Surprise Guest - Jygust 30th (ET 2rd Mark)

[Ashtallion Urdil]

Weeks ago, Ashtallion would have received more than a few strange looks. With the sudden disappearance of the University, any man or woman who looked like a mage would have been viewed upon with suspicion. Now, the Citadel was getting used to not having the University, and now more and more mages would be forced to traverse the streets if they had business here. Just like Ashtallion. He supposed he could have ordered a carriage, but he wanted to walk. Besides, he had little to fear from any potential common ruffians, and seeing a sorcerer would hopefully persuade them to leave him be. He still wore the fitted sky blue robe, it complimented the golden locks that fell to his shoulders, and the silver sash tied around his waist. Draped over his shoulders was a dark blue cloak, fastened with a silver pin in the image of a hawk.

If anything, the magus enjoyed the brisk walk. Recent events had kept him busy enough that he did not get as much exercise as he would like, so the route from the portal to Ashari’s abode….or rather the Guildhouse for The RIG….was welcomed. He kept his chin up, forcing himself not to lower his eyes to the street path, but instead look about him, at the people, the buildings, even up into the sky. Eveningtide was upon him, but it would suit his purpose for visiting Ashari. The Guild Mistress had spoke previously about Warding her Guildhouse and Home. The gilded adhiel was more than happy to offer what talent he had. Whilst warding was not his specialty, what he had learned over the last two months in restoring and strengthening the University Wards had served him well.

The golden sorcerer was looking forward to this visit, it had been a while since he last saw the Mindcrafter and Guild Mistress, and he had missed their conversations. No doubt she would some other news for him, and he was pleased to sit and listen to whatever ailed her, distressed her, or made her smile. In Ashari, he felt he had found someone to call friend, and someone he felt he could place trust in. He had few enough of those kind of people…..Fauna had been one….but that had went decidedly sour. Ashtallion shook his head, as though trying to clear the memory of the Dark Enchantress from his mind.

Eventually, the wizard arrived at Thalas Manse and gave a small smile at seeing the building, for some reason, one which he wasn’t quite sure why. Stepping up to the door, Asht looked over both shoulders. He might have seemed paranoid, yet he found himself falling into that habit. Considering the illicit demise of the previous Guild, no one should have faulted him for being cautious, and after this eveningtide, he would feel a bit better that Ashari would be a little safer in her Guild. Not that she was incapable of protecting it should naught happen, but his own nature would not be happy unless he done something himself.

He lifted his right hand and knocked on it firmly, but not so hard as to seem rude, and waited for his friend….or one of her Companions in Training to answer him.

[Ashari]

Ashari had spent the latter part of the afternoon directing the work of her gardening crew as to what plants she liked and wanted to stay, and what she didn't as well as where to plant the specimens she'd had brought in from elsewhere. It wasn't difficult work, for her, not by any standards, but it was mental toil. By the evening, when the workers had headed off to their own homes, all Ash wanted to do was sit around with a book and be comfortable.

She'd changed into a house-dress of simple cotton. It was light blue, but mostly covered by a darker blue robe with long belled sleeves much like what a mage would wear, except that this model was of a fuzzy absorbant fabric similar to that used for expensive towels. The sleeves were rolled several times over up to the brunette's elbows to keep her hands free while she moved about the house picking up this and that, moving things and shifting furniture.

Pausing in the doorway of the sitting room while thoughtfully chewing on the nail of her thumb, she heard the confident knock and grinned. If there was one thing she could recognize, it was a knock, and she strode over to the main entrance quickly. Pulling open the door she gave the sorcerer a bright grin. "Ashtallion! I hadn't expected you, please, come in, it's getting dark," she stepped out of the way of the door to allow him entrance. "To what do I owe the honor of this visit?" The beauty shut the large wooden door behind him.

[Ashtallion Urdil]

The sorcerer offered a warm smile as he stepped across the threshold, and once inside stood a little distance back, taking in Ashari in her house-dress. "You look....comfortable.", he chuckled lightly and gave the Mindcrafter a short hug before stepping back once more.

