Leoric

History of the Twins

Leoric was born seconds before Gaidan, whose hand was around his heel. The two grew up with a lot of love in spite of circumstances dealing with their father. They too were sent to study under the wizard Thalan. There until the age of fifteen when an incident tore a chasm between the two wider than any expanse of sea. They left their teachings to travel the world separately.

He and his brother looked exactly alike until one got to know them. Leoric being the more compassionate, more friendly, while Gaidan the more stern. Such would be found within that edge held to his slate blue gaze. The slight turn of his lips when he smiled. Leoric's hair was a little lighter for the tropical places he had been while traveling. He was the one more adept in the forces of nature like his brother Andrew. Druid ways his mien while his brother was more the warrior wielding the sword.

No one knew but the two brothers and one other what had happened to drive such a wedge between them. A situation so drastic it left them bitter towards the other at that young age.

On top of that there was the death of their father and how it transpired that left a bitter taste for both. Leoric spoke little of his father for these very circumstances. His father had been a good man until he left to see to some matters back in Kildare. King Seamus McLarkin had gone insane by the time he returned from Kildare to his wife, Honeee. That very night he tried to burn her with him in their bedroom chambers. However, Seamus was the only one to die in that fire as their mother was rescued. Something happened in Kildare to send a sane man mad. This mystery was yet to be resolved by his two sons, his only heirs. It would take both brothers working together to go back to Kildare and appease their father's death. So, with both of them home, their conflict began anew until it would be resolved.

Both Leoric and Gaidan came home the very same day. The odds of such would be extremely slim but far more was at work with the twins. They ran into each other in the Thistle and the fireworks already began with insults and taunts flung back and forth between the two until it escalated over the days to come with the ultimate confrontation in a physical fight. So they met on the field to resolve this rift between them.

--The following is taken from the Live Roleplay between Leoric and Gaidan--

The night was dark by the time they left the tavern. Leoric's temper was on high as his steps blazed with his mood all the way to the fairly hidden field up behind the tavern a ways. It was only upon reaching this area, the center in fact, that he turned finally to face his brother, mirror image of himself. The moon was full and its light would play down over the area in dancing shadows. Shadows now created for his own honed gifts to create a diversion if this would be a fight in bloodshed. He planned to win.

Gaidan's steps were quick and certain despite the uncertainty in the back of his mind. His own anger would take care of that soon enough. He had not yet drawn his sword but his hand had wrapped tightly around the hilt, his eyes on his twin as he approached, watching every move the man made... noting the shadows that played about him. "Even now, when you face me for your crime you would use deception. An honest fight would be too much to expect." His voice deep and grating, the full extent of his fury heard there.

"Still whining brother mine?" Hissed out as he walked in a way that had those shadows playing around him to remain elusive. He was no fool so it was a match of varying gifts instead. Slate blue eyes held that thunderous look, coupled with the low tone of his voice as he was slowly circling his brother. Fingers curled to tighten around the hilt of his sword. "Katie gave her oath to become my wife.

Identical Twin Gaidan

She came crying to me, said you knew this when you raped her." The words bringing back that deep cutting edge as his sword was drawn and through the shadows it lashed out at his brother in a well drawn up arch to circle up before coming down what would be his shoulder if he didn't respond.

His eyes narrowed as he tried to keep sight of Leo through the trickery he had created. Sight was only one of his senses, however, and Gaidan, trained warrior that he was, knew better than to rely on it alone. He focused instead on the sound of Leoric's voice, the direction from which it came. The harsh slide of metal as his brother's sword was drawn was followed a split second later by the sound of his own. Fast on his feet, he turned at that same time, focused on the direction of sound and saw the glint of steel in the moonlight just in time to parry the strike aimed at his shoulder. Sparks flashed, the brothers brought close together, face to face. "You lie! It was you! Passing yourself off as me!" The words spat in a hard growl as he pushed Leoric away from him, hoping his strength would send him stumbling back.

Steel seared against steel in sparks of its own forging to show under the moonlight. Brought in close as swords were crushed harmless between. A strong shove would send them apart. "She knew the difference in our looks, who was who. She said you tried to pass yourself off as me but she said she knew it was you.." Brows were drawing to furrow as he turned to melt within those shadows. His voice seeming now to be heard to his left, then his right before somewhere in front of his brother. "Why, why would you try to steal the woman I had loved. In doing so she turned away to run and hide, said she could not marry having been defiled." Glint of steel showed before doused within the dark of night and fire sprung up around Gaidan's feet as that glinting spark shot to ignite old dried up leaves there.

His senses were sharp and he had been burned once by Leoric's abilities years before. He knew to expect treachery of this sort and spun on his heels as the leaves ignited, