No rest for the weary [Tags: Sorcha/ Nayh]

Yeoun was ready to relax; he needed some time away from his veritable brothers in the Blood Moon Squad, to think. It had been perhaps three or four sevendays since they'd escorted the caravan to Igen Weyr, and nothing of excitement had happened since then. By all accounts, Telgar seemed to be taking the false evidence he and Sorcha had planted on holdless bodies seriously, though of course, there was always the likeliness that they would take into consideration that the evidence was fake.

Yeoun fully expected them to take their time and put genuine effort into discerning the truth surrounding what they'd found. But to do so, they'd just as likely have to make a move to investigate some of the locations on the map indicated. The Chorong however, had not only given them a falsified map, which would lead Telgar Hold's Guard to all the wrong places on a wild goose chase, but they had also set up fake camps or storehouses where indicated. Whenever the Guard thought they were onto something, they would actually be walking into either a trap, or more false evidence. Yeoun of course, was included in the numbers of Chorong who knew about these locations, because it was possible that he and the other Blood Moon Squad members might just be the crew sent to investigate. Thus far however, the boys of the Blood Moon Squad had yet to get word of such a mission.

To be honest, it seemed a little too quiet to him lately, after the excitement that had come around over the summer months. Then again, it winter was on its way, and preparations were being made to hunker down for Telgar's unforgiving weather that would rend those on either side of the conflict immobile until spring. But the coming winter was all the more reason for the Guard to push investigations forward more quickly.

Events surrounding the death of the Lord Holder's son, Ermon, was probably what had put the investigation over rebel matters on hold. The regular Guard -all of Telgar- seemed to mourn the loss, and were frantic in their efforts to discover the truth of who'd been responsible. Thus far, little real information on Ermon's death had been publicly revealed, but Yeoun had heard that there was someone in custody, and it was someone who'd been a member of the Guard. Apparently someone of officer status, though no one would say who. Since it all happened at the fight club the Chorong had been utilizing to recruit a few extra hands though, he assumed that Sorcha would know -or perhaps even had something to do with it. But all had been quiet on that front, too, lately. The Chorong had quietly pulled out of the Fight Club while it was under investigation, avoiding any further suspicion on their presence there, and Yeoun had not been to the Mask in several days either; so he and Sorcha had had little chance to exchange information.

Swift, their trusty go-fer, was always readily available through other informant channels they passed messages through, but Yeoun hadn't heard much through him recently, either.

Well, maybe it was all for the better. Maybe it just meant that things were going as planned for the Chorong. For now.



Seeing as though he'd found himself some time to escape the attention of any who might typically be looking for him, the Blood Moon Squad's Yeoun found himself entering the Inamourata's Mask a little after dusk. It was about time for regular patrons to be showing up, so it would be easy to blend into that crowd, as he usually did when he came here of late.

Entering the Mask, he let himself be led down one of the hallways to a room at its furthest reaches -the one usually assigned to him- and there, sat himself down amidst the cushions of the seating arrangement, watching as the young girl curtsied in the door and then closed it between them. She scampered off, down the hall again, to alert those who took interest, that he'd arrived unexpectedly.

While he awaited the arrival of his host, Yeoun removed his sword from his hip and set it beside him. Any moment now, the beauty who usually entertained his time here, would show up, and he'd be able to relax and forget having to think about the difficult things. He'd been here enough by now, that she was getting to know his preferences.

Quiet as it may have seemed for most of them, Sorcha had kept herself busy with plans and plots. There wasn't a moment to lose really. She also had a full schedule lately because of Nayh. Though really the other girl was trying to keep her busy to keep her out of trouble. The busier Sorcha was, the less time she had to worry about who was taking the fall for her murdering Ermon. She also didn't have to think about Ermon at all.

Sorcha dressed slowly. Making sure the undergarments she had to wear were just perfect before putting on a scarlet colored gown. The bodice was form fitting but the skirt was like a rose with layers of red.

As soon as she had her hair curled and down with a beautiful headband of gold, with tiny rubies inlaid, there was a pounding on her door. "Come in."

"Yeoun is here. I saw him to his usual room."

"Ah. And his usual girl is not here.."

Sorcha waved and nodded, "I'll be down in a moment. Have someone bring him what he usually drinks." Like shells if she knew what he drank. She had enough to worry about. Putting her heels on and adjusting the ruby necklace on her neck, she sighed. Tonight she had a very important client. A very wealthy one and she had to look every bit the beauty, he expected her to be.

Unfortunately for Yeoun he had bad timing.

She walked down to the end of the hall once downstairs and opened the door slowly. "Good evening Yeoun. I apologize, we didn't know you were coming and your regular girl is otherwise occupied tonight." Although not necessarily with a client.

