Through Heaven's Eyes

[Tismri]

Tismri stared hard into Sidhion's eyes as he pulled his emotions back again. She could tell, by the tone of his voice and that look deep in his eyes, that he was hurt. She hated herself for doing that to him, but it had to be done. She stepped away as she listened to his parting words, standing beside Ismrolde, but never taking her eyes away from the elf.
"Thank you, friend," she said in the elven tounge, the words rolling as gracefully from her lips as if it had been her first language. "Continue holding onto that trust, and one day, perhaps I can return your affections." She watched his forlorn figure, wishing that there was something more she could do for him. "May the stars watch over you," she told him before returning to her spot on Ismrolde's head. The copper dragon gave one more look at her icy friend.
I'll see what I can do to give you a larger space. Perhaps Thora will empathize with your situation. She spread her wings and in moments left the field, and their friends.
~~~~~
Karliah gave a smile to Marek as he told her once more to stay safe. "Don't worry about me," she told him. "I will be fine. I have a promise to keep to you. More than one, actually." Her eyes tightened a bit as she remembered how he phrased his proposal. She would stay with him. With some difficulty, she walked away to join the others on the red dragon.

Ten rolled her eyes at Aiden's excuse. "I suppose that might be true," she said. "Diana really needs to get out of the medical pavilion sometimes, though. I hope I'm not getting a rash." She looked down at her arm at the sudden paranoia that struck her while she climbed onto the dragon's back, in the middle spot, and Karliah came behind her. She was grateful that at least Lenora would be there. Sharing this mission with two humans was going to be excruiating.

[Max452]

Sidhion sensed Tismri move back to Ismorlde with a forlorn gap in his heart. He said nothing as she flew away, but could hear Locien's parting words.
Do not worry about me, Ismrolde. I will bear the space awhile longer.

Several moments after Tismri and the great copper dragon departed, Sidhion's eyes opened.
You think this wise, Sidhion? They may not forgive us after this.
I know. Sidhion replied sadly as he gazed down at the rag he had used to wipe Tismri's bloody lip. He knew already what he needed to do; they needed to escape. Having studied the way Tismri had entered the barrier, Sidhion concluded that it was based on her blood, and so, he had purposely kissed her harder than necessary to gain a blood sample. He smirked, but not at that fact that he outsmarted Tismri, but from the memory of the passionate kiss.

Having retrieved what he needed, Sidhion began the spell that would release them from this small imprisonment...and next....to see the Queen Mother.

***
Marek gave Karliah a knowing nod as he watched her leave. He would not move from his spot until he could no longer see her dwindling form in the sky.

***
Lenora lowered herself a bit more to allow the two-leggeds to climb on. Her steady eyes watched Aiden with cautioness and worry. He was going through a torrent of emotions at the moment, which could jeopradize his common sense, more than usual. "You'll be fine" The dragon heard Aiden speak to Tento as he too approached her, his usual haughty mood dimmed at the prospect of finding out who was responsible for his family's deaths. Aiden quickly hopped into his designated saddle and soon, Lenora was in the sky, her red form floating higher and higher until she was a mere speck to those below.

***
Hours passed and Sidhion had managed the spell. He could feel the power of the barrier lessen and knew that it had done the trick. Ready? Sidhion asked Locien.
Yes, my Rider. Locien replied, his voice sad at the prospect of leaving.
Sidhion's eyes gazed over toward the direction of Tismri, having sensed her briefly. I am sorry, Tismri. He thought to himself as the two escaped the confines of their prison.

Meet me on the outskirts, Locien. No doubt, we may trigger some wards from our escape.
I will wait for you. Locien replied, spreading his wings and bolting out into the sky quickly.

Sidhion gazed up at his dragon, hoping that if anyone was watching, that they would assume that he was with Locien. Exhaling, Sidhion glanced over to the Ismalian camp, in particular, the Queen Mother's quarters. He had heard rumors that she was sick, but that would not stop him on his goal.

Racing with his elven born agility, Sidhion was across the camp in seconds. Soldiers had barely enough time to even comprehend that something had passed by them, but most of them had assumed it was nothing more than the wind. Hastily, Sidhion entered the tent, masking his scent and presence from those around him, especially the stalwart dragon that laid nearby.

