Elendor
Stubborn Like A Mule
Keldean stubbornly insists on trying to visit Rhifaroth, but Muirgheal objects violently, while Cordelia watches.
Sort Date: no date set
Location: Bree--Archet
IC Time: Afternoon
Weather: Rain
Description: Archet
The village of Archet lies under the watchful eye of the Chetwood, which waits to the east. A small stream flows into the village from under the eaves of the forest and passes behind a large woodshed, before collecting into a small pool at the northern edge of the village. Along with the Woodshed are several smaller buildings, almost all of them of a residential nature. The village land south of the stream is dotted with tree stumps, a testament to the village's chief function as supplier of wood to the Bree-lands.
[Keldean(#23332)] The afternoon was clear enough when Keldean sattled up the brown mare and set out to give her some exercise. He didn't originally plan on going to Archet, but all other directions have been cautioned as dangerous due to banditry. Plus, he knows the way to Archet best, given that his family doesn't live that far past the logging village. Not that he ever visits his family. The rain is just wet enough to be uncomfortable, but not so heavy that he's turned the horse about to return to Bree.
The teen approaches at a slow pace, his eyes peering through the mist to study the houses, but it's one in particular that his gaze lingers upon as he sits astride the mare.
Cordelia is walking swiftly down the road here, hood up against the rain, her hair covered well. The sound of a horse makes her look up, though, somewhat startled--horses not being that common in Bree, after all. She stares at horse and rider, doubly surprised to see Keldean astride the mare.
[Muirgheal(#32535)] Muirgheal is out behind her house despite the rain, cloaked and hooded, a few vegetables clutched in her hand to feed to her mare. At the sound of a rider on the road, she looks up. She doesn't know anyone else in Archet with a horse. Muirgheal leaves the treats for Aurlalaith and walks toward the road to get a better look at the visitor to her quiet village.
Keldean reigns in the horse and he looks around again, particularly northwest, where the Pinewick farmstead lies a few miles away. It wouldn't take long for him to get there on the horse but he hasn't visited in well over a year and isn't sure if he's ready for that today. He spots Cordelia then, and slides down off the horse to stand next to it. "Out here visiting?" He asks the woman with the black hair, unaware of Muirgheal approaching.
"No, actually, I'm heading to work at the healers," Cordelia replies, walking slowly up to the horse and holding a hand out for the mare to sniff at. "Did you ride her much when you were, erm..away?"
[Muirgheal(#32535)] Muirgheal now stands in her front yard, not venturing any closer to the road than that. She watches the two figures, shocked to find that the rain-soaked lad on the brown horse is..."Keldean?" Muir shouts, her voice rough. "What are you doing here?" She hasn't reached for a dagger, yet, but her dark eyes are intense as she watches the rider.
[Keldean(#23332)] "No, I was sick. I told you that." Keldean answers, shoving his hands into his coat pockets after looping the reins loosely around his wrist. "Giliath took care of her." He coughs a few times, then asks, "Do you want a r-.." then his head snaps over to look at Muirgheal as she yells his name. There's a flash of fear on his face and he eases back closer to the horse even though the woman is some distance away. "Is Seeker home?" He calls, not daring to approach.
"Sure, I'd love a ride," Cordelia replies, finishing Keldean's sentence for him. Turning, she lifts a hand to wave briefly at Muirgheal, then addresses Keldean again. "She is afraid you will disturb Rhifaroth, by trying to apologize and give his knife back to him. She doesn't want him remembering what happened."
[Muirgheal(#32535)] "Would you like to come find out?" Muirgheal shouts. Were she more calm, she might realize what a scene she's causing for her neighbors as she pulls both daggers from the sheaths on her arms. "You really want to set foot on my property?" Her voice is low and angry, now. She only acknowledges Cordelia with her eyes, not waving with the weapons in her hands.
Keldean is keeping his eyes on Muirgheal, a chill running through him at her shouted questions. The teen swallows, pulling his hands free of his coat and now he glances around the street before his eyes settle on Cordelia. "I'm not going to disturb him.. I just want to talk to him." He passes the reins to her, then slowly approaches the yelling woman with his hands held out, splayed open. "I won't upset him. I'll only talk, give him back his knife. Why would that bother him?"
"Oh...my.." Cordelia mutters in a low voice to herself, seeing Muirgheal draw her knives. She takes the reins, but shakes her head. "Keldean..." Too late. The teen is approaching Muirgheal, so Cordelia stands next to the horse, one hand on its neck to gently keep it calm.
