Kali was upon her feet nearly the second the sturdy wooden door to her small but cozy dwelling was thrown open.  Unlike the posh quarters for those in the royal family , the general quarters for those of lesser nobility were slightly more subdued. That isn't to say the rooms not elegant ; they simply lacked the grandeur of the richer rooms in the estate. The one Kali was housed in was based on a simple , open concept. There was little clutter in the small apartment , emphasizing open space to make the room feel larger despite the fact it was just enough for someone to comfortably sleep , dress, and occasionally study in .<br/><br/>She had a modestly sized four poster bed with silky , soft sheets and a collection of luxurious pillows scattered across its surface. It hard strong wooden headboards and footboard and the dark wood was the same color as the rest of the furniture in her room. The biggest piece aside from the bed was a chest of drawers that held her clothes ( among other things ) , a vanity along the far wall that was rarely used and a desk piled with books that had long gone unopened- their owner was not quite as studious as she should be.<br/><br/>Moments before the intrusion of her dear friend Kali had been lounging on her bed, smoking her pipe and listening to the sounds of harpsichord  music filling the halls . The sweet , sticky smoke lingered in the air and the wooden pipe still burned in her hand  before she quickly shook the smoking instrument out and snuffed the little ember that remained. Her golden - amber eyes were wide with shock, the black pupil wide from the mild narcotic effect of the herb her pipe was packed with.<br/><br/>Unlike her friend Kali had not pressing meetings or even expectations of company. Her mode of dress was much more plain , consisting of a white jacket like garment  with long sleeves that hugged her slender torso .Her pants were typical to the region , baggy and slightly loose they were tucked into her leather boots - a well worn pair normally reserved for the dueling fields.  Her long brown hair was braided simply , with her bangs braided back behind her head like a small crown and the rest of her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail.<br/><br/><br/>When she saw that it wasn't a servant that had come to scold her for smoking in her room but her childhood friend Kali immediately dropped her pipe. Those expressive golden eyes widened as she took in Lanthra's sorry state and the girl wailed out her name in misery. Immediately her heart sank as she put the pieces of the saddening puzzle together. Drunk and miserable , her best friend had come to her for comfort after the death of her brother.<br/><br/><br/>What was Kali supposed to say ? What could she ever do to help mend that wound any more quickly than time itself. The indecision rocked the elf and as Lanthra cried she simply stood by in silent shock until the slightly smaller woman rushed forward and threw her arms around Kali.  Unlike Lanthra she was not quite as soft. Her days were filled with dueling and horseback riding and her arms and core were strong and firm to the touch but those same strong arms were possesd lf unbelieva gentleness as they wrapped around her friend - the woman she had loved in silence for so many years.<br/><br/>In part , Kali was just as shocked as Lanthra at the news.  While he had always been older than them both , Kali knew the man well and while nothing could compare to the loss of a sibling his smiling face would be sorely missed in the dining halls; he always had the most peculiar stories. The passing memory made the dark skinned elf smile and she used that remnant of positive emotion as strength she needed to finally begin comforting Lanthra.<br/><br/>The woman pulled back , looking her lifelong love and deepest crush and smiled . One hand moved in slow soothing circles along Lanthra back while the digits of the other reach upward and wipe away her tears gently.<span style="color: purple">" Would he really want you spilling tears for him, Lanthra ?" T</span>o answer her own rhetorical question Kali shook her head with a smile.<span style="color: purple">" You have the drinking part right at least , though I don't think you brought quite enough for your best friend..." </span><br/><br/>The other woman reached down gingerly , tipping the container so she could look inside and see the disappointingly low level of booze inside the pitcher. "<span style="color: purple"> You're so lucky you have me though ,dear. I have just the thing we need to properly honor his memory. "  </span><br/><br/>With a mischievous glint shining bright in her golden eyes , Kali pulled Lanthra from the door and swiftly nudged it shut behind her. When the door clicked shut she locked it with a gesture of her hand and the help of a little magic before turning to her beautiful friend and giving her another big hug that quickly was released.<span style="color: purple">"You go sit down and we can talk , alright ? But I want to get something for us  "</span><br/><br/>Without another word she all but skipped to her dresser and pulled out the top drawer , rummaging through clothes until she sees exactly what she was looking for. A cry of victory and a few moments later she's back in front of Lanthra with two unopened bottles of a strong spiced wine.<span style="color: purple"> " I had been saving these for a special occasion but.. you , my friend, are more important. So much more. " </span>she looked down at the bottles , hesitancy creeping across her handsome , young elfish features. In truth Kali had been saving them for Lanthra's birthday , when she planned on telling the other woman she loved her.<br/><br/>Now they would just have to do for something else. She sat a moment later and handed her friend one to uncork while she happily did the other.During her work she glanced over at her friend and smiled brightly .<span style="color: purple"> " Would you kill me if I said I still think you look fetching in those dresses ?"</span><div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>