(2024-04-10) Answers Worth Having

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Author:	Vond
Summary:	The day after the Argent visit to the Sunwell, Vond looks for Aszera at the tournament, concerned about treating the weapon properly and respecting its significance to the elves. She confides some stresses the momentary detainment raised as well, and gain encouragement to challenge the assumption that Quel'Delar would reject her as it did Lor'themar. They discuss some points of related history including some of Etone's background.
Rating:	T for Teen

It is the day after the return from Quel'danas, and Vond is walking the tournament grounds without the sword for which all the trouble had been taken, and to which additional trouble had been attracted. He is not fully armored, looking perhaps more like a warm weather clothed visitor than a crusader from a distance, but on a closer look, it's simply a padded arming doublet and other thick linen designed for gearing up additionally from, rather than a regular winter jacket.

He is keeping an eye on some sleeping tents out a ways, as if looking for signs of someone, while here and there jotting some writing into a notebook, at least the best he can with gloves on and on his feet.

Aze is passing through the tents from the opposite direction, dressed for the moment in casual dark cloth and boots and no cloak, with an Argent Crusade tabard over it all, a little incongruously. She's carrying a bag that might hint as to the location of her cloak - she's been doing laundry. Finished, now, if one were to guess as to her destination.

Vond seems to find who he has been looking for, stepping back out toward the path from where he had been lingering. He looks down at the notes in his hands, possibly realizing finally that it might look odd to be jotting things down while watching people come and go, and flips it shut while clearing his throat and tucking it nonchalantly under his arm.

"Hey, Sunstrike," he lifts his voice enough to carry slightly while moving closer at an easy pace, glancing north out over the sea cliffs. "You got a minute after you're done with that?"

"Satterly, yeah," Aze says, turning in his direction. She raises one hand to her blindfold, her other hand tightening on the neck of the bag, as she adds in a sharper tone, "Is something wrong? Did they send word of… anything from the Sunwell?"

Vond gives a quick shake of his head. "No, things have been quiet. I think Brightspear and Sunblaze are neck deep in trying to work this out, on account they both by now are dead set on getting that sword to the front. I, uh, it's safe - it's in the Confessor's tent."

"So they're focused only on the sword. That's good," Aze says, relaxing a little. "Then yeah, sure let me toss this and I'm all yours."

Aze makes her way to her own tent trailing her fingers over the others lightly as she passes. She tosses the bag carelessly inside, sealing the flap and turning to Vond. "Where to? Or my tent again?"

"There's some free bleachers not too far out, the upper training rings aren't getting a lot of crowding with everyone getting ready for the trials. Meet you there? 'Less you're too chilly." Vond nods toward the practice areas.

"Sure, I'm used to the cold by now," Aze says and then shivers, almost like she is not actually used to the cold. "I'll sort this out and meet you there."

A short time later…

It isn't long before Aze Sunstrike arrives at the indicated bleachers, now once again wearing her red-lined black cloak, though the hood is thrown back.

Vond tilts his head up in a nod when Aze makes it over, having helpfully centered himself in a small measure of faint natural cold protection from an aura more studiously mantained than usual. He closes his book again and motions to the spacious seating.

"How ya holding up?" He asks, peering through his regular glasses rather than goggles for once. "Before I get to any of the other thousand things I could ask on."

"Well enough," Aze says, moving to take a seat some 10 feet away from him. Then she hesitates, and instead rises and comes closer to sit by his side, curling the cloak around her for warmth. "Back to the usual jousting and spear-throwing and riding various animals into fake battle. Haven't injured anyone seriously. How about you, you and Quel'delar settled with each other well enough?"

The human looks mildly concerned at her initial standoffishness, perhaps nearly about to say something else, but holds that thought when she readjusts. "I, uh, that's something I was gonna ask your thoughts about. It feels strange to just carry it about here and there, but I suppose I have got to grow more accustomed to the weight and balance of it, yeah?

"Can you think of anything I ought to be careful on to avoid causing any offense? I mean… more than I already have." He pinches the bridge of his nose. The Sunwell visit certainly could have gone better.

