RP:Secrets & Depth
Summary: Seriis meets the ocean, Jerica meets Seriis, and they both have their secrets.
High atop the northeast corner of the city, this vista is a favourite spot for many new to the land. The cliff sheltering Cenril runs southward above the beach, the eastern sea spanning on to the horizon. A narrow path snakes to the northeast, leading back around the cliff face, though many say the ruins beyond not yet safe enough to travel. Westward is the town, the Cathedral towers rising up like beacons. The faint gurgle of water trickling can be heard from the west. Directly north however is a huge magnificent building, the great library of Cenril. Its collection of books is unmatched anywhere in the known lands, yet its vast vaults of knowledge lie in wait for someone to enter and learn their many forgotten secrets.
Seriis finds he rather likes it up here where the air is clearer. Up on the cliffs, the young drow stands above the city of Cenril and all its residents; above their barbaric noise and the pervading stench of some unpleasant unknown that forced him to cover his mouth while traversing the crowded streets. Having finally reached his first destination some time during the night, Seriis has left his two companions to explore the massive library and seek out some good books, while he takes a look around this new setting. He did not have much time to study the ocean before but now the drow is crouched near the cliff edge, where the land falls away suddenly to be swallowed by the raging waters below. A look of childish wonderment brightens Seriis' features as he stares wide-eyed down at silver-tipped, great waves rolling and crashing rhythmically against the headland, the roar of the ocean filling his ears, a brisk offshore wind rippling over his clothing and displacing his hair. This is his first time seeing the sea with his own eyes and it both terrifies and excites the little scholar, who breathes a soft exclamation of awe.
Jerica liked the cold but going to Frostmaw wasn't exactly an option at the moment. Cenril was closer and this northern bluff cool enough for the woman who barely topped 4'9". Dressed plainly in leather breeches and a pale linen shirt, Jerica makes her way up and up, scrambling where needed in order to get out of someone's way and avoid being collided with. Little does the woman know that she isn't the only one with an idea to come up this vista. The cliff was buffeted by a breeze strong enough to whip her mousy brown hair across her face and obscure her vision for just a moment when she tops the cliff. Pulling it from her eyes, Jerica pauses in surprise to see a drow hunched over the edge as though ready to leap off. Not versed in Drow society but having heard horror stories even as a child a small fissure of fear races it's chill fingers down her spin. Jerica nearly turns on her heel before curiosity got the better of her and she decides to simply stand as quietly as she could to observe. The drow were wily folk to be sure. Maybe she could learn something by watching.
Seriis' hair is blasted back by a particularly powerful gust of wind that tugs his cloak into fluttering out behind him, but the boy's attentions are clearly focused on nothing but the ocean. He seems at a loss for words - rare is it for a drow to find beauty in something so simple as the world, or allow that emotion to be seen so clearly. Seriis does believe he is currently alone up here, however, which may be why. Repeating, "Wow," under his breath, over and over, he leans out a little farther and lies flat in the coarse grass, tentatively peeking straight down to where the waves crash against the cliff face. The hiss and rumble of water summons a broad grin but he scrunches his nose up a bit when the spray hits him. Blinking, Seriis reaches to wipe his face then pauses as a creeping shiver runs the length of his spine - there's someone standing behind him! Immediately he's on his feet and spinning to face Jerica, though his furious frown may not have the intended effect of intimidating the woman when the drow stumbles on his cloak and almost falls right off the cliff. He freezes in place, balanced precariously on one leg with his arms stretched out to steady himself, then shoots a glower across to Jerica and snaps somewhat breathlessly, "What."
Jerica's equally nondescript brown eyes widen when the Drow suddenly stands, spins and almost falls backwards. The last of those actions would see her rushing over with one hand outstretched to steady Seriis. Truthfully she hadn't even thought about it and caught herself up short when Seriis glowers and snaps that 'what'. "Pardon me," she offers softly and glances away nervously. Or, what appears to be nervousness. An alertness in her eyes that has nothing to do with being timid might yet be seen if the two made prolonged eye contact, "I was startled to see a...you...up here." Darting her eyes towards the drop behind Seriis, Jerica licks at her lips in a good imitation of that unease she portrays. She can taste salt from the drifting spray of sea water below. "I c-c-can leave i-if you would rather be alone." Looking at the drow from the corner of her eye, Jerica takes a mental inventory; two daggers were hidden in the sheaths of leather bracers hidden by the long sleeves of her shirt, both coated with a thick ooze that acted slowly in the blood stream. There's a poisoned garret somewhere as well wrapped in oiled skin to keep the poison from accidentally entering her own system. She might not be well armed, but what she had would do.
