Amir couldn't tell what Aishe thought about his story, but it didn't much matter. She was just a carrier. She would do her job regardless of her opinion. It wouldn't be the first time Amir had planned for unpleasant circumstances.
"Because," he said, "I'm going to have to go away on business for a while. If anything happens while I'm gone, I think he should know."
He shrugged his shoulders. "Sometimes we don't do what we should do because we cling to old principles," he said.
He regarded Aishe with dark unreadable eyes. "I am an old, principled vampire," he explained softly. "I have not always changed my opinions as rapidly as perhaps I should."
Amir rarely ever apologized for anything. Tonight was no exception.
"If I don't return to Nachton in the next month, you should tell him what I've told you tonight."
He didn't add anything about Mara. That wasn't his place; she would reunite with her father when she was prepared. Amir had never made any issue of the fact that he knew she had followed him through the years. He trusted her. She trusted him. Knowing her father was not going to interfere with their friendship. Or, anything else. Or it wouldn't have.
Positive ID (Private: Amir)
Aishe was out behind the house she shared with Kiamhaat, not far from the ocean; in fact, it was entirely possible for them to walk to the beach when they chose. There was a strip of woodland immediately behind the house though, and this was where many of her raccoon friends lived. Lately, they had been nervous. They told her there had been an animal present. A hunter. She was certain from their impressions that the animal had not been hunting them, but the raccoons made excellent spies and given the trouble at Reign's in the past few months Aishe had had them stay on the lookout for any four legged invaders.
They had seen the wolf, if that's what it was, recently. Very recently. Aishe looked around. She didn't see anything or hear anything unusual. She felt it though. Something, or someone, was watching her.
She turned, on a hunch, and saw it there as if it had just emerged from behind a tree. A smallish canine. Large ears, delicate bone structure. A coyote or something?
"You."
She took a step toward it.
"Have you been looking for me?"
The canine lowered its head. It took a step forward.
"I don't understand."
Aishe stepped toward it, not sure why she was talking to it. She had the impression, though, that it understood her. For one, she had never had her empathy work on an animal before. But she clearly saw this canine. Saw him like she saw people. He was a kaleidoscope of colors. Muddy red, bright yellow, dark green, and black all warred around him. Colors Aishe had never associated with anyone, really. There were more positive ones underneath but they were buried under anger, resentment, unforgiveness.
"Who are you? What do you need?"
In response the canine turned and darted away.
"No, come back!"
Aishe chased it. Heedless of the cool wind on her face and in her nose, ignorant of the branches that whipped against her face she chased. She raised her arms, shoving twigs and leaves out of the way. The canine ran ahead of her but it didn't seem too much faster than she. Her boots cracked against the fallen leaves and dead branches on the ground.
Gradually the forest gave way to sand as she followed the flashing multi-colored coat of the shapeshifted vampire... for what else could it be? Aishe's small feet carried her swiftly onto the beach where the canine suddenly drew up short.
It turned to her.
"Who are you?" She called again, her voice carrying over the wind and the waves.
It changed in front of her. Aishe watched, fascinated. The form that appeared was a familiar one although she hadn't seen him in some time. It baffled her. She hadn't expected him, of all people, to be here.
"Amir Rashid."
Amir
13 years ago
Aishe
13 years ago
Aishe almost felt sympathy for Amir until she reminded herself what he'd done to Kiamhaat. Eight hundred years of depression, loneliness, mistakes that had cost lives, before Alfarinn had met him and shown him a different way.
"You're so certain I'm not going to go right back to him and tell him now," she said, allowing a little sarcasm into her voice. "He should know. It's not fair to keep it from him any longer and I'm not in the habit of keeping secrets from him at all."
Aishe would never, could never, hold information like this from Kiamhaat. She argued his case in front of Amir, waiting to hear if he had a more compelling reason for her not to say anything. She was willing to listen; if nothing else, Aishe had an open mind and Amir had never done anything bad to her, or Pak, or even Kiamhaat in the time they'd been acquainted with him as a friend of sorts.
"You're so certain I'm not going to go right back to him and tell him now," she said, allowing a little sarcasm into her voice. "He should know. It's not fair to keep it from him any longer and I'm not in the habit of keeping secrets from him at all."
Aishe would never, could never, hold information like this from Kiamhaat. She argued his case in front of Amir, waiting to hear if he had a more compelling reason for her not to say anything. She was willing to listen; if nothing else, Aishe had an open mind and Amir had never done anything bad to her, or Pak, or even Kiamhaat in the time they'd been acquainted with him as a friend of sorts.
Amir
13 years ago
Amir smiled softly. "I am completely certain," he said, "that Kiamhaat won't know any of this immediately."
Looking into Aishe's eyes he began with the simplest of Commands and worked his magic over her, layering compulsion over compulsion. When he finally finished and his silky voice drifted off, he had a series of locks and releases in place that would trigger this conversation in Aishe's mind only under a specific set of circumstances.
Amir always had backup plans. That was the beauty of improvisation.
Within minutes, the small canine that was Amir was loping down the beach and out of sight.
((ooc: Amir out))
Looking into Aishe's eyes he began with the simplest of Commands and worked his magic over her, layering compulsion over compulsion. When he finally finished and his silky voice drifted off, he had a series of locks and releases in place that would trigger this conversation in Aishe's mind only under a specific set of circumstances.
Amir always had backup plans. That was the beauty of improvisation.
Within minutes, the small canine that was Amir was loping down the beach and out of sight.
((ooc: Amir out))
Aishe
13 years ago
Aishe sat on the log for a while, enjoying the cool night air. She was pleased with her raccoons. They were healthy and well although the canine loose in the area was a concern.
She pondered that for a little while before her mind drifted to Amir. It had been nice to see him, if a little unusual that he'd been here, of all places. But he had to hunt too, after all, and she could understand how he'd gotten off track. He'd been very worried that he was trespassing on territory that belonged to her and Kem but she reassured him that was not the case.
After a bit she got up and decided it was time to head back home. Kiamhaat was waiting and they were going to watch a movie. There was nothing, nothing in the world, better than snuggling on the couch with her vampire, which inevitably led to more serious snuggling, and that was just fine too.
Everything was fine.
((ooc: Aishe out))
She pondered that for a little while before her mind drifted to Amir. It had been nice to see him, if a little unusual that he'd been here, of all places. But he had to hunt too, after all, and she could understand how he'd gotten off track. He'd been very worried that he was trespassing on territory that belonged to her and Kem but she reassured him that was not the case.
After a bit she got up and decided it was time to head back home. Kiamhaat was waiting and they were going to watch a movie. There was nothing, nothing in the world, better than snuggling on the couch with her vampire, which inevitably led to more serious snuggling, and that was just fine too.
Everything was fine.
((ooc: Aishe out))