For the hundredth time today I settle myself into stance. Just as my Lady Faith has taught me I try to at first be mindful of what I must achieve, before letting such thoughts sink back down to be replaced with the simple ‘now’ of the dance. “For it is just like the dances you already know Kietsu” she told me “Fluidity, balance and control are more important then raw strength. Timing, awareness and precision more important then raw speed. From your dancing I can already see that much of what you will need you already know…that is, if you still want to learn”
And I did want to learn. Desperately. Since my earliest days as my Lord’s servant I had wanted nothing else but to learn the dance of blades and tread the measure of conflict. To have something I had learnt for myself, done for myself…not these false memories of some ghostly imagined half-life. But when I finally got up enough courage to ask my Lord, he laughed at me. Then, on seeing I was serious, he struck me. Hard. It took me two month’s to heal. “For your insolence in presuming you are worthy!” he had said “You are but property, subservient to me in all things. This holy art is not for such as you.”
My weight balanced evenly, favouring neither my left foot, nor my right. My back is straight, my head level, my neck and shoulders relaxed. My hands grip the hilt of the blade lightly; striving for the elusive balance between control and flexibility that only comes with just the right amount of pressure.
Slowly at first, and then more quickly, I begin to guide my blade through the five basic attitudes. From left into right, from right into upper, from upper into lower, from lower to center, and from center back to right as the sequence begins again.
One – two – three – four - five. I try to move between them like water – fluid and without pausing or breaking the flow. One – two – three – four - five. Again. The blade is light and free in my hands, sweeping through the air like a wheeling bird.
He was not a bad master, my Lord Blades. Never think that of him. Other then that one time he didn’t strike me…well never again with such feeling. He was aloof, demanding, cold - but no different in that then other such masters I might have served, had I been born in truth rather then simply willed into being. I accepted such things and more besides, for my Lord had cares that weighed heavily on him. He was now human only in form – power beyond reckoning burned inside of him, he fulfilled duties and tasks beyond my comprehension, treated with or fought things that it would give me nightmares just to gaze upon them. And above it all as a created thing I owed my Lord my very life – and I served him with it as best I could.
Now I begin to add in steps as I change. First forwards. Now back. My eye-line remains level, my body remains balanced. Not to large and not too small, the steps are taken as if simply walking.
Faster now. One – two – three – four – five. With each forward step I cut an imaginary opponent, with each backward step I block an unseen blow – striking and blocking from whichever attitude I am in as I take the step, practising all the forms. One – two – three – four – five.
Yes I served my lord, made of my life an offering to him, obeyed him in all things…all things but one. I could not give up my dream. Though he could, and would, rend me from being if he found out, I started to practice in secret. Glimpses of his lessons. Snatches seen from where I hid, hardly daring to breathe lest I be discovered. Stolen moments where I was alone in the house, furtive practices with a discarded training blade, chipped and bent from hard use. The one glorious and terrifying night I dared to sneak out to the garden of statues and shed my blood upon a blade.
One – two – three – four – five. No such shoddy blade is in my hands today. Today I practice with a beautiful Katana of exquisite workmanship. The blade is polished and honed to an edge that I feel could cut the air on a foggy day. The hilt is circled by my Lady’s floral design, while a flock of herons flap along the length of the blade towards the sunrise at the tip. She gifted it to me, the first thing I had ever truly owned “Just for training. It has a good balance, and, though slightly heavier then perhaps is appropriate, it will help build up your strength. But when you are ready we shall have the blade-smiths prepare you a blade that will truly complete you”
When my Lord died I had half expected that we, his servants, would simply fade away – cease to be now that the mind that had imagined us imagined us no longer. When we did not I was at first joyful…but then frightened. What would our next master be like? What use would he have for tools and chattels of his predecessor?
The days crawled by as we tried to keep busy; the nights were spent in worry and fear. Then came the news that the Estate of Blades was once again en-nobled. That we had a master again. I had feared a thousand things, ten thousand things, tormented myself with idyllic fantasies of the ridiculous hope that our new master would be kind.