Sidhion soon found his target. "Queen Mother." His voice was calm, almost inviting. "Please, do not alert your men, despite everything, I mean you no harm, but I only wish to give you an apology...and information." Sidhion told her, having found her awake.

OOC: I'm assuming Romulus is already gone...yes?

[Tismri]

She sat on the edge of the bed, reading through the book of Ismalian tales Romulus had brought to her. Perhaps the reason she told herself was that she was looking into her history, but the truth was it made her feel closer to him. Ever since he left, it felt like she had a giant hole in her life, which was saying something since the hole was already pretty significant from her lack of memories. When he left, it felt like he took any hope of recovering her memories with him.
She looked up when she heard someone enter the tent. She assumed it was Tristan, coming to check up on her again, as he was prone to do at the strangest times. She was surprised, then, by someone entirely new. There were a lot of people in the camp she hadn't seen, but Tristan had been pretty thorough in pointing out everyome who might come to her for something. She blinked for a moment at his strange greeting, which made her feel even more alarmed than his sudden appearance.
"I..." she cleared her throat, desperately fishing around her mind for some indication of who he might be, but came up entirely blank. "I do not...Have we met?" She studied him, but was certain she had never seened him at all in the time she could remember. "I think...my cousin should be here?" She was hesitant, though. What sort of information might this stranger give her? She was starving for anything that might tell her something important.

[Max452]

Sidhion studied the Queen Mother with a thoughtful, but stoic expression. His eyes latched onto her stormy ones. There laid no recognition...no...fire that was once her's. "You do not recognize me, Queen Mother." It was a statement rather than a question. If Tenel Ka did not recognize him, then something was terribly wrong. What had transpired since he was held captive? Those rumors of her being sick must have been a ploy to throw suspicion on her current condition. "I seek not your pathetic cousin, I seek the Queen of Ismalia, but I can tell, she is not here..." He studied her eyes once more. "...Tell me, how much have you forgotten, and do you wish to regain what was lost to you?" He asked her, sensing the Emeralds were nearby, but unable to locate their exact location. Wards must have been placed to war off thieves.

***
"Lenora says will be near Uru'baen within the hour!" Aiden yelled behind him after a few hours of flying and avoiding patrolling Riders and Dragon Slayers. "She's going to land about 5 miles from it to avoid magicians and Riders. We'll have to travel by foot after that." Aiden explained. "We should probably work on a cover story in case we get stopped by soldiers." He immediately proposed, knowing that if they screwed up, well, they would be screwed.

[Tismri]

She stared warily at the stranger, wondering what he was doing here. His initial greeting gave her caution, but he had something to tell her. Some information...she was so starved for it, wanting to know who she was.
She scowled slightly in frustration when he how much she had forgotten. "Everything!" she growled, her hand tightening around the book in her hand. "I cannot remember a bloody thing beyond almost a week ago. First thing I know is I was standing beside a creek without anything else in my mind. Then Romulus and Tristan and Teodora all came along and started panicking as if it were the end of the world, which it seems to have been because I seem to be a queen. And how can I rule a nation without knowing anything about it?" She looked down, and was tempted to throw the book across the tent. The only thing that stayed her was that it was all she really had of Rom. She looked back up at the stranger curiously. Did he know a way to bring back her memories? She was desperate, but very cautious. He had seemed surprised, not knowing her condition initially.
"Yes," she told him. "I do want to regain what I have lost."
~~~~~
Karliah kept her eyes closed the entire journey. She had never ridden on dragonback before, and it left her dizzy and unsettled. She very much preferred keeping her feet on the ground. She never even really enjoyed riding horses and only used them when she was on the run. She had feet for a reason.
She nodded when Aiden mentioned that they would reach Uru'baen within the hour. She thought over what sort of story they might tell.
"You're my brother, and we are here to attend the wedding of a friend," she said. They were close enough in age to easily pass for siblings. She glanced at Tento, who had her eyes closed and was whispering to herself. "I'm not sure what to do about Ten. She may have to come in seperate from us."