"I had some free time and you have been on my mind lately, so I thought you drop in on you and see how you are keeping.", his eyes dropped to her stomach, and the unseen but continously growing infant within her. He smiled again. "I hope I have not caught you at an inconvient time? I can always return another time if so? But I had thought to offer some....help....whilst I did have this free time."

He waited, politely, not wanting to step into the recieving room without Ashari's gesture.

[Ashari]

"Am I not to be comfortable in my own home?" She asked with a jest, taking Ashtallion's hug in and finding a great deal of comfort in his embrace. She breathed in the scent of him once within the robes. "You smell all exotic and spicy from that Sierra," she grinned and disentangled herself from her friend and watched as his eyes shifted from her face to her belly. Giving a look over her shoulder to ensure no spying student eyes, she turned to give him a profile view and slid and hand under her somewhat noticable baby-bump. "It's all sorts of round," she said with a beaming smile.

"And I'm doing well, please, come in Asht," Ash shook her head. "Come on, let's sit for a few burns." She gave a glance to the sitting room, but felt far too exposed in that portion of the house. Aerin was out working, Paige was off doing something but she wasn't sure where Yelena or Trevyn were, and there was a good chance they were somewhere about the house. "Let's go upstairs to my private sitting room," she said and lead the mage up the elegant stairs to the second floor, down a hall and through her bedroom. It was fairly neat, though clothing was on every available surface aside from the floor. "Excuse the mess," she said with a small blush, but they managed their way through safely into a large sitting room with comfortable couches that were warn, but also inviting. "A drink? I've wine, water or brandy..." She suggested, but knew well enough that the mage preferred to keep a level head, and so started pouring two glasses of water before he'd even answered.

Moving over to the cushion next to his, Ash sat down. The young woman looked somewhat tired, and maybe even sad somewhere deep in her eyes, but she kept on a good face for her visitor, not wanting to get into any depressing conversations. "How were your travels?" She asked, giving him a glass. "And what sort of help are you planning on giving me?" This was subsequently followed by a trademark raised brow of keen interest.

[Ashtallion Urdil]

"I smell exotic?", he looked at Ashari with an incredulous expression over his face, but simply laughed it off. "Odd, I never realised my sweat smelled exotic...it seems to be about the only thing I do in Sierra....that climate....I doubt I will ever get used to it completely.", he let out a dramatic sigh, and then followed Ashari to her private sitting room.

He took the water with a, "Thankyou", and sat himself down with the Guild Mistress next to him. "My travels were uneventful, just how I like them.", he grinned, "Not that the odd demon-bashing would go amiss....", he shrugged, "...but I suppose one cannot have all one wants."

The golden sorcerer took a deep swallow of the water, "Better. The heat in Sierra dehydrates me so much quicker....I'm going through a few pitchers of water a day and if I don't, I get some rather gruesome headaches. But, yes, what I can offer....... well....", his yes wandered to the walls and the ceiling.

"Primarily, I want to set up some Wards around Thalas Manse. With what happened to your last Guild-House, I would feel better knowing that you, and your girls, are a bit safer. Just some protection and resistance against fire, so hopefully the building will not colapse, and if I can manage it, you Ward against uninvited visitors....someone will need your permission, before they can enter. I have still to look into the finer details on such a Ward, it would be complicated, so firstly I would start with reinforcing the building."

"That is....if the Guild Mistress would want such?", his head tilted to the side to look at Ashari and he offered a dazzlingly charming smile, that would hopefully disarm the woman into letting him, but, he knew how strong willed she was. If she did not want the help, she would say so.

[Ashari]

"I'd blame the food, myself.. but it's something in your robes," she gave him a gentle prod to the ribs in jest. "Hanging about in the flower houses over there?" There was great pleasure in Ashtallion's company merely in the lack of pretense. Ashari was free to just be and without the complication of her position or rallying for people to respect her.

