Decisions...

[Noa]

 Bridh
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(8/5/02 2:37 pm)
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Decisions...
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Red curls spill onto her arms, folded gently beneath her head. She's been sitting here at her desk in silence for hours now, the oil burned low. The contents of the small wooden box lay scattered across her desk reflecting in the dim light. A small box of memories laid bare.

Weary emerald eyes look over the collection, picking each item up, one by one, and placing them each back into their tiny vault. Many appear to be nothing more than coins to the uninitiated, cool to the touch as she folds each in her hand. A coin stamped with an upright hand, from the Unseen Hand of Qeynos. One resemblant of slave marks, a token from the Ebon Mask in Neriak. Another with a full bosom rose, a gift from the White Rose of Halas. One after another she places the coins, from Ak'anon, Kaladim, Kelethin, Qeynos, Neriak, Halas, Shar Vahl... tokens from every allied Den across Norrath and Luclin, save Cabilis. Bridh never had quite figured out those lizards, and was more than happy to leave them to their odd habits. Each coin now laid side by side in the bottom of the tiny chest as one silvery layer.

She picks up a small pile of bones, rattling gently as she slips her hand through the necklace, picking over it. The tiny finger and knuckle bones strung together on a length of sinew felt oddly warm to the touch, their unnatural origin and twisted history forever imbedded in her mind. She was quite sure now how she had come to possess them, a veiled threat to protect a violent past. They too go into the box where they now rest, their duty done, story long told.

She picks at the random bits, burned bits of contract notes, sketches from the children she has freed... a glint catches the light, drawing her attention. A worn length of golden twine looks up at her from the desk, insisting that it be acknowledged. Her emerald gaze turns blurry as she wraps the twine around her wrist, wraps and unwraps and wraps and unwraps... what little is left of the twine she used to make anklets for the girls before she took them to Surefall to be with their new family... she had had them for some five suns before the danger had become intense enough that she knew that she had to let them go... let them go like everyone else in her life that has ever meant... anything. She unwraps the twine, balling it up and setting it in the box, slapping the lid closed with a loud *pop* and flipping the teeny lock. Pushing the box away, her head sinks back into her arms.

She knows that this has been coming for a long time now. She has been pushing it away, pretending that everything will go on being stable, that the Balance will remain. But she knows that she's foolish to dare believe that, it has come too far now. She had managed to find herself deeply embroiled in her now life-long business only months after her first foray into the world outside of the Den. A young woman, her curiosity found her neck deep in the Neriak slave trade, at first making deals with the traders, then when that long longer suited her needs, raiding trade caravans and slave stockades with a growing number of Dens now allied to combat what some of them saw as work force competition, and others saw as an affront to their gods. She didn't care why they joined her on her campaigns as long as the number of those freed grew, and the routes were dismantled. This has been her covert life her entire adult life, and few really know the truth behind it. Most only know that the Den in Freeport has come into a large number of young women and children over the years. The fact that they have been returned to their families, or found new homes, is a detail oft left out from the rumors that follow her. The center of this movement has always been Freeport, but that has become more and more difficult over time. Firstly, Neriak is far too close. This was convenient in the beginning, but the fear of recapture is high. She has known of some of the women appearing soon after their release at the Noble Houses across the lands that they were intended for. Usually the older girls who believe that is is their calling in life, to be maids, slave girls, second wives... they can not imagine learning a trade, or raising a family. Each note she receives of a siting rips a new hole in her heart. She has had far more luck with the children, the fact that she has not lost one yet is a warm feeling in her struggling soul. Her weakness had begun to show, as two of the small half-elven girls had no family to be returned to, and she took them in to train them and raise them. How she could have thought that she'd have been able to raise them as her own is still a mystery, as her lifestyle isn't so conducive to raising children. They made it work, however, and the two small girls grew stronger. Only when the threats against her became more dire did the cold fact rear it's ugly head... this was no life for children. She tried to shake it off, as she had been raised within the Den and made a name for herself, but... these two were obviously not destined to be rogues. She still has not dealt with the wealth of emotion stirring inside her, unable still to remember much of the trip to Surefall. Once the girls settled in with their new family, she vanished into the great forest, not to be heard from again for the passing of another sun.

