Chryseth Keenblaze

(Ashrien tracks down Jelleneth; she's hunting with Jessian in Un'goro. He tails them for a while, not wanting to interrupt whatever it is they're about, until she comes to find him.)

Ashrien is uneasily alert... and Verity's preening himself in what seems to be annoyance. Tailflick flick preen. The birdypony looks up at Jell's approach, though, and immediately loses a bit of his ill humor. Ash just smiles tightly and waves a hand in greeting.

Ashrien: Don't want to interrupt nothin', love.

Jelleneth frowns as Eclipse sets down and begins preening her own feathers daintily, blood from her dinner still shining on her talons. "You're not," Netha says, softly, eyes on Ash's face, questioning.

Ashrien lets Verity sidle closer. "All right. Good. Didn' want, you know. Jess all right?"

Jelleneth glances back toward the crater. "He's fine. Packing some of the meat from our kill to bring back to the ship." A pause. Headtilt. "Are you alright?"

Ashrien nods, but there's that tension in his eyes and ears that contradicts. "We're fine. Just had a little visitor is all. Lost my taste for solitude, I s'pose."

Jelleneth's eyes widen and she leans a bit toward him, unconsciously. Eclipse takes a step forward, head twisting back to look at her mistress.

Ashrien reaches out to steady Netha. A soothing noise for the birds -- Verity seems calm enough though, and is rather mollified by the good company. "We're all right," he says again. "Watchin' the frayfeathers, interrupted by a rude man in a dress."

Jelleneth glances around almost as though she expects a magister to materialize near them now. "Was it...?"

Ashrien nods. "It was." His hand sneaks over to touch hers. "I might've made him angry, but I dunno what else -- Light, Netha, nothin' good ever comes of a fellow like him wantin' to talk to me privately."

Jelleneth takes the hand and gives it a squeeze, eyes distant and worried. "How did he even find you out there?"

Ashrien shrugs. "S' a good question. I'm half of a mind to get rid of all my kit and tack, just in case... you know."

Jelleneth frowns more at that suggestion. "But how would he have...? And when?" A shake of the head and a quiet sigh, pulling herself back to task. "Did he say anything?"

Ashrien squeezes her hand. "Said a bit but nothin' very useful. Just this was apparently his try at doin' things the nice way." He smiles wryly. "And that he's not looking to give me a job now or anytime in the near future, which -- which ain't reassuring."

Jelleneth: But no clue at all what he actually does want with you?

Ashrien shakes his head. "Not a blessed one. Mind, I didn't really ask. Never pays to ask questions anyhow, just lets em know they've got information you want." He sounds rather gloomy at this and looks away, ears wilting.

Jelleneth sighs, disgustedly. "Half a mind to just go hammer on the slimy git's door and demand a few answers." She shakes her head, lips twisting in an almost-smile. "Would work if he were a dwarf."

Ashrien returns to petting Verity. "Yeah, well, it'd work if he weren't a slimy git. As it is, I think he was just... wantin' to tick off 'tried to have pleasant face-to-face conversation with scum' from his checklist of Things to Do Before Trying Torture."

Ashrien: I s'pose a simple conversation's beyond the likes of him.

Jelleneth frowns again and reaches a hand out, laying it on Ash's shoulder. "Alright." She says softly. "Well then. First thing. None of us are going anyplace alone for a while. I'll let the crew know. And Chry."

Ashrien looks uneasy but he nods and lets Verity move closer -- the two birds are going to end up shoulder-to-shoulder if Eclipse doesn't object. "I half think I shoulda jus'... saved you all so much trouble an' just gone with him. MInd -- mind, I never think like that til the moment's well past. Perhaps it's all to the good."

Jelleneth moves her hand to his cheek. "Wouldn't have saved us anything at all. And you know it." Eclipse takes advantage of the closeness to flick, flick, flick her tail in Verity's direction while looking the other way.

Ashrien sighs and gives her hand a soft nuzzle. "I dunno, depends on -- f' I were dead before any of you could get to me." He cracks a smile. Verity takes Eclipse's head-tilt as perhaps invitation to groom her and leans cautiously closer.

Jelleneth's voice stays soft, but suddenly goes deadly serious. "Even if you were dead, love... even dead dead... Do you imagine for one moment that I would ever leave your body in the hands of a man like that?"

