Visiting the Golden Library. (Smelling the sites)

Artimus and Jade rode into town, side by side on their horses. He wished he had Azure back. This horse was well behaved, but not as comfortable as his old faithful companion was.

They reached the stables and dismounted. Artimus pulled the cloak around himself, putting the hood up over his face. He breathed in deep. Ah yes, that smell was still there.

He had used to joke that Draco had a funny smell. It did, to his nose anyway. It smelt of magic.

They headed off together, through the streets. He wondered if Jade was surprised he knew exactly where he was going.

They reached the Golden Library and he stopped short outside.
There was a memorial plaque, dedicated to those who lost their lives defending the city. He took a moment to read through the list, a lump in his throat as he recognized so many names. He had expected to find Indis' name there of course. But he stopped short at the number of people he had called friend who also appeared on the list.
Sheldon Beam.
Herbert Glom.
Susan Montebanc.
Halford, Mostin, Treguard, Trenton, Trevor, Wodwick.

He knew them all. Hell, he'd trained 3 of them personally, and still owed Sheldon several hundred gold coins due to a bet they had had.
He glanced over at his daughter, fighting back tears. He knew they would have died fighting. Sheldon and Susan especially. He had to be brave for his daughter's sake.

Her name is near the top look.
It really hit home that she was gone.
Duchess Indis Blake. He paused. Duchess?
She.. was a Duchess? Oh lord, was it that he had been wrong all these years, and Draco wasn't the curse, but him? Was HE the curse on women?

~she tied her cloak around her neck after hopping off the horses. She followed her father. You could feel the magic about the place it was alittle strange to her.~
"You must have been here alot in the past... you seem to know your way..." ~she said as the walked along.~

~she stopped as she saw the library a big knot in her stomach. She then saw the plaque her father was looking at and she read the names. tears formed in her eyes seeing her mothers name. She had forgotten she was made a dutchess. ~


"Her name is near the top look.
It really hit home that she was gone.
Duchess Indis Blake. He paused. Duchess?
She.. was a Duchess? "

"Yeah she was to actually help that um dragon guy..i forgot his name... in the cape...she was only here cause of one of those fancy parties."

~laying on the table she takes form as she hears people talking outside of the library she moves to the outside wall. the voices sounding familiar...~

"Could it be.. Jade..." ~she waited and listened against the wall.~

He looked at her.
Kharne. He bit back the usual line about him being unmistakeable, being about yea high and sort of dragon shaped. She clearly knew who he was already.
Duchess of.. Cape Salarain? he gave a small whistle. Things had certainly changed since he'd left. He wondered for a moment whatever happened to the Farstrider boys.
Let's go in, see how.. things are... he was hard not to make the lump in his throat appear in his voice.

"Yeah Kharne that was his name. I haven't met him yet she just talked about him in letters to me." she looked at her father.

"Well I think it was the queen trusting her to help kharne out the most out of some around."

~she took a deep breath as he mentioned going in.~

"um..ok..."

~she heard the voices moving she moved about the library basement area where they had kept most of it the same from the accident as a reminder. She paced alittle it was awhile since someone had come into the library.. or that she actually could talk to...she swore one sounded like jade..but there was a male with her... but who.. as she paced around she without realizing knocked over a chair and the sound went thru the whole library.~

He froze at the sound of something moving, and instantly went into alert guard mode.
His left hand dropped to the hilt of his sword, fastened on his belt, but he didn't draw it just yet. With his right hand he indicated to Jade, and crouched down low.
He slowly moved around the perimeter of the inside of the building, moving past shelves, heading towards the stairs, where the sound had come from.
As he approached, he moved to the side, glancing around to look down. He couldn't see anything moving down there.

He glanced back to Jade, indicating she should go around to the other side of the stairs.

~hearing the sound she ducked and looked around she saw her father go into guard mode as she leaned down and took out her dagger from her boot. and she nodded seeing his signals as she went to the other side of the stairs.~

~she moved closer to the stairs to see if she could see them. she noticed the male.. and froze for a brief moment. ~

"was that..." she thought to herself.

~she then moved to a mist and left a small trail back toward the memorial in the basement. as she picked up the chair she knocked over before the sounds of it being straighten.~

Glancing down the stairs, he blinked. He could have sworn that chair had been lying down a moment ago. Someone was down there.

He spoke with an air of authority, the old voice used so many times in the Throne room whenever revellers started to get out of hand and needed to be calmed down.
Alright whoever you are. Show yourself and no harm will come to you.