Ash couldn't help but laugh as he talked of his travels and the ease therein. She'd also found that portal travel went fairly simply enough and couldn't quite understand those who came through it all squashed up and weird - nor the ones who got lost in their travel. All in all, she was glad he had an uneventful time of it.

Dehydration could be a dangerous thing. "Perhaps you are not suited for that clime, my friend," she said seriously. "How long will the University keep you?" She'd hoped his time there would pass so that he might leave the strict life of the mages of the UoM. Had he not learned all he could from them? It seemed to her that he had surpassed his mentors long ago, but she kept rather mum on that subject.

"Warding sounds most appropriate, especially on the front of fires - it's a concern to anyone, particulary myself with the last issue." She didn't go further on the subject of the previous guildhouse. Instead, she ventured forward on the current line. "Is there anything I can do to help?" It was more her insatiable curiosity that encouraged her to ask. Ashari had been feeling very brave concerning magick of late - and she wanted to learn more. "I have been thinking on many things, things concerning energy, my font," here, she referenced her personal store of power from which she drew for her mindcraft of which she'd described to Ashtallion in passing, "and also to the sorcery that I've become accustomed to using, though I find myself limitted by my own definition of what is what - as well as to what energy feels like what and which I should use for which task." She paused long enough to take a sip of her water. "But what I truely feel is that I'm missing something - the bigger picture, like we're all tugging at the same strings but from different angles," she shrugged, and realized she wasn't asking any questions but just posing her thoughts to him.

"Do you feel as though your energy is inherantly yours?"

[Ashtallion Urdil]

"I wish I had an answer as to how long they will keep me tied to the University. Technically, they could promote me once more to Professor, after a period of time that would be considered suitable and appropriate.", here he stopped, a small frown forming between his eyes, there was a shadow behind those eyes, "I love that University, Ashari. I love what it stands for, the power and knowledge it represents, and by extension those that reside within it.....for at least the vast majority of them.", Ashtallion would not be too concerned should Durell leave the University. "I don't know if I could ever leave it....and yet that might be the best option.", that shadow seemed to grow darker.

The sorcerer gave his head a light shake and a dim smile spread on over his lips. "As for what you could do to help. To be honest, I don't think I know just how proficient you are in Sorcery. From what you have said, I can certainly gather you are not as Masterful as you are with your own....font?....of energy. I will need to find a way to, almost, bond you to the wards, so that you can be sure none can enter without your say-so. I guess it would do no harm to add your own power to the wards.....we've worked well before with our differing powers....why not this?"

"There is something about sorcery which feels as though it is mine. Yet, I cannot discern what exactly. It may not be so much the energy itself....but the power behind it which I feel is mine. Obviously, it is, but it's something deeper, and I quite agree with your sentiments on missing something.", his golden eyes drifted away for a moment, "It is the reason I aspire to be called an Archmage....theoretically, I will have time. Hopefully, I am going to live for hundreds of yahren. By reasoning, I should amass considerable power....and yet, from the Secrets of Creation, if there is one thing I learned from handling that book, it was that time could potentially mean nothing. I could live for a thousand yahren and still not reach a level of power to equal what is contained within that book. If only I had managed to hold onto it for longer....it may well be in the title, the Secrets of Creation.", Ashtallion let out a sigh, and with it, he seemed to deflate. Ashtallion had talked of the Book before. He hoped Ashari would understand, that despite sounding trivial, that Book was one of the greatest hopes the adhiel mage had for finding truely great power.

"Anyway, I ramble. Too much.", he laughed, not entirely forced, and looked at the dark headed Guild Mistress. His gaze dropped briefly again to her belly, filled with a sympathetic concern, and back up. "Have you came to any other conclusion as to who the Father may be?"

[Ashari]

The beauty took in a deep breath through her nose as Ashtallion spoke of the distant school. She did understand it - his unity within it and his need to stay, but it frustrated her. Ashari was beginning to think that they limitted him and his power merely by their techniques. She was glad for having learned what she had outside of the confines of an establishment of it's size and nature which accepted students of any calibre - be it those with little or great inherant talent. In Asht she saw great potential, but he was held back by his teachers. No doubt they feared what he could possess. She sighed dramatically, but smiled, proving it to be in mostly jest. "I know," she said. "I just hope it's the best place for you."

