Disclaimer: Violence directed at women. Swearing. The following is taken from various logs. Apologies for the one view: Rue's demented angle...
For my brother.
But when it's your brother sometimes you look the other way
I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family well he just ain't no good"
Next afternoon
MystHaven Open-Air Market
Isles of Myst Equine Auction
Rue had left his room at the PowderMill Pub early, a room he'd shared with Caelan Rainier due to the incredible crush of people upon the area. Everyone had descended upon the city for the Isles Equine Auction. Rue, among them, quite miserably so. And he led his horse into the large open-air marketplace to be appraised, his thoughts racing from the most menacing to the most sorrowful. Lars, played the part of an appropriately demonically possessed counterpart, snorting, prancing sideways, and pawing whenever they paused.
Rue leaned into his horse's shoulder and spoke quietly to his ear, the horse twitching attentive at the voice. "You're really not helping to make this any easier big fella..." Rue's expression was of a masked forlornness, his best attempt to build an impenetrable fortress around which no emotion would seep in or out. He'd consumed the last of his powdery aid late last night and the lingering effects were fading fast in the fury of the crowd. Rue started to walk forward again, seeking out the booth that would appraise "guard-trained" mounts. His jaw clenched and he felt very uncomfortable.
"Lars! Rue! Wait! damnit!"
The voice carried well enough to Rue's ears and in fact hit the back of his head like a solid stack of bricks. Brin!? Every muscle in his body tensed. Had she gotten his goodbye letter? No, just sent yesterday....she couldn't know. Could not possibly know. He gave a dismissive glance over his shoulder, not meaning to be rude to her, but he couldn't help it. "I cannot wait....I'm late....How's life Brin?" An ironic question Rue found amusing as he shouted it. He actually chuckled at the words as they left his mouth.
"Rue, you're not selling Lars here, are you?"
Lars' black coat had begun to sport a sheen of sweat, lather foaming at his powerful chest muscles. He would not stop tossing his head and Rue's attached arm went up and down, up and down, like a piston, never stopping. He didn't walk forward, but the moment he paused, Lars started pawing the ground and shifting his large 16-hand-body sideways, much to the disgruntlement of the people who once stood there. Rue steeled himself to gaze upon her, knowing it would be hard. But as his black eyes landed upon Brin's face, nothing prepared him for the surge of noise within his head. It put the din of the auction to that of a whisper. It nearly caused him to drop to his knees.
~*Yeeeeeeeeeeess. Cooooowaaaaard.*~
Rue looked
accusingly at her, though his mouth was drawn tightly, "Yes...." was
his simple yet excruciatingly painful answer. He started walking
again.
"Why?
Shh, calm down
boy."
The demons danced in his head, pounding
out their lustful urges, painting images behind his eyes that caused him to feel
he was going blind. His free hand lifted for his fingers to pluck at his eyes,
rubbing them, coating them with the dust from the arena. He coughed and spit.
Brin had a way of pointing out or stating the obvious that got beneath his skin.
Caelan had arrived.
"I thought you would wait for me."
~*Yeeeeessss, it's timmmmmee. Don't let her gooooo.....show her you're not a cooooward.*~
Instead of answering her, Rue sighed, "Brin, I -- "
Sideway's glance to Caelan. Arched brows. Then furrowed brows. Then hunched shoulders and another sigh.
"I could
really use some understanding right now, not questions." He turned to the
horse and growled, "If you don't stand still, I'm going to take this broad
sword off my back and beat you with it!"
"Sell him to me. I'll
keep him with Dee, he'd be more comfortable around things
familiar."
The man who had owned this horse for nearly six
years had never once laid a hand on the animal in anger. His free hand
twitched, trembling as he reached for his own neck lest he reach out and
strangle whichever female was closest to him at that moment. "I -- I
cannot do that...."
Any trace of him, any strong tie to him. It might seep through, the evil might contaminate the animal. He had no idea. "And I need top price for him...." His voice shook a bit, a fine coat of sweat beginning along his temples.
Distractedly,
he eyed Caelan, "Caelan, Brin.
Brin, Caelan..."
~*Yeeess. Two. Two birds. One
stone. We'll take them bothhhhhh cccoooward.*~
Rue shook his head, his
nails digging into his neck. He spoke to the ground, "I've got to
go...."
"Why can't you Rue? I'll give you two hundred gold
for him, right now."
And he turned quickly, nearly tripping over his
own feet. 200 gold? He jolted back and eyed Brin narrowly. "I was hoping for 100....but
Brin, he might....he might...." He glanced to Caelan for support oddly
enough, holding her gaze as he said this, "He might be like me...."
~*Yes....like you coward.*~
"What are you
talking about? Lars is a noble creature."
Rue's gaze could have
burned steel into liquid. He held out his hand, his nails were actually bloody
though it might not be noticeable, the back of his neck bore half moon
indentations. "Show me...." He waited for the money, Lars
somewhat quieter now.
"I'm sure another vendor could offer that much, Lars is a rare horse."
His gaze shifted to Caelan,
nodding to her in agreement.
Ten coins. Ten platinum coins. Rue's heart
clenched. He loved that damn horse but
he just wanted this done with. To be as far away from everyone as
possible. To stop harming himself and those around him. But he felt his mind
twist inside, and he had a hard time staying his hand from reaching for Brin's
throat as he was being coaxed to do
instead of grabbing the purse.
His voice shook with conflicting words, "If he sh -- shows any si-- signs....ki -- kill -- h-- " He thrust the reins into Brin's hands and bellowed hoarsely, "Now, leave me alone..." His watery gaze lingered on Lars once more as he took off. He was mocked within as he went. Though the voices chastised him for leaving, for being a coward, he fought them internally not to turn around.