[Muirgheal(#32535)] "That would bother him because he's half lost his mind!" The words are screamed by Muirgheal. Her pale skin is flushed and she's breathing heavily, incensed. "Take one step closer to me and I will run you through!" There's something slightly mad in her eyes- nothing that hasn't always been there, though. Muirgheal seems to have completely forgotten that Cordelia is there.
Keldean stops, not willing to push that threat and see where it gets him, but he doesn't back off either. "How could it possibly hurt him?! I need to do this! You don't understand, it's important!" Muirgheal's aggitation is starting to bleed off into the sensitive teen. "And you don't know.. it might -help-!"
Cordelia doesn't make a move toward Muirgheal--in fact, she uses her free hand to rub her shoulder where the blonde injured her months ago. And watches, silent, still holding the horse.
[Muirgheal(#32535)] "It won't help anything. I would know. It will not help, and your needs cannot possibly be as important as his. He isn't right in his mind and it could cause him to slip away for days! Not know where he is! I've lost him before and I'll -never- lose him again especially not to some idiot boy! Now, you get out of sight of this house." Her voice rises and falls in pitch, and Muir waves one of the daggers as she speaks.
[Keldean(#23332)] "Then why do you let -her- come around?" He waves one hand back towards Cordelia, but doesn't pull his gaze away from the crazy woman. "If Seeker doesn't mind Cordelia, I don't think he'll care if I come talk to him. Can't you just ask?" He takes one step closer, his voice growing quieter. "It's the only thing I can do.."
"Oh...Keldean..." Cordelia's voice isn't without sympathy, but again she shakes her head. "You're going to regret this..."
[Muirgheal(#32535)] "She's my friend and she has -nothing- to do with this!!" Muirgheal is shouting again. "You are testing my patience, boy! I've killed better men than you." That's not something she's proud of, or something she would normally admit. But she's blindly angry now. "Seeker doesn't want to see you. Now -go-!" The blonde growls.
[Keldean(#23332)] "Nothing to do with this?!" Keldean retorts, incredulous. "Are you serious?" He turns sharply to look at Cordelia, his jaw dropping open in shock but his eyes are nothing short of dreadfully accusing. The teen whips back to stare at Muirgheal again, "If you think that Cordelia has nothing to do with this, you are completely blind!"
"She's not blind," Cordelia speaks up, finally, though there is no anger or scorn in her voice--she speaks quietly. "She and I have settled our score, and I have the scar to show for it. Muirgheal knows my part in Rhifaroth's kidnapping."
[Muirgheal(#32535)] "We've made our peace. But you and I seem far from done. You have to leave -now-." Muirgheal continues to hold her knives. "Don't you ever come back here again. Now go on. -Go on-!" Muir gestures with the knife. "Rhifaroth is sleeping. Get away before you wake him with your idiocy." The pair of black eyes regarding the teen are hostile.
Keldean clenches his fists at his sides, his scowl growing. "We don't have to make peace! Don't you think it's a little unfair to decide what he might or might not want?! I'm trying to apologize and make ammends and you're acting like I'm going to ... " He growls in an inarticulate fashion and reaches down now to his boot, yanking the dagger out. "Fine! You're just as bad as everyone else around here!" He approaches her now, holding Rhifaroth's dagger at his side. "Just take it! I know you're not going to give it to him but at least -I- tried to do the right thing!"
"Oh *****" Whatever Cordelia says, it is in another language--one she has been known to mutter before. The mare stamps and snorts, tossing its head, some of the girl's tension conveyed to the animal.
[Muirgheal(#32535)] "No, you're right, we don't have to," Muirgheal snaps. "I can decide for him. I'm his wife and he trusts me! He was very, very wrong to trust you, as you proved this summer." Muir tenses when Keldean draws out the dagger, perhaps readying herself for the lad to strike. She tenses even more when Keldean comes closer to give her the knife. She even has to put one of her daggers back in its sheath in order to have a free hand to take it. She reaches a very careful hand out for Rhifaroth's dagger. "Just give it here, then. I'll give it to him. And leaving him alone -is- doing the right thing." Muir growls.
[Keldean(#23332)] Once Keldean's within knifing distance he stops and hesitates again, her manner less than reassuring. The anger that got him this far quickly oozes away and he watches Muirgheal with that wariness again. "I don't understand why you're so mad at me but you're friends with Cordelia." He says quietly, and reaches out to hand her the dagger.
[Muirgheal(#32535)] "You keep trying to upset my husband. You don't seem to understand that he isn't perfectly well yet, still. I don't want to have any argument with you, but I just couldn't make you understand that he cannot see you. It might upset him too much." Muirgheal says, a bit calmer after a few deep breaths. She even yawns when she takes the dagger from Keldean by its hilt- so much excitement for a pregnant woman in one day is beginning to wear on Muir. "I understand Cordelia," Muir says quietly, finally looking over at her friend. She smiles at the dark-haired girl. "I respect her because we're not too much unalike."
