Log Date: 11/12/95 Log Intro: Rayek and Ekuar have returned to the Palace following the Festival of Flood and Flower, and Rayek, pledging to himself to conscientiously avoid Sorrow's End -- and Leetah -- and both the Sun Folk and Leetah's adopted Wolfrider tribe -- for the rest of his life if need be, intends to settle down once more to work on the Palace's restoration. To some extent this is easy, despite the large influx of visitors that show up at the Palace following the Festival: the Gathered Tribe and its cubs, who found themselves at the Palace following a sandstorm that knocked them out of their way, and the Lostholt healer Ynderra. But the most surprising visitor of all turns out to be the one Rayek least expected.... ---------- You locksend to Ktai, Rayek, after a time, sends back quietly, ** I am adequate. ** Ktai locksends ** May I visit? ** You locksend ** I... Ekuar is asleep. If you wish... I should leave him to rest. ** to Ktai. Ktai locksends ** May I enter? ** You locksend ** I... will come out. ** to Ktai. You step out into the corridor. Side Corridor(#6192RFL) This is one of the smaller corridors through the Palace, and gives less of a feeling of airy, open space than the larger passageways do. The damage that the Palace recently suffered is still at least somewhat in evidence here; the walls are whole, but at their bases, and up around the ceiling and at the tops of columns, remain signs of cracks and chipping. Contents: Tilia Ktai Obvious exits: Rayek's Chamber Entry Hall Ktai stands quietly near a wall. Rayek steps out... and then freezes, not looking at Ktai, but at the other elf. Tilia This is a terribly small goback woman, come of age in spite of her diminuitive size. She is not unattractive, strong jaw nearly flat, eyes long but thin, eyes thin but piercingly dark. She is haggard and worn and hard as the rock of the earth, her furs open and sporting many small holes and a few larger ones. She is thin, but stern, the wind having eroded at her. Ktai arches a brow at the reaction. Ktai locksends ** Are you all right? ** Rayek croaks, "Tilia... you..." Tilia stops, as well, all her forward momentum drawing up into stopping. Ktai watches worriedly. You locksend ** She... that is... ** to Ktai. Ktai locksends ** Rayek? ** Rayek's brown face ripples through several odd permutations of expression, before he finally settles on a kind of shocked, and embarrassed, relief. "You... are whole," he breathes. Tilia finally says in a voice that belies her size. "No thanks to you." Tilia sends openly ** Am back. ** Ktai's hands grip something crystalline in her hands. Her face settles into a tight small frown. Rayek's mouth quirks; briefly, his amber eyes flash with something that might be embarrassment. Finally, he bows his head, and then looks up again, expression turned oddly shy. "..... welcome, then." Tilia says "Am I." Tilia says without moving, "You have been taking good care of it. I was worried." Her voice remains unchanged, intent unclear. Rayek's voice turns a little rough, as he fails to quite look Tilia in the face -- or, for that matter, Ktai, as he addresses the second elf, "This is... Tilia. Tilia, this is Ktai, one of the Gliders who has taken shelter here." At Tilia's continued words, Rayek straightens a little, looking somewhat more like his normal, proud self. "Ekuar and I work to restore this place." Tilia says "Good. I need a place to rest." Ktai tries her best not to remind Rayek she no longer answers to 'glider' and manages to keep her mouth shut only by looking at the crystal in her hands. Rayek apparently does not intend to dispute this, as he tells Tilia -- still not quite looking at her -- "Choose what place you will... within or without the Palace, to rest. There is room for everyone here." His voice is low, without much energy. Ktai locksends ** I'm sorry... should I come back? ** Tilia says "Is there a spare fur or must I sleep on the floor." Rayek, by way of reply, vanishes briefly into the nook from which he'd emerged. When he reemerges, he has a large fur draped over his arm. This he offers to Tilia. Tilia takes it wordlessly, looking hard up into the eyes of the dark-haired elf. After a silent, awkward moment she replies, "Thank you." Ktai stares at her crystal. Tilia adds, "I think I can eat if you have some food, as well." Rayek frowns a bit, as if the thought of food does not particularly appeal to him. "There are supplies... things brought back from Sorrow's End... nothing fresh, tonight, unless anyone has hunted..." Tilia says "Fresh does not matter." Tilia says "Many things ... are for the fortunate. Are for those with time." Ktai locksends ** Are you all right? ** Ktai looks up, and looks at Rayek. Rayek, head still slightly bowed, vanishes into the nook once more, to briefly rummage... and reemerges, bearing a pouch. "Berries, I think," he says shortly. "And a bit of dried meat. From the village. It kept on our flight here." Tilia nods, eyes finally dropping to the floor showing the truth to her stance. She is tired and worn, and weak having troubles with both furs and pouch. Rayek frowns a bit, then kneels, and attempts to settle the fur promperly. Tilia looks up again and snaps, "I can get it." Tilia gathers the furs closer to her, pouch gripped steadfast in a fist. Rayek closes his eyes, briefly, heavily, then turns away, backing off without argument. "If you need anything else," he says quietly, "it is at your disposal." Tilia says, "I know," all there and simple, but does not move from staring, staring at you. Rayek pauses for a moment, some sort of inward troubling briefly showing itself on his thin face. But he does not give voice to it. Aware he is under scrutiny, he seems either oblivious or uncaring; when he at last looks back to the one elf who arguably has a more intimate connection with the Palace than he does, it is to send, ** I have wronged you... in more ways than one. I owe you apologies." Tilia says after a long and stone-faced moment, "Go sleep. You talk like a childling." Rayek smirks slightly, thinking to himself that this is probably the kindest version of the many comments that have been directed his way in recent years, all to the theme of how great a fool he is. But he is unsurprised, really -- why should Tilia find him any more sincere than Cutter? As he turns to vanish into the nook he shares with Ekuar, he parts with, "There is a Glider who can turn the Scroll. Azeure. You will want to be aware of him." [End log.]