He moved from his position to stand in front of the stairs, knowing his outline would be sillhouted to the person down there. Left hand on hilt, cloak pulled back and moving gently behind him. He stood in position, the old moves coming back to him. That old pose, his famous one. There weren't many guard who drew their swords left-handed.

~Hearing the voice again...she had to know... she moved to the bottom of the stairs. she made herself to be seen not completely solid but you could tell it was indis.~

"Well.. I doubt any harm could come to me anymore.." She looked up she knew that pose... that stand...She could believe her eyes...

~very softly so he and her could only hear..~ " My captain..."

~she stayed back from the stairs some knowning he would signal if it was safe... she didn't like being in here... just knowing this was the last place...~

His pose collapsed as his left arm dropped to hang limply at his side, his mouth gaping open.

Indy? He flicked his eyes to Jade, then back down the stairs, slowly starting to descend.

Is it.. really?

~she looks herself over~ " Yes its me well.. most of me..is it really you?... you came back..."

~she watches him as he comes down the stairs and she backs up alittle.~

~she softly speaks outloud~ " Is it possible that am seeing things..."

~she tilted her head as he looked back at her and she stayed put. Not sure what to do but places the dagger back into her boot. and she waited for an all clear or some sign.~

His voice is that soft, warm, velvety tone.

Yes, it IS me. I came back. I came back for you. But you.. she told me you... Indis. We have a daughter! He knew she would have known about Jade. She gave birth to her, but the way he said it, almost telling her as in disbelief.
He was in shock. He thought she was dead. THEY thought she was dead; they put her name on a plaque!

How? was all he could manage.

~she laughed softly at his excitement of the news of Jade~

~she moved closer to him looking lovingly at him~

"It was a few days after all this..." ~she pointed behind her where they had left things from the accident alone.~
"that I realized I was still here well... as much as I can be...~she faded out for a moment and faded back in to show him~

"I couldn't leave...I failed everyone.. Jade... You... the kingdom.." ~she took a breath out of old habit.~

He reached out a hand, his fingers shaking, reaching out to stroke the side of her face.

No, you didn't fail anyone. I did that. I shouldn't have left.

He was really fighting to hold back the tears now.

~she leaned into the touch she had figured out on to make herself mostly solid so when he touch the side of her face it was cool and soft. she brought her hand up to meet his it was cool to the touch.~

"Oh My Captain...You didn't fail...you did what you thought was right at the time...just like...what if i wouldn't of helped...and just ran away.." ~she reached out and touched the side of his face.~ "But I didn't...I couldn't... if I would have reacted faster. I might have saved eveyone... I was bring water to the library from the mote...but when I came up thru the ground.. the building collasped on me... there was little I could do... ~she stepped back and looked down.~

He looked away as she mentioned running away. He still felt ashamed about his decision.

How did the library come to be.. falling down anyway? I heard it was one of the Queens balls, and they usually end in disaster...
He cast his mind back to the last ball he had attended, in Icehold when the pirates had attacked.

Something suddenly tugged at the back of his mind, and he turned away, looking back up the stairs.
Jade, it's safe to come down here.

He looked back at Indis.

I found her. Or rather, she found me. She's got your spirit he smiled.

~when he asked how she looked at him and tilted her head sideways like she used to.~

"It was a surprise attack from chaaran..if i remember correctly.."

~she looked at art surprised~

"She is here?" ~she grinned~

She's guarding the stairway for me. I have to find something for her to do, to stop her chasing men around. He grinned again.
We met in Grorr. I thought she was your sister, and she thought I'd killed her father. he pulled his lopsided grin.
We worked it out in the end.

He held her hand, not realizing how cold it was; he was just happy to find her again.

Come on, let's get out of here. I never want to have to come back to this city again.

~she heard her father call to her.~

~she peeked down the stairs and slowly walked down the steps. this place was making her uncomfortable. When she reached the bottom of the stairs...her mouth dropped as she saw her mother.~

"Mom...?" ~she couldn't believe it. this was overwhelming.. she turned pale and then passed out.~

~she looked over as jade came down she smiled~

"oh!...~seeing her turn pale and passed out.~ "Hon get her... put her on a table over here."

~she moved over to the table.~


~she watched as he placed her on the table.~

"There is only one way I can leave here...~she glanced up into art's eyes.~

His reactions were still razor sharp, and he dropped Indis's hand the second he saw his daughter go pale, moving to her side just a moment too late to stop her falling to the floor.

He picked her up, carefully, put her on the table and looked back to Indis.

What do you mean? We can go. Now, the three of us...