Josie twiddled her fingers as the silence returned, feeling very on the spot. It looked like she'd barged in on a private meeting as Annabette closed her notebook, one finger between the pages so she didn’t lose her place.
Josie spoke again suddenly, 'Sorry! Hawke, he's a friend of yours, yes?'
Xanderian’s face lit up, 'My beloved Urchin....yes...and you will speak to him, or have spoken to him, of myself?'
Joselynne didn’t appear openly flustered at least as she put on the performer's charm and confidence! 'I'm a friend of his. I wouldn't dare bother you, except I haven't found him about town this past week.'
The elleth nodded. “Ah yes, He has gone to war...but has returned...I think'
Josie gasped, 'Oh! That sounds dreadful, I wasn't aware there was anything like a war going on.'
Xanderian just looked at the woman in confusion before Addie interjected. 'He has taken a friend to Imladris'
Xanderian nodded eagerly..."Yes, Cyndwin...no...not Cyndwin...not yet."
Addie looked at Xan, confused, "No...Vandallan."
The elleth nodded. 'Ahhh yes..the Forest Prince'
Josie gawked. 'To Imladris? That is the Elven country, isn't it? And with a prince? Gracious….'
“I am pleased you are concerned for the Urchin, young Josie....he is dear to you?' Xanderian smiled at her fondly.
Josie giggled at the thought and the attention. "I suppose he is, at that. I've watched out for him as I can, but he rarely visits the brothel these days."
Xanderian nodded 'Ah well...this would be sensible..rarely does the urchin lack for tender caresses of any sort.'
Addie simply stared at the two, trying to find her voice. 'Wait…The what? There is a WHAT?.. Here in Bree?"
Annabette shifted her attention to Addie, one red eyebrow perked up as she patted the blonde woman’s hand.
The elleth smiled at Josie, apparently not even hearing Addie’s continued whispers of outrage to Anna who was soothing her while trying not to laugh, 'Are you a lover of my urchin, young Josie, for coin or otherwise?'
Josie shook her head, 'Oh no, he's more like a little brother to me. Ever since his mother died, you know.'
Xanderian’s eyes grew wide. “Knew you Mother Merileth, young Josie?'
Joselynne was clearly unsure how to answer that, 'Well, I was a young girl in my teens when she passed, already living in the house.'
Xanderian suddenly stepped around the bench and hugged Josie tightly..."Sweet one...
The woman accepted the hug, even if it was quite unexpected! "Oh my!" and looked at Addie and Anna, unsure.
Addie looked over, finally soothed by Anna and chuckled, mouthing to the startled girl. “Rian does that.”
Rian held Josie by the shoulders gently, and was looking into her eyes. 'What did you know of her, Mother Merileth?'
The girl frowned a bit. 'You keep calling her that, it makes her sound so old! Why the interest, if you pardon the impertinence? Hawke never did like too much talk about his past or his mother....'
The elleth waved the objection away 'It matters not, sweet one..did she care for you? Was she kindly unto you...? Please speak to me of the Mother Merileth, fair Josie...we had only a few moments before the darkness took her again and I miss her so...'
Josie twiddled her fingers again, clearly what she did when nervous. Her glance at Annabette and Addiela was indeed a little spooked. It sounded to her like Xanderian was saying she'd spoken to the dead woman recently.
Xanderian continued, unconcerned. “Did she love you?...how did she smell?...was her hair soft? What things did she say unto you?'
Josie began to back towards the door. 'Ummm....I think perhaps I had best be off! Truly, I did not mean to barge in upon your meeting, my ladies. I should...umm..leave you to...whatever..you were...doing” Josie clearly wasn't certain she liked having met the strange Elf. She made her curtsy to them all but clearly wanted to escape. Frowning, she thought to herself that she would have a word or two with Hawke about his friends, if she ever found the scamp.
Xanderian hugged her again as she pulled away more strongly and opened the door. 'May we speak again, sweet one?....Do we? Be safe dear one...I will find you...near a lantern, and you will be eating honeycake..I think.'
Josie dashed out the door with an "eek" noise, nearly running into the tall woman who stepped around her. Eduwiges of Faldham walked in, filling the doorway and noticed Xanderian and Addie, smiling warmly and then looking curiously at the other.
Xanderian glanced up and smiled back at the newcomer, her expression tender."My lynx....”
Addiela mouthed to Eduwiges over the elleth's shoulder, "Rian is not well.."
Eduwiges looked concerned at Addie’s words, but turned to the woman she didn’t know. "I am Eduwiges of Faldham' and bowed deeply before Annabette.
Rian smiled, 'This is Annabette Fenton, my lynx...I know her..will know her..but I did not realize it at first because she is currently dressed...she may be trusted.'
Anna raised her eyebrows and shook her head, muttering to herself..."..currently dressed?"
Eduwiges cautiously asked Addie, 'Is she still living forwards and back?'
Addiela nodded sadly and Annabette shrugged. "As apt an explanation of her condition as any other."
Xanderian stroked Eduwiges’ cheek softly, ‘I am sorry, Addie is preparing for her Husband, who awaits her in the chamber with the crystal, where the Rider is wounded, struggling not to die... No...not yet'
Addiela gasped, 'Gah! I wish not to speak of that...Wait.. what? Waits where? Who is dying?'
Annabette read back from her notebook, 'In the chamber with the crystal, where the Rider is wounded, struggling not to die."
'Who is wounded?' Addie was struggling not to panic.
Annabette said dryly, 'The Rider, apparently.'
Addiela was close to screaming now, 'Do you know how many riders of the Mark there are? What is she talking about?'
Xanderian was murmuring to herself, 'I never told her how I feel..what a fool I am...she wept so and I was a fool...No.. That is him.. Not me.'