But if I had dreamed and imagined for ten thousand years I don’t think I would have conceived of our newest Mistress. She’s like nothing I ever expected. A flaxen haired western devil, and a woman at that– well a girl really, at least in appearance. The power and knowledge of her Estate flows through her from the ancient shard lodged in her soul – but the kindness she showed us, the joy she takes in life, the wonder with which she views the world…all of these things are uniquely hers.
One – two – three – four – five. Faster and faster. Two steps, three. The blade is a shimmer of silver in the air around me as it sings through the air - a striking snake, a diving hawk, a pouncing cat. Somewhere my muscles burn and sweat stings my eyes and my lungs cry out for air. But such things are far away – I am one with the dance now, thought and reaction flowing as one, and my heart sings with the beauty of it.
She has made my very dreams come true, my days are filled with such happiness, as I have never known. And she asked nothing in return. How could I not serve such a one?
Most noble Lady Faith – I will be worthy of you, if it takes me until the end of my days I will be worthy of you. I throw myself into the dance with abandon.
I start again.
==
From the thought record of Kietsu – sworn servant to Faith Deltarion
The blissful warmth of the bath had been well worth the time taken to heat the water for it. Finally my muscles unstiffened and unknotted…leaving me with only the deep tiredness that was the reward of my exercise. I was almost finished drying myself when I heard the sound of movement in the house.
I hurriedly threw on my kimono and grabbed my sword from the nearby bench (My Lady told me to always keep it near me…this I do). Sliding back the screen quietly I stepped silently into the empty room. The sounds were coming from the other end of the house – crashing and banging that certainly didn’t sound like one of us tidying. I gripped the scabbard in my left hand – carrying it in hand would allow me to draw the blade fast – and padded towards the sounds, keeping close to the wall so that my shadow cast on the partitions wouldn’t give me away.
A few heartbeats latter I was crouched outside the half open screen leading to the room the intruder was in. I turned the sheathe over in my hand and gripped the sword hilt firmly with my right hand – ready to draw. Then I rushed into the room before I could loose my nerve.
The blade was half drawn before I was able to register what my eyes were showing me. My Mistress was bent over, rooting through a chest. Her beautiful wings were partly unfurled and arched back slightly, keeping their shadow off of what she was looking at. She had stopped what she was doing and was looking at me with a quizzical smile on her face.
“Kietsu? Were you expecting someone else?”
I blushed to my very roots. Standing here in my now damp kimono with my blade half drawn. I hastily sheathed my sword. “M-Mistress. I heard banging and thought…I don’t know what I thought, or what I thought I could do, but I thought I had to do something…”
“Shhh” She held up a finger to her lips to stop my rambling. “It pleases me greatly to see you with the sword, carrying it so naturally and correctly. Have you just been practising…of course you have, your practically glowing from it. May I see the blade please?”
Mutely I held it out to her, hilt first. She took the sheath and drew the blade in one fluid motion. She then held the blade up in front of her and ran her fingers along it. She paused then for a moment, blade held up to her half-closed eyes, fingers lightly caressing the blade, wings flapping gently back and forth. Then she sheathed it again and handed it back to me.
“The blade spirit is happy Kietsu, it says you danced with it beautifully. There can be no greater praise offered I think.”
I hadn’t thought it was possible to get any more embarrassed then I already was, but somehow my blush deepened and I cast my eyes to the floor. “I, I thank you Mistress. You are too kind.”
A slight rustle then her fingers gently lifted my chin so that I was looking at her again. “One day I hope you can feel easy enough to call me Faith. I know that this role is all you’ve ever known, so I guess it is as hard for you to go against it as it would be for me to change the way I act overnight.” She smiled at me “So there’s no rush y’know. I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable.”
