"Are you lonely, Kevlar?" the woman moved closer to him, not reacting to Kevlar's statement about her own heart and life. She didn't even have to add a touch of magic to have him wrapped around her little finger, yearning for more than he could say. Feminine charms that came naturally to her combined with learned behaviors and observation skills made for a dangerous combination in the hands of Marwolaeth.

"Do you wish for someone to listen to you, does your heart longs for someone to share your dreams with?" her hand rested over his heart now, before sliding upward to touch his jawline with her fingertips. Her eyes were gentle, or at least they appeared as such, soft smile curling her blood red lips. Her teeth, white as pearls, always had a feral look to them due to the longer canines, but right now even that didn't take away from her dark, but nearly angelic appearance.

The gentleness didn't seem to even shiver as her words took a cruel turn, poking and prodding at what would hurt the human before her the most. "Or do you think you have found friends in Miss Sunshine and Blue Eyes? That he won't run off to his next noble adventure on his own, that she will not forget about you as soon as your use has run out and you won't be left guarding some old, stuffy mage without ever hearing from them again?" Her nails dug in his skin slightly, but not enough to break his skin. Suddenly, she laughed a true, genuine laugh before backing off and spreading her arms in open gesture.

"Oh, knight, if you believe that and trust me, you are either naive or stupid. But as for me - I am never lonely. Only empty people with narrow minds and boring lives have time to be lonely. I am the opposite of that!"

In that moment, Mae arrived. In fact, she had seen the whole ordeal of Marwo standing so close to the human and their heads angled so they could have as well been kissing. Stiffly, she relayed her news, ignoring the way the other woman's face lit up with now clearly malicious smile when Kevlar pouted about Saith not having written to him. She winked at him and then announced that she wasn't interested in hearing anything more about their drow heartthrob and went on her merry way.

"I did not mean to interrupt whatever," Mae made a slightly exasperated gesture, "that was. But if you plan to chase after her, all I ask is that you are careful." Her gaze was serious, those was not words of a priestess to her knight, those were words from friend to friend. She did not wish him to get hurt and trusted Marwolaeth about as much as Saith had trusted her at first... Well, that was a comparison that hurt.

Shaking her head slightly, she gathered her thoughts. "Truth is, he wrote that he will not be rejoining us, but I, too, hope that he will change his mind. If not, we will have to seek him out after, will we not?" She smiled slightly, although didn't really feel like doing it. "Right now, there is merely no time for it and as you said, he is out there, making his destiny..." Destiny that he wished they would have nothing to do with, one stupid reason after another. Not willing to delve in the subject of affections, she had ignored his comment. So what if she acknowledged Saith as good-looking? Only blind or racist woman wouldn't. That hardly meant anything.

When their conversation was finished, she went to inform the mage of the decision about their departure. The elf said he would focus all of his servants into helping the group to get ready. The rest of the day passed quickly, with more research and planning of various routes, as even the enchanted glass and other charms couldn't show exactly where the thief was heading to. Magic of the forest distorted any spell that entered in it and the horned being itself seemed to be gifted with some magic as well.

In the evening, the mage and others shared a lavish meal, soft music playing from what seemed to be air itself. He was a pleasant host, and even Marwo was not belittled in any way, although there always was a certain cold, haughty feel about him. When they had finished dinner, Mae excused herself and left the dining hall. After a while of wandering, she found herself on balcony of the room that served as large meeting hall or ballroom. Few candle holders by the walls of room lit it in spooky light, but out on the balcony it was only the natural light of moon and stars. Soft breeze played in her hair and the woman closed her eyes, soft sigh breaking out.

Standing there for few minutes, she felt like floating away from herself and right into a scene with Saith. Under this very moon and beautiful sky, they stood under a magnificent tree. He swept her in his arms and kissed passionately, but gently and it felt like in that second, everything fell in its place, but before she could revel in the feeling, she was floating away, watching as the dark man said something, but no sound came out. Among all of her talents, lipreading was not one of them and she couldn't make out more than her name.

