A lock of Velameestra's white hair fluttered as she exhaled deeply, leaning her head back against the arm of the couch that commandeered the space right before the hearth of her study. The word "sprawled" was not a verb that was frequently associated with the elven mage, but that was the most accurate term for how she had draped her body over the worn cushions, one arm resting on her forehead with one of her bare feet propped in the nook where the back of the couch sharply turned into the beginning of its other arm.
Maybe I should just sleep here.
The thought passed through her mind, but another sigh broke it as she allowed her eyes to close for a moment.
...No. I'm not done for tonight, as it would seem.
At least among the cohabitants of her her home, Velameestra's study had become an acknowledged sanctuary. People (mostly) didn't disturb her when she was secluded within it, not without reason, and if they did it was always precluded with a knock that she had the opportunity to acknowledge. It was an... effective escape.
From most things.
But not everything.
Her eyes opened partially, and she raised a hand to the sapphire stone that dangled from her ear, rubbing her thumb against the back of it with a quick swipe. Triggered by the motion, a small rune illuminated.
"Gil," she said, her words projected by the sending stone to her desired recipient. "If you're around, come to my study. I need to speak with you."
After a moment, the rune faded, it's magic spent for day, and Vel leaned back again, her white hair falling off the edge of the arm in a mess of disheveled waves.
No sense hiding it anymore.
Gil grinned to himself as he watched Ara’Shel and Arkha’din finally at peace by him. It only took the better part of an hour, a small portion of his own mana, and liberal uses of his newfound ability to speak with animals.
He sighed to himself as he sat down, Ara’Shel climbed onto his lap curling up there with a yawn. Arkha’din curled around Gil’s right arm obviously begging to be fed more. He reached up to rub the mana wyrm and chuckled to himself. “Now I just have to help Captain Kernel get used to you Ara and we can have a bit more peace around here.” He scratched the draconic creature on top of his head. “Vel will kill us all if you three are out of control around each other.”
“Gil, If you’re around, come to my study. I need to speak with you.”
“I will be right there Vel.”
The elf turned to look at the mana wrym still wrapped around his arm giving a surprisingly impressive rendition of puppy dog eyes. “Well Arkha seems your mistress wants to speak with me. You’ll either have to come with me or beg from Arator or Elissa.” A smirk appeared on his face. “They are much more likely to give in then I am.”
He stood up scooping his own sleepy familiar into his arms carrying him along to the study where his sister was waiting. Arkha’din unwrapped his body from Gill and floated along behind him clearly interested in either food or Vel’s mood perhaps both.
In short order he stood outside the door to her study. He knocked lightly on the door. “Vel, you wanted to speak to me?”
"I did."
The response came unceremoniously from beyond the door, and a few moments later, the same door seemingly opened by itself--likely the doing of an active unseen servant--before shutting once more behind the other elf as he entered.
Arkha'din darted ahead of Gil as soon as the way was presented, his sinuous body snaking through the air and quickly finding purchase draped around his Mistress's shoulders as she pulled herself up into an upright position so she could see her brother over the back of the couch.
"...I did," she gave a small nod of her head as she repeated the statement. "Um..."
There was a long bead of silence, and while Arkha'din had started to open his jaws in his normal begging display, the mood he received off his Mistress quickly halted the attempt as he instead nestled himself beneath the wavy locks of hair at her neck.
"You can sit. I'm not going to pretend you haven't noticed the... tension... between Victor and myself. It may be best if I... provide an explanation...at this particular juncture."
Well I guess I won't have to chase her down about this then.
He stepped into the room and settled down in the chair across from letting Ara'Shel settle into his lap. With a small smile he scratched the top of the little dragon's head. "You are a lot of things Vel, but a fool is hardly one of them."
He looked up to this twin he braced himself for some bad news. "I'm not sure what happened between the two of you. I assume you're afraid he's going to tell me first however?"
...that would be simultaneously better and worse for completely different reasons.
Vel sighed heavily, settling back into her spot on the couch.
"...partially. His perception of what happened is the one that ultimately matters, but in heated moments integral information has a tendency to be left out. I am... intending... on speaking to Uther as well, but I suppose this also serves to... organize my thoughts, so-to-speak."
She sucked on her lower lip for a moment, her tongue flicking quietly against the back of her teeth. While her eyes flickered over to her brother once or twice, it was evident that she was not making eye contact, and for the majority of the time she ultimately staring at nothing somewhere down by her foot.