She glanced around the room then and I followed her gaze. Clothes were scattered on the bed, on benches, pulled out of the little wooden chest of drawers, hanging out of the wardrobe. Now I could see what the banging had been. I looked at my Mistress questioningly.
“Ah. Yes. Well. I need your help Kietsu – I, ah, I need to find something to wear.”
“To wear Mistress?”
“I’m going to visit our allies in the Iron Monitor, me and Jacob and Bertrand – it’s a diplomatic thing, our first official visit as it were.”
“And you can’t find something to wear?”
She looked embarrassed. “No, I mean I can, after all I’ve been wearing the beautiful kimono you and Makanai altered for me for formal occasions. But Hep...I mean some of the allies have already seen me in it. I wanted something different. I wanted something more western I guess…I mean I love the clothing you have modified for me, but I don’t want to remind our allies of my predecessor. I mean I don’t know what the etiquette on that is, how there supposed to feel about me replacing him so…so I just wanted something neutral I guess”
She picked up one of her modern garments – a ‘tee-shirt’ I think, or ‘halter top’? Strange western clothing, verging on indecent to me.
“And this is way to informal for such an important meeting…but I don’t have anything pretty…I mean proper organised. Damn but I’m so new to this! I suck at this so badly!”
“Surely they will understand Mistress, you have not long assumed the role of your estate”
She sighed and sat down heavily on the bed. “No I meant this, dresses, makeup…I never saw the need for it when I was growing up. I wasn’t like the other girls I guess, always fretting about appearance and snaring some guy. It never bothered me before, I mean I’d behave as I wanted and no one was going to tell me any different…but now…I can’t just wander around in ripped jeans and rock group merchandise. We are nobility – yeah not everyone goes in for it, but most do, and so I need to be able to show I can play the game. Dance the dance and talk the talk. Be a lady. The one thing I’ve never been.” She sighed again.
Gingerly I sat down next to her. She is usually so vital, so full of energy, so happy…that you quite forget how new she is to this. The wisdom of a hundred incarnations may be hers, she may have the ability to defeat an army single handed, dance on sword points, fly with the eagles…but under it all was this young woman, almost a girl still, who no one had prepared for this.
Without thinking I reached out and rubbed her arm comfortingly. As I would any young girl. A moment latter the inappropriateness of what I was doing dawned on me. She was a goddess! Not some unhappy child or confused village girl! In horror I tried to pull my hand away…but as I did she turned and caught it in her own.
I swallowed “I – I meant no offence to you Mistress. I don’t know what I was thinking...an unforgivable lapse in respect…”
She looked into my eyes and my words stuttered and died. “You never have to apologise for treating me like a person. Never. I welcome it – that, even if just for a moment, you looked past all this.”
My eyes flicked involuntarily to her wings. She followed my eye line and grinned.
“They are kinda intimidating aren’t they. I guess it’s hard to be friendly to someone who’s got a pair of big ‘ole flapping wings hmmm? Always reminding you I’m not just a normal girl?”
“Perhaps a little Mistress. As you say.”
There was a kind of shimmer in front of my eyes, and then the wings were gone. Instead two delicate blue tattoos traced where they had been. She looked subtly different in other ways as well. Her cheekbones were not quite so perfect, a spray of faint freckles dappled either side of the bridge of her nose, her hair was slightly darker and less…luminous. This was how she used to look, I realised, her old human appearance.
She stood up and twirled around. “Faith Deltarion at your service. Just your regular lil’ army brat. Now perhaps you would be so kind as to advise me where we could pur-chase some clothing that would disguise me as a fine lady?”
She surprised a momentary giggle out of me. She was right – it was easier to relate to her like this. “There are any number of dressmakers or tailors within the chancel that would sell their own wives for the privilege of making you such a dress.”
She shook her head. “No good – I mean it’s fine for the future, remind me to go and see them when I get back, but I need something now.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it again. It was obvious. She’d have already thought of it. She wouldn’t need me to tell her. She looked at me enquiringly
“I- I don’t mean to sound disrespectful..”
