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[Talia had been a whirl of emotions since she and Kevas had admitted their feelings for one another. She loved him and there was absolutely no denying that fact, but the guilt over falling for anyone so quickly after the loss of her home and hearth; the love of her life and soulbonds. Was this right? Was she supposed to do this
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She had years of Alberich's training behind her, though, so she gives in fully. The blade becomes an extension of her own arm, her fighting technique quite similar to Van's own hit-and-run. She'd never had the body mass of many of the Heralds Alberich trained, but he was no less relentless in her training and what she didn't have in weight and strength, she had in speed and agility.
She parrys, the sound of metal on metal ringing across the field. It was freeing in it's own way, fighting against someone that had been trained in a similar fashion. There is the sound of tearing fabric as his blade connects where her arm was a moment before, the tear in the sleeve earning a brief glance before her lips curl into a smile.] Well met.
[She doesn't stop moving, no matter that her body complains and nearly healed wounds whine about the treatment. As sore as she might be for it later, she was living in the freedom of the moment.]
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It was, despite all pretensions to the contrary, fun. Van scored the first proper touch along her ribs and gave her a look- do you yield?]
You're feeling guilty.
[When Van was a raw sixteen he could pull decades-old memories even their owners had forgotten about, and right through their shields. He isn't doing that now, of course. More hard-won experience provides him the knowledge to guess at Talia's state of mind.]
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The look she gives her own, a smile sliding across her lips - Oh, certainly not. She lunges, twisting her body to come at his side as he speaks. It's only the training that keeps her from losing her position or the motion of the strike. She nods once, nostrils flaring as she allows her body to continue as it has been trained while she responds.]
Aye .. I do ..
[She's not concerned that he's past her shields, knowing full well that she let more than enough of her thoughts out before. Her voice does not waver as she continues.] Kevas makes me happy .. happier than I could have thought possible if asked but a short time ago. [The clang of blade on blade and a grunt as she shoves him back.] But .. Dirk .. [There's that guilt. Hi there.] I'd never intended .. I loved him .. I wouldn't have thought that I'd be happy again .. not like this .. not this quickly ..
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A very good friend once told me, that it would be foolish to deny myself all love, having lost the greater one.
[He lets off, stepping back from the near-intimate embrace.]
Like vowing never to eat again, simply because I'd been denied the King's table.
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As he releases her, she steps to the side, instinctively rubbing the place the cold steel was resting against a moment before. She wasn't afraid she'd find blood, but whether if was a practice session or not, it was always eye opening to suffer a 'death'. Made one that much sharper for the next run-through.
Her sword tip lowered, she considers his words. Was it as simple as that? She couldn't help but think that Dirk would feel that way himself .. she knew well that Skif would throttle her for beating herself up this much. Oh, Haven.. She swallows, fighting stance relaxing as she looks to him.]
I can't say that I won't miss Dirk .. [She swallows around the knot in her throat, stomach tightening.] Or that I'll ever be completely over the loss of him .. [Silence and then a glance, shields tightly in place.] That's not wrong is it? To mourn him while I'm with another ..?
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Stefen is dead.
[It still hurts, to admit it, like a fist in his chest, squeezing]
But I know he'd approve. He would want me to be happy, and not begrudge me whatever love I could bear.
[Knowing Stef, if he were here, he might be just as happy to invite Remy to join the both of them and make a triad of it, the raunchy bardic poppinjay. Vanyel doesn't mention Tylendel. He won't, unless forced to it.]
I wish dearly that I could pretend to you that it would one day stop hurting, Talia.
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She'd not bring up Tylendel. She knew enough of the Vanyel's history, through the aide of ancient tomes and bardic song to have it puzzled together. His grief was real, though, and no story book to fawn over and she would not belittle that pain or press him fr information he was not willing or ready to share.]
I'm sorry, Van ..
[It's an apology that voices so very much: that she's brought up this pain so fresh to him again. Sorry that she can do nothing to undo the wrongs that were done to either of them. Sorry that she came to him for solace. She gestures weakly with her free hand, knowing well the pain that is so similar to a physical impact.
At the last she closes her eyes tightly against the familiar burn that threatens behind her lids. She exhales shakily, nodding once. She knew she could not hope for any sort of instant fix .. and she knew that she could not will away the grief any faster than it would fade on it's own; and when it faded, that there was no promise that it would ever go away.
So, why then had she bothered Van with this? Had she only succeeded in making him desolate?
A thought comes to her as she studies the Herald before her, a timid brush across his mind with her own to gain his attention. She swallows tightly and when she speaks, her voice is soft.] I do not know if you are aware, Van .. He was a Master Bard .. Quite possibly the best that Valdemar had ever seen. Bardic was still singing his songs .. they were still writing songs about him..
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Stefan was celebrated. A hero on his own feet, and one thing Bards that gain that kind of acclaim do not tend to do is die young. It takes time to write master-works, to pen and play them, to spread them across the land. Van smiles, listening to her speak, a smile he's never quite given Talia before, low and soft and wistful, like remembering with loving fondness the last time he'd been happy.
Eventually;]
Thank you, Talia.
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It's that moment where no words are needed to convey the emotional load between them. She understands what it means for him to know, and that it meant that much is more than enough to have given him that bit of relief.]
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[She deserves to be happy, to have what little joy they can have. It's a valid question, given the situation, and her Gift.]
Are you sure of him, and his own feelings towards you?
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I do not doubt his feelings, nor his intentions .. I .. I am sure, yes .. of both of us.
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Oh, hardly, Vanyel! We've both of us come from different times and events. I'd never claim myself stronger than you with even the hint of your own past.
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