It was word come from Freeport that pulled the silent half-elf out of the forest, her footsteps falling again in the streets of her home. Her sister... a cleric of Erollisi Marr... had been arrested and charged with Heresy. The age old war between the Temple and the Militia was drawing dangerously near. The fool Lucan plotted and planned in the commonlands, the innocent men and women guarding over the city gates unaware of the great danger that was due them by sheer association with a man they had never even met. The fool Jemoz, cleric of the Temple, was grasping for power, and had found need for a pawn. Nysa had been more than he had ever dreamed of, as her associated with the Tier'dal priestess was easily documented by assertions from the weak minded. She was drug from her young daughter and manacled in the city square. NO ONE would treat her family that way... It was quick planning and even quicker action, Nysa taken from the Temple cell before her sentencing, having been convicted now as a Heretic. All she wanted in the world was to spread the Love of her Mother to all... perhaps that she had turned even a Tier'dal's heart to show love frightened the fool. She was stronger than he, her convictions were stronger than his could ever be... he was blinded by greed and power and made weak by his obsession. Now some weeks later, Nysa was safely tucked away on Luclin with her child... Bridh's niece. Almost a small version of the rogue herself, which Bridh is sure worries her mother more than a little. Tita had assured them safe travel to Shar Vahl, far from the Nexus and out of the reach of the zealots in Freeport. But the ramifications... the Temple had sustained damage during the rescue. One of the Circle had taken out her own hatred of Jemoz on the building itself. Bridh had managed to destroy his quarters, assuring that the lunatic would not use his documents to try and destroy any other lives but well... with help from the wizard, the damage had been done. Bridh had vanished to Luclin for the weeks following, watching to make sure that Nysa and Loreli had not been followed. Her mind a whirl... decisions...

Bridh has been owed a boon from the Den for some time now for her efforts against the slavers and the great benefit brought to the Den due to her work. Most press the boon for wealth, political motives, power... all things Bridh is uninterested in. She sees the war inching closer, and knows that she can not... she can not stay in Freeport any longer. After so many years, she will leave the home of her birth and youth, and this time, she won't be returning.

She rises slowly from her desk, knowing in her heart what boon she must ask of her Den Mistress... the woman who raised her from an infant to the woman she is now. She has trouble even forming the words, making them audible is too much for now... for tonight. In the morning... in the morning she must tell Elisi that she wishes her boon, and a favor to be called in to Shadowhaven. Bridh must leave Freeport.

Her gaze drifts about her small room, more than ample for a single woman, the benefit of living within the thieves Den. Her thoughts move to packing, to what stays and what goes. Her sparse furniture, her clothes, her bedding... her bed. She looks to the bed, stepping towards it silently as her hands run over a small lump on one side of her bed. She nudges back the soft pelts to see a cascade of copper curls peeking out at her. Chera is quite asleep. However, Bridh had put her to bed hours ago in her own room with the other children. So lost in her thoughts, she hadn't even noticed the halfling girl sneaking back into her room and crawling into the bed. Shaking her head, Bridh slips out of her overgarments and slips into the bed beside the little rascal, pulling her close against her chest. Tomorrow... a beginning, and an end. 

[Noa]

 Bridh
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Posts: 26
(8/6/02 4:57 pm)
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A confrontation
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(...once upon a time, a long long time ago... I started into an RP thread with a fellow with the intentions to clarify for all involved where it was that Bridh stood on the whole Temple vs Militia war in Freeport. After the thread was started, however, the fellow involved ran off after some wood elf, and dropped the ball. I mistakenly let the thread sit where it was left, which has caused some confusion. If there was any thread I should have finished, this was probably the one  Seeing as Bridh has now decided that she's fed up and leaving Freeport for good, I decided that it was a good time to go ahead and finish "The Arrest" thread... now I get to work it into the fact that I'm leaving the city *ack*...)

***

The morning had been quiet, reflecting in her room after sending Chera to her lessons. It felt like her heart was beating in her throat, as she wasn't fully prepared to tell Elisi, but she knew that she had to. She couldn't drag this out any longer. The grip of war was approaching the city, and she as well as her operation were in danger. She certainly couldn't rescue or hide away escaped slaves in the midst of war. Not wanting to draw attention to herself anymore than she had to, she put away her beautiful new golden breast and legplates, folding the ornate chain neatly and sliding it into her now open chest. She had already begun putting things away in preparation. Slipping on her blackened alloy, she steps into the hall.

Her thoughts were focused, instinctively walking the path down the long halls to Elisi's office. It was just before the noon hour rush to the great hall for food, so she was sure she'd catch her in her office and hopefully alone. As her feet fell silently upon the floor, a loud rasping voice broke her concentration.

