Mending Memories

[Mari]

Closed to Jake

2 Weeks earlier

Amari woke to the sun shining on her face, she grimaced and sat up as she rubbed her tired eyes. “Shit…” she mumbled, she felt as though she hadn’t slept. “Jake, are you awake?” She turned to see an empty room. He had left, without a note and without a word.

“Ah.”

Amari wasn’t sure how to describe what she felt at that moment, she was frustrated that he had up and left her, but there was something else… a feeling that itched at the back of her mind, one that tugged at her heart. Jake had been so ecstatic and happy to see her, and she had so quickly snuffed that out. Was she too harsh on him?

Amari pushed herself out of bed and busied herself, preparing to leave. No doubt he had gone on to obtain the Crystal Sword without her, not that it mattered to Amari. Despite her own personal agenda she wasn’t about to go back on her word and take it for herself. “Good for you Jake.” She muttered bitterly as she left the inn.

It was no doubt for the best, Amari was unsure if he could handle the reality of her world. What would realistically happen if she were to bring him to the Crimson Hand? It wasn’t like he’d go without harm, sure, she could place him under her care and he’d be physically safe, but mentally? Amari had her doubts.

Then, there was the matter of how he left. If he really cared, wouldn’t he have at least left her a note? Not even a ‘hey I’m doing this on my own.’ Amari’s face soured as she wandered through the busy streets of Ettimere. It was most definitely for the best, she was foolish to think that such a person as her would bring anyone any form of joy.



Present Time

Two weeks had passed since Amari had left Ettemire, she was nearing the border of the two nations, soon she’d cross over into Salvic territory, and soon after that, she’d be back within the inner sanctum. Back home.

Rather than pay to be escorted by horse drawn carriage Amari took the opportunity to walk it, she needed the exercise and the time alone to think. Lately things had been getting to her, things that she would normally just brush off. She was getting overly emotional and attached to people, but was that such a bad thing? That’s what had her so torn, a part of her felt she shouldn’t be growing attached or letting her emotions get in the way, the other yearned for that contact, those relationships.

Amari sat in a small cafe in a small town she didn’t care to recall the name of. The afternoon sun shone through the large, open windows and the faint smell of freshly baked bread wafted through the quaint establishment. Amari was the only customer sitting at a small table of many, a steaming cup of milky tea resting in front of her. Her hands gripped the sides tightly, soaking up the warmth as though in fear she’d never feel something like it ever again.

She stared at her warbled reflection; red hair, emerald eyes and face clear of the cracked black lines of corruption. Amari knew that’s why she was feeling so vulnerable at this stage, because of all the ‘good’ she had done in Ettimere, because she didn’t go against the nature of her soul, it was thriving. It meant the entirety of her being had the ability to do so… the thing was… Amari wasn’t sure if she liked it or not.

Am I that far gone, that I am conditioned to believe that I shouldn’t have such feelings?

[Jake Narmolanya]

"What brings you to Lady Grizzelda's tent of inner sight?" Asked the wizened, robed woman. She sat at the round table which dominated the center of the tent, draped in lavish purple silks.

"I'm looking for a friend," said Jake Narmolanya. The half elf sat in the seat opposite the seer and doffed his floppy canvas cap.

"Ahhh," the white-haired woman replied, "and is this friend of yours a young lady?"

"How did you know?" Jake asked, and then shook his head. "Look, I'm not here for parlor tricks. I need you to show me where Amari L'Olfsden is. I need to see her."

"You're worried about her well being," the seer intuited, scraping her long fingernails along the silken tablecloth, "I can sense it."

"Well of course I bloody well am!" Jake said, "I haven't seen her in two weeks, and I didn't exactly say goodbye. She's probably frightfully cross with me."

"This Amari," the woman intoned, "she is a romantic interest of yours?"

Jake's cheeks colored. "Err, I... don't... know. Haide's breath, could you just show me where she is already?"

"Of course," the seer said. She gathered two handfuls of silken cloth and pulled the covering clear from the table. The round, flat surface turned out to be a thick mirror, which contained a distorted image of the tent's ceiling. "This is the Mirror of a Thousand Eyes. With it I can see anything I seek. Say again the name of your friend."

"Amari L'Olfsden," Jake said, leaning forward and looking into the mirror, "but she goes by Red now." He gazed at his reflection. He wore a black jacket and black breeches, both made of sifan, and a black silk scarf around his neck. He was in mourning. His unruly blond hair fell about his face in odd clumps, and his green eyes gazed back at him, slightly distorted. As Jake watched the seer touched the mirror, and the image swam and changed.

