North and South ((ATTN: Shad))

[Kura]

Darial was pacing the halls of this monolith of dark power known as the Fortress. Over the first few weeks, he had learned to embrace the source, though it still took effort to do so, and much about the Great Lord of the dark. He was however, discovering that this fortress was a labyrinth, with more twists, turns, and dead ends than any maze he'd ever heard of.

 

As such, he walked with paper and charcoal in his hand, mapping out this seemingly unmappable place one corridor at a time, knowing that there had to be passages through the rock that he was unaware of. He thought that maybe if he got an idea of where all the walls were, he would be able to find them. Not to mention the secret pride he felt for sticking with something for more than a week...

 

Engrossed in his thoughts, he was nearly oblivious to any of the people around him, these being seldom used corridors he thought watching for people was a bit useless. At least with the peace of the shadow firmly in place...

[TaiDashan]

Shadar had taken to wandering down empty hallways lost in thought. He liked to explore and felt better when he knew his surroundings. So he explored and thought, walking down the dark hallways of the Fortress. Arcon had shown him how to secret a slim blade up his sleeve without slitting his own wrists and Shadar had shortly after acquired two such blades.

 

Sliding them out of his sleeves and back into their place, he was considering the Taint while mapping the corridors in the back of his mind. It was this circumstance that he found himself being nearly run over by a short boy with both daggers in his hands. He quickly slid them home with the peace of the Shadow in his mind and look blankly at the boy that strangely reminded him of Arcon for some reason. Realizing he had dropped something, Shadar bent to pick up the slightly crumpled piece of paper. He grimaced sourly as he noted the man was mapping the corridors as he was. He held it out to the man who had the gall to look at him as if it were Shadar's fault he could not watch where he was going! He was Carhienien, that is what it was. Or at least he sort of looked it. On second glance he wasn't sure.

 

"I think you dropped this in your haste to run over me." he said dryly.

[Kura]

Darial let out a soft grunt as a much larger man had the nerve to charge into him, sending his writing implement and map spiraling out of his hands. His tilted, ice blue eyes narrowed as he looked up and down the man. He was big, and from the south, that there could be no doubt of. Thinking quickly, he brought up his country of origin as Ghealadin. At the man's comment, bile rose up in the Saldean mix's throat. Though ice was in his tone as he spoke, "Well, you aren't worth the effort of taking the proper time to flatten Southerner."

 

Quickly, he snatched the now crumpled peace of paper from the man's hand. The creases adding to that cold rage that had been growing all his life. He thought bitterly that he would have to copy the notes onto a fresh peace of paper, perhaps vellum in case of oafs. He supposed he was a bit of a fool for assuming that the Great Lord would bless only the best and brightest with the gift of channeling...

 

All of these thoughts rambled through his head, as he stood, glaring at the much larger man. He knew that if it came down to it, he wouldn't stand a chance in a physical confrontation, and his hold on Saidin was to tentative to truly be effective. Still, fear froze to death in the storms of the north.

[TaiDashan]

"Well, you aren't worth the effort of taking the proper time to flatten Southerner."

 

The man's comments flew by harmlessly, but the word southerner struck him as odd. The tilted eyes, a couple of features here and there. Yes the man had to have been from Saldea. That was what he had seen earlier. Tucking it away for later consideration he grimaced, his lips barely moving as the man snatched the paper from his hand.

 

"Do the winters up North freeze your wits as well half breed?" He poured a sweet venom into his voice. He had been the victim of taunts before and they passed on with little to no effect anymore. However he had found that the ones that did the taunting were more fun to give a taste of their own bitter medicine. The halfbreed comment was a guess and only a tightening of the man's eyes gave him the insult. If it had not been for his time with Arcon, he may not have seen that at all.

 

Shadar grimaced in disgust inside. This man was insolent to his bones and had the Peace of the Shadow not held, Shadar would have used him as practice for a few weaves Arcon had been teaching him.

 

Quickly changing tactic to throw the man off balance, Shadar used what little Arcon had taught him in other areas than Saidin.