"Well there's a mighty fine piece of tail I haven't laid my eyes on recently," cajoled the raggedly dressed halfelven man leaning against the arch to the great hall. Hensi. She hadn't seen him since... well, no absence could possibly be enough for this fool. She shoots him an icy glare and continues on her path. A hand reaches out and grabs her arm, spinning her on her feet. Now face to face with the man, he breathes down her neck. "Sure have missed, you, love," he whispers, bumping up against her. A quick flex of her knee sends him a few feet back, letting go.

"DO NOT ever... EVER lay your hands on me again," she sneers, gaze tracing the fool. This one would never learn. Ever since they were children this waste has been trying to get in her pants, and chastity is obviously NOT in his vocabulary. Bridh's voice carries rather well in the small tunnel, catching the attention of a few already gathered in the great hall. Curious eyes peer into the hall. She begins to turn again, brushing him off, but the brave (or is it stupid?) thief grabs her around the waist as she begins to move. She's managed to leave her blades in her room, as this was a social visit, so she nows finds herself left to her wits, or at least her agility. A clenched fist flies upward, snapping the fellow square in the nose, sending him reeling backwards.

"You just don't get it, Hensi. You never have. BACK OFF," she snaps, glaring at the fellow now bleeding from his nose. Her old friend Tomas appears at the archway, watching from a safe distance as he is pretty sure that she can deal with Hensi, but stands there for backup, just in case. The bloodied man crawls to his knees, clasping his nose.

"You sniveling bitch!" he sneers, wiping the crimson trails from his chin. "You have no idea the things I have done for you." Bridh sets her feet, staring down at him in contempt. "Done for me? Done for *me*? What, besides leave a foul taste in my mouth, have you done for me?" the woman replies, watching to assure that he doesn't try anything else. Slowly, he rises to his feet, his hands leaving bloody smears in the sandstone walls. "I've lied, cheated, and stolen for you, you raving tart! I've gone so far as to kill for you, and you ignore me like some street urchin. Well I'm done being ignored!" he screams, lunging towards her. The crumpled man yelps as Bridh's hands spring forward, knocking him off his feet and sending him careening down the hall, landing with a loud *THUD* as he slides into the wall behind them.

"Killed for me," she seethes, stepping calculatingly towards him. "What have you killed, you coward? Orcs? Perhaps a nasty spider?" she mocks, cocking her head as she glares. A chuckle echoes behind her into the hall as more have gathered for the lunch hour, stopping to watch the show. The halfbreed lays in the corner, trying to shuffle to his feet.

"Don't play coy, whore. You know full well you wanted those guards dead," he manages through his heaving. Guards... the only guards Bridh has ever laid blade to are those of the stockades who would rather die than release their quarry. She rocks back on her feet slightly, looking back to meet Tomas' gaze. It hits her like a brick. The militiamen found dead in the harbor... the ones who had harassed her friend and who she told Jhon would wind up dead if they didn't get their act straight... She remembers them now, three men on Lucan's books, positions bought with his filthy coin as a way to insert moles into the temple guards. They had been found dead mere days after her rampage to find them. They had been militia for years, trained with the best of men, but the lure of fast money and bloodsport offered by Lucan and his growing core had been too much for their weak wills. They had accepted positions within the Temple Guard, bought by Lucan, with orders to report back on any news of their activities. Traitors, corrupted by the growing lust for power within the city, these three needed to be put in their place. Bridh, however, never found them. What was left of their bloated corpses had been pulled out of the harbor some days later, and Bridh was forced to leave town to avoid being blamed for their deaths.

Ration has now left, instinct taking over. She lunges for the battered man, taking daggers out of the sheaths of two men standing too close. She descends on the fool, kicking and screaming in her native tongue as Tomas and his brother pull her off the man, deeply cut and now bleeding from more than his nose. The daggers plucked from her hands, she's tossed over the shoulder of her oldest friend, carried back to her room to calm down. Screaming and kicking, she swears foully at the wounded man on the floor, giving the struggling elf a fight to keep her off him. Traitors or not, killing a Militiaman is an unforgivable deed, and Hensi is pulled from the floor by two of the Den guards, drug down the hallway to be dealt with by Elisi. He had admitted his deed to the entire Den, and his fate would be swift. The long trail of blood was all that was left of them as they rounded the corner, dragging him between them.

