In the misty light of dawn.
Ella walked through the woods, smiling softly to herself. The morning was crisp and new, her body was sweetly worn and her mind still fuzzy with sleep. Since arriving at Winter's Heart, this had become her practice, to awaken early, and enter the woods, breathing in the scent of the trees.
Wrapped in a warm brown cloak, rich red curls spilling down her back and cheeks pinked with cold, she paints a lovely, fairy tale picture. Like a nymph, or sprite, she flits from tree to tree, touching the cold, rough trunks and humming some forgotten tune.
And deep within, she rages.
The beast, shackled and beaten, growls and lunges against its restraints.
He had, as she knew he would, toyed with her, drawn her out, waited until she was extended in attack and turned her energy back on herself with the ease of a master swordsman. She knew, on some level, that it had been careful, difficult work, but it had been performed with the ease of a virtuoso. She was defeated, fairly, evenly and without pretense, or at least what would pass for fairly and evenly between two such as them.
"I am my master's student."
Leaning back against the solid trunk of an oak, Ella closes her eyes, breathing in the dawn air and searching her mind for a way out of this labyrinth into which he has led her. She finds none, she wants none, she is his creature and content to be so. It is gratifying, at least, to be treated as something worthy of conquering, as an ally worthy of gaining. She misses her pirate, deeply, desperately, and her heart sinks with the knowledge that she cannot return to Denver, not to live, not to stay. This is her home, her university, her house of worship wrapped in one, and to leave this place is as unthinkable as to stop loving Robyn. The two needs will be at war within her, always, and she sees the bitter fights, the tears, the pain spread before her like the inevitable tide.
After a few quiet moments, leaning into the tree, she takes a breath and begins her walk again. It's a testament to the change in her, that the tears do not come, there is a weariness in her eyes that Drew would recognize if he saw it, but they remain dry, greyish-green like a tossed sea.
Walking back to the house, a smile appears again, the pain, after all, will keep her sharp, will make her ready, will teach her discipline and control. In as much as she understood Drew's plans, she knew he would need her, for comfort, for counsel, for simple trust. She would give it, and he would give her as much in return, and next time, next time, perhaps he would judge her ready for a real role. The fine, golden web of the politics of the Kithain stretch out before her, etched in the morning dew, slowly becoming less obfuscated with each meeting, with each conversation. She would learn it, and she would know it well, and she would make Winter's Heart proud.
"There's my girl."
I've got the brains, you've got the looks
Let's make lots of money
You've got the brawn, I've got the brains
Let's make lots of -
I've had enough of scheming and messing around with jerks
My car is parked outside, I'm afraid it doesn't work
I'm looking for a partner, someone who gets things fixed
Ask yourself this question: Do you want to be rich?
I've got the brains, you've got the looks
Let's make lots of money
You've got the brawn, I've got the brains
Let's make lots of money
You can tell I'm educated, I studied at the Sorbonne
Doctored in mathematics, I could have been a don
I can program a computer, choose the perfect time
If you've got the inclination, I have got the crime
Oh, there's a lot of opportunities
If you know when to take them, you know?
There's a lot of opportunities
If there aren't, you can make them
Make or break them
I've got the brains, you've got the looks
Let's make lots of money
Let's make lots of -
(Aahhhhh) Money
(Aahhhhh)
(Aahhhhh - Di du da di da bu di ba)
You can see I'm single-minded, I know what I could be
How'd you feel about it, come and take a walk with me?
I'm looking for a partner, regardless of expense
Think about it seriously, you know, it makes sense
Let's (Got the brains)
Make (Got the looks)
Let's make lots of money (Oohh money)
(Let's) You've got the brawn
(Make) I've got the brains
Let's make lots of money (Oohh money)
I've got the brains (Got the brains)
You've got the looks (Got the looks)
Let's make lots of money (Oohh money)
Money
--Pet Shop Boys
Wrapped in a warm brown cloak, rich red curls spilling down her back and cheeks pinked with cold, she paints a lovely, fairy tale picture. Like a nymph, or sprite, she flits from tree to tree, touching the cold, rough trunks and humming some forgotten tune.
And deep within, she rages.
The beast, shackled and beaten, growls and lunges against its restraints.
He had, as she knew he would, toyed with her, drawn her out, waited until she was extended in attack and turned her energy back on herself with the ease of a master swordsman. She knew, on some level, that it had been careful, difficult work, but it had been performed with the ease of a virtuoso. She was defeated, fairly, evenly and without pretense, or at least what would pass for fairly and evenly between two such as them.
"I am my master's student."
Leaning back against the solid trunk of an oak, Ella closes her eyes, breathing in the dawn air and searching her mind for a way out of this labyrinth into which he has led her. She finds none, she wants none, she is his creature and content to be so. It is gratifying, at least, to be treated as something worthy of conquering, as an ally worthy of gaining. She misses her pirate, deeply, desperately, and her heart sinks with the knowledge that she cannot return to Denver, not to live, not to stay. This is her home, her university, her house of worship wrapped in one, and to leave this place is as unthinkable as to stop loving Robyn. The two needs will be at war within her, always, and she sees the bitter fights, the tears, the pain spread before her like the inevitable tide.
After a few quiet moments, leaning into the tree, she takes a breath and begins her walk again. It's a testament to the change in her, that the tears do not come, there is a weariness in her eyes that Drew would recognize if he saw it, but they remain dry, greyish-green like a tossed sea.
Walking back to the house, a smile appears again, the pain, after all, will keep her sharp, will make her ready, will teach her discipline and control. In as much as she understood Drew's plans, she knew he would need her, for comfort, for counsel, for simple trust. She would give it, and he would give her as much in return, and next time, next time, perhaps he would judge her ready for a real role. The fine, golden web of the politics of the Kithain stretch out before her, etched in the morning dew, slowly becoming less obfuscated with each meeting, with each conversation. She would learn it, and she would know it well, and she would make Winter's Heart proud.
"There's my girl."
I've got the brains, you've got the looks
Let's make lots of money
You've got the brawn, I've got the brains
Let's make lots of -
I've had enough of scheming and messing around with jerks
My car is parked outside, I'm afraid it doesn't work
I'm looking for a partner, someone who gets things fixed
Ask yourself this question: Do you want to be rich?
I've got the brains, you've got the looks
Let's make lots of money
You've got the brawn, I've got the brains
Let's make lots of money
You can tell I'm educated, I studied at the Sorbonne
Doctored in mathematics, I could have been a don
I can program a computer, choose the perfect time
If you've got the inclination, I have got the crime
Oh, there's a lot of opportunities
If you know when to take them, you know?
There's a lot of opportunities
If there aren't, you can make them
Make or break them
I've got the brains, you've got the looks
Let's make lots of money
Let's make lots of -
(Aahhhhh) Money
(Aahhhhh)
(Aahhhhh - Di du da di da bu di ba)
You can see I'm single-minded, I know what I could be
How'd you feel about it, come and take a walk with me?
I'm looking for a partner, regardless of expense
Think about it seriously, you know, it makes sense
Let's (Got the brains)
Make (Got the looks)
Let's make lots of money (Oohh money)
(Let's) You've got the brawn
(Make) I've got the brains
Let's make lots of money (Oohh money)
I've got the brains (Got the brains)
You've got the looks (Got the looks)
Let's make lots of money (Oohh money)
Money
--Pet Shop Boys