"I'm going to need a new dress."

-She sighed and pulled the dagger and strap to her thigh so it was hidden, and went to go pick up the bundle of wood again.-

"Hmmm....What's this?"

-a piece of wood caught Ari's attention. It was long and thin, with an irregular fat end. It looked like a sword to her. Picking it up, she twirled it aroung in one hand. A smile crossed her lips as she jabbed at the air.-

"Still got it!"

-Her skill with a sword was astounding for a girl her age, whom didn't seem like the violent type. She struck invisible enemies, with alot of force. Something came over her, and her cheerful face turned into a snarl. Everything, the building, the people, they all disappeared from her mind. A ship, very familiar to her, manifested itself around her. It was the last place she saw her parents, the last place she felt freedom. Big, burly men, were all around her, attacking the crew members. They were pirates. Without much thought, Ari'kylal began slicing the wooden sword through them.-

"You killed My Parents!!!"

-Tears streamed down her face. Thousands of men came charging at her, and Ari cut them all down. It was all so real to her. She wanted them all dead. The feeling tingled in her bones.-

"You stole my life!!!!"

-The tears rushed like cascades. The memory was so painful. She swung the sword around, and the tip came inches away from and unknowen women's neck. The keep came wooshing back to her. People were standing around her, concerned looks on their faces.-

"Oh!! My heavens! I am so sorry!"

-She dropped the wood, and fell to her knees, the tears still running down her face.-

Up on the battlements, Keth was standing with her day Sergeant. She was very happy to see that Gaela had returned with the calvalry but did not feel any pressing need to be down there with them. A little fuzzyheaded from the dreams that she had that night, Keth was trying to remember what they were when it hit her. Feeling turmoil rolling off someone, a strenght of which was astounding to her, Keth lept off the walls and set off at a dead sprint, following the emotional trail.

She arrived at the lodge to see a woman brandishing a stick like a sword. "You killed My Parents!!!"

The other woman was obviously distraught, the source of the emotional call. Keth moved in, intent upon snapping the woman out of the spell she was is. "You stole my life!!!!" The other woman swung the sword around, and the tip came inches away from Keth's neck. As the other woman snapped back into herself and started to apologize, Keth gently took the stick from her hands. Giving the gathered crowd THE LOOK, she waited til they dispearsed before guiding the other woman down to the ground where they both could sit and talk. "Now I think you and I need to talk. My name is Captain Kethryverris, by the way, and I can help you, I think."

-Ari crossed her legs, and wiped the tears from her eyes. She took a deep breath and forced a smile towards the other woman.-

"My name is Ari'kylal, Ari for short. I am truly sorry, I do not know what came over me. I was just resting, and I found this stick, which looked like a sword to me. I was just seeing if I could still hold a sword like I used to, and the place came back to me."

-She rubbed her temples with two fingers, and tried to calm herself as much as she could. She was utterly embarrassed about her behaviour, and hoped she didn't hurt anybody-

Sensing the other woman's embarrassment, Keth smiled sympathetically. "Well, since I am here now, why don't you tell me what this "place" is? If you talk about it, it may help some."

-She looked up, and into the Captain's eyes. She hadn't told anyone, and it was killing her inside. She opened her mouth and the story just came spilling out..-

"I was 16 at the time. My father was a duke, and my mother was finally blessed with another child. We were on a small trade boat, returing from a successful trade discussion across the waters. I was engaged in talk with my Mother, when all of a sudden, a ship appeared out of thin air, right beside our little boat. Men were jumping from the ship onto our deck. They began attacking the crew members..." -she closed her eyes...remembering it all again..- "My father came out of his chambers to see what the commotion was, and they instantly killed him. I remember my scream, I remember feeling helpless. Men had grabbed my arms, and were tieing my hands behind my back. 'Don't take her, she is with child, she is useless to us.' Came from my left," -Ari tilted her head to the right, so her left ear was more exposed. It seemed as if she could hear it.- " and a sword was shoved into my mother's back. Again, another scream escaped from my lips. It was horrible, in a matter of moments, my whole life was destroyed." -tears rolled down her cheeks again...- "I was loaded onto there ship like cargo. I began screeching, and the man watching me, told me to be quiet. I did not, and he hit me over the head, knocking me out. When I woke up, I was in a cage. Little did I know, I was going to be subjected to 5 years of torment." -She opened her eyes with a jolt..and shook her head.- "I was a slave. I was not allowed to look people in the eye, I wasn't allowed to eat more than one time a day, and only little scraps, and left overs from dinner the night before, I barely got sleep. I was brought down from a life, where I got whatever I wanted, to a life a fighting with the other slaves for rotton cheese."

