deep into that darkness peering

Her shifting tensions did not pass by unnoticed. It seemed Korbin was still causing unease to others with his unsettled emotions, and it was only one more reason to consider declining the gift. It was attached to so many strings (just one) and seemed a terrible burden (light as a feather) and yet... and yet... he could not resist. Her relief was palpable, and the blue-eyed raven frowned quizzically at the lady. Why did she care so much? He was no one. Just a stranger in the rain, blown in by wind and happenstance. A bit of music and a dance should not mean anything. "Thank you," came a hoarse murmur, quiet and alive with questions he did not dare to pose. Reaching out for the lute, he stroked gentle fingers over the polished wood, wonder and trepidation quivering within, across the gaunt and haunted angles of his face. Damn... he would have to remain human now. How else could the thing be carried all the way back to Halo? Suddenly untethered from the chair, the lanky youth unfurled himself and reached for the tray of food. There was something voracious over his manners as he devoured the contents, neatness implied in the handling of cutlery yet ignored for the simple purpose of filling an empty stomach. Shadows of wolf's teeth and raven talons overlaid the image, until the room seemed transported to some other place entirely. Somewhere colder and darker, and far less civilized than this decadent parlor in the heart of Torchline. K O R B I N It's a lie for a lie and I'm getting tired An old lullabye, drifting through the sky