Restless spirits

[Northen Light36]

Acqua sighes as she pulls herself up onto a tree branch and sits there, her chin resting in her hands and her eyes sad. This hadn't seemed too bad at first, she'd met her mother and actually had a chance to get to know her father. Even Thom wasn't so bad, when he remembered not to be an arrogant brat like he'd been in life.

However Acqua couldn't settle down, she ached with a restless loneliness and longing for her siblings. There was still so much she'd meant to do, but hadn't had time to do before her murder and so she grieved and feared for her family, but all she could do was wait and hope they'd pass through Satich... Not that many did. Acqua sighed then looked up and tilted her head slightly. Some new spirits were crossing the boundry between life and death. Not a big deal, it happened every day.

"Nothing to do with me," she muttered, but she wasn't certain. Something, probably merely curiosity and boredom, prompted her to jump down and go looking for the new arrivals.

[Kender Bard]

Taurus, amongst the flood of strangers, shuddered still even in death. He wept and shook his head, over and over. "What have I done?" he babbled. "What did I do?"

"You killed me that's what," the catgirl near him snarled and hissed.

Taurus started to go to his knees. "I didn't mean to! I was being controlled!"

The catgirl just sighed and shook her head. Now that she was dead, she had better things to do than bicker with her murderer. Seeing him here was satisfaction enough. Taurus wept, a sound which wailed like the wind in autumn.

[Northen Light36]

Acqua stopped dead, staring at the new arrivals in open shock. "Taurus?" She was shocked enough that she didn't even realise she'd spoken aloud until she heard the sound of her own voice. Then Acqua found herself with a problem. Her instincts screamed for her to flee, that she wasn't ready to face him, but the sight of Taurus on his knees, weeping, tugged at her heart. She still hadn't rid her heart of her feelings for the man before her.

"Taurus?" she repeated, to stunned and confused to do anything more.

[Kender Bard]

Taurus's head snapped up and his jaw dropped a little. "A-Acqua?" he asked, and went through much the same problem as she did, wanting to turn around and head off in the opposite direction. It hadn't even occurred to him, really, that he was dead yet and so he didn't chalk her presence up to anything unusual. "What are you doing here?"

He finally paused and looked around, very confused. "Where IS here? What's going on?"

[Northen Light36]

Acqua gives Taurus a sad smile, remembering her own fear and confusion after her death. "Satich," she replies. "But this is what the village looks like from the other side." Putting as much sympathy into her tone as she could, Acqua breaks the news to Taurus, "You've died, Taurus."

[Kender Bard]

"I-I did?" he stutters, then calms down for a moment to actually think about the events. "Oh. Yes." He remembered the last orders given to him. "Yes... He killed me." His face flashed with more anger than he had ever shown in life. "Verk! That b-bastard..!"

[Northen Light36]

Acqua looks curious, although she does take a wary step back from Taurus. Angry men make her nervous, more so now she's back to being a shrimpy 16-year-old. "Verk? Who's that?" she asks. "What happened to you Taurus?"

[Kender Bard]

Taurus's rage slips out of him and he heaves a great sigh, and merely looks tired. It's a good thing he's dead; he'd like a nice long rest. "Verk is a Clear. I was in Zephyr, reminiscing, when he ensnared me." He rubbed his forehead and went on, "He gave me orders to treat him like a brother I loved. It wasn't pleasant, but it was endurable, bending to his will. At least it was up until..." He licked his lips. "He made me.. kill a woman."

[Northen Light36]

Acqua steps forward to give Taurus a quick hug. "Oh Taurus... It wasn't your fault," she tells him softly. "You couldn't have done anything." She gives him a smile. "And it's in the past... I'm sure the woman will forgive you in time. It's hard to hold onto grudges here. Possible, but most let them go soon enough."

[Kender Bard]

"I hope so," he said devoutly, hugging Acqua back. And then it hits him. "Wait, if I'm dead, and you're here... then you died too!" He boggles at that. "How? When?"

[Northen Light36]

Acqua winces at that but murmurs, "Remember Evan and Mathew? Well..." With a sigh she tells Taurus all that happened to lead up to her death, but she trails off before the actual event of her death, shuddering with remembered fear.

[Kender Bard]

Taurus gave his head a sad shake. "Forces, I'm sorry Acqua. I feel as though somehow I should have been there to help." He gave a rueful smile. "But then, just about everyone who knows you would say the same thing."

[Northen Light36]

Acqua manages to force a small smile at that. "It's not so bad," she lies. "I did get to meet my mother, and my father's here too..." Despite her efforts, it's not hard to see Acqua's not happy.

[Kender Bard]

"Death doesn't suit you," he remarks sadly, then perks up. "I can see my parents?"

[Northen Light36]

Acqua nods. "If they've died, yeah. They'll probably be glad to see you. Just focus on who you want to see and you'll get a vague idea of where they are."