Suspicions (Camarat/Elske)

[Aelodil]

During the time it took Elske to reach the many different conclusions and as the gears turned in her head, Ragdar spent removing his chain mail to reveal a black tunic made of rich material that few people could afford. Tossing aside his suit of chain mail with little care, Ragdar turned his attention back to Elske. As he watched the gears turn in her mind and noted most of what she was thinking, he savored it. He savored it every bit of ruthlessness and grimness in her realization. It was this pure satisfaction that awakened Lenora again.

The seeming hill of glittering rubies expanded outwards as Lenora huffed. Opening her eyes slowly, she looked around from where she was wrapped around Ragdar's manor. She was not nearly as enormous in size as some other dragons, but then she was still large enough to be mistaken for a dragon who was at the very least a century old. In reality, however, she was still quite very young. Sensing the distress of Ragdar's guest, she was alarmed. Though Ragdar reveled in misery and such, she had never known him to harm a guest after saying that he would not. Never had he gone back on his word. It was this that she feared. So rather than simply watch, she stretched her consciousness outwards, beyond what most Riders could manage, and then some as she searched for Camarat.

Ragdar, busy enjoying tormenting Elske, did not notice Lenora waking nor her distress. He rolled up the sleeves up his arms in preparation. If she wished to fight him like a common thug, he would not shy away from it. Though he had spent much of his fighting with a sword and, or magic, those did not come without his learning how to fight with nothing but his fists as a weapon. The ring, among many other things, had made sure he would be able to fight with his fists and wits. He raised an eyebrow at her comment about theft, but did not pursue the subject. He could not be bothered, nor did he see it as an important subject. The things he had which he valued were few and all were more than well protected.

Again at her next comment about her not ever getting along with Camarat, Ragdar bit back his retort. It was quite clear the opposite was true. Though Elske herself might not see it. Following her train of thought, Ragdar sucked a sharp breath. Clearly she, and the rest of the world, still did not know half the crimes committed by both Galbatorix and his followers. That, quite unfortunately, included Ragdar. However, fortune was smiling upon him as the particular records Camarat had asked for contained nothing about him besides the details of the brief visit he had to the rings.

Unable to hold himself, Ragdar chuckled at heir naivete. She truly believed she could best him in hand to hand combat. "I hate to burst your bubble, Elske, but it would take someone with the strength of multiple Kulls and the speed of an Elf to take me down in hand to hand combat." He let the satisfaction drip thick in his voice as he spoke. He could not help but enjoy gloating at times, especially with regards to his physical prowess. It was one of the few things he truly would and or could gloat about.

At her comment on what she saw was a good reason, Ragdar had to bite back a retort. That was hardly a good reason for anything more than a snarky comment. Though he knew she well knew that. Anyone with half a brain would know that, after all.

At the tone in her face as she spoke about his time in the rings, he dropped all pretenses of being pleasant and snarled, a ruthless expression. "You know as well as I the horrors down there. And perhaps I know even worse than you do. Do not mock those who died in the rings, as most who died down there were innocent men and women." For once, he had a small sense of justice in him. Not something he really expected, but then there was a first time for everything.

He knew exactly what she was thinking, and it was this perverse train of thought of hers that caused him to snap. He couldn't exactly say why. His thoughts were as wicked, if not much more, than hers. Before he had an opportunity to do much, however, he was interrupted by Lenora who shocked him with a mental wave of force.

"Calm yourself Ragdar. You have your word to go on, to not hurt her. Do not go back on it." She said to him before notifying Elske to grab her satchel as Camarat worked his magic from the many leagues he was away.

After weaving through the dimensions, Camarat finally got Elske back to the castle in Uru'baen. Before she could bombard him, he gave her a warm smile and said, "I'm really happy to see you again, Elske. You seem to have gotten what you wanted. Sorry for the method of transportation." His voice gentle and sing song.

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem

[Harbor]

In response to Ragdar’s rolling up of his sleeves—preparing for what strenuous work?—Elske blandly slid her hands into her pockets, blinking as slowly as a winter turtle, letting him take the lead in their shows of bravery and bravado. Elske’s pride was as threadbare as rotting cheese, and rarely gave her the trouble it caused most men; typically that worked to her advantage.

His laughter scraped out of him like the last fish curd out of an earthenware jar. To his words she only blinked again. ”Like I said,” she replied, or rather like she’d thought. ”Without magic.” She flicked a disdainful eye over the muscles he so proudly revealed, though allowing him to know the lack of regard she gave individuals who took credit for supplementing their abilities with magic likely did not assist in her desire to survive the next hour. Perhaps she had a little more pride than she thought. Or a strict arrangement of rules for those who reveled in their own.

Yes, given what she knew about Ragdar, Lord and Elder, perhaps it had not been wise to tug his beard as she had.

