Kizár Elená Durin · @SilmarilNaro
23rd Jan 2016 from TwitLonger
Quest-verse: Kizár Drugged
After http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1so6qgv
Kizár goes to talk with Anvari about his family.
@SilmarilNaro @Morgulwarrior
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Kizár
There had been something almost funny at how despondent some of the revelers were when the celebration was formally ended, perhaps, Kizár thought, because they had not yet got themselves so drunk that they slept right through it, only to wake up to the cleaners clearing the grand hall. Kizár herself had to make an appearance, but was a little off-put at not having her sister near. Lossanárë was doing her best to persuade Tauriel that she could spend time away from Mirkwood. Perhaps Thranduil required binding oaths from those in higher ranks, but there were no arcane bonds on the Nandor redhead to keep her chained too the woods. Lossanárë had even mentioned that she had suggested to Tauriel the excuse that the Undying Lands were calling her.
Kíli was distracted by official duties as well, and Maitimo had been called to meet the other dragonblooded. Kizár had tried to stay by Dís's side, but was starting to get annoyed when it seemed so many people just *had* to speak to the Lady of the Mountain, while Kizár was constantly peppered with and endless stream of young dwarven women trying to get her attention.
It was getting to her, like her head was spinning and she could not concentrate. She needed to return to her rooms, where she could curl up in bed and sleep off one cup of wine too many - yes, maybe that was what she needed, some sleep, she thought as she turned to head for a side door.
"Princess Kizár, are you not feeling well?" It was yet another one of those buzzing little fools she did not know. She tried to wave her off but her feet miss-stepped and the girl caught her hand, as if to steady her.
"No... I don't need help-"
"But you do! You're practically stumbling! Really, let me help you-"
"No! I jus' need my sister... or Ciaran-"
"Sister? I thought you were Princess Dís's only daughter! Oh dear you must have drunk a tad too much to mix that up!"
"No... Losá-" It was hard to get words to say something. She shook her head, trying to clear it and it helped n a minute way, enough to know the corridor she was in was wrong and not the one that should go to her rooms. Something was wrong, this was wrong, why was she here? She tried to stop and get her bearings properly only for the girl to clamp a hand on her shoulder and try to push her along.
"Now your highness, you need to go rest somewhere safely. Just let me guide you."
"No... this is wrong-"
"Kizár, my dearest, let me take care of you."
No, that voice was all wrong. She looked up to see Thorli in front of her and flinched as he grabbed at her hand. As muzzy as she was feeling she could not allow him that touch and tried to shake it off.
"No! Don't let her go!" the girl yelped as Kizár got loose, trying to grab hold of her again making Kizár dig past whatever they had manged to slip her and threw both Thorli and the dwarf girl she did not know the name of against opposite walls, and then turned and ran.
Even as much as she tried though, she could not run fast with her head in it's current state and decided as soon as she turned a corner to do the one thing that she thought could help and shifted into her stoneform.
Shangraile
Ciaran... Shangraile had gone away from the feasting, mainly to keep an eye on some of Lady Gisela's cronies. There were a good dozen of them and they were certainly up to something. Trailing them he almost felt like back in the shadowed lands, ferreting out which of the higher ranks was plotting something. At least the dwarf girl he was following was not aware of his presence. They were almost back at the guest quarters as he heard noise in the main hallway.
"Don't let her get away!" a female dwarf shrieked and to his surprise, he saw Kizár, being accosted by a dwarf girl and by Prince Thorli. She freed herself and ran, straight towards him, shifting form as she came around the corner.
Deftly Shangraile picked her up, hiding her in his armor-gloved hand, while drawing his sword with the other. The next moment Thorli came around the corner, almost crashing into him. Shangraile used his moment of surprise to send him spinning down to the floor, aiming his sword right at Thorli's throat. "Accosting a Princess in her Uncle's palace... is not wise among menfolk," he said coldly. "doing so in a dwarven palace carries some very interesting penalties, or so I was told."
Kizár
Kizár almost flinched as a hand caught her and picked her up, but with her awareness now clear she almost immediately sensed who it was and let herself relax, knowing she was safe. Shangraile must have been close by, but in her state she had not noticed.
She listened as Thorli blustered, struggling to come up with a response but the girl who helped hustle her away from the hall spoke up instead. "Accosting? How dare you, a man of *questionable* nature accuse anyone of such a thing! We were *helping* her after she drank a little too much!" That claim sounded its own kind of blustery, like the little chit was attempting to save face.
