Silence & Silver

A roleplay transcript by Silence and Gisele

The Guildmaster of the Order of Whispers sat with his feet on the heavy wooden desk in front of him. The elf had kicked aside the paperwork to make space for his long legs and soft leather boots. He was smoking a straight, wooden pipe that trickled purplish smoke into the room, casting the dimly lit space in odd hues of lavender. Hush Root, as the spice merchants of the Glimmering Isles called the weed, got its name from its tendency to reduce a longtime smoker's voice to a whisper. But the gentle buzz it offered was - for him at least - worth that price.

A dying fire cast a dancing, orange glow into the dark office space that the Guildmaster used to conduct the official business of his Guild. The fire and the smoke had given the room an oppressively warm and heavy atmosphere that didn't bother him in the slightest, but that should bother his next guest. Which was the point.

He was about to summon the new arrival, Gisele - or Silver as she was known in the guild. She had, he conceded, completed the tasks assigned to her so far with admirable skill and efficiency. But the Order of Whispers in Ansa`fel was much respected and much feared - a reputation that he guarded closely. He was not fond of working with humans. Even less fond of working with people who did not know Ansa`fel and its many secrets and unspoken rules. But she had come here and he owed her hospitality and work according to the ancient code. Whether she would enjoy it was yet to be seen.

"Flax, bring her to me. Make sure she is unarmed. Be thorough." His voice, weakened from many years of Hush smoking, was nevertheless rich and commanding. What it lacked in volume, it made up for in tone and depth.

The secretary nodded and stood up from his chair, relieved to be out of this infernal space and into the fresher air of the tunnels. He stepped through the door to find Gisele.

Gisele had been chatting with a couple of male members of the Order in the main lounge. As the new girl, she seemed to be pretty popular with her brothers and sisters; the male population, in particular. Mirth and Cord were discussing the next job they wanted to bring her in on to aid them, and she found herself mildly interested the more information they shared. The payout would be a handsome one. She leaned in, whispering something to the blonde. He was nicely built; she had seen him unclothed in The Crucible the other night and had made a mental note to “make friends” with him. Cord whispered something back and she gave him a playful smile, teeth tugging at her lower lip.

The sound of stone scraping stone was heard just before the bookshelf slid to the side. All eyes moved in that direction. The guildmaster’s assistant appeared through the entrance, his eyes searching the lounge until they landed on her. “Silver, come.” The creepy assistant called to her and then without waiting for her to follow him, disappeared down the hall. She threw a glance back to Cord and Mirth, both brows lifting as she turned to follow the man who mysteriously seemed to evaporate into the shadows. She knew what they were thinking. It was highly unusual for a guildmaster to meet with a guildmember. Usually, the guildleaders handled all communication with their members. So why her? 

The hallway was dimly lit with the occasional lamp, and Silver hurried on in an attempt to catch up with the assistant. If she could meet up with him, she would ask him if he knew why the guildmaster wanted to meet with her. She would have liked to have been able to prepare for this moment.

The assistant appeared right in front of her and held out his hand, “Your weapons.” She gave him a look and reached for the ornate daggers, handing them to him. “All of your weapons, Silver,” he then said. She impishly smiled at him and bent down to retrieve the rest that was on her person. “Here,” she said, as he took them and led the way. “So…” she began softly at his back. “Why does the guildmaster wish to meet with me?” 

She had done a damn fine job so far; she knew this. And the tasks she had been assigned to were rather simple, considering. No con-games for her, not here, not yet. Those had gotten her into trouble, and while she was very skilled at it - it was her expertise, after all - she had barely made it out of there alive. That, however, was a secret best left buried. Stop. Focus, she chided. The tasks she had been given, she had followed to the T: acquire a job to use as a cover, lift coins so her contact would know which barmaid to meet with, make the exchange with the contact. And then: break into two homes, take specified information from both homes, make one look like something else was taken (gold in that case), and make the other look like nothing was taken. Simple. Well, simple for her.

The assistant ignored her the rest of the way. What a dick.

Right. She had nothing to fear. Silver straightened a bit as she neared the end of the hallway, a thick blanket of smoke billowing toward her. She made a face, her nose scrunching, “Oh god it’s smoky in here,” she said aloud to the room as she stepped inside, her eyes moving around the space. The room was heated by the fireplace, and in an already small room when you are summoned by your guildmaster, it’s probably hotter than one would like. She looked to the hooded figure behind the desk, ignoring the assistant as he left, and made an attempt to take in anything of interest in his garb. Could she catch a glimpse of hair? Would she at least learn his hair color? Maybe a peek of his nose? She doubted he would be so careless. “Guildmaster,” she said in greeting and cleared her throat, attempting to stifle a cough. “Pleasure.”

