“Gharen Wolfsong,
I need to speak to you urgently on a matter concerning your sister. It is a matter of life and death. Please meet me alone, tomorrow evening on the docks outside of the Silver Bazaar. I have placed Roen outside of reach until this is over. If you truly wish for your sister to live a life without fear, meet me there, her future is in your hands. Any trickery will doom her.â€
--Unsigned
Seagulls glided through the blue skies, their shadows skimming across the water’s surface as quiet waves lapped against the wooden pillars of the dock. Gharen Wolfsong stepped onto the pier with the letter in hand, delivered the sun before by the mail moogle, the ominous message within unsigned. He narrowed his eyes onto the figure clad in armor at the end of the landing. He stopped half way, the still afternoon air between the two figures was thick with humidity.
"Ye've alot o' nerve. Ye know tha'?" he called out across the pier.
"I'm aware. I think it is a condition we both share," the armored figure answered, as if to note that both of them had come alone to this meeting. Only the seagulls and the sun bore witness to their exchange.
There was a moment’s pause before the helmet was lifted off her head, and Natalie Mcbeef looked at the Highlander. “Gharen,†her voice was somber.
Gharen narrowed his hazel eyes, jaw set. There was no surprise on his countenance. "Ye don' know anythin' about me. Lets get tha' straight."
Natalie smiled, although it did not reach her eyes. "I knew enough to get you here.â€
"A simple "Need te talk te ye" would have sufficed,†he rumbled.
Natalie slowly shook her head, her expression darkening. “I don't think it would." She sighed, before she leveled her gaze at him. "Gharen, I need you to turn yourself in."
"Fer what?"
The Miqo’te held up her hand and ticked off her fingers one by one. “Terrorism, stealing a ceruleum core, consorting with Garleans…†she paused for a moment, her voice lowering. “And because the Syndicate said so."
"Don' know what yer talkin' about. Terrorism?†He placed his hands on his hips, regarding her squarely. “Consorting with Garleans? Won' deny th' bit about th' core. Though I had nothin' te do with tha' regardless."
Natalie let out a long exhale, sadness falling like a shadow over her features. "It's the last one really, that's the most important. I've made a deal with them you see. Amnesty for Roen, a chance for her to live a normal life, and all they ask for in return... is you.â€
A pause fell between them. The water continued to lap below their feet.
"I see. So I'm te be th' sacrifice ye make te keep yer superiors happy? How do you think that'll go o'er with her?"
Natalie rolled her shoulders in a shrug. Her cool demeanor did not waver. "She won't know. I don't plan to tell her. She deserves a better life than to be shackled to her past and to her fugitive of a brother.†She narrowed her eyes onto Gharen, her tone turning grim. "You don't want to know what they promised they'd do if I didn't cooperate."
The Highlander regarded the woman, no anger in his voice. "I pity ye. Yer road te hell's goin' te be paved in these good intentions o' yers. I wonder how long ye'll be able te live with 'em and keep up th' charade."
Natalie let out a hollow laugh. "What would you have me do then? Scoff at their demands and watch as Roen is led to a scaffold and hung as a spy? This won't be the first or the last time I've pushed my ideals aside to deal with reality." Her facade lost all hint of amusement.
"Oh, ye don' have te convince me any, but it sounds like yer trying te convince yerself more'n anythin'.†He inhaled, his own expression resigned. “But as I said ‘good intentions’. So, do I jus' let ye cuff me here an' drag me off te th' dungeons? Or am I te die here at th' tip o' yer blade?"
The two stared at each other a long moment across the pier. "You don't seem very surprised by any of this.†She canted her head. "Did you already know....?"
"I suspected, visit from a flame about a moon ago mentioned th' blades. Two an' two.â€
Natalie’s expression fell just slightly, betraying something beneath the cool facade. "Yet you came unarmed." She frowned and pinched her nose, turning to face the waters behind her. "...Gods, how did it all turn out like this?â€
She stared out for a moment longer, her frown only deepening. When she turned back to Gharen, her eyes were once more narrowed. "To answer your question Gharen, I'm under no illusions that what I'm doing is just, or even good." She grimaced. "I just can't see any other path."
A pair of shackles were slid from the Miqo’te to come to a stop at Gharen’s feet. He looked to her before picking them up. "'fore we go anywhere with this. Where is she?"
"Safe.†She nodded in reassurance. “I hired someone to hold her away from the city. I don't know the exact location, but she'll be returned to the city after this.†A pause. "If I don't know myself... it can't be tortured out of me."
He stared at her a moment longer, then bent to pick up the shackles, closing one around his wrist. He pulled his arms behind him to bind his other hand. "Ye'd better hope she is. Because if she's nae, I'll rectify lett'n ye walk away from th' mines."
Natalie approached him, her armored boots making the wooden boards creak beneath her feet. "She wouldn't even be in this mess if it wasn't for you Gharen. They knew you two are related, and used her to get to you." She stood before him, her expression somber despite the fact that she now had her prisoner in tow. "Don't worry, as if I'd let harm come to her after I've gone to these lengths."
She checked the bindings, then looked up to him. "Any last requests.... or messages, before I take you back to the city?"
Gharen set his jaw, and grumbled low. "Let’s jus' get this o'er with."