Shangraile
"A man who grasps a lady so hard she has to use violence to free herself and a helper who shouts to not let her escape... nice help for a drunken Lady...." Shangraile's voice sunk dangerously low. "I wonder... if I brought you to His Majesty, how you will explain your guilt in the vanishing of his niece?" Thorli had no clue Kizár was right here, and Shangraile wanted to frighten him, and not just a little.
"You better let him go." The dwarven woman had come around the corner, crossbow in hand, aimed for him. Shangraile almost sighed, they never learned... at least Askíl's warriors had been skillful about it.
*Kizár... I really am sorry...* he thought, before spinning around and throwing the stone full force against the dwarrow's head, ducking under the arrow she managed to fire, the next he threw was a blade - a long stiletto that nailed her arm to the wall. Thorli had scrambled to his feet trying to run, but Shangraile had him ere he had made more than three steps, and threw him back on the floor. "I think King Thorin will be highly interested to hear all of this."
Kizár
The thought Kizár heard directed her way confused her for half a moment before she was sent flying and sent tumbling after hitting it's target. She shook it off quickly and summoned up a solid illusion of her elvhen self, and took up position so she was just out of sight, behind Thorli, but easily in Shangraile's. Her stoneform rolled quietly to her feet and she leaned down to pick it up, more trusting being like this than truly shifting again quite yet. Whatever had been wrong with her, she wanted to make sure it was completely gone before she returned to either form in truth.
Shangraile
Shangraile saw her appear in Elenaria, the Grey Warden, he smiled that was a familiar sight and one Thorli did not really know about. He winked at her. "Guardswoman, it is good that you came. I caught those two scoundrels harassing, possibly drugging the Princess Kizár and now they fail to explain where her Highness is." He said out loud, while using the time to bind Thorli's hands.
Kizár
"Well then it is good that you got here so promptly," Elenaria spoke up. "I know it has been distressing her Highness how *that one*" she nodded at Thorli, "would simply not leave her be." She moved to the dazed young woman, awake but still suffering from the impact of Elenaria's stone, and the bleeding arm. she none too gently hustled the girl onto her feet and pushed her into step, taking a bit of private glee at repaying her earlier treatment.
Shangraile
Shangraile grabbed Thorli, yanking him to his feet, not bothering with being gentle. The problem here was, as he soon learned that Thorli was neither very tough nor very strong. "Right to his Majesty, or should we put them into the dungeons for him to inspect?" Shangraile was honestly not sure what correct dwarven proceedings would be. In Orzammar it would have been dungeons, in Ironforge not so much... so he needed Elenaria's decision here. It would be so much easier to have the two vanish and never return, only that she would not allow him to do that.
Kizár
"I do believe this is a matter that would warrant immediate attention. An assault on a member of the royal family should be dealt with swiftly." Elenaria responded. She was not absolutely sure herself on this, but perhaps getting the coming issue it would cause with Dáin out of the way quickly would be better. She did have personal reasons for wanting to do it fast as well, the quicker it was judged, the quicker they would be able to head out on the road again.
Shangraile
"You are right of course." Shangraile agreed, pushing Thorli forward. "King Thorin will be so delighted to hear of your deeds." He ignored the bluster and the whining equally as they marched towards the royal wing.
Kizár
Giving him a nod and a quirk of a vicious grin, Elenaria pushed her charge after him, not granting any softness as the woman whined in a pitiful tone about her bleeding arm.
There was a sense of relief as they approached the meeting chamber of the royal wing and Elenaria could sense her sister ahead. It allowed her to reach out to Lossanárë and convey the basic impressions of what had occurred. As they stepped into the room, Lossanárë gave her a look and a nod before moving to step out. She would give Elenaria cover by *finding* Kizár, keeping anyone not in the know from quite working out they were one and the same.
In turn, she looked over who was there, Thorin was already on his feet, a frown on his face, knowing something was wrong.
Thorin
Thorin frowned when he saw the elven warrior and the Easterling escort Thorli and another dwarrow in, both were clearly captives and Thorli was complaining loudly. Thorin himself might not be especially enticed by having an eastern warrior in his realm, but Dwalin liked him and he certainly was not given to brawl. "What has transpired?" Thorin asked sternly, and cut off any comment by Dain's son with a gesture.