Cordelia briefly meets Muirgheal's look, but she drops her eyes quickly, looking to her booted feet.
[Keldean(#23332)] "Perfectly well? Maybe if you let him talk to and see the people around him he might get better!" Keldean shakes his head.. "You're.. this.. is.. this is wrong!" The teen isn't finding any way to express himself with words and gives up, turning to storm back over to the horse.
At Keldean's angry words, Cordelia looks up again, watching the teen approach. "At least you gave her the knife," she says, her voice in the same soothing tone she was using to the horse before.
[Muirgheal(#32535)] Muirgheal frowns, noticing how quickly Cordelia drops her gaze. "You can think whatever you want. Just get away from my house." Muirgheal draws herself up, without another word or look at either of them, and heads back inside, her hood slipping off as she hurries away.
Keldean reaches to pull the reins away from Cordelia and climbs up onto the horse. He's upset, but moreso angry. "I wanted to give it to him myself." He repeats in a quiet mutter, then reaches his hand down to help her up onto the horse. "Coming?" Is this some sort of truce between them?
"Muir..." Cordelia starts, as if she wants to explain something, but the woman has already hurried off. Cordelia sighs and looks back to Keldean, staring for a moment at his offered hand before she reaches for it and lets him help her onto the horse. "I'm sorry that didn't go well," she tells the teen. "Maybe...once Rhifaroth is better he'll want to talk to you. But I've seen him, and Muirgheal is right. He's still...well, he isn't the same as he was before. Maybe with time, but right now, you would probably do more harm than good, talking about what happened. Even if it was just to apologize. I wanted to do that, too."
[Muirgheal(#32535)] Muirgheal's dark eyes watch the pair in the road for a moment as she lingers in the doorway, and then the door clicks quietly shut.
Keldean doesn't answer her and keeps his gaze ahead as he has the mare turn about and begin walking south again, towards Bree. His posture is rigid, his knuckles white where they grip the reins. He urges the animal into a trot as soon as they're clear of the village. His skill at riding has improved tremendously.
Cordelia sighs and then doesn't say anything, riding in silence, though she frowns at the back of Keldean's head.
The village of Archet lies under the watchful eye of the Chetwood, which waits to the east. A small stream flows into the village from under the eaves of the forest and passes behind a large woodshed, before collecting into a small pool at the northern edge of the village. Along with the Woodshed are several smaller buildings, almost all of them of a residential nature. The village land south of the stream is dotted with tree stumps, a testament to the village's chief function as supplier of wood to the Bree-lands.
[Keldean(#23332)] The afternoon was clear enough when Keldean sattled up the brown mare and set out to give her some exercise. He didn't originally plan on going to Archet, but all other directions have been cautioned as dangerous due to banditry. Plus, he knows the way to Archet best, given that his family doesn't live that far past the logging village. Not that he ever visits his family. The rain is just wet enough to be uncomfortable, but not so heavy that he's turned the horse about to return to Bree.
The teen approaches at a slow pace, his eyes peering through the mist to study the houses, but it's one in particular that his gaze lingers upon as he sits astride the mare.
Cordelia is walking swiftly down the road here, hood up against the rain, her hair covered well. The sound of a horse makes her look up, though, somewhat startled--horses not being that common in Bree, after all. She stares at horse and rider, doubly surprised to see Keldean astride the mare.
[Muirgheal(#32535)] Muirgheal is out behind her house despite the rain, cloaked and hooded, a few vegetables clutched in her hand to feed to her mare. At the sound of a rider on the road, she looks up. She doesn't know anyone else in Archet with a horse. Muirgheal leaves the treats for Aurlalaith and walks toward the road to get a better look at the visitor to her quiet village.
Keldean reigns in the horse and he looks around again, particularly northwest, where the Pinewick farmstead lies a few miles away. It wouldn't take long for him to get there on the horse but he hasn't visited in well over a year and isn't sure if he's ready for that today. He spots Cordelia then, and slides down off the horse to stand next to it. "Out here visiting?" He asks the woman with the black hair, unaware of Muirgheal approaching.
"No, actually, I'm heading to work at the healers," Cordelia replies, walking slowly up to the horse and holding a hand out for the mare to sniff at. "Did you ride her much when you were, erm..away?"
