A Most Devious Deception

[Raeilun]

"No, not again, not ever again. As I told you four years ago, i'm done."

The voice of Ilyther Theyla rang as clear in his son's head as it did on that cold morning.

"You'll regret this, Theyla, I swear it", a rough voice growled from the door as it slammed shut.

Darkness.

Raeilun woke from the dream, grimacing as the light from his recently opened window shined on his unadjusted eyes, temporarily blinding him. He stretched, loosing a small growl as he sat up on his cot, listening to the songs of the many birds that greeted him every morning. In a way, he admired the creatures. Though they were small and frail, they had a sense of freedom about them, as if they had no care in the world. Not like the life he had experienced. Firstly, he discovered that he was a second generation werewolf when he was but twelve. As such he found that he had problems controlling his anger, and even had to leave Shim for a time till he learned to control it. Then his father died, leaving the responsibility of supporting the himself and his mother squarely on his shoulders. But such was the burden of growing up, and he did not mind. He gazed at them for a moment longer, then rose to his feet. He put his long silver hair up in a ponytail as he strode over to the shoddy chest that rested at the foot of his cot, and retrieved his black tunic and breeches, as well as the engraved hunting dagger that his father had left him when he passed from this life. Stringing the dagger to his belt, he walked into the living area of the cottage, thinking of all the things he had to do that day.

"Raeilun, my dear!", his mother exclaimed as she looked up from the pieces of a quiver that she was sewing for him. Raeilun grinned at his mother as he walked over to where she was working. Alaesissa Theyla's face brightened as her son embraced her. Though she was not a particularly old elven woman, her face betrayed the deep lines of worry and sorrow that had plagued their family for the two years since her husband died.

"I was beginning to wonder if you would ever wake, or if some assassin had slipped into your room at night and slipped a blade in your neck!", she said as she released her son and went back to her work.

Raeilun gave his mother a devious wink. "Now mother, do you really believe that any man could best The Great Raeilun Theyla?"
"Ha!", his mother huffed, "Perhaps 'The Great Raeilun Theyla' should search for humility before he is bested by his own ego."
Laughing, the young elf rolled his eyes and began to walk to the door when he spied the quiver his mother was working on. Suspicious, he crouched down to investigate. The quiver was just the right length to hold his arrows, and it was dyed a deep black. It was made of a thick cowhide so that a sharp bodkin arrow could not puncture it. The outside of the quiver was laced with fine silver thread and the family mark was engraved on the face of it.
Raeiluns face broke into a grin, revealing his sharp, wolflike fangs as he remembered. Tomorrow was his birthday. He reached out for the quiver, intent on getting a better look at it. He almost had it when he heard a whoosh of air, as if something was being drawn back. He yelped as he instictively ducked and jumped back, narrowly avoiding the stick that his mother had swung at his head.
"Not until tomorrow!", his mother yelled at him as he ran, laughing, towards the door. "I swear, sometimes you make me want to go strike a battlemage square on the nose, just so I won't have to deal with you anymore!"
"Now now, let's not get to excited mother", he said, still laughing, as he slung his old quiver and his oak recurve bow onto his back. "I wouldn't want you to have a heart attack in your old age." No sooner than the words left his mouth, he darted outside the door. Sure enough, he heard a dull thump as something struck the wall just shy of where his head was a half a second earlier. Smiling and still chuckling to himself, he set off to the market in town where he would purchase the supplies he needed for the week of trapping that was ahead of him.

[Kaleb Morrington]

He'd been on the run since he ditched the pixie-girl and the big guy, but finally things seemed to have settled down. Amyrea had said that the guards had given up for now, but warned against going back into Marn at least for a little bit. Grumbling at the information Kaleb moved through the market in shim, wondering if he could find some ass he could pawn these gems off to. He needed the bishani to buy his passage to anywhere but here, but he doubted if he'd find any idiot stupid enough to buy them off him at the price they were worth.

As he meandered he filled his own wallet with the bishani of others, careful not to take too much as that would be noticed. One particular elf seemed pretty thick, walking around with his bow and quiver out in open sight. Amyrea didn't seem to think this was a good idea, but since when was the ghost girl ever right? Reaching over to snag the purse, Kaleb never thought he'd actually be caught.