The Guildmaster watched her enter. She was small, even by human standards, but proportionally pleasing. He felt his cock twitch in response to the tight leather corset that constrained her breasts, but did not allow the moment of pleasure to register in his face. He watched her move into the room. Cautious, controlled. Her voice was not unpleasant, for a human, but his brows furrowed at her exclamation. He remained silent, looking at her from behind his hood. "You may remain standing," he said, almost in a whisper. It was his habit, in these situations, to speak more quietly than even the Hush Root required. Forcing his interlocutor to listen carefully to his every word. Almost requiring them to hold their breath so that they could do so. 

He smiled at her - a wicked flash of pearl-white teeth that reflected the orange glow of the fire. "You may call me Lord Silence," he said in the same papery whisper, his voice only just audible above the pops and cracks of the fire. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk and pressing his fingers together in front of him. He kept the peak of his hood down, revealing only his lower face to her - his thin-lipped mouth and smooth chin. His cold blue eyes and jet black hair remained in shadow and difficult for human eyes to discern. But he watched her carefully. Measuring her body, her poise, the well-trained tone of her muscles visible beneath her tight, practical clothing. She was an impressive sight, and he could well imagine that the same strength he noted within her physical form could be molded and shaped to her will in whatever way her work required. He would shape it to his will too, in time.

"I do not like you, Silver," he said softly. "You are a stranger here. You are human." The tone he used on that last word implied contempt, even cruelty towards her species. "I have yet to meet a human who impressed me. You have not impressed me." He flashed that sneering smile again. "You have performed certain tasks for us. But a child could do them. And faster at that."

He turned his hooded head towards the fire, hiding all of his face from her now. Essentially expressing in his body language that he didn't even care how she answered. In truth, he was fascinated how she would respond to his words. Words they must both know to be lies. This was a test, of course, and he waited in silence for her answer.

Gisele turned her head slightly so she could catch every word and nodded, without words of her own, at his greeting. Her gaze dropped from his hood to his hands, and then to the desk and its items there. "I see," she had started as he shared with her his dislike, her gaze rising ever so slowly to his mostly-hidden face. "Respectfully, Lord Silence, I hope that your dislike of humans does not blind you to the fact that you have a talented rogue at your disposal." The smallest twitch played at the corners of her lips, but she kept her body neutral, relaxed. Her intent was not to set him off but to show him that she was an able body who was passionate about her profession, passionate about the brotherhood. "I am here to work, Lord Silence, and to help you achieve your goals as well." She took a step forward then, and another to take a stand beside the tall chair which would bring her closer to her guildmaster.

He flashed a bit of white teeth as he sneered at her, but she was unaware of his expression. She felt, though, that his hatred of her was palpable. Again, another nod. A smile now spreading over full glossed lips. "This is true. The tasks that have been assigned to me have been child's play." The rogue's eyes sparkled, her gaze nothing but amiable as she stared into the deep dark shadows of his black hood. She did not remark on his reference to speed - she felt he was trying to get a rise out of her and knew it was best to ignore it. "I'm ready for more when you are ready to give, and I will impress you once I have more to work with." It was politely said, and almost equally softly at that.

Lord Silence stared into the fire as she spoke. He was impressed both by her control of her emotions and by the assured quietness of her defense. Outwardly, he was still and unmoved by her words. Inside, he was surprised to feel a growing measure of desire. It annoyed him that a human woman would rouse his libido. "I will tell you when you are ready," he snapped without turning. "And I will tell you when you have impressed me. Do not presume that you have any value to my Order of Whispers." His voice was still quiet, but his irritation bled through into his tone and his emphasis on the word 'my' was clear. "You may prove useful in time, but I doubt it." He turned to look at her again, his calculating eyes lingering on the exposed skin between her breasts. He looked up just enough that she would be able to see the firelight reflected in his eyes, though his face remained in the shadow of the hood. "What are you willing to do to prove yourself useful, Silver?" he asked. There was a cruelty in his voice, layered with anticipation. "How far will you go to serve the Shadows?"

Silver’s lashes fluttered as she blinked. It was the only movement that indicated her surprise when he snapped at her. She had never been met with such hatred before. Well, by a guildmaster. There were many targets in her past who she had to seduce to get information she was after, and they weren’t happy once she left and they discovered they had been duped. Her thumb rolled along the back of her ring. It was a heavy, masculine looking piece of jewelry which held a bit of poison beneath the setting of the stone. Sometimes the poison knocked out her clients, sometimes they coaxed truth from their lips - it all depended on which poison she had equipped for the job.

She lowered her gaze to the desk once more, thankful to break eye contact for the moment - if he even looked upon her. She seemed to disgust him, which was something she had never experienced before. Not quite like this, anyway. And she had angered him, which was the opposite effect of what she was going for. “Of course, Lord Silence,” she responded. “I look forward to hearing those words,” she added in a gentle but firm tone, biting her cheek as she looked back to where his eyes would be. Sometimes, she just could not behave. 

