Share your Secrets

The weather is nice enough for a day out-of-doors, and Zeke can appreicate the warmth of it. He meanders slowly through the market district, taking his time to pick out the things he wants and window-shopping a bit between. There's a certain joy in such actions. Enjoying a nice day. Taking the time to shop. He has mostly food in hand, a bit of this and a bit of that. Most of his bags have been compiled into a single one to avoid him losing anything, and he pauses near one of his favorite tea shops. His head lifts to scent the aromatic teas with pleasure. It can be overwhelming at times, but today it is merely pleasant. He makes a few purchases here, but doesn't stay for his usual cup.

Shopping, or perhaps more correctly, browsing and purchasing from interest and impulse rather than a list, is not the preferred method for all... though some have come to a better understanding of the interest in that method. Still, some still prefer direct and efficient actions, whether it be in handling purchases, travel, or even conversation.

"Peace on your nest, Zeke," comes the greeting from near at hand to the bluescale's right flank. A familiar voice, and perhaps a familiar suddenness of announcement, though the tone is polite.

Zeke responds to the sudden voice with a small jump of surprise. He was not expecting it so close to himself, nor really was he expecting to be addressed at all. However, thanks to the environment and the general expectation of noise, his reaction is somewhat less surprised than it might have been otherwise; and he recovers quickly. The blue-scaled sith turns then toward the voice addressing him and blinks a secondary surprise to find Aya there. "Peasssce on your nesst." This is an almost uncertain greeting, because he is clearly uncertain how to address her.

Aya might otherwise find some mild mirth in the reaction (and may well have at other times), though this time it is different. "My apologies. I did not intend to startle you." After that, she pauses, perhaps uncertain how best to continue. Eventually, she decides upon a question. "Would you share words?" A brow lifts lightly with the inquiry.

The inquiry is met initially with silence, but after a moment Zeke nods and leads the way away from the immediate populace. An alley nearby the tea shop provides a bit of privacy, and Zeke stops here to return his attention to the woman whom asked to share words with him. "What wordsss would you ssshare with thisss one Aya?"

Aya follows his steps, uncertain of his path or destination until the alley is reached. A courteous, or even simply practical, gesture on his part. It is comforting, perhaps, until he asks the obvious question, and a pause ensues before she speaks.

"I would not have the last words shared be our last words shared. You were quick to offer apologies, as have others..." her lips purse and her brow wrinkles. "This I didn't understand, as I should be the one offering. So now I am."

Zeke blinks at this. "What apologiessss would you offer usss Aya?" He looks at her as if he is truly curious, his tail flicking and swaying behind him in an odd pattern. He is glad, not for the first time, that most soft-skinned individuals have trouble reading sith-makar features.

"That was not how I would have had you learn of ... events," Aya states. She may be uncertain how to properly read much of his posture and movements, even with her experience with his people. Nor does it help that she currently puts forth effort to keep her own to be rather neutral.

"I did not attempt to entrust more information to you before then. Perhaps you could have altered the situation, perhaps not... but I suppose that is less the point."

"It wassss the point that thisss one tried to make to you." Zeke offers quietly, his tail stilling behind him to wrap around his leg somewhat. "Yet you did not trussst usss. And so..." He lifts a claw and waves it vaguely. There is something lost in his motion. He doesn't seem to know how to clearly express what he wants to express.

"It isss perhapsss not thisss one who needsss apologizing to. But rather to Ssseldan, whoss life you plasced in ssuch rissk. Thossse at the temple, for the sssame." Hurt crosses his features briefly. "Cryosssanthia, and Lily."

The sith rolls his right shoulder in a half shrug. "Thisss one hass lossst sssome-thing, but it wasss new. You did not hurt thisss one ass much ass you hurt othersss thisss one thinksss." He looks up at her. "Thiss one admitsss to having many quesstionsss, but thisss one hass no desssire to invoke your... pact. To caussse harm. Ssso thisss one doess not know what to sssay."

Whatever effort Aya was puting forth to keep her expression controlled falters at mention of names. Her face compresses in ire not unlike it did before. Perhaps it is one most easily expressed. "Seldan was not even in the city!" her voice remains low in volume even as it increases in intensity, "and I would never seek harm to Cryosanthia, Lily, nor yourself."

The flash of anger doesn't last beyond that, however. She conjoins elements of his statement and suddenly wonders who may or may not have been present... which seems to be more than enough to drain her ire, as it also takes the rest of her words, and even some of the color from her face.

Aya's moment of raw emotion makes Zeke blink at her. "You would be incorrect Aya. Sseldan wasss in the scity." He peers at her and shakes his head. "Thisss one might believe that you mean no harm to thisss one'sss cihuaa, to the youngling... perhapsss not even to thisss one... Yet."

