In Which Two Friends Meet a Foxy Adept

[Léandre de Guivre]

It seemed that my new acquaintance's experience at Kushiel's temple had tired him out, which was understandable, after a fashion.

"Well then, if you would care to dine, the Artisan's District has plenty of venues, and The Generous Patron is a mere stone's throw away once you enter the district," I replied. "Stay here, and I will call for a carriage."

An exchange of coin and a few hasty negotiations later and I managed to procure the use of a black beast of a vehicle pulled by horses of the same shade. Lovely. Well, if it was the best the Temple had to offer, it would not behoove me to complain about it.

It was not a long ride to the Artisan's District, but I did not bother to hide my relief when we were finally deposited. I did not like the way a carriage jostled about as it went along. Even as a child, I had acquired an irrational fear that the carriage would tip over and I would be crushed beneath it, and, although I was loathed to admit it, a certain uneasiness prevailed whenever I rode in one.

"Well, here we are, friend," I said, making a cursory glance of the area. "Shall we take a walk and see if any of our fine establishments catches your eye?"

[Asfandiyar Azarkevanejad]

"It's very kind of you indeed to indulge my sudden whims, my friend," I said to Leandre, stepping down from the dark carriage. A little funereal but no less elegant. I had to unfold like a serpent from under the low doorjamb to avoid entangling myself. "I'm afraid I am a bit of a burdensome acquaintance!"

I suppose the black carriage with its sleek black steeds would have been rather striking from a curious onlooker's perspective, considering the dark garb and hair of both my companion and I. Not to mention Navid, who leaped free as though he couldn't possibly bear another moment of the swaying of the cab. I thought perhaps both Navid and Leandre cultivated the same ever so slightly disturbed expression.

Looking out over the familiar square, I immediately picked out the façade of a café I had been meaning to investigate since my arrival. "How do you feel about something light, refigh? I have never been capable of handling heavy meals… and I am somewhat of a connoisseur of teas. This 'Cachette' caught my eye the evening I arrived, but I have not yet had an opportunity to dine there." My accent was still intrusive around these soft D'Angeline syllables, but I did enjoy saying their words.

[Landis d'Ames nó Mandrake]

The day after my assignation with Olivia, I decided to head to the Artisan's District to do a little window shopping. It was a masochistic endeavor on my part, for I could not afford many of the items that caught my eye. Ah, one of the many disadvantages of being an adept over being a Lord, but I would have to wait until I was orphaned before I ever ascended to the peerage.

I was so distracted by my thoughts that I didn't notice two particularly somber gentlemen who had just stepped out of a foreboding black carriage. Well, as I was to find out, one was somber, and the other was...fascinating...

Sometimes, it seems, people have an odd habit of appearing in places where they were not present a moment ago. One moment, my path was clear, and the next it was blocked by a behemoth of a man. Well, perhaps not a behemoth, but he seemed large enough compared to my slight frame. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground and there was a dog staring down at me, yipping and wagging it's tail excitedly.

"Hello, pup," I said as I hastily regained my footing. "Excuse me, my lord--lords," I amended, looking from one to the other. "I suppose I should be watching the horizon instead of my feet..."

[Léandre de Guivre]

I was about to reply to my companion's suggestion when a young man ran into me. I instinctively pushed him backwards and the slight thing fell to the ground.

Between one moment and the next, he had righted himself with the characteristic grace of one who had been born and bred in the Night Court. Was he an adept, then? Oh, excellent, it seemed I could not escape the influence of the Night Court no matter how hard I tried.

"You would do well to follow your own advice, Messire," I replied, a little too coldly, perhaps, but it was his own damned fault for running into me.

[Asfandiyar Azarkevanejad]

"Lean…" I managed to push out, reaching out a long hand, but it was too late, and they collided with force. "…dre. Oh dear." Leandre, clearly more from reflex than intent, planted his firm hands into the slighter man's chest and gave a shove, and it ended with a tumble of limbs. Navid went in barking, finding this a lovely game.

