Shattered

It is early in the morning, and the weather flat stinks. Many of the temples would be awake and preparing for early services right now, but the going is treacherous, and the faithful attendance will be light. The world is coated in ice, and the paths and roads are slick. Not the sort of morning anyone expects any to be entering Eluna's Temple, and certainly not by the back door.

There's a light at one of the side doors, though, bobbing seemingly free-floating in the air, illuminating a face that is familiar beneath the blue hood, alabaster skin pale by that single light. It's enough to illuminate the ice, though, and once Seldan is safely inside, closing the door very, very quietly behind him, he slides down the stone wall next to the door to sit behind it, every line of the paladin's form screaming utter exhaustion. He wears full Guild gear, although his armor is currently folded, and his pack had slithered from one arm to rest next to him now.

Many of the acolytes are still asleep, the pre-dawn hours a quiet, contemplative time for most.

Except, of course, for those that don't sleep.

Elena moves through the halls, carrying a breakfast tray with her, footsteps quiet. She isn't in her full acolyte's habit at the moment, instead just dressed in a simple, woolen gown that keeps the chill at bay, soft slippers on the stone making barely any noise.

The light, though, gets her attention. And her curiosity. Though when she sees the man on the floor, in his current state, her footsteps slow.

Moving to sit next to Seldan, she places the tray in front of him, a simple thing of eggs, cheese, and coffee. "You look like you need this more than I do, at the moment," he starts, picking up the coffee from the tray and handing it over to him.

It's the sitting down next to him that gets Seldan's attention first. He opens eyes that look more like dark holes in his head with pale centers, and looks over as she offers him the coffee, and seems to be trying to pull himself together as he places the face. "Acolyte Elena," he greets, his accent thick, voice rasping with exhaustion. Slowly, he takes the coffee, and by the light of that torch, she can see that his clothing is spotted with crimson/brown blood, and with some sort of black, oil-like ichor as well. Neither are enough to lead her to believe him hurt, but his hands are trembling a little, and he takes the mug, sipping from it gratefully. She has seen the look before, in those making heavy use of spells and blessings. "I had thought all to sleep."

Elena looks him over, checking to see if there are any visible wounds anyway. But in her inspection, she sees what she needs to see. The blood on the clothes. The something-that-isn't-blood right along with it. The exhaustion, and the shaking hands. They tell a story for one of the Silver Guard. But the look of the man's face tells even more.

She leans back against the wall once more, offering a bare smile. "And normally, you would be right," she assures him. Though she runs a finger past her temple, pushing the loose hair back, revealing the point of one ear. It's a sure sign of elven blood, that, and would be visible fully if her hair were pulled back in the severe bun she wears it in during the day. But they tell their own story as well -- markedly, her lack of need to sleep.

She pulls her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her knees as she looks over to him. "I take it you had an eventful evening?"

Seldan is ignoring the food, both hands wrapping themselves around the warmth of the cup of coffee. He closes his eyes, the gesture saying much more than tired. The man is completely shattered, body, mind, and soul. "Demons," he answers. "They have an entire town in thrall. We tried to free them ... and failed, and were near slain ourselves. Those wounded have been healed. The Draco Solis' faithful know of the matter. Malik's mind is unbound, thanks to them. They still have Halani. They teleported her away, and I have yet to find her. I ... had thought to pray for a little." As he speaks, he's begun to shake a little, the coffee in his hands showing it clearly.

Elena takes in a quick breath, a slight hiss at the mention of demons. But the man's demeanor is her immediate concern. The shaking, the description of events -- the blood and worse that currently covers him. She rolls the information in her mind for just a moment, putting the pieces together.

"So," she starts. "You found a town in the thrall of demons. And you gathered what support you could muster to fight them." She chooses her words carefully here, tone reassuring. "You and your allies were injured in the process -- but you managed to get all but one to safety, heal the wounded, and you have alerted the Holy Orders to the corruption that they spread."

She reaches out a hand, putting it on his arm. "Well done, paladin. You did your duty. You stood up to evil, and helped those who could not help themselves. And you lived to tell the tale, though the battle was harsh." She offers that arm the tiniest, reassuring squeeze. "I would hardly call that a failure."

Seldan shakes his head quickly, only the gem-encrusted headband keeping his hair from flying. "No. We were beaten. We were fools. I went in far too openly, and the demon had them all mind-controlled. We were turned away, and returned by cloak of night. I failed to shield and bless those who went scouting ere they left, and they were caught by the demon's wiles. I ... changed my complexion, to persuade his guards to permit me through. Hun'rar nearly wrecked the whole thing." He shudders.

Elena blinks, listening to the man's words, her mouth starting to open. But then, she thinks better of it. She pulls her hand away, turning to look back at the floor. "Alright," she starts. "Then -- it sounds as if you need to unburden yourself." She stands, quickly, reaching into a pocket of that robe and pulling out two simple, silver hairsticks, which she uses to re-create that bun that she wears, this one much looser for lack of pins. After that, she moves to sit in front of him once more, reaching for the simple silver crescent that she wears around her neck, clasping it in her lap as she turns to face him.

"But that is something that we can do right here," she says, decisively. "Tell me what is on your mind. Where do you think you've made an error?"

GAME: Seldan rolls will: (19)+19: 38

It takes Seldan a few moments to respond, but something in the Seer's tone seems to give him a mental shake. He takes one hand from the mug to rub blearily at his face, then takes a long swig, visibly trying to pull himself together and -think-. "I knew what it was that I faced. The others, I think, did not, at the least not fully. I ... spoke of it, but ..." He pauses to take another drink, the Myrrish accent still thick with exhaustion. "I had thought to shield them from evil, but ... I did not do it ere they left. I ... simply did not think of it. I thought only of my failure to be subtle, that got us ordered to leave at the first."

Elena listens to that. "So then they did not ask you for such protections, even though they knew what they were going to face? You -did- tell them, so you say," she repeats, though in a sort of fact-checking tone. "You cannot force those sorts of magics upon those who do not wish to receive them. If they knew the risk and forged ahead, then there was little else you could do. And it might have even hindered them more," she reminds him. "In the same way that you can feel evil magic in your bones, so can demons with the powers of good."

Seldan nods a few times, quickly. "This one knew me for what I was, as I knew him. I had spells to conceal my own nature, but none else saw the need." Another sip of the coffee, although he makes a face. "Although I had spoken of it, those who scouted ... had never been faced with true evil, and did not appreciate the danger. This one ... was stronger than I had guessed. My defenses held, but ... those placed on others were dismissed. The Warden...." A slow shake of the head. "Him, I would have thought to know better. But ... it was mine to lead."

She considers his explanation, nodding. "I see," she starts. "So this was the first time that they had been touched by true evil, and could not be aware of what they were heading into." She runs her thumb over the crescent. "Then this was a valuable experience for them," she finally decides. "Now that they have seen how black the darkness can be, they should wish to avoid it in the future. Like the first time a child touches something hot. Without a concept of 'hot', you cannot warn them away." Though she does seem curious at one point. "A demon so strong that neither you nor another could defeat it? One that dismissed your protections? And one that managed to conceal its true power?" A beat. "It seems you were not the only one unprepared."

"We were all unprepared," Seldan says slowly, finishing the last of the coffee. The food does not seem to be of interest to him, but that is unlikely to be surprising in one as tired as he seems to be. "I informed the faithful of the Draco Solis of the situation, in hopes that they might be able to rescue those people where I failed. But ... we must still find and rescue Halani. It ... teleported her away before fleeing itself." His eyes lower, in the hood. "I knew he didn't know. He did not understand ... and I knew it. And I failed toprotect him."

Elena still listens, thinking about the man's words. But a path is starting to show. "We cannot always be prepared for what the gods would put in our path," she informs the man. "Sometimes, we aren't meant to defeat the evils that we find. We are simply put in their way so that we might warn others to the danger, and fall back to gather our forces." She reaches out, putting a hand on his knee. "It sounds to me that were you not there, your friends would likely be dead, or worse. You managed to get them out. Not uninjured, but nobody asks that of us. And they will be the better for this experience," she assures. "As for your missing comrade -- you are right. We will need to find him," clearly not understanding that Halani is not the 'him' that Seldan is talking about. "But it will do us no good to do anything while you're in such a state as you are." She rises to her feet, offering the paladin a hand. "You should attend to your ablutions," she decides, voice matter of fact. "It can cleanse whatever of the evil might be left on you. And then you should get some rest. If we're going to rescue your comrade, we'll need your strength. I'll go wake the acolytes and begin the preparations for the search."

"Her," Seldan corrects automatically. "I was able to have the mind control on Malik broken, though I am yet concerned. It is Halani who remains in the hands of the demons."

He looks up, no less exhausted but maybe just a bit less haunted. "I cannot help her if I do not rest, and gather the others as well." The tone of that says that he is telling himself that, but he does take the hand, setting the coffee cup back on the tray, and pulling himself with an effort to his feet. "Do not allow me to further disrupt the breaking of your fast," he adds, looking down at the tray. He stares at it blankly, then shakes himself and makes an arcane gesture, speaks a word, and holds a hand over the food. She will find it warmed again for her, when she takes it for herself.

"I don't think that you can be said to have failed anyone when you got them out alive and broke what enchantments may have been placed on them," Elena contends, though the tone is far more gentle. "As for the friend that remains in captivity -- blaming yourself will do nothing but cause you to hesistate when you might otherwise act. And as for breakfast --" She looks down at the tray, then smiles back up at him. "I appreciate the thought. But in truth, I probably should not be allowed near a kitchen." She leans in, whispering, "Cooking has never been one of my strengths. Thus better an acolyte than a wife. The world has seen enough suffering."

Despite himself, Seldan cannot help but laugh a little at the last. "Suffering is eating what a gobber cooks if one does not look closely at what is brought," he counters. "I ... suppose you are right," he adds, although he doesn't sound completely convinced. "At the least, I should rest before I seek her, I think." He makes a small gesture at his clothing, and the blood and black ichor begins, little by little and piece by piece, to vanish from his cloak and clothing. "I thank you for your wisdom and clarity."

She returns the laugh, eyes sympathetic. "Wisdom and clarity are but one small part of the faith," she responds. "More important still is the conviction to stand against the darkness, and the strength to lead others against it. It is I that should be thanking you." But she nods down the hall. "You'll find your quarters unchanged, I think. We've been keeping especially vigilant."

Something in that statement causes Seldan's brow to furrow, but he blinks, apparently dismissing whatever it was. "Neither is less valuable, Seer." he answers, placing a hand on the wall to pick up his haversack and sling it over his shoulder. From the look of him, he'll be doing well if he gets swordbelt, cloak, and boots off before he sleeps. "Her blessings light your path, and we will speak more." With that, he seems prepared to seek his bed.