How to mend a broken heart - Sorrel & Silvia

Co-written with the delicate pen of wixspartan 

It is time, Sorrel decides, things changed. Kantas was supposed to be a fresh start but she doesn’t seem able to shake the drama. Falling out with Lord Jaezred, a complicated journey with Oziah, Lucan’s concern - she is losing friends and allies at a dangerous rate. At the same time Glint and Kavel are clearly concerned – their gifts speak of change and time away from the road.

All of which coincides with her instruction – Protect the High Diviner.

She has a job or two left to finish off and then, she resolves, she will move into the temple semi permanently to train, to study and to be ready for whatever threatens Selûne’s holy place.

She hopes some friends will stop by, but most of all she wants to see Silvia. And so, she sends a message to Fort Ettin and waits.

Silvia stops at the steps of the temple of Selune. It’s a pretty day, clouds gently brushing the sun, dappling the roofs of Daring Heights. The minor cleric sweeping the steps looks up as she clears her throat.

“Excuse me, I presume you could deliver a message to someone inside?” The cleric nods, only somewhat confused. “Sorrel Darkfire wished to meet me to discuss matters, but I imagine she is busy. Please inform her that this evening I intend to have dinner and she is invited to discuss matters with me there. Give her the address on this note and reassure her that she is very much not in trouble and to not eat too much before dinner. I intend to outdo myself greatly.”

She gives a soft smile, brought down only slightly by the darkness that hides in her eyes. The cleric takes the note and nods as Silvia turns and takes in Daring Heights. The air is slightly sweet, the green of new leaves complimenting the fresh crisp air. With another deep breath she heads towards the markets, she had a lot to buy..

A few hours later the sun bathes the city with an orange glow, illuminating the small kitchen of the house. She stands next to a slowly sizzling pan, bathed in the smell of fried onion and garlic. She stops halfway through cutting a carrot into thin slices, staring at her hand. The knife is not as sharp as she is used to, out of instinct she reaches out and summons her weapon to her. A clatter echoes through the kitchen as the trident unwieldly knocks over a tray.

"Shit, forgot about that..." she mutters, quickly dismissing the shadowy trident. She then remembers Delilah's advice and pulls the wickedly sharp knife out of her boot and stabs it down into the chopping board before tightening her apron and putting the tray back in its place. Funny really, she never could have imagined being a chef, but her newfound love of cooking seemed to have found good place in her hands that seemed to be able to cook almost everything that came to her mind.

She cuts the final carrot with a bit too much force, causing a small drop of blood to drip from her finger onto the board. She sighs. It’s a meal for her girlfriend not a life-or-death battle. She needs to relax.

Going over to the small copper sink she begins to scrub at the board, trying to get the stain out. She watches as the water turns a faint shade of pink, her eyes glazing over.

She thinks about everything going on, the adventures, Kurtz, Delilah and Oziah, Sorrel. She catches herself just as the onions are on the brink of burning, rushes over and takes them off the metal stove. The small fire needs refuelling, the carrots need to go into the pot, Kurtz needs aid breaking a contract with a lord of Hell, Sorrel needs.. something.

She doesn't know what Sorrel needs. She thought she had already helped her but perhaps not enough. For now, what Sorrel needs is a meal. An hour later the rustic smell of stew permeates the small house along with the soft voice of Silvia reciting one of many folk songs she could still remember. Any second now Sorrel should be here, and they will have a proper dinner together, just once.

Sorrel makes her way through the city's inexplicably complicated streets doing her best to remember the first rule of Daring Heights - when choosing the route, rule out the impossible. Whatever's left, however improbable, must be the route.

She feels her shoulders easing in the evening sun. The Temple has been more drama than she expected - once a place of calm and reflection, it's gradually becoming a loose collection of stressful conversations and low level doomthreat.

