"i'm Alynia.." she had resondd but her mind was thinking again. An artifact? Her mind began following the logical path of where such an object would be found, and how such an object could be stolen or even destroyed. Alynia wonders what would happen if such events were to perspire... She mentally shook her head, snapping herself out of such thoughts. Oberron had said so himself, Sable was a capable being on her own right. Alynia doubted that destroying the artifact would do anything at all. She sighed softly for what seemed to be the hundredth time today.

"I'm sorry about your wife. She must've been beautiful." Alynia stated gingerly hoping she wasn't touching on a sensitive topic.

Alynia peered at the little man from across the table, in minor shock she was sitting down with someone so old and at the same time must've experienced so much. She smiled briefly as she watched the basket magically refill itself but she shook her hand politely.

"There's no way I'll be able to eat any more, though it was delicious. I don't think I've had such rich bread in my life." she stated earnestly. She stood up slowly testif her balance after drinking more alcohol than she was used to. Even though her head buzzed lightly she found that she was quite stable. She only drank half of her glass in the end. She walked around the circular room a bit stretching her legs wondering how long she had been sitting down and how long she had been in that room in general.

"Do you think I'd be allowed to wander around the castle?" Alynia wondered outloud looked at the door inquisitively.

"It's quite alright, she perished long ago before your time but she was like a summer flower blossoming under the glow of moonlight on a still night, absolutely radiant and Sable was both envious and jealous of what she did not possess naturally. And stop your thinking about that artifact. You were considering it weren't you?

"Even if it were destroyed nothing remarkable would happen, at least not at first. True I would not be trapped in this place and I would get some of my power back albeit slowly and never to their former glory I'm afraid so it would do neither of us any real good in the long run. If it were destroyed Sable may just kill me before it did me any good," he shrugged. "She can be cautious as well as cruel."

As she stood though waving off the bread he snapped his fingers causing the basket, bread, knives, and wine bottle to disappear. The wine remained as neither finished their drink.

"I'm afraid not. She'll want to find you and the other sacrifices quickly and even if you all just hid the time it would take finding everyone can cost her in the case of time sensitive things. No, most likely she'll keep you here and forget about you until it is time to make use of you. She probably won't even feed you, it is only two days after all and you won't die from it.

"I have learned that she enjoys the suffering of others. When I was first here I was locked away until I was no longer a threat to her. Now she enjoys my suffering and lets me see what has become of my kingdom because she knows it pain's me."

The buzz in her head was a bit more than she had realized. Alynia laughed sweetly, even though she knew that there was nothing funny about the situation they were in, when he accused her of thinking about breaking the artifact he had mentioned. "Was it that easy to tell?" she said in disbelief. Alynia shook her head sadly while shrugging her shoulders. "I didn't expect it would make too much of a lasting impact."

Alynia did a final stretch before she rejoined Oberron at small table. Taking a rather large sip from her glass a slight red blush was beginning to creep into her cheeks, but Alynia wasn't concerned. She was much less worried about getting drunk if she was going to be confined in a single room. "Besides, you've already convinced me to give up all hope on survival. " she said lightheartedly before setting the glass down. There was a glint in her eye told him she didn't mean at all what she said.

Alynia let out a breath though she didnt expect to be able to explore, she had really hoped to. "Ah. Welli should have expected so." she stated sadly about her own circumstances. "A cruel witch indeed." Alynia frowned. "I'm impressived you have bore such torture for so long." she stated glancing out the window.

Night had fallen and even though the moon was not visible from her tower, faded stars were beginning to appear. Candles had flickered on around the room.the small dancing flames provided sufficient light but also made the room feel more empty than it really was. The shadows of the two companions extended onto the walls. The night was felt still.

"Had I known now what I do then things might have been different. Either I or Sable, perhaps both of us would be dead. Truth be told her tortures have stagnanted over the years, though of course I don't relay this and act mortified least she wind up doing something totally appauling.

"If I possessed more power I would help you more but I'm afraid the most I can do is ease your hunger. I merely transfer food here from the kitchens but alias I can do no such thing with larger objects, save for these furnishings which happen to tax the very limits of my meager power. I'm surprised I can still do that but weaving through realities and worlds did come easy to me so transfering minor things into my possession is perhaps the easiest thing for me to do since I did it so often.

"For instance I could assist you with the tower door but it will do you little good. You'll be found wondering about and returned here no doubt or the dungeons and my meager powers can not deal with the wards Sable has in place there. At least she affords you a room with a view, the others could only wish they were so lucky.

"And your thoughts were easy to follow as I entertained all manners of this and that in centuries past when I still had most of my powers, of course Sable took greater cares of me then but she had to worry, unlike now not unless ..." He paused, fell silent then looked to the night sky. He heard the wolves baying in that twisted forest and knew without a doubt that they were no longer simple beasts but rather twisted things.

