Murelle woke with a jerk and a gasp, covered in sweat. It was the same dream. Groaning softly she got out of bed. Going over to the table where the basin and pitcher stood, she poured water in the basin, splashed water on then towel drying her face. Pulling on her bathrobe and shoving her feet into slippers she slipped out silently so not to wake Gwyn.
The castle is totally silent, no one about save the guards that stand near the queen's quarters. They only nod as she passes by. Crossing the Great Hall and into the courtyard she climbed up the stairs to the surround. She closes her eyes as the air cools her face. The guards are accustomed to her nocturnal visits and nods to her as she passes them. Though the air still held a chill, it carried the scent of early spring, of thawing sod and the promise of growth.
After some time she turned, went back down the stairs to her apartments, and laid on the bed only to stare at the ceiling until the sun rose, her thoughts racing around in circles.
Murelle decided she needed a little time away for a bit to settle her mind and get perspective, time away from the castle. She might go by the library in the Star Ends sector to maybe identify what she was seeing. A horrible creature, a black entity without shape that is malevolent, destroying anything around it. It was as if it was taunting her by showing how Llewyss was killed over and over again. In all her travels she hadn't encountered such a species. For all she knew it was a resident species living in that forest long before the elves' time.
Leaving Gwyn with the governess, she took a portal stone from the fireplace. Kissing Gwyn on the forehead she pulls on her jacket then leaves the castle, waving to everyone who greets her. "For Pete's sake leave me alone." She mutters to herself. "I can't wait to get a place of my own." Truth be told, she really didn't mind it all that much, she was grumpy and tired. Dropping the stone on the ground, the portal opened immediately to a back street of Rhy-Din. She stepped through, picking up the stone then hurried away before someone could see her.
Her first stop was the library. To her delight it was up-to-date and had the latest terminals and reading nooks. Planting herself on a terminal she went to work. After hours of research of Rhy-Din, Eldicor and other areas she knew of, she gave up. It was growing dark.
"I guess I should get going back." She sighed. "Gwyn will be waiting." She pauses at the door at the Stars End Bar. Hesitating, she goes in to get a stiff drink maybe to help her sleep that night. There was no one about except Toby the barkeep. He was busy turning on signs, the coffee pot and other gizmos needed to serve the various species that regularly visit the bar. She was once the barkeep of the bar and knew the challenges that went along with it. Sometimes she wondered if she'd make it home in one piece.
Spotting Llewyss's usual stool she climbed up on it and waited for Toby. He turned and looked at her,
"What can I get you?"
"Good evening. Toby is it?"
He nods in return. "Quite so. You were in the other week, when Xenograg was here. I don't think I caught your name at the time, though."
"Murelle GreyMantle. Need something strong tonight. Have any Andorian Brandy?"
"It comes in with the same shipments as the Saurian brandy." He answers as he takes down a snifter and a dark blue bottle then begins to pour. "Say when."
At half way she lifts her hand, "That's good. Thank you."
"My pleasure." He returns the bottle to the shelf. "Still transitioning back?"
"I've been looking for a place to live. Right now I'm in the castle in Eldicor. Hopefully it won't be much longer. It's a great place, but I need a space of my own, if you know what I mean." She heard the pneumatic door open she turned to see Xenograg enter the bar. She rolls her eyes slightly as she turns back facing Toby.
"I can't just get away." She thinks grumpily. "And him especially."
Toby greets him amiably, tipping his fedora to Xenograg. "Evenin'!" "Good evening, Toby." Xenograg answers.
Toby turns his attention back to Murelle. "How does that work, anyway' Do they have land leasing, or how would you find a place?"
Mure watches Xenograg typing on the terminal keyboard then turns back to Toby.
"I have money to pay for a place for myself and Gwyn. I was left quite a sum when my father died."
"Just curious, really. I was in that position some years back." He replies, and then turns his attention to another patron. Mure takes a sip of her brandy; it burned all the way down to her belly. The tension started to ease almost at once, but it did give her a slight cough.
"I'd forgotten how strong this stuff is." She wheezed.
Toby was busy pinning up a series of enlarged photographs onto the big bulletin board near the bar, turned and gave a wry grin at Murelle. "It'll burn the sinuses clean, that's for sure."
Xenograg now was at the bar and Murelle looks at him, his eyebrows went up with a little surprise, "Oh. Good evening, Murelle."
She gives him a slight smile and answers in a controlled tone. "Evening Xenograg. How are you tonight?"
"I am well, thank you. You?"
"Ok." She says then taking a sip of her brandy. "Looking for a place right now."
Xenograg orders tea as Mure wonders what to do next. She wondered to herself if he was following her around. Swirling the brandy in the snifter she watches the drink coat the sides of the glass. She watches and listens to the usual bar antics and chatter. It was a good distraction. Xenograg's tea was set on the counter. She broke the silence.
"I heard talk that there is going to be a dinner and ball because I've returned."
He had already another conversation going, so she just gave a slight shrug and drained her glass. Coughing slightly she set the glass down on the counter. When Xenograg finished his conversation he answers; "I understand it is for certain."
Toby gives her a side glance; "Your own personal gala?" Mure shrugs. Xenograg goes on.
"Her Majesty is very pleased with your return."
Murelle sighed. "To be honest I can't put my heart into it. Not when that THING that killed my Llewyss is still around."
