Armand had finally ceased his tears, sniffing as he held onto Marius for dear life. He refused to believe the words that Aemond had so callously thrown at him, with his disgusting 'gift' as proof. It wasn't true! Laenor was still alive...he would know if it were otherwise, right?
That thought brought him pause as he pulled
slowly back from Maruis and wiped his eyes. "Allya...." He uttered
her name like a prayer. A hope. His eyes glazed a bit in thought before he cast
his eyes to the man at his side once more and then he turned and dashed back
the way he had come, towards home! Allya would know! For sure, he was certain!
That was all he could think about. All he could hope for. Allya would know!
The second he reached home, he burst
through the door and went to his sister's side, taking hold of her arms tightly
as he all but gasped out what it was he wanted from her. "Allya! You would
know if something had happened to Laenor, wouldn't you?" He questioned
with such feveor. "With your...gift?"
Allya looked startled as she turned to look
at her younger brother as he grabbed her and blinked in surprise.
"Whatever do you mean, Armand?" She asked softly, calmly. "I
can't do human, you know this. I can't hear their thoughts."
"You do Daemon! You hear HIS
thoughts" He shot back at her in earnest.
"That is DIFFERENT!" She said,
with a slight warning tone to her voice as his grip had become quite strong.
"You know it. Now let go." She said and sighed as Armand released her
and backed away, looking all the more sad. "Look...Armand, I think Aemond
was just being mean to you." She said gently as she held out her hand to
show her brother what she held within, what she had found. The severed finger
Aemond had thrown at Armand and jested that his lover was dead. "Scent it,
Brother....it does not smell like anyone we know..." She said gently.
Taking the finger with a grimace, Armand
allowed the scent to waft through his nose and over his tongue. It was not
Laenor's, for which he was most thankful and nearly cried again, till he
realized what had actually happened. He turned and cast the appendage into the
fire with a soft snarl. "That----that---!" He couldn't think of any
words good enough to call him! He had played with his emotions, had riled him,
it was a horrible thing to do, even if it had been a joke. He felt anger rise
up in him again, but he attempted to squash it. Laenor was alive, it wasn't
him....that was all that mattered....but his wolf had very nearly been called
without his permission. He felt ashamed for reacting in such a way. He was
better than that...