“When I look like this I’m happy for you to be a bit disrespectful, or more informal if you like that term better.”
“If you say so Mistress...I mean I’ll try. What I thought is that when my lord, your predecessor I mean, needed something for a special occasion he would just…shape it. Out of the realmstuff.”
She slapped her forehead with her palm. “Doh! Of course! How did I not think of that? Thank you Kietsu! Yes, yes this’ll be perfect – I know just what to use. Hmm what colour should I use?”
I thought for a moment. “Blue my Lady. It would match your eyes and complement your hair”
“Perfect” She quickly removed what she had been wearing and the closed her eyes and stood perfectly still. A shape began to coalesce around her, slowly at first but then faster and faster, shimmering into being like a heat haze on a hot day. In moments she was once again clothed. An elegant gown of silk that swept from her shoulders to just above her feet. It was cream at the top, which I realised would meld well with her wings when they were visible, but then gradually darkened into blue, sky blue around her waist darkening down to a deep midnight blue at her feet. Tiny strands of silver, or perhaps tiny jewels, created a constellation of stars to sparkle against the blue. A sash of pink circled her middle and was tied behind her in a bow. The dress even carefully left her back bare so that her wings would not cause inconvenience.
“It’s beautiful Mistress. I can’t see how any could fail to be impressed.”
“Why thank you. It’s my Prom dress. Or at least it’s my Prom dress if I could have afforded it. Looks like it should work. Except…” She looked down at the bandages shrouding her left hand. Her poor hand. She had assured me that it would be gone in a week, and I had seen my Lord shrug off similar injuries…but still it looked like it hurt.
“I’ll get you some gloves Mistress – they should be easy enough to find and will require no fitting. I’ll find you some shoes as well – dark blue like the bottom of your dress.”
“Thank you Kietsu – you are a treasure. Hurry back – I’ll be going to arrange our meeting now, and expect to leave shortly after ” She adjusted the two ornate daggers that held her hair up, then grabbed two elegant short swords from a rack by the door. These she carefully wedged into the pink sash, crossing them slightly behind her so that their hilts stuck up above the bow. She was humming happily. I smiled. Of course the Lady of Blades would go armed – how could she not? I bowed my way out of her presence and left to fetch the last few items for her outfit.
From the thought record of Kietsu – sworn servant to Faith Deltarion
I hurriedly threw on my kimono and grabbed my sword from the nearby bench (My Lady told me to always keep it near me…this I do). Sliding back the screen quietly I stepped silently into the empty room. The sounds were coming from the other end of the house – crashing and banging that certainly didn’t sound like one of us tidying. I gripped the scabbard in my left hand – carrying it in hand would allow me to draw the blade fast – and padded towards the sounds, keeping close to the wall so that my shadow cast on the partitions wouldn’t give me away.
A few heartbeats latter I was crouched outside the half open screen leading to the room the intruder was in. I turned the sheathe over in my hand and gripped the sword hilt firmly with my right hand – ready to draw. Then I rushed into the room before I could loose my nerve.
The blade was half drawn before I was able to register what my eyes were showing me. My Mistress was bent over, rooting through a chest. Her beautiful wings were partly unfurled and arched back slightly, keeping their shadow off of what she was looking at. She had stopped what she was doing and was looking at me with a quizzical smile on her face.
“Kietsu? Were you expecting someone else?”
I blushed to my very roots. Standing here in my now damp kimono with my blade half drawn. I hastily sheathed my sword. “M-Mistress. I heard banging and thought…I don’t know what I thought, or what I thought I could do, but I thought I had to do something…”
“Shhh” She held up a finger to her lips to stop my rambling. “It pleases me greatly to see you with the sword, carrying it so naturally and correctly. Have you just been practising…of course you have, your practically glowing from it. May I see the blade please?”