"Too jaded these days," he seemed to answer a question in his own mind as he spun around to face her. "Alright, enough moping. We cannot change our fates it would seem, you to be sacrificed soon and I set to dwindle to obscurity here. How about a song? The mood needs to be changed methinks."

"Easing my hunger is more than enough." Alynia reassured. "Besides I have nothing to offer back to you for your simple acts of kindness" She twirled her wineglass in her hand watching her dark drink swirl in circles. It looked as if she was pondering her hopeless situation once more, thinking of more futile escape methods. Alynia sighed as she brought herself back to reality not quite believing it was true. Either way she didn't want Oberron thinking she was being rebellious again.

Alynia sipped her wine glass thoughtfully. "If you would be so kind, I would appreciate it very much of you left the door unlocked once we part?" she asked hopefully. "I'm willing to take a gamble here, besides there not much more Sable can do to me if I'm going to die at the planet's alignment." she reasoned. "I refuse to waste away in this empty room."

There was a silence in the room as both of them stopped to hear the wolves howl. Alynia shuddered, almost thankful to not be in the forest at this time. She took a brief moment to wonder whether or not the hunter, who had saved her earlier in the day, was alright. She looked back at Oberron who appeared to be talking to himself when suddenly he offered up music. "A song?" Alynia was bewildered at such a sudden request but she was thankful for anything the to lighten the mood. "By all means please do." she said clapping her hands together in delight

"Oh, I don't forsee that being much of a problem with leaving the door unlocked," he grinned then nodded taken a kin to her rebellious streak and how she reasoned it, she could only die once right and staying here would do her no good. Besides even if she were discovered it would not be likely that she would be killed ahead of time. She might wish it if Sable found out but perhaps she wouldn't. But before all that there was the manner of the song.

He once again snapped his fingers and in the air formed a violin that played itself. "Now you won't understand it but here goes," he cleared his thought. "It is about a love that once lost cannot be refound." He began singing in a musical voice, the words in the dialect of the fey though she could not understand them she came to realize that his music was far more than simple words rather then simple words the melody seemed to touch her soul, altering her emotions at certain points. It seemed sad and sweet though she got the sense that while these lovers were never meant to be they ended up in better situations were loved flourished so it was bitter sweet. It was uplifting in a way at the end showing that love could be found in the unlikliness of places or so that's what the song seemed to her anyway.

He finished up and the violin vanished. "Not my best, I haven't been much to singing lately. But we can go now. If we leave from here the only way to go is down the spiral stair case to the ground level. There are no other floors to this tower. Near there when you leave you can go in three directions. There is a corridor straight ahead that leads to a ball room, to the left leads to the kitchens and the right is a library with books that you probably won't find interesting let alone be able to read. The kitchen probably has servants in it but the other two chambers should be safe enough at this hour, the ball room is not slated to be in use until the night after the ritual when Sable gets to celebrate her new found beauty."

Alynia's eyes fluttered shut relishing the bitter sweet tune. She was perfectly silent with a small relaxed smile on her face as she listened. She didn't think she had ever heard such feeling portrayed through music. For a second she imagined as if she had the good fortune the lovers in the song.. And as soon as the music stopped her eyes blinked opened slowly. Even though she realized the music had stopped it felt like it still lingered in the air. There was a moment of silence as the music dispersed. Alynia sighed with bliss, "That was beautiful." she mused after setting down her now empty glass.

She stood up slowly, a bit more wobbly than before, but was ready to go. She stood at the doorway as pretty as a picture smiling at the man. She had obviously seen enough of the single windowed room. "But really. That song was..." Alynia couldn't honk of words to describe. She looked around the room as if searching for words. "I can't even explain how blissful it was." she concluded with a sigh

"Thank you but you need not be so kind. It has been ages since I've sung so I'm out of practice a little." Then he seemed to remember that his audience had been human, not fey and thus she was not use to such things. He smiled in return then turned his attention to the locked door.

He moved towards it, a key magically appearing in his hand though he paused before unlocking the door turning his attention back to her. "A piety that Sable has designed such a cruel fate for you. If I possessed more magic I ..."

He paused not finishing his words as he turned back to the door as he unlocked it. The key vanished once it was done and he slowly opened the door a crack peeking out to ensure that no one was out there before opening it up completely.

"What are your plans? I can guide you through this place knowing it quiet well I have learned where most people are at these hours, of course there are some that cannot be predicted all the time but often enough."

Alynia decided not to comment at his lost words. Instead she thought for a minute of where she would like to go but the decision was easy, it was what she came here to start with. "Do you think you could help me find my friend Kim?" Alynia asked politely. "She was taken a day or so earlier than me.... Firey red hair.." She described patting the top of her head. "It would be great to see her, or atleast know where she is. It would mean a lot to me to know shes okay."

