Truth and Lies

General Galan asked, "Are you ok Morgan? What were you doing there?" Morgan sniffed softly and responded, "I offered to stay to save everyone. He kept me and left me there. Arvan let me leave so I left." Greyson could feel in the force that she was telling the truth. Or at least, she was not lieing. Though many of the Showgun hesitated to put significant trust in this skill. Many of the truths we cling to, depend entirely on our own point of view. It could only tell if the person intentionally lied, and one's perspective often colored an event or distorted it to the point the truth was lost. Not only was truth often subjective, but many people watched their words so as to spin truth on a string like a top. Saying one thing while meaning another or using phrases that did not commit anything in regards to the direct questions they were asked. Morgan seemed like one who would be a master at doing just that. It was for these reasons that all the Masters said the force can not tell you the truth, it can only allow you to sense if someone knows they are lieing.

Even though he could not be sure of her truth he could sense her heart. He examined the pool that was Morgan for her aura. He examined the pool for its composition of darkness and light expecting to confirm his suspicions. She was, afterall, evil when they rescued her and before they went to the ruined fort. An experience and prolonged exposure to a Vistani was guarenteed not to reverse that but to grow it. He was stunned. Reviewing more closely, he saw again she was the perfect balance of good and evil. Light and Dark worked with in her in perfect unity, she would not even be dark enough to be denied access to the Isle. It could not be.

"Let's go to the Isle." Greyson burst into General Galan's conversation so convinced this was a ruse. Morgan just smiled, "Ok, General Galan lets go to the Isle." there was a lot of sarcasim and bite in that remark almost challenging. Then he realized she was pointing out that Greyson was challenging the General's authority. He is barely embarressed as Galan's curious glance but stays resolute in his stance. Something is wrong General Galan spoke up, "Greyson, please?" He says waving his hand as if to desculate Greyson's resolve. "Morgan is here safe with us, as Morgan as she has ever been. The first thing we need to do is get these letters to Tatyana. We did promise Arvan."

"You promised." Morgan mumbled under her breath though Greyson did not think anyone else actually heard.

"Moriana, are you feeling better?" The General asked the stranger Lord Arvan granted the group to help them find his Tatyana. Lord Arvan's story was the exact reason Showgun refused attachment to anything or anyone. The history read that Lord Arvan was one of the mightest paladins in history. Leading supressed men adn women from the brink of utter anhilation fighting and chasing giants across the mountains. He defending and protected them for decades reverved and then a woman appeared and he would not leave the bed chamber, forsook his covenants and resolve. Even now with his whole world devolving around him all he caried about was her. That is what attachment brought.


"Yes." She said softly avoiding the generals eyes. She seemed to strong and confident and capable to recoil from his gaze so fully. Like she had an ocean of secrets barely hidden by a morning fog. She was also lieing. Greyson reached out to read her thoughts to fing out why and heard Lord Raquels voice with his admonition. He let the trance go.

"Where can we find this Tatyana?"

"I need to find Bella. We were both captured. Did she make it out?"

"She's ok, She's on the Isle a little jumpy after her encounter with Veritas."

At mention of Bella being on the Isle horror crossed Moriana's face but only for a moment as it seems fear for herself more important at the time. "I must see her. I am her servant she may need me."

"Captain Dante, go tell Bella to come to my office and escorter. Even though she carries a whip she's not a fighter like us. She seems more spoiled adventure is not a thrill to her but a trauma."

"Yes, General." Dante says and turns to leave.

----

Greyson waited outside the door of the private room they had got in the inn. Moriana and Bella were talking about something. He did not believe the story they had shared about Moriana being Bella's handmaid from where she grew up in Babylon. After the fall of the tower and destruction by Khan, they, being the only survivors from the household fled finding their way to Trade City. He supposed it was possible but not likely. He thought if he just listenned in for a moment he may learn more. THough he resisted the urge, just because I can doesn't mean I should. The more he snooped where Bella was concerned the more strangeness he found. Starting with the fact that she was not even alive. THe ripples she made in teh force were similar to Master Windstar but not exactly. Though, everyone impacted and was impacted by the force differently. Listening was not a bad as forcefully mind reading. Just a moment. Anyone could hear them if they listenned it was not the same as before.

He pressed his ear against the door, but could not hear what they were saying. Even for his elven ears, the door was too thick. He could hear talking is hushed tones but it was too hushed to make out. It seemed to him like they did not want to be heard. He pulled away from the door releived that he could not hear them and left their privacy in tact.
Especially since they seem to want it so badly. TO not be heard they must barley be speaking at all just reading eachother's lips. What could be such a valueable secret that it needed to be guarded so well? Whatever it was it could not be safe for the group not to know.