Mutely I held it out to her, hilt first. She took the sheath and drew the blade in one fluid motion. She then held the blade up in front of her and ran her fingers along it. She paused then for a moment, blade held up to her half-closed eyes, fingers lightly caressing the blade, wings flapping gently back and forth. Then she sheathed it again and handed it back to me.
“The blade spirit is happy Kietsu, it says you danced with it beautifully. There can be no greater praise offered I think.”
I hadn’t thought it was possible to get any more embarrassed then I already was, but somehow my blush deepened and I cast my eyes to the floor. “I, I thank you Mistress. You are too kind.”
A slight rustle then her fingers gently lifted my chin so that I was looking at her again. “One day I hope you can feel easy enough to call me Faith. I know that this role is all you’ve ever known, so I guess it is as hard for you to go against it as it would be for me to change the way I act overnight.” She smiled at me “So there’s no rush y’know. I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable.”
She glanced around the room then and I followed her gaze. Clothes were scattered on the bed, on benches, pulled out of the little wooden chest of drawers, hanging out of the wardrobe. Now I could see what the banging had been. I looked at my Mistress questioningly.
“Ah. Yes. Well. I need your help Kietsu – I, ah, I need to find something to wear.”
“To wear Mistress?”
“I’m going to visit our allies in the Iron Monitor, me and Jacob and Bertrand – it’s a diplomatic thing, our first official visit as it were.”
“And you can’t find something to wear?”
She looked embarrassed. “No, I mean I can, after all I’ve been wearing the beautiful kimono you and Makanai altered for me for formal occasions. But Hep...I mean some of the allies have already seen me in it. I wanted something different. I wanted something more western I guess…I mean I love the clothing you have modified for me, but I don’t want to remind our allies of my predecessor. I mean I don’t know what the etiquette on that is, how there supposed to feel about me replacing him so…so I just wanted something neutral I guess”
She picked up one of her modern garments – a ‘tee-shirt’ I think, or ‘halter top’? Strange western clothing, verging on indecent to me.
“And this is way to informal for such an important meeting…but I don’t have anything pretty…I mean proper organised. Damn but I’m so new to this! I suck at this so badly!”
“Surely they will understand Mistress, you have not long assumed the role of your estate”
She sighed and sat down heavily on the bed. “No I meant this, dresses, makeup…I never saw the need for it when I was growing up. I wasn’t like the other girls I guess, always fretting about appearance and snaring some guy. It never bothered me before, I mean I’d behave as I wanted and no one was going to tell me any different…but now…I can’t just wander around in ripped jeans and rock group merchandise. We are nobility – yeah not everyone goes in for it, but most do, and so I need to be able to show I can play the game. Dance the dance and talk the talk. Be a lady. The one thing I’ve never been.” She sighed again.
Gingerly I sat down next to her. She is usually so vital, so full of energy, so happy…that you quite forget how new she is to this. The wisdom of a hundred incarnations may be hers, she may have the ability to defeat an army single handed, dance on sword points, fly with the eagles…but under it all was this young woman, almost a girl still, who no one had prepared for this.
Without thinking I reached out and rubbed her arm comfortingly. As I would any young girl. A moment latter the inappropriateness of what I was doing dawned on me. She was a goddess! Not some unhappy child or confused village girl! In horror I tried to pull my hand away…but as I did she turned and caught it in her own.
I swallowed “I – I meant no offence to you Mistress. I don’t know what I was thinking...an unforgivable lapse in respect…”
She looked into my eyes and my words stuttered and died. “You never have to apologise for treating me like a person. Never. I welcome it – that, even if just for a moment, you looked past all this.”
My eyes flicked involuntarily to her wings. She followed my eye line and grinned.
“They are kinda intimidating aren’t they. I guess it’s hard to be friendly to someone who’s got a pair of big ‘ole flapping wings hmmm? Always reminding you I’m not just a normal girl?”
“Perhaps a little Mistress. As you say.”