Alynia was watching her feet carefully as she walked daintily down the spiral staircase. Every step was quiet due to her bare feet, but every step also sent shivers up her scarcely covered legs. Nevertheless she was glad to be leaving her tower, even if it was a short period time. Candles flickered along the rickety staircase casting just enough light to see, but gave off the same eerie feeling as the same light did up in her room.

"Is she one of the new ones, well of course she would be," he answered his own question. "She is in the dungeons along with the others. See in times past towers were used to house royal prisoners and dungeons for commoners.

"I suspect that once Sable learned of you she moved you here least the guards seek to defile you as they are prone to do from time to time, Sable cares not whether they are or aren't since she knows none of them is pure and that doesn't factor into her plans at all.

"I do not have access to the same gamut of spells as Sable but I can make some educated guess," he said as they moved down the spiral staircase. "I heard about a new prisoner kept here in this tower and had to have a look. The fact that you were here and as far as I can tell not of noble blood means that Sable does not want you defiled. Now why would she care? I have guessed that you have never known a man's touch?"

He gazed at her as if to discern whether or not his deductions were correct. "Much power from a virgin sacrifice can be gathered, much indeed. In fact much more energy can be syphoned during tantic sex too, the bonds aren't as diluted but of course there are certain rules there too." He paused for a moment as if considering how much to tell her.

"But your friend is alright, Sable would want to keep her alive until the planetary alignment at least. As for the guards having an interest in her? Well I suppose if her beauty is only half that of your own then perhaps it may interest them but prisoners are tossed into dark cells and forgotten about. Needless to say I found myself in one for many a year until my power had waned but Sable wouldn't forget the one that spurned her advances so long ago. See, she once though she could be Tatiana's replacement and get my kingdom the easy way through seduction but that was not to be."

"Is she one of the new ones, well of course she would be," he answered his own question. "She is in the dungeons along with the others. See in times past towers were used to house royal prisoners and dungeons for commoners.

"I suspect that once Sable learned of you she moved you here least the guards seek to defile you as they are prone to do from time to time, Sable cares not whether they are or aren't since she knows none of them is pure and that doesn't factor into her plans at all.

"I do not have access to the same gamut of spells as Sable but I can make some educated guess," he said as they moved down the spiral staircase. "I heard about a new prisoner kept here in this tower and had to have a look. The fact that you were here and as far as I can tell not of noble blood means that Sable does not want you defiled. Now why would she care? I have guessed that you have never known a man's touch?"

He gazed at her as if to discern whether or not his deductions were correct. "Much power from a virgin sacrifice can be gathered, much indeed. In fact much more energy can be syphoned during tantic sex too, the bonds aren't as diluted but of course there are certain rules there too." He paused for a moment as if considering how much to tell her.

"But your friend is alright, Sable would want to keep her alive until the planetary alignment at least. As for the guards having an interest in her? Well I suppose if her beauty is only half that of your own then perhaps it may interest them but prisoners are tossed into dark cells and forgotten about. Needless to say I found myself in one for many a year until my power had waned but Sable wouldn't forget the one that spurned her advances so long ago. See, she once though she could be Tatiana's replacement and get my kingdom the easy way through seduction but that was not to be."

As soon as the mention of her virginity came up a rather attractive blush became prominent on Alynia's cheeks. She began lightly biting her bottom lip out of embarrassment. "I don't know about noble blood... But it's possible..." she explained thinking of her wealthy family origins, but the other theory Oberron proposed had hit the nail on the head. Though by looking at her body not many would guess she was infact a virgin, but she was truly as innocent as her demure. "My father didn't act so kindly toward men who approached me." she stated as if making an excuse for herself. She turned her head sharply not want to show such a flustered expression but she still listened as he explained the sacrificial benefits of her virginity. If possible upon hearing his words her blush intensified.

Alynia was lost in thought for a few moments slightly shivering at the thought of the guards... She shook her head ridding herself of such visions. "Would it be... safe to see Kim?" Alynia asked, choosing her words carefully. Even though she really wanted to see her friend she was keen to avoid any of Sable's minions. Even though she was feeling a great deal safer just because of Sables wish to keep her a virgin, Alynia could think of many other ways a persistent guard could "defile" her as Oberron stated. "I would rather not walk in on her.. with someone." she muttered for obvious reasons.

Alynia scowled at Sable's cruelly, Alynia had been in the dungeon for less than a day. She could hardly think of how it would be to be forgotten down there. She didn't even have to express her feelings, she knew that Oberron was thinking the same things boiling through her mind. Alynia couldn't help but chuckle softly hearing the witch's first failure. Her laugh echoed slightly through the empty hall.

