The Head of the Serpent

[Nymare]

She sat looking at the parchment for the longest time, the ink having dried on it ages ago. The day was starting to wear away.

If you are going to send this, send it now.

The one thing holding her back was the thought of Leoren's uneasiness if he knew she was doing this alone and so soon, but she would be doing this for him and Zelaine. Zelaine, herself, had taken the time to speak with her last night, to ask her to try to keep this from becoming a blood feud between families. She seemed to sense that, if Nymare asked it, Leoren would most likely find some way to destroy every last Nex'Cruor on some level or another.

The truth was, the only way Nymare could see herself not wanting that to come to pass was with assurance that something like this would never happen again, but while Lovely may have given her 'word' to some that she would not call out another attack, she had also said at one time that she would gladly lay down her life for Nymare. Words were nothing. As well, if House Nex'Cruor were a serpent, she was hardly it's head.

There was a glint of light from a black chitinous shell as something the size of a child's fist obediently skittered across her desk to wait patiently before it's pensive mistress. The letter was folded compactly and then quickly enclosed in a web casing before being attached to the Night Web's crimson-spotted abdomen.

"Hurry along," Nymare whispered affectionately to the spider, and then it was off to start it's quest to find Clys Nex'Cruor and deliver the brief message.


"Mistress Clys,

We have things to discuss, I think, alone and uninterrupted. Thunder Bluff? Brightly lit, public, yet obscure enough that I doubt we will bump into anyone we know. I will leave the hit man at home if you do.

Sincerely,
Nymare"

[clys]

Clys saw the spider as it hung by a silken thread above her desk, about to let itself down.

"Big sucker," she thought to herself, wondering if she should call Smurch or just kill the thing herself. Just as she decided she might as well smash it right now, rather than let it spin a web somewhere, it leaped onto her desk and stood there unmoving, a soft clicking sound coming from it.

"Well," said Clys to the spider. "You're not an ordinary bugaroo at all, are you? What's that you have stuck to you?"

Clys nimbly removed the web casing, which slid away easily revealing the note within.

"All right, then," Clys said to the arachnid. "Scurry home before I decide to smash you anyway."

The spider crawled off rapidly, its mission completed, and Clys unfolded the note.

"Hmm. Nice of her to send a spider with a note, and not a black widow with a bite," muttered Clys to herself. "I'll go see what she has to say. I'd prefer not to let this rift grow any bigger."

Nodding, Clys put on her traveling clothes and made her way, alone, to Thunderbluff.

[Nymare]

The one real draw back to Thunder Bluff was how much like a pasture it smelled to Nymare, even though it looked perfectly sanitary. Otherwise, it was quite beautiful and it's tranquility was not beyond her notice. She could get lost in the skies, the wide open fields, if she let herself, but not today. Again armored chin to toe in leather in chain, she stood alone in the midst of the busiest part of the rises, the bank and auctioneers nearby.

It did not take long for her to spot the ebon-haired woman through the crowd... crowd enough to be more busy than Silvermoon's Royal Quarter at any given time, but without all the likelihood that the innocent-looking girl on the bench nearby was actually listening carefully to every word spoken and reporting it back to some unseen master. Indeed, Sin'Dorei did not seem to spend much time at all here.

Managing a smile, Nymare raised her hand in a wave to get the woman's attention, and slowly started to make her way toward her, though her eyes scanned the lofts, rooftops, and any other spy-points nearby carefully.

"Good afternoon," Nymare offered in greeting as the last of the gap between the two was closed. With a grin, she added, "You and I do not talk nearly enough."

[clys]

"Hello, Nymare," said Clys, smiling back at the huntress. "No, I don't suppose we do. I believe I caught sight of you once or twice in Silvermoon, but never long enough to do more than notice it was you."

Clys looked around at the area, a place she was reasonably familiar with, even though it had been some time since she was here last. Her feelings about the Taurens were mixxed. There was Brogun, who she rather liked, but other than that, few Taurens had become friends of hers.

Turning back to Nymare, Clys said with a slight wave of her hand, "So, what shall we talk about? I expect you want to discuss my...child."

[Nymare]

"No, more to the point, your -family- and the 'courtesy' it showed me," Nymare remarked casually. "And what this will mean for our futures together. I have been told why the hit was taken out on me, and I find it absolutely ridiculous."