Aze considers, resting her hands on her thighs. "I imagine you won't like the comparison, but Lana'thel probably had similar thoughts when she first got the blade. It was because he died, you know. Dawnseeker." Aze draws in a breath, and continues, "Still, she trained with it, fought with it, and no one thought that was offensive. It certainly would be now, since she's a light-damned san'layn, but it wasn't then. Treat it with respect, maybe? Don't use it for frivolous things. And be… worthy of it. Maybe that's the most important thing."

Vond nods, his face serious, and he straightens up further at her last comment, squaring his shoulders. "I - right. I do not believe I am in the habit of disrespecting my weapon nor using it frivolously, in general, so I hope I'm good in that department.

"I think possibly I'm more concerned with being seen bearing it around as a human, but hey, at least by elven standards that's like to be a fairly temporary state of affairs. That and, mn, I am not accustomed to the concentrated scrutiny, I imagine." As if him hesitating so much in front of all the VIPs wasn't an indication. "What about you, you thought about training with it for the push?"

"Me?" Aze straightens a little. "I sort of thought it would burn me. And, well, the last two elves that wielded it were killed by the Scourge, which isn't the most encouraging history. Maybe a human can do better. Who knows?"

Aze slumps back down, and adds, "I could do without the scrutiny, too. I have to say, I wasn't really thinking about how many people would be looking at me, just being with the team. I've been trying to avoid that for…. for at least a couple of years now." She frowns. "I'm Argent Crusade. If the leaders here were asked to turn me over to the government in Silvermoon… they wouldn't, would they? You wouldn't?"

Vond nods vigorously along with Aze's comments about being stared at during the Sunwell visit - then quickly swerves to shaking his head at the latter possibility. "No, I don't think - none of us knew that there was gonna be the whole damn Regent-Lord and Madam Blood Knight and everyone all there on that day of all days. But that was a fool thing they did on account that nobody is out to start trouble with the Argent Crusade and if they are it would be a first - that is why we walked out of there without further incident, is my guess.

There are plenty of world leaders that would like to have the final say here and I do not envy those in the task of trying to mitigate sneakier pushes for influence. But we are also in a critical position right now that no one in their right mind would unbalance. You can be sure as hell that Greennote would cause a stink if someone demanded you. Byrne too, I'd wager."

"And they wouldn't do it. That's the important part." Aze lets out a breath, and repeats the sentiment, like maybe she's really stuck on this point. "They wouldn't turn me over, even if the Grand Magister asked. You really can never tell what's going to make one person or another decide to execute you or imprison you forever. I was worried there, for a little while, when they froze us. I couldn't break free, and you never know…" Aze raises her hands to her face, like she's covering her eyes. "But you're right, we're balancing things. And I can't be Horde, if I ever was. Or Alliance. Only Argent Crusade."

Vond gives pause at her description of being trapped in that moment, his eyes widening slightly then casting to the side, as the significance seems to click together for him, somewhat. "Yeah, you - from what you have spoken of, I have been in some shit, Aze, but not that kind of shit exactly, being at the mercy of a captor. You are right, you never know what someone with a lot of power who doesn't see your life as more'n a way to make a statement one way or another might do.

"I still think if it weren't for us all of these guys would have torn each other to pieces - then been sent right around back south again in the Lich King's service to finish what he started. Whatever happens you can for sure take heart in that, for fighting as hard as you have to help us get this far, right? Most of us here, this is where we belong over all else. And maybe it is the best place for the sword, after all. Hmmm…"

Vond looks thoughtfully up at the dark cloudy sky for a moment, both palms steadying on the bleachers. "Maybe it's more manageable to think about honoring Dawnseeker by using it against the Scourge in his name, rather than filling my head with ideas about the opinion of every sin'dorei and quel'dorei."

"That's… maybe a good way to look at it," Aze says, dropping her hands to her lap. "He died fighting the Scourge, just like you saw. And it was in vain, in the end. We lost that war. We lost the Sunwell. All of the people who died… it didn't matter. None of it mattered." Aze's jaw tightens a little, maybe like she's trying not to cry. She can't cry, though, physically. "That's why I was so cautious - you can't know what that meant to us, back then. I didn't even really understand at first, just thought it was grief. But the everyone just… started shutting down. I don't know how to describe it."