"I'm competant with your form of sorcery; elementalism - mostly with fire." Even as she described it she felt as though something was amiss, as if her words didn't do her thoughts justice. "Not as much so as you, of course, but I've every intention on maintaining my practice. Perhaps we could turn this into a lesson? Use my crude, unrefined talent for something useful," she gave him a wink. "Your theory on the wards sounds intact. Consider me your most humble student."

"I haven't hundreds of yahren," she whispered lightly. "But I have no intention on letting that get in my way." The girl smirked playfully. The Grandmere, and those who taught her before her had been focussed on the Gift of mindcraft. They couldn't expand beyond it. It had been their forte but also their fence. While Ashtallion had high hopes of his book being the answer to all the questions, Ash had no such illusions. It was up to her to learn all she could. From there, she would become something greater, perhaps even more so than her mage friend.

Then Ashtallion asked a question she hadn't been entirely prepared for. It was one thing for her to pry into his problems at the University, but she was always caught off guard when he returned the favor. Quite unlike herself she managed to keep off the defensive and rubbed her belly thoughtfully. "Yes. I went to the Temple of the Mother earlier today... things are quite complicated it would seem, my friend." She'd wait for him to express further interest before continuing.

[Ashtallion Urdil]

Ashtallion simply smiled as Ashari sighed. Although he did not know what ran through her mind at that point, the mage had had similar thoughts of his own. If he broke from the University completely, assuming he was allowed to...would it give him the freedome to pursue his aspirations? Time would tell, no doubt.

As the dark haired Guild-mistress rubbed her ever growing belly and gave her somewhat cryptic answer, the sorcerer cocked his head to the side as he regarded her, sipping a bit more of the water before continuing, choosing his words, " Can you expand on these complications? If you cannot, or are uncomfortable I will repect such....but you know that with my friendship, comes my confidence as well.", he smiled, lightly, so as not to make her feel forced.

[Ashari]

"Oh! Yes, I can!" She giggled. "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound so dreadful. Sometimes I can be too serious," she grinned broadly and shook her head in embarassment, not having wanted to make her friend become concerned.

"I went to the Temple of the Mother, here in the city - for the first time since Iorn died," she frowned. She'd spoken rarely of Iorn, and when she did, there was always a sadness there in her luminous eyes that spoke of extreme loss. "And spoke to the High Priestess about my 'condition'," here, she patted her bulgle with a gentler, mother like appreciation.

"And she said that she can't tell whether the baby is Andolin's or not because he didn't complete the ritual of the Mother after becoming Caesar. Apparently he needs to spill his seed onto the Earth for her to bind to him, and.. according to her, tell her if it's his child.

"But! She did say that the baby is healthy," Ash put on a bit of a glow and caught Asht's eyes with her own, pride in her baby-making capabilities shining brightly. "So there's that." The young woman licked her lips, apprehension building behind her tough exterior in tensed muscles and held breath finally released as a sigh. "But I just don't know. I'm still scared - nervous, really." She wasn't so good at admitting fear. "About who the father is. It wouldn't be something horrible either way, but I just don't know about either one of them anymore. Andolin has been more and more distant..." She rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry! I should shut up about this, I'm so.. argh, just, you know? Frustrated, I guess. I think I have real feelings for him, but I just don't know if he can feel anymore. He's so cold, sometimes."

[Ashtallion Urdil]

Ashtallion had lifted the glass to his lips, about to take a deeper swallow of the water, "...he needs to spill his seed onto the Earth....", the water caught in the back of his throat, he managed to swallow it, but not without being racked with a series of harsh coughs before being able to continue.

"Are you serious? Spill his....um....well...his...stuff..", he stopped, and flushed slightly, waving away the rest of the sentence. But then he looked at Ashari, "Well, if an audience is required for this event, count me in.", he laughed slightly. "So long as your unborn child is healthy, that is indeed something to be pleased about.", his own twin was expecting, but he had not seen her in months, not properly, and that brought its own ache.