The half elf found himself looking down on Amari from above. She sat in a cafe clutching a cup of tea. She looked healthier than when he'd seen her last; the cracked black lines that had marred her skin had faded. Jake fixed the image in his mind, focusing on small details such as the craftsmanship of the table and chairs, the lines on the floor, and the angle at which the door opened.

"Thank you," Jake said to the seer, standing and easing the tonfa and quiver of arrows which hung from his belt. He shrugged his shoulders, feeling the familiar weight of the cased recurve bow on his back. "You've been a great help."

"You will always be welcome in Lady Grizzelda's tent of inner sight," the woman called as he exited.

Outside the ground squished wetly beneath Jake's leather boots. Spring had come early to Corone, and the season's melt had left the grass sodden and muddy. The half elf looked around and, seeing no one, jogged to a nearby copse of trees. He closed his eyes, picturing the cafe where he'd seen Amari, and reached inside his jacket. As he touched the enchanted eagle quill he carried there, a doorway sprang into existence. A simple oaken door with a brass knob, behind which lurked one of Jake's patented portals. He reached out a hand, and then hesitated.

Amari most likely would be rather cross with him. Jake hadn't intended to abandon her in Alerar but... events had transpired. Jake sniffed as he felt tears gather at the corners of his eyes. He would explain everything to Amari, if she wanted to listen. Even if she didn't value their friendship, Jake considered it firmly forged the night they had met, so many years ago. He hadn't expected to ever see her again after that night, and finding her in Alerar two weeks prior had made him truly happy. Jake set his shoulders, clapped his hat on his head and reached for the doorknob. It would be worth seeing her again, no matter how angry she became.

Jake opened the door and stepped through, his boots landing on the cafe's clean floor. Fortunately there were few enough patrons in the establishment, and none seemed to notice his arrival. A nervous grin painted his youthful face as he strode up to Amari's table and rapped lightly on the surface.

"Hello Amar--Red. I don't suppose you're happy to see me?"

[Mari]

Amari's brows furrowed when someone had stepped between the warming rays of the afternoon sun and herself, casting a shadow over the table. "Who the he-" Her angered words caught in her throat as she lifted her gaze to see Jake. A man she wasn't expecting to see, especially dressed all in black. "Jake?" Amari questioned, as more queries ran through her head.

Why was he here? How did he know where to find her? Why was he dressed all in black as though he had come back from a funeral? His appearance was startling, but she guessed he had used his portal ability to get there. Amari hadn't given Jake too much thought since he had left her in Ettimere, she had written him off as a distant memory. To have him here, and now - it was both a relief and problematic. Suffice to say, it gave the woman mixed feelings.

Jake still stood, biting his lower lip looking rather nervous. Amari gestured to the cushioned wooden seat in front of her. "Don't flatter yourself." She said in a low tone, "I'm not exactly a barrel of laughs. Shit, I don't remember the last time I was happy." Jake gave her a look as she said it and Amari quickly dismissed him. "Don't." She said abruptly. "I'm fine."

Amari shuffled in her seat and picked up her tea, Earl Grey. She shut her eyes and inhaled the flowery aroma before taking a small sip. She delicately placed the cup back on the table deliberately making her movements slow.

"Amari... listen I-"

The red headed woman held up her hand, stopping Jake before he could continue. "I'm not helping you get the sword anymore. That's your problem now."

Jake's brow furrowed as he lifted his hand to loosen the black scarf around his neck. "That's not why I'm here. I- " He paused, cleared his throat and promptly changed the subject. "You're... looking well."

Amari raised her brow, sceptical. If he wasn't here for help then why was he here? "Yeh?" Amari asked as he complimented her. His hair was a mess and his eyes were puffy and bloodshot, he looked as though he had barely slept and smelt as though he skipped a bath or two. "You look like shit. If you aren't here for my aid then why are you here?" The thought of him coming to see her to apologise to her didn't occur to Amari. Remorse and guilt weren't common concepts, especially when they were aimed toward her.

[Jake Narmolanya]

"I came to see you," Jake said with a shrug, "I didn't mean to leave you alone in Ettermire, it's just..." he sighed and sat down opposite Amari. The sun coming in the window warmed his back as a server approached. Jake ordered a mug of green tea and the young dark elf scampered to the kitchen to fix it for him.