"I made a mistake," she started. "One that... Victor was informed of. By me personally. The reason I... had the information I did on Camrus Bloodstar, is because I was the one that released him and Lee at Durnholde. I didn't know who he was until... after... the damage was done. But, ultimately, it was my... choice that resulted in the prison break. Something I... did not intend on happening, but it doesn't change that it did."
Gil paused for a second then he started to speak calmly. "Tell me what happened. I assume you split off from both Tess and myself after we retrieved Rok?"
He kept his face straight the whole time and gave no indication of what he was thinking.
The mage shifted, burying her hands into the crook of her arms as she gave a brief nod of affirmation.
"I was heading back to regroup with the others. In the process I... realized a glaring hole in what we were doing. Everything was too convenient. You and Tess were gone. The troll that we had literally just made an agreement about freeing was rampaging. The worgen were gone. Even if it hadn't been us, Blackmoore was a petty enough man that I was confident he would have immediately jumped to a conclusion, and in that instance, it would have been correct. Even if he couldn't prove it, we would have been held up, and every minute we were, Arator was still with Zalazane. Uther, as the prince of Lordaeron, would have been accused of... something. I didn't think... fully.
But I remembered Lee. And I remembered that elf. Lee didn't deserve to be there if her story was true. We all agreed on that. And... Camrus... I approached because I thought as one of the quel'dorei he had tricks to ensure that both he and Lee could get out. He assured me he did. I was convinced it was a perfect cover. Blackmoore would have likely jumped to the more logical conclusion that the two escaped criminals were the ones that let the troll out. Especially if he disliked Lee as much as it seemed he did. They were given a chance to escape. Blackmoore would have pursued them. We would have left."
The mage took another breath, one of her hands lifting to start toying with the crystalline focus around her neck.
"I realized my mistake when Camrus told me I should leave and opened every cell in that prison. I fled. There wasn't anything I could do at that point. So I returned to the arena just in time to stop Blackmoore from shooting Aiden. And then in the chaos... Lee shot him in the throat, Aiden told us to leave, and we escaped down the sewers."
Her eyes had not flickered back to her brother once while she spoke, fixated instead on the arm of the chair.
"...That's the summary, at least."
"You released him.. because he was an elf?" Equal parts frown and confusion showed on his face. "I don't think there's anything I can say to you that you haven't already beaten yourself up about however. You telling Victor at least was the right thing though, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't proud you owned up to your mistake Vel."
He sighed softly. "This is a mess and a political incident though. Something you're going to have to try to mend with time."
His tone softened a little. "But you're already doing that aren't you? Anyroad. I'll also assume you aren't asking for my forgiveness it's not mine to give in any case. I still trust you though, but I won't lie and say that trust is the same."
"...a mess and a political incident..." there was a trace of what might have been a humorless laugh in the back of Vel's voice as she repeated the phrase, and she shook her head slightly before she truly looked back to her brother for the first time.
"...Gil, why do you think I simultaneously don't and do want to tell Uther? I'm not looking for your forgiveness, no. I'm not looking for Uther's. I'm not even looking for Victor's. As far as I'm concerned, he would have been entirely justified if he took my head when I thought he was. In hindsight I'm glad he didn't. That would have created it's... own... problems, and I would have just gotten the easy way out, wouldn't I? Delightfully oblivious to everything going on right now."
She allowed the silence to hang for a moment before a heavy sigh caused her fair to flutter again.
"Sorry. Truthfully, I don't know if I should tell Uther or not. If I do, and he just... does the thing he does and forgives me for it because I had good intentions that completely fell apart and resources now that can help us, even I have enough tact to realize what that would say to his cousin. But if I don't. Well. Who knows what Victor really thinks of Uther having me as a friend currently."
Gilveradin nodded. "I completely understand your stress about this. Uther will of course do exactly that. It's just in his nature, like a mana wyrm seeks out magic."
"You still may have to tell him exactly what happened. Like it or not he's an accomplice to Durnholde all of us there were to some degree or another. Victor is likely already angry and hurt. Rightfully so at that, but because of that he's going to lash out. He's going to discredit you and he certainly doesn't trust you."
He took a breath and paused for a few seconds. "I wouldn't be surprised if Victor was trying to assess Uther's feelings about you and how loyal he was. I'm sure he will confront Uther sooner or later.." he almost groaned. "And I have no doubt that anything Uther says will not make anything better."
He leaned forward to grip his sister's hand. "I'm still with you, despite mistakes you make. I know you never would've intended that mess to happen. The fact remains it happened and all we can do is try to rebuild trust, and try to make amends. Even if it can never truly be fixed."