He refrained from speaking of it for now though, "You would have far more experience in knowing what our Caesar is like, I've never had the pleasure of meeting him.", he paused, as though in thought over her words, "And I am sure he can feel...it just may not be in the manner to which mose people are accustomed. He is Caesar now, and will have priorities neither you nor I could potentially think of.", the adhiel sorcerer shrugged, "Or as you say, he might not......there is one way of finding out you know.", the mage's golden eyes drifted to her ever swelling belly, "Tell him the child could be his, ask him if he would do as the High Priestess suggests.....and then you will know for certain. Do it quietly...or as much as you can?"

[Ashari]

Ashari laughed uproariously as Ashtallion stammered and blushed over the Priestess' order concerning how she could connect Andolin to the earth. As he suggested an audience it was her turn to sputter over her water. "I hadn't realized you to be such a voyer, Asht," she giggled and grinned. "Though, Andi would likely be worth watching." The thought of his bedroom antics caused her face to flush for entirely different reasons.

"If he weren't so pretentious I'd insist on you meeting him, but he's horribly untrusting and he'd likely say things to try to poison me against you," she sighed. "His caution might be his undoing. I wish it weren't so."

The mage went on to say that she should tell Andolin about the pregnancy, to which she shook her head. "No, no.. that just won't do. I'll do as the Mother Priestess told me to do. It can be done discretely. She gave me these sort of potion things. I could fetch them if you'd like to see into the faith magick." The offer stood, and she would too if he took her up on it. Otherwise, she continued. "I just put one on me, and one on him, and then we..." Her eyebrows waggled emphatically. "Do what we do, and then I go talk to her again, and somehow that unites him to the Mother spirit."

[Ashtallion Urdil]

The magus simply smiled at Ashari as she commented on his voyerism, but a spark of mischieveousness danced behind his golden eyes. The Guild Mistress moved on to the Ceasar then, on a more personal level, " I could understand his mistrust were I to be considered competiton for your.....affections.....but seeing as your virtue is safe in that respect around myself..", he frowned slightly, "....but I suppose that would involve explaining my preference to him, and I would rather not have the Ceasar know that sort of information. It'd not as if I am a Sorcerer serving in the Palace, or under the Imperial Mage. ", his shoulders rose in a small shrug, which seemed to pause half way.

Ashtallion was silent for a few moments, his gaze seemed to look far beyond the confines of the room in which they sat.

"Ashari.....I am so stupid....", his words were but a whisper. Indeed though, his stupidity seemed to weigh upon him suddenly, as a confounding mantle upon those shoulders. Two months ago he had been partly responsible for the Translocation of the Univeristy. But amidst all the drama and confusion, he had forgotten the task which he had started that Eveningtide. He had learned to read another persons Skien of Life. It did not require the presence of the Secrets of Creation. It explained though what to look for in a person. Could he look at Ashari's Skien and find out who the Father of the Child is?

" I'm not sure if I told you this part of the story, that night when the University was ripped from the Citadel....it is in comparison a minor detail, but one that had slipped my mind until now. ", he did not want Ashari to think he ignored her question about seeing the potions given to her from the Priestess, but this dominated his thoughts at present. He stood in one fluid and graceful motion and paced away from her slightly. " Sezja and I were reading a passage in the Secrets of Creation about the The Skien of Life.....it's a way of finding out information about a person. It tells of their History, an example would be of previous wounds you have suffered....I think even the energies your use for your Mindcrafting...when they spiked in power...all of that should be visable. I even learned that the Skien can be used to see the future of that person, up until the point of their death. It was what Sezja wanted me to helped her with. We sought to change her destiny that was written on her Skien."