"And then Lana'thel, she was so dedicated, and she died for nothing. Sunstrider and Stormrage lost, fled back to Outland, and most of the people who followed them died. And it did exactly nothing to stop the Scourge, maybe even the opposite. Now they have the san'layn and…" She shakes her head. "Maybe focus on that. Making it matter, this time. Make a difference in a way neither of them could."

Vond face twitches a bit when Aze seems to tamp down on some emotion, hesitating and then taking an unrelated interest in picking off his glasses and de-smudging a lens with the end of his scarf.

"Huh, yes, I am definitely thinking back to everyone now," he murmurs, and appears as if he might have quite a bit else on his mind, but draws it back to the present. "All we're doing here is because this is our last chance to make it matter. I may not have been able to know here before she became this, but Light willing we can give her and all the others peace, finally. We've got to. If there is something worth any storied weapon, any hope, any of our lives, it has got to be this."

"Yes, it's got to be this. I would like for all of it to mean something," Aze says, leaning forward a little more. "All the people we've lost along the way, and all the parts of ourselves. If we can make it feel like it means something…" she pauses for a breath, and continues, "I lost my parents to the Scourge. Most of my friends. Later on, my best friend and my sister, to the death knights. She was a blood knight, Syarra, before she was killed and reanimated."

Aze gestures with one hand, "That's why Lady Liadrin recognized me. First time I met Kitharian du Lac, it was to give me Syarra's armor and her insignia, so I could take them back to the order. I assume some shiny new blood knight has them now. Can I ask… what's the Confessor's connection? It seemed like there was one."

Vond takes on a distant look while loss after loss to the Scourge is listed off, that after a moment, very briefly, turns deep, sink-into-the-earth tired. It takes him a tick to shake it off, and he gets over his hesitance of offering a gloved hand to his teammate, glancing aside at her in an earnest sympathy.

"I - yeah, yeah, there is. I know he wouldn't mind me sayin'. He may seem like he keeps everything close to the chest but it's mainly not wanting to draw too much attention from the cause, you know?" He somehow with a straight face manages to describe the guy who acts, dresses and casts magic like that as not wanting to draw attention to himself. "That and he has for sure gotten shite about his background. From the Scarlets but even before then, too.

"What I know is that his father was among the attendants to the Sunwell and would have been there, most like, when it was overrun. That one blood knight, the one that seemed to be trying to keep everyone from stranglin' 'im. That is his uncle, maybe your sister knew him from when they were established."

"To be honest, I thought he was human, until you mentioned his uncle at the Sunwell. But then, it made sense somehow, once I knew. Maybe some kind of subconscious feeling of kinship?" Aze turns toward Vond, shaking off the moroseness for curiosity. "Why would they want to strangle him? Was it something his dad did? Or just, like, racism? I wouldn't judge - Yara's with an undead human now, and I… well, moving on… yeah, Syarra might've known him. I missed that whole part of her life, away in Outland. I learned she was a blood knight and dead at the same time."

"Oh, I figured it was more on account of him shoutin' invective on the Regent-Lord while the guards had weapons drawn," Vond murmurs while drawing his hand in to dig at his temple with a circle of fingertips. "I think his father was in good standing and fell with the defense, so I'm not worried about that, though it's my understanding there was pressure to, mn, hand him off to the human side of the family. Not something I'd expect violence over, though. The mouth on him, on the other hand…"

Vond looks over with a what-can-you-do kind of small shrug. "His father left him something precious that he gave up for my sake. That is probably the sole reason I am here in fighting condition, a gift from the Sunwell. That's… that's why I suspect it reacted to me, honestly. Maybe now it is collecting on the favor."

"Ah, yeah, I guess he did do that," Aze gives a brief laugh. "And Byrne wasn't happy about it, either. I might have backed him up if I wasn't so busy trying to disappear. But… a gift from the Sunwell? Then maybe it's less of collecting and more… a connection. A connection to the Sunwell's not a bad thing, I wish I still had…" Aze trails off, and then continues with, "If you start feeling any withdrawal symptoms, you can let me know. I could teach you how to handle it without involving any of the other sin'dorei. But if it wasn't long exposure, then I doubt that'll be a problem."