[Max452]

Sidhion watched with little reaction at Tenel Ka exclaimed her frustration. His mind was whirling with theories of how the Queen Mother had lost her identity. The situation reminded him of Kyler; a thin smile creased his lips. Feeling vulnerable at the small sight of affection, Sidhion's smile vanished as his mind reverted back to Tenel Ka. "You can remember nothing at all?" He muttered as she continued her little rant. Two things could only have caused this to occur: she suffered from trama to the head or someone had caused it. Either way, the problem didn't matter only the solution. His thoughts gathered around the Emeralds. A part of him just wanted to dismantle this tent until he could locate them all for his own purposes, but his promise to Tismri kept him in place. I will give them Time. He reminded himself.

Tenel Ka's determined statement stayed Sidion's mind on her. "You have the solution in this very tent, Queen Mother." His eyes darted around. "Although, I cannot sense their exact location, the Emeralds are indeed nearby." He told her nonchantlantly. "Have your cousin explain the Emeralds to you; for I must depart quickly. However, I can tell you this: you alone can wield them; to my own folly, I have come to realize this. Collect them all and recite this spell. He proceeded to speak in the Ancient language of a spell he concoted himself. He paused halfway, realizing that she may not even know what he was saying. He sighed out of the troublesome annoyance that this situation had caused. His eyes caught sight of parchment and a quill. He elegantly wrote the spell down and then handed it to her. "Again, once you have collected all 7 (?) Emeralds, you will have the power to regain what is lost to you; recite this spell, but be warned, magic can be a fickle thing if your mind wavers from what you desire. When you reach the moment of truly wanting to regain your memories - you must want it will every fiber of your being, or there will be consequences." He warned her before motioning to leave. He paused by the tent flap, before addressing her once more. "I also suggest that you speak to your dragon - he will know where you've hidden the Emeralds and the spell to reveal them. And as a final gift for you, Queen Mother, I shall tell you where two of the Emeralds you seek are located: in Illeria you will find that the King possesses two." And with that, Sidhion felt satisfied. "Use the Emeralds wisely, Queen Mother, or I will take them from you." His eyes were intense and deadly, but they relaxed when Tismri came to his mind again. "Only Time will tell..." He muttered aloud as he escaped into the night, disappearing from the Varden camp with a heavy heart.

***
Aiden nodded to Karliah's plan. Her idea sounded solid to him; it wasn't an unnatural occurance for families to travel together. However, he did have an uncomfortable feeling of having Tento separate from them; their chances of survival would be higher, much to Aiden's reluctance.

Ten can you disguise yourself as a human? I would feel that Aiden will keep himself in place if you will play as his betrothed. Lenora's voiced her opinion, of course, that would also mean Aiden would have a more troubled time to enact his own plans.
Aiden gawked and started to protest. "WHAT?" He yelled out against the wind.

[Tismri]

She stared at the elf, latching onto his every word. Emeralds? What was he talking about? He indicated that Tristan would know of them, as would Caedus. Why did they keep this from her, especially if it would help to restore her memories? She looked around the tent, wondering where she could have hidden them. They must be well hidden indeed if they were as powerful as the elf claimed.
Questions were about to burst from her mouth, but the stranger was gone before any of them came. Her mind turned to Tristan and immediately she burned with anger. She stood and marched out of the tent, making her way to her cousin's. Entering, she located Tristan, grabbed a fistful of his tunic, and slammed him to the floor.
"How dare you?!" she demanded. Her gray eyes were like a wild thunderstorm, and her glare was like lightning bolts. "We had something this entire time that might be able to restore my mind and you never told me? Why?! What are the Emeralds, and why did you keep them a secret from me?"
~~~~~
Ten's eyes remained closed in concentration. She had already been working on changing her appearance to resemble a human. However, she was unused to working magic in this way, and it was taking a lot of work from her. She was nearly done--all she had left to do was change her eyes from their elven cat-like slants to something more round and straight, when she heard Lenora's suggestion.
"What?!" she asked at the same time Aiden did. She glanced over at him. They could barely stand to be with each other. How could they ever pretend as if they were betrothed. She didn't even know how humans generally acted toward their mates. However, Lenora had seemed certain that this would be a good plan. She glared back at Aiden with her still-slanted eyes--a very odd sight on her otherwise human-like face--and said, "Fine. I'll do it, if only for the sake of the mission. You humans come up with the oddest ways to perform reconnaissance."

[Max452]

OOC: uh oh...Tristan's in trouubbbblllleeee! lol

Needless to say, Tristan was stressed. He was gazing over a map of Uru'baen trying to figure out a tactic plan to invade. The citidal was hardpressed for attacks, that was for sure. Tired, Tristan rubbed the nape of his neck. He was disturbed from his thoughts when he heard his tent flap open ruthlessly. He gazed up, tensed and hand darting to the pommel of his sword. He blinked, spotting his cousin marching up to him. He gulped; she was not happy.

The next thing Tristan recalled was an erupting pain in his back and his cousin screaming down at him. When did he end up on his back? He blinked again, his eyes trying to focus and understand Tenel Ka's words. At the word Emeralds, Tristan eyes grew wide. How did she find out about them? He gazed up at her, a surprised shock slapped on his face as she seethed at him. "They're dangerous, Tenel Ka." His voice came out as a squeak, dismaying his attempt to sound strong and confident. "Tenal Ka...can you let me up, please?" He glanced down at her fist, which was pinning him to the ground. She may have forgotten herself, but she still retained the strength of her bond. "I...can't...breathe...properly..." He wheezed. "Let me explain." He added with another squeak.

***
Thank you, Ten; it will be very helpful. And Aiden, Lenora's pleased voice directed itself at Aiden for all to hear, I expect you to treat her well; I won't be there to protect either of you. Tento's strength and skills will be a good substitute. She informed them all as she glided to a stop.

Aiden huffed, irritated at the plan. "I'm digging an early grave." Aiden muttered. He then felt Lenora land softly in a secluded area. "Why must we do this?"
We are stronger together, and as I won't be there to keep you from doing something reckless, Ten and Karliah must. Lenora replied with ease as she lowered herself for all to get down.
Aiden huffed again. "Fine, but don't expect me to kiss her in public!" Aiden replied with a slight blush, whether from anger or embarrasment, was hard to distinguish from Lenora's point of view.
Are you planning to kiss her in private then? Lenora teased Aiden's omission as she directed one of her yellow eyes at him.
Aiden's blush grew redder. "ABSOLUTELY NOT!" He yelled out and hopped off quickly.

[Tismri]

"Dangerous?" she asked in a biting tone. "We're in the middle of a war camp, about to go to battle against a powerful, magical madman and none of us are likely to survive, and you refused to tell me about this important asset because they're dangerous?" When Tristan started complaining about being unable to breathe, she released him and stalked away, sitting in a chair. There, she glared at him.
"All right, start explaining. And it better be good or I swear I will never trust you again."
~~~~~
Tento finished reforming her face just as Lenora landed. She found herself glad that she was short for an elf, which made her about average height for a female human. It made her less likely to stand out in a crowd. She would have to be careful not to get angry with Aiden, though. The smallest punch would be sure to completely blow her cover.
As she jumped off the dragon's back, she felt a slight disorentation. With all her facial features altered, she felt and perceived things strangely. She stared at Aiden in surprise when he mentioned kissing her. Then she crossed her arms and glanced outside at the sky.
"I'm certain there won't be any sort of occasion that would call for that," she sniffed. She hoped this mission would be over quickly. "There are going to be a few clouds tonight."