She realises how much she is looking forward to seeing Silvia and she clutches her note gratefully as she weaves through the early evening flurry of market traders, guard shift changes and bemused travellers on the edge of panic as they try to make sense of the layout.

She reaches the address and looks surprised. She had assumed this would be an inn or bistro. It looks like a private house. Tentatively, she knocks.

Silvia's voice is muffled through the door "Three seconds! Just need to put a lid on something." Seven seconds later the door opens to Silvia standing, wiping her hands on her apron. Without a word she practically leaps towards Sorrel and hugs her.

Sorrel wraps her arms around Silvia and inhales the scent of her. As far as she is concerned, the world can stop now and leave them here forever.

It's a good long moment before either of them realise where they are. Silvia squeezes tightly for a second and then moves back. "Ahem, good to see you then. Come in come in, I've made dinner."

The smell is stronger inside, onions, garlic, bay leaves, it's a good smell. Sorrel looks round the small, sparsely decorated home - and it is a home, she realises - with a small table set out neatly with bowls and cutlery. Her heart almost breaks at the hope it contains.

"Is this yours?" she has a hint of wonder in her voice.

“Yep! Recently in fact.”

Silvia comes out of the kitchen bearing a perhaps overly generous pot of delicious smelling stew. “The recipe said for 3 people but with how little you let yourself eat you must be starving so I made you extra. Plus I’m the only person living here and wanted an excuse to break out the large pot before it had to go away for an extended period of time. It’s onion, potato and carrot stew with garlic and bay leaves.”

“Thank you Jaezred for that particular book..” She mumbles under her breath before continuing. “Anyway, serve yourself you’re a big girl I’m going to go fetch the bread I got from the bakery earlier. Also, um, I love you Sorrel.”

She makes eye contact for the first time this evening, blushes, and runs off to the kitchen muttering about needing to soften butter as well as fetching the bread.

"I should hope so," Sorrel raises her voice slightly to reach Silvia in the kitchen, the drops as she considers. "I think that was some of my finest work the other night."

She stands, feeling a little less awkward than she usually does in domestic settings but still uncertain where to sit, what to do with her weapons, whether to take her boots off, what to do with all the weapons in her boots and if she should ask about the local schools or whatever people do in houses.

"Why did you buy a house?" she settles for pulling back one of the wooden chairs and lowering herself into it. She was taught how to function at a banquet in Infiltration and Assassination classes, but still sits like a soldier, turning the chair so her back faces the wall and she can see the front door and the kitchen door. It's all unconscious, but she notices when she's settled. "Remember," she admonishes herself. "Less Sorrel, more nice."

Silvia comes back with a cutting board complete with bread, knife and small butter tray and places all of them down near the pot and sighs. “Because Sorrel. I have spent eight years almost on the run, my job almost gets me killed regularly, I am bound to, and strangely still want to fight for, a shadow dragon, Delilah insists on teaching me how to kill more efficiently and I am scared of how quick I’m picking it up and all of that I would like to be able to forget as I wake up in my own bed and house and walk to the markets with no greater concern than making sure I pick up enough beef for the pie I have to make in the afternoon.”

“…plus it means I can live close to the temple without having to live out of a temporary tavern room. Now please serve yourself some stew I put effort into it and it’s damn good if I do say so myself. Even the Lord Jaezred has somewhat approved of my cooking, and you know his standards..”

Sorrel gives a wry smile at Lord Jaezred's name and serves up, Silvia's plate first then hers. She leans down and rummages in her backpack, pulling out a bottle of Elverquisst - the ruby coloured Elven red distilled from sunshine and rare summer fruits - and pours them both a generous glass.

She raises hers in a toast. "To your new home," she smiles as she watches Silvia's delicate face set perfectly against the simple decor.

Silvia sits and grabs the glass. "Classy.. Alright a toast then."