"I'm sorry I didn't wait for you to seek the Crystal Sword with me," Jake said with an earnest frown, "I didn't plan it or anything." He looked down at his hands as they drew abstract patterns on the tabletop. "Something moved me to leave in the middle of the night, and I didn't want to wake you. I meant to return afterwards, only-"

"So you got the Dragon Sword?" Amari asked, seeming only mildly interested. She held her teacup daintily, enjoying the aroma.

"I, I did," Jake acknowledged with a sad nod. His shoulders slumped as the server returned with his tea. He gave the woman a low-spirited thank you and warmed his hands on the sides of the cup. "It came at great cost, though." He swallowed, throat bobbing as he fought back tears. He had cried too much already. "I had planned to let the bandits who had the sword take me captive, in order to find their hideout. And it worked, only, only..." he took a deep breath and looked away from Amari's emerald eyes.

"The bastards killed Gunner," he choked, "they put three musket balls in him before I knew what was happening."

"Your horse?" Amari said, sounding partway between confused and remorseful. During the time they'd spent together in Ettermire, she'd been kinder to Jake's mount than to the half elf himself.

"My horse," Jake nodded, pulling his scarf up to blow his nose and briefly unveiling the vampire bite scars it concealed. "I had him since he was a yearling, you know. Stole him from a lord in a small village in Scara Brae." Jake chuckled despite his sorrow. "He was always the best steed a half elf could ask for," he intoned, eyes gaining a faraway look as he perused happy memories, "I can't count the number of times he saved me from trouble..." he trailed off as he realized he was probably boring Amari terribly.

"How have you been since we last met?" Jake asked, taking a sip of bitter tea.

[Mari]

Amari repeated Jakes' words with an incredulous tone, "You...came to see me?... " There was a pause in her sentence as she tried to rationalise his reasoning. "Why?" Amari asked and Jake replied in earnest, stating that he felt bad for leaving her alone in Ettermire. Amari found it difficult to believe and would have called the man a liar if not for his body language, the tone of his words, and the forlorn look in his eyes.

"Something moved you?" Amari wanted clarification, but got none, he seemed to struggle with his own words. Growing tired of chasing answers Amari turned her attention to her own beverage, taking another long sip and savouring the sweet taste. Jake struggled with his words some more, if Amari wasn't so relaxed she'd probably have interrupted or walked out on him, patience was not one of her strong points. Nor were emotions, Amari wasn't sure how to deal with the sudden news that his horse had died. "If I went with you, I coulda done something, healed him up right - or stopped you from being a fucking idi-" Her words caught in her throat when she noticed him hiccup and give an audible sob as he wiped his nose on his scarf.

"I mean... " Amari glanced away, shoving her own teacup toward him. "Look, here. Drink this it'll be better than that bitter crap." She was trying to apologise, and doing a poor job of it. Amari wasn't used to dealing with emotional people, those around here either didn't have them or were too emotionally stunted to care. Amari allowed him to reminisce about the horse, thinking it better if she kept her mouth shut, knowing if she said anything it'd only be detrimental to the situation.

Jake must have mistaken her silence for boredom as he shifted the subject back to her, but not before Amari caught sight of an odd mark on his neck, she made a mental note to ask him about it later.

"Since Ettimere or since Salvar?" Amari asked, tapping her fingers on the table as she glanced away - keeping an eye out for a worker to order herself another cup of tea since she had handed hers to Jake.

"Uhm...b-both?" Jake seemed unsure, but his voice gained confidence as he spoke again. "I've been meaning to ask you, what happened... not snippets of memories, the whole story. How did you escape your brother? Why is your skin cracked, and who is that silver haired man?"


Again, Jake was determined to know what had happened to her, and again, just like their previous meeting, he bombarded her with questions. Amari sighed, choosing instead to garner the attention of the waiter who approached the table.

"Another earl grey, white with two if you don't mind." Amari fished around in her pockets and pulled out a few coins and handed them to the man. He gave her a smile and a nod before disappearing from their table.

"Jake, you're asking an awful lot of someone you've abandoned twice, and broken a promise to. We had a deal and you literally ran from it."

Jake's gaze shifted downward, and he visibly became upset once more. Amari grit her teeth and sighed. "Fine. I suppose I'll explain a few things."

"Thank you." Came Jakes small reply.

Amari leaned back in her chair, it creaked with the movement. "I think it was a few days after I met you - I was captured by bandits and ransomed off to my father and brother." She paused as a tray was placed in front of her, with a premade cup of earl grey, a steaming pot of tea, a ceramic white canister of milk, and another of sugar. The server gave both her and Jake a nod before heading to the back room once more.