"If you were my daughter I would see you as a great gift upon the world, of course we fey are different from you humans in that regard. It does make it easier to gather tantric energy for those that know of it of course. See, in effect such energy is subconciously released each time and the more often you've been with others the less power one can draw from the dalliance. Thus the more active you've been the less energy you provide and so on."

Oberron paused, thinking then nodded. "It would be tougher moving about the dungeons though not impossible. At most there are two guards down their and normally their at the guard station unless ... busy. They would simply tell from your demeanor and the fact that you do not smell as if you were a fixture in the dungeons that Sable wishes to keep you intact but there's still a danger.

"Forced oral and anal don't count towards it. In fact many noble women keep their virginity until they are wed through doing anal other wise until the night of. It is an awful situation and one that your beauty would be a drawback on. The guards may just bring you back here, or they may be vindictive and teach you a thing or two about sneaking around.

"And to make matters worse I lack magic too save for a few parlor tricks and minor conjurations at this stage so I wouldn't be much help in such a circumstance. Of course the guards know I am allowed to wander so checking things out ahead of time and scouting them out first could be benefical.

"There are risks in everything we do, our choices are like a flowing river some decisions lead to horrid results as the river twists and turns so you have to ask yourself do you take the risk? Is it that important to you or is there a better way? Only you can decide that."

Alynia thought about the idea of energies and thier relations to sexual experience and decided that it made a great deal of sense. She couldn't even help but think how she was a rather well fit match for the ritual. To distract herself from these notions Alynia thought even harder about whether or not she was to go visit Kim. It seemed to her that the only thing to worry about were the guards, and if there are only two of them then it shouldn't be so difficult to avoid them, especially of Oberron was willing to scout ahead of her.

"Well to be honest, the entire reason I came to the castle was to make sure my friend was okay." Alynia reasoned outloud, she felt that it would be best not to mention she wanted to rescue her as well. "I couldnt think of anything else I would want to do at this time, even if there are risks."

Alynia still shuddered at the decision she had made. "Nevermind what you mentioned. I would prefer that the guards lay no hand on me at all." she declared. "It would be of great assistance if you were willing to move ahead of me." she said gratefully. Alynia suddenly realized, this was a rather selfish decision she was making so she quickly added "But really, if you are risking yourself by helping me, I would prefer that I handle it alone." She was truly just being polite, Alynia knew that here was no way shed make it in the dungeons without his help, but Alynia was rather determined to see Kim.

On the other hand, She had no clue whether or not the guards would have taken a special interest in the red haired girl. Alynia was a terrible judge on looks, barely even recognizing he own. She thought Kim was pretty, just as most girls that attended her school, but she was rather clueless if her friend was a beauty or not. Besides, there are suppose to to be many other girls in the dungeon. Some were bound to be very comely. Alynia decided the odds were in her favor and looked at Oberron wondering if he would agree to her request.

Oberron regarded her for a silent moment as if he were calculating something in his head or assaging what he had heard. He smiled after a moment as he folded his hands together behind his back.

"So much like Tatinia, so head strong regardless of the consequences but you cannot let the what if's dominate your choices. The guards are use to me wandering about so it draws no undue attention from them and most tend to ignore me anyway. You can say I'm like a fixture in this place, a well worn tapestry. So even if they did find me escorting you about it is normal for me to be out and about, punishment would fall upon you since you do not have that liberty.

"If they knew that I was the cause for you being out and about that may have a few ramifications but at worse I wouldn't be able to wonder about freely. Sable has already taken my wife and kingdom from me, there's little else that she could do at this point as I have lost most everything at this stage."

He smiled again, rocking on the balls of his feet like an anxious child that was concelling a secret that they wanted to tell. "Well, she does not know this but as long as I live I still retain hope, even now and that is something she can only end in one way. Let us go and see your friend."

They ended up taking the long way to the dungeons for more than once guards were encountered. Fortunately with Oberron leading the way nothing seemed amiss and they were able to double back and take other routes. More than once she had to stay hidden while Oberron pass through the rooms and went through other rooms until he wound back at her position.

Eventually they made it down to the dungeons. Even if she were blind she would have smelled the familiar odor. Again she was left to hide, this time in a supply closet with extra manacles and chains for the most part and a few garments though not many. Oberron went ahead and came back about five minutes later.

"Slight problem," he said upon his return. "Something I should have thought of earlier but I don't know which cell houses your friend. It is dark in those rooms and while there is a slit you can look through into the cell those are covered over but can be slide back like a simple bolt so you can look in.

"One guard is asleep at the guard station, the other ... well he's in one of the cells. There are twelve cells in total but I don't know how many people are in each or which ones are occupied other than the one. Outside of that one is a sword leaning against the wall, I guess he did not want to chance bringing a weapon in there.

"When I was here last I was the only one to my cell and it was quiet small."