The Grey Tower

Her chest rose and fell, up, down… once, twice… her sense of time distorting as reality warped around her. Katrie desperately wanted to pry her gaze away from the boy's face – the shape of his jaw just didn't seem right – but try as she might, she couldn't. She couldn't look away, sable orbs riveted to the trickle of red that leaked down, staining and ruining the delicate fringe of lace around his collar.

She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. She... Light, she wanted to kick at the boy again. Her stomach rolled, the Accepted feeling queasy as she forcefully tore her attention elsewhere. Anywhere! She found the very tips of her white slippers peeking out from beneath the banded hem of her skirts and stared down at them as if seeing them for the first time. There was a strange... roaring echoing in her ears. The bond was a piercing, jagged thing, the Tairen Gaidin a knot of spiked spines in her head. Dax was... agitated. Livid? He was fighting again. She couldn't... pinpoint it, but whatever he was feeling, that sense of terrible recognition was still there.

Her sanity was slipping away, wild terror creeping to take its place.

She felt fingers close so very gently around her bicep, a little tug, and her head whipped up and met grey-blue eyes. Who? The world spun and almost seemed to right itself, Katrie's awareness snapping free from whatever it was that had held her in thrall.

“Are you alright?” she heard Rav ask, those same gentle fingers brushing stray strands of hair out of her face.

Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded, shying away from the bond and from the shared knot of emotions twined around the base of her skull. She swallowed, trying to ease some of the Shienaran Ji's concern with a little smile. “I am.” Her voice was as weak as it was shaky. A look of annoyance flitted across her face and Katrie tried again. “I am,” she repeated, louder this time. She bit down on her tongue as Dax stampeded across her unsteady equilibrium, but the pain of hard teeth digging into the soft meat of her tongue allowed her to keep the bond from washing her away into whatever madness it was that the Tairen had gotten himself into. She shook her head. I don't care... I don't care... I don't care. She almost believed it too.

Quickly, Katrie grabbed Rav's hand, shadows flitting behind deep brown eyes. “Let's go back inside... Can we go back inside? Please?”

Rav took patient notice of Katrie that they walked back into the tavern. His intention had been to watch her throughout the evening, to make sure nothing like that outburst would occur. The adrenaline still surging through his body from the fight gave the Ji enough clarity to see that things hadn’t gone to plan. One pint had led to another. I don’t think this is the same place we started the night... He had to be sobering up, even slightly, if he was capable of that much thought.

Their table had been taken during their foray outside, but Rav found another one hidden away in a back corner. The music and the merriment was still to be heard loud, but the torchlights didn’t cast their light quite as brightly. The Shienaran could feel the start of a headache coming on, pressure welling up in both temples. The alcohol still made it easy enough to grin through it, however.

He had a hand cupped around each of her arms, holding onto her as much to give her comfort as to ensure she wouldn’t go running away again. It was a guilty thought of having to overpower her that made his cheeks glow bright. The image of hauling Katrie away, the Accepted kicking her slippered heels in fury as he carried her back to the Tower, made him laugh. He stopped as soon as he realised Katrie did not share in his amusement.

“I’m sorry.” He had awareness enough to hear the slur in his speech. He had to concentrate to make his words clear. “I didn’t mean to upset you. What can I do?” There were still other patrons dancing, and more drinks could easily be acquired, but Katrie was in a fractious sense and he needed her guidance. Light, if only I could bundle you into a sickbed until I could figure something out. You didn’t deserve any of this, my love.

Katrie frowned at Rav. Why was he apologizing? “Why are you apologizing?” she repeated her question out loud, the words coming out too quickly to make any kind of coherent sense. The Tairen was so very very loud in her head, and she shoved back him with as much force as she could. Go away Dax.

She took a deep breath and guided her focus outwards. The Cairhienin forced herself to enunciate each word, her mouth moving deliberately to produce each individual sound as she held grey-blue eyes levelly. “You didn't upset me. You have nothing to apologize for.”

“What can I do?” the Shienaran asked again, Rav speaking as carefully as she was.

She could feel herself relaxing a little as amusement at that came bubbling upwards. They were both still slurring their words together a little. Katrie hadn't been sure that asking him to come with her had been a good idea at the start of the night; Rav had a mischievous streak, it was true, but he was still so serious. The idea of trying to drink herself into oblivion while he just sat there and watched was... more depressing than she cared to admit. Thank the Light he had decided to let loose some tonight. Aside from the few... hiccups... yes, mere hiccups, the Accepted was enjoying herself immensely.

A brow lifted over one of her dark brown eyes, Katrie ignoring the dull ache that blossomed to life at her temples. She was not going to acknowledge anything she did not wish to. She would more than likely pay for it when morning came, but she didn't care.

White teeth jumped out from coppery skin as she smiled at Rav, her hands going across the table to grasp his. “I'm glad you asked! You could get us more drinks. And maybe we could have another dance or two. But probably before we have the more drinks.” Yes. Dancing definitely before they consumed more alcohol.