Back in her room, Tomas tosses the woman on her bed and pins her down, staring down at her. "Bridh!" he shouts. "Bridh stop kicking," he pleads, being battered rather roughly by the enraged halfelf. He holds her there for what feels like a good ten minutes before she stops struggling, now staring up at her friend. "D.. do you realize what he did?" she sputters, her rage fading to hurt. "How many families lost a father and husband because of that brigand?" she asks her silent friend. He moves off the bed, drifting to her chair to sit. "Aye, I had assumed that it was one of Jemoz's men who had killed those three, that they had been found out. I had no idea..." he replies from his perch, feet tucked up under him. She shifts and sits up, looking at him now. "It's getting closer," she whispers, looking at her friend. "I know," comes his muffled response. "Jemoz is gaining power and men among the Hall and the Temple, and turning them away from the Love and Truth of Marr. He's a zealot... look what he did to my sister, of all people?" she continues, her gaze drifting to the door ajar. Tomas is a smart enough man not to touch the topic of her sister, nodding his agreement from his chair. "And Lucan," she growls, eyes narrowing. "He's so blinded by lust for power, he has no care for the rest of the city. He'll rule the city, alright, but what use when everyone and everything within it has been slaughtered in his wake?" The anger in her voice is noticable as she fixates her gaze on the rug upon her floor. "How many men and women are going to have to die for those two to kill one another? Men and women who wish nothing more than to gaurd the gates of their city, and to go home to their families at night. When these two lunatics decide that the time has come, who will fall first but the innocent gate gaurds and courtyard clerics who want nothing more than to live their lives and worship their gods? Who want nothing of this... this... greed. I can't... I ... " she muffles, gaze dropping to her hands. "I know," he echoes, looking up at the woman. Silence fills the room, no sounds save the gentle rise and fall of breath as they sit, staring at the floor.

"Have you told Elisi yet?" he whispers, looking up once again at his friend. She merely shakes her head, unable to answer. Tomas rises, stepping towards the bed one last time and setting his hand on Bridh's shoulder. "Walk in Balance, sister," he whispers as he turns, stepping out the door and latching it behind him. 

[Noa]

 Bridh
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(8/7/02 4:58 pm)
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A Boon
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Bridh spent the evening alone in her room after her confrontation with Hensi, clearing her head. Her mind had been a whirl as of late with plans of moving, building her reputation in the Haven, tying up loose ends on Norrath... anything that kept her busy and her mind off the situation at hand. It has gotten to the point, however, where she can't push it any further. She had managed to steel her nerves yesterday to speak with Elisi, but that blew up into the mess in the hall. She finds herself returning to the same mental exercise today, building up her nerve to walk back down the hall. Looking about her room, she can't find anything more to distract herself with, having used up nearly every excuse imaginable to avoid the conversation that she had to have with her Den Mother. She sets the handful of documents she had been sorting down on her desk and turns back to her bed a moment. Smoothing her hands over the golden chain upon her bed, she smiles softly, calming herself. A deep exhale escapes her as she turns towards her door, stepping out into the hall.

Fate is toying with her again. Down the winding halls and past the common rooms, she finally brings herself to Elisi's door only to find her office empty, the lamp blown out. Bridh closes her eyes, a frustrated sigh as she turns back towards the great hall. "No reason to be frustrated on an empty stomach," she thinks to herself, making her way up the few short steps to the long hall. She's beaten the midday rush for food and heads for the kitchen, finding one of the cooks inside looking far more haggard than she. Bridh grabs a few bites of last night's roast and proceeds to get out of the way before she becomes part of the lunch fare. Her nerves have subsided now, as she did her best and can't really be faulted for Elisi not being in, her feet shuffling lightly against the rugs on her way back to her room. She looks up from her thoughts as she reaches her door, pressing it open. Her body stops cold as she sees the woman in her room. Her Den Mother stands before her dressing mirror, holding Bridh's gold chain to her chest as she gazes into the reflection. Pushing herself forward, Bridh steps into her room.