[Raeilun]

Raeilun meandered through the market in a laxidazical state, browsing the various merchant's goods with little interest. It was the people that he was curious about. The way they moved, the way they talked, the way they thought. Raeilun's gaze lingered on a particularly beautiful hafling girl, when suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Knowing from experience that this was never good, Raeilun whipped around, only to catch a young human's hand reaching out for his purse.
"That's not a good idea", Raeilun growled, showing his fangs.

[Kaleb Morrington]

Well...shit was the only thing that Kaleb could think as he stared at the fanged elf. This wasn't how it was supposed to go...

"Hehehe... sorry mate, man's gotta make a livin' somehow, eh?" Kaleb explained as a way of apology, holding his hands up in a sign of surrender. He smiled, still pretty freaked out from the fangs - obviously this guy could use magic.

"Dun suppose I could... ah... do anything to make you forget we ever met?"

[Raeilun]

"Hmph", Raeilun scoffed. He was fully prepared to strike a blow to the man's jaw, but something seemed odd about this pickpocket. As if he had some kind of abnormal presence hanging off of him like a cloak. Raeilun relaxed his clenched fist and looked the man over with narrow eyes. He wasn't terrible looking, as humans go, but from the look of his clothes and his gaunt, obviously sleep deprived face, he definitely hadn't had a good run in life. Sighing, Raeilun dug a few bishani out of his purse and handed them to the man.
"There, next time don't get caught, or, don't be as foolish to try and steal from a werewolf", he said with a feral grin.

[Kaleb Morrington]

Kaleb grinned back at the newly discovered werewolf, though slightly more discomforted.

"Ahhhhhh... uh thanks mate... I'll uh... keep that in mind..." Kaleb took the coins, smiling before turning and almost running dead-smack into yet another elf.

"Uhhh...?" "You see me human?" Kaleb nodded mutely, causing the elf before him to hum in what Kaleb suspected was relief. "Please, I know you owe me no debt, but please... tell my son that I am here. Ad relay my messages to him." Kaleb inwardly groaned before turning on his heel to look at the werewolf behind him.

"Uh, mate? You may not believe this but your Dad says he wants a little heart-to-heart with you." Kaleb scowled at the coins in his hand, knowing perfectly well this was what was linking him to the ghost. "If ya don't believe me, ask him a question and I'll answer for 'im." Kaleb drawled.

[Raeilun]

Ha. Give an inch and they want a mile, Raeilun thought to himself as he smiled. No doubt he'll ask for more bishani in exchange for 'the answers I seek'.
Deciding to play along, Raeilun thought of something that only three people in the world would know, one of them dead, the other his uncle, and lastly himself.
"Alright thief", Raeilun chuckled. "What is engraved on the blade of my trusty hunting dagger here?" he said, pointing to the sheathed blade as if to scare the thief, should he attempt any more of his tricks.

[Kaleb Morrington]

He clearly didn't believe Kaleb, and really the young thief couldn't blame him. Sighing he turned to the ghost elf who said simply:

"For my brother, Ilyther, whom I love." Kaleb turned and repeated the phase, feeling a little bit smug despite himself. He knew this would hit the elf hard, just as any message beyond the gave hit just about anyone else hard. He knew this ghost-elf was this werewolf's father, but still... the look on his face would be priceless if not for the level of pain he saw in those eyes.

[Raeilun]

"For my brother, Ilyther, whom I love."

The thief's words hit Raeilun like a strike to the face, leaving him speechless. He clenched his fists and uttered a low growl, trying to keep the mix of emotions, anger, mostly, at bay.
"How did you know that, thief?", Raeilun asked, his voice becoming more and more threatening as his darker side battered the defenses of his consciousness.

No one had seen that dagger besides his father, his uncle, and himself. Not even his mother, at least not long enough to notice the tiny enscription at the base of the blade. How could the thief possibly know that? Raeilun had always been skeptical of any sort of 'afterlife', preferring to think that the spirits of the dead passed peacefully into the void, where an eternal slumber awaited them. But maybe....

"How?!", he howled, ignoring the looks and whispers of the townsfolk. He tasted blood in his mouth, and he knew that his already abnormally long fangs were beggining to grow longer and more fierce.

[Kaleb Morrington]

Kaleb was, to say the very least, freaked. He'd seen the pain, but hadn't expected the outburst. Wildly he looked to the father who tightened his jaw. "Little help here mate?" Kaleb whispered. The elf shook his head.

