drnuncheon
Explorer
The interesting thing about this is that Dru's also got some backstory about Andaryn. Maybe she'll post those once she catches up to the beginning of Book One (which is coming swiftly!)
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Drusilia Naïlo: The Making of a Watchman
- Thread starter Drusilia Nailo
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Drusilia Nailo
First Post
The next morning, Dru trudged out of her room to get something for breakfast. She paused at the doorway of her father's study, peering in. He was not there. However, there was a very familiar looking harp resting on his desk. She felt her heart quicken in her chest, and then her eyes narrowed. Good, she thought. If nothing else, he didn't get to keep his precious harp. No one will ever profit from my humiliation again. From now on, I'll kill the Andaryns with my own two hands.
As she moved into the dining room, she saw Papa sitting at a table, drinking a steaming mug of tea. Kennic was sitting in the window sill, sharpening his sword. They both looked up at her. Papa nodded to her, and Kennic smiled.
"I saw the harp," said Dru. She started to ask what had happened, but saw Kennic shaking his head at her. She closed her mouth again, and sighed, walking over to get a chunk of bread. "Well, I'm glad that you got it back," she said.
Papa nodded. "Yes. We cannot allow people to think that they can take advantage of us," he said, mildly.
"Indeed," muttered Dru, tearing viciously at the hapless piece of bread with her teeth. "Well, it will not happen again," she said.
"Good," said Papa.
Kennic looked worried. "Why are you so sure of that?"
Dru regarded him calmly, and then shrugged. "Because if it happens again, I'll kill whoever it was so mercilessly that everyone else will be afraid to do it."
Kennic winced, Papa smiled.
She ate the rest of her breakfast in silence. Eventually, Papa stood to his feet, and paused beside her. "It's a good argument for an arranged marriage," he told her. "Love doesn't even have to enter the picture."
Dru nodded. "Exactly," she said, vowing to herself that she would go along with whatever arrangement Papa wanted to make for her, as long as it kept the Andaryns of the world out of her life.
He smiled, looking pleased, and then said, "I promised you that we would do something today to take your mind off of your troubles. I believe that I know just the thing."
She took another bite of the bread, and looked up at him expectantly.
"There is a gang that is trying to encroach upon my territory. I was going to delegate the task of putting it in its place to some of the other members, but let's make it an outing."
Dru brightened up. "That sounds like fun," she agreed, standing to her feet. "When do you want to go?"
"Now, while they're still hung over and in bed with my prostitutes," he said, dead pan.
With a nod, Dru crossed the room. "Let me get ready to go," she said. "I will only be a few minutes."
As she moved into the dining room, she saw Papa sitting at a table, drinking a steaming mug of tea. Kennic was sitting in the window sill, sharpening his sword. They both looked up at her. Papa nodded to her, and Kennic smiled.
"I saw the harp," said Dru. She started to ask what had happened, but saw Kennic shaking his head at her. She closed her mouth again, and sighed, walking over to get a chunk of bread. "Well, I'm glad that you got it back," she said.
Papa nodded. "Yes. We cannot allow people to think that they can take advantage of us," he said, mildly.
"Indeed," muttered Dru, tearing viciously at the hapless piece of bread with her teeth. "Well, it will not happen again," she said.
"Good," said Papa.
Kennic looked worried. "Why are you so sure of that?"
Dru regarded him calmly, and then shrugged. "Because if it happens again, I'll kill whoever it was so mercilessly that everyone else will be afraid to do it."
Kennic winced, Papa smiled.
She ate the rest of her breakfast in silence. Eventually, Papa stood to his feet, and paused beside her. "It's a good argument for an arranged marriage," he told her. "Love doesn't even have to enter the picture."
Dru nodded. "Exactly," she said, vowing to herself that she would go along with whatever arrangement Papa wanted to make for her, as long as it kept the Andaryns of the world out of her life.
He smiled, looking pleased, and then said, "I promised you that we would do something today to take your mind off of your troubles. I believe that I know just the thing."
She took another bite of the bread, and looked up at him expectantly.
"There is a gang that is trying to encroach upon my territory. I was going to delegate the task of putting it in its place to some of the other members, but let's make it an outing."
Dru brightened up. "That sounds like fun," she agreed, standing to her feet. "When do you want to go?"
"Now, while they're still hung over and in bed with my prostitutes," he said, dead pan.
With a nod, Dru crossed the room. "Let me get ready to go," she said. "I will only be a few minutes."
Drusilia Nailo
First Post
Very true! Poor Dru. The Andaryn sequence was very difficult to write, though it was an important part of the character's growth and therefore couldn't be left out.
