Nations on the Brink (storyline)/Late Night Revelations (vignette)
Late Night Revelations
As Vaelynsa walked home after the evening's arboreal revelations, she pondered the reactions she had observed with some of the news. Several had seemed averse to Kothos sharing the information about Researcher Atylia, and she had also noted those who seemed quite suspicious of her own reactions to this news. A few even appeared to have expected her to know about Atylia. Thinking through the implications of that, she picked up her pace, realization dawning upon her face.
Vaelynsa stalked into the bedroom, where a single magical orb cast a faint light over the bed perfect for reading, which is exactly what the target of Vaelynsa's newfound ire was doing.
"Good evening, love," Ciradyl said, smile dying on her face as she glanced up from her book and at Vaelynsa's face. With a sigh, she shut the book and said, "You have your inquisitor face on. Your...angry...inquisitor face. Do tell." She patted the side of the bed, but Vaelynsa ignored the blatant attempt to get her to sit down and stayed standing at the foot of the bed instead.
"Apparently Researcher Atylia, the missing librarian, was found several weeks ago, nigh incoherent and extremely ill." Vaelynsa paused and stared at Ciradyl. Whatever she saw in her face satisfied some sort of hunch, and she perched on the end of the bed finally. "Who as this time?" When Ciradyl didn't answer, Vaelynsa sighed. "Me. I thought some of my clothes were missing for awhile." She sighed again with exasperation. "You could have told me. And you took my favorite shirt."
Cirdayl smiled fondly at her wife. "I could have, yes, but what is the fun in that? Now, what else have you learned?"
Vaelynsa recapped the evening's events, recounting the Talon's words. The couple decided the "violet-eyed Loenthran" was one of three things: a red herring and meaningless, a reference to the missing Ardenai by someone unable to differentiate elven cultures adequately, or a reference to the Living Canvas by someone who just assumed all Loenthrans had purple eyes (stranger assumptions had happened). The most likely, of course, was the missing Ardenai; Vaelynsa had written his family back in Ta'Ardenai and awaited a reply. Plus, missives had gone to other Houses for these and the other missing sorts. Replies were trickling in, but nothing of import as of yet.
Most concerning to both inquisitors, however, was the implications of the words of the still barely coherent researcher. It was decided to share this information with the greater whole, now that the word had made to the East. Ciradyl could not keep her covertcy to herself any longer, and it was no longer in the best interests of the investigation to do so. Ciradyl suggested they invite the Arboretum's caretaker, the student Feriae, to tea to discuss the messages in more detail, including ones that could perhaps be carefully placed elsewhere to serve the investigation's purposes rather than the instigators.
The evening's business conducted, Vaelynsa allowed herself to relax, and the pair wandered downstairs to find a late night snack.