Kizár Elená Durin · @SilmarilNaro
17th Jan 2016 from TwitLonger
Quest-verse: Anvari and Asutri's Background.
After http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1so20ur
Kizár goes to talk with Anvari about his family.
@SilmarilNaro @AnvariShadow
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Kizár
Kizár sat in an armchair in a private sitting room in the royal quarters, her attempt to rest not having gone very well and having only slept lightly because her mind would not stop wondering about the two dwarves she had taken into her service. She knew she had done so very quickly, though she had a sense that the pair were totally honest in their intent.
Anvari had been fairly open about his background, a half-human son of an ex-slave, the Man who had sired him an Eastern soldier who had turned, presumably for the sake of his dwarven father. Asutri was a bit more curious, with his reticence to mention his parentage and the odd incomplete sense to him. Kizár already knew what she had heard them say in the grand hall, about purging his blood and it led to dark thoughts about what he and his family had thought needed to be removed.
But her suspicions were never going to be confirmed while she sat here, she thought as she stood to her feet, she had to go see the brothers herself and ask. She stepped out of the sitting room and headed for the quarters that had been given to the pair. It was not in the main barracks but in the section more for royal bodyguards, closer to the family.
"Princess Kizár," a voice called that make Kizár flinch subtly. She turned to face Grísela, trying to school her features.
"What is the matter Lady Grísela?" Kizár did her best to sound polite. "I cannot tarry long as I have urgent business elsewhere right now."
"I have heard tell my son was involved in an altercation while seeking to speak with you. I do hope those responsible were treated with proper discipline." Grísela said, a tone of soft sternness sneaking into her words.
"Why Lady Grísela, the party at fault was dealt with in a manner quite appropriate given his actions, I assure you." Kizár responded, internally amused as to her mind Thorli ending up knocked out was highly appropriate for his incessant pestering landing him in the middle of a situation where he did not belong.
"Hmm... I do hope so, though I have heard nothing about such a matter." Grísela said, frowning briefly. "Though before you go about your business I would like to wonder why you are still so cold to my dear Thorin. He has come to care for you and it would not do you well to ignore a potential suitor, even as young as you may be."
"Lady Grísela," Kizár spoke with a politely concerned smile hiding her underlying snarky feelings. "I am giving your son all the consideration that is warranted, though I do think he could do better than the daughter of a fatherless commoner who has a great thirst for ongoing adventure. He would do far better with a girl of unquestionable breeding who is happy to settle down at home and raise children." She gave a quirk of her lips. "As you say, I am quite young and in my mind, I have quite some time before I needed to settle down, and have hopes that when I that time comes I will have found my One to settle down with."
There was a distinctly sour look that flickered across Grísela's face as she picked up the implication that Kizár would settle for no one else but her One, and that she had not found him yet, meaning Thorli was not he. She managed to suppress that however and responded, "Well I hope my dear that you are not overlooking your One while you are distracted with your... adventures. But you may come to a realisation sooner than you think," there was something in her tone that seemed like Grísela had come to some conclusion that Kizár thought she may not like. "But I have held you up from your business long enough, your Highness, I bit you good day."
Kizár returned the farewell with due politeness, eyeing the Lady of the Iron Hills as she departed, suspicious about whatever had occurred to the old harridan. Kizár had to have faith however that she could face it down, whenever it came, though if it was bad enough she could always fall back on the threat of fire, if needed, or one of Shangraile's solutions, if she wanted quieter. There was a visceral appeal to fire though, the fact that she once liberally joked about her dearly loved Firestorm spell was a testament to how a well-placed flame appealed to her.
Turning on her heel she continued on her path to the bodyguard's quarters.
Anvari
Anvari tried to sit calmly in the quarters they had been assigned. They both had used the chance to wash, once they were alone and had gotten rid of those obnoxious servants. It had felt weird having dwarrow walk in on oneself while one was in the bath or half-naked. He had originally been worried about the side-effects the oath had on his brother, as Asutri had fallen asleep in exhaustion the moment he was out of the bath. But as the night passed, it seemed to Anvari that his brother was shifting from the leaden sleep to a more healthy one. Whatever effect the oath had had on him, he was recovering, or at least getting used to it.
The quiet hours had given Anvari time to sit and think... especially about Lady Kizár. She had been very kind to them, more kind than they had any right to expect and he could not quite stop thinking about her. Much as he told himself to stop.
