ayderen said quietly. His eyes glided over every thing. The house was built very differently from the one he lived in. He was afraid to step away from the door, knowing he would track dirt and gods knows what else clung to him in the alley way.

"So that means you aren't a noble?" Again, casual.

"No." It came out of his mouth before he could think. He clapped his hands over his mouth and stared wide eyed in horror.

"I thought as much. Don't worry about it." Velash'avel looked back from one of the cabinets. "Just leave your shoes by the door. If you want, the bathroom is down the hall, and I can lend you some clothes."

"Uh...uh..." It took a moment for Ayderen's heart to slow itself down. "Y-yes sir." He removed his boots and left the filthy things by the door, then went to locate the bathroom. Once there, he made sure to lock the door, then stripped himself down. He folded the clothes as neatly as he could, then deposited them in a corner farthest from him before filling the bath and relaxing in it.

"Ok... Now what?" he asked himself. His long ears twitched at every little noise the house made, every noise Velash'avel made.

Velash'avel finished putting the food away, and went down the hall to his bedroom. He passed the bathroom on the way, hearing Ayderen slosh around, but nothing more. He sifted through his closet for some of his older clothes he thought might fit the younger shad, and took them into the room next to his, further down the spiral hallway. He kept it as a guest room, for he did have the occasional visitor, and his last guest had left it smelling of some flowery perfume that made his nose tingle. He left the armful of clothing on the bed for Ayderen, then went back up the hall. He paused at the bathroom to knock lightly on the door. "Don't take too long." He moved on, back to the kitchen, and began preparing a late lunch.

"Okay..." Ayderen took that as his cue. He got out of the bath and found a towel hanging on a nearby rack. He wrapped it around his waist, and decided to try and find some clothes. He peered into the rooms, found some things laid out and figured this was where he was supposed to sleep. He pulled out a thin shirt and a matching linen skirt with a slit up the side and put them on. The room itself was clean and simple, and the bed was softer than the one he had had. But now was not the time to sleep. He went to the kitchen, where he found Velash'avel preparing something, and softly cleared his throat. "Um, what would you like me to do, sir?"

Velash'avel shrugged. "For now, just make yourself comfortable. You're going to be cleaning, some cooking, and then running errands after a couple days. I can cast simple glamour on you to make you less recognizable to whoever might be looking for you, so you won't have to worry about that while you're out. Do you like orn meat hot or cold?"

Ayderen braved a shrug. "I'm not picky." He sat down at the table and watched. He didn't want to stare at the man in awkward silence, so he asked, "When I cook... will you tell me what you want to eat?"

"That depends whether I know specifically what I want. Most of the time I can give you an idea, though a surprise every now and then won't hurt." He finished making the sandwiches, four of them, made with leftover shredded orn meat, a light tangy sauce, and some crispy sliced, baked, and seasoned vegetables on the side. He brought the two plates to the table and sat down.

The boy picked up a veggie chip and popped it in his mouth. As soon as it hit his tongue, his stomach roared, and his face flushed with embarrassment. "Alright." He tried pretending that didn't happen. "I can cook pretty well."

Velash'avel smirked, but didn't comment. He knew Ayderen must be hungry. He could see his ribs through the sheer shirt he'd been wearing earlier, which was why he'd made two sandwiches for both of them. He swallowed, then said, "Sometimes I'll be away for days at a time. If you ever feel like you aren't safe here, you're welcome to leave, or I can show you to a safer place."

"Thank you." Ayderen picked up a sandwich. "If you don't mind my asking, why are you helping me?"

Velash'avel shrugged again before his shoulders could tense. "Because I've been in a similar situation myself, and I know what it's like when there's no one to go to for help."

Ayderen, satisfied with the answer, relaxed. "Thank you so much," he said, before taking a bite of his sandwich.

"You're welcome." Velash'avel hid his smile by biting into his own sandwich.

Once they finished lunch, he retreated to his room, leaving Ayderen to clean up the kitchen and do what he pleased afterwards. He locked his bedroom door and went to his dresser-vanity combo pushed against the wall to the right of his bed, pulled open the top drawer and reached for the thin brass mirror under a pile of socks. As soon as he laid eyes on it, it flashed in the dim light, and his mistress' face appeared. Thankfully, she appeared pleased. "You've done good work, Velash'avel. Did anyone see you this time?"

The assassin nodded. "Yes, but he has been dealt with accordingly. He will speak of me to no one."

"Velash'avel..."

"I did not kill him, mistress."

"Very well then. Come to the tower tonight for your reward."

