Kelski’s smile was met with one of his own. It was so strange to him how easy it was to open up to her. Perhaps he saw a lot of himself in her. Perhaps the feeling was mutual; or at least he hoped so, not because he wished anything bad to happen to her, but purely because empathy was such a scarce and precious thing. And she seemed to give it out like it was bread not gold. How could he not be grateful?
But it wasn’t just empathy she was so very adept at. There was nothing but comfort in the Kelvkic’s presence. Even in the way she had reached out for his hand and locked her slender fingers with his bvattlehardened stumps, there was no pity. Or at least none that he saw. Instead of demeaning the proud akalak with such things as pity she made a genuine effort to connect with him on a level he understood. Unlike Kynier she hadn’t scolded him for his very real fears nor had she rejected him or called him a fool. And in all honesty that was precisely what he expected. Thus Vel felt little else than genuine gratitude to have, and perhaps for the first time in a long time, somebody he could open up to. Her presence in that moment meant much more to the warrior than she could ever come to understand.
Little acts of kindness formed great ripples in the lakes of memory.
“Communicate?” He echoed Kelski’s question as if such a notion was a great revelation. “We can we just don’t. Such a thing as talking is unnecessary when I can see everything he does, know everything he feels and vice versa. And believe me actions speak a great deal more than mouths ever can. If there’s anything he had proven himself over the years, that is a lier. You know, your friend Kynier had called him out on it more than once. And more than once he had brazenly lied to the man. I’m not talking simply omitting details but bold faced lies. I understand you may want to trust a man like that, but I… simply cannot.”
Vel was slowly coming to accept many things about her. One of which indeed way the naivety she so boldly displayed, or at least such was his take on it. The notion that perhaps generosity had laid in him ever letting his light brother pine over a mage had anything to do with generosity, was foreign to him. He had simply been far softer a man in the past. But time had beaten that softness out of his bones. The other thing he had learned of the Kelvic was her great scope for understanding things he would never have accused a Kelvic to understand. Quickly enough he learned to stop underestimating her.
For a while to come he had kept quiet, listening to Kelski as she spoke of the great many things on her mind. As the topic of magic came to her lips, he throned visibly but left his gaze soft still. A friend looking at a friend, not pleased but lacking any sign of hatred building in his heart. It there was anything in those icy blue eyes, it was perhaps pity over how mislead about magic he believed her to be.
It was only once she mentioned she knew some of her own that Vel rose abruptly from her lap as looked back at her, both suspicion and disappointment painted in his features. In that moment any justification she gave her thoughts had fallen on death ears. One such a simple statement left the akalak zoned in on it like a vulture, feeding off the carcass that was the fear and distrust inside his heart.
He hung his head for a moment, growing more and more weary of the woman as moments passed. In his mind Vel looked for any reason to omit that one little fact, to spare Kelski his judgement. He physically wanted to forget what she had just confided in him and retain her close to his heart where a friendship between them could bloom. But it was not to be so. As she had said earlier; he had his principles. And those were forged in iron, for without them, he’d have nothing.
But as Kelski had done him the privilege of trying to explain her views, so unlike Kynier had, it was a duty of an honourable man that was Vel to repay with the same. A little spark of hope in his heart remained that perhaps she’d see the light and listen to reason. For in Vel’s mind, he was certain her was the voice of reason indeed.
“I don’t… fear… magic.” He said, very quietly and very carefully, trying to find the best way to persuade her to the undeniable truth which he thought he was sure of. Vel’s whole body had shifted to the other side of the couch, eyeing her at a distance. Though doubtful she’d mean to do him any harm in that moment, he still felt far more exposed than he wished to be without his weapon, knowing full well what Kelski was capable of. He’d seen her in a fight after all. What he said was his own olive branch. A one final gesture of the real intention for friendship, before the hope for any such a thing would be severed forever by rejection.
“Kelski, you’re right in that magic is a tool. But much like money, magic can corrupt too. It will corrupt. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. And you must have seen it too, I’d be damned to believe otherwise.” A piercing gaze watched Kelski like a hawk watched an eagle. Even her breathing won’t go unnoticed. “You’re a kind soul now, but can you guarantee that greed had no place in your heart just like hatred doesn’t. And if so, if it truly is the Kelvic’s nature to never feel such human things, can you say the same for Kynier? He’s no Kelvic after all. And I’ve spoken to him, he’s no monster now but I cannot guarantee he won’t change the more powerful he becomes. I cannot guarantee the same of Aer’wyn either.”