"Give him the truth, for he will smell a lie." Amyrea nodded in agreement. Great, just fucking great... Kaleb gritted his teeth before glancing around at the gathering crowd. They were far too interested in this scene for his liking, some even looked like they wanted to jump into the expected fray. Stupid small-town hics... did he mention he hated small towns?

"Look, man, your Dad told me. I'll tell ya everything just not here. Okay? I dun want the guard after my hide." Kaleb hissed before moving past the crowd and into an alley. Quickly he moved till he was in a more recluse spot before turning and preparing for the worst. Why oh WHY did he have to agree to pass along a message from the beyond to a fucking MAGIC user... stupid fucking...

[Raeilun]

Raeilun squeezed his eyes shut and tried to slow his breathing as the thief quickly walked to the alley, sliding through the crowd like a snake. Raeilun went through the many mental excercises his father had taught him to control his anger, all those years ago in the wilderness. It was clear that he wasn't going to be able to get a straight answer if he scared the man into running away - besides, he didn't necessarily want a conflict with the guards either. Opening his eyes, he looked around to see the townsfolk looking at him with a kind of sick anticipation; after all, he didn't have much of a reputation for forgiveness. Nosy gits he thought to himself.

"Nothing to see here folks!", he said as he put on a false grin, hoping they wouldn't be able to see the blood in his mouth. "Just having a heated discussion with my friend there, nothing more!"

Slowly, the crowd dissipated, with several sounds and grunts of general displeasure at the way things turned out. Steeling himself, Raeilun walked over to the alley with a new hope. He wasn't sure he believed the thief just yet, but he was determined to get an answer. If the thief couldn't convince him, he would tear the answer out of his mind; or, attempt to at least.

[Kaleb Morrington]

Kaleb watched the now semi-calmer werewolf approach him, his father trailing him, looking apprehensive. Amyrea flitted after them, skipping ahead to let Kaleb know that no-one had called for the guards. Thank the Changers for small miracles... Kaleb reclined against a near-by wall and eyed the werewolf before turning to his father.

"Look I'm sure you've got a shit-tonne of things to tell your kid, mate, but I'm sure fangs has more questions than he can count. Be a pal and let 'em ask 'em eh? I'm just here to give the two of you peace." Kaleb drawled, grimacing when Amyrea draped herself over him.

"Afterwards, Kaleb my love, perhaps we can spend some alone time." Kaleb closed his eyes and hissed a no before looking up at the werewolf.

"Well kiddo? Any questions?"

[Raeilun]

"Well kiddo? Any questions?"

Raelilun mulled the question around in his brain. What exactly did he want to know? His hand rested on the pocket of his tunic where the letter from his uncle lay. His uncle said that it was urgent that they meet, and he couldn't shake the feeling that it was connected to his fathers death somehow. That, coupled with the dreams he had been having the past few months, gave him a sure answer.

"I'm still not sure about all this...." Raeilun said, grudgingly fighting his logic. "But something is telling me that I should trust you. Ask my father.... Ask him how he died. How he really died."

[Kaleb Morrington]

Kaleb turned to the grim elf.

"Well, mate? What's your answer for you kid?" The elf glowered. "Tell him to follow the letter." Kaleb cocked an eyebrow. "That's it? Really? C'mon, surely you can tell me-" "ENOUGH!" The ghost barked, causing Kaleb to stumble back a step.

"Tell my son to follow the letter, to the letter, and all shall be seen and heard." With that the elf vanished, causing several obscenities to fall from Kaleb's mouth. He HATED cryptic messages, he hated missions beyond the grave, and for the love of the Changers and any other Gods out there he HATED magic! More cursing followed before he settled enough to all but glower at the werewolf.

"Well mate, Daddy says we need to follow your letter to the letter so all can be seen and heard." Kaleb growled. Pinching his nose and praying for patience he added: "Also, I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to come with you. Otherwise how the fuck else can you talk with Daddy-departed?" Kaleb was miserable. Changers, why did this shit happen to him?

[Raeilun]

Raeilun looked down at his clenched fists. He was so confused. He had the strange feeling that if he followed his fathers words, he would never be able to return to Shim again. His mother, the few friends he had, all of it would be gone. He had a choice to make.

Several minutes passed as Raeilun was lost in the void of his own thoughts. He looked up, grinning. It was time to make his own way. He had been in Shim his entire life, and he could think of no real reason to stay. The world was his for the taking! But first things first.

"Alrighty then," he said, clapping the thief on the shoulder. "How do you feel about a trip to Marn to see my dearest uncle?"