Diplomatic Immunity--Preface: Vasha's Discovery

[Bront]

Vasha bursts into tears and cries out "NO! I will NOT let them torture Zythryd, and I can not abandon him. It is my fault he is where he is, because I tried to connect and show compassion to one of his slaves. He warned me she was pure evil, and I wouldn't listen. We have to do something for him."

She falls into a chair, her life shattering yet again around her. "We have to set him free. I can't let another man suffer for being close to me."

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Vasha, I told you it was awful, but you have to calm down and think rationally...You are in the capitol city of the Dragonlords, and the dungeons are in the bastion of all their power on Arris. It would be impossible to rescue him from there. But Alyz has a plan, okay? When he can't give them any useful information, and I know he cannot, they're going to want to punish him for his crimes, so Alyz is going to try to buy him as a slave. Then she can let him go. Okay, Vasha?"

 

[Bront]

"Will I be able to see him again? And won't that endanger Alyz's cover?"

"Why did I trust my heart with Vrymiin? Was I right to want to give her a second chance?"

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Don't worry, Vasha. Alyz has the perfect cover, so there's no way they can catch her. There's no telling exactly when this will come about, but once it does, of course you'll be able to see him again."

"As for trusting this Vrymiin woman...I don't know the whole story, so I can't say."

 

[Bront]

"And what am I to do untill then? Fortunately Zythryd was never here, but he does know Alyz's name. And while I know he cares for me, asking this of him is just too much."

"Vrymiin hurt Zythryd long ago by leaving him when he set her free out of love. She got in trouble and became a slave again, and Zythryd bought her and has had her doing all his hard cleaning for the past ten years. I went to talk to her, and asked that she be giving some leniency. I told her my names, both of them. And she told me she would hurt me for my false compassion. That was this morning."

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Don't worry, Vasha. He can give away Alyz's name as much as he wants because Alyz's name is not Alyz as far as the Dragonlords know--they don't know anybody named Alyz, so they'll think you were just giving him false information, which makes them all the more likely to find him useless and stop questioning him."

"Wow...well then I think we can be certain it was she. I don't want to seem callous, Vasha, because I am truly saddened and sorry for what happened, and I am almost unable to keep myself from joining you in tears at such a sad occurence, but you should try to be a little bit more discreet, okay?"

 

[Bront]

Vasha nods. "I ask only one thing then. When Alyz is finaly able to purchase Zythryd, can she give him to me so I can set him free? There will be no suspicion if he is led away, and perhaps him acting as my slave will cast suspicions away from me. I just hope he doesn't hate me when he's finaly let out."

"And yes, more discreet. I will try. I had hoped opening up to her would open up the good in her and allow her to trust me."

Vasha gives Louteah a tight hug, holding on for all the little strength she can muster, as if letting go would mean she'd loose her too. "Thank you for your compassion. It means more to me than you could know."

 

[Rystil Arden]

"I'm sure Alyz will do this if you'd like, Vasha, and of course he won't hate you. You weren't trying to hurt him, Vasha, and I know he understands that."

"There are those who are always kind, and there are many who are shades of gray, Vasha, but then there are those whose hearts are full of spite, as this woman's most certainly is...I would have to be heartless not to feel for you in such a sad moment, and I offer my compassion to you freely, Vasha. Anything that I can do to comfort you or make you feel better, just let me know...I am not as adept as I would like to be at understanding the sorts of emotions that you have."

 

[Bront]

"Not adapt? Why is that" she says between tears.

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Well, I think I'll need to observe you more and think about it before I can truly understand the way you think, the way your mind works--it is different than for me, you see, and I do want to learn."