This was a day of strange interruptions, it seemed. My companion was perturbed at the accident but I knew it for what it was. Neither had been watching their paths. I rapidly moved by Leandre, laying a hand over his shoulder to offer a calming touch as I passed. I crouched in a flurry of dark curls next to the fallen one, my eyes travelling over his elegant frame to check for damage. He seemed in one peice, for he stood rapidly, rebounding like a cat with lithe movement.

"Bebakhshid, my lord," I breathed, gently stilling my dog's enthusiastic pouncing. It needed little - I had always seemed to be able to command animals easily without speaking. But Navid's tail wagged powerfully still. I unfurled again to my full height, pursing my brow. "Are you harmed?"

It was then that my eyes found his hair, the colour of the most undiluted of sandalwood embers. I had never seen hair this colour in person until this very moment. I tried not to be dazzled by it at such an awkward juncture, and looked back to Leandre with concern. "Refigh, are you sound as well?"

[Landis d'Ames nó Mandrake]

The one I had collided with responded with an unexpected coldness to my apology, as if I had robbed him but a few moments ago. It was passing strange, as he appeared unhurt and only slightly inconvenienced, but it was not my purview to know what was going through the minds of passers-by.

Now, the other man was interesting. He said a few words in a tongue that I did not recognize, but his D'Angeline, though accented, was impeccable, as far as I could tell. He seemed quite taken with my hair, and I responded to this by casually running a hand through my locks and letting the strands fall, rippling like a river of fire.

He turned to his companion, then, asking whether he was well, and I heard a muttered "Fine," in response. He was watching me carefully, his eyes were intense, and his features were pleasing enough, but there was anger there, and I suspected that not all of it was directed at me.

[Léandre de Guivre]

"I am fine," I muttered in response to his question. But I would feel far better if this man went on his way. I had noticed the gesture that he had made in response to 'Fand's gawking, and I was sure my displeasure showed on my face.

[Asfandiyar Azarkevanejad]

A ripple of tension flickered between my friend and this flame-haired man. It was very clear that Leandre did not approve of him, collision or not. Why he should feel so, I did not understand; in fact the man seemed positively congenial, his self-effacing apology and spry rebound quite fetching. He had even addressed my dog in the tangle, which is much more than one expects when one's pet is darting about in an unruly fashion.

I didn't know quite what to say, however, as Leandre seemed to bristle with indignation. Perhaps this stranger had wronged Leandre in the past, or something of that nature, and I did not want to end up disrespectful where I might only wish to heal the rift. Perhaps, I thought, there might even be a cultural insult lying dormant here, one that I did not as yet understand.

I stood between the two and to the side, Navid leaning on my leg. I put my spindly hand over my heart and bowed a little from the waist to the red-haired one, resolving to try to succor them both politely.

"What an unfortunate accident; I hope we have not caused any indignity. But I am glad both of you are unhurt."

[Landis d'Ames nó Mandrake]

Oh my, this one was polite, moreso than most peers were to adepts.

"Well met," I murmured, extending my hand to the one who was not glaring daggers in my direction. "My name is Landis d'Ames, adept of Mandrake House."

[Léandre de Guivre]

Ha! So my guess had been accurate after all. This man was an adept of the Night Court, and quite a forward one as well, although, I expected nothing less from a whore, and the adepts of Mandrake House were easily the most arrogant of the arrogant.

Well, I certainly was not going to leave my friend to be ensnared by a whore, even a reputable one in the employ of the Night Court.

"Mandrake House deals in the sharper pleasures," I explained helpfully, glancing at my new friend to see his reaction. "Too sharp for my tastes, actually."

[Asfandiyar Azarkevanejad]

Ah, so therein lay Leandre's unfavourable regard. This one belonged to the mysterious Night Court which Leandre so scorned, and was one of Terre D'Ange's holy seducers. Hearing this, I appraised Landis' bearing, his attractive features, as though looking for some mark on him of his calling. All I could see was his blazing mane of hair, his virulent eyes. I looked to try to see some blemish that might betray exactly why Leandre was so wary of these adepts, but could find only beauty, symmetry, and my own inquisitiveness reflected back at me. I could not deny, I wanted to spend time with this man.