[Muirgheal(#32535)] Muirgheal now stands in her front yard, not venturing any closer to the road than that. She watches the two figures, shocked to find that the rain-soaked lad on the brown horse is..."Keldean?" Muir shouts, her voice rough. "What are you doing here?" She hasn't reached for a dagger, yet, but her dark eyes are intense as she watches the rider.
[Keldean(#23332)] "No, I was sick. I told you that." Keldean answers, shoving his hands into his coat pockets after looping the reins loosely around his wrist. "Giliath took care of her." He coughs a few times, then asks, "Do you want a r-.." then his head snaps over to look at Muirgheal as she yells his name. There's a flash of fear on his face and he eases back closer to the horse even though the woman is some distance away. "Is Seeker home?" He calls, not daring to approach.
"Sure, I'd love a ride," Cordelia replies, finishing Keldean's sentence for him. Turning, she lifts a hand to wave briefly at Muirgheal, then addresses Keldean again. "She is afraid you will disturb Rhifaroth, by trying to apologize and give his knife back to him. She doesn't want him remembering what happened."
[Muirgheal(#32535)] "Would you like to come find out?" Muirgheal shouts. Were she more calm, she might realize what a scene she's causing for her neighbors as she pulls both daggers from the sheaths on her arms. "You really want to set foot on my property?" Her voice is low and angry, now. She only acknowledges Cordelia with her eyes, not waving with the weapons in her hands.
Keldean is keeping his eyes on Muirgheal, a chill running through him at her shouted questions. The teen swallows, pulling his hands free of his coat and now he glances around the street before his eyes settle on Cordelia. "I'm not going to disturb him.. I just want to talk to him." He passes the reins to her, then slowly approaches the yelling woman with his hands held out, splayed open. "I won't upset him. I'll only talk, give him back his knife. Why would that bother him?"
"Oh...my.." Cordelia mutters in a low voice to herself, seeing Muirgheal draw her knives. She takes the reins, but shakes her head. "Keldean..." Too late. The teen is approaching Muirgheal, so Cordelia stands next to the horse, one hand on its neck to gently keep it calm.
[Muirgheal(#32535)] "That would bother him because he's half lost his mind!" The words are screamed by Muirgheal. Her pale skin is flushed and she's breathing heavily, incensed. "Take one step closer to me and I will run you through!" There's something slightly mad in her eyes- nothing that hasn't always been there, though. Muirgheal seems to have completely forgotten that Cordelia is there.
Keldean stops, not willing to push that threat and see where it gets him, but he doesn't back off either. "How could it possibly hurt him?! I need to do this! You don't understand, it's important!" Muirgheal's aggitation is starting to bleed off into the sensitive teen. "And you don't know.. it might -help-!"
Cordelia doesn't make a move toward Muirgheal--in fact, she uses her free hand to rub her shoulder where the blonde injured her months ago. And watches, silent, still holding the horse.
[Muirgheal(#32535)] "It won't help anything. I would know. It will not help, and your needs cannot possibly be as important as his. He isn't right in his mind and it could cause him to slip away for days! Not know where he is! I've lost him before and I'll -never- lose him again especially not to some idiot boy! Now, you get out of sight of this house." Her voice rises and falls in pitch, and Muir waves one of the daggers as she speaks.
[Keldean(#23332)] "Then why do you let -her- come around?" He waves one hand back towards Cordelia, but doesn't pull his gaze away from the crazy woman. "If Seeker doesn't mind Cordelia, I don't think he'll care if I come talk to him. Can't you just ask?" He takes one step closer, his voice growing quieter. "It's the only thing I can do.."
"Oh...Keldean..." Cordelia's voice isn't without sympathy, but again she shakes her head. "You're going to regret this..."
[Muirgheal(#32535)] "She's my friend and she has -nothing- to do with this!!" Muirgheal is shouting again. "You are testing my patience, boy! I've killed better men than you." That's not something she's proud of, or something she would normally admit. But she's blindly angry now. "Seeker doesn't want to see you. Now -go-!" The blonde growls.
[Keldean(#23332)] "Nothing to do with this?!" Keldean retorts, incredulous. "Are you serious?" He turns sharply to look at Cordelia, his jaw dropping open in shock but his eyes are nothing short of dreadfully accusing. The teen whips back to stare at Muirgheal again, "If you think that Cordelia has nothing to do with this, you are completely blind!"
"She's not blind," Cordelia speaks up, finally, though there is no anger or scorn in her voice--she speaks quietly. "She and I have settled our score, and I have the scar to show for it. Muirgheal knows my part in Rhifaroth's kidnapping."
