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- Isadora seems to be immune to shock tonight; after the incident with the earth spirit, she brushed herself off and simply said she wanted to hear about it later. She's taken Okhfels to the stockade where Marvars' bodyguard has been kept, and pauses for a moment outside.
- Isadora: "I need him to believe me," she says with a brief and wry smile. "You have a certain look of sincerity about you."
- Okhfels: Okhfels looks confused for a moment, then shrugs. "What do you want me to tell him?"
- Isadora: "I'm going to make him an offer, and I'm unsure of his reaction. So, I can't advise--but you seldom seem to go wrong saying what comes to your mind," she says, grinning a bit.
- Isadora ducks into Lucian's cell.
- Okhfels: Okhfels follows Isadora.
- Okhfels: Okhfels seems happy to have the distraction from the rage he was feeling earlier in the day.
- Isadora: Isadora, still blissfully unaware of that episode, takes a seat facing Lucian. Looking at him intently, she says, "You came here protecting Marvars, and now that duty is finished. I'm here to give you a choice about where to go next."
- Okhfels: Okhfels stands behind Isadora, in his usual arms-crossed pose.
- Lordsmerf: The man looks up darkly, but silently.
- Isadora: "You can go back to Kaitaine. Right now, the only route is overland, and it's dangerous but you'd be going with good men. Or, you can stay here and work for me."
- Isadora props her chin on laced-together fingers--still a little bloody--and looks at him as if she's going to bore a hole in his skull with her eyes.
- Lordsmerf: The man stands quietly for a long moment, "My duty is to Kaitaine."
- Isadora: "It certainly is, and I'm offering you a chance to serve the piece of Kaitaine that's out here. Okhfels can tell you better than I can how many threats surround us right now."
- Lordsmerf: The man turns slightly to focus on Okhfels, "Does she speak truth? Is this place vital to Kaitaine?"
- Okhfels: Okhfels' face flashes several different emotions (before he speaks) - agreement, confusion, resignation, alarm, and then back around to agreement. In response, he says, "Marvars is an important man, isn't he? If he came all the way out here, it must be."
- Okhfels: (the expressions come before Lucian speaks)
- Lordsmerf: The man squints slightly, "It is Marvars who is important to Kaitaine. What is it about this place that makes it important to Kaitaine?"
- Okhfels: "You're asking the wrong man. What makes this place important to /me/ is right here." He lays his hand on Isadora's shoulder.
- Isadora: "Marvars is done," Isadora says flatly. "Marvars' heirs are important, now."
- Isadora: Beneath Okhfels' hand, her shoulder is tense.
- Lordsmerf: The man looks back to Isadora, "Yes, and Marvars' heirs are in Kaitaine."
- Isadora: "So's your entire order--one might suppose they're up to the task without you. If you want to rejoin them, that's good--but how many chances does Zanar give you to throw your spiritual strength at ancient lake spirits, undead god-kings, and goblin hordes?" Isadora smiles as if daring him.
- Lordsmerf: The man's eyes darken once more, "Are you mocking my faith?"
- Isadora: "Tell him if I'm joking, Okhfels. We have wonders out here in the wilderness." She throws a glance up at Okhfels, a strange light in her eyes.
- Okhfels: "I've seen things you can't imagine."
- Isadora sees that Lucian is taking her seriously, and nods. "You have until dawn to decide. I have faith in your judgment." She rises and leaves, then, beckoning for Okhfels to follow her.
- Okhfels: Okhfels follows her outside. Once safely out of earshot he asks, "What's so important about him?"
- Isadora: "He's another piece--he can add legitimacy and strength of arms if he stays, and cause trouble if he returns to Kaitaine. But I'll let him go, if it comes to that."
- Isadora: A smile flickers across her face. "And if I give Marvars trial by combat, he'll have a harder time killing me."
- Okhfels: Okhfels nods. "Good point."
- Okhfels: Reaching a spot that's out of the way and not currently observed, Okhfels brings Isadora to a stop with a gentle hand on her arm. He has something to say.
- Isadora looks up at him questioningly.
- Okhfels: "I don't trust Fahd."
- Isadora blinks. "Fahd? Whatever would make you say that?" She frowns, as if thinking of something. "Does this have to do with whatever happened earlier? I meant to ask you about that."