Asutri had woken in the hour before sunset, like he always did and if he felt weakened or anything else for that matter, he refused to admit that. Anvari did not pry, knowing his brother much too well to try. "I guess now that we are sworn... the Lady might ask that we prove ourselves." he observed softly after a while.
Asutri shrugged. "Your fathers both said, that if we got caught and not executed on the spot, this might be the outcome. We can live with that. During the day I'll sneak out to catch a Raven or a Frost Hawk to bring the message home. Otherwise we shall see. Maybe she will ask us to kill that fool that was traipsing after her last night."
Kizár
Reaching the barracks, Kizár knocked politely on the door. She may be a recognised princess but barging in was not good form, even with subordinates. If anything, that was one thing she had striven to offer her Wardens, the right to privacy as the Circle gave almost none. She found the thought that she was taking cues from her time as a Grey Warden a little amusing, but where else would she get it from? Angband discipline might go over with Shangraile (though he would know it was not her style), so that left only one other place in her past.
Anvari
The knock made both brothers rise, it was Anvari who went to open the door, Asutri remained at the back of the room, in the shadows. Seeing that it was their Lady, Anvari bowed politely, to allow her into the room.
"My Lady," he was not sure what else to say.
Kizár
"I... wanted to ask some questions... though some of them may be very personal..." Kizár felt a bit nervous about this now she was looking at the pair. "I will assure you that it will not make a difference to your place in my service, as you might have guessed already I neither ascribe to a number of the older traditions and I have a perspective on them that is... of an outsider."
Anvari
Anvari knew that this would have come, there had been many unanswered questions the night before. "Maybe you should sit down, my Lady?" he asked, pointing to the chair before the fire. "Asutri... would you go and procure something light to eat and drink for the Lady? This conversation might take a while."
Kizár
Asking Asutri to go on an errand sounded like a smart idea, to Kizár's mind. if her thought was right, some of what might come up would be issues he would be sensitive about, and would be easier not to face discussing it right now.
She took Anvari's offer of a seat as Asutri headed out. Giving time for the door to close, she turned to look at Anvari again. "I will admit, when you approached Thorin in the great hall, I overheard some of what the two of you said. Perhaps it would be best to get the worst suspicion out of the way before everything else... your brother purged something from his blood... I suspect I know what that means." Even she did not want to say it, leaving it open for Anvari to say.
Anvari
Anvari waited until Asutri was safely away, and out of the range that he would pick up any emotions from Anvari, ere he replied. For a moment he hesitated, he hated saying it out loud. Asutri was his brother... his almost twin and he loved him, in spite of it all. "Orc." he said finally, pushing the word out. "The other half of his blood was Orc. My father... Khalayne procured a draught that would purge this blood from him... it was the best he could do. Even so... he could not be born normally."
Kizár
Kizár let out a gusty breath. "That is what I thought it might be, if anything would make him believe himself unworthy to even accompany you here, that was the greatest suspect." She reached out a hand to Anvari. "I still intend to protect him, he is under my protection now and I will live up to that. I would however like my sister to check his health closely, the effect of the oath on him was quite severe and there may be some problems there, perhaps where his body is now missing things that had to be purged." She frowned in thought for a mind but gave her head a small shake.
"But moving on, I would like to know what has become of the rest of your family. It does sound as though they are alive, somewhere. As I mentioned, Thorin would bring as many home as he could, and I have another unclear thought of another safe harbour that might be possible."
Anvari
"I think it was your *light* that affected him, my Lady." Anvari replied. "We both carry a shadow, and he was purged through means not existent in the light as far as I know." He was glad that she did not run away screaming, which was what most dwarves would do, under the circumstances. Most would also kill the child, or commit suicide ere bringing such spawn into the world.
"Our family lives." he answered her other question. "The East believes that the Moria outpost was lost in an Orc uprising that killed the Easterlings stationed there along with all captives. Their retaliation was swift and cruel... and well deserved as far as the Orcs are concerned. Our people are living in the old fortress of the Black Mountain now, all of us that are there, including the Easterling soldiers, the children, the survivors. Anyone that could be saved."
Kizár
She still thought it not a bad idea to have Lossanárë check Asutri and make sure he was recovering properly. "How secure is the mountain? If your people have made it secure enough to keep, I would think instead it could be viewed as a potential ally realm instead of asking anyone from uprooting themselves once again." Allies would be a good thing, especially with the potential conflict coming in the future. If her assessment was right, Anvari was perhaps ten year younger than Kíli and would be in the prime of his life by the time Boromir was in adulthood and fighting against Mordor. "I would like to visit them at some point, I already had a wish to head for the White Mountains and find Tiórvi's folk, though I had hoped to spend some time traveling east before doing so when we came back westwards."