Picking up her tea, Amari blew on it and continued. "Of course, they didn't pay. I wasn't worth any amount of gold. The L'Olfsden family is a family of wealth, and I was nothing more than a dirty secret. " She paused to take a sip. "Course, you knew that much already. I stayed with the bandits for a long time. I lived as their house maid, luckily none of them laid their dirty hands on my body. Thanks to a few well placed lies on my behalf. A man named Shinsou from a group called the Brotherhood rescued me from there a few years ago."

Amari paused, waiting for his response. Her story was long winded and she didn't exactly enjoy telling it, "Do you really want to hear all of this?"

[Jake Narmolanya]

"I came to see you because I missed you," Jake explained, "and I felt bad for leaving without saying goodbye." The half elf examined the cup of Earl Grey Amari had pushed in front of him. It had an appealing odor but looked rather milky, and Jake was not so fond of milk. Even so, he picked it up and took a sip of the lukewarm brew. The tea's spices combined with the sugar's sweetness perked him up right away. Jake grinned and took another, longer sip. Perhaps milk wasn't such a bad thing, after all.

"I'm sorry I broke our deal," he added, "but my end still holds up. If there's anyplace on Althanas you'd like to go, I can take us there. You don't even have to help me find a sword first. I'm glad those bandits didn't harm you... even if others did." Jake's grin fell from his face as he recalled the memories of torture Amari had shared from her past. The poor woman had been through more than anyone should have to endure... certainly more than Jake could have endured. Remembering that he was indoors Jake removed his cap and crunched it between both hands, trying to think of the right thing to say. A conversation with Amari could be like walking a tightrope over a pit of broken glass.

"Of course I want to hear this," Jake assured her, his green eyes wide with sincerity, "but only if you want to tell." He took another sip of his milky drink and nearly choked on the tea's dregs. "Whoops," he muttered, wiping watering eyes with his scarf, "that sip wasn't so good." He cleared his throat and leaned forward over the table, dirty blond hair spilling down over his brow. A couple dark elves came in and Jake waited until they had moved past him and found seats before continuing. He looked into Amari's strange gold-rimmed eyes, searching for the kind girl he'd met so many years ago at the L'Olfsden estate in Salvar.

"You can tell me anything."

[Mari]

"You missed me?"

repeating his words started to become a common thing for her. Amari couldn't fathom why anyone would miss her, especially after she had rammed him against the wall and forced him to endure the sensations of being skinned alive through her eyes. Amari shifted, leaning forward to rest her arms on the table. Jake apologised and expressed his concern for her safety.

Jake was sincere with hi words, something Amari found difficult to believe. She wasn't sure how much she could trust him, and she wasn't sure why he wanted to know how she was - surely it couldn't be for the sake of just knowing? Amari sighed, the next part was always hard.

"Shinsou was like you in a way..." She picked up a cube of sugar and plopped it into her tea, shifting her gaze down she slowly stirred. "He was a breath of fresh air, kind, considerate - he saved me from the bandits and let me into his home. He helped me a great deal." Her voice wavered as she spoke about the man. It took on a softness that was usually absent within the woman, her eyes were misty with an unspoken pain. Anyone who knew what love was, could probably tell that was what Amari had felt toward Shinsou.

"It was a ruse to get into my pants, that failed, his men left me for dead..." Amari pulled out the spoon and set it on the table beside the saucer. "Now, Shinsou wants me dead." Her words were barely above a whisper. Amari shook her head to alleviate herself of the melancholy feeling and the weight that pushed on her heart.

Amari waved dismissively, "So I ended up wandering the slums of rubble town for a year. Until a man picked me up - well, captured me. Forcefully. I don't think I need to go into details on all the things I have gone through from then on. I believe you get an idea. No?"


Amari watched him wipe his face on his scarf once more, and her brow furrowed. "You... really should take off that scarf, god knows what other bodily fluids are soaked into its fibres.... I'm still questioning your reasoning..really... what do you gain from knowing all this?"

[Jake Narmolanya]

"It's you who's supposed to gain something from the telling," Jake said with a twinkling in his green eyes. "My friend Clara always says that. She has the most-" he gestured with both hands, searching for the right words "-supportive personality." The half elf smiled at the Salvic woman, glad that she had opened up about yet another harrowing part of her life. Of all the people Jake knew, he suspected Amari needed a friend more than anyone. He drummed his hands nervously on the table. "I probably shouldn't take my scarf off."

"Why, what are you hiding?" Amari demanded. She didn't need to point out that he owed her a story.