"It's quite lovely," the human woman intones, her fingers tracing the pattern within the rings. She turns to look to Bridh, as though waiting for a response. "Aye Den Mother, it is that. I try not to batter it too much if I can manage," Bridh whispers in reply as she moves towards her bed, leaning against it. Her slender fingers wrap themselves around her bedframe, her nerves having come back now in full force and needing support. Elisi steps towards the bed, laying the mail gently atop the pelts before sitting, looking up at the younger woman. "You must be doing well for yourself to afford such things now," she continues, more of a question than a statement. Bridh had never been much for theft, and spent what coin she did have on her route operations, supplies for the children, and the few remaining copper on clay. "It was a gift from a friend, Mother," the halfelf explains, knowing that this was not the reason for the visit. A wry smile quirks across Elisi's lips, peering at the smaller woman through her dark lashes. "You must have made some impressive friends then, Daughter. These things are not so trivial." Elisi's gaze drifts from Bridh to the chests in the room, lids closed and stacked in one corner. Turning back to Bridh, she speaks again. "I had worried that you had wanted to speak to me. I have not seen so much of you these last few months. I really ought to try to keep up with these things more. Please... sit with me, Daughter," she whispers, patting the bed beside her. Bridh digs her fingers out of the wooden frame, moving around the edge of the bed to sit with Elisi. She settles next to the older woman, folding her hands in her lap. She had thought long and hard about what to say to the woman who had taken her in and raised her from infancy, but she could suddenly not remember a word of it. Her words came out as sounds, none making much sense. Elisi merely smiled, knowing that this was what happened when Bridh was truly upset or nervous about something. "Daughter," she interrupted, laying her work-worn hands on top of Bridh's, smiling down at the young woman. "You have been my student these many years, and you will always be my favored daughter. There is very little you can do that will sever that. No distance or time can tear down what we have built up these years. I know that you have these things weighing on you. You have vanished some many months only to return with more on your shoulders. I do wish you would tell me what worries you. I fear that you will again walk from this Den and never be heard from again. Tell me child," her Mother whispers, worried look upon her face.

The bottled up stress rolls out of the halfelf as a sigh, her slender form shivering slightly as she settles into her weight. She just lets it go... "I can't stay here anymore, Mother. The operation is no longer secure with us so close to Neriak, and the tensions in the city are becoming too much. I can't let our work fall to shambles as Lucan and Jemoz lay waste to the city. I need... I need to call in my boon," Bridh exhales, one long rambling sentence spilled off her tongue. Elisi is not at all surprised by her words until Bridh comes to the last, and mentions her boon. This worries her. "I never expected you to call it, child. You have never been one concerned with wealth or power," the dark haired human responds, shifting to look at the young one more directly. "No Mother, and I still am not. I seek a favor. I have found myself welcome among the traders with whom we have started business with in Shadowhaven... I would seek my boon called there. I wish to... well," she continues, gaze turning to her hands. "You are leaving me, Daughter?" the woman asks, hiding her emotion behind her words. "I... I would wish to move my home there, and to conduct our business from there, yes Mother. It is safer and well... this city no longer walks in Balance... There are enough struggles with what I do, Lucan's plots and plans only make matters worse here."

At this, Elisi stands from the bed, pacing the carpet. She is looking for words and none come to her, her lips pressed tightly shut. "And how many would go with you?" she asks, obviously upset. "No Mother, no need for that. Our work is still here, I would come here for our operations," Bridh answers, trying to calm her Den Mother's fears. The woman merely nods. "And what of the children and the young women?" she adds, looking back from her pacing. "We find them homes and work as we do now, but we will have more opportunities and resources once we expand to Luclin. We are running short of new contacts here, as it is," Bridh answers, her rational mind snapping into gear under stress. "And where would you live?" comes the next question, still pacing back and forth. "In the Haven if I can, I have been making new contacts there," comes the next reply as fast as the last. Elisi finally stops her pacing, knowing that Bridh had thought this out fully before ever approaching her about it. They look to one another before realizing that they are both crying now. The older woman merely nods. "I will call in your boon child, with your promise," she whispers, standing straight as she looks down upon her student. "Aye Mother, any that you would ask of me," comes the faint whisper from the girl. "That you'll come let your Mother know from time to time that you haven't forgotten her," Elisi replies, sighing as she brushes at her eyes. Bridh's composure fades, as she owes the woman before her her very life, and now she is asking her to let her leave. Her face falls, gaze settling in her lap as little wet spots make patterns on her hands. "I promise," is the only reply she an muster before her Den Mother steps to the door, vanishing into the hall.

[Noa]

 Bridh
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(8/9/02 6:11 pm)
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Packing
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Sometimes our rationalizations are merely a paper screen we hide behind...

Bridh has kept herself quite busy since recieving word from Elisi this morning. The letter sent to the Haven had been returned with man in tow prepared to assist with the move. Elisi was a tad bewildered at the extent to which Bridh had impressed the militia there, and was not expecting such an easy acceptance to her request. Apparently the mention of an "orphanage" struck a nerve in the Commissioner, and Bridh has strict orders to speak with his lady wife when she arrives in the Haven. Apparently the lady runs the children's school there and wishes to speak with Bridh about placement of children. A small house has been rented in her name and waits empty for her arrival. They were not able to secure decent, non-barracks furniture, so it's all going up, and Bridh has been packing since Elisi gave her the news.