Anvari
"It is very secure." Again Anvari hesitated for a moment. "When my father.. Khalayne decide he'd break his oaths to the East,he did not lose his head. He commanded his Orcs to drive all denizens from the Black Mountain to Moria, and collapse the passageway into the Black Mountain behind them. Once that was done, only the dwarven doors to the Mountain remained. He then killed all Orcs who knew about the Black Mountain and staged the uprising in which the Moria Outpost was presumably lost. Ever since our people have further secured the Mountain, and ensured that there is absolutely no way in, that is not barred by a dwarven door. My brother and I... all the children of that terrible year, had at least one big advantage, we grew up in an absolutely safe fortress." He looked at her. "Some of my father's comrades joined him, when he made that decision, some were simply disgusted with what they had seen, some were the children of people that were hunted in the Empire and hoped to be free."
Kizár
"Then perhaps we could head north to the Black Mountain after Kaz-Tarnûr... there is possibly a Deep Road that will run to the western end of the mountains... I do not know for sure on that but I know the old network had a reputation of reaching very far... I should ask Kíli if he remembers," Kizár mused, somewhat speaking her thoughts aloud. "But for now, do you think you would be up to a potentially long journey into the Eastern Empire? My wish to see it is in no small part to assess the danger that it poses in coming years though..." she trailed off, as the vague idea of one thing she wanted to see in the eastern lands was something she had not even discussed with Shangraile yet.
Anvari
She wanted to see the Eastern Lands? That was truly a surprising idea and one Anvari had not expected from her. He could almost hear his father laugh. 'Asses their danger? They are dangerous, that's all you need to know.' but that was not a useful answer.
"We sure would be up for it, especially as we both speak their language decently." Anvari replied. "And as neither of us is known to them, we should not draw any wrong attention either. Though... may I ask, what it is you seek in the East?" If it was something more concrete he might be able to ask his father about it.
Kizár
Kizár gave a smile at the question, as it showed Anvari was good at picking up things. "I have, since I first discussed going east with Shangraile, wondered what has become of the Avari - the Elves who did not set out on the great migration to Valinor." She absently looked at her hands, dwarven though they were at the moment. "My other form gets mistaken as being Avari, since very few people know where it is from, and after overhearing people wondering if that is what it was back just after reclaiming the mountain, it made me think of them - the Avari."
Anvari
"Shangraile?" Anvari arched an eyebrow. Most people in the west would not notice anything strange about that name, but he had grown up with enough stories from the East - and his dwarven fathers sometimes humorous corrections of their ideas - to recognize that name at once. "As in Shangraile of the Shadowed Banner? If he were still around... he'd probably be in for a few surprises in the Empire."
He eyed her strangely, not sure how to phrase the other question. "I did see your elven form during the ceremony of oaths," he began eventually. "and while I do not wish to pry I..." being of mixed blood himself, he wanted to know. "I would like to ask, is this... common... for the descendants of mixed marriage between elves and dwarves?" She was of House Fëanor and House Durin, up till know he had assumed marriage or adoption, but it might also be that she was a Princess born to both Royal Lines.
Kizár
Kizár could not help the soft laugh that engendered. "No, it is not that I am mixed blood..." she started to explain. "It is that I am... a soulstone, one of the most legendary soulstones to ever exist. Not even the same kind most dwarven legend speak of - the spirits caught during the creation of the world, but one of three souls born in Valinor and then placed in crystal shells." She knew how much the legend of herself and her sisters was respected amongst dwarves, the legend of her father's greatest crafting, though how quickly Anvari connected what she said to that was another thing. "Being able to walk in this form is due to an arcane craft-work originally devised by Celebrimbor and Durin the Third. Kíli was able to use the design to make rings for both my sister and I, though I more chose to be a dwarf for the sake of my newest adopted family while Losá chose an Elven form based on our eldest brother."
Anvari
Anvari listened and suddenly the whole thing made sense. "Three soulstones in crystalline shells... and Shangraile... Shangraile's fallen stars." His eyes went wide when he realized what he had just said. "So... the woodland elves were not entirely inebriated when they claimed a Silmaril was here during the battle?" That one had caused some hearty laughs and jokes at the Black Mountains, along with a lot of good-natured teasings towards their eastern friends.