The sorcerer paused and licked his lips before continuing, allowing his implication to hopefully sink into Ashari, " I do not need the book to see the Skien of another, it is simply a matter of perception. I....I think I could view your Skien....and perhaps see if it will show me who the Father of your child is? ", he left it at that. There would be things written in her Skien that she might not want him to see, and if it was to tell of her future, would he want to know the point where his friend died? He knew it would be before him, assuming the two would live to die of natural causes, but he was not so sure he wanted to know when that would be.

[Ashari]

"It has little to do with affection, and more to do with trust. He doesn't trust anyone, and would assume you meant me and him harm in some way. He's very paranoid-" she noticed Ashtallion's sudden quiet and paused, only to have him berate himself in a whisper. Her brows knotted together and she was about to ask him why he thought himself stupid, but then he continued on with his story about the University and Szeja.

"Skein of life?" The thread of life. He was talking about viewing a person's true life path, and to-where it ambled. They were dangerous things to dabble in, more-so because of their friendship. What if he saw something horrific in her future? Would he tell her? Could he bring himself to tell her.

She could see his angle, though. The uninification of her body with either Andolin or Ketch would be a spike in her Skein, and would tie her forever to another life. She watched as the golden mage paced infront of her, caught up in his personal ideas and challenge of how he felt about seeing her life. "If you do, then there will be no secrets between us - and you will tell me everything you see, and will allow me to view your thoughts directly after, as a fair exchange." It wasn't a matter of trust, but one of equality. If he were to know things about her that she'd not told him then she ought to atleast know what those things were. She wouldn't allow him to carry the burden of her future alone.

[Ashtallion Urdil]

His golden eyes seemed to darken slightly as he stared at Ashari, obviously weighing the decision up within his mind. " I suppose it comes down to it, do we trust each other enough to open ourselves, almost completely. ", another short pause, " My answer is yes. I do trust you, and I believe allowing you into my mind is only a fair exchange.....", but was it really? It would mean exposing himself, his thoughts, hidden feelings and desires. That...darker...side to the Sorcerer that did not think anyone could ever find out about. The inner recesses where he secretly relished the rush of sorcery and the temptations he faced when listening to the power scream within him.

Did he want to help his friend that much, that he would reveal himself entirely. Yes, he would find out things about her, but nothing so specific as pulling thoughts from within her skull. In retrospect...he would potentially seeing the moment of her death, when it would happen. Yes. It would be a fair exchange, at least she wasn't going to see when he died.

" I agree to tell you everything I see. ", he had certainly not planned for events to turn this way upon his visit. Perhaps his reading would reveal nothing of great import, he secretly wished for that. Ashtallion moved a little closer and held down a hand to the dark haired Mindcrafter. " It would be best that you stand for this....if you want to go ahead with it that is...? "

[Ashari]

Ashari looked up at Ashtallion and raised her hand to grasp his, pulling herself up in the process. Once standing she didn't let go. "I trust you, Asht," she said evenly, her fingers wrapping tightly around his. "If it doesn't work, I have a back-up plan, remember?" The young brunette smiled. "Let's do this."

The mage closed her eyes and centered herself, her mind finding it's core without problem. Then she grounded her body to where it was. She wanted to be aware of the magicks he used - wanted to see the energy as it was manipulated. Her inner eye opened to the world around her, and to the strands he would trigger to view her skien. It was difficult to not begin building a shield - as that was the normal progression for the mindcrafter: centering, grounding, shielding.

"Is there anything I should do to help you?" She asked.

[Ashtallion Urdil]

The magus smiled as Ashari stood, if a little uncertainly. "Thank you....and....just don't shield yourself. It will block your Life energies from view."

It was doubtful that Ashari would be able to see what he was doing....as technically, the sorcerer wouldn't be manipulating any energies. He was simply able to recognise the life energies in another living being and interpret their Skien. "Just stand still and relax.", even as he finished speaking, the mage followed the simialr process to Ashari and opened his Aetheric vision, perceiving the energies all about them. Many were familair to him, air, earth, heat, light and dark, water. But here his entire concentration filtered out everything, barr Ashari.

The golden sorcerer sought to delve into the life energies that made up her very being, her existence, and search for the Skien of Life as he did in Sezja.