-She wiped the tears from her eyes again, and looked at the other woman. She had just met her, but she just revealed her deepest, darkest secret. She felt a bit better already.-

"I was taught how to use a sword, by a fellow slave, whom was a knight before he was captured, and using that skill, I escaped from my torture. I changed my name, and wandered throughout the land."

As Ari told her story, Keth took the woman's emotions regarding the whole sordid afair and begain to unknot them. Feelings that she herself was very intimate with; guild, dispair, hatred. As she worked in her half tranced state, she was able to inplant into Ari's mind more positive emotions and to put some distance between Ari and the memory, just enough so that it was still Ari's but also so that she would, in time, be able to view it dispassionatly.

To do more than this, all Keth did really was to start the healing process, she would need permission from Ari and she would need Ari to be in full trance. When she finished with what she could do, she smiled at Lady Ari and asked, "Is that a little better?"

-Ari smiled slightly...she definatly felt better..She really didn't understand how, but she was glad.-

"Yes, I do. Thank you, for listening."

-She still missed her parents deeply, and she knew she would forever, but she was glad to get it off her chest.-

"That's what I do." Keth smiled an easy smile which slowly faded as she felt something stir. Something was not...no...not right at all. The feelings grew louder and louder and Keth was driven to her feet, not understanding this at all. As the feelings intensified quickly, the noise became audible, growing louder and louder and more and more dissonent.

Confused and in a lot of pain, Keth attempted to raise shields against the noise. Doing that was a huge mistake, she quickly dropped her shields and clamped her hands over her ears in an attempt to shut the noise out. Falling to her knees, she could feel synapses in her brain almost sizzle, like they were on sensory overload. She screamed, the sound lost amonst the racket, as blood began to slowly flow from her nose...

-Ari was a bit confused when Keth stood up so abruptly. A shrill noice screached in her ears, causing a searing pain. She clasped her hands over her ears and curled up in the fetal position on the ground. Her closed eyelids could not hide the glow of electric blue light. She clasped her ears tighter, ripping at her hair. She screamed silently. The noise seemed to go on forever...-

Just as soon as Keth was starting to pass out from the pain, the noise stopped. Feeling her head reel, she lurched to her feet and wobbled over to help Ari. "Are you okay?" Keth asked, concerned about Ari, but, as always duty came first and she knew what that sound meant, even if no one else did. The King and Queen were gone...mayhaps forever...and that was an alarm to let the Keep know. That was the message built into the noise and she could her it because she was an empath but she doubted non mages and non empaths would unless they were keyed in. "I have got to go report in. Do you want to come with me or shall I find a doctor and send them to you."

-The noise stopped, and Ari slowly uncurled herself from the little ball she was in. The sound of Keth's voice played faintly in her head. She groaned.-

"Aye, I am fine."

-She took sometime to stand up and brush herself off. What was that?... She thought Why is Keth so urgent to leave now...what did it mean... Ari was so confused, maybe accompanying Keth would get her some answers..-

"If ye do not mind, I would like to come with ye."

"Let's go then. We have go to find First Knight Luther and we have to do it now." Keth said grimly. "Something very bad just happened and we need Sir Luther, Second and Danzerhi for sure. Hopefully, they will be somewhere nearby." With that, Keth started walking in the direction that she had last seen Luther.