[sylvanSpider]

Arabella nodded, still fidgeting with the trinkets before finally placing one of them around her wrist. She would hand over the other to Kastivi after her training with the hound was complete, “I understand. Well, I don't, but I understand why at any rate.” She was determined to press the matter no further than the black mage was willing to take it and was content with any amount of information she could glean from her. Personal issues were of no concern to her, so whatever she decided to keep private was as water off a duck's back. Then she mentioned Ara becoming a dark mage. This piqued the halfling's attention and she lifted her head and raised her eyebrows, “Are you saying that to earn a reaction, or do you truly believe that I could ever become one?”

The topic of becoming a dark mage sat closer to the halfling's heart than she would ever admit out loud. As it was, she and Kastivi were two years removed from the Daughters though the latter was unaware of it. Ara had cut them off while continuing to use their name. Technically, Arabella Fairfoot's position as future leader of the Daughters of Ash had never been revoked, though none of the Daughters had so much as seen her face – some assumed her and Kastivi to be dead. So, Arabella used ravens. Lots of ravens, none to the Daughters of course, but in order to earn a living adventuring, she just went on like nothing was happening. She balanced a delicate walk, assuming the face of a Daughter to everyone but the Daughters themselves, and to them...she and Kastivi were nothing but ghosts, shells of broken potential. As far as becoming a dark mage went, Arabella had nothing to lose by learning a new trade. Honor was no longer why she fought.

Arabella had her head bowed as the conversation shifted to Dead Waltz and the same painful pin pricks on her heart began to expand. She recognized that feeling. It started with interest, interest another's physical body, seeing their outer beauty. That interest would either diminish, or as it seemed to be the case with Waltz, grow to admiration. Admiration would grow to love inevitably, and the love would be requited or not. Ara lifted her eyes to Wisp's trying to contain the little bit of hope that undoubtedly showed in her eyes, “You see it in hers as well? As a long time friend of hers, I'm more likely to take your words more seriously than anything I've seen or hoped I've seen...” She took a deep breath through her nose, exhaling slowly. “If...if I were to...to ask, persay, or maybe...start a conversation? What should I do?” The halfling was more than a little nervous as it was half a decade before she even glanced at someone in the same way she found herself accidentally doing with Waltz and the thought terrified her.

Kastivi couldn't help but laugh, clapping a hand over her mouth so her voice didn't echo back at her from the trunks of the massive trees that surrounded them, “I've got to agree. My life on the farm wasn't exactly as good as it is now.” There was truth to her words. She was ten at the time she was “tried” for being a witch, when she was tied to that stake where they were going to pierce her heart, and she remembered life before that. She could remember the hours upon hours in the burning sun, back hunched as she planted or harvested and all in the hopes that the sky would cooperate and grant a moment's respite with darkened clouds. The life she led now, the life of an adventurer suit her better so she could relate to the look of disgust that Waltz now gave.

The wizard in question now had flaming cheeks that were only partially hidden by his beard. “I thought we agreed to keep that between ourselves, Waltz?” Kastivi burst out laughing, once again clapping a hand over her mouth in amazement. “So it's true, then?”

“Yeah, laugh all you want. I'm sure you'll be laughing as you're being hunted by that hell hound,” he shook his head and turned his attention back to the more pleasant company of Wisp. “I have made it a point to not stab party members unless that party member is a traitor,” Percival said simply. “My money is that Kastivi will be caught in a faster time than Christoval is, if only because of experience.”

“Second that one!” Arabella said with a snort and a laugh.