Nevermind that he was from House Mandrake. 'Sharper pleasures', Leandre said, and I felt a thumping in my temples - the momentary galloping of my heart. It was as though yazata Kushiel refused to leave me be today.

I could not ignore my inclinations for Leandre's sake, no matter his disapproval. I enjoyed Leandre's company deeply and of all people, hoped he would understand that I came to this city to learn, and that required accepting all people who would -literally- stumble into my path. But I would try, both for Leandre's sake and my own, not to show my eagerness in this specific case. I put out my hand to Landis, enfolding it in my spindly, cool grip.

"Asfandiyar Azarkevanejad," I said, bowing my head low. My hair slid over my shoulder in a sinuous dark length as I righted myself. "I only recently arrived in your fair city. Refigh Leandre has been my first friend amongst D'Angeline's… I can only hope to say the same of you some day, Aghaye Landis."

[Landis d'Ames nó Mandrake]

I smiled. "In that case, welcome to the City of Elua, the jewel in Terre d'Ange's crown, so to speak." He was beautiful, not merely handsome. I could only imagine what it would be like to run my hands through his hair, so dark and lustrous. His hand was cool in mine, and smooth, but he had a strong grip.

"I do not understand some of the words you are using," I admitted. "But they sound lovely, so I will assume that they are complimentary, especially since your companion does not seem bothered by them." I glanced at the other man--Leandre--he had called him. "Messire, I am hardly going to pounce on you and ravish you in the middle of the road. Come now, try to relax..."

[Léandre de Guivre]

Hmph, it was all well and good for someone like him to tell someone like me to relax. Selwyn had said much the same thing to me, and I was still disinclined to take their advice.
I turned to address my companion. "I will be at Armands book store," I said, gesturing towards the aforementioned establishment. "It is just up the road there, should you need to find me." I did not have to add that I would be watching to make sure that nothing was attempted that would make my new friend uncomfortable, that was evident from my tone of voice, I hoped.

I inclined my head to the adept, the bare minimum gesture that politeness required. "A pleasure to meet you, Messire," I said before turning away and walking in the direction of the book shop.

Sometimes, one required the sort of companionship that only a book could provide.

[Asfandiyar Azarkevanejad]

Leandre was brusquely striding down the cobbled street before I could even compass what exactly was happening. "Alright, Refigh, but…" I trailed off when I realized that the back of him was too far off to hear me rightly. I pushed my hand into my hair and scratched my head embarrassedly as I turned back to Landis.

"Hm. It seems Leandre has more pressing things to attend to," I stammered, hoping to apologize with my tone. "Ah, yes… my mother tongue slips through frequently. I shall have to beg your patience with me. I've only been here in the City of Elua for a short time and have not quite excised my ingrained habits." I was acutely aware again of my accent, full of its soft edges and purring consonants.

I eyed Landis over again, given the opportunity without an attendant scornful onlooker. Nearly of a height with myself, which afforded me an excellent view of bewitching eyes the colour of Menekhetan faience, he was slim though not as delicate of limb as I. His bearing was dapper, less weighted by the seriousness of my companion Leandre. It felt as though a breeze blew about inside his body, clean and cool. I could not see the taint that Leandre seemed to attribute to adepts. Indeed Landis surprized even me, who had expected a darker sort of being. Perhaps it had just been Leandre's thoughts nudging up against my own malleable ideas.

I met his bright gaze with my own indigo stare, and something in me mysteriously reached toward him in some kind of pale hope. It startled me a little for I knew not from where it came, and I pushed the prophetic feeling away with words. "I will admit that this was a rather unconventional means to an introduction. I hope my friend and I did not interrupt any of your own important business."

[Landis d'Ames nó Mandrake]

I waved my hand dismissively. "My business is whatever I make my business, Messire." I smiled. "I do not have the best grasp of other languages, but am of the opinion that a tongue such as yours should be spoken often. It seems an insult to your forefathers that such lyrical words should be kept to oneself." Even his eyes were intriguing, a strange indigo color, darker even than House L'Envers.

