Closed [The Sanctuary] Arise Sleeping Beauty

[Kavala]

Timestamp: 68th of Fall, 512 AV, late evening.

Kavala took a great deal of liberties with Ronan. It wasn't because she wanted to take advantage of his prone form, but it was because she hated caring and didn't want too. If she had to actually face her fear, stare down at its proverbial face, maybe it wouldn't be such a big deal. So she'd changed his clothing and bathed him with a sponge lovingly cleaning the marks of battle from his road worn form. She'd examined him for bruises and mended flesh that needed healing that both old and new. She'd taken a stiff brush to his fingernails to get the dirt and sweat and blood out from under them. She'd even cleaned out his ears.

And even though his ribs were fixed, Kavala had a stiff band of stretchy cloth wrapped around his torso multiple times, supporting his newly healed ribs because even her healing didn't cure soreness, not always, and especially if he was just going to ride off again. She'd adjusted his hip which was slightly out of enlightenment with his spine, and had shampooed and washed his hair, neatly trimmed up his beard, and overall just took time to love on him where he couldn't and wouldn't know about it. She'd pared down his fingernails and toenails and had caught an early stage of fungus that came from riding in the rain in wet boots for too many hours. Kavala had taken care of his bodily needs and had made sure enough water got forced down his throat to keep him from being dehydrated.

Then she'd dressed him in loose comfortable black Drykas trousers and a silk shirt of a complimenting deep green, and had just sat with him for hours, waiting for him to wake up. He hadn't, and that had gotten her worried. So she'd looked for him on her chavi and traveled back further than she'd imagined possible, back before the world ended and learned a whole lot more about the two of them than she'd ever imagined.

Just the memory of reliving that life for a while had her wanting to snort and paw the ground. A'Kenas. Irvyn Zanrisi. No wonder Kavala 'knew' Ronan the minute she'd met him. The connection also explained how comfortable she'd been with him that first night together, that stolen night, where they'd made love without ever having sex and just spent the night together in each others arms.

Kavala sat beside Ronan, worried now, worried that his head injury hadn't been healed properly. She worried that he'd ride back out foolishly as soon as he realized he was healed and get into even more trouble. Kavala was tired of loosing people she loved. And she was tired of loving people who didn't love her back - at least not enough fo rher tastes. But that didn't stop her from sitting at his side and holding his hand while he healed. If he showed signs of stirring she'd drop it, but until then she'd enjoy having him close and being with him again.

[Ronan]

When Ronan awakened, he was so overwhelmed he fell momentarily unconscious again. The unintentional trip into the past had scourged his body, and left deeper wounds than those of the glassbeak injuries.

His eyes fluttered open again and he swallowed. He couldn't remember, but he so dearly wanted to. Kavala's soul... it seemed important. One of his hands bunched, pressing into the bed in annoyance. Tattered pieces that he couldn't gather. He didn't know what he had dreamt of, only that it had affected him deeply.

As he became aware of his surroundings, he became aware of the dull pains across his body too. There were bandages. Someone had healed him, and brought him to a bed. Tairell! A shock jolted through his body, fearing his Strider dead. His heart ached not knowing. He gradually remembered the attack. Two glassbeaks. He had been pulled from the yvas, and then trampled. Then there had just been blackness, and something deep and meaningful in between.

He blinked again, tilting his head slightly. His neck ached a little. His healer? A young woman, beautiful, radiant in the light. Long, pallid, white hair, and eyes as blue as the ocean. He studied her for a moment before realisation crept into his consciousness.

Kavala.

He swallowed, throat dry all of a sudden. All was said and done, he remembered, or was it? Had it ever truly been done? He wanted to remember the dream. It was nagging him as if it were important somehow.

"Ka-Kavala?" he croaked rhetorically. For a tiny moment, a fraction of a chime, he felt like he had known her for years. For... lives. The feeling passed, forgotten almost immediately. Instead, he waited for her to speak. This was not going to be an easy conversation.

[Kavala]

She knew what he wanted. It would be what anyone wanted in his situation, herself included. The Konti moved his hand out of hers and gently resettled it back on the bed. They were in the room he'd used before. Kavala had made sure he was placed somewhere familiar. The scent of peppermint and wintergreen filled his nose, but it was only coming from his own skin, where she'd rubbed some of the liniment she made for the horses. It soothed his bruised and abused skin and the deep tissues where she couldn't have possibly caught all the damage the fall and the glassbeaks had done.