[Muirgheal(#32535)] "We've made our peace. But you and I seem far from done. You have to leave -now-." Muirgheal continues to hold her knives. "Don't you ever come back here again. Now go on. -Go on-!" Muir gestures with the knife. "Rhifaroth is sleeping. Get away before you wake him with your idiocy." The pair of black eyes regarding the teen are hostile.
Keldean clenches his fists at his sides, his scowl growing. "We don't have to make peace! Don't you think it's a little unfair to decide what he might or might not want?! I'm trying to apologize and make ammends and you're acting like I'm going to ... " He growls in an inarticulate fashion and reaches down now to his boot, yanking the dagger out. "Fine! You're just as bad as everyone else around here!" He approaches her now, holding Rhifaroth's dagger at his side. "Just take it! I know you're not going to give it to him but at least -I- tried to do the right thing!"
"Oh *****" Whatever Cordelia says, it is in another language--one she has been known to mutter before. The mare stamps and snorts, tossing its head, some of the girl's tension conveyed to the animal.
[Muirgheal(#32535)] "No, you're right, we don't have to," Muirgheal snaps. "I can decide for him. I'm his wife and he trusts me! He was very, very wrong to trust you, as you proved this summer." Muir tenses when Keldean draws out the dagger, perhaps readying herself for the lad to strike. She tenses even more when Keldean comes closer to give her the knife. She even has to put one of her daggers back in its sheath in order to have a free hand to take it. She reaches a very careful hand out for Rhifaroth's dagger. "Just give it here, then. I'll give it to him. And leaving him alone -is- doing the right thing." Muir growls.
[Keldean(#23332)] Once Keldean's within knifing distance he stops and hesitates again, her manner less than reassuring. The anger that got him this far quickly oozes away and he watches Muirgheal with that wariness again. "I don't understand why you're so mad at me but you're friends with Cordelia." He says quietly, and reaches out to hand her the dagger.
[Muirgheal(#32535)] "You keep trying to upset my husband. You don't seem to understand that he isn't perfectly well yet, still. I don't want to have any argument with you, but I just couldn't make you understand that he cannot see you. It might upset him too much." Muirgheal says, a bit calmer after a few deep breaths. She even yawns when she takes the dagger from Keldean by its hilt- so much excitement for a pregnant woman in one day is beginning to wear on Muir. "I understand Cordelia," Muir says quietly, finally looking over at her friend. She smiles at the dark-haired girl. "I respect her because we're not too much unalike."
Cordelia briefly meets Muirgheal's look, but she drops her eyes quickly, looking to her booted feet.
[Keldean(#23332)] "Perfectly well? Maybe if you let him talk to and see the people around him he might get better!" Keldean shakes his head.. "You're.. this.. is.. this is wrong!" The teen isn't finding any way to express himself with words and gives up, turning to storm back over to the horse.
At Keldean's angry words, Cordelia looks up again, watching the teen approach. "At least you gave her the knife," she says, her voice in the same soothing tone she was using to the horse before.
[Muirgheal(#32535)] Muirgheal frowns, noticing how quickly Cordelia drops her gaze. "You can think whatever you want. Just get away from my house." Muirgheal draws herself up, without another word or look at either of them, and heads back inside, her hood slipping off as she hurries away.
Keldean reaches to pull the reins away from Cordelia and climbs up onto the horse. He's upset, but moreso angry. "I wanted to give it to him myself." He repeats in a quiet mutter, then reaches his hand down to help her up onto the horse. "Coming?" Is this some sort of truce between them?
"Muir..." Cordelia starts, as if she wants to explain something, but the woman has already hurried off. Cordelia sighs and looks back to Keldean, staring for a moment at his offered hand before she reaches for it and lets him help her onto the horse. "I'm sorry that didn't go well," she tells the teen. "Maybe...once Rhifaroth is better he'll want to talk to you. But I've seen him, and Muirgheal is right. He's still...well, he isn't the same as he was before. Maybe with time, but right now, you would probably do more harm than good, talking about what happened. Even if it was just to apologize. I wanted to do that, too."
[Muirgheal(#32535)] Muirgheal's dark eyes watch the pair in the road for a moment as she lingers in the doorway, and then the door clicks quietly shut.
Keldean doesn't answer her and keeps his gaze ahead as he has the mare turn about and begin walking south again, towards Bree. His posture is rigid, his knuckles white where they grip the reins. He urges the animal into a trot as soon as they're clear of the village. His skill at riding has improved tremendously.
Cordelia sighs and then doesn't say anything, riding in silence, though she frowns at the back of Keldean's head.
Players: Keldean,Muirgheal,Cordelia,Rhifaroth
