JoaoRainaTeaAndGhostsJoao Raina Tea and GhostsRaina sipped her tea, but her eyes sparkled knowingly over the rim of her cup as she watched the two of them move away. Seeing Joao staying put, she decided to do the same. She glanced up at him and asked, "What happened to you and Gillian? While we were separated?" "Gillian, our host and I sought you out." Joao explained in a low voice. Every so often, his eyes flickered up to keep track of their new friend and their host-cum-friend. "That is why I am carrying this." Joao touched the spear that he had lowered when they met the wolves but had never truly relinquished. "We thought you in extreme danger. Seabhac found the location of where you had wound up in that shadow, and led us to it. It was a dangerous path, filled with temptations." Joao looked nervous for a moment. "I was nearly tempted by a vision of you, dancing." Raina's green eyes widened in alarm as he spoke. Joao dared to put a reassuring hand on Raina's shoulder as he continued. "We finally found the barrow. He." Joao capitalized the name "helped me get it open, although I don't think our host and Gillian realized just how I did it. They created the spear for me, though. They are not trained for War and Combat." "And then we found you." Joao said. He paused a moment, gulped slightly and then continued. "What happened with,,,Her?" He carefully did not name her but the capitalization was palpable "You wanted to tell me more." Joao urged. Raina nodded eagerly. "She helped me. I came up in the water and when I came to shore, I was in... that place. Those wolves showed up and I... did things. Spells. That I didn't think I knew how to do, but they worked. "Spells" Joao breathed, and then let Raina speak on. "And then I... well, I don't know _how_ I managed it exactly," she continued, her voice still low but faster and more excited as she went on. "It was like I was playing a role in a production. The wolves knew her. They called her Princess Sand! I used her... I mean, what I know about her, to play the part. And they left me alone. Wait. That's not exactly right. They worshipped me. Er, Her." "Now you know who *she* is." Joao said, his voice carrying a bit of wonder...and fear. "Its certain, since the Wolves recognized Her in you." "Yes!" Raina gushed with excitement. "I promised her I would find out and I did." The fearful twinge in Joao's voice finally connected and Raina paused, concerned. "What's wrong?" "I was afraid to tell you before now." Joao said softly. "I never told you the whole story of what happened at House Karm the night of the exhibition." Joao gulped, glanced at Gillian and Seabhac and then turned to Raina. "I met someone else who can see in that Hour as we do. Rusalka. Rusalka Cardovan." "Rusalka?! She...?" Raina blurted, then stilled herself by biting her lip. "We figured out who Rusalka is tied to...and Named her during the Dark Hour." Joao said. "She manifested, not just in a mirror or a voice in the head." Joao paused, as if reluctant or ashamed to continue. "What happened?" Raina asked urgently, touching Joao's hand in support. Joao paused a moment, taking in the conversation for a second, and allowing the excuse to allow Raina's touch to linger a little longer than it might, otherwise. This was like a turgid, thousand page Rebman novel. Of course Raina knew who Rusalka Cardovan was, Joao thought. It was exactly the same sort of poor coincidence that one found in those sorts of stories. He really liked Rusalka, a lot, but his heart tugged toward Raina even more so. But the compass of his emotions spun widely, as if surrounded by a phalanx of lodestones . It was all so confusing. Joao released a deep breath. "She said she was the Darkness and Rusalka was her light. She desperately wanted a merging of sorts between the two of them. I tried to intervene and nearly had my teeth loosened for the privilege. My Voice wanted me to kill Rusalka and even managed to summon a knife for me, but I refused to do so." "Finally" Joao said. "Rusalka and her other Persona achieved an agreement, a detente. And then, like two currents, they merged, and became one." Raina had paled visibly through the telling, shocked and stunned into silence. She edged closer to Joao and took his hand in both of hers. For a moment, she just held it, knowing not what to say. "So we shouldn't name them then," she finally murmurred, her voice a mix of uncertainty, disappointment and fear. She looked up into his eyes. "Are you all right?" she asked, obviously as concerned about how this had effected him mentally as physically. "I am all right." Joao replied slowly and evenly. "What I think is to name them, probably during the Dark Hour, is to invoke them in a similar manner as Rusalka did. Not to be done casually or accidentally." "I just fear, Raina." Joao continued "just who my double might be and how powerful he might be in a blending. I fear even to *think* of possible names." |