"My nephew was out flying and spotted the attack. He brought us on scene just as you fell from your mare. She defended you well and we were able to get you back here. She's got some wicked cuts, but nothing that will effect her long term. We've already taken care of her injuries, and she's resting. She should be fine and happy to see you awake too." Kavala added. "Does it hurt anywhere specific? I got all the major wounds, but without a conscious patient, its hard to know if I got everything . About Tairell. You should probably go see her when you get back on you feet and before too long. That mare is a fusser if I ever seen one when you are not around." Kavala said softly, rising from the side of the bed to bend down. She picked up a candle and shined it into first one of Ronan's eyes and then the other. She checked his pupils to make sure there was no lasting effect or a concussion.

He looked fine.

He looked so much like Irvyn. Did she look like A'Kenas? There was irony in it if that was the truth. Designed physically by Ronan in a past life? No wonder their relationship was so tangled. Kavala sighed. Gods, life was not easy.

[Ronan]

Finally she spoke. The words were oddly resonant. He couldn't shake the feeling, even as she explained how she had come to find him out in the grasses.

He softened a little at the mention of Tairell. Pride filled him. He was glad she was safe - since the bond between Drykas and Strider was a powerful one. Death or parting effected both parties in immeasurable ways. It was a pain that not many others could understand or comprehend.

"Uh... everywhere," his face settled into a wan smile, countenance resigned, "my chest hurts. And my arm. But I'm sure it would be worse if you hadn't of come for me. And I will. As soon as I feel well enough to get up I'll go and see her."

She began to check his eyes, but did not mention what had come before. Had she forgotten? No. That couldn't be the case. Perhaps she was saving it up for when he was better - for when he could fight back.

He still couldn't shake the feeling. She looked familiar. But of course she did, he'd known her a while now. But it wasn't that. Not like this. Not in this form. What was it? Gods be damned, what was it!?

"I feel a little strange actually... my head's a little fuzzy. I feel like there's something I should remember," he waved it off with his hand and a shake of his head, before settling into that stupid smile again. "It seems I owe you thanks again, Kavala."

[Kavala]

Kavala listened to him carefully, and nodded. His pain made sense. Healers weren't infallible. They could set the body to rights, but sometimes the pain and soreness lingered as if a haunting memory in the body of something broken and fixed immeditly when it should have taken months to work through. She rose, moved across the room, and poured some tea out of a kettle kept warm on a candle burner. It smelled pungent and unpleasant, but it was necessary.

"Drink this...." She said softly, helping him to sit up slightly with one hand. "It will dull your senses a bit but it will remove the pain and let you get some rest and sleep deeply when you decide too. You'll need it after the trauma." Kavala said. The flavor, if he decided to drink, would be just this side of vile and tasting like swamp water smelled had the young Drykas ever had the privilege of smelling some.

She settled down next to him once more, on a chair this time and not the bed. Her eyes were not unkind but they were not warm and welcoming either. Guarded would be the best word. She studied his gaze for a long time, looking for signs the pain was fading, and then nodded to his words about thinking he forgot something.

"I walked your chavi while you were away, gone from this body. I was afraid the pain had driven your spirit off. I went looking for it and I found it." She said, pausing softly.

"You were in a place in the past, before the Valterian, called Ironrock. You were reliving your life there as a powerful mage and scientist. Your name was Irvyn Zinarisi. You made kelvics - like really made them - alongside Marcus Kelvic. I think he was your friend and mentor. I was there too. I was one of your creations." Kavala said softly. It didn't matter that she told him. He'd be curious enough to look for himself one of these days. But he didn't need to know the details. Those he could figure out for himself.

"My name was A'Kenas. A for the first generation of kelvics. Its no wonder I am so attuned to them. But you aren't, are you? They make you nervous....I suspect. Don't they?" She asked suddenly, her blue eyes darkening.

[Ronan]

He accepted the tea from her gratefully, though the smell was something else. Gingerly, he blew on it and took the tiniest of sips. The taste matched the smell indeed.