Jake swept his gaze around the cafe. Several empty tables separated them from the other patrons, and the staff were all busy in and around the back room. He reached up to the knot of his scarf and slowly removed it in a whisper of black silk. Two perfectly round white puncture marks stared from the left side of his throat. The archer leaned further forward, his voice quiet, his tone secretive.

"Years ago I joined a group called the Bandit Brotherhood, hidden within the heart of Concordia. They weren't like those other bandits who held you prisoner," he assured her, holding both palms up, "most of them were friendly, and we never had slaves or servants or anything. Mostly a bunch of thieves banded together for protection. An elf named Damon Kaosi was teaching me the art of the sword while we patrolled the forest." Jake took a deep breath and checked again to make sure no one was listening.

"As it grew dark we ran afoul of a pair of vampires. We fought, and one of them bit me," he touched the scars, lips pressed together as he remembered the terror of the moment, "Damon nearly killed me for fear I would turn. I didn't," he added unnecessarily, "and I slew the beast that gave me these scars. I really don't like to show them off though," he said, re-tying his scarf before anyone else in the cafe could see. He sighed. It had been some time since he'd told anyone the full story behind the white marks. Despite her prickly nature, there was something warming about Amari's presence.

"If you want to know why I missed you... it's as though you have a kind soul. Maybe that's silly, but I just like being around you." Jake arched his back and stretched. Between the warmth of the room and the sun on his back he had grown uncomfortably hot. The fact that he wore all black only compounded the problem.

"Would you like to go for a walk, when you finish your tea?" He asked, tugging at his collar, "I could use some air."

[Mari]

Amari snorted, "So if you aren't turning or whatever why bother covering it up? Are you ashamed or do you care what others would say?"

Jake sighed, "Kind of. I'm a little embarrassed about letting them get to me. I don't want people seeing them and thinking I'm a vampire and attacking me."

"I suppose that's justified, you know I could probably heal it. I mean, I've managed to fix things even the Ai'Brone couldn't do." Amari said, recalling a time she healed her Masters wounds despite being told it was impossible. She rose the cup to her lips and took a sip before grimacing, it had gone cold and she very much disliked cold tea. Amari sat the cup back down on the table sighing at the waste.

"Actually... "

Amari glanced up at Jake, who seemed off put by her gaze as he continued. "I would rather keep it, as a reminder."

Amari shrugged, "Suit yourself. This is cold, so I suppose we could go for a short work." Amari pushed the chair out with a creek as it scraped against the wooden floors of the small cafe. Amari felt uncomfortable with his admission that he liked being around her. "If only you knew the type of person I am Jake, if only you knew..." She said with a shake of her head. "I could regale you with the deeds I've done, but I think I've talked enough for now. Come on, let's go."

[Jake Narmolanya]

Jake held the door for Amari, and they traipsed onto the sunny dirt road. Crisp air nipped at their cheeks, and a faint breeze rippled their clothing and hair. They passed houses and shopfronts in silence, each lost in their own memories. Jake found his thoughts turning to Gunner. His parted friend would have known what to do just then; Amari seemed like she could use a good horse nuzzle. Jake sighed and stretched his arms above his head, finally dry eyed. The breeze felt good, like a gentle massage working the kinks out of his shoulders. He would just have to be a better man, now that he didn't have Gunner to help him.

"Let's take this path," Jake suggested as they reached the outskirts of the village. A beaten trail meandered through the sparse woods and thistle grass. Amari merely shrugged and they followed the path until it turned, hugging the curvature of a slender stream. Eventually the stream emptied into a small pond, where the sun bathed long, heavy boulders set deep in the ground. Jake stopped and crouched on the rocks, feeling around until he found a flat pebble. He stood and skimmed the stone over the water's surface. It skipped six times before sinking in the shallows on the far side of the pond.

"Some of my friends say I should steal a new horse," Jake said as he searched for another stone, "I mean, get a new horse. David says I just need a good mount and I'll be right as rain again. Raff thinks I should get a yearling and raise it like I did Gunner. Clara fancies I should get a foal, but she just likes them because 'they're the cutest'," Jake chuckled and skimmed his second pebble, getting seven skips. Seven and a half, if he counted the slide at the end.

"What do you think?" He asked Amari as he scrabbled for a third stone, "should I get a new steed? I think I'd like to... eventually, but I'm not sure I'm ready yet." The half elf reared back to throw and then paused, looking at his friend. "Would you like to try?" He offered Amari the stone.