Chests and boxes sit stacked one on top of another, most now locked save for the few sitting open at the foot of the bed. The now empty wardrobe and chair sit tied to the head of the bed, each box and chest set neatly and strapped to the wooden frame. Bridh sits at her desk, organizing the recovery and placement logs into their proper letter boxes and locking them each securely before putting the pile into a bigger book box, locking it, then into a small chest, a third lock snapping it shut. Standing, she turns to put the box in with the clothes where she knows she won't misplace it. Her eyes meet a olive green pair standing at the door, a trembling lip trying to mouth words.

"Why you packin'?" the halfling child muffles, stepping carefully into the room. Small bumps appear on the flesh of Bridh's arms as she's been trying to prepare herself for this.

"Well Chera, I am going to move," Bridh replies firmly, trying not to not look directly at the little girl. She places the smaller chest into the larger and turns back to the desk to retrieve the last few items from it's top. Chera steps closer.

"Wer ya goin'?" she manages, her little face starting to turn red as she speaks. Chera drops her lesson book into the open chest and turns to peer up at the halfelf, waiting.

"Well, I'm going to go live on the moon," Bridh manages, but her words start to stick in her throat, her forced strength faultering. She picks up the desk and places it legs up on the bedframe, setting the chair and drawer inside the legs before reaching for another strap to tie it them down with.

"M... m.. M'I goin'? the baby replies, her little olive eyes now red and watery. Bridh had prayed that she could avoid this, and that Chera would be too attached to Freeport and the children here to even notice.

"W-well Chera," Bridh starts, reminding herself to breathe, "I had thought you would stay and finish your lessons, and learn to be a rogue like you wanted," the young woman answers, stopping now to look down at the little girl. The room is oddly empty with everything packed and stacked next to the bed. Just the two of them here now, gazing at each other.

"nnNNNOOO!" the child shrieks, running towards Bridh in a panic and wrapping her arms tightly around the woman's legs. Bridh wobbles, steadying herself as she was neither physically nor emotionally prepared for that response. She could not do this again...

"Chera... sweety... please," Bridh pleads, taking her hands and kneeling down to look at the child. "You don't really want to go to some strange place to live, all your friends are here," she whispers, trying to be soothing. Her mind, however, is whirling. Her thoughts clutch at her, tugging her in a thousand directions... I am not strong enough... I can not do this again... I can not raise another only to have to give her up... I can't risk her safety... I can not t...

"NO!" the little one, now hysterical, screams, wrapping her small pale arms around Bridh's neck. "Ye cannae go, cannae go wid' oow me Mamma!" she cries, grasping her arms with her own hands to not let Bridh slip out. Silence, save the crying of the small girl, as the halfelf's knees hit the floor. All the steeling and preparation in the world was useless, her delicate brick wall comes tumbling down around her. Every memory she had shoved away came flooding back. Memories of picking these babies up from the floors of their cells, rushing over the bleeding bodies of their captors. Of the trips from far off plains to Freeport, and farther yet, to try and find their families again. Of the trials of the heart when the crew would discover that many of these children had lost their families in the ambushes on their villages, and many more lost to the slavers once they were captured. So many they had found homes for in the cities with families of their own kind, or to the guild halls of their parents. They would have a family, a future, and training.. but the few who had no homes, no families to go back to, no guildhall prepared to take them... they went with the Dens. They were taken in under the guidance of the Dens to learn a trade, and to work with the merchants. Many were adopted by the Den family as their own... Bridh had dealt with this heartache once before, as the tentions in Freeport and the spies from Neriak crept closer... and she had to take her own two adopted children far from here, and to leave them behind... and she knew that to be forced to do so again would kill her. Now all she could think of were the nights that Rachal would wake up screaming for Mamma, the nightmares of the slave stockades wracking her small body. Mamma... the one word that sends Bridh into an emotional breakdown.

Noticing the wet spot now growing on the child's golden curls, Bridh wipes at her face with a hand dismissively and begins to rise, bringing the small girl up with her. Wrapping her arms around her bottom, she carries her out into the hall and across to the children's rooms. She sits them both onto the small bed and looks at Chera once more. "You better start packing then," Bridh whispers, the little girl dropping to the floor with those words and quickly collecting the few things she has. One more small chest goes onto the stack with the others, and a child sized bed gets set in with the other furniture. Without a word, Bridh picks the girl up and sets her on her hip, turning down the hall to let Elisi know that they were ready.