"I'll be sending someone else in to see to your entertainment. But I was hoping we could speak for a few minutes. Unfortunately you have horrible timing and I'll be gone for a great deal of the evening." And probably the morning too. Some men simply had more stamina.

She walked down to the end of the hall once downstairs and opened the door slowly. "Good evening Yeoun. I apologize, we didn't know you were coming and your regular girl is otherwise occupied tonight... I'll be sending someone else in to see to your entertainment. But I was hoping we could speak for a few minutes."


This was to Yeoun's dismay, and so, with the slight cant of his head, his brows rose -rather expressively for him. "Should I get rid of him?" That was, assuming that she was with another man at the moment. It would be too much trouble for him to have to deal with someone new. He hadn't really been in the mood for training someone new, tonight.

Touching a hand to his sword, it might have seemed as though Yeoun meant to get up and go straight to the door to part the pair, but instead, Nayh came to the door. Glancing that way, he seemed to relax again, seeing that one of the Mask's senior Ladies had brought with her what looked like the usual drink he ordered.


Just as bright in her orange and dusky blue gown, Nayh carried the tray in, placing it on the table before him, before turning to discreetly close the door again. In her gentle way, she was smiling, quite happy that Yeoun had decided to pay them a visit; and even more pleased that his usual entertainer had been otherwise scheduled tonight. Nayh needed to rearrange the other girl's schedule more often, so that she herself could entertain him periodically.

Seating herself near Yeoun where she could serve him, her arms outstretched elegantly so that they could pour his drink with greatly practiced poise. "Sorcha has informed Young Master Yeoun then, that his usual entertainment won't be available tonight?" Nayh's smile hadn't waned, and her pleasure at being there with him was genuine. With her large, doe eyes meeting his gaze, she went on, hoping to entice his interest in her instead, "That would be unfortunate were it not for that my own schedule is allowing. Certainly, being a senior Lady of the Mask, I have some insights as to the Young Master's... particularities."

With a delicate hand then, Nayh was offering Yeoun his cup; and when he took it from her hand directly, it was a good sign. Nayh was glancing back in the direction of Sorcha then, nodding once in confirmation that it would suit him fine for her to remain with him.


Taking the cup from her hand and enjoying a drink from it, he too, looked back to the other young lady in the room. "What is it that you wanted to discuss?"

Important though her words were, he seemed far more upset about the fact he wouldn't be entertained by whom he wanted than discussing important matters. Men were ridiculous. Made more ridiculous by their need for pleasure. Sorcha looked positively livid when Nayh suggested she might not have informed Yeoun what was going on. Of course she had. Who the fuck did she think she was?

Well it wouldn't do her any good to get worked up. She felt the same color as her dress. Red, fiery, flaming, passionate and deadly. They had better all pay close attention to her for the next few minutes. Once Nayh was done attracting Yeoun's attentions, Sorcha moved across the room from him where she could be heard and seen quite clearly, lest he be distracted.

Swift had been invited for a chat and was completely serious the whole time. Sometimes she preferred the blunt, serious people of the world. She knew exactly where they stood. "I was going to set up a meeting at another time but there is no way to get you a message at the moment. There are too many people monitoring the activity of the Guards and the people here in the hold as well."

Her light eyes were hardened to emotion at the moment though soon she would have to act the part of enamored lover. Her voice was more informative than anything. Once again she seemed to have more knowledge about what was going on than she should.

"Have you decided where you stand, Yeoun? Are you a rebel or are you a Guard? You cannot afford to be both. A choice will have to be made. The Chorong will require proof of your loyalty. Killing someone close to you. One of your Squad, someone loyal to Telgar Hold. If father has not asked you yet, know that this choice will soon be upon you. You are running out of time."

Though it may have usually been the case that Yeoun went there to be in touch with Sorcha about some matter of Rebel activity, this particular evening, that had not been the case. He'd hoped to be able to put away his thoughts about the more difficult topics, such as the one Sorcha now brought up, but it seemed as though that would have to wait.


It was true that the Guard was much more vigilant as of late, which did happen to make communication amoungst the Chorong a little more difficult to go about. Still, the Chorong had their outside informants to pass messages through, which typically went unnoticed and had been reliable in the past, so Yeoun didn't see any problem with it. But... when Sorcha's words reached his ears, he thought that perhaps this kind of thing would preferably be kept just between them; strictly private.

Not exactly pensive, but not seeming exactly pleased over the possibility that Sorcha was accusing him of weak fealty, he let her think that that is what bothered him most, going back to drinking from his alcohol cup. When he addressed her questions, he made a point of not looking back to where she stood, obviously taking some offense by her words. "Have I given you or Lord General Galedon some reason to doubt that I am one of the Chorong? This is my father's rebellion. I promised Lord General Galedon when I bowed myself before him and became his apprentice, that I would purpose my life to it. Is there really anything more than my life that he can ask? He already has that." And wouldn't it be a cruel twist of fate, if even then, Galedon still drove him to prove himself by taking also the life of one of his comrades. It would be no less than the General's way of breaking Yeoun's spirit; the next step in seizing control of it. Which he very well might feel the need to do in order to groom Yeoun into the Chorong's next leader, so that he may take his father's place.