To Ashari, his eyes were unmoving, intent on the objective. He opened his mind, his perception of her and instead of seeing her as a physical entity, he filtered out the flexh, bone and blood, and saw but the energy of which she consisted.

[Meridiuz]

Ashtallion's vision shifted and as he had seen with Sezja, he quickly saw Ashari's energies in the Aether. Having seen how bright Sezja's energies had been, there was less surprise about the brightness this time. What was interesting however was that the brightness was about the same, but the patterns in the white energies were different. Of course there were different events happening in every life, so the shapes of the energy was different with every person, but the patterns were also shorter. He noticed that he had an easier time to find the basic patterns this time.

He now began to see the basics about Ashari's life. An 18 yahren old female in good health. He could see her mind crafting skills and her other stronger and weaker points. And then he saw the strands that represented her love life. Following that strand he saw some gray and black areas from her past lovers, a larger black area being there in the quite recent past. After that he saw some red areas. And then, in the red area, there was a small strand branching off on it's own. The strand was really small, but it was attached to her and yet completely on it's own. That had to be the baby.

Meanwhile Ashari wasn't noticing a thing, it was almost a bit of a disappointment, she didn't see or feel any changes as Ashtallion was scanning her Skien.

[Ashari]

Ashari had so hoped to feel something - see something, but as she stood and watched Ashtallion work she felt nothing - saw nothing. Her shoulders slumped slightly, but she tried not to give it much thought. Perhaps he can show me how to do it... and then I could use it on my students... test them - see if they are good enough. It was a wicked thing to plan, but with the problems she was having she couldn't help it.

What she couldn't see were the myriad of strings in the tapestry of her life. She probably wouldn't have wanted to, had she been able to. There would've been reminders of past traumas. Ash did wonder what it looked like for him, and whether he'd see past events from her life as-if through her eyes or like watching via the vision of the Gods.

It was all very enthalling on the level of magick, but all the more exciting for the chance that he might be able to tell who the father of her child was. Please... she radiated. Please work.

[Ashtallion Urdil]

For the majority of the time he concentrated, his face was remarkably impassive, giving nothing away, showing no emotion, save perhaps for the occasional raised eyebrow. There were things in her past he would like to ask, but he would save it for another day. He wanted to learn more about her Mindcrafting. The energies which represented it served to remind him of his interest, and from these, he could possibly discern her strengths and weaknesses in greater detail, potentially even helping the Guild Mistress to become stronger in her Art.

When the sorcerer came to the branching life energy that undoubtably belonged to her unborn child, his eyes widened slightly as he focused more intently. He should have expected this new life to have its own life pattern, but it would be simplistic, not even so complex as its mothers, young as she was. Asht dreaded to think what his own life pattern looked like, spanning over nearly eight decades.

"Ok, I have found the energies of your child, Ashari, branching off on its own. I have never sought to travel to another life energy directly from anothers. I don't want to risk anything happening to you or the child by doing so, if there are any risks, of course, there may not be, I just want you to know this.....give you the option to stop just now if you wish?"

[Ashari]

OOC: So sorry! I totally thought I had posted to this.

"I... y-" she paused, her voice stammering as her heart missed a beat. She'd never been this sort of afraid before. It wasn't fear for her self, but over the life which she was in charge of. This small little person inside her, the health of which depended on her actions. Her stomach clenched, but her heart returned to it's steady beat. "Yes. I need to know," she blinked. "I'm ready, go ahead." It was necessary, it had to be done.

[Graves]

The baby's energies were translucent and red, seperate and distinct from Ashari's own, but there were similarities. Small whirls traced on the surface of the energies, almost imperceptible symbols (could they be runes) skidding along the surface with intensity. The similarity was mostly in those whirls and whorls, the patterns were different but the substance of it all was the same.

If Ashtallion reached out to the baby's energies, there would be a sinking sensation, like falling down a whirlpool, and the energy patterns would become clearer... more defined. There was not just a single strand tracing from Ashari to the child, upon closer investigation. There was a whole network of threads, forming a nestling web for the child's life force. From somewhere deep inside, the mage might see a steady throbbing, like a tiny heartbeat.