He truly wanted to be careful with his words. The last thing that could benefit the tension of this situation was badmouthing the mage which Kelski clearly had an abundance of affection for, but things came out as they came out. And once words were said he could no longer take them back. “Thats what magic does. It changes people. It makes monsters of greed and ambition.”
But it wasn’t just empathy she was so very adept at. There was nothing but comfort in the Kelvkic’s presence. Even in the way she had reached out for his hand and locked her slender fingers with his bvattlehardened stumps, there was no pity. Or at least none that he saw. Instead of demeaning the proud akalak with such things as pity she made a genuine effort to connect with him on a level he understood. Unlike Kynier she hadn’t scolded him for his very real fears nor had she rejected him or called him a fool. And in all honesty that was precisely what he expected. Thus Vel felt little else than genuine gratitude to have, and perhaps for the first time in a long time, somebody he could open up to. Her presence in that moment meant much more to the warrior than she could ever come to understand.
Little acts of kindness formed great ripples in the lakes of memory.
“Communicate?” He echoed Kelski’s question as if such a notion was a great revelation. “We can we just don’t. Such a thing as talking is unnecessary when I can see everything he does, know everything he feels and vice versa. And believe me actions speak a great deal more than mouths ever can. If there’s anything he had proven himself over the years, that is a lier. You know, your friend Kynier had called him out on it more than once. And more than once he had brazenly lied to the man. I’m not talking simply omitting details but bold faced lies. I understand you may want to trust a man like that, but I… simply cannot.”
Vel was slowly coming to accept many things about her. One of which indeed way the naivety she so boldly displayed, or at least such was his take on it. The notion that perhaps generosity had laid in him ever letting his light brother pine over a mage had anything to do with generosity, was foreign to him. He had simply been far softer a man in the past. But time had beaten that softness out of his bones. The other thing he had learned of the Kelvic was her great scope for understanding things he would never have accused a Kelvic to understand. Quickly enough he learned to stop underestimating her.
For a while to come he had kept quiet, listening to Kelski as she spoke of the great many things on her mind. As the topic of magic came to her lips, he throned visibly but left his gaze soft still. A friend looking at a friend, not pleased but lacking any sign of hatred building in his heart. It there was anything in those icy blue eyes, it was perhaps pity over how mislead about magic he believed her to be.
It was only once she mentioned she knew some of her own that Vel rose abruptly from her lap as looked back at her, both suspicion and disappointment painted in his features. In that moment any justification she gave her thoughts had fallen on death ears. One such a simple statement left the akalak zoned in on it like a vulture, feeding off the carcass that was the fear and distrust inside his heart.
He hung his head for a moment, growing more and more weary of the woman as moments passed. In his mind Vel looked for any reason to omit that one little fact, to spare Kelski his judgement. He physically wanted to forget what she had just confided in him and retain her close to his heart where a friendship between them could bloom. But it was not to be so. As she had said earlier; he had his principles. And those were forged in iron, for without them, he’d have nothing.
But as Kelski had done him the privilege of trying to explain her views, so unlike Kynier had, it was a duty of an honourable man that was Vel to repay with the same. A little spark of hope in his heart remained that perhaps she’d see the light and listen to reason. For in Vel’s mind, he was certain her was the voice of reason indeed.
“I don’t… fear… magic.” He said, very quietly and very carefully, trying to find the best way to persuade her to the undeniable truth which he thought he was sure of. Vel’s whole body had shifted to the other side of the couch, eyeing her at a distance. Though doubtful she’d mean to do him any harm in that moment, he still felt far more exposed than he wished to be without his weapon, knowing full well what Kelski was capable of. He’d seen her in a fight after all. What he said was his own olive branch. A one final gesture of the real intention for friendship, before the hope for any such a thing would be severed forever by rejection.
“Kelski, you’re right in that magic is a tool. But much like money, magic can corrupt too. It will corrupt. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. And you must have seen it too, I’d be damned to believe otherwise.” A piercing gaze watched Kelski like a hawk watched an eagle. Even her breathing won’t go unnoticed. “You’re a kind soul now, but can you guarantee that greed had no place in your heart just like hatred doesn’t. And if so, if it truly is the Kelvic’s nature to never feel such human things, can you say the same for Kynier? He’s no Kelvic after all. And I’ve spoken to him, he’s no monster now but I cannot guarantee he won’t change the more powerful he becomes. I cannot guarantee the same of Aer’wyn either.”
He truly wanted to be careful with his words. The last thing that could benefit the tension of this situation was badmouthing the mage which Kelski clearly had an abundance of affection for, but things came out as they came out. And once words were said he could no longer take them back. “Thats what magic does. It changes people. It makes monsters of greed and ambition.”