"I saw those two accost Princess Kizár, Sire," Shangraile went straight at it. "They held her and she struggled to get away, she seemed... slower than usual. When she freed herself and ran, the woman here shouted to not let her escape - but the Princess swiftly vanished around a corner and was gone entirely. I apprehended those two, and thankfully Elenaria came to assist me."
Thorin's frowned deepened and his eyes sparkled in anger. Those two had dared to attack his niece? She might not quite be by blood - but she had given Dís the daughter Dís had lost on that terrible day in Dunland. For that alone, for that happiness in his sister's eyes, Thorin would have accepted much worse into the clan. And Kizár had a clear link to the line of Durin. He also had noticed Thorli's improper advances before. "I already told your father, Thorli, that you are far too low, too less of a warrior, too little in great deeds and much too less in other skill, to ever look upon my niece." he growled angrily. "it seems I will have to entertain your father to your execution. It might give him an excuse to sire another son."
He looked around. "Bladvila - get Kór and any reliable warrior you can find and search for the Princess. If even one hair on her head was harmed, bring me the perpetrators... or their heads if need be. Brea... distasteful as it is... I need you to search this dwarrowdam, for I know her face and I know what she is."
Kizár
Elenaria stepped aside as Brea approached, moving to stand at Shangraile's side, though she turned just enough to watch Bladvila leave out of the side of her eye, wondering if there would be a moment she would be able to trade places with the illusion her sister would use of her. She knew Thorin knew exactly who she was, but inside her own mind applauded his lack of reaction to her.
Brea's search quickly produced a small vial, hidden in the woman's clothing. It seemed Elenaria's guess was right and somehow some drug had got past her attention.
Thorin
He saw Brea's eyes widen, when she found the vial, followed by a fierce frown. "This vial is half-empty, and knowing what it is, Sire, the Princess is in the highest danger." She said, handing the vial over at once.
Thorin took the vial, careful to not look at Elenaria at all. If this was what he guessed it was, he could only hope her special nature could protect her. If not... then they would find solutions to protect her. When he saw the vial, the cold glittering liquid in his hands, he almost froze. "The heart draught?" he asked sharply. "you squirming vermin dare to poison my niece, trying to steal the place of her true beloved?" The draught could make a dwarrow believe he or she was with his one, and it would create a bond that could not quite wane, though it was not true. It was one of the cruelest love potions in existence.
Thorli sneered. "She drank it... you know what happens if she..."
Thorin backhanded him hard. "Dwalin - throw those two snakes into the deepest dungeon you can find, I will decide how they die, once I know how my niece comes out of this." he growled. "Shangraile, Elenaria, I will need your assistance to locate Kizár... she will need help, and quickly. Come with me."
Kizár
Elenaria nodded and followed as Thorin beckoned, feeling Shangraile at her shoulder as they stepped out of the chamber. In a soft voice she spoke once there were no ears to hear. "I asked Lossanárë to cover for me. I think I should see her anyway, given which potion it was, I am keeping it at bay but I do not want to return to dwarven form without her near, as a healer."
Thorin
Thorin stopped and looked sadly at her, he had seen this poison's work before. "It was wise not not return to your dwarven form, Elenaria." he said. "though I fervently hope your sister will be able to help you... I cannot say for sure that she will. Thorli played his cards high, and he almost made it. Had he been long enough with you... touched you long enough... a bond would have formed between you. False though it might be, it would seem real and not easily broken. Without doing so... forming such a bond, your body would wither and die within hours."
Shangraile frowned, these bastards belonged to be put into a pit of pain and left there for good. "What if... what if you let the bond form with someone and kill him right after? That should dissolve the problem."
Thorin looked at the Easterling, vividly reminded of Dwalin's tales about them. "Pragmatic." he commended the suggestion. "but very painful, even a fake bond causes immense, deep pain. It is nothing I would do to her, not until her sister says, there is no other way."
Again his gaze turned to Elenaria. "I gave Bladvila an unseen order, when I send him out to search for you, he will find your sister and bring her here. He will not ask, nor wonder why." Hence the order to have Kór go along on the search. "I do not want Dáin to know early that you are found... and hopefully will be will. I want him to fear and to sweat."
Kizár
Elenaria absently pulled her stoneform out and turned it in her hands, the obsidian and the ring around it telling her nothing. "I would hope that if I concentrated, I could burn it out," she murmured. "I do not think I have really held my stone in my hands since Thedas, and back then it did not have this layer around it..." she absently ran a thumb over the black, partly admiring how smooth Kíli had managed to get it. It was a thought she had not really considered before, now coming up because she was distracting herself from worry.