Karliah took care in dismounting from Lenora. She was more than happy to have her feet back on the ground. As the dragon spoke, Karliah looked at her.
"I'll do my best to keep all of us safe," she promised, knowing Lenora was entrusting her Rider's well-being to her and Ten. They were all going to have to look out for each other on this mission.

[Max452]

Tristan scrambled to his feet once Tenel Ka permitted him. He adjusted his tunic and said nothing as he gathered his thoughts. He wandered over to the table, leaning over it, but gazing at nothing in particular.
"The Emeralds wield immense power, but also immense temptation, cousin." He spoke softly. "I didn't tell you about them because no one should know about them." He sighed. "Everyone wants to use them for their own gain; you've been attacked before by a crazed elf and the mad king of this land also wants them for himself. We've been searching to obtain all of them so we can bring them back to Ismalia...but, a part of me just wishes to let them vanish." He finally looked at her. "I did what I thought best, cousin. I just wanted to protect you from them." He sighed, knowing he had not explained to her what the emeralds were exactly. "The Emeralds....each possess ulimited power, which grants us, Ismalians, who are usually incapable of using magic, the ability to do so without any problems. Each of them are unique; they have the ability to draw out desires and urges that one would not normally act upon, unless one has the Green Emerald, which negates the desires from the other emeralds." He moved to sit down on a nearby chair. "This is why, I did not tell you about them; they are unsafe and unpredicatable. I've been searching for them since your..." he paused, searching for a proper term, "incapacity to do so and have received some clues, however, I'm not too sure what good it will do once we gather them all together...I usually didn't pay attention to you when you tried to tell me." He grinned sheepishly. "Caedus is more familiar with them because he shared your thoughts..." He hinted. "And on the matter of you regaining your memories about them...well, I'm not so sure if that is possible...I know they have immense power, but I don't know any spells or ways to use the emeralds...and quite frankly, I don't trust them." He paused, having realized something. "Who told you that the Emeralds existed?" His eyebrows scrunched up. Surely it was not Romulus...that Ranger wasn't around to give her privy to that information.

***
"I sure hope not!" Aiden replied to Tento quickly as he gathered their things to travel into the city.
Be safe, my friends, and look after one another...and Aiden...control your temper. Lenora reminded him as a mother would a child. If anything goes wrong, I am coming in there and getting you all out. The dragon let out a threatening steam from her nostrils.

"We'll be fine." Aiden assured rebelliously as he slung his backpack on his shoulders. "All right...let's go!" He declared, wanting to get this mission over with.