"Does it still do that, cause a withdrawal? After the blessing of M'uru?" Vond gives a wide blink, vaguely nervous, though it dampens slightly with the additional assurance. A doubt is good enough to go on for now. "How about this, you can be the first one to give me a ragging if you think I ever do that weapon a disservice. I think of anyone you would know, and maybe I can learn from it before I make an arse of myself in front of the sin'dorei at large, aye?

We are going to take it on that field, and we are going to carry it through those gates, and if the Light would hold us afloat for once in our lives, it should be then. For Dawnseeker and for who Lana'thel used to be, and for all the others behind us."

"I don't actually know," Aze admits to the first question. "I guess it's different now with the Light and all, but we didn't know about the withdrawal last time until we lost the well, either. And now I can't… I guess I'll never know, personally."

"As for the rest, if I ever feel like you're letting down Dawnseeker or Lana'thel or anybody else, I'll tell you. You know me, I'm not really one to keep things bottled up." Aze frowns, maybe thinking through the accuracy of that claim. "Criticism, anyway, I don't keep that bottled up. And whether it burns me when I touch it or not, I'll still be at your side to see this through."

"I am counting on that, Sunstrike, for sure. On both counts," assures the paladin that had once met looked at Aszera with a wealth of misgivings. "About Quel'delar, though - are you certain you wouldn't at least care to find out? Whether it pained you, I mean. Byrne was able to draw it, though I'm uncertain if your particular history would have any effect on it…"

Aze sits quietly for a moment, her expression going a little vague. "I usually don't ask questions if I don't think I'll like the answer. That's why I just… kept to myself for years, instead of trying to find out if I still had a place in Silvermoon. Why I didn't write to my sister after we lost our parents, and I knew she was suffering the withdrawal worse than I was. Why I didn't reach out to see if my new friends were okay after the Wrathgate." Aze draws in a breath. "Maybe it's a bad habit. I could… try. You could heal me if it doesn't work, right?"

Vond nods quickly while already lifting from his seat - a little backlash from a semi-mythical dragon sword with bonus Sunwell infusion is probably the kind of burn he could handle healing, right? "Wait right here, I'll be only a tick."

He darts off for the direction of the Confessor's tent without waiting for further deliberation, and returns in hardly a minute holding the sheath of Quel'Delar close, as if it might leap out of his arms of its own accord, again. He stands at the base of the bleachers in the small target practice ring and nods up, angling it out to offer the hilt.

Aze rises and walks down the bleachers carefully, staying oriented toward Vond and the sword. She walks in front of him, carefully positioning herself so the fall won't be too bad, in case of a backlash. From the tension in the way she moves, it's clear she expects a backlash.

She reaches out slowly, and closes her hand over the hilt. Nothing happens. No flash of fire, no tossing backward. With an expression of mixed confusion and wonder, she draws it from the sheath.

Vond helpfully adjusts to better place Aze between himself and a snowdrift, just in case. He narrows his eyes a bit in the moment of apprehension, then widens them again when contact is made without immediate turbulace.

He steps back slightly with the sheathe, leaving Aze with Quel'Delar in hand. A hint of live magic glints like a small starburst from the eye-like gem fitted in the span between the crossguards. Vond's look of pleasant surprise has spread into a lopsided grin, relieved and glad on her behalf. "How is it? The balance suit ya?"

"Yeah, it… it's well-made," Aze says, the confusion melting into soft smile of delight as she tilts the sword, holding it parallel in front of her with seemingly little effort. The amazement is clear in her voice as she adds, "It doesn't hurt."

"Brilliant," Vond breathes as he settles back on his heels. "You deserve to hold that moreso than me, Sunstrike. I am pretty sure I am taking it to the front purely to appease the usual parties." There is room in the little practice ring to move about a bit, and the human gestures encouragingly while stepping back for her to take a few practice stances or swings.

"Get a feel for it, aye? You are faster than me, and fiercer with blades, and it could be the case where the need arises."

Aszera steps out into the middle of the practice ring and moves through a few practice forms with a dancer's grace. Then she laughs, shifting into a somewhat less martial spin with joy in her face. Almost reluctantly, she moves back to Vond, laying the sword across her arm and offering him the hilt.

"I guess it means there still is something in me that's worthy," Aze says, with a wavering smile. "Maybe sometimes the answers are worth having."