He did not touch the force but became one with it. All the senses that the shell of his body demonstrated in the world of illusion were stronger. Details of the grain in the wood of the door now showed as obvious to Greyson as the door itself. So was sound. He could hear them, "Are you finished?" Bella's voice whispered. "Yes, this is the last letter nothing to implicate her." Moriana answered with a confident if hushed tone. "Ok the last one is burned, can you make the trade back."
"Yes. Lets not linger."

Greyson stepped back. Arvan's Letters?!? He looked around for a page. Deciding he could not trust the page to just send the message he touched his mind. With in moments the page's will and mind was completely in Greyson's control. He had him run to the General's office. In a few moments the page was there. Once there Lucian let the page in, "General, this is Greyson I am conroling the page. Check the letters. I have reason to believe they have been stolen and altered. Do you still have them?"

--------

Galan opens his pack to find nothing. Of course, there was a few maps and some rope, some jerky rations but no letters. "THank you Greyson, Moriana?"

"Yes sir."

"Ok thank you, do not let her know. I will deal with it myself."

"Yes sir." He said and the page blinked and shook as if dunked in a frozen lake. "Excuse me sir..I"

"Dismissed solider."

The young man runs out.

"Bob watch and let me know when Moriana drops the letters back in my pack. Then trail her. She should lead us to Tatyana."

------

THat evening after Bella and Moriana had been joyfully reunited, Galan Greyson and Dante were discussing their next moves. "What we know is Veritas is back. He maybe or maybe not working with Alan."

Dante speaks up, "We have to deal with Alan, innocent people will die if he is not stopped."

Galan nods as the sound of a door knock interupts their conversation. Lucian sticks his head in, "There is a Lady Tatyana here for you." Intriegied, Galan motions to let her in. He does so, and a moderately attractive woman early 30s with sharp black hair and distant eyes comes in with a courtsy. "My lord, I have been told you have some letters for me."

"I have some letters for A Tatyana."

"She was my great grandmother and her journal told me there would be some letters sent by an Arvan on this year. I have heard you have them." The small scratch of Greyson's left eyebrow indicates she is lieing.

"Who are you trying to protect?"

"What?"

"I know you are not THE Tatyana I am looking for. But you may take me to her."

"I don't know what you mean she is long dead. Don't insult my families memory."

"Enough games," after seeing another scratch from Greyson, "I mean her no harm and do not care who or what she is. I made a promise to deliver these to her and no one else."

Desperation twinged her voice, "Please i need those letters. They are mine."

"No, if you will not take me to her then bring her to me. SHe can have her letters and walk free you have my word."

Captain Dante has her to the ground before Greyson even realised that she lunged at Galan. "Put he in a hold cell for attempted assault of an officer and release her in the morning."

"She is charmed sir." Greyson chimes in, "The effects could be for weeks."

"Put her in a cell and Bring me Bella and Moriana. We need to find out what game we are playing."

-------

Bella stood before General Galan, a paladin of the Isle, the people she knew who would kill her with out thought if they new. But she stood with an ice calm. Moriana did the same though she refused to meet his gaze. There were some acts of will that mortals were just not capable of. Bella wondered for a moment if she would die. THen she forced herself to worry about the present. "What do you need?" She asked trying to ice the comment with irritation that would befit a lady whose evening is interupted.

The General said in a commanding and even charming voice, "The lady you sent is in a holding cell. And I am convinced you know where I can find this Tatyana. I mean your lady no harm and I promise her safety. I have made a promise that she will recieve the letters. What do we do?"

"I know no Tatyana." Bella said flatly. She noticed that Greyson must be tired because he was rubbing his eyes.

"I will know when you lie to me. I need the truth, I just want to help her."

"Tatyana was like a mother to me. She no longer lives and giving those letters to me is as good as giving them to her." Bella spoke with so much confidence that it must have spun Galan's nerve as he looked to Greyson. Greyson did not move. Galan, seeming to take that as a signal, continues, "Very well, you can have the letters." He throws the bound parchment to Moriana who catches them. For all his conviction he seems to give them up very easily.
Does he know they are faked? I knew it was too much, but Moriana insisted we put layers and layers of deceit between the Paladins and Tatyana. She pushed the thoughts away. She had heard the showgun could read minds. Bella lived in a very dangerous world for a woman with secrets, a world where there was no privacy. Who could tell the differnce between truth and lies when there was no privacy? Too much truth would be devestating to anyone.

"What do you mean my lady we know no Tatyana." Moriana insisted desperately.

"Do not dare tarnish her memory," Bella snapped quickly.

Moriana tucked the letters away and they both turned to leave. As the door rest open Galan spoke again with that voice that conveyed serious conviction and commanding drive, "Now when those forgeries are or are not delivered and Lord Arvan asks me about the letters I will tell them exactly what happened and exactly who is to be held responsible."

Bella hid a chill she felt through her spine. She knew that not destroying the letters and leaving evidence to Tatyana would be far worse than anything these Paladins or that Death Knight were capable of. And that was the most true believe her world could hold onto.