Heart to Heart

It was late in the evening as Rayleth worked his magic along the cold rock face that made up one of the walls of the fortifications. High above, alien stars glittered down on him and an alien moon glowed brightly in the sky, illuminating his work. Gusts of frigid air passed by him, blowing loose flakes of snow and causing him to clutch his cloak tighter around him for a moment.

In his hand he held a wand, his wrist carefully maneuvering the tip to trace out glowing wards along the stones. A punishment from the Senior Apprentice for 'willfully defying' her, he'd been sent out into the cold night to reinforce faltering wards along the western side of their defenses that helped prevent wild animals from burrowing under (or through!) the rocks.

As he worked, he heard snow crunching under the boots of someone approaching, but he dared not turn his head to see who approached, his concentration taken up fully by the delicate spells that even now he was starting to unravel because of an accidental misstep in his spellcasting. It was not until a voice cut through the cold evening air that he realized who was standing behind him.

"You've got the ward symbol slightly askew, Rayleth," Biara said gently behind him.

"I'm sorry, Magistrix," Rayleth said as he continued to concentrate. "I tried to correct it but I fear I may have to redo the entire ward and I-"

His words were interrupted as he felt her draw near, one of her gloved hands sliding over his and gently guiding the motion of the wand to correct the fraying ward-sign with an expert gesture. He blinked, studying what he had just been shown very carefully, his mind drinking in the knowledge that the little gesture had given him.

For her part, Biara let her hand linger for a moment, feeling the pulsing flow of his magic beneath her gloved hand. She closed her eyes, enjoying the 'flavor' of the magic she felt. Each type of magic felt slightly different to her, as if each were a different course from a fabulous dinner service. In this case, Rayleth's magic had a crisp, cool feel to it like the first sip of icy cold water or the first taste of mint ice cream on one's tongue. She sighed slightly, releasing his hand reluctantly.

"Magistrix, I see what I did wrong now. Thank you for showing me. I believe I should be able to adequately repair the rest of the wards here," Rayleth said with a smile.

Biara nodded, shifting away from him as he moved towards the next set of wards in the series. She studied him for a moment before moving to a rock outcropping nearby, settling herself on the stone, her legs crossed as she gazed up at the stars far above. "The Senior Apprentice told me she'd punished you for putting yourself at risk in the battle, and for using our stock of wands. I could override her punishment, but then it would undermine her confidence and the morale of the others; something that is seriously lacking at the moment."

"Yes, that's correct, Magistrix. And honestly, I understand," Rayleth replied as he pointed his wand at the next ward. He glanced over at her, studying her as she sat perched on the stones beside him. "Regardless of the punishment, I'd have done it again without hesitation. If this is the consequence then so be it. It's a lovely evening anyway."

Biara nodded, still gazing up at the sky, "It is indeed. The stars are almost more beautiful than those of our own sky. I would dare to say that in the coldness here their glow is one of the most beautiful things this world has to offer."

Rayleth grinned for a moment as he watched Biara from the corner of his eye. His lips moved, accidentally giving words to his thoughts, "I would disagree that they are the most beautiful thing here." Realizing what he'd said, he paled and turned, looking back towards his work just in time to avoid a disaster with the spell he was working.

Biara's head turned, her fel green eyes gazing at him as he worked, a hint of surprise on her face. After a time, she broke the silence that had fallen between them, her words soft. "Rayleth, what you did the other day...it was dangerous. I do not mean just in the fact that you entered battle as an untrained apprentice, but rather saving my life was a dangerous act. There are those who would see you die just for doing such a thing, who would revile you for allowing me to continue to walk the world. I do not know if you thought of this or realized it, but a burning question lingers in my mind. Why?"