Most interesting, however, was a slender red thread that stretched from the baby and out of Ashari's body entirely-- only visible at this level of magnification-- and off beyond the range of Ashtallion's vision, swiftly becoming imperceptible amidst the energies of the world at large, winding its way to whatever its source was.

Looking this closely, the broad red area where the baby connected with Ashari's energies could be seen to actually be two seperate reds-- one crimson, the other more of a magenta. The difference was not great, as both of the reds looked to frequently overlap, competing with each other in a convoluted dance, and it was from the middle of their multiple overlaps that the baby's branch began.

Ashari felt, for the first time, a slight tingle as Ashtallion proceeded... not unpleasant, more like a tracing of fingers across skin... the sensation was almost arousing, but it stopped just short of that and remained merely pleasant, like scratching an itch that is just out of reach.

[Ashari]

As the sensation swept across her body Ashari's muscles tensed, and her fingers wrapped around Ashtallion's. Her heart sped up, but she smoothed over the nervousness with a deep cleansing breath. "What was that? What did you see?" She shook slightly, and though she trusted her friend more than she could express, she couldn't help the maternal instinct that had already taken root in her psyche. "I felt something... like," she blushed, not sure of how to express it with out being perverse. "Like you're touching my core... just be careful." Her voice was somewhat strained, as if on the verge of emotion that she forbade herself from showing.

Mother, I know I've been praying a lot lately - I'm not sure why that is. I've been through so many things in my life already, and through most of them all I relied on myself for all the heavy lifting. I just have to say... in it all, I've praised you but I need your help now. Please... just keep my baby safe. It was a child's prayer and it was simple in it's naivete, though she earnestly believed if one asked in good faith then the Goddess would help them.

[Ashtallion Urdil]

The sorcerer delved deeper into the energies of the child and was relieved that there seemed to be little side affects of doing so. At this level, the complexity of the energies was fascinating and he had to keep his mind on the task at had rather than waste time trying to analyse potentially irrelevant branches of life energy.

At Ashari's question...and the feeling of the sudden tension in her, Ashtallion began to slowly withdraw his aetheric sight from her Skien of Life. " Nothing, I just had to venture deeper than I expected...possibly the crossing over from your Skien to your childs....", he pulled away from her slightly, closing his eyes and closing off the part of his mind that allows his sorcery to enter his consciousness.

" I can see nothing that would tell me immediately who your unborn child belongs to.....I'm sorry.....", his golden eyes blinked, and then looked off behind the Mindcrafter, evidently thinking. " There is a strand of life energy that leaves your body. It can only be the strand connected to the father. If the father were to be in closer proximety, I imagine the stand would be stronger, more defined, and I could see the visable connection.", he looked back into Ashari's eyes.

"This would mean I would have to meet who you believe could potentially be the father.....", he raised an eyebrow as if you question whether she thought it would be a good idea.

[Ashari]

"Don't stop," she said with a snuff of frustration. "I'm sorry, I won't be such a whiner... just don't give up on me. Keep trying, what do you see? What does it look like? I couldn't see anything, I could just feel it. It's a strange sort of feeling," she wrapped her fingers around his, her gray eyes pleading his gold ones without words. She needed to know. Ashari had good mind to make decisions based on this answer, and if that decision could be made without trickery on her part toward Andolin so the better.

"Please, Ashtallion," she finally said. "You can do this, whatever it is. You are strong enough. I believe in you, Asht." Ashari's voice tightened with the emotions she felt and her mouth got all dry and warm. You're not going to cry you wussy. She reprimanded herself in a very childish way, for that was how she felt. Ashtallion had offered and then withdrawn a very tempting sweet and she wasn't about to let him do so easily.

"You cannot do magick infront of Andolin, anyway. He's all protected and whatnot - and I couldn't lie to Ketch about why or what the magick was for. Please, can't you try again?"