Though he did not address that issue yet which stuck most in his mind, that he migh soon be faced with proving himself in such a way that he hoped he'd never have to, he could still try to dissuade them from it. It didn't seem necessary to have to target a member of his own Squad to prove his loyalty.

Working hard to keep the surprise from his face, though it stunned him a great deal to have to consider it, Yeoun was ever the poker-faced one of the Blood Moon bunch. His expression held. He did truly seem unmoved by the entire concept, as though he had already taken it into consideration and had ample time to think it through.


Nayh sat quietly, listening, refilling Yeoun's cup when it was nearly empty. But she did not feel the need to do more than that for the time being.

No doubt that later, Yeoun would be much in need of great comfort from her. And she would be glad to give it to him.

Sighing, she knew he might find Nayh's presence discomforting. "Nayh knows who you are, she knows about the rebels. What is said between us will not go beyond our confidence."

She did not like that her emotions were getting the better of her but she was feeling quite frustrated. If he wanted to be played like a toy, he could be and she would not be blamed. "So you think that floating along and doing whatever is asked of you equates to being a rebel. Why are men so sharding dense?" She said in aggravation, not realizing how much she sounded like her long lost relatives in that moment.

He seemed to think he could get by doing practically nothing except what was asked of him. Being puppeted was fine, as long as you knew how to keep the puppeteer happy while you came up with your own plans. "You decide your own fate. I'm simply suggesting you think about where things are headed and what side you are truly loyal to. You might have to give more in proving ever intended on giving. Lives will hang in the balance."

More calmly, and very soft, her voice came out more like a young girl's. "Loyalty is often earned, not inherited." Cryptic as it was, she felt no need to explain her words. Yeoun would grow curious eventually and wonder what she meant by her own words. Her loyalty had been earned by the other girls here. And she was not the dutiful daughter she pretended to be. Neither did Yeoun have to be the dutiful son. He had other people who earned his loyalty, who deserved better than to be lied to and stabbed in the back by their friend.

He would figure out what she meant eventually. He would see that the price the Chorong wanted him to pay was too high.

Yeoun was not usually the kind to allow angry words like Sorcha's egg him on. He didn't like getting worked up into useless fury -he had more control than that. He did not like his loyalties being questioned however; he had always worked very hard to be a man of his word. She insulted the very essence of him to imply that he was not Loyal.

So, when Sorcha was done with her rant, he set down his cup, inquiring, "Then let me ask you... did Lord General Galedon prove his loyalty in such a way? Though my skills are best suited for killing, I still need a reason to do so; otherwise, we are no better than a mindless mad man."

Honestly, Yeoun did not view the Chorong Rebels in that light -as mindless men. If all they did was terrorize, then they would garner no support from the people they desperately needed to join their ranks. The Chorong had their purpose, and their own covert methods that might seem cruel to others at times, but from Yeoun's understanding, they did not do things that were unnecessary, nor did they do things that would hurt their position. Doing so would put them at a disadvantage.

If, under Galedon's leadership, the Chorong had become so consumed by such madness that they no longer served a purpose, then Yeoun would see to it that they were one day disband. He recognized that Sorcha's... passion... might be an exception, but if it came down to it, Yeoun was not about to let that kind of disregard for human life take over the legacy of his father.

"How should I know?" She shrugged, "Maybe you should ask him yourself?" Ergh, she was so frustrated right now. Yeoun didn't want to grasp how serious things were becoming. He could live in a world where things were easy if he wanted to be played like a fiddle but she wasn't going to let that happen to herself.

"Killing doesn't always have a clear purpose. But killing one of your old allies to prove your loyalty to the new would serve one to the rebels. Your friends are part of the Guard and a system which the Rebels are inherently against. If any of the people you serve with were to die, the Rebels would applaud their deaths. They want the system taken down and they want you to help them do it, by any means necessary. Killing your friends would hold more value to them than you are willing to allow yourself to believe. Everyone in this group is disposable. Just as everyone here in this place is disposable." She was including herself in this as well.

"I can see you're mind is on pleasure and I'm sorry to have ruined that for you. I am only trying to help you, Yeoun. If you want to talk about this another time, you know where to find me. I have an appointment." With that Sorcha rushed passed him and Nayh, the skirt of the dress she wore was swishing and ruffling its way through the room. "Ugh." She said just outside the door then took a deep breath and smiled.

