The door to the guild hall was wide open, and Azi stepped inside lightly, tipping her head back so her long hair fell down her back. Her tired eyes surveyed the hall, empty save for one person.


Crispian sat at his desk, a tankard in hand, his blonde head bent over some scrolls. Realizing that he hadn't heard her enter, she stood looking at him closely. Something was different about him. He was wearing fine leather, and he seemed calmer than usual, more at ease with himself. It was then that Azi laughed out loud at herself. She never could tell those two apart!


"Jashen!" she made her way gracefully to the desk, and sat beside him. She favored him with a gentle smile.

Jashen looked up from the scrolls, then set them down. Although he outwardly was still as calm as ever, he watched Azi closely as he smiled back.


"I take it you are feeling more yourself?" he drank from the tankard and set it aside, well out of pull range if he should have the need. He prayed this was his Azi back to the norm, but if it did turn out to be more D'Vena than Azi, he had to be prepared.

 

-----signature-----

"More myself, yes. Though I don't know for how long, friend."


She sighed to herself, looking at Jashen. He didn't trust her, she could sense it. Not that she could blame him. The unease of thier last meeting flooded her thoughts...“I did trust you, and I hope to again! But if these monks cannot contain you, I will kill you."


His fierce expression flashed before her, and she closed her eyes. She hadn't thought of that, hadn't thought of what may happen when the two met again. Suddenly shaken, she rose to pour herself a mug of tea.


"I hear you've changed your ways to follow a respectable path." She smiled playfully, in effort to prove to him that she was indeed herself.

Jashen smiled back, a bit cautious. "Well, if you can considering becoming an infiltrator respectable! It's been interesting, to say the least! I miss my chainmail, though. Damn leather doesn't stop enough of the blow!"


He drank from the tankard. Azi seemed normal enough, he had to admit. His heart yearned to grab her and hug her. But, he knew he couldn't. She was in love with Ascot. And now that he was in the League...He shrugged.


"I do have an inkling now for what you went through. But I can fight two-bladed still!" His smile faded a bit. "Have you tried to do that thing to her again?"

 

-----signature-----

Azi swallowed. News traveled fast, she thought to herself, Crispian had probably told him what she had discovered. The exhaustion of the previous night still weighed on her, enough that she slumped in the chair beside Jashen.


She closed her eyes again, remembering the vivid detail of D'vena's hands warming over the fire, and the young guard's face as she greeted him. Azi cursed herself for not having held on longer, for not telling the guard everything, for not forcing D'vena to throw herself onto the fire... She opened her eyes and looked at Jashen, nodding slowly.


"Last night, Jashen. I did. She was outdoors, at a station. It was cold there, though I didn't recognize it. There were guards near, and I knew she was in disguise. So I brought attention to her, but I don't know if it worked.."

Jashen almost dropped his tankard. She COULD do it, it seemed. "ou did what exactly?" He had skimmed a dispatch from Crispian and Tobyas' letter about the matter had spelled it out clearly.


If Azi could manage control, give them her location or surroundings, maybe Cris could do her in!


He waited, leaning forward, expectantly.

 

-----signature-----

Azi's eyes met Jashen's. Her fingers gripped the clay mug tightly, and she drew a deep breath.


"The first time, I felt D'vena beginning to take hold, so I pushed toward her. I blessed myself, and she did the same." She lowered her voice, her eyes ran along the opposite wall.


"Last night, the same happened, her evil touched me, and I pushed toward it. It is like walking through a thick fog, Jashen, toward a wicked voice that I'm unsure I am even hearing. And I keep walking, farther from all that is familiar and safe, and closer to the uncertainty." She released a long sigh and closed her eyes, rubbing them with a shakey hand.


"And then the fog clears and I am standing in someone else's place. D'vena's place, as if I AM her. I reached up and lowered my hood, and then I walked to a guard, and introduced myself." Her eyes opened to see Jashen staring in disbelief, and she shrugged, sipping her tea. "Then I was back home, and Pappa was there, and I collapsed."

His look of concern was made comical by the grin that threatened to burst from his lips. "ou introduced her to a guard?"


He wanted to let out a whoop at this news. This was their first real weapon against D'Vena in all these months! Their first chance to make a strike against her.


"Tell me you could do it again, if she were somehow distracted after a contact with you. Could you?" He knew the distraction he could go for, if Azi were game for it. By God, she was a Woman! All silk and satin outside, with a core of steel! So much like Auntie Mir, and he hoped like his own mother. She was inspirational even!

 

-----signature-----

Azi smiled at Jashen's excitement. It was the same way she'd felt when she first realized her ability to control D'vena, that hag. Inwardly, though, she was terrified. Yes, she could do it again, yes she wanted to do it. But even now, almost a day since her previous try, she was so exhausted. And those thing she'd made D'vena do were such small gestures. It would drain her so much more to do anything else, especially so soon. But she knew as well as he did it was the only way.


"I can do it again," her confidence masking her exhaustion, "Whatever you ask, Jashen, say the word and I shall do what I can."

Jashen swallowed hard at her words. He could feel the sudden beads of sweat between his shoulder blades and a weakness about his knees. The absolute trust not just in her statement but in her tone was like a knife. He knew what his plan would entail for risks physically, but ethereally, he had no idea. What if it were too much on Azi? Or Crispian?


He nodded once, curtly. "If you think you can, then we should try to get the players all together. And we might even be able to use Arcalan as well." He picked up the tankard and prayed Azi did not notice the slight tremor in his hand as he drained it off. "There will be work to do before hand though. Do you feel safe being out here, Azi? I need to know if you have any doubts as to your own control of you."

 

-----signature-----