"Yes, high lady."

The mirror flashed again and her image vanished, and he stashed it back underneath his socks and shut the drawer. The way the house was built, there were no windows in the bedrooms, with the hallway on the outer side of the spiral structure. Despite that, his sense of time was good enough that he didn't need to rely on daylight for most things.

He sighed and plopped on the edge of his bed in thought. Ayderen had sensed him last night. A simple lowborn, and a slave at that, while a house full of nobles didn't so much as tense at his passing. And the jolt he'd felt when their hands touched said that the younger maryshad held much potential, and could be as powerful as any arcane warrior if he had proper training. 'Hmph...and if he had proper training he could defend himself,' he thought. 'Well, what better way to pass the time?' He stood back up and left his room, and headed back to the kitchen. "Alright, Ayderen, I've got something for you to do. Come with me."

The smaller shad looked up from wiping down the kitchen counters, and then went over to him. "What is it?"

"How well were you taught to use magick?" He continued past the kitchen, going for the front door.

"Well enough to do chores. I don't know much," he responded cautiously. "Why?"

"Partially because I won't be busy till nightfall, and partially because I felt your potential earlier, and it didn't seem like you'd gotten a chance to put it to use." He knelt and started to strap his sandals back on. "Am I correct?"

Ayderen looked confused. "Potential? All I'm good for is housekeeping." He went to go put on the boots he'd snatched. "Where are we going?"

"Just far away enough from the house to give us room." He finished putting on his shoes and walked out, heading for the left side of the house.

The boy trotted after him. He looked over the dome house again, thinking it would look better with a garden, or at least a small shrubbery. Maybe if he learned magick, he could make them grow here.

Velash'avel moved out so he stood facing the house, and gestured to Ayderen to face away from it. Nothing worse than an apprentice learning magick and flinging a stray spell at your own home. This way if it got out of control, he'd have time to stop the spell before it hit a far building. "Alright, so you said just enough for chores. Things like lighting a fire, using water to help with dishes or gardening...what else?"

Ayderen shrugged. "Not much really. I can use some weak wind magick to dry delicate things. Other than that I don't know anything."

"Hm. Your parents didn't teach you?" He crossed his arms. This was going to be harder than he'd expected, but at least it would give him something to do on slow days.

Ayderen shook his head. "No. This family took me while I was still young. I don't remember why. I think they owed a debt or something."

A slight frown formed on Velash'avel's lips. "I see. Very well then. What element do you find yourself most comfortable with? Earth, wind, water, fire? ...Moon, sun?"

Ayderen shrugged. "I'm not sure. I guess wind."

Velash'avel nodded. "Alright, then this will be easier for you to learn than the others, seeing as how it's always windy. Sit, then, and get comfortable, because we'll be here a while." He took a couple steps back from the younger shad, and sat down on the soft grass, legs crossed.

Ayderen mimicked Velash'avel and sat cross legged. He sighed and tried to relax, figuring his tension wasn't going to help any.

"Deep, slow breaths," Velash'avel said calmly. "Feel the energy in the air flow through you, and take time to get familiar with it."

Ayderen nodded and did as he was told. As he inhaled, a cool breeze brushed his face. He felt it play through his hair like small fingers, and his shoulders visibly relaxed. It was nice, despite the humidity, and he could almost take a nap out there in the grass.

Velash'avel was doing the same. If he was to keep Ayderen's magick from doing accidental harm, he had to be in tune with it as well. "Once you have it, send the energy into your hands. Keep them closed for now."

Ayderen focused his energy into the palms of his hands. He felt the familiar tingle, but it was stronger this time. Small vortexes of wind began to wrap around his relaxed fists, making faint whooshing sounds. He opened his eyes in astonishment, but they then disappeared.

Velash'avel smiled slightly. "Very good. You'll be able watch what you're doing soon enough. For now, just get used to feeling it. Do it again."

The small shad tried again, relaxing, hearing the vortexes form around his fists. He tried to gather more energy to make them bigger. "This is pretty easy," he said, smiling triumphantly.

Velash'avel nodded. "It's easiest with what you're most comfortable with. Now don't try making them any bigger. Hold it steady."

The boy held the wind vortexes as best he could. They started to fade a little bit, and he had to concentrate to keep energy flowing to them.

"Alright, now I want you to try and form a sphere of it around your entire body." Velash'avel stood silently and held his hands a little out to his sides, ready for this particular practice to cause a bit of trouble.

