Frustrations and Target Practice

[Rayvinn]

Tuesday, November 22nd.

Rayvinn paced the length of her command tent, turned, and paced back. She was still wearing last night's clothes and appeared as if she hadn't slept at all. "So, after he got into the argument with her, he dueled and then took off. I went after him because I honestly don't think I have seen him this upset since..." Her pacing stopped and she had the look of someone that had just gone far, far away mentally. The sentence wouldn't be finished as those were memories she couldn't deal with right now. A light shake of her head was given to try to clear it.

"And I still don't know why in the hell she was being such a bitch to me. I tried to step in and calm him down when he first confronted her. I didn't know why he was angry at her, still don't really, but I didn't want to see two of my best friends fight like that." Rayvinn's voice sounded more agitated and it was obvious that she was very unhappy about what had transpired.

Pain was unique to all living things. No two registered it in the same way. To punch T'alathian in the mouth would not bring about a smile on his face whereas for the elf Queen in clear dissonance before him it would surely not be the case. He sat atop her desk listening, silent and observing. He poured a glass of water and tried to remedy the arid nature of his mouth. He didn't like seeing her upset. It was a pathetic word for the mixed emotions inside her but to even begin to understand he listened.

"Tensions were high. Naturally you're going to try to do all things within your power to keep a gasket from blowing. A man ceases to be himself in such times. The fragile balance between who we want to be and what nature planned us to be is always askew with grief and sorrow." He watched her diligently, knowing that for all things, Rayvinn was always one who knew. Knew how she felt, how others felt, how things could react; her foresight was keen and her empathy knew no limits. To see her puzzled now, bordering on the hems of frustration even, it was a rare thing.

"It isn't my first take that she would be jealous. Although..." He trailed off with a barely noticable shrug, "Faeries can be quite a fickle type."

"The last time I'd seen him so upset, he nearly didn't make it out from the bottom of the bottle. I almost lost him. I'll never let that happen again." She couldn't elaborate on that statement by saying it was her fault, her failed mission with Jack’s organization, that he'd been in such shape those many years ago.

"You think she was jealous of my friendship with Kruger?" Raye thought it over and then shook her head. "No, I don't think that would be the cause. Especially when I tried to stop him from confronting her. She knows where she stands in my life." The elf released the lower lip she'd been chewing at and turned to face T'alathian. The angles of her face were hard set and the cool jade of her eyes seemed particularly cold at the moment. He'd seen this face many times over the years. Usually when she was about to become very stubborn or before she went into battle. Which was it to be this time? Possibly both.

"Or I should say, where she stood. I have no intention of being treated as I was last night when I have done nothing wrong. It was out of my affection for her that I said nothing and did not cause a scene last night. That was the first and last time she will have such an opportunity." It did indeed speak of Jewell’s place in her life that Rayvinn had managed to control herself enough that she presented no obvious outward indication of what she’d been feeling at that moment.

A slumbering thing her temper was; cooled embers in the twilight hours of a campfire whose coals were light cherry. T'alathian would only pray for those who stoked that fire. He hadn't dared at any point since he'd known her, maybe to skip across them but never kick. That face was one that was sure regardless of anything else in the world.

"Turbulent times..." Such a flat tone, serious eyes it was without a doubt sincere moments like that drew it out of him. The stern look she had was one he never enjoyed and never could get used to. Yet it was the ideal and necessary one now.

"You don't suppose it's going to escalate any further do you? The tension is palpable all it would take was one bad flick of a match." He dreaded even saying it, it wasn't something he wanted to imagine yet when it came to this he wasn't about to overlook all possibilities.

The tension the queen felt was evident in her stance, the set of her shoulders, the clipped words and brusque tone of her voice. "I would like to say she is not foolish enough to start that fire."

Rayvinn turned away from T'alathian and moved to the end of that monstrosity of a bed that he'd heckled her over on countless occasions. Perhaps it was a bit ridiculous to have such luxuries in her quarters within her army’s encampment, but it spoke of the queen’s eccentric nature as nothing else did. Her command tent was large and as lavishly furnished as any other temporary home she’d occupy. Opening a large wooden trunk located at the foot of the bed, she withdrew her bow and a quiver of arrows. Target practice. He'd likely realize now, more than before, just how upset she was over the events of the previous night. When Rayvinn couldn't control circumstances that caused her stress (or couldn't stab them), she soothed herself with countless hours of training; her body required the physical release of the stress and her mind required the extreme focus to pull it from whatever worried her.

The young(ish) elf sat and watched as the node of his dreams during the day and night resorted to an old ritual. He let out a sigh and pulled out one of the drawers on the desk. Sometimes he liked to store things inside to see if she'd find them. A clear flask was taken and he took a swig of the potent ale.

"One would think so. You won't mind if I read while you work your craft will you?" By read, he was going to read a sentence of a book then try to sketch her doing her practice.

"So long as you do not stand in front of the target or open your mouth and give me incentive to use you as the target, you are welcome to come along." She paused and looked back towards him as if she would say something more but remained silent and strode from the tent. She’d been so careful of late to measure her words with T’alathian, softening edges that could cut; tonight perhaps not so much.

A million quips went through his mind and the corners of his lips turned up with his cheeks. When she looked to him though they vanished in a moment and he slipped from her desk to follow her out. He wouldn't dare throw her any further off axis. But sometimes the best time to admire nature was within nature.

((Thank you to T'alathian's player for collaboration.))