Ashrien gives her another smile, this one just tired and sad. "He might not have any use for me once I'm dead. Might turn my remains over quite happily for burial. I dunno. I dunno what he wants." Verity flickflicks his tail at Eclipse and tries a gentle feathernibble.

Jelleneth's eyes harden, shoulder's stiffening. "Wouldn't matter. Not for him. He'd still be a dead man walking. Or I would be joining you in that grave." Eclipse, seemingly oblivious to her mistress' anger, streeeetches casually away from nibbles.

Ashrien glances away. He looks... uncomfortable. For a few moments he doesn't speak, just soothingly smooths Verity's neckfeathers down. The 'gryph shifts away from Eclipse (wasn't interested in grooming you anyway!). "Well now." And he says nothing more.

Jelleneth sighs and runs a hand through her hair. Eclipse reacts to that sound at least, craning her neck back and offering a questioning little warble. Her tail, meanwhile, flick flick flicks at Verity again.

Ashrien reaches back out to Netha, fingers brushing along her wrist unless she's as touchy as her mount. "I s'pose I'm just used to thinkin' in terms of -- the nobs do what they want, and we... endure if we must, mostly ignore em elsewise. But you're... not his social equal, no, but you've got ways to..." He gestures, still uncomfortable.

Ashrien: If he were harassin' you, you could approach him. Noble to noble. I'm not nearly on that plane.

Jelleneth isn't touchy at all. She leans into the touch, tension in her shoulders and ears relaxing a bit. Her eyes, when she turns to look at him, have softened again. "He is harassing me, love. He's threatening my husband, after all."

Ashrien: But it ain't the same. Oh, sure, he went after Jess indirectly. But he wouldn' be nearly so cavalier about sendin' a mercenary out to collar a nobleman, then try to have a threatening one-on-one chitchat without...

Ashrien gestures again and hunches a bit in the saddle. Verity twists around to look at him, more concerned with his master than with the teasing girl-pony at his side.

Jelleneth gives him a soft smile, hand moving to brush his hair back from his cheek. "We're not in Silvermoon anymore, love. Not in Quel'thalas. The rules are different out here. He's going to learn that. Learn it painfully if he ever comes near you again."

Ashrien nods but he doesn't look entirely convinced. "I s'pose. You know, I'm half tempted to go turn myself in to the guard? So he can't have that hanging over my head. I mean, I don' think I ever did anything so awful that they'd... Mnh. Why can't a war hero live in peace?" He smiles but there's a pained edge to his voice.

Jelleneth draws her hand back. "No. I think that would be a bad idea on many levels. Not the least of which is that I think that Jess is roght on this one. Our man does not want to make this affair public knowledge. All of his indirect tactics back that up."

Jelleneth: I don't think he'll call the guard on you, because I don't think he wants to have to publically acknowledge an interest in you. But...

Jelleneth hesitates.

Ashrien waits. He's good at waiting. Petpetpet her hand?

Jelleneth tilts her head at him, speaking softly. "He's not your only enemy. Nor the sole person who might be interested in knowing your whereabouts, or that you were still around. If there were something as public as a trial..." She strokes Eclipse's neck, frowning.

Ashrien: There might not even be that. I -- it depends on what all they've got on me, I s'pose. I feel like what I ought to be doin' is finding some nobleman of my own, some powerful fellow -- an' I love him, but Jess ain't powerful. His recent troubles highlight that well enough, hm? But if I had allies... it'd...

Ashrien shrugs.

Jelleneth headtilts at him. "There's Torian. If you think you could trust him. And I have a few... contacts. Of sorts. Not elves. But still capable of throwing some influence around. Or just some thugs to of our own if we wanted to make things sticky for him."

Ashrien shakes his head. "Torian ain't the kind of elf I'd ever be able to count as an ally. There might be times he'll use me, an' I can use him right back. But it ain't the same. There's a difference between... bein' used and bein' seen as useful."

Jelleneth nods. "Other avenues then. I think that might be better, all told. Hitting him in his own arena, where he has power and influence and a head start on us? Not a safe proposition."

Jelleneth: But he's already shown us that he's clumsy and sloppy in dealing with things outside of that sphere. I think that's the best position to attack from. If we want to attack.