She raises her glass to clink against Sorrel's and takes a deep sip

Sorrel sets her glass down and, under her breath, mutters a brief thank you to Selûne - for the food and the peace and Silvia and her happiness. She remembers her formal dining training and eschews the 'shovel it down with a spoon' approach to eating that's dominated her mealtimes recently. The first mouthful seems to drift apart on her tongue, as if it was mother’s milk, and for a moment her nerves are fully focussed on the sensations spreading through her taste buds.

As her eyes focus again, she sees Silvia watching her. "It's good," she says, almost stupefied with pleasure. "It's really good."

Silvia smirks. "You look surprised, turns out I can in fact cook. Cook well actually."

“No, it’s not your skills I’m surprised at,” Sorrel leans forward earnestly. “I’ve had about ten meals in my life where the first bit shuts me down so it’s rare on that kind of level. My surprise is existential rather than personal. Where did you learn to cook like this?”

"It turns out that this small town blacksmith's daughter was destined for different things than killing and stealing scrolls from archdevils. It's a hidden talent I guess, although Lord Jaezred was the one to start me on the path."

She takes another sip. "This stuff is good, where did you get it?"

“I’ve had it for a while,” Sorrel takes another mouthful and pauses before replying. “I spent some time on a job in a castle and it left with me.” She smiles. “I’ve been saving it for a special occasion. Although I hadn’t expected it to be this special. Big few months for you Silvia. I have the bare bones but what have you been up to? Plus, I have some eating to do, and it turns out my mouth needs to pay attention to the food and can’t do anything else.”

Silvia chuckles before putting her spoon down and cracking her knuckles. "So. To begin with it's been a lot of missing you because, you know, feelings. In terms of actual events though? Well, I have further spoken with my patron Kurtz and discovered he seems to have a contract in place with Glasya, I presume you are familiar with both parties there. I'm not entirely sure how our side means to progress but I know the common theme seems to be the acquisition and destruction of the contract. When I say "our side" I am mainly here talking about Me, Delilah and Oziah with Lord Jaezred, Veridian and Father Cai in various levels of support. Recently I was summoned to talk to Kurtz although it turned out to be a trap to put me in danger and lure Kurtz into danger, so that was fun." She takes another sip. "Other than that, I took out a loan for this house, I have been attempting to befriend a small fox I found in an attempt to feel a little less lonely than average. I've been trying to keep busy with other things and jobs."

"Oh, and I forgot to mention I tried on a cloak that allowed me to turn into a hellhound... and then proceeded to mess with my mind and not let me turn back or give the cloak away once I was forcibly reverted."

Sorrel remembers Silvia telling the hellhound cloak story the first time round. It chilled her heart then and it chills it now. She doesn’t want to lose this one just when she starts to shed her own cloak of commitmentphobia.

“So, that is… well, it’s…. I mean it’s been a risky time. And, as it turns out, you have this amazing skill at cooking and premises,” Sorrel waves her hand around airily. “Have you thought maybe avoid the danger and run a restaurant? I mean, this is some aassimar level stew. And I have some money set aside to help set up. And you’d be much safer.”

Silvia stands up, reaching her hand out and in one motion launching a shadowy trident into bundle of garlic hanging from the kitchen ceiling, pinning it to a wall.

"Constantly thought about it yes, and I've almost tried to do it multiple times but. I don't know Sorrel I just can't turn down abilities like this, what if I could be helping people? Serving a higher purpose? Becoming one of the best at what I do? I've committed so much of myself to my job, my pact, I can't just give it up now can I?"

She sits back down and dismisses the trident with a flick of the wrist. "Maybe you're right though, a restaurant job could be better, safer, more fulfilling. After all, recent missions have just made me feel like a liability and I'm dreading turning up to the meeting Delilah has called because invariably I'm going to put myself forward for a dangerous mission in which all I'll do is slow shit down and cause people to lose focus on objectives because they're too busy being idiots and making sure I don't die over getting the actual mission done."