Xenograg moves closer to Murelle to make the conversation easier. She makes a gesture to Toby to refill her glass. "I can't.?
The castle is totally silent, no one about save the guards that stand near the queen's quarters. They only nod as she passes by. Crossing the Great Hall and into the courtyard she climbed up the stairs to the surround. She closes her eyes as the air cools her face. The guards are accustomed to her nocturnal visits and nods to her as she passes them. Though the air still held a chill, it carried the scent of early spring, of thawing sod and the promise of growth.
After some time she turned, went back down the stairs to her apartments, and laid on the bed only to stare at the ceiling until the sun rose, her thoughts racing around in circles.
Murelle decided she needed a little time away for a bit to settle her mind and get perspective, time away from the castle. She might go by the library in the Star Ends sector to maybe identify what she was seeing. A horrible creature, a black entity without shape that is malevolent, destroying anything around it. It was as if it was taunting her by showing how Llewyss was killed over and over again. In all her travels she hadn't encountered such a species. For all she knew it was a resident species living in that forest long before the elves' time.
Leaving Gwyn with the governess, she took a portal stone from the fireplace. Kissing Gwyn on the forehead she pulls on her jacket then leaves the castle, waving to everyone who greets her. "For Pete's sake leave me alone." She mutters to herself. "I can't wait to get a place of my own." Truth be told, she really didn't mind it all that much, she was grumpy and tired. Dropping the stone on the ground, the portal opened immediately to a back street of Rhy-Din. She stepped through, picking up the stone then hurried away before someone could see her.
Her first stop was the library. To her delight it was up-to-date and had the latest terminals and reading nooks. Planting herself on a terminal she went to work. After hours of research of Rhy-Din, Eldicor and other areas she knew of, she gave up. It was growing dark.
"I guess I should get going back." She sighed. "Gwyn will be waiting." She pauses at the door at the Stars End Bar. Hesitating, she goes in to get a stiff drink maybe to help her sleep that night. There was no one about except Toby the barkeep. He was busy turning on signs, the coffee pot and other gizmos needed to serve the various species that regularly visit the bar. She was once the barkeep of the bar and knew the challenges that went along with it. Sometimes she wondered if she'd make it home in one piece.
Spotting Llewyss's usual stool she climbed up on it and waited for Toby. He turned and looked at her,
"What can I get you?"
"Good evening. Toby is it?"
He nods in return. "Quite so. You were in the other week, when Xenograg was here. I don't think I caught your name at the time, though."
"Murelle GreyMantle. Need something strong tonight. Have any Andorian Brandy?"
"It comes in with the same shipments as the Saurian brandy." He answers as he takes down a snifter and a dark blue bottle then begins to pour. "Say when."
At half way she lifts her hand, "That's good. Thank you."
"My pleasure." He returns the bottle to the shelf. "Still transitioning back?"
"I've been looking for a place to live. Right now I'm in the castle in Eldicor. Hopefully it won't be much longer. It's a great place, but I need a space of my own, if you know what I mean." She heard the pneumatic door open she turned to see Xenograg enter the bar. She rolls her eyes slightly as she turns back facing Toby.
"I can't just get away." She thinks grumpily. "And him especially."
Toby greets him amiably, tipping his fedora to Xenograg. "Evenin'!" "Good evening, Toby." Xenograg answers.
Toby turns his attention back to Murelle. "How does that work, anyway' Do they have land leasing, or how would you find a place?"
Mure watches Xenograg typing on the terminal keyboard then turns back to Toby.
"I have money to pay for a place for myself and Gwyn. I was left quite a sum when my father died."
"Just curious, really. I was in that position some years back." He replies, and then turns his attention to another patron. Mure takes a sip of her brandy; it burned all the way down to her belly. The tension started to ease almost at once, but it did give her a slight cough.
"I'd forgotten how strong this stuff is." She wheezed.
Toby was busy pinning up a series of enlarged photographs onto the big bulletin board near the bar, turned and gave a wry grin at Murelle. "It'll burn the sinuses clean, that's for sure."
Xenograg now was at the bar and Murelle looks at him, his eyebrows went up with a little surprise, "Oh. Good evening, Murelle."
She gives him a slight smile and answers in a controlled tone. "Evening Xenograg. How are you tonight?"
"I am well, thank you. You?"
"Ok." She says then taking a sip of her brandy. "Looking for a place right now."
Xenograg orders tea as Mure wonders what to do next. She wondered to herself if he was following her around. Swirling the brandy in the snifter she watches the drink coat the sides of the glass. She watches and listens to the usual bar antics and chatter. It was a good distraction. Xenograg's tea was set on the counter. She broke the silence.
"I heard talk that there is going to be a dinner and ball because I've returned."
He had already another conversation going, so she just gave a slight shrug and drained her glass. Coughing slightly she set the glass down on the counter. When Xenograg finished his conversation he answers; "I understand it is for certain."
Toby gives her a side glance; "Your own personal gala?" Mure shrugs. Xenograg goes on.
"Her Majesty is very pleased with your return."
Murelle sighed. "To be honest I can't put my heart into it. Not when that THING that killed my Llewyss is still around."
Xenograg moves closer to Murelle to make the conversation easier. She makes a gesture to Toby to refill her glass. "I can't.?