"Well, I suppose now would be a good time to ask about your impressions of the City thus far? I do hope my countrymen have been courteous. I am afraid we D'Angelines often think that Terre d'Ange is the whole world and foreigners fall from the sky when it's overcast." I grinned wickedly. "Come, shall we take a short walk up the road? I am sure as long as we stay within your friend's sight he will not swoop down upon me like an overeager gyrfalcon."

[Asfandiyar Azarkevanejad]

I smiled at his comment about foreigners, his eagerness to be self-effacing charmed me. "Your city is beautiful," I complimented with quiet awe. "And it's people have been pleasant to me, though I have not formally made the acquaintance of anyone besides a few merchants, Aghaye Leandre and yourself. I do not think the people of Elua's city are much accustomed to my kind, though."

"Yes, I think I would enjoy a walk. The day is lovely. And taking some more fresh air would be amenable to me; before our abrupt meeting, Leandre and I had just arrived from the temple district. My lungs are still cloudy." Along with my head, my heart. I looked up the road, casting a glance at the bookstore into which Leandre had disappeared, then craned my head down toward my dog fondly, stroking his forehead. "I wonder what it is Aghaye Leandre thinks this venerable adept will do to me?" I asked Navid playfully, before flicking my eyes to Landis' with a sidelong smirk.

[Landis d'Ames nó Mandrake]

I grinned. "Well, he probably thinks me to be sex-crazed, it is not a common perception regarding adepts, but it does exist." I shrugged. "Ours is a sacred calling, whatever anyone else may think, we adepts serve Naamah first, and our own desires are secondary--to a point." Each of us paid our debt to our House, and only when that debt was paid could I take lovers as I wished. Only then could I fulfill my own desires.

"Tell me, which illustrious nation do I have to credit for producing such polite citizenry?" I asked as we passed the bookshop and I caught a glimpse of Leandre with his nose in a book. "We had better turn around before your friend loses sight of us."

[Asfandiyar Azarkevanejad]

A rebellious shade possessed me then as we meandered innocently past the bookstore. "To be frank, I am a little curious to see what Aghaye Leandre would do if indeed we DID fall out of sight. I'll admit I was a little taken aback that he should seem so protective of a foreigner he hardly knows." I chuckled a little, but my deviant thoughts were appeased in the thinking, so I turned around anyway. There was no need to provoke my new friend's anger, nor his scorn.

"Somehow, though, I do not sense that you are as much a dangerous predator as my friend makes you out to be, Aghaye Landis." I smiled at him softly and folded my thin arms behind my back as we strolled. "I do believe completely that your kind are flowing with the winds of your gods. I have made the acquaintance of one of them, and I daresay he must not suffer those who ignore his commands.

But it is true, unfortunately, that one hears much derogatory talk outside of Terre D'Ange, regarding your calling. I found it best to remain outside of opinion until I saw this form of worship for myself. But D'Angeline adepts are something of a titillating legend on the caravanserai. I travelled many miles with them to reach this place and overheard much talk.

I myself am a citizen of Darsanga, in my homeland of Drujan. My people do not have such taboos regarding sexuality or forms of worship as say, the Umaiyyati with whom I travelled, or the Bhodistani and Ch'in who have visited my homeland since its reopening." My voice fell soft, after a brief pause. "It is often shocking to see what predjudices fill the heads of man at the behest of his priests. Is it difficult to know outsiders think ill of your sacred office?"

[Landis d'Ames nó Mandrake]

"No," I answered after a moment of thought. "My own brother is a member of the Cassiline Brotherhood, and they scorn the adepts of the Night Court as a whole. I do not think I could bear my little brother's scorn--were he so inclined to think ill of anyone--if I cared for the opinions of others." I shrugged. "The pleasures that Mandrake House offers are not for everyone. To give yourself wholly to another is not an experience that many D'Angelines would relish, never mind foreigners."