Drusilia Nailo
First Post
They were surrounded by bodies, most of them still bleeding profusely. Dru stood over the last one with her rapier, driving the blade into his stomach over and over and over again. She kept seeing Andaryn's face, and couldn't restrain herself.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Drusilia, he's dead," said Papa's voice, uncommonly gentle. "Let it go."
Taking a deep but wavery breath, Dru closed her eyes, nodding. When she opened them again, she was calm.
"Clean off your rapier," he told her, watching her while she did so, mechanically. When she'd finished, he nodded. "Now, slide it into its sheathe."
Dru sighed, and obeyed. She looked around at the carnage, and at the shivering, frightened looking prostitutes huddled in one corner. "We should probably leave," she said, finding her voice.
Papa nodded, glancing over at the women. "You know what to tell the Watch."
One of them, the oldest, nodded somberly. "I do," she said.
"Come," said Papa, gesturing at Dru to follow him. "The last thing that we need is to have the Watch trying to arrest us."
When they finally got back to the compound, they walked past the doorguard, and then back to Papa's office. "Do you feel better now?"
Dru nodded, dropping back into a chair beside Papa's desk. "Yes," she told him.
"Try not to let hate by the driving force in your life," said Papa, as he sat down behind his desk.
Dru stared at him blankly.
He sighed. "If you cannot let go of it, at least use it as a weapon. Focus it, and use it to destroy your enemies, not yourself."
"Hmm." Dru nodded, thoughtfully. She thought of her hatred of Andaryn, of Meris, of the other, more minor people who had made attempts on her life, and then envisioned it as a red hot blade. "I can do that," she said, looking up at him.
Papa smiled, a hint of sadness in his eyes, "I know you can."
She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Drusilia, he's dead," said Papa's voice, uncommonly gentle. "Let it go."
Taking a deep but wavery breath, Dru closed her eyes, nodding. When she opened them again, she was calm.
"Clean off your rapier," he told her, watching her while she did so, mechanically. When she'd finished, he nodded. "Now, slide it into its sheathe."
Dru sighed, and obeyed. She looked around at the carnage, and at the shivering, frightened looking prostitutes huddled in one corner. "We should probably leave," she said, finding her voice.
Papa nodded, glancing over at the women. "You know what to tell the Watch."
One of them, the oldest, nodded somberly. "I do," she said.
"Come," said Papa, gesturing at Dru to follow him. "The last thing that we need is to have the Watch trying to arrest us."
When they finally got back to the compound, they walked past the doorguard, and then back to Papa's office. "Do you feel better now?"
Dru nodded, dropping back into a chair beside Papa's desk. "Yes," she told him.
"Try not to let hate by the driving force in your life," said Papa, as he sat down behind his desk.
Dru stared at him blankly.
He sighed. "If you cannot let go of it, at least use it as a weapon. Focus it, and use it to destroy your enemies, not yourself."
"Hmm." Dru nodded, thoughtfully. She thought of her hatred of Andaryn, of Meris, of the other, more minor people who had made attempts on her life, and then envisioned it as a red hot blade. "I can do that," she said, looking up at him.
Papa smiled, a hint of sadness in his eyes, "I know you can."
Drusilia Nailo
First Post
Dru sat, huddled with Kennic, in the corner of the rattiest apartment that she had ever seen. It was pitch black, and the sounds of running feet could be heard outside, on the night time streets of Freeport.
Dru whispered, scowling, "Did we have to run to Scurvytown?"
Kennic shook his head at her. "Quiet," he whispered.
Dru fell silent, feeling guilty. There was no sense in betraying their position just to get in a snide comment or two.
Outside, she could hear curses. One man yelled, "I can't find them anywhere! I think they must've run deeper into Scurvytown."
There was a silence, and then two pairs of feet stopped walking, right outside the door to the apartment. "They couldn't have gotten that far," snapped another voice, also male. "We have people up the block, and they would have intercepted them. They've got to be in one of these buildings. Here, I'll cross the street, you deal with the stuff on this side. If you find them, kill the guard, but I want the girl. Got it?"
"I got it, boss," said the first voice.
"She's a little h*llcat," laughed the second voice, "So watch yourself."
Dru's heart hammered in her chest, and she started reaching for her rapier, slowly. She saw Kennic doing the same. He risked a whisper, leaning into her as he spoke, "I'm serious about this, Dru. If the fighting starts, you defend yourself, but if you get an opening, run. Do you understand?"
Dru nodded, having no intentions of leaving Kennic behind if it came to that. She stared at the door, half in fear, half in anticipation. She tensed when she heard the man fumbling with a set of lockpicks. The door swung inward with a creak, and the man peered in. He took a step in, looking at the darkened room. "Don't know how we're supposed to search a place in the dark, for two elves," he muttered. His eyes seemed to fasten on Dru. She started to rise to her feet.