Ayderen took a deep breath, and tried to enlarge the balls of wind he already had. He felt the breezes slide around his body, and wanted to laugh in glee. He had never done anything like this before, and it excited him. The wind picked up loose bits of grass, and tied it into his hair and tickled his face with it.

Velash'avel smiled. "Very good. Most people can't get this far on their first day. Now just hold the sphere, and think of it getting harder, like a shield."

Ayderen nodded, but a piece of grass tickled his nose. He tried to dispell the sphere before it happened, but he couldn't. In one mighty sneeze, he sent the entire mass of energy flying.

Velash'avel had prepared for this. He erected a large barrier in front of the raging wind ball faster than one could blink, made from stilled air particles and the very magick of the land itself, compacted so tightly it was visible. It shimmered with a rainbow of colors where the lost wind slammed into it, causing it to dissipate in a whoosh. The wall vanished shortly after. "Alright, that's ok. Start over, and we'll try again."

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After a few hours of gathering balls of wind, Ayderen was exhausted. He had been allowed to go inside and rest for a while. While he lay in bed, he smiled to himself. He had learned something. It might not have been much, all things considered, but he could learn more.

Velash'avel let Ayderen rest while he made a hasty dinner before it was full dark. A creamy, chunky stew filled with various healthy things and spices, several bread rolls, and a very light wine to wash it all down with. He knew the smell would waft down the hallway and that Ayderen would notice, so he didn't bother going all the way to tell him it was ready. He simply sat down and ate, not in any rush.

The older shad had been correct in his assumptions. The moment Ayderen started to smell things cooking, he had been anticipating the noises of dishes being set on the table. He appeared with a voracious appetite. "Wow this smells good. Where did you learn to cook like that?"

Velash'avel looked up at him, a smile in his solid-color eyes, even though it wasn't on his face. He swallowed a bite of his roll. "By experimenting. I live alone, so I taught myself mostly. Sit, help yourself," he said, gesturing to the dishes on the table.

Ayderen accepted the invitation happily. This was far better than anything he had ever been asked to make, and he wasn't shy about showing his appreciation. After his appetite subsided some, he sat and thought for a moment. "Um, sir. Do they do checks on your homes every now and again?"

Velash'avel eyed Ayderen curiously. "No, of course not. Why would they?"

"Just wondering." The boy stood and collected the dishes. "Is there anything you'd like me to do before you turn in?"

Velash'avel let him clean up, shaking his head. "Nothing comes to mind. You're free to do as you want. I need to get going, and I may not be back any time soon. I wouldn't advise going outside, however, unless you really have to." He stood up and stretched a bit, then started to head for his room, but paused at the start of the hallway. "Anything else?"

Ayderen shook his head. "No, sir." He hastily went about cleaning the dishes.

"Alright." He shrugged, then continued on. He changed out of his normal clothes, and into his uniform with the ease and haste of long practice, all straps secure and weapons in place in less than a minute. He was about to leave the room, then stopped dead. Ayderen might recognize the clothes, and even if he didn't, he'd ask what his job was, and the assassin couldn't afford to tell him. Well, technically, he could, but he'd have to kill the boy, and he didn't want to. So he went back to his closet and rummaged around for a long coat. After a few seconds, he found the one he was looking for, and pulled it out. It almost reached his ankles, and the thin black material was only meant to keep one warm on particularly windy nights. Probably best of all, it wasn't sheer, and it would cover the bulk of his weapons. 'And I haven't even gotten too big for it,' he smiled to himself as he slid it on and buttoned it up. He left the room and made to leave the house, passing Ayderen and not pausing to to give him a good look at what he was wearing. "Make sure everything's locked after I leave," he called from by the door as he put on his boots.

"Should I have anything prepared for your return?" The boy asked. He knew better than to be too curious, his old master having taught him that.

"No. I don't know when I'll be coming back, but with any luck, it'll be before dawn. If anyone, for some reason, does come to the house, or calls through a mirror, you're not to answer. As far as anyone knows, I still live alone." He sounded worried, even to himself, and mentally cursed. He put his hand on the doorknob, and let out a soft sigh. He wanted to say something, but 'goodbye' didn't feel right, and 'see you,' was awkward, so he simply opened the door and walked out.

Ayderen heard him leave, finished up the chores, and hopped into bed after locking the house up tight. He drifted off to sleep, and waited for Velash'avel to return home.



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A/N: I'm such a nerd. I'm creating a language for the Maryshad.

"Mel'a sen lu ne'ka vah?" (How are you doing?) :D Also, poop. AFF doesn't let me do special characters. The e is supposed to have an inflection over it.