There was a kind of shimmer in front of my eyes, and then the wings were gone. Instead two delicate blue tattoos traced where they had been. She looked subtly different in other ways as well. Her cheekbones were not quite so perfect, a spray of faint freckles dappled either side of the bridge of her nose, her hair was slightly darker and less…luminous. This was how she used to look, I realised, her old human appearance.
She stood up and twirled around. “Faith Deltarion at your service. Just your regular lil’ army brat. Now perhaps you would be so kind as to advise me where we could pur-chase some clothing that would disguise me as a fine lady?”
She surprised a momentary giggle out of me. She was right – it was easier to relate to her like this. “There are any number of dressmakers or tailors within the chancel that would sell their own wives for the privilege of making you such a dress.”
She shook her head. “No good – I mean it’s fine for the future, remind me to go and see them when I get back, but I need something now.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it again. It was obvious. She’d have already thought of it. She wouldn’t need me to tell her. She looked at me enquiringly
“I- I don’t mean to sound disrespectful..”
“When I look like this I’m happy for you to be a bit disrespectful, or more informal if you like that term better.”
“If you say so Mistress...I mean I’ll try. What I thought is that when my lord, your predecessor I mean, needed something for a special occasion he would just…shape it. Out of the realmstuff.”
She slapped her forehead with her palm. “Doh! Of course! How did I not think of that? Thank you Kietsu! Yes, yes this’ll be perfect – I know just what to use. Hmm what colour should I use?”
I thought for a moment. “Blue my Lady. It would match your eyes and complement your hair”
“Perfect” She quickly removed what she had been wearing and the closed her eyes and stood perfectly still. A shape began to coalesce around her, slowly at first but then faster and faster, shimmering into being like a heat haze on a hot day. In moments she was once again clothed. An elegant gown of silk that swept from her shoulders to just above her feet. It was cream at the top, which I realised would meld well with her wings when they were visible, but then gradually darkened into blue, sky blue around her waist darkening down to a deep midnight blue at her feet. Tiny strands of silver, or perhaps tiny jewels, created a constellation of stars to sparkle against the blue. A sash of pink circled her middle and was tied behind her in a bow. The dress even carefully left her back bare so that her wings would not cause inconvenience.
“It’s beautiful Mistress. I can’t see how any could fail to be impressed.”
“Why thank you. It’s my Prom dress. Or at least it’s my Prom dress if I could have afforded it. Looks like it should work. Except…” She looked down at the bandages shrouding her left hand. Her poor hand. She had assured me that it would be gone in a week, and I had seen my Lord shrug off similar injuries…but still it looked like it hurt.
“I’ll get you some gloves Mistress – they should be easy enough to find and will require no fitting. I’ll find you some shoes as well – dark blue like the bottom of your dress.”
“Thank you Kietsu – you are a treasure. Hurry back – I’ll be going to arrange our meeting now, and expect to leave shortly after ” She adjusted the two ornate daggers that held her hair up, then grabbed two elegant short swords from a rack by the door. These she carefully wedged into the pink sash, crossing them slightly behind her so that their hilts stuck up above the bow. She was humming happily. I smiled. Of course the Lady of Blades would go armed – how could she not? I bowed my way out of her presence and left to fetch the last few items for her outfit.
From the thought record of Kietsu – sworn servant to Faith Deltarion
I’m deeply worried about my Mistress.
I’ve never seen her like this.
There seems to be no joy in her tonight. She is usually so happy, joking with Uekiya about what improbable flowers could be grown, complimenting Makanai on the food prepared…but not this night.
Tonight she has barely eaten, nor spoken more then the briefest words to any of us. When she did speak to us she didn’t really seem to hear our answers, her gaze was distant and she often seemed to cock her head as if listening to a faraway sound. Eventually she dismissed us from her immediate presence and went to sit on the steps before the threshold, silent and alone, staring out into the darkness. Every line of her body seemed to speak of weariness, even her wings have been allowed to slump – their bottom feathers dragging across the floor beside her.