Kizár
Kizár smirked at the mention of the woodland elves. "Of all the theories I have heard both here and when I passed through Imladris, the one theory that was completely wrong was the one that all three were here and the third appeared male." She absently waved a hand, "Oh, they were basing that on someone who did appear... but that was Losá's husband, not our Little Star. She is firmly where she has been fortunate to be for the last two Ages, in the west, on the isle of Himring, with Cáno and those loyal to the house of Fëanor. As for Shangraile..." There was an odd, soft look that came across her face. "He is part of a long story that involves an attempt to escape Angband, meeting out of order, friendships, vows and healings, and traveling other worlds outside Arda. Suffice to say that a few years ago Kíli and I decided to rescue my nephew from his imprisonment... and Shangraile walked out of a tear in the very fabric of the world and has found his fallen stars again and remains in our company now. He knows some of how the Empire is these days, two other Easterlings who were there in Ost-In-Edhil passed what they knew to him, one of whom was a man of current times."
Anvari
"I hope he is prepared to find himself commemorated as one of the founders of the Empire." Anvari said. "Even I know the name, and his story, though Khalayne tries to not stuff me with stories of a land he left out of his own volition." He smiled at her. "Still... I like the idea that it is true that the stars came for him again, when he lay dying." Anvari loved good stories, and this one he found appealing.
He grew more earnest again. "I will not tell anyone what you just told me. If the woodland elves found out the truth... it was bad enough what went around right after the battle of the dragon up here. Asutri's father was that short of telling them the old tale about that place at the ice bay where in clear cold night you can see the three Silmarils shine up from the deeps. It took a lot of getting laughed at for the woodland elves to reconsider their ideas."
Kizár
" I think of those who were there, the most influential of them know exactly who I am - Thranduil knows for sure, his son was present, and as much as I am not fond of their kindred, the woodland folk are not ignorant and unobservant, but if they try to push anything they will not only have what treaty they currently hold with Erebor destroyed but face the very real prospect of seeing their woods burned down to cinders." She let small lick of flame dance across her hand, like any with arcane training could do, though her flame was brighter. "Though your promise is one I am glad of, beyond those who already know, it is best that definite information not get too far."
Something in the mention of what Asutri's father - his dwarven father, she presumed - had said sounded oddly familiar. "Is there some tale amongst the Reach about my sisters and I being sunk in the ice seas?" She shook her head as soon as she said it. "That is I am assuming Asutri's father was originally from the Reach, Asutri does have the hair colour for it."
Anvari
"There is an old tale - it is said to go all the way back to the times of Durin III. When he was a young King one of his friends made a journey far into the northern ice to procure a rare crafting material and it is said that he saw the lights of the Silmarils shining out from the sea in a clear, icy night." Anvari recounted the tale as Asutri had shared it with him. "From thence the saga spread, and I'd guess that if you were to ask someone up in the reach, they might know the story."
He looked to the door which had opened and Asutri had walked back in again, carrying a tray with wine and food for the lady. He clearly had overheard the last bit of their conversation. While he served the food as graceful as possible - more graceful than Anvari felt he could have - he replied. "Your guess is correct, my Lady, my father once was from the Reach."
Kizár
"I know of kinsmen lost at Azanulbizar, at least one who came from the Reach," Kizár said in a slightly softer voice, remembering family stories. "I do not want to hope fruitlessly that he did survive, but knowing some of those who were with the Exiles and then lost still live..." she should her head and sipped at goblet of wine.
Anvari
Anvari saw his brother go pale, taking a step back. He knew what it meant, he knew when Asutri was that short of running and hiding. He had his father's reflexes in that respect, small wonder all things considered. He rose, swiftly grasping his brother's shoulders. "Wait outside. I shall explain." he said softly. "Please... do not run too far. I do not know this Mountain well enough to find you." He gave him a slight nudge and it was just so that Asutri managed to leave without bolting too obviously.
Anvari exhaled sharply, when he was out. "That could have gone better." he said softly to himself, 'ere turning back to Lady Kizár. "I apologize for the display, my Lady." he said politely, falling back into all that both his fathers had instilled into him. "The subject of his family, is very, very painful for my brother."
He looked at her, for some reason he felt that he could trust her with this, with all of it. That she would not judge, that she would understand. "You are correct, my Lady. There was only one dwarf from the Reach at Azanulbizar, and he did not die much as does wish he had."