I kept my gaze on his. He had such strange eyes, such a beautiful color. "I know of Drujan only what is written in the great cycles of our poets, but, tell me, are you familiar with the dance of pleasure and pain?" There was something about him, something familiar that I could not fathom as of yet.

[Asfandiyar Azarkevanejad]

I nodded sadly at his mention of his brother. How terrible to have someone with whom one shared a womb, shared a life, and was always meant to be at your back, disapprove of a vocation over which one had no control. One is born to one's destiny, regardless of its consequences. No one understood this better than I. Though, I was blessed with no siblings, nor cogent family members to disapprove of my actions. I thought of my mother, and who she should have been, the sons she should have had, if the destiny to which she and I were born had not intervened.

"I do not think I would be so strong as you, if I had family to worry over my fate," I smiled at him, trying to maintain a light conviviality.

"This Mandrake house which is your home… it is as though voices lower secretly whenever I hear its name! If what Mandrake really offers is the opportunity to give over completely to another, I should say it is a beautiful and exalted place, not a place to be spoken of in tones of trepidation. To trust a person so deeply… I think that is the goal of all relationships, whether or not it is ever reached. And as an adept of Mandrake, you yourself are the architect of such trust. That is admirable and respectable." I looked him full in his glowing eyes, hoping my honesty would communicate past those mineral-verdant depths.

"But then, I am not like most foreigners, I think; least of all in my feelings." I smiled conspiratorially, laughing at myself. My eyes crinkled a little at the edges with it. But as he asked about this dance… I turned my eyes downward, long dark eyelashes brushing my cheekbones. I could feel heat rising into my pale skin, and my coy smile turned to one of modest chagrin. To be asked so directly… by one such as he.

"I cannot lie to an adept of your art," I began, my voice dusky, bashful. "I believe you would understand when I tell you 'yes'. But perhaps I have not 'danced' in the manner to which you and your house are accustomed."

[Landis d'Ames nó Mandrake]

I searched his gaze, trying to divine the meaning of his last statement. Finally, I nodded. "The first lesson an adept of Mandrake House learns is that of trust. The patron must learn to trust us, it is true, but we must learn to trust our instincts, to know when someone has had enough, to respond to the body's cry of 'Yes, yes' when the patron might be saying the opposite."

I stroked my chin thoughtfully. "Some patrons simply enjoy a little humiliation, a little spice in the bland stew of life and nothing more, but for others, the experience can be...transcendent..." I gave him a small bow. "I thank you for your compliments. We are given our due as one of the Thirteen Houses, but sometimes it is not a view that is reflected back at us. I'd wager Valerian has it worse, though." I shook my head, smiling wryly. "Some assume that those who enjoy pain are weak, but anyone who has spent a significant amount of time around a Valerian adept knows otherwise..."

[Asfandiyar Azarkevanejad]

My heart thumped a little at this comment. 'Weaker than you realize…' I thought to myself. The words slithered through my mind like demons intruding: Daeva-spawn, child of Akatash, nadorost - mistake. They had a rhythm about them, a lulling beat that often led my arm. I trembled momentarily as though the lash were ripping my flesh even now.

Quietly I wondered what it might be like to openly respond to that cry of 'yes' within myself. I wondered if it made me an even darker, more aberrant creature to want that freedom. But I must remain between Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu, must I not? I must struggle in the centre if I was to do what duty was given me. I pushed the vision of only 'yes', its beatific feeling, away.

I took a breath that went into my chest more loudly than it should have, and turned my eyes back to Landis, forcing my face to maintain a calm expression. "So then… I am to understand that Valerian House is the other side of the mirror of Mandrake House? Thirteen different houses… I suppose that equates to thirteen different styles of ingress. I am intrigued that your people acknowledge so many forms of delight when others only shut doors on them. Love is a complex machine, is it not?"

[Landis d'Ames nó Mandrake]

I shrugged. "Blessed Elua said 'Love as thou wilt' and there are many ways to express love. Some prefer to bed someone for the pleasure it brings, others prefer their partners be modest, like a virgin on their wedding night, for some, love is the greatest healer. We D'Angelines have turned love into an art form."