More telling still she sat awkwardly. My Mistress Faith has always seemed to be grace itself, but tonight she moved awkwardly, stiffly. Her left hand was often pressed to her right side, cradling her ribs while she took shallow little breaths.
She has been hurt, though no wound can be seen. The care with which she moves and the careful set of her expression speak to me of great pain. A Noble is a sacrosanct creature, far above the normal pains and sufferings of a mortal shell. The keeper of Blades has always been a further step above even this, the force required to produce real hurt is beyond most…what then could have wounded my Mistress so?
Alas I think I know. That hateful note spoke of the displeasure of our highest Lord, whose name I will not commit to these pages. My Mistress was greatly worried about the audience, about facing the Lord’s displeasure. He is certainly one who could have hurt her…indeed it would not be the first time. My previous Master would sometimes return for similar audiences hurt and angry. Master’s pain would then be shared amongst us, his servants, as he vented frustration…and perhaps fear.
But my Mistress Faith’s reaction scares me more. More then the physical pain she must be in there is a wound to her spirit. There is a sadness in her tonight, a sorrow lying across her that was not there before. There can be no doubt that she understands more of the truth of the Fallen One, and that this knowledge brings her no joy.
Tonight she lies awkwardly on her bed, curled on her left side to spare her right. I doubt she sleeps.
Her physical wounds will heal, there is nothing one of her power cannot heal given time, but of her dark mood I cannot say. I pray that this shadow lying across her will pass, that her light may once again shine. My Mistress is strong. My Mistress is brave. I will do what I can to help Her, will give my all in Her service. How could I do else?
Kietsu – sworn servant to Faith Deltarion
I’ve never seen her like this.
There seems to be no joy in her tonight. She is usually so happy, joking with Uekiya about what improbable flowers could be grown, complimenting Makanai on the food prepared…but not this night.
Tonight she has barely eaten, nor spoken more then the briefest words to any of us. When she did speak to us she didn’t really seem to hear our answers, her gaze was distant and she often seemed to cock her head as if listening to a faraway sound. Eventually she dismissed us from her immediate presence and went to sit on the steps before the threshold, silent and alone, staring out into the darkness. Every line of her body seemed to speak of weariness, even her wings have been allowed to slump – their bottom feathers dragging across the floor beside her.
More telling still she sat awkwardly. My Mistress Faith has always seemed to be grace itself, but tonight she moved awkwardly, stiffly. Her left hand was often pressed to her right side, cradling her ribs while she took shallow little breaths.
She has been hurt, though no wound can be seen. The care with which she moves and the careful set of her expression speak to me of great pain. A Noble is a sacrosanct creature, far above the normal pains and sufferings of a mortal shell. The keeper of Blades has always been a further step above even this, the force required to produce real hurt is beyond most…what then could have wounded my Mistress so?
Alas I think I know. That hateful note spoke of the displeasure of our highest Lord, whose name I will not commit to these pages. My Mistress was greatly worried about the audience, about facing the Lord’s displeasure. He is certainly one who could have hurt her…indeed it would not be the first time. My previous Master would sometimes return for similar audiences hurt and angry. Master’s pain would then be shared amongst us, his servants, as he vented frustration…and perhaps fear.
But my Mistress Faith’s reaction scares me more. More then the physical pain she must be in there is a wound to her spirit. There is a sadness in her tonight, a sorrow lying across her that was not there before. There can be no doubt that she understands more of the truth of the Fallen One, and that this knowledge brings her no joy.
Tonight she lies awkwardly on her bed, curled on her left side to spare her right. I doubt she sleeps.
Her physical wounds will heal, there is nothing one of her power cannot heal given time, but of her dark mood I cannot say. I pray that this shadow lying across her will pass, that her light may once again shine. My Mistress is strong. My Mistress is brave. I will do what I can to help Her, will give my all in Her service. How could I do else?
Kietsu – sworn servant to Faith Deltarion
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