Quite certain she was losing her mind at last, Addie looked into Xanderian’s eyes. "Rian.. Who is wounded? Can you tell me at least that?"
The elleth looked at her seriously, 'I....I do not know him...Neither do you. Your Husband called him Gunnad…. I think'
Addiela stares dumbfounded for the moment at Anna, who leaned forward, whispering to Addie. "File it away in your mind for now and process it as you learn more."
Addiela nodded toward Anna, whispering back. "Aye, that is what I intend to do.. She speaks rightly.. I know not of this Gunnad."
Annabette says, 'Remember, some of what she sees may never occur.'
Eduwiges bit her lip and looked into Xan's eyes, 'Lethy, can you tell us more?'
Addiela looked to Eduwiges, "These names are familiar to you?"
Eduwiges shook her head gently, but then Xanderian kissed her softly...and turned back to look at the pair seated as the woman blushed. "Does my sister prepare well for being a lady? I do not mean to...to...trouble you.
Annabette sighed, 'There is much to do and some of what is to come must be kept between student and mentor.'
'Of...of course...I...I know I am not welcome here...I shall withdraw' Xanderian nodded softly, blanching,
Annabette shook her head. "I did not say that. It is not my place."
The huntress rose, 'No..and it is not to you I am unwelcome, Annabette Fenton..at least not...yet.'
Xanderian bowed, smiling softly to Eduwiges and then slipped out into the courtyard. She sighed, and gazed up at the moonlight, then was startled to find the trio had pursued her out of the library.
Addiela too the elf by the shoulders, 'What is going on? Are you all right? What did you mean that you were not welcome?'
Xanderian glanced back and forth between the three..."I am well...I...is your class concluded?
Addiela shook her head. 'Nay but it can wait.. you are not well.'
Eduwiges looked at Rian again, concerned, 'Annabette, have you seen anything like this before? I saw you die at the gates of Kheledul, Xandrian, I cannot see this happen again..' She held her head up proudly but emotion clouded her face.
Annabette says, 'Your welfare is a concern for them both....they fear you are deeply unwell..'
You say, 'No..I am...sorting..it is alright...and Addie..." she tilted her head and continued as if finishing a conversation already started. "You called me sister as a curse, to hurt me and I grieve for that...I do not mean to trouble you...Hawke told me your fate is your own, and he spoke truth, I think now.'
Addie sighs at hearing that, the events of that evening coming back to her in a rush. The harsh words, Xanderian's shouting and tears, "Nay.. not as a curse, Rian.. I only wished to make my departure easier for you. I should not have..Please allow me to do what is in my power to help you.. even if it means we go back to a time where you once again hate me'
Xanderian looked stunned. "There has been a time when I hated you?'
Addie looked down, having sworn to herself not to betray her pain over this, 'Aye, after I called you sister in...in such a way.. you screamed at me, swore us opposed and left.. You would not even look at me the next day or speak to me'
'Why would I yell at you if I hated you, sister Addie?' Xanderian looked at her thoughtfully.
Addie shrugged, "Yelling seems a way to show people your displeasure.. and I have been yelled at quite a bit in my life..Forgive me if I misunderstood'
The huntress smiled softly, 'Sister Addie, if I hated you, if I cared not for your fate, why would I yell at you? I would slay you or leave you to your fate.'
Taken aback by this approach, Addie paused. 'I do not know how to answer that to be honest.. I have had people yell at me to stop trying to help and just to go away..Aye, I suppose being you that you would just slay me if you hated me so. I had not thought of that..'
The elleth nodded, as if such a thought would be totally natural, 'And I did NOT slay you...I am certain of that.'
Addie sighed, "Regardless.. that was then and this is now.. You walked out again. How often will that happen? How many times will you relive that fight?"
Xan shook her head, 'I departed as you wished to prepare for a destiny I will just make harder for you, as I cannot accept it. And that argument? I..I have had it many times since that night...and Erech...mocked me with it. I..will be fine..I am fine..it just takes a bit of time...to place myself when I am'
Addie sighed, and Xanderian would nearly shake with effort not to hug her..."Hawke says you much choose your own life, my sister, even if that life is death...
Addie nodded, wincing a bit at the mention of death however, 'He speaks wisely.. sometimes we choose the path with the least consequences and the one that has the best outcome for as many as possible.. even if that one is not yourself'
'And that is why I yelled...if I cannot choose your fate then you cannot choose mine, Addiela of Rohan.' Xanderian looked as if a major point had just been made.
Addiela says, 'You speak rightly.. I cannot.. only you can.. and you must realize that of me. I am doing as I feel I must'
The elleth nodded definitively. 'Then if I must accept you will face your mother and your doom in Rohan, YOU must accept that I will not abandon you to that. Just as you, I am doing as I feel I must'
Addiela says, 'Xanderian, I cannot allow for you to raise your blade against any involved.. it will only bring out your death. You have to believe me on this. She swallowed hard and continued. "Xanderian, if you must know.. I intend to speak to Ethelwine and reason with him'
'Your husband...no...intended...?' Xanderian's eyes widened at the concept.
Addie nodded, 'The one I am promised to, aye. I am not getting my hopes up that he will be reasoned with.. but.. I intend to attempt it'
'Then we will trust in this hope...' Xanderian smiled widely.'And I will not slay him whatever he says...Or...no...I definitely do not slay him.'
Addie nearly laughed at how serious Rian was., 'Aye, please don't.. I don't need another murder accusation on my hands.." She looked to Anna, "Would you like to come back to the farmhouse to continue our Deportment lesson?"
Annabette smiled. 'I am at your disposal.'
As the two rode away, Xanderian hugged Eduwiges and smiled. "I think the lessons are going very well...I feel more deported already.