Eventually, she settled down beside him. He was sat up a little more, so he could see her clearly. She watched him, but with a mixture of emotions. Defensively, perhaps. As he had previously surmised, she surely hadn't forgotten the last time they had talked.

When she did speak, it came as a surprise. Her words came openly and quickly, but with the smallest hint of resignation. He could tell from the off she was going to say something important.

He listened. And he listened. And by the end he was breathless with confusion, amazement, and countless other shreds of emotions he could barely label. He was vaguely knowledgeable of what the Chavi was. He had been to Nysel's realm after all, and learned a lot from Kavala. That didn't mean he was an expert though, there were still infinite questions he could come up with regarding it.

Irvyn Zanrisi. The name suddenly sounded familiar. A sense of deja vu swept over him, and the name was so tangible it was unreal. A mage? A scientist? Ironrock? These things were foreign to him, a Drykas born on the grass. They were an age away from his life, and yet... that had been his life. And in it he had known - created - Kavala.

When she pressed him, he paused before speaking. It was a lot to take in and understand, though he didn't think for a moment that any of it was untrue. It explained so much, and yet opened up so much too. Her eyes darkened, as if she wanted an answer in earnest.

"I... I haven't come across many. I saved one once... a few years back, out in the grasses. A horse Kelvic, she was. I guess I've never really thought about it much. Uneasy? Perhaps."

His words were a little giddy, rolling off his tongue without respite. He took another sip of the tea. It tasted vile, but it was the only thing he could think to do. He had been Kavala's master and creator in a previous life... their souls had crossed paths before. How many other times had they crossed? Was this how all souls worked? He tilted the cup, drinking more, and burning his tongue in the process.

He barely felt the pain though. He just couldn't help looking at Kavala, and trying so dearly to remember.

[Kavala]

Kavala sat beside him, resting in the chair but occupying far more space than that. It was as if her essence was expansive, filling the whole room. She was everywhere in Sanctuary, but especially down in the rooms of The Within, where she'd made them beautiful with their gemstone coatings. This room was golden, citrine lining the walls and refracting the candlelight so very little illumination was needed for either of them to see. It was a warm welcoming color, one forged with friendship and peace in mind.

"This room is citrine." She said abruptly. "It is said to promote success and prosperity. It aids in mental clarity, confidence, and will power. It also increases creativity and promotes honesty." Kavala said softly. "Careful what you say here. It will be the truth in this room." The Konti smiled a little playfully and truthfully Ronan couldn't tell if she was pulling his yvas or not.

And then she reached out, almost as if she couldn't help herself, and touched his forehead and stroked his jawline. "You almost died. It was a very close thing. If Larik hadn't seen you, there would have been no rescue. You owe my nephew a thank you. And you would have been missed by too many people to go out like that." Kavala said, dragging the back side of her two fingers down his jawline again and then soothing hair out of his eyes.

"That tea is vile, but you should be feeling a lot better soon." She watched his eyes, waiting for them to go a little more glassy. He'd be feeling no pain soon, but still be very alert. It would also open his senses up and remove his inhibitions and perhaps even clear the block in his memory he fought to squirm his way around in his mind. Kavala had no idea what he'd do or think if he knew the truth. Would it be worse than it was already? The distance he put between them? It wouldn't matter that he'd made his choice. Sometimes remembering the past changed a lot of things.

Sometimes it just reinforced what was already decided.

[Ronan]

When Kavala suddenly spoke again, he found himself looking round at the room he was in. Amber and gold gemstones lined the walls, refracting the light in a myriad of colour and beauty. It exaggerated it too. One candle became ten among the crystalline surfaces, bouncing the radiance to every dark corner of the room.

"Was that... a warning?" he asked slowly. His voice was half mocking, but he couldn't be too sure. There was a seriousness in her eyes, as if she had really meant it. He wondered what the consequences would be if she thought him a liar.

He was surprised when she reached for him, touching his face, exploring his jawline. It was an unexpected intimacy, and left him more confused about their last encounter. Had she forgiven him perhaps? She had seemed so adamant at the time, launching every single rabid thought at him, with the tenacity of the Drykas and Konti combined.

He did owe Larik thanks, she was right. "I will thank him as soon as I see him. I owe him - and you - my life." He felt a little overwhelmed. It seemed he owed a lot to many people. But the kindness of strangers was unmatched. He barely knew Larik, but the man had alerted Kavala to his presence. And Tairell too. He had saved the both of them.