Her eyes opened, staring in the starlit darkness, breath growing labored. What was that? It felt far more vivid than mere daydream, more like a vision... Or a memory. Oh by Sun, what had Kevlar and Saith, with his stupid, infuriating letter, done to her mind! It was not that she had never been kissed, no. Few celebrations, she had went out with her dance partner, on the balcony of temple or its garden and the men, thinking of it as encouragement, had pressed sloppy kisses on her mouth. All she had thought was how unpleasant, unimpressive it was and when would be polite to push them away.

Yet, this kiss with Saith was everything that other priestesses and books spoke about. She had never wanted to leave his arms, even if she had been there for mere seconds and... Ugh, it was all in her imagination anyhow! Kissing him surely would be no better than those two other men years and years ago. And still, her heart fluttered at the imagined-memory. Determined to get these thoughts out of her mind, she turned to leave, only to run straight in Mage of Silver.

"Oh," she breathed, berating herself immediately for the sheepish reaction. "I did not mean to startle you, my lady," he spoke in a calm, even gentle tone. "It is my fault, I was merely lost in my thoughts and did not hear you approach," Mae replied, letting him lead her back to the beautifully crafted railing. "May I ask what captured your thoughts so?" the elf inquired. She looked up at him, nearly blushing, but not because he was looking truly handsome in the moonlight (he was, but that was besides the point). She could not tell him that she had been day dreaming about another man, and one that had left her behind so easily. So, instead, she opted for a partial truth, something she could do with ease.

"I was thinking about the future," woman told him, eliciting a pleasant laugh from mage. "What a coincidence. That is exactly why I sought you out, dear Lacrimae," he told her and there was a slight shudder running down her back from the way he spoke her name. It was somehow... Not quite condescending, but certainly as if he was in control of a situation she wasn't even aware of being in.

"Have you found out more about the thief?" she immediately asked, a spark of hope in her voice. "Not yet, although I have my thoughts. I would like to confirm everything before I share them, however," man told her, last sentence with slight smirk just as she was about to insist he tells her what he thought. "However, it is partially related to this quest. No matter how it ends, but I do not doubt your success in the slightest, our world is on the verge of change. It has been sneaking up on us, and we have tried to ignore it, like children pretending that if we cannot see it, it cannot see us, too, but now with the Curtain being threatened, it is undeniable."

Mae nodded slightly, for all of it was true, but even so, she instinctively did not like where this was heading to. After looking at her for a moment, the man continued: "When the changes reach the Isle, many things will be broken to never be made as they were. In their stead, will come new order... And new unions." There was a slight pause, his intense eyes making her uncomfortable and at the same time, poking at her rebellious side that wanted to stop this conversation, right now. But she had to hear him out, for sake of so many people.

"A single mage or priestess, even of our stature, can be swept up and drowned by the waves of change. But together, Lacrimae, we could be the union that guides the land through the storm. Outside world will want war and many here desire bloodshed as well. I do not trust the Mage of Mercury to keep the negotiations on track. But there are ways to lessen the damage, the casualties. If we were to unite our names, others would rally to our names and we could save so many lives," he spoke, voice nearly hypnotic as he painted visions of horror and noble saviors that they would become. If she didn't know that he wouldn't risk using his magic on her in fear of losing this game, she'd swear he was using a charm on her.

"All of that is possible, Azaleath," she said, the man stiffening at the use of his name. Names are powerful things and mages did not like to have theirs revealed. That she knew his already said a lot, and all she had intended to say. "And I will take your words in consideration. But that is all I can say for now," Mae told him.

"That is all I ask, Lacrimae. After all, we have an immediate task at hand. No matter your decision, I will support your mission," he told her, but somehow, she wasn't convinced. In fact, it nearly sounded like a threat. The man moved in and for a moment she thought he'd kiss her, but instead mage went for a kiss to her hand and bid good night to his beautiful lady. With that, he left, leaving priestess troubled and staring out at the woods in distance.

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