Kizár
Kizár knew her wild thought, prompted simply by a story with passing similarity to something Fion had once said, had to be true from Anvari's words. "Do you know, even despite the one significant issue, Lady Dís would more than likely have him back?" It was the first thing that came to her lips, knowing her adopted mother and the hard life she had lived. "Certainly Thorin would have his old friend back as well."
Anvari
"And the very thought that they might find out had him consider taking his own life more than once." Anvari replied bluntly. "Talún would never bring such shame to them. Had he not been helping several others to survive back then, he might have made sure Asutri was never born by killing himself right away." For a moment his patience did not hold out. "There is a reason Asutri was raised by my parents partially, not just that my father and Talún figured a way out to fade into the stone together, when the time came, for half-breeds are rarely born normally... it is also because Talún made it clear enough that he did not want Asutri. He tries...." Anvari took a deep breath calming himself. "I think if he were to hear that the Royal House of Erebor was looking for him he'd make sure they'd not find him alive nor have a corpse to be found. If not for my father's insisting Talún stay alive, he might have long decided to end it, but he recognizes my father's claim to his loyalties." It was complicated and Anvari knew he was being a bit unjust. Talún tried, tried to to be a father to Asutri and Asutri loved him... yet Asutri also knew that Talún would have preferred him never born and it hurt Anvari seeing his brother so rejected.
"My Lady..." he repeated, more calmly. "the shame it would mean for him to be found... be found by his Royal Mate who'd have to learn what happened and that he bore a child alone would be hard to bear."
Kizár
Kizár found herself carefully putting the still half-full goblet careful on the side table next to the untouched food, her hands feeling a bit shaky for how unsettled this was making her feel. "I find myself torn in this, I know almost exactly how Dís would react, but I hear you on what you say too, and I would not want to hurt him either..." she had to rest her head in her hands. "I always feel a need to try and fix things, but this feels like if I try, whichever way I go would not go well."
Anvari
Anvari understood the need to try and fix things. She'd like Khalayne if she ever met him. "Maybe with time we can think of a way... I do not know any yet... and I may ask my father, for he is more devious than I in such things. i believe Talún loved his family, and that is why he does not want them to see what he became." He did not know yet, no way that would not end in tragedy, but maybe he did not see it from the right angle.
Kizár
Kizár sighed, trying to shift her ill mood a little. "Perhaps, though I suspect that should I go to the Black Mountain, going there wearing this form may get some strong reactions. Dís was the one who gave a piece of her spirit to give my ring the guide on how to live in a body, and I have been told that it shows and I look very much the part of her daughter." A thought then occurred to her of who might also travel with her. "I would dare say Fion would also gain a reaction too..." She frowned again, another thought coming to mind.
"You said Talún recognizes your father's claim to his loyalties. He is not the only kinsman alive, is he?"
Anvari
Anvari ducked his head then smiled a little. "That is true. While my father calls himself Thirán these days, my other father stubbornly insists on calling him Frérin." It was one of those small things, those family things. While Thirán might sometimes be exasperated at Khalayne's insistence of using that name, sometimes it would bring a warm smile to his eyes.
Kizár
That smile helped pick up her mood a bit and Kizár could not help respond to it with a small smile of her own. "Well then, I suppose I can call you a kinsman of mine then - by adoption, 'tis true, but another part of my family found again." She reached over and took one of his hands in her own. "I do not know how yet how things will work out when I do meet your father, and Asutri's, but I think I would want to see them, and their people sooner rather than later now. If nothing else I want to help protect them, even if that means protecting them from those dwarves who would treat them ill."
Anvari
Anvari could not help and smiled brightly back at her. Her eyes were so radiant when she smiled. "Maybe... maybe you could come to the Black Mountain before you head east?" he suggested. "You might be able to get the one or other good piece of advice on traversing the Empire while there. And... and I know my father, Frérin, would be happy to meet you. Were it not for those who suffered a so much darker fate he might have risked contacting Thorin a long time ago."
Kizár
"Mayhap we could be that bridge now, the through which that contact is made," Kizár said, nodding to his words about going to the Black Mountain first. "I will have to discuss the details with Kíli and Maitimo, and we will have to wait until the coronation celebration is officially over and done, though I think it is coming close to that soon anyway, but I think we could be on the road in a few days time."
Anvari
"Father said some things about coronations and long celebrations, when we sent us." Anvari replied with a smile. "And maybe... maybe you are the right Lady to built that bridge." Somehow he had the feeling that maybe, just maybe, even some of the more hurt of his people would see and feel how accepting she was. Maybe she was the miracle they all had hoped for.