(Archive) The Knights\' Tower

Elendor - Monday, August 07, 2000, 11:23 PM

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Moor aka Arali

[Moor(#20995)] The room is dark and cold as the chill night air has seeped into the stone cell that is Moor\'s prison. If one were to have a light with them, they would find the young man gagged with a fine silken scarf and especially pale and drawn. His face is turned away from door, his silvery grey eyes fixed upon the wall, staring into nothingness.

The sound of a turning key sounds and slowly the creaking iron door is opened to admit Lady Ivriniel and her assistants. The hands of the healers are full as they carry the necessary supplies to this cold dark cell to see to the burned condition of the man. Holding aloft a tall candle, Ivriniel steps closer to the man and sighs softly as she notes the silken scarf binding his mouth. Irritation sounds as she questions, \"Who gagged this man?\" Turning to the guard she barks out, \"Bring a chair in here, now!\" Muttering under her breath she says to herself, \"How do they expect cooperation when he is in this condition.\" Softly shaking her head as she moves closer to the man and says, \"Can you understand what I say? If so, please nod your head.\"

[Moor(#20995)] Unlike before, Moor is conscious and very much aware of his surroundings, though he would rather not be. Turning his head a mere fraction, he nods to the Lady. Then he closes his eyes, conserving what strength he has.

[Dania(#24237)] Standing close to the princess, Dania is holding another candle. She indicates the guard to places the chair near Ivriniel and nods at him as he looks hesitantly at her. \"Just leave,\" she says softly with a slight wave of hand. She stands back from the chair and watches in silence.

Frowning as her fingers struggle with the silken scarf binding the man\'s mouth Ivriniel finally undoes the tight knot and slides the scarf away. Quietly, she stands for a moment, examining the prisoner and then says, \'Make no mistake of this. I treat you only because you spoke the name Arali in your delirium and I wish to know more of this woman....this Tower Lord of Umbar. \" As she talks Ivriniel sets up the supplies brought with her, smiling to her Lady in Waiting as they work. A word of explanation is given to Dania as she says, \"This man was aboard a Corsair ship that overtook a Gondorian ship and slaughtered all on board, save myself. He deserves not to live, other than to tell us -why- he is here in Gondor.\"

[Dania(#24237)] The young woman listens with silent resolution, eyeing the man not with distaste as yet, but not at all with great love either. She frowns as the princess speaks, her eyes widen as the word slaughter was mentioned. She nods but says nothing. She glances for a while at the other servants who seems to start getting fidgety and shot them a look to keep still. She takes a step forward offering to carry the candle for Ivriniel.

Moor inhales carefully, having no desire to aggravate his wounds. Licking his parched lips, Moor studies Ivriniel and Dania with a cold, calculating gaze as his head rests on the pillow, not having the strength to do much else. Then he speaks in a raspy whisper tained by a Southron accent, \"Nonetheless my thanks, noble Lady. The suffering has been great, and you have eased it. My thanks.\" As Ivriniel speaks of what Moor had muttered in his fevered dreams, the young man grimaces noticeably but adds no comment.

A hint of amusement curls the lips of Ivriniel as she turns in time to see her Lady in Waiting shoot a look to the other servants. Twinkling eyes glance up to Dania\'s face and the Master healer gives her a nod of approval. Deftly she pulls a mug from one of the baskets of supplies she brought and pours some water from a skin into the mug. Leaning over the prisoner she says, \"I am pleased that you are learned in our tongue, that will make this much easier for us both.\" Holding up the mug she inquires, \"Are you able to partake of fluids?\"

Moor can indeed and drinks greedily from the mug, so greedily in fact that he bursts into a fit of coughing. The coughing in turn leads to a howl of pain. His back arching, the young man stares up at the ceiling gasping for breath as agony arcs through his body. When the wave passes, his whole body slumps back to the bed.

[Dania(#24237)] With this, the lady in waiting promptly moves near the basket of provision, taking out a small towel, meant to wipe away any drool or water spilled so as not to dirty the princess\'s hands. \"Be still and breathe,\" she says to the man. She quickly holds him down as he falls back to the bed. She turns to look at Ivriniel as if asking her of what she meant to do next.

The concerned grey eyes of the Princess rest on the patient as he bursts into a fit of coughing. Satisfied that Dania is seeing to his immediate needs Ivriniel turns again to the supplies in the baskets and her soft voice sounds softly, \"There it is\", with that she pulls an amber bottle with a cork stopper in it and pours some of the fluid into another mug. Gently she bends over the prisoner again and says, \"Drink of this, tis nothing more than the bark of the willow and honey to ease the taste, but it will ease the pain of your suffering.\" Holding the mug to the lips of the man she tilts up the mug allowing easy access to the herbal balm.

[Moor(#20995)] When he has caught his breath, Moor\'s suffering gaze drifts over to Dania. For a moment there is a flash of sincere gratitude in his cold eyes and he does as he is told, slowly calming down. Barely a passing sigh, he whispers, \"I wish you really were Arali...\" Turning his gaze to Ivriniel, the statement seems to have been meant for her as well and doing as he is told, he takes small sips of the liquid, eager to do anything that will ease his pain.

[Dania(#24237)] Dania looks at him and stares back at the princess imploringly. But still she does not want to interrupt anything. She straightens herself and continues watching in silence, her eyes roam to the servants for a while to ensure that they are still behaving satisfactorily, and then back to look at the graceful figure of Ivreniel. A slight frown is the only sign that she does not understand what and who the man is referring to.