Thorin
"I hope your sister will know a way." Thorin said softly, carefully hovering his hand over the stone. "But... I fear that not even your nature can protect you. You are a living soul... and what this vile draught does is manipulate the soul in the foulest way possible." he looked at the stone the ring around it, frowning. "I will have someone drag Kíli here... maybe somewhere in his lives he learned something about this poison, I believe at least one of his... incarnations had trouble with it."
Lossanárë
The door opened as Bladvila entered followed by Lossanárë, who immediately moved to Elenaria. Looking at her for only a moment, she placed a hand over her sister's stone and let her mind sink in, to find what was there, eyes closing as she concentrated.
"I would like to personally burn the *little piece of darkspawn droppings* who had this..." she muttered, taking refuge in Thedosian for the insult she used.
Thorin
Thorin could appreciate her candour and her anger, he was angry himself. He had had troubles with his family of late but Kizár... Kizár was a good and gentle girl, she was Dís's daughter and if Dari were still alive he'd embrace her as a daughter in a heartbeat.
Steps became audible outside and Kíli strode in, Thorin had no time to tense, or to think who it was that was here. Kizár needed her brother, and hopefully his knowledge. "What happened?" Kíli asked.
"Thorli had Kizár poisoned with the Draught of the Stone heart." Thorin replied concisely. "She got away... but once she shifts back..."
"The draught takes effect." Kíli finished the line, his entire demeanour shifting. "I'll personally drag him to back to Moria and gift him to whatever Orc king rules down there at the moment." he growled, stepping closer to Elenaria. "Did he hurt you?" he asked worried.
Kizár
"He barely managed to grab my arm before I shook him off." Elenaria said as she studied Kíli. One of his past lives was definitely at the fore right now, hopefully one who knew the drug. "If anything the woman had more time to do anything, but she was trying to get me to whatever room they had..." She shook her head, not wanting to continue that line of thought.
Lossanárë
Lossanárë looked up at Kíli, frowning. "How much do you know of the draught they used? I keep thinking I can get around it, but then it slips out of my hold."
Kíli
"I know it quite well, I had it once used on me..." Kíli frowned. "the draught is made from several magical ingredients only to be found in the deep and it uses a tiny bit of arcane power to fuse them together. Such the poison does not only enter the body, but also the soul. For the soul it creates an imbalance... the lack of something that can only come from another living soul, but if the soul's balance is not achieved, the body will wither. Cleansing her body alone will not help, it has been tried and tried again. It is the soul that needs that link completed, the arcane balance restored." Kíli's voice had become gentler, and very gingerly he touched the stone orb in Elenaria's hands.
"There is a draught, an ancient blood draught, it cannot cure you, but it can give us more time, to work on a solution. Back then... it once gave me the time to find someone I could trust enough."
Kizár
Elenaria nodded, unnerved by now facing being forced into a situation like this. "If it gives me time to at least decide where I will place my own trust, then it sounds the best thing to do," she agreed. "Though until it is brewed I think I will remain as I am for the moment, to hold it off that bit longer..." Her eyes fell to look at her stoneform again, rubbing it once more, a finger running along the ring. She still wished for the person in those unclear visions that she had held on to the idea of for so long, her One, but still had doubts he was yet born into the world.
Shangraile
Shangraile watched her, angered by what had been done to her. There were things, violations one did not commit. "If it is a soul poison... something that tarnishes the soul, creates an imbalance as Kíli says... could it be transferred by a ritual? There are a few rites that can transfer potentia from one soul to another... this should not be so different?" he asked.
Kíli had already instructed the servants to bring a number of items and ingredients. "And what would that accomplish?" he asked dryly. "outside shifting the problem from one person to another?"
"Free her?" Shangraile suggested as dryly. "I cannot simply accept that she has to suffer from that perverted Prince's plans."
Kíli sighed, looking up at the warrior. "It is always someone who suffers from that poison. The dwarrow who created it, wanted to heal, to help... but the outcome was a disaster."
Lossanárë
Lossanárë frowned as she studied her sister. She knew of Elenaria's visions of her One and wanted to help. "Has there ever been a situation where someone dosed with this has then found their true One and been able to still build something with them, as well as the one who helped balance them?" She had to hope Kíli - whichever life was showing himself - knew something along those lines. It would at least quiet the worry she knew her sister had.