- Okhfels: "This spirit showed up and started dragging you underground. I ran and got Fahd. He sat me down with him, where you were going down, and told me the only way to save you was to pledge my soul to one of his Riani spirits."
- Okhfels: "So... I did it. I didn't have time to think."
- Isadora: "He... what?" Isadora's distracted look is quickly evaporating, and she stares at Okhfels. "You what?"
- Okhfels: "When I die, instead of going to be remade on the forge of Heaven, my soul will go to be with Razgon... or something like that. But the more I think about it... the less I like the smell of it."
- Isadora: "Rozgar, the crow of the dead?" Isadora is incredulous. "That's absurd."
- Okhfels: "It's true. I heard its voice, asking me if I understood what I was agreeing to."
- Isadora: "And you said yes?" Her voice is rising in volume.
- Okhfels: "I didn't think I had any choice. You were going down... I needed to save you."
- Isadora: "You, you... damn it!" Isadora passes a hand over her face, blinking back tears, and then visibly gathers herself. "We'll find a way to fix it."
- Okhfels: "You're not hearing me. Forget that. I was going to fix it. Isadora... I. Don't. Trust. Fahd."
- Isadora: "You think he lied to you?" Isadora looks torn between confusion and anger.
- Okhfels: "Just hold on, and listen for a minute."
- Okhfels: Okhfels holds up a hand in placation.
- Isadora takes a deep breath, then calm settles over her and she looks at Okhfels with the same intense stare she was giving Lucian."
- Okhfels: "He said that this spirit got past the Riani defenses to grab you... but then as soon as he puts any attention to it at all, it's handled." He claps his hands together for emphasis. "No problem."
- Isadora: "Go on."
- Okhfels: "He didn't tell me he actually NEEDED me to pledge myself in order to save you... he just started this prayer-chant thing, and before I knew it, I was doing it. Very slick. Very, very slick."
- Okhfels: "I'm not saying he lied to me. I'm saying he tricked me."
- Isadora: "You think it's a move to put you in the Rhiani pocket?"
- Okhfels: Okhfels nods. "You know they want to."
- Isadora: "Fahd hasn't struck me as overly political, but I'm still not sure what goes on in their heads half the time." She looks at him sharply. "How do you want to handle this? I won't mention it to him--at least not your part--if you want to take care of it yourself."
- Okhfels: "I just want you to be careful with him. I know you're working on this big spiritual... thing... and you need his help. That's fine. I just want you to be careful."
- Isadora smiles a bit. "I'm so far out of my depth with this spiritual nonsense, I probably won't know if he's keeping something from me. But I'll keep my eyes open."
- Okhfels: "My soul, I'll handle myself."
- Isadora frowns at that. "I don't like that."
- Okhfels: "What? You don't like the deal? Neither do I."
- Isadora: "That's not what I'm talking about," Isadora says, her self-control cracking for a moment.
- Okhfels: Okhfels spreads his hands. "I'm here."
- Isadora grips two handfuls of Okhfels' shirt in her hands, as if she's going to shake him. "You shouldn't have done that for me," she says. She sounds almost afraid.
- Okhfels: Okhfels puts his arms around Isadora. "I'm sorry."
- Okhfels: "You've had a rough day. Let's get you a drink, and I'll rub your feet. You always feel better when I rub your feet."
- Isadora: "Dammit, now you're not listening to ME. I am trying, really trying, not to use you up. I want to build this thing out here without grinding you into the foundations. Stop... stop doing it to yourself."
- Okhfels: Okhfels lets Isadora's words sink in. "You are trying to tell me, not to sacrifice myself for you."
- Isadora: "Now if I were Sebastian and you were me, I'd know how this conversation ends," Isadora says, gathering her composure back with a trace of humor. "You just scare me sometimes."
- Okhfels: "I'm a scary guy." Okhfels strokes Isadora's back with his hand, trying to soothe her. "Since I can't stand the idea of living without you, and you can't stand the idea of living without me, we'll just have to die together."
- Isadora smiles a little wider, and finally leans against him. "That can be arranged, you know."
- Isadora: "Now, I just have to decide about Marvars..."
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