With a sweeping gesture of her hand, Nymare motioned for Clys to walk with her. If anyone else had come, they would have to earn what they heard by following and not being caught doing so.

"Now, from what I have seen of you, I would not have guessed that my telling your child that she is her brother's sister would be enough to warrant an attack in retribution."

[clys]

Clys looked at Nymare, nodding slightly.

"Well, Lady Nymare," Clys said. "The details of what were said are not something I wish to discuss or debate. I was not there, my opinion of remarks I did not hear would be meaningless. What I do want you to know is that Lovely acted on her own. It was not a family decision. I have punished her for putting the family name to something that was her choice alone. House Nex'Cruor wishes to remain on friendly terms with you, if possible. Whatever fight you have with Lovely, is with Lovely, not with me. I do not control her any more than any real parent controls a grown child. I can guide, advise, punish...but in the end she is her own person. I'm sure you understand."

Clys paused a moment before continuing.

"Don't take this to mean that I don't support her. She is my child. I have punished her for her action, as I said. I hope that will be sufficient for you. I would like to leave this matter behind us."

[Nymare]

She took the briefest moment to stop by Innkeeper Pala and purchased some tiny cubes of aged cheddar. Bringing one cube to her lips to nibble on, she offered the bag out toward Clys and commenced walking again.

Nibbling on cheese meant that Nymare could stop herself from saying anything too hasty, and not talking meant she could think about what Clys just said.

The hit had not been a family bonding experience afterall, then?

"I was not even aware I had a fight with her or anyone until that note was dropped in my lap... Regardless, yes, I understand very well just how easily a parent can be ignored," Nymare grinned between nibbles, "But she is also a member of your House, and her actions reflect on your House. If you are serious about wanting to proceed on friendly terms, I am willing to accept that - you have never given me reason to think badly of you. The same goes for Izrail. However, if her only solution to a silly spat is to hire hitmen to dole out 'lessons' in Sun-knows-what whenever she feels like it, I do not foresee a long and happy future for her..."

Her voice trailed off as they reached a curve in the path.

"As a parent, could you then continue to view it as not being a fight with you? I can assure you, however, that I have no intention of antagonizing her or ever seeking her out, but she would do well, if she is so sensitive to what I have to say when she has pissed me off, to keep safely out of my company. That may go a long way toward keeping the rest of us involved on friendly terms. For the sake of everyone else involved, I am willing to leave it at that, and put this behind us."

[clys]

Clys smiled and nodded at Nymare, taking the offered cheese and popping it into her mouth.

"You are a gracious and intelligent woman, Nymare," Clys said sincerely. "I assure you that to the best of my ability, I will see to it that there are no further incidents. I've instructed Lovely that I wish her to keep a large distance between her and yourself. Unless she wishes to receive another flogging, I expect she will do so."

Clys shrugged slightly, and then grinned, looking sideways at Nymare.

"Good cheese," she said, chewing thoughtfully.

[Nymare]

"Yes, I wonder where they get the milk..."

With an impish grin, she finished chewing away the last little bits of her cheddar cube.

"If you have any suggestions on anything else to be done next, I would love to hear them. If not, I thank you for coming all the way out here."

[clys]

Well, I would like to offer you some recompense for the inconvenience and distress my wayward child has caused you. Is there anything you need I might do for you? Some powerful potions, perhaps?

[Nymare]

She could not help but look surprised at the coincidence of the offer - she did need potions, infact, but more than a few reasons told her she was probably better off not drinking anything any of them gave her for a good long while, despite the seeming sincerity of claims made here, if only due to the small chance that someone, without consulting the rest of the family, might add a little extra kick to the sauce.

But how to turn it down?

Well, you do not have to drink them, and you would be better off cuddling with Illidan himself than requesting the potions you actually are in need of...

"I am almost always in the market for fel mana potions or flasks of relentless assault," Nymare mentioned at last, "But it is not necessary. Leoren repaid her in kind, and you have given me all I really wanted in this talk. We should keep in touch, though, I think. It may be a while before everything is back to more of a sense of normal."

Holding out the small bag, she offered more cheese.

"For the flight back," Nymare explained.

[clys]

Clys accepted the cheese with a smile.

"Very well then. Safe travels to you, Nymare."