A+secret+meeting+with+Axton

Wren opened the door of the girls' room and seen Axton walking by. She smiled and nodded to him in greeting. She looked down each way of the hall and seen no one else, "Do you have a moment? I think we should talk." Before he had a chance to answer her, she pulled him into the room and closed the door.

She pulled out a box of scroll paper and inks and quills, one that looked remarkably like the one left outside of Yuki's window on the ship. "I'm guessing this belongs to you... it looks just like the one you came with to meet us this morning," Wren smiled and placed the box into his hands and read his face.

Axton looked a little surprised at the young elven maid's insistence at being drug into the girls room, which the pirates had given to her and Yuki, Posy, and Mali. Fortunately they were on deck, leaving the two of them...very alone. Axton leveled a devastating handsome smile at the witch, swiftly regaining his composure.

//So charming... so handsome... // Wren couldn't help but return his charming smile.

"Oh...Wren..." He spoke her first name like honey, his familiarity warming the tips of her ears.

Wren blushed. //Oh, he's good... I'm going to have to turn it up a notch just to keep up... // She smiled coyly. //wait! he doesn't really like me, does he? //

"Why yes, I believe I did...from my understanding I'm going to be quite busy on this trip so I wanted to be sure I had enough materials. I saw that you and Miss Ashdown were speaking so I thought it best to leave...quietly." But now that Wren knew what to look for she could see just the barest hint of sadness behind the young man's eyes.

//No, no... there's what I'm looking for. So he does like her. Did she break his heart already? What all did he hear? //

"But really...Wren..." The way he said her name almost gave her shivers.. "you are quite...bold to drag me into your room like this! What did you wish to...talk about?"

<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Wren leaned in closer and flashed him a mischievous smile, "You only think it bold because you're used to the adorable young priestesses at the temple who fall to your feet... who would die to be in your arms, though most wouldn't know what to do if they got there..." She winked at him.

//<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Ahhh! What am I doing? Stop encouraging him! This is NOT why we're here. //<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Wren shook her head a moment to clear it. She held up her hand gracefully.

<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">"But... I wanted to talk to you about Yuki... I tried to make it clear to her that there was nothing real between us... though I don't think she grasps the concept of our flirting... and I'm not sure what game you're playing with her... but I've been drug into the middle of it... so tell me..." she paused to lean in, her voice almost a whisper with the heat of her breath brushing his ear, "Prince of Sune..." She leaned back and grinned, "What does Yuki mean to you? ...because I have a very conflicting story."

<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Before he could answer her, she held up her hand once again, and continued, "and if you want me to trust you more than the doom bringer of Shar... then I advise you to be honest." She smiled.

<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Axton frowned...pushing the elven maid away from him firmly "Don't...put me in the same...category as that snake. I swear I've seen him somewhere before and I know he's up to no good...somehow. I don't trust him...and neither should you...or Yuki. Yuki is...she is..." He struggled with it...looking away 'very important to Sune....And I was put in charge of her training so naturally I feel responsible for her."

<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">"I DON'T trust him... but I'm TRYING to trust you..." she nodded for him to go on. //<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Right... responsible for her... that's so obviously all it is... //<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Wren tried to keep from smiling, keeping a serious look to listen to him.

<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">He ran his fingers through his lustrous hair "Look...ah...I know you don't believe me...my behavior has to look a little suspicious...but I made a promise to her parents many years ago that I'd...watch out for her...and so I am. Don't read anything more into it that that. I'm not someone she should take a second look at okay. She deserves a whole lot better don't you think? Someone that will be there for her when she needs him the most..."

<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Wren raised an eyebrow at him. //Why couldn't he be there for her? Wow, he discredits himself as much as Yuki does... are all Sunites this way? I expected him to be different... He's so confident and charming... but this is almost a self loathing... It's almost like he wears guilt... Surely this is more than the secret chores he supposedly forces the young priestess to do... what did he do?//

<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">"But I'm...glad you've become her friend, you seem nice, even though your kind of flirty." Wren blushed...SHE was flirty...what about him...just a moment before when he was oozing charm all over her?

<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">She stared at him, almost bewildered.

<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">"But I swear...I'll find some way to take revenge if you ever tell her what I just said." And by the look in his eye she could tell he was deadly serious.

<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">"Just keep...looking out for her…okay... she needs you." He turns to leave.

<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">"Relax, Senior Priest, I'm not here to ferret out the secrets that you speak and feed them to her ears.... We all have our secrets... though that does seem an odd one to keep," Wren shrugged. <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">"No, I'm here because I care about Yuki... and I am looking out for her... and part of that is a need to know how much I can trust you... but before you go... you say you've seen the mysterious priest before... before Lyrabar? like the temple in Waterdeep? or before that?" She looked at him questioningly.

<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">"That's just it...it's maddening...I don't...know. I only just came...here with Yuki and the others to Lyrabar, so it would have had to been in Waterdeep. But I can't remember where." He looked a little frustrated "Believe me, I would tell you if I knew. Maybe...I'm just letting my training...prejudices show. Sune and Shar aren't exactly two goddesses who get along...well. But I trust my instincts...you should always trust your instincts you know."

<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">"Fah...my church teaches forgiveness...and charity, and the preservation of life but I can't help but wish that oar had struck Mr. Harbinger a little harder..." Axton sighed.

<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Wren laughed softly and nodded, "Yes... Well I'm sure Sune can forgive you for that. I still have trouble believing I saved him... I thought about dropping him on the shoreline... I just didn't want to have to lie to Yuki about it." <span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Wren frowned, "...and something still nags at me about what happened... like I’ve forgotten something important."

<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Wren shook her head, "Well maybe something will help us both remember." She smiled and nodded to Axton, "Thank you for talking with me."

<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">"Oh wait!" She slipped between him and the door before he could leave, and nudged him back a little, "I don't want anyone to think the wrong thing and upset her... I mean, I was just returning your box to you, right?" she winked at him and then peeked out the door to make sure the hall was clear.