I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye and turned to see that my companion's somber friend had exited the bookshop and was coming towards us. "Ah, but the Night Court is something to be experienced, friend. Even if all you do in the end is take a stroll around Mont Nuit, there is no shame in choosing not to participate in the more carnal pleasures."

[Asfandiyar Azarkevanejad]

"I do not know much of love, even less of its pleasures. I fear that your artistry might be wasted on me!" I smiled self-effacingly and gave a little laugh. I brushed errant hair behind my ear, releasing a light draft of myrrh perfume. "Though I will, nonetheless, make every effort to visit... Mont Nuit, you call it? Perhaps I might learn something there."

I followed Landis' eyes to the bookshop, and watched Leandre emerge, his gait stiff. I touched Landis' arm lightly, conspiratorially, and leaned into his bodily sphere. "Do you think he will be shocked that I did not come dashing after him, in terror for my life?" I grinned playfully and straightened as Leandre approached.

[Landis d'Ames nó Mandrake]

I chuckled softly. "To be honest, no, he seems like a sensible man, if a tad prejudiced. As for my art, it is wasted on no one. If you feel that you must pay a visit to Mandrake House, it will be because you feel the need to do so."

I took a couple of steps away from him as Leandre approached. "It seems I must bid you good day, Messire. Naamah's blessings upon you." I gave a small bow to both of them and then withdrew, heading in the direction of Mont Nuit.

[Léandre de Guivre]

As I approached my companion the adept withdrew, bowing hastily before no doubt setting his sights on greener pastures.

"I trust your little chat was educational?" I asked, watching the man's head of red hair until it faded from sight. "Did he make you feel uncomfortable at all?"

[Asfandiyar Azarkevanejad]

"It was lovely to make your acquaintance, Aghaye Landis," I returned. "I will think on it." He turned gracefully and moved up the road, back upon his way. His flame-red hair glistened in the bright sun as it swayed.

Certainly, I would visit this Mont Nuit. How could I not? It was the centre of all D'Angeline belief, the actuation of all its worship and all its fondest longings. What happened when I got there, I would leave to fate. Though, I did not think that I could decide about such a thing as Mandrake House, not with my head at least. But I couldn't help but recall the thrumming of yazata Kushiel's brazen voice in my chest, and wondered if this wasn't the sign he meant to communicate to me. Could I trust this foreign spirit with the troubles of my secret life? Perhaps he meant to deceive me, an agent of druj. The strange ...want... that coursed through me as I watched Landis' lithe back vanish amongst the crowds made me wary.

I shook off those thoughts and turned back to Leandre with a soft smile. "I missed your company, refigh. Did you find a book that pleased you?"

[Léandre de Guivre]

I nodded. "As they say in Siovale: 'All knowledge is worth having,' and I have not yet read all the books that the shop stocks. That is the problem of mortality, I suppose, no matter how many hours one spends reading, they will never be able to read all the books in the world." I sighed. "Well, I suppose all knowledge is worth having, but not all knowledge is interesting." I took a deep breath, inhaling the musty odor of the leather binding of the few books I carried.

[Asfandiyar Azarkevanejad]

"Your countrymen are truly wise when they share that motto," I returned, unable to suppress the thoughts of knowledge I might gain through venturing up to Mont Nuit. I wondered if there would be knowledge of myself in that place that I did not wish to have.

"Though I sometimes prefer the knowledge of experience to that of literature. When I come to understand D'Angeline letters, I'm sure I'll indulge in that as well. I've read much of foreign philosophy in my home city and miss the stimulation when I must go without." I smiled sweetly and aimed a languid finger at my friend's pile of books. "Is there anything interesting in those?"

[Léandre de Guivre]

I glanced down at the books and shook my head. "Nothing so deep as philosophy; collections of stories told to children in Hellene, songs sung by farmers in L'Agnace to encourage the crops to grow," I shrugged. "I suppose some would call it quaint knowledge, if such a term exists..."