Seriis sniffs indignantly at the apology. A faintly reddish tint colours his cheeks; he's obviously feeling quite humiliated to have been caught so unguarded and open, ooh-ing and ahh-ing like some child. The slightest hint of disgust enters his gaze when he realises the stranger almost tried to reach out and touch him, and he seems not to think about the fact that unfinished movement might have saved his life had he slipped a couple more inches. "'A you'. What-- oh." It takes him a moment and his frown deepens. He sniffs again. There is something off about this woman and her presence is tugging at his paranoia, though he cannot for the life of him work out what his instincts are trying to warn him of. Arms lower and he adopts a vaguely neutral stance with subtle undertones of tension, indicating to the fact he's ready to defend himself at any given moment, but is perhaps not wholly intent on attacking - at least not without good reason. Curiosity prompts the young drow into asking, "Who are you?" and then he adds in a decidedly angrier tone, "Tell anyone what you saw and I kill you dead." Presumably it's meant to be a threat but Seriis' terrible grasp of common turns the words into something rather laughable.
Jerica 's eyes snap towards the drow, startled by the threat more than the question and she almost laughs. Almost. A grin does tug at the corners of her mouth before she forcefully sobers her features. Brushing hair from her eyes, Jerica answers the question, "Jerica. Who are you? I won't tell anyone I saw you," she misinterprets the meaning behind the 'kill you dead' statement. Besides, Jerica is very good at keeping secrets. "I..umm...am terribly sorry if I insulted you." A lock of hair twists and wraps around the nervous activities of her index finger and thumb as she takes the time to notice things about the drow. First, he seemed very young. Second, he was obviously uncomfortable in her presence given the small signs of tension in his body. A frown turns her almost too full mouth down. "Who are you?" she asks still in that voice that seems to drift on the breeze coming from the ocean below despite the near whisper quality. She was not yet ready to go away and her own innate curiosity was getting the better of Jerica. She hadn't been dubbed "Truth" for no reason. "Why are you up here?" She didn't mean the cliff but the surface world and she clarifies, "I didn't know very many of your people were so keen to venture out of Trist'Oth."
Seriis takes careful note of the woman's clothing. Goodness knows what could be hidden in there, setting off his sensitive warning system. He's wary of what he cannot see because he's much the same - the hilt of one knife is clearly visible, tucked securely into the sash serving as a belt at his waist, but there are more concealed blades within the folds of red fabric. Drow are so very fond of deceit, and Seriis has heard that there are surface dwellers almost as skilled at the art. Vivid ruby eyes narrow, just slightly. "Good." Once again the apologies are passed over as though he does not much care for them and he gives nothing more than that curt reply in response to her first words. His outward features and smaller stature silently proclaim Seriis to be very young, only a teenager perhaps; but the wealth of knowledge in his hardened gaze suggests there is much more to the drow than his appearance. Stealing a salty lungful of sea air, he exhales in a low, slow hiss, calming himself some and working out the tense lines in his posture. He does not, however, drop his guard, but he does answer Jerica's queries after a momentary delay, "I am Seriis Al'Reim. My House is, ah-- we like knowledge. Knowledge is very important! So I'm here to find more and take it back."
Jerica listens with a tilt of her head before she blinks and straightens though it adds no real height to her stature. "Oh. I...It was nice to meet you, Seriis Al'Reim." Jerica liked knowing things. She had made it her work to know things although she suspected that wasn't the sort of knowledge that Seriis was looking for. Shuffling her feet, Jerica carefully walked backwards using the shuffles to test the ground behind her. "I do hope you find what you need.. I--I must be going now." A blush crept its way up her neck and across her cheeks. "Have a pleasant afternoon Seriis Al'Reim and don't stray too far over the cliff. You might fall." Genuine concern littered the last statement before Jerica turned about on her heel and headed back down the slope. Curious creature, that. She would have to tell Eboric about him.
Seriis craves knowledge as much as he longs to take a knife to every citizen of Cenril. Sometimes, he finds he loves it even more. Information is key, of great importance, and often grants one a subtle advantage in any situation. It is both the priority of House Al'Reim and Seriis himself to gather as much knowledge as is possible, immersing themselves within endless books and-- speaking of books, the drow spots one sailing through the air, having apparently just been thrown through one of the library windows. He watches it tumble into the brush, blinking, then scowls. "Fools." What are they getting up to this time? Seriis begins to stomp back to the looming building to see what chaos his companions are creating, when he stops and slants a glance back to Jerica, almost as if he's considering something. Brows knit together in a soft frown but it lacks a majority of its earlier intensity, and seems more of bemusement than anything else. "...I will find what I need. I do not fail." A pause. "I also will not fall. Good day." With that, he storms up the path to the library, ready to kick some shins if need-be.