"No," said the man, nodding to Dru politely. "Don't see no elves in here. Must have hidden somewhere else. They'd be pretty smart to get out of this area though, soon as they could though." He backed out of the apartment, shutting the door behind him.
"Nothing over here, boss," he shouted, sounding disgusted. "You don't think they went down into the sewers, do you? I really don't wanna go down there..."
A few minutes later, they heard a manhole cover being lifted, and dropped again. Two sets of feet began to climb down the ladder, and then there was silence.
Dru let out her breath in a whoosh. "That was close," she whispered. "Who was that man?"
Kennic rose to his feet, and then gave Dru a hand up. "I have no idea," he murmured softly, looking just as astounded as she felt. "But I do think he was right... we'd be smart to get out of here."
Dru didn't need any encouragement, and the two elves began walking quickly back towards the old city. "Do we dare go to the kesir?"
Kennic sighed, hesitated, and then shook his head. "No, that will be watched as well. We'll have to stay in the old city, and hope that your father is able to find us when this gets resolved."
Dru frowned. "He promised me that he wouldn't leave me alone for security reasons anymore."
Kennic raised his eyebrows. "Your father would not consider it a crime to lie to you to protect you, and you know it."
Dru's frown deepened, and her strides got longer. "I wish-" She trailed off, shaking her head angrily. "It doesn't matter what I wish. It's never going to happen."
"Here," said Kennic, turning into an alleyway. "We just recently acquired this property. I hope that you don't mind hiding out amongst the prostitutes."
Dru shrugged.
Dru whispered, scowling, "Did we have to run to Scurvytown?"
Kennic shook his head at her. "Quiet," he whispered.
Dru fell silent, feeling guilty. There was no sense in betraying their position just to get in a snide comment or two.
Outside, she could hear curses. One man yelled, "I can't find them anywhere! I think they must've run deeper into Scurvytown."
There was a silence, and then two pairs of feet stopped walking, right outside the door to the apartment. "They couldn't have gotten that far," snapped another voice, also male. "We have people up the block, and they would have intercepted them. They've got to be in one of these buildings. Here, I'll cross the street, you deal with the stuff on this side. If you find them, kill the guard, but I want the girl. Got it?"
"I got it, boss," said the first voice.
"She's a little h*llcat," laughed the second voice, "So watch yourself."
Dru's heart hammered in her chest, and she started reaching for her rapier, slowly. She saw Kennic doing the same. He risked a whisper, leaning into her as he spoke, "I'm serious about this, Dru. If the fighting starts, you defend yourself, but if you get an opening, run. Do you understand?"
Dru nodded, having no intentions of leaving Kennic behind if it came to that. She stared at the door, half in fear, half in anticipation. She tensed when she heard the man fumbling with a set of lockpicks. The door swung inward with a creak, and the man peered in. He took a step in, looking at the darkened room. "Don't know how we're supposed to search a place in the dark, for two elves," he muttered. His eyes seemed to fasten on Dru. She started to rise to her feet.
"No," said the man, nodding to Dru politely. "Don't see no elves in here. Must have hidden somewhere else. They'd be pretty smart to get out of this area though, soon as they could though." He backed out of the apartment, shutting the door behind him.
"Nothing over here, boss," he shouted, sounding disgusted. "You don't think they went down into the sewers, do you? I really don't wanna go down there..."
A few minutes later, they heard a manhole cover being lifted, and dropped again. Two sets of feet began to climb down the ladder, and then there was silence.
Dru let out her breath in a whoosh. "That was close," she whispered. "Who was that man?"
Kennic rose to his feet, and then gave Dru a hand up. "I have no idea," he murmured softly, looking just as astounded as she felt. "But I do think he was right... we'd be smart to get out of here."
Dru didn't need any encouragement, and the two elves began walking quickly back towards the old city. "Do we dare go to the kesir?"
Kennic sighed, hesitated, and then shook his head. "No, that will be watched as well. We'll have to stay in the old city, and hope that your father is able to find us when this gets resolved."
Dru frowned. "He promised me that he wouldn't leave me alone for security reasons anymore."
Kennic raised his eyebrows. "Your father would not consider it a crime to lie to you to protect you, and you know it."
Dru's frown deepened, and her strides got longer. "I wish-" She trailed off, shaking her head angrily. "It doesn't matter what I wish. It's never going to happen."
"Here," said Kennic, turning into an alleyway. "We just recently acquired this property. I hope that you don't mind hiding out amongst the prostitutes."
Dru shrugged.
drnuncheon
Explorer
*bump*
Last edited:
Drusilia Nailo
First Post
Yay, people are still reading me! 
Okay, here's another update. We are very very near the end of the story now. Probably two more updates at most.
Okay, here's another update. We are very very near the end of the story now. Probably two more updates at most.Similar Threads