 

"What is your name?" Shadar was pleased when the man's glare slipped for a brief second before returning. Slipping a dagger from his sleeve he casually leaned against a nearby wall and started cleaning his fingernail with it, acting as if for all the world the answer was not worth his time.

[Kura]

Darial's eyes tightened slightly at the man's comment, that one struck to close to home. I will make you suffer for that one Southerner. He hated being toyed with, and he wouldn't let this one walk away the victor. But what could he do, his comments didn't seem to cut the man like they should. Not to mention it was obvious that the man had been here far longer than he...

 

"The cold serves only to sharpen us, while you Southlanders sip your mulled wine, wishing for a taste of the northern chill. The heat reducing you all to sweating pigs."

 

He was not surprised when he got no reaction from the man, but spite had required he respond. His frozen glare watched the motions of the man's daggers, and he held back a grimace. Again he toyed with him! This man would sleep in the cold hard ground for this!

 

"Darial, and am I to assume whatever kennel master owned you gave you a name as well?"

[TaiDashan]

Shadar had to suppress a grin when the man responded to his insult in kind. It had turned into a game and Shadar rather liked it. Sweating pigs? That was the best he could do?

 

"Darial, and am I to assume whatever kennel master owned you gave you a name as well?"

 

Shadar forced his face into a grin, hoping it did not look as fake as it felt. It was slightly awkward seeing as how he had long since stopped showing such foolish wastes of energy. The man seemed to require some such as motivation. He felt confident that he was succeeding as he felt what was as another's lips curl. His eyes widened in mock innocence, his face a mask of faked emotion.

 

"As a matter of fact he didn't half-breed. I guess you will just have to come up with something to call me wont you?" His face blanked again and he grinned to himself enjoying the other man's aversion to his own blood. Flourishing his dagger he slid it up his sleeve again and just barely nicked his wrist. Pain was as inconsequential as this whelp.

[Kura]

Darial's lips did curl at the man's expression. Not that he thought for a moment this hulk's expression was real, but at seeing through it. This one had a long way to go before he could pull the wool over Darial's eyes. At the man's response though, he saw an obvious opening. His mind filled with any number of possible names ranging from gleded-swine to vile goat, but none of those would fit. So, he went a different route.

 

"Southerner suits you well. Every one of you thinks he a hard man, yet I bet you'd never seen a single Trolloc before coming here, if your new leash holder has even introduced you to the beast-men." A sadistic smile came over his lips, "Oh how I do hope to be there when you first feel a Halfman's gaze, it'll be oh so satisfying to watch you curl in fear." An icy laugh spilled from his lips.

 

"It has been fun Southerner, and I'd love for us to meet again, but I do have duties to attend to." With that, the half-breed walked past the larger man without sparring a backward glance. Arrogant? Most certainly, but Darial sincerely doubted he would be attacked. The Southerner had himself under to much control, and would not risk himself for the Saldean.

 

At least he sincerely hoped.

[TaiDashan]

"Southerner suits you well. Every one of you thinks he a hard man, yet I bet you'd never seen a single Trolloc before coming here, if your new leash holder has even introduced you to the beast-men.Oh how I do hope to be there when you first feel a Halfman's gaze, it'll be oh so satisfying to watch you curl in fear."

 

The man's tone was mocking and whining at the same time. Shadar found himself despising the man further. Southerner was a name he could bear easily. Tucking both hands into the opposite sleeves of his robes his face blanked once more. Words tickled his mind, Trolloc, leash holder, halfman. He filed them away with a note to himself to mention these things to Arcon. Shadar had heard of such things at the Fortress and had even had a basic lesson on Trollocs although he had never met one.

 

It has been fun Southerner, and I'd love for us to meet again, but I do have duties to attend to." The half-breed walked past him swaggering arrogantly. Shadar's eyes burned into the back of the shorter man, considering ways to work around the peace of the Shadow. His mouth twisting in what passed for a grimace he spat where the man had walked. He was nothing, as long as he stayed out of Shadar's way, he would live. Shadar would not waste energy on one such as him unless absolutely necessary.