Kíli
"Aye." Kíli replied, already cutting his arm open to put blood into the moonsteel cauldron the servants had brought. "When I was poisoned, my Captain of the Guard drank the other half by accident. He and his right hand formed an agreement and fulfilled the poison's demand. About twenty years later, they both encountered their respective one... it was a foursome marriage." a strange smile flickered on his face. "I had to pass an entire new law on clan marriage to get that one sorted. But... they lived good and happy lives, because they started out honest."
Thorin frowned. The new law on clan marriages? Durin V had passed that one, and certainly it was one of the great mysteries of dwarven legal history why he had allowed for such outlandish form of bondings. Now... it made sense. "What did you do?" he asked.
"Take the draught, with those three days to figure out whom I could trust... and who's presence close to me I could stand. Then working up the courage to talk to that person... and being lucky that he was one of the most gentle, kind dwarves there ever were."
Elenaria
Elenaria slumped and moved to sit on a chair, both relieved and glad her sister had thought to ask that question. She felt Lossanárë settle next to her and leaned on her. "Then that is the path I will take, eventually. I have known ever since the *Fifth Blight* I had a destined One, but his identity was never wholly clear to me, except that I knew he would be a kinsman to Kélan in one of his lives here." She looked towards Kíli as he worked. "I have to decide who I may take now - someone who can accept they will share my soul with another."
Kíli
Kíli wanted to go over to her and hold her, tell that they would work this out, but right now he did not dare to leave the cauldron, even as he had a helper working rapidly. For a moment he considered that they were not real siblings, not by blood... and he already knew what it meant to live like this. Kélan had loved Elenaria, and would respect her One, when he was found, much as she would respect his, when the time came. It would throw a wrench or two into the works of fate, but fate could get in line...
Shangraile
Shangraile walked towards Elenaria, squatting down before her, he had to look up at her like this, but that was alright. "Elenaria," he said softly. "this is the last way I'd ever wanted to approach this... I still wish you'd allow me to perform the black rite and transfer the soul poison to me." He had dealt with far worse, but he doubted she'd allow him to perform a rite of the void. "So all I can say is... If you wish it, i will be there for you. I am already bound to you by bonds of eternity and I would not have it any other way, no matter what. I know you are waiting for your One, and..." he felt there were no words to really express himself. "I can only swear to never hurt you and to never force you into anything."
Elenaria
For a moment Elenaria could only stare at Shangraile, her mind frozen and not quite able to acknowledge his words. When she finally got herself to move, it was to raise a hand to run fingertips lightly through a lock of hair before coming to caress his cheek. "You... I can trust. You never did do me harm, even back in the Great fortress, when you were still beholden... and you are right to saying we are already bonded in one way, that piece of fire still lives with you, and you have kept it safe... I know you will keep me safe..." She leaned forward to gently touch forehead to forehead, a very dwarven gesture, but one she felt fit here.
Shangraile
Gently Shangraile put his hands on her shoulders as their foreheads touched. One hand he raised, to lightly stroke the long dark hair. "I shall keep you safe, protect you... always." he said softly. "And one day we will find your One." With him being human, they'd not have to worry about another addition to the situation.
Elenaria
Elenaria felt she finally had a reason to smile again since finding out what she was facing. She let Shagraile hold her, coming to leaning into his chest, her head on his shoulder. It made it easier knowing she had decided what to do, and quickly too. Now only for Kíli to finish his work, though it struck her a little ironic that she did not need the time it would grant, but she did not want to go int this unstable either.
Shangraile
Shangraile wrapped both arms around her, cradling her against his chest. The draught would allow her to rest, to have time, to not rush through with this in a matter of hours. He looked around for her sister. "Would it be possible to ensure that Kizár's rooms are not be disturbed by anyone later?" he asked her. "No curious servants, no chatty dwarves... and absolutely no one from the Iron Hills?" He wanted her to all the privacy she wished for, and for no one later to chatter about this.
Lossanárë
Lossanárë immediately nodded. "That can be done easily, and I - *we* would even stand watch myself to make sure she is not disturbed." She could feel Maferath willing to play the role of the Guardian again for his bond-sister.
Shangraile
"Thank you." Shangraile knew that the closeness of her sister would be important for Kizár, of both of her sisters in fact. Luckily she had two families that cared about her. if Thorin's mien allowed any interpretation Thorli was in for some old-fashioned dwarven revenge. All that Shangraile put aside, right now this was about Rayaél, about seeing her best as possible through all this.