But his reaction to her next statements made it worth it. Elske hadn’t been granted the joy, the relief, of interacting with someone she genuinely disliked in far too long, and had her own burst of internal revelry, a grin stretching across her face, startling her, at his sudden rage. ”I know. I killed a number of them.” She’d had to. She hadn’t wished to die yet herself. ”And here I thought you wished to insult me by suggesting all of us down there were imprisoned for a reason. Of course we were: your father, and his weaknesses, fears, grudges and wiles." 

It took her aback, the sudden gray curl of her fury. Here was a son of Galbatorix—the fact of his adoption didn’t matter—striding free and basking in his freedom, while good people still suffered as Queen Nasuada struggled to repair the kingdom his father had shattered. And if he still took his pleasures on eavesdropping on her mind, why not give him the full benefit of it?

Elske fixed him with a solid gaze. Whose side are you on, Ragdar? she wanted to know. You attempt to insult me for an imprisonment you too received, and minutes later bellow about the sanctity of the souls of those we killed while down there. Trying to walk your father’s path while screaming about what the road is made of? Make up your mind. Are you a man of your own or just the man a despot wanted you to be? Still trying to live up to his name instead of earning respect in your own right?

A voice squirmed its way through Elske’s mind while bypassing her ear entirely. Despite not trusting anything she experienced here, anything magically related, and despite hating yet another intrusion, Elske saw no harm in taking its advice. As though casually deciding she had had enough from her visit, Elske looped her arm through one strap of the satchel and slung it over her back.

Magic yanked her back, and Elske stumbled to the floor of Camarat’s office, trying harder this time not to retch—his floor, after all—and heaved to regain the air she’d left behind. As much as the light tone of his voice rankled her in its—to her—inappropriateness to the situation, she forced herself to recognize that her situation had changed. Ragdar was not here, she was not there. The filth of his mind had likely left her, with this distance.

Elske dropped the heavy satchel to the floor while Fenir nosed across the side of Elske’s neck as she worked her way onto her feet, hands on her knees. ”Ragdar could read my mind,” she gasped, and finally looked at him. ”Why could he do that? Can everyone with magic do it?” Most importantly, how did she prevent it from ever happening again. But she gave him the opportunity to respond, looked behind her, and sank heavily into an armchair.

Elske’s head throbbed, and she used both hands to rub her entire face before dropping them to paw through her satchel for the folder, opening it to the first available page. It would take her weeks to read through all of this, if not longer. She hadn’t read more than a few words or sentences in at least fifty years. The meanings of the lines and angles slid through her mind like jam through a fork.
[/b]

[Aelodil]

Ragdar stood there, almost appalled. People called him a lunatic. People called him a murderer. People called him a monster. Yet none of them were even close to the truth. In truth, he had a conscience. He was simply picky about when to listen to it. So after Elske's jabbing comments, Ragdar couldn't help but find himself practically stunned as though she had physically punched the wind out of him. Thoughts raced through his mind. Here was a woman who had done more than her fair share of evil deeds. Granted, unlike him she had to do it out of necessity. However the fact that she did it remained. So perhaps he wasn't so bad after all, if someone like Elske could do such things but still be a good person deep down. After all, Camarat trusted her. The old man must have seen something good in her.

As he contemplated how to respond, he felt her thoughts. So she considered him a son of Galbatorix - just like the rest. None of them knew anything yet they were so quick to assumption. It probably did not help that Ragdar's actions more often than not encouraged such thoughts but still..

It was about this time as he contemplated his thoughts that he heard her thoughts. Whose side was he on? Well that was quite simple. He was on his own side. He had no ties to this world beyond himself, his word, and Lenora. Perhaps he was a hypocrite, yes, but usually his heart was in the right place. However, after a moment she compared him to Galbatorix and that was the point he snapped. Luckily enough, both for him and Elske, he did not act immediately on his anger. Instead, he remained rooted. Both physically and mentally, as it were. He? Live like his late father? Had she insulted his origins it would have been more merciful for him.

As it were, he had finally reached an appropriate response when there was a small blue flash where Elske had just been standing after she reached for her satchel and disappeared. Camarat, no doubt. Of course he knew how Camarat had been alerted. Lenora had obviously told him. She did not trust him to hold his temper after all the jabs. Boy, how right she was.

A scream was sounded somewhere in Dras-Leona as Ragdar's manor burst into flames, not only the wooden supports but even the bricks. The fire had a heat like no other and in the center of all this was Ragdar, wrapped in said flames. After a few seconds, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After a few minutes, he managed to calm himself down enough to quell the fires and repair the damage he had done.

Grabbing Arucane, he walked out of his bedroom and headed towards the training grounds. He would smarten up some of the soldiers, both new and veterans. Hopefully that would be enough to calm him down. Lenora, wisely, did not comment on any of this.


Leagues away, Camarat had no idea of what had just happened though he had a certain suspicion. For now, his only concern was to make sure Elske was fine, as well she seemed, and to help her figure out what she needed from the records. Assuming, of course, that she would allow him.