She had somewhere to be.

Yeoun had to admit that within the rebels ranks, he didn't fully know what he was doing yet. Galedon was eager to groom him as the Chorong's future head, but he was still learning the ins and outs of how they operated. It did happen to help his case that the Lord General seemed to want Yeoun to be a successful part of their faction, so he probably hadn't been as hard on him right away as he could have. Granted, now that Yeoun was starting to settle in to the idea of being one of them, their leader as starting to buckle down on him. The expectations were going to become even greater, the bar set a little higher, and in that light, Sorcha was right about everything. Yeoun would very soon need to be considering just how he was going to handle his relationship with his Blood Moon companions. Things could not remain the same.

A silent sigh visibly lifted and then settled through Yeoun's shoulders. As Sorcha disappeared through the door, the tension could be seen releasing through the slight slouch in his posture.

The young man sat there for a long moment, considering things, his eyes staring off. Sorcha was coming from a very different perspective -perhaps she knew better than he, what was about to come his way. She was obviously trying to warn him.

Still, Sorcha did not know the plans that were beginning to take shape in his mind. She knew little of his mind; and there were certain lines that he was not willing to cross. He was not a bad person. So, no matter what the Chorong asked him to do to prove himself, or to achieve any other goal in the future, he was determined that he would do it on his terms.

Galedon was his teacher now, not Sorcha. But she was right, he needed to see his new teacher again. He needed to go to him and visit with him in person. Only, with security as high as it had been lately, Galedon would not likely come here. Yeoun would have to go to him.

Before then however, he had something else in mind...



Breaking him from his reverie, Nayh leaned forward to set a hand tentatively upon his.

"Master Yeoun. I refilled your cup. If you would like something to eat, I will order it. If not, shall I play a song for you?" Being sensitive toward his mood at the moment, she assumed music would soothe him, maybe help him work through some of his thoughts.

For now, ignoring the cup before him, Yeoun sat, unmoved. At length, after taking another deep breath, he answered her, "Forgive me. I don't mean to be unpleasant with you. You must think poorly of me; and I'm sure you have your fair share of unpleasant customers."

A soft smile traced its way across her cherry lips, hearing that. "Unpleasant? Not in the least." With a pause, she added, "May I speak freely?"

There were things that she wanted to say to him, but it would not be tasteful of her to speak them here, while she was serving him, if he did not wish it.

"Go on." Yeoun's hands had fallen to his lap where they rested now atop his knees in a wide-legged posture. He continued to ignore his drink.

Highly empathetic, Nayh was sensitive toward what he must be feeling. She would have made a great searchrider. "Sorcha has her own way of caring for the needs of others, like how she keeps us safe, here inside the Mask. I'm not saying that she is trying to protect you, but she wouldn't say such things if she didn't have a good reason.

"I believe she may be reaching out to you. But, I cannot say why. Perhaps you should speak with her again, soon. Maybe there are important things left unsaid?" Of course, she could not be certain. Nayh might be a sensitive person towards others, but she did not read minds. And her mind, and that of Sorcha, were far different from one another.

The girl wanted to go on. There was yet more on her heart to tell him, now that she had time here with him alone, but her lips would not part with the words. Perhaps the rest of her thoughts were simply too much, too soon. This tiny insight would have to suffice for now. Nayh promised herself however, that she would make it up to him in the future. No matter what happened, she would be there for him. For now, however, he would have to remain in the dark about the fact that she was perhaps his only true ally.


Yeoun's eyes studied the girl as she parted with her thoughts regarding Sorcha's purpose for her talk with him. And perhaps Nayh was right. Yeoun would visit with Sorcha again; but when he was ready to.

That brought his mind back to an earlier train of thought. He needed to prepare two messages and relay them to Swift. "Will Swift return to the Mask soon? I have a message to relay through him."

Nayh's eyes became genuinely curious. "Yes. He runs by here with some regularity, though I do use other channels to reach him periodically, when he doesn't come here."

Nodding, Yeoun implored her, "Please, bring me something to write with. And I will take something to eat."

Her face brightening, now that Yeoun seemed to have a plan about something, it didn't matter what it was as long as he didn't look so gloomy.  "Of course."

Standing from where she was seated, she went to the door, calling for one of the younger girls on staff to have some food delivered to their room and bring them the writing tools. It was all in hand shortly, and Nayh returned to the Chorong's young heir with each of the things requested.


Lifting the writing instrument, Yeoun neatly scrawled down two short letters. One to Galedon, the other to Swift himself.

The message to be delivered to Galedon read:


Yeoun's message to Swift read:



Wheyn Yeoun was done, he ate, and enjoyed some music by Nayh. Eventually, he went home, entrusting the sealed messages to the young lady's care, where they would soon be delivered to Swift.