He looks at her carefully. "Thisss one isss a sservant of the Dragonfather, if thiss one were to meet the demon Eclavdran... Thisss one would almossst certainly die." He looks at her even more seriously, worry making him hum low in his throat. "No Aya. If thisss one had brought Lily, and Eclavdran had sseen her, known her for thisss onesss weaknesss... Would /she/ sssurvive?"

Those possibilities might make Aya blanch further, yet they seem to have a somewhat opposite effect. Her shocked expression recovers and firms. Not to ire, but something else energizing and solid. "There are many 'if's. We cannot account for nor control them all... but ..." She takes a step towards him, though not aggressively so. Perhaps more for conversation as she lowers her voice another step.

"If someone sought weaknesses of you, Cryosanthia, and others... and if I were in a position to offer such information... someone would only know what I wished to be known."

"No Aya." Zeke says seriously, looking at her. "They would only know from /your/ lipsss what you want known. You can not afford to believe that thisss demon hasss only you for eyesss and only you for earsss - if that isss your arrangement. And even if you only sssay what you want known... how can you be sssure that what you sssay will not lead to harm?" He does not move back from her, but lowers his own voice so that he is not speaking harshly to her now that she is closer.

That fact may well have occured to Aya, as the mention of it only dissipates some of her energy. It vents in a sighed exhale. "As I said, I cannot control all things, only affect those that I can. There is always a risk, in anything that anyone says or does. Would you have me do nothing?"

Zeke lifts his claw, as if to touch Aya, but the claw does not reach out. It falls far short. It's always been difficult for him to touch others, and now... "You are right, perhapsss thisss one thinksss too much on what might happen, and not enough on what hasss. Thisss one sseesss the risssk to innocentsss and can not countenance it. The risssk to thosse in thisss onesss care and can not forget it." He shakes his head and looks at her. "You sssay you have come to apologize Aya, but that ssuggessstss regret. That one would change. But you ssspeak of every-thing as being out-side your control."

"You chossse to asssk the demon to come and heal you, you took that risssk for all of ussss."

"I..." Aya pauses, perhaps choosing her words carefully or attempting to find them in the first place. While there are many facts she could possibly make in her defense... In the end, she may find far fewer relevant words than desired. Most of her remaining spirited posture sags. "I was foolish. I will not be so again."

"Then, if thisss isss true, you mussst trusst thisss one. Trussst the othersss who would sstand bessside you." Zeke does reach out then, for her shoulder. "Ssshare what wordsss you can of the chainsss that bind you, ssso that we might fight thisss demon and undo hissss many evil worksss. Trussst, that we will protect you, and that will will protect any he would come againssst."

Aya's head droops, even as the hand seeks her shoulder. Perhaps it is healer's precognition of need? "You are not the one that I do not trust, Zeke," She lifts her head again, wearily. "I am trying to give you the answers you seek, as I did, before. There are some questions I cannot answer. I would not bring ruin upon you. You ask me to trust in protection against something that could well slay us all with whimsy. I will not stand idly by while that happens."

"Every foe has weaknessss. Every strength a foil. Mighty he might be, but he isss not invincible." Zeke rests his hand on her shoulder gently. Offering her his quite confidance where her own is lacking. "Perhapsss he could ssslay usss at whimsssy... but the fact that he hasss not sssuggessstss in of itsself weaknesss. Thisss one thinksss knowsss that it isss the sstrength of evil to work in fear. Whilessst you live in it, the light can not reach you."

Whether its the statements of things she also believes (and may have forgotten) or the implications as to why, Aya's posture straightens and her expression firms. "I fear nothing. It is a tool, and an ally. A powerful one." Perhaps it may just not function so well on some individuals.

"You speak the truth. There must be some weakness, and I could well be positioned to locate such."

Zeke takes his claw back, his tail flick-flicking away from his leg. "Perhapssss. Thisss one doess not know enough to sssay." He sounds however uncertain. "Thisss one... Thisss one mussst return to Lily. Ssshe awaitsss dinner, and Cryosssanthia isss..." He trails off without finishing that thought, shaking his head and looking sad - worried. "We will ssshare wordsss again, until then... Be careful Aya. And may there be peasssce on your nesst."

Aya dips her chin in a deep nod. Her face shifts through a new shift; brightening at mention of Lily and then darkening with concern at the unfinished mention of Cryosanthia and the resulting gestures. She starts to open her mouth to ask, pauses, and then decides better of it. Had he wished her to know, he would have shared more. For far too many reasons, it may be best that she did not know, for now. "I shall, even more so. Peace on your nest, and your kin." She leaves him, then, to continue on his way.

-End