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[Bryelle Vaughn]

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The walls have eyes, She knew that better than anyone. What you say can be heard even when there is not a soul insight. Things hide in the cracks, the crevices and even your innermost thoughts. Apparently this was a conversation she was going to have to have with Soren. She'd always been willing to share her teachings with the girl. And in truth it had always assured her that she was retaining what Magus Izrem had taught her. Teaching others was often the best study tool. Unfortunately Soren was now making sure everyone knew what her teachings were. And while discussing them wasn't the issue, who she discussed them with was. Soren had confessed to discussing one of Magus Izrem's teachings with Merrique, the Gypsy. While talking to the woman wasn't a problem, at least for now, discussing Shalcross with her might be. Setting her ale down on the bedside table, Bry waited. When Soren got in this evening, she was going to get a lesson in sewing one's lips shut.
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Ariana Lenoir[3:53 pm] She has all the subtlety of a rampaging elephant.

[Bryelle Vaughn]

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Just after Dusk the door to Restless Manor swung open and Soren, her arms laden with pieces of various stone, walked inside.

"Where is the beetle," Bryelle questioned quietly, her body half hidden behind the stone wall. The girl must not have seen her until that point because the question made her jump sending the parcels flying and Bryelle quickly running for cover under a rain of stone.

"I had a letter to send to the Gypsy's. She took it for me." Soren's eyes searched Bryelle's face in the innocent answer.

"Which Gypsy?" The wording was stern and the gaze meant to inflict a sense of urgency. It did the trick.

"Adrian Bishop." Soren knew that look. It was one of reprimand. And she hated it. "I wanted to see if he would take care of my beetle if something happened to me." The flush of white began at the roots of her her deep red hair and slowly crept down her body. Bryelle had not had to scold her in some time, and the fact that she had to now made Bry sick to her stomach.

"Two things. One, if this is because of the sacrifice in honor of The Child Queen. We will discuss that later. As for the Gypsy. We will not be discussing my lessons anymore. Further, we you will not discuss what I have shared with you with anyone other than I. Your conversation with the Gypsy Merrique today was a good example.

"I didn't see you there." Soren was taken aback. She really hadn't done anything wrong had she? Hadn't said anything?

"No you didn't and that is my point. Shalcross may have been a touchy subject for her. And it is for us. So you need to watch what you say and who you say it to. As a result I will be watching all of your correspondence from here on end. Secondly, if I have not approved who you speak to, unless it is a customer at the store and it is a passing conversation. You will simply not be speaking. There are dire consequences if you do not do as I ask. Do I make myself clear?"
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Ariana Lenoir[3:53 pm] She has all the subtlety of a rampaging elephant.

[Soren]

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Soren couldn't move. Her mouth lay open in shock and the sea of blue-green began to pool and swell in tidal waves of moisture just brimming at the surface. A kryss through the heart would have done less damage. There was no yelling. There didn't need to be. Bryelle had always gotten her point across without it. Her point was clear now. Soren was to be censored. She was being silenced. Never in her life had she been allowed more than basic freedoms. It was always, "Soren run errands, Soren get this, Soren make that." And she had, willingly. She had done everything they ever asked of her. She was never mistreated. But she existed. She didn't live. A few weeks ago that had changed. Bryelle had always told her of books, of stories. But finally she was learning of the outside world, the truth. The world around her rocked on it's heels and the last bit of restraint snapped sending that tidal wave of tears cascading down her cheeks. Sobs racked her body and she put out a hand to keep from sliding to the ground. Running from Bryelle would do no good, even less if she got Tierna involved. No matter what she was still a servant in their household. But never until now had she felt like one.

"Do I make myself clear?" Bryelle restated her last sentence. Her hand was clenched at her side and though Soren had never experienced the sting of flesh hitting her own body she was terrified none the less.

"Yes, Mistress." It was the only words Soren could meek out between gasps for air.

"You're dismissed." The words were calm and final. Soren didn't waste any time. She made her way to the teleporter and ran for her room.

[Soren]

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Soren sat down on the window sill to the east facing the mountainside. Wiping the tears with the back of her hand she pushed the now soaked strands of hair on the side of her head behind an ear. Trying to breathe through her thoroughly clogged nose she longed for her beetle. Stormy wasn't the softest animal in the world. She wasn't an animal at all. But she was the the best friend and most comfort Soren had ever had. Stormy would understand. Bryelle's words echoed in her head. Would she really check all her letters? She had just started having a need to write any. She knew she rambled but she didn't think she rambled enough to cause problems? The last question reminded her why she bit her tongue so often. What if she said something she wasn't supposed to? The weight of Bryelle's lesson settled on her chest. Moving from the window sill to the bed she curled her lips to her chin. The sobs slowly began to subside as sleep took over. Tomorrow would be work, tomorrow would be her beetle, and tomorrow would be better. Tomorrow had to be better.

[Bryelle Vaughn]

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Daybreak had come and gone over Restless Manor. Holding true to it's title, Bryelle had been just that throughout the night. She had paced the floors watched the sky for her white bird with the inhuman red eyes, and turned toward the door every time she heard a creak. No Soren. She had not returned. Fury and the need to cause pain unlike anything she had felt in quite some time began to well up within her core. For years she had watched over the girl, protecting her from the outside world. She had sworn to do just that when at the tender age of 6 the girls parents had been murdered. Though still a child herself, Bryelle had looked out for her, kept her fed and dry. This was how she was to be repaid. The lack of loyalty, of respect lit a very new fire, one of malice.

The world was cruel. The world was unforgiving. It was time to show her that. Obviously she had been too lenient with Soren. It was time to show the girl exactly what consequences there were for disobedience. Obviously the girl needed protection from herself now more than she needed anything else. And once the trecherous halfbreeds were dealt with and her soul purified of the trait they had in common, she would do exactly that. Bryelle wrinkled her nose at that thought and glared out the window. The anger began to simmer as she considered her future, the fight, and her death. Resolution was just around the corner.
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Ariana Lenoir[3:53 pm] She has all the subtlety of a rampaging elephant.