He closed his eyes briefly, enjoying her touch. He tried not to make it too obvious, but he wished he could be close to her again. He wanted to be in the stable again, under the blanket with her. Just to be close and intimate and warm... it had been amazing.

As he drank the tea, it comforted him a little. The pain seemed to dull somewhat too. It tasted foul, but whatever was in it was surely effective. He noticed Kavala was watching him now and again. It felt odd... like certain things hadn't happened.

He tried to think on his memory block. What had he dreamed of? Why did it relate so strongly to the beautiful woman that now sat before him.

What happened next was the strangest of things. Several of the candle's flames flickered, but didn't go out. And then, in the back of his mind, he heard the loudest of snorts from a horse. But they weren't in a stable, so it couldn't be a horse nearby.

He looked to Kavala again, and the most fierce of warmths filled his body. He was remembering something. Trying so hard. He thought on Kavala's words too. A creator. That was right, she had been a horse Kelvic. How did he even know that? He was unsure, except so many memories were threatening to flood his mind. Had he been dreaming when Kavala had entered the Chavi? Had they relived it together?

"I'm sorry," he finally said. And it was unrelated to what had just happened. "I'm sorry for saying all was said and done."

[Kavala]

Kavala smiled slightly. A warning? Yes. His mocking tone went over her head. She wasn't paying attention to his tone or meaning, she was too busy looking into his eyes. He was alive, for now, and that was a more than she could ask for. It was funny how when someone was wounded, especially badly, almost anything could be forgiven until they were healthy again.

She nodded at his words about Larik. "He just needs to be important. He has issues, left over from his slavery, and its hard for him to find his value sometimes. If you could speak a word to him of thanks, it would mean a great deal, I suspect. Otherwise you owe us nothing. There is no debt between any of us. As long as we all live, we all gain." She said, hoping she wasn't asking too much or expressing too much of her inner thoughts.

Kavala sat back, hands folded in her lap, and leaned back in her chair. The leathers she wore creaked comfortably and outlined her fit shape perfectly if not a bit loosely. She'd dropped weight and the dark circles beneath her eyes denoting her lack of sleep were prominent. But she was still lively enough to lean forward and raise a snowy eyebrow at Ronan. Her long white cascade of hair fell forward partially obscuring her face, loose from its usual braid.

"I don't know what your apologizing for precisely, Ronan." Kavala said gently, not wanting to upset him or come across as aggressive. "Are you meaning that you were sorry that you decided that was going to be the end of our conversation on the end of our relationship? Or are you saying you are sorry for calling it off because I questioned you and demanded more?" She asked carefully, unsure of precisely what he meant.

[Ronan]

Ronan nodded softly at the explanation. He would thank Larik with all his heart. Clearly, the man deserved to feel valued after his actions today.

When Kavala settled back into her chair, the candle light highlighted things he hadn't noticed before. She looked tired, oh so tired. And gaunter than we had last seen her. Had she been eating properly? Kavala spent so much time caring and hostessing for everyone else, he often wondered if she found time to have a meal and relax at her own liberty.

When she shifted forward again, her hair caught the light. It was wintry, so pale like apple blossom. The Konti would never stop appearing so ethereal to him. Suddenly, he grew cold.

Ronan looked away momentarily, before his vision came back round to meet Kavala's eyes. This time he wouldn't repeat his past mistakes. Even in the half season they had been apart, he had changed a lot. His training for example had come on leaps and bounds.

"I'm sorry that I didn't stand and fight for you," he finally said, words coming straight from the heart. There were no hidden meanings, no messages lurking beneath the words. He meant as he said. "Because I wanted to. Because I took the coward's way out, like I always do. But you know how I feel for you. Deep down you know. And I understand everything you told me too - I really do. I am pulled from pillar to post, by Sam, by Semele, and by you. And by own desires, my own need to somehow redeem myself for the past. I am not pushing anything, or trying to make you feel uncomfortable. As I said, I am only sorry I didn't stand and fight. That was pitiful of me."

His green eyes glinted in the candle light, full and vibrant suddenly. Yes, he had learnt a lot, but he still wasn't exactly sure what to do about it. The apology made him feel a little better though. He had been cowardly, and there was no other word for it.