Pleased that the man is able to swallow the infusion of willow bark, Ivriniel sets the mug upon the cold stone floor and gracefully seats herself in the chair provided by the guard. Quietly observing the Southron for a few minutes she finally asks, \"Why would you wish that I were Arali?\" Motioning to her assistant healer she commands, \"See to the dressing of his burns while we talk. The willow bark infusion will ease the pain and allow the cool compresses to help heal the scorched flesh.\"

The healer steps up with a bowl of lukewarm water in one hand and a white linen cloth in the other, trembling as she steps closer to the hated enemy of Gondor and begins to treat the man. The melodic voice of Ivriniel reassures the woman, \"Treat him as you would anyone else. He shall have the care that we would give our own. There are -reasons- to keep him alive.\" With that she turns silvery grey eyes back to the man and asks, \"And you. You remember me well. Dont you? As I remember you......\", her voice grows steely hard as she says, \"The slaughter of my men as they tried to protect me...the looting of the ship\" closing her eyes as if to block the horrid memory she says, \'And Khazamr\"

Moor winces continually as his bandages are removed, revealing burned flesh that has just barely begun to heal. Averting his gaze at the sight of his own wounds, Moor says softly, in a neutral voice intended not to insult nor to do anything but state a simple fact, \"You had pretty combs, my lady. I am glad you were not killed though. It is distasteful to kill a non-combatant.\" Pursing his lips for a moment, he adds, \"I will answer your question. Only this once. The Lady Arali is as good a healer as you, and she will not kill me when I have recovered.\"

A bitter laugh sounds from the Princess as she inquires, \"Did those jewelled combs get sold at market or passed to another as a trophy....here are the combs of the Sister of Imrahil...pulled from her raven hair as she lay unconscious while all of her countrymen were dying around her.\" Snorting in derision the sister of Imrahil draws in a long, deep cleansing breath and slowly...ever so slowly releases it, obviously trying to regain control of her raging emotions. \"What is your name?\", she barks out suddenly without warning.

[Moor(#20995)] Perhaps the willow bark infusion begins to have its effect, for Moor\'s muscles begin to relax ever so slightly, \"Moor,\" he says softly, answering yet another question when he had promised not to. There is a hint of sympathy in those cold grey eyes, but he speaks not of it, holding his tongue and saving his strength for only himself.

The eyes of the -healer- and not the eyes of a woman tormented by the atrocities seen upon that ship in the Bay of Belfalas look upon the flaming scarlet skin as her assistant finishes bathing it with an infusion of yarrow and a look of sympathy fills her grey eyes. Speaking softly to the woman she says, \'Apply a thin layer of the chamomile balm to his skin before you rewrap the area.\" Softly she repeats the name spoken, \"Moor.\" Gently one hand rests upon the forehead of the man as she checks him for fever and she muses aloud again, \'I cannot for the live of me figure out what you were doing in Pelargir, of all places. Knowing well that I would recognize your face if we met.\" Shaking her head as she fails to understand such things, Ivriniel then turns to Dania, \"Would you make certain that this man is given healthy meals each day? I would like for you to see to that task daily. Have a servant carry the meals and I want you to stay to make sure the guards do not eat the food that has been fixed for Moor\"

[Dania(#24237)] Dania steals a glance towards the princess, watching her anxiously. She nods without much words at her bidding, even though she seems to be still confused and not to mentioned awed to an extend at why the princess is still being this gracious to the lad. \"I shall, my grace,\" she replies softly and glances towards the guards who appears to be listening and hastily forces a look of duty to his face when he sees her looking. She reminds herself that indeed she will have to talk to the guards about this. But again, her attention is back to her mistress.

Moor \'s grey eyes travel from one woman to the other, his gaze now veiled and his emotions hidden. \"You know I cannot answer that question, Lady.\" A rare smirk tugging on one corner of his mouth, he notes, \"Fatten me up before the slaughter, eh? Ah well...\" with a sigh, the young man\'s eyes flutter closed and he begins to drift off into a more restful sleep, thanks to the ministrations of the healers.

Shrugging one shoulder as if disinterested the Princess says aloud, \'Twas more a question that was spoken aloud than one put to you Moor. Twould seem like suicide to travel so far from Umbar...alone...in enemy territory.\" Her voice is soft as she says, \"I understand not what drives men to do the things they do, I can only help ease the pain of those under my care and support my kinsmen as they search for answers\" With that the sister of Imrahil rises from the chair, suddenly aware of the cold and says, \'Come Dania, let us leave this cold dank place. Too much time has been spent already.\" with that Ivriniel brushes past the cot of the prisoner and calls to the guard, \"Open up the door, the Sister of Imrahil and party ready to exit.\", slowly the iron door creaks open to allow exit, as a guard stands there armed and ready to kill if necessary.

Moor softly, Moor murmurs to herself, \"And I understand not what drives women to do the things they do...especially my mistress...,\" with that, he falls into a deep sleep.

Speaking to the guard as she exits the room the voice of Ivriniel is firm as she says, \'My Lady in Waiting shall accompany a servant here for the three meals and see that the prisoner eats the food and then report back to me\" Speaking to the guard as she exits the room the voice of Ivriniel is firm as she says, \'My Lady in Waiting shall accompany a servant here for the three meals and see that the prisoner eats the food and then report back to me\"