Subject: [Dagger] [PORC]The Sea Voyage Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 20:15:16 -0400 From: jdavis109@juno.com (JAMES R DAVIS) To: dagrfall@ods.com Alexis took a keen interest in anything I mentioned relating to Sovere. She told me that she was something of a scholar, dabbling in ancient texts that dealt with magic and anatomy. Mea assigned Alexis (here on known as Alex) the quarters across the way from my and Catris'. Mea set the ship to voyage across the Iliac Bay. I told her of my intention to ask Morgiah about the SLE's activities on Tamriel. Alex was always hanging at my cloak strings. Always had some question or other as we sailed. I could see the admiration in her eyes for us, having broke the charms that held her. Though she was quite proficient in the blade, she wanted to learn the Sidhe Bladesong technique. She was rather dismayed when I punched holes in her sword, but went along with it. I felt something for this woman, something completely alien to me. True enough, her form was appealing to the male eye, but it was not that feeling. I racked my brain throughout the voyage trying to place a name for my emotions toward her. Paternal instinct. I soon came to realize that I was using her as compensation for my inability to have children. (The Sidhe reproduce by combining their magic. The balance must be equal, or the stronger magic destroys the child. The power imbued on me by the Goddess prevents me from reproducing in such a manner. I could have a child with Catris through the same manner the other races use, but I could never put her through such pain.) I took her under my wing and saw her more as my daughter than anything else. My emotions may also have been due to the fact that she was tied to my life-force. Granted, two thousand years ago, I would have probably been after like a lupe on an innocent, but I was much too old to lusting after mortals, even though I appear the same as when I was twenty-five. In a few thousand more years though.... Sorry. My mind has a tendency to wander. I taught her as best I could the ancient blade-song techniques, but my teachings were limited. I had no access to bladesong swords, made by dwarven forgers. She did not seem to mind, but I wanted to teach her more. We finally slid into port Wayrest. Knowing that I should be better dressed, I went to my quarters. Appareling myself in a similiar fashion to that I used in Sentinel, I came out of my quarters, this time not overly anxious to climb the palace. I went up to the deck and summoned Midnight, allowing him to graze on the grass just off the pier. I went back down into the crew quarters to get everyone else, ready for the trip to Wayrest. Before getting Catris, I asked Alex a question that had been playing across my mind. I knocked quietly on her door and entered after she bid me enter. I walked in and slumped down in one of the goose-down chairs (Mea has impeccable taste in such matters). She came across the room from the closet and asked what was wrong. I took her hand and asked "All this time, you have never told me of your parents. How are they?" A single tear rolled down her cheek. Her hand quickly brushed it away. "They.... they... they were killed in a redguard raid on my village." she answered. "I see." I said as I placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. We talked for a time, me being nothing more than a compassionate listener. Although I had many life-times of experience to draw on, I had never lossed a relative. I even passed through life losing only two friends. She wove a tale as tragic as I had ever heard. She went from a life of abuse at the hands of her father's relative to a life of abuse by people in general. After a time, Mea popped her head in the door and said .............................................. ~Lord Jemalas Tamislane of Thornwood, Ruler of Kalisis JDavis109@juno.com _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]