Rayleth paused, his work on the ward completed for a moment. He studied his handiwork, checking it for signs of imperfections before turning to meet her gaze. When he answered, his voice was firm in his conviction, "Because it was the right thing to do. I have heard the rumors about you, about the things you've done. It doesn't actually matter what you've done, but rather what you were doing. You were putting yourself at risk to protect the rest of those in this fort. I have lived as a commoner all my life, as a farmer actually until the Scourge came and took our lands and my family, and in all that time I can count on one hand the number of times a noble has put herself at risk as you did. It is not the past deeds that we judge someone by, but what they are doing now. Besides that, I don't even know if half the rumors about you are true anyway, nor do I care."

Biara kept her gaze affixed to his, never looking away as she responded, "Many of them are. I have done terrible things for the cause of the Sin'dorei, been a terrible person. It is my burden to bear so that the rest of Quel'Thalas can live in safety. It is why people will be displeased with your selfless act."

Rayleth shook his head, folding his arms across his head, "I say again I don't care. What you were doing now was heroic, and if others have a problem with that then I will deal with them as needed. When I learned that I had some gift with the arts, I swore that I would use them to serve our people. Being here now, aiding you, is doing exactly that and I will not be swayed from my course."

"That...is very heroic of you, Rayleth," Biara said, finally looking away and down at her dress. She toyed with a non-existent thread on her clothing, her voice softer now. "Weren't you afraid?"

He continued to gaze at her, watching the way the moonlight played in her fire red hair, his reply equally soft, "More afraid than I've ever been in my entire life. I don't know how you can do that all the time. Where do you get the strength?"

Biara shrugged, still toying with the thread on her dress, "Who said I have the strength? I do what I feel I have to do, whether I am strong enough or not. Whether I have to stand on my own or not. I have bled for the Sin'dorei, my body bears the terrible scars of my failures when I have fallen. I have had to play the part of the monster time and again, even if the very people I seek to protect come to fear me, revile me, and look at me with disgust. I will never stop trying to protect our lands, our people, until my dying breath. It is how my father raised me, to serve Quel'Thalas."

Rayleth blinked in surprise at the answer, stepping closer to Biara. Hesitantly he reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder and causing her to look up at him in surprise. He studied her face for a moment, the way her soft lips parted slightly as if to say more and he shook his head, "Magistrix...I have seen you in battle, seen what it is you fight for. You are neither a monster, nor alone. There are those who will support you with their lives, just as you sacrifice your own life for our nation. Maybe I'm just an apprentice and a commoner and I don't know how the politics of it all works, but I know what I see with my own two eyes. I am glad I was assigned to your House, because I know I can make an actual difference here."

Biara found herself at a loss for words for a moment, a blush spreading across her face and rising up to her eartips. "I....that's...very kind of you, Rayleth. It..it means a lot to hear someone say that. More than you know. Just...thank you."

Rayleth smiled at her, removing his hand from her shoulder and nodding, "Thank you, for all you do for Quel'Thalas, Magistrix."

Biara rose from the stones she was sitting on, staring into his eyes, more words on the tip of her tongue. He could see something there in her gaze, a distance between them as if she were afraid of something, or someone perhaps. Afraid to say the things she was thinking maybe? Afraid of getting too close to someone given the life she lead? Or perhaps she was remembering the things she'd seen and done in the past? Regardless of what it was, he saved her the burden of having to say more, his voice soft, "It is freezing cold out here, and I've many wards left to complete and wouldn't want to see you being forced to freeze beside me, Magistrix, I-"

Biara interrupted him, a smile playing across her face, "When it is just you and I speaking, please just call me Biara. I...it's nice to step away from everything, even for a moment."

Rayleth smiled, offering her a polite bow, "Very well then, Biara. Please, go and get warm. I would not wish you to suffer for me just to keep me company. You already do more than your fair share. I will be in shortly, and should you need me, know that you have but to call upon me."

Biara smiled, and to Rayleth's surprise, gave him a curtsey she might have given to a lord, "As you wish, Rayleth. And thank you. You've definitely improved my mood for the evening."

With that she turned and walked away, heading back towards the warmth of the command center. Rayleth watched her go, his mind reflecting on what had passed between them and his voice low when he responded to her after she was long out of his earshot, "As you have mine, Biara. As you have mine."