“I also look forward to the challenge,” she rubbed the back of her neck, her face losing all previous expression. She was fully aware that the slight innocent movement would draw attention to her assets, if he were to see past his hatred. Her response was automatic when he posed those last questions to her. “I will do as you ask, Lord Silence. You have my utmost loyalty and dedication,” she offered with deference, stiffening her back when she saw the reflection of flames dancing in dark pools of hidden eyes within the shadows. Her nostrils flared slightly as she queried, “What would you have me do?” And for some reason, as those words rolled off her tongue, she felt as if she had just signed over her soul.

"Then kneel," Lord Silence commanded, a sneer on his face. He paused, for just a moment, while she considered it and then obeyed. 

He stood, unfolding his tall form from the chair behind the desk. He kept his hooded face turned away from her and moved in the direction of the fire. He took up a pair of iron tongs and used them to pluck a glowing coal from the red hot embers at the base of the flame. He turned back and walked quietly toward Gisele with the coal held out to his side, rather than towards her, as he did so.

"Anything?" He asked again, keeping his head tilted down and stopping sufficiently short of her that she still would not be able to see inside his hood. "Would you hold this?" He raised the coal so that it hovered just above her eye line - close enough for her to feel the heat on her forehead. He held it there, unmoving, waiting to see what she would do.

Gisele knelt without hesitation, her gaze locked on his form as he made his way toward the fire. She was learning a lot about her new guildmaster. He most definitely enjoyed being in control. Did he hate women? Or just humans, in general? Both? Or was it her? She swallowed the urge to clear her throat. She suppressed the urge to run out of the room. Several dark thoughts spun through her head as he walked toward her with the glowing coal. She swallowed again, but kept her wits about her and kept her face expressionless. She could feel dampness at the back of her neck, a slight perspiration. “If that is what you ordered me to do, yes,” she said as she lifted her cupped hands out in front of her while she continued. “But I am afraid I would not be able to make you money if we injured my hands.” She kept her hands as still as possible, bracing herself mentally for that coal to be dropped onto her palms.

Lord Silence looked down on her, waiting. One heartbeat... two heartbeats... three heartbeats. At length he smiled to himself. He felt a grudging respect for this human. She was both attractive for her kind and, even in submission, showed a strength that would serve the Whispers well. But the hint of defiance troubled him also. It would need to be checked. Finally, he withdrew the coal, drawing it to his own body and dropping it into his own hand. It sat in the palm of his hand hissing and spitting until he casually tossed it back into the fire. "It is only pain," he said, lifting his hand to look at the charred flesh. "And only will-power is needed to control it." He looked at her, reaching out with the burned hand and pressing it to her cheek, the blood and char of the wound smearing on her skin. "I am not interested in your tolerance to pain," he said. "I am interested in your obedience and self-control." He pulled the hand away. "Close your eyes."

Gislele found her lips parted, ever-so-slightly, as she watched the coal drop into his hand. She promptly pressed her lips together in a firm line, her brows twitching once, maybe twice, as her first instinct was to knock the coal away from his flesh. She did no such thing though. She was thankful he was only testing her; she had been bluffing. If he had dropped the coal into her palm she would have removed her hands at the last minute and walked away. Fuck him and his hatred toward her and her kind. 

But they didn’t have to play out that scenario. She gave the tiniest of nods at his words. She had no desire to use her willpower to control that kind of pain. “I admire you, Lord Silence,” those quiet words spilled from her lips just as he placed his hand upon her cheek. It was still hot, the room smelled like seared flesh which she found revolting. “You have my obedience and control. I respect the brotherhood,” she softly said, closing her eyes.

Once her eyes were closed, Lord Silence blew on his hand - softly enough that it would be muffled by the sound of the fire. He moved silently over to the desk and took a silver cloth wrap out of the drawer and bound it around his palm, cursing inwardly at the sudden urge he'd felt to show off to her. A fucking human at that. He did not need to impress her... yet something about her.

He secured the wrap with a fastening and moved back to stand behind her. His un-bandaged hand he placed on the back of her head. He had noticed her reaction to his behaviour thus far and was pleased that he felt he detected both fear and growing resentment towards him within her, but he had not missed the tiniest of flinches, which she had controlled instantly, to move towards him as he held the coal. 

He gripped a bunch of her hair between his fingers, enjoying the silky feel of it, noting her every move and response to his actions. "What I am going to do to you now," he whispered, his mouth close to her right ear, "is as unimaginative and hateful as anything you might have imagined I could do. You may even feel disappointed that this is what will happen. But I enjoy it, and I am Lord Silence. My word is law among the Shadows. My power is absolute. My will must be done."