She leans back and stares at the ceiling. "Six months ago I couldn't have imagined any of this. Kurtz and everything going on there, having my own house, almost dying multiple times, fighting demons, bandits and shit tons else." She looks back down at Sorrel with a loving look. "And you, gods I could have never imagined even being considered by someone as beautiful as you, let alone everything else that's occurred."

Sorrel bursts out laughing. “Until you said the beautiful thing I was with you all the way,” she reaches her hand out towards Silvia. “I am ill formed but you are beautiful to the bone Silvia. I don’t know if you would help people more by fighting or feeding them. The world will always need a good cook but warriors can become increasingly inconvenient. And having seen you face death then prepare me a meal you seem far happier with the feeding. You’re an unusual person - you are driven by others happiness. It’s enviable and beautiful. But I don’t think your choice is my business beyond saying I will support you and love you whatever you do. Or at least as long as you want me to.”

Silvia takes her hand and laughs sadly. “Sorrel I was hoping you’d make the decision for me, not support both paths. But thank you, and I will always want you to love me. Now.” She leans back. “I would like to enjoy some soup and you need to slow down before you give yourself hiccups so go on, how’ve your months been?”

Sorrel’s eyes stop focussing on the curve of Sylvia’s cheek and for a second there’s darkness and fire in her gaze. “No rest for the wicked so only the goddess knows what evil I have done,” she says quietly. “I don’t think I told you about the vision I had a year ago. Long story short, I think Selune charged me with protecting the High Diviner, the big cheese at the temple. There’s trouble…” she shakes her head.

“There is war and horror brewing. I don’t need to describe how the despoiled bodies on ransacked villages look. The twisted limbs and glistening of eviscerated organs. We found a priest who’s guts we’re torn out by fiends. Strange symbols and ancient prophecies. The swirling rumour of war. I used to follow it and now it comes to me. I’ve never been afraid of it before. But then I’ve not really had anything to lose before. Now I have two things - the priest and you.” She looks down at her weapons. “I don’t know how well prepared I am, but I am at the temple now until the wave breaks. I need to take time away from the road to think. I came to Kantas fleeing things but seem to have inadvertently bought myself with me and I keep… I think I need to stop creating problems and protect the things I value.”

Silvia's already dark eyes dim. "Sorrel Darkfire off the road, relaxing. And that's going to definitely happen? What's not going to happen is you're not going to spend long stretches of time by yourself watching over the things you care about, thinking about everything that could go wrong, keeping yourself on edge because you "need to be ready". Sorrel you're a human being, sort of, you deserve to be able to actually relax as much as I do. And if that means chasing goblins and exploring dungeons than you should do that. You're just one person, a powerful, beautiful person true, but just one. Hells just tell me what I can do to help and I will, after all there's a reason I made sure I had a house near the temple so I could come and visit you when you needed me and that you could have a safe, comfortable bed where you don't have to keep one eye open because you're on a job."

“Are we having a protect off?” Sorrel smiles.

Silvia smirks with a mouthful of bread before swallowing. “Sorrel that’s exactly what we’re doing except this time I’m winning. I made sure to get a bedroom with a skylight. You know how few small houses around here have that?”

"And the skylight is so...?"

“Moonlight”

"So, just to clarify… there's the temple just there, and a house with Silvia and moonlight just here... I'm starting to think my sabbatical is pre-destined. There's just one problem."

“Oh?”

“How can I be sure there’s moonlight?”

It takes Silvia a full five seconds to get the implication. “I don’t… ah. Two more glasses of wine first, plus I made dessert and it would be wasteful to not at least try it..”

Sorrel raises an eyebrow. "Let's negotiate. How about one glass of wine down here, then one upstairs, we take the dessert and eat it there and that means you won't have any dessert plates to wash up."

“Deal. Now pour me another glass I need the courage”

Sorrel smiles as she fills their glasses and the scent of a feywild summer brush against her senses. She never would have imagined a sedentary life would seem so enticing.