At her comment, Camarat's expression darkened and his bushy eyebrows came down, forming a sharp white V. Ragdar had read her thoughts? Though if something the thousand and so years Camarat had lived taught him, it was to not judge too harshly nor too swiftly. Instead, he reached out with his mind and was surprised to find Elske's unguarded. Though Camarat did not hold much respect for Ragdar, and he did not appreciate the man as a human, he did not think Ragdar would go so far as that. Though, perhaps because Elske's mind was unguarded he did not see it as anything wrong.

Finally, Camarat remembered that Elske was waiting for him to respond. Rather than have her wait any longer - as he knew just how impatient she could get, and how terrible that would be - he put back on one of his serene smiles and replied, "It is a certain degree of magic, and yes anyone who knows even the most simple amount of magic can do it, though it is not necessary to know how to use magic to do so. As your mind was unguarded, I believe he saw no qualms with him doing that. I beg to differ.." he took a moment to take a breath, then continued though knowing he may later regret it deeply, "From now on, you will be taking lessons with me on how to keep your mind locked from the prying eyes of others."

Rather than let her barrage him on that subject, he steamed on. "I take it you need some help with reading that?" Then to make sure he was not being insensible he added, in a softer voice, "Granted I will understand if you rather I didn't."

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem

[Harbor]

Elske pressed the heels of her hands into her forehead as though she wished to scrape the skin back, remove her mind, and lock it somewhere safer than her skull. Camarat’s light voice—while irritating before—gave her something to focus on besides her own tumultuous hash of fury, fear, and various other irritations and concern. She dropped her hands, left her eyes closed a moment longer, and reminded herself not to glower at him as she finally raised her head.

He didn’t look as tired as she thought he should be. He’d just moved an entire person across the map—twice. And once with little warning, she imagined, judging from the voice she’d heard in her head. Though she knew little enough about that. While it was frustrating that the person she spent the most time around could toss a body half across the world and back without losing a single stitch in his smile, being irritated with him for helping her was not why she had agreed to work with him in the first place. Being angry with people who helped you was not being human, it was being ungrateful. Never mind that his assistance had come wrapped and tied in something that terrified her—he’d used his most powerful resource for her sake. That was something to be grateful for.

In the momentary silence he gave after her grumble, Elske shook her head at him. ”You lunatic. You can throw a body how far and not lose a drop of sweat?” She hoped her attempt at humor didn’t come off as vitriol. That wasn’t how it was meant.

Anyone with a shake of magic could read someone’s mind? That was equally as horrifying as magic itself, if not more so. Magic was something someone without it couldn’t fight. But mind-reading made you not want to fight at all. It gave you nothing to even try to fight with. Elske’s fingers curled over the edges of the heavy folder before her, as though it would slide off her lap and dissolve on the floor if she didn’t.

Elske’s throat hardened around Camarat’s last statement. ”I don’t have magic,” she immediately responded, not believing she’d strictly mentioned it before. Likely her reaction to his magic had been clue enough. But she couldn’t fight off someone else’s minds with her fists and hatchets. Her shoulders tightened at the firmness of his command, being unaccustomed to doing what people told her to do on stubborn principle. Be kind, be kind. But she reminded herself—forcefully—that if it was possible, she wanted to be able to defend every part of herself. The means didn’t matter. Besides, she couldn’t think of another time when he’d commanded her before. Asked her not to kill or maim anyone in the palace, perhaps. Or that may have been someone else. But he had done her that respect, and objectively, would be doing her a favor in this.

By the time she’d come to that reluctant conclusion, he’d carried on. ”What? Hm.” Elske grimaced down at the first page, to which the folder was still open. She recognized the date in the corner, the markings of a name, and could begin to make out a few of the smaller words within. But fifty years was a long time to lose a skill one had never fully honed to begin with. Elske rubbed a hand down her leg with a frustrated sigh. What she was truly after she felt no specific need to hide—it was the ramifications she would wish to hide from others, her reactions to them. But if these were all of the healers’ documents from the lower dungeons, she didn’t want Misha to have to read them. He was too lighthearted for that kind of story, and because he worked with her, she didn’t want him to have to read hers. If nothing else, then because the healers also kept note of who inflicted each injury, and she didn’t want him knowing how good she’d gotten at it before she’d escaped.

Elske hastily caught Fenir’s head before he plopped his wet jowls down onto the paper, and moved the papers aside to make room. ”I don’t care about you seeing what I’m looking for specifically….as much. But you don’t want to read the rest of it.” She held the folder tucked awkwardly into the side of the armchair, out of Fenir’s way, rubbing his ears as she thought. Scanning the documents for her own name would help narrow the pages down, but she had no idea how many of them there had actually been down there, or how these records were organized. It could still take her weeks, and that was just to search out a name she would only recognize because she’d seen it so consistently on Wanted posters.