I need to speak to you urgently on a matter concerning your sister. It is a matter of life and death. Please meet me alone, tomorrow evening on the docks outside of the Silver Bazaar. I have placed Roen outside of reach until this is over. If you truly wish for your sister to live a life without fear, meet me there, her future is in your hands. Any trickery will doom her.â€
--Unsigned
Seagulls glided through the blue skies, their shadows skimming across the water’s surface as quiet waves lapped against the wooden pillars of the dock. Gharen Wolfsong stepped onto the pier with the letter in hand, delivered the sun before by the mail moogle, the ominous message within unsigned. He narrowed his eyes onto the figure clad in armor at the end of the landing. He stopped half way, the still afternoon air between the two figures was thick with humidity.
"Ye've alot o' nerve. Ye know tha'?" he called out across the pier.
"I'm aware. I think it is a condition we both share," the armored figure answered, as if to note that both of them had come alone to this meeting. Only the seagulls and the sun bore witness to their exchange.
There was a moment’s pause before the helmet was lifted off her head, and Natalie Mcbeef looked at the Highlander. “Gharen,†her voice was somber.
Gharen narrowed his hazel eyes, jaw set. There was no surprise on his countenance. "Ye don' know anythin' about me. Lets get tha' straight."
Natalie smiled, although it did not reach her eyes. "I knew enough to get you here.â€
"A simple "Need te talk te ye" would have sufficed,†he rumbled.
Natalie slowly shook her head, her expression darkening. “I don't think it would." She sighed, before she leveled her gaze at him. "Gharen, I need you to turn yourself in."
"Fer what?"
The Miqo’te held up her hand and ticked off her fingers one by one. “Terrorism, stealing a ceruleum core, consorting with Garleans…†she paused for a moment, her voice lowering. “And because the Syndicate said so."
"Don' know what yer talkin' about. Terrorism?†He placed his hands on his hips, regarding her squarely. “Consorting with Garleans? Won' deny th' bit about th' core. Though I had nothin' te do with tha' regardless."
Natalie let out a long exhale, sadness falling like a shadow over her features. "It's the last one really, that's the most important. I've made a deal with them you see. Amnesty for Roen, a chance for her to live a normal life, and all they ask for in return... is you.â€
A pause fell between them. The water continued to lap below their feet.
"I see. So I'm te be th' sacrifice ye make te keep yer superiors happy? How do you think that'll go o'er with her?"
Natalie rolled her shoulders in a shrug. Her cool demeanor did not waver. "She won't know. I don't plan to tell her. She deserves a better life than to be shackled to her past and to her fugitive of a brother.†She narrowed her eyes onto Gharen, her tone turning grim. "You don't want to know what they promised they'd do if I didn't cooperate."
The Highlander regarded the woman, no anger in his voice. "I pity ye. Yer road te hell's goin' te be paved in these good intentions o' yers. I wonder how long ye'll be able te live with 'em and keep up th' charade."
Natalie let out a hollow laugh. "What would you have me do then? Scoff at their demands and watch as Roen is led to a scaffold and hung as a spy? This won't be the first or the last time I've pushed my ideals aside to deal with reality." Her facade lost all hint of amusement.
"Oh, ye don' have te convince me any, but it sounds like yer trying te convince yerself more'n anythin'.†He inhaled, his own expression resigned. “But as I said ‘good intentions’. So, do I jus' let ye cuff me here an' drag me off te th' dungeons? Or am I te die here at th' tip o' yer blade?"
The two stared at each other a long moment across the pier. "You don't seem very surprised by any of this.†She canted her head. "Did you already know....?"
"I suspected, visit from a flame about a moon ago mentioned th' blades. Two an' two.â€
Natalie’s expression fell just slightly, betraying something beneath the cool facade. "Yet you came unarmed." She frowned and pinched her nose, turning to face the waters behind her. "...Gods, how did it all turn out like this?â€
She stared out for a moment longer, her frown only deepening. When she turned back to Gharen, her eyes were once more narrowed. "To answer your question Gharen, I'm under no illusions that what I'm doing is just, or even good." She grimaced. "I just can't see any other path."
A pair of shackles were slid from the Miqo’te to come to a stop at Gharen’s feet. He looked to her before picking them up. "'fore we go anywhere with this. Where is she?"
"Safe.†She nodded in reassurance. “I hired someone to hold her away from the city. I don't know the exact location, but she'll be returned to the city after this.†A pause. "If I don't know myself... it can't be tortured out of me."
He stared at her a moment longer, then bent to pick up the shackles, closing one around his wrist. He pulled his arms behind him to bind his other hand. "Ye'd better hope she is. Because if she's nae, I'll rectify lett'n ye walk away from th' mines."
Natalie approached him, her armored boots making the wooden boards creak beneath her feet. "She wouldn't even be in this mess if it wasn't for you Gharen. They knew you two are related, and used her to get to you." She stood before him, her expression somber despite the fact that she now had her prisoner in tow. "Don't worry, as if I'd let harm come to her after I've gone to these lengths."
She checked the bindings, then looked up to him. "Any last requests.... or messages, before I take you back to the city?"
Gharen set his jaw, and grumbled low. "Let’s jus' get this o'er with."