Giang

[x_Matrim_Cauthon_x]

He again moved, this time though he just continued pacing back and forth. "Do you know of a Yellow sister that was stationed in the Borderlands about 2 years ago? And if so, do you happen to know her name and her current residence?" He paused slightly not sure if he should continue or stop and leave his reason's hidden. If I hide the reason why, then she will surely be suspicious. She hardly trusts me as it is. "I want to ask her something about a personal matter."

He slowly nodded, deciding that he had given enough proof that he wouldn’t try to kill her. His mind started slightly veering back to why the boy had not returned yet with a marionette. "I'd rather not go into detail. It would bore you senseless."  

[Color Me Fubar]

"I was in the Borderlands about two years ago, my travels brought me there," Kiae told him calmly. "I knew one or two other Yellow Sisters, but as far as I know there were hardly any Sisters in the Borderlands to begin with at that time. Why?"

"And Asano is probably doing his best to find his uncle's finest marionette to bring me," she added with a smile, seeing the expression on the man's face. "Have no fear, he will obey me."  

[x_Matrim_Cauthon_x]

His eyes almost widened at her claim and he slowly steadied himself to calm before he did something only a fool would consider. "Did you try to heal a woman wearing a light blue silk dress with white roses etched into the sleeves? Her hair was a golden yellow and she was brought in by her husband after the attack. She had been cut rather deeply by a Trolloc blade. It went so deep it made a small hole in her heart. Now with all those details given, were you the one that attempted to heal her?" His eyes were now dead set on her, not caring at all where she was at the moment or who was around. I will have my answer.  

[Color Me Fubar]

Kiae frowned, trying to recall the events of that attack. She did indeed remember it, as it was a great surprise to all involved and Andurael had been wounded defending her as she Healed the several Aiel stationed there.
She looked back at the man, and her eyes flickered to Cobain to assure her he was still there, watching them with a sour expression on his face.
"I believe so, yes. She was beyond any Healing, unfortunately," she told him.  

[x_Matrim_Cauthon_x]

((Can someone say 'semi-mental breakdown'))

Melthin held himself as he wanted to lash out and strike, yet instead he laughed. "This is the oddest thing. Here I find the one that never gave my wife a chance at being cured. After cursing all Yellow ajah and studying while searching for an answer. And after learning about this dark gift, I find you and now I can’t do anything. Anya Veltine would have lived. I have spent my life to knowing the human body inside and out as well as every other living being. All in a vain attempt at an answer. And this is the reward? To find that you were the one?!"

As he spoke he had slowly walked over to a tree and had sat at the base, his arms now resting on his knees. "She could have been saved. Patched the heart and then work around it. She could have lived. So many things in this world no longer make sense. You would not begin to believe the rage that pulled me through these two years just to find you. And yet I can hardly raise a finger to you. Why?!" Tears were now apparent in his eyes. In his mind, everything he had done and sought out was crumbling around him. His world was torn and he was simply watching.  

[Color Me Fubar]

(I thought that'd be fun! biggrin )

Kiae's jaw dropped in shock - she hadn't recognized Melthin at all, and to discover how their pasts intertwined made her a bit dizzy. Gathering her composure, she strode over to him and sat down beside him. Sympathy was in her eyes, as was understanding.
"I am truly sorry about your wife," she said quietly. "There was no way to Heal that wound. The heart was pierced, there is no way to fix such a wound." She paused, knowing her words would mean nothing.
"Your knowledge is not Healing, Melthin," she finally told him gently. "It is manipulation, temporarily fixing. But not Healing. You may be able to raise a corpse, but it will never be that person again."  

[x_Matrim_Cauthon_x]

"My folly was in vain. Even if I learned how to bring back the dead, Anya is too far gone for me to revive. It is as you said, I am an abomination. Even a genius' judgment can be clouded by grief." He focused on a spot on the ground, just so he could see something real and tangible instead of memories and the dead he had used in the past. "Here I am trying to justify my actions with a greater cause that isn’t possible. Gaining information on all animals and humans in hopes to repair the damage myself when I can't even heal a twig."

He slowly started to laugh as he continued looking at the same spot. "She is probably crying, seeing what I have done as she sits waiting to be spun back into the wheel. The irony is distasteful. I find you right as I am about to expand my talent and discard corpses for marionettes." He just shook his head and took out his book. He stared at it long and hard until he set it on his lap. "All this time and research wasted. Everything I have sacrificed, for nothing."  

[Color Me Fubar]

Kiae surveyed him for a long moment, her eyes seeming to pierce through his skin and focus on his spirit.
"Have you grown?" she asked softly. "Have you learned nothing these past two years? If you have, it has not been in vain."
She looked away for his own comfort, shrugging. "You are not the only one to justify actions with a greater cause. Wars are always justified with some righteous claim to victory. Murder in the name of the law, even judgement of people...it is a human folly. And I doubt very much your wife would cry to see you an accomplished man who has realized his true potential and purpose."  

[x_Matrim_Cauthon_x]

"Perhaps." He took his kercheif and began drying the area around his eyes as he stood and cleared his throat. "He should be back soon. And to see a strange man on the ground crying would be an odd situation to come back too." He oddly had a smile instead of his normal scoul and stare. He opened his book again, this time looking at a picture of a Mydrall and looking back to Kiae. "Does this Tinker man make life sized models?"  

[Color Me Fubar]

"Yes, I believe he does," she replied, nodding. "I'm sure Asano will bring you a fine example. Any friend of mine is accepted by them without question."
She turned with a smile as the mentioned boy jogged over, carrying the weight of a marionette - life-sized indeed, clothed in Tinker garb and a childish face on it's head.
"Is this what you wanted, Kiae?" he asked, lowering it carefully to the ground. "Uncle said to take care of it, and if you have need of it he has others to replace it," Asano added carefully, and Kiae smiled at this. She knew the Tinkers would suspect something odd about her request - Light bless them, they'd burn their wagons down if she needed them to.
"This is perfect, Asano. Why don't you keep Cobain some company? He looks a little grouchy," she suggested with a small smile. At this idea the boy's eyes lit up, and he took off without another word.  

[x_Matrim_Cauthon_x]

He slowly took the puppet with air and began examining the thing. He did let out a small chuckle that it was a woman. At least it does not resemble Anya. As he slowly spun it around he became more and more interested. "The quality is superb. The detail on the face alone is enough to forget about the hands and feet. The digits on the hand are flexible so as to make hand gestures to add effect. Every piece of this marionette screams that it was a master's hand that crafted it." As he released it and threw his weave at it, something odd happened, besides the initial shock of success.

He could see small hairline strings of Air tied from major points on the puppet to his fingers. He stared at her for a few good moments before starting anything. First a flick of the wrist, then moving the hands and fingers, and then walking. It was all so easy, he felt somewhat confused. A marionette is less difficult then a human corpse. At this rate I could control two, but I shall wait until I have mastered just one before I try to tackle that challenge.

He slowly had the marionette come over and hold out a hand for him to help him up. As he stood he bushed off his slacks and nodded his approval at the marionette. "Interesting indeed. If I had known this sooner, I would have been able to get around much more easily then waiting for a corpse to be made somewhere. There is just one last thing that needs to be done. I need to find her new clothes. Tinker garbs are too bright for their own good." He took off his glasses to emphasize the point of a headache in the near future if he had to look at the dress she had on. After he set his glasses back on the bridge of his nose, he turned to Kiae. "Does this man have more then just flashy clothes for a tinker?"  

[Color Me Fubar]

"Probably not," Kiae told him with a wry grin. "They are Tinkers, after all. They tend to dress the part."
She shook her head in amusement, but waved Asano over. "Ask your uncle if he has anything darker for the marionette," she requested, and he ran off without a word.
"It won't hurt to ask," she said with a shrug.  

[Heavy-Metal-Hippie]

Cobain tucked his daggers back into his sleeves. For all that he found it amusing that children were always so infatuated with him, he wasn't much of an authority on entertaining them, and had to resort to telling off-color jokes and juggling. "I'm afraid Asano's going to be having a few questions for his mother tonight." He said almost sheepishly to Kiae.  

[Color Me Fubar]

Her jaw dropped, and then she covered her eyes with a groan. "You didn't," she said almost pleadingly. "Why?"
Tipping her head back, Kiae thought gultily of the Tinker's lives before she had brought Cobain into it.  

[Heavy-Metal-Hippie]

"He's what, thirteen? Fourteen? Kid's gotta learn something sometime." Cobain said with a shrug. "And my jokes weren't that bad..." He trailed off, thinking back to the one about the Tairen woman and the chicken farm. "Er, not quite that bad." He insisted.

((Tairen? Tarien?? Never was sure, lol.))