Ashrien hesitates again. He pets Netha's hand and finally slips his fingers in hers. "The kid and I had some ideas," he murmurs finally, but he seems very uncomfortable again. A sidelong look.

Jelleneth leans back a bit in the saddle, getting comfy, and just waits.

Ashrien gives her a wry smile. "Do you want to hear about it?"

Jelleneth smiles back. "I do. Might even have some ideas of my own to add. And Jess had a few as well. That was... mostly what we talked about." Her eartips pinken a bit.

Ashrien looks kind of pleased by that. Pleased and embarrassed, but mostly pleased. "Don't want to be takin' your fun time an' makin' it all about me," he murmurs. "But it's touching you both, you know." That's said without the slightest trace of irony.

Ashrien: If he ends up wantin' to meet with the kid, we thought maybe we could get something in an area that's friendly to us but fairly neutral to take him to. With allies of mine there. Sit him down an' ask him what the fel he wants an' all. But that'd be if...

Ashrien shrugs. "If he's interested enough in the kid to take the bait. Which is questionable."

Jelleneth nods. "That's not a bad plan. Where were you thinking?"

Ashrien pets her hand some more. "Crusader's Pinnacle in the north. Hearthglen. Light's Hope. The kid was all for Acherus, he's most cozy there, but I ain't him."

Jelleneth stiffens slightly at the name and then forces herself to relax again. "No. And I don't think having the rest of us on edge through the meeting would be helpful in the least. I mean... more on edge tha we're already likely to be."

Ashrien gives her hand a comforting squeeze. "I wouldn' mind a visit to the North. See some old friends an' all. But -- but I don' want to interrupt our building for selfish frivolity."

Jelleneth laughs, shaking her head. "Hardly selfish, love. Wouldn't be even if we were just heading up there for a visit and not for a chance to resolve this whole mess."

Ashrien hmphs. "Got a house to build. Fel, got a hippogryph roost to build -- f' Verity has his way, we'll need that long before we need a nursery. But I guess we could get the kid to take us sometime?"

Jelleneth nods again, smiling and giving Eclipse another friendly pat on the neck. "Whenever you like, love. I think.. I think I could use a few days in the north myself. In Sholozar. To hunt and relax and just.. be. I owe Moodle some fruit anyway."

Ashrien: Reckon Jess'd mind comin' along?

Jelleneth seems surprised by the question, but not displeased by it. "Can't see why he would. I know he has.. issues with the North. But I think it was issues with being in 'Hellscream's Army' more than with the land itself."

Ashrien smiles. "Good, good. We can have a family outing. Maybe steal Seldorin away from the kid for a bit. An' Ilthus, of course, f' he wants."

Jelleneth perks up a bit at the suggestion. "I don't think Dori's ever been to Northrend. Not even to Dalaran. Our parents tried to keep him away from the worst of the politicking when he was younger and Dalaran was always a hotbed for that, even before the War."

Ashrien's smile broadens. "I ain't sayin' he needs to get away from the books and into some fresh air, but I do think spendin' some time with his siblings'd be pleasant. Though with Magister Assface's Dalaran connections, I don' think I'd spend time in the city myself. The Pinnacle's close by though, an' I'm more than welcome there. Or there's campin' somewhere cozy. If we wanted to overnight."

Jelleneth: I think I'd like to go to Sholazar for the overnight. The Oracles would open a hut for us if we needed. And we'd be undisturbed for the most part, save for curious hatchlings wanting stories.

Ashrien brightens. "I could tell a few."

Jelleneth smiles fondly. "I'm looking forward to it already."

Ashrien squeezes her hand again. "You know jus' how to cheer a fellow up. Maybe we should make a visit entirely unrelated to anythin' with our good friend. In case he's watchin' us, it'll seem less odd we're in Northrend then if we've gone before for no reason."

Jelleneth smiles, eartips pinkening at the praise. "I certainly wouldn't mind that. Just give me a few days to get things in order and do some baking, hmm?"

Ashrien grins. "All right. I'll send word to the boys in the North, see if there's anythin' I can bring with me. Ain't as bad as it was during the war for em, but there might still be, you know, trifles they'd appreciate."