#plot!!!!

Sif stalks through the cavern slowly, more painfully awake now than she wanted to be, and yet her limbs would gracelessly waver as if still halfway in sleep's throes. Against all hope, she'd find her quarry seated by a lit censor, speaking quietly to the twin god as a friend, where she saw Him as just another thief on a grander scale.

Staring into the dark with her hand on her blade, she could but remind herself that instinct was a harsh teacher, and Thal, ever watchful. She breathes a quiet sigh as she lets go of the wall, steeling herself for what she could not yet see.

The ever present reflex of a knife in hand was hard to ignore; Harder still when in the throes of memory. Somehow he could hear the sounds of multiple approaching, the sight of lights rounding the turn, a whisper in his ears that told him now, jump free and-

The clockwork blade was loosed into the head of one of them, a horrid miss judging by the screech of steel against stone and the scream of his flesh; The flash of metal blue, not black, the sound of clockwork jagged, not smooth. A momentary stutter of memory and reality as they collide in senses and thought, ink blotting in the air between and the spaces between his eyes. Flames stuttering as they fell into their sconces.

Dugald staggers, a hand pressing to his eye, the other still holding a blade as the world swims. Phantoms? People? Where was he? He could still hear the whispers of someone approaching, he could still hear something akin to penance, sleeplessness, delirium- He brandishes his other blade in his confusion, glazed-over eyes attempting to find purchase on whatever threat there was to face.

Sif turns too late, the blade whistling past her as she finally notices the figure in the shadows step out to strike first. Nary a reaction is wrought but to freeze in place, her own knife drawn, the echo of steel against stone ringing in her head. She stares a moment longer, caught halfway between a decision to flee and risk the chase, or shout at him and try to fight off whatever retaliation came—for however long she could survive it.