Iskrin and Coraline - farsight

:: Iskrin Orin'Darr places two small, polished gems into the offering dish and pays his respects to the nymphs

:: Coraline smiles as she watches the handsome stranger offer his gifts. She stands from her lounging perch and slips into the pool below, making her way to the steps leading up to near where he kneels.

:: Iskrin Orin'Darr stands slowly and bows to the nymph who has appeared. "I am Iskrin," he says, resting his hand over his heart. "I hope I am welcome in the Hollow today."

:: Coraline smiles warmly at him as he stands and turns towards her. "Hello, I am called Coraline. All are welcome here that seek peace and wish for the blessings of my sisters and myself, Iskrin." she turns her head to nod at the flowered terrace to her left. "Would you like to rest yourself of your troubles and take wine? We offer our gifts to those that bring us gifts. My sister, Etain, would have it so. Do you know her?" she smiles warmly at him.

:: Iskrin Orin'Darr nods. "I do know Etain. It was her counsel I sought, Coraline. But perhaps you can help me. I need the boon of far-sight. I seek to know the future." He smiles at this and holds up a hand. "I know the dangers," he says softly. "Etain has told me many a time. Yet still I come, so grave is the threat."

:: Coraline eyebrows arch and lips form a little pout at his request of counsel and the mention of trouble, but still her face is bright and inquisitive. "I will offer what I can, Iskrin, in my sister's stead. But I caution you, I am a poor substitute for my Etain." she giggles and moves to sit on the terrace. "Join me, won't you? Would you care for our wine?"

:: Iskrin Orin'Darr smiles. "Yes, wine would be welcome," he says, moving to join her on the terrace. He notices her pout and smiles. "Forgive me, Coraline, that I am not here for the pleasures that the Hollow offers today. I am afraid my hunger is for your magics, rather than your other skills." He eases himself into the grass next to her, bidding the tension to leave him in this beautiful place. "I know that the sight comes to your people in different ways. How does it proceed for you?"

:: Coraline smiles and giggles softly at his mention of her other skills. She calls to Magariett, a blue haired nymph, to, "Bring wine to our guest, please. The plum, I think." Turning back to him, with as serious a demeanor as one of her whimsical nature can muster, she speaks softly. "My magic, as you call it, is derived from the waters. Flowing water, fresh and clean, this is were my sight lays. From the mountain top glaciers, down to the valleys and forests below, down and down it flows, all the way to the sea. Can this help you?"

:: Iskrin Orin'Darr takes the wine that he is handed and raises the glass to Coraline. "Will you join me?" he asks, lifting the glass to smell the bouquet. He thinks for a moment before responding to her question. "I am truly not sure, Coraline. The King is planning to host a ball, but there are agitators in the city who seek to move against the peace of Sa`Viir-Arin. The ball would provide the perfect opportunity for them to strike." He shakes his head in frustration. "I have been unable to infiltrate their group, and so I am unable to know whether or what they plan. Etain has spoken often of the ability of the nymphs here to glimpse fragments of the future… and so I hoped…" he trails off, looking at the beautiful nymph next to him, lost for further useful words.

:: Coraline takes a glass from Margariett, thanking her with a silent nod. She turns and raises her glass towards him, smiling, before taking a sip. "You have brought beautiful gifts to us, Iskrin. And, I shall do all I can to worry out the knowledge and foresight you seek. If the danger you speak of comes by the sea, I shall find it out for you." She pauses to sip her wine and think. "How long until the ball? I need some time to spend in the waters, to learn again what has been, but more importantly, what will be. At any cost, the King must be protected. Etain puts much stock in him."

:: Iskrin Orin'Darr sips from his own wine, always surprised by how the taste of the plums brings back memories of his childhood and feelings of warmth and happiness. "Thank you, Coraline. The ball is at least a week away. King Malekith is still in the planning stage and, despite my entreaties, refuses to call it off." He looks down at the waters of the Hollow, aware that it is likely teeming with nymphs and other creatures, but unable to see it without entering the waters. He turns back to look at her. "I would not wish you to do anything that would be harmful to you, Coraline," he says after a moment. "The Crown will persist without the King, but the Hollow without its nymphs would be a gray place indeed. Therefore, pay only that cost which you can bear, and let me worry about the King." He sighs. "Fond though I am of him, his is but a man. I will save his life if I can, but it is the crown and the peace of Sa`Viir-Arin that is to be maintained." He seeks to make somewhat intense eye contact. "Breathe not a word of that perspective to another please, Coraline. The work of the AmranKai is hard enough without such whispers. But I know that the Hollow is a place of privacy and trust."

:: Coraline smiles brightly and scrunches her nose, trying to suppress a giggle at his genuine concern for her. She reaches out to lay a comforting hand on his arm. "I would never betray a trust bestowed on me, especially one given so earnestly in the hollow. This would be sacred to me and my kind." She moves, pulling her legs up and wrapping her arms around them while she looks at him for a moment. "You have a true heart, Iskrin. I can see this. Do not worry for my care. I will listen to the whisperings of the ships moored in the harbor. I will float and hear the tramp of your enemies crossing streams. I will find out what you seek."

:: Iskrin Orin'Darr breathes a quiet sigh of relief. "You are the equal of your lovely sister in my eyes, Coraline," he says, a flush of heat moving through him as she touches his arm. "I will return some days hence and listen to what the waters have told you. In the meantime, my time is not my own to spend here, though the company is divine and the Hollow is peaceful. I am needed at the palace for a meeting with the King. We are choosing the musicians this afternoon." He wrinkles his own nose at this. "Will you permit me to take my leave, dear Coraline?"

:: Coraline blushes slightly and giggles as her eyes roam over his strong frame. "Of course! You may come and go as you wish. I name you, Iskrin, friend of the nymphs." She reaches out to lay her hand on his arm again. "Farewell, friend Iskrin. And, worry not."

:: Iskrin Orin'Darr places his own hand over hers for a moment and smiles, looking into her shining blue eyes. "Thank you, Coraline. I will treasure your blessing." He stands slowly and brushes the grass off his pants, looking down on the small nymph sitting in the grass, already anticipating his next visit with some pleasure. "Farewell for now, and until we meet again."

:: Coraline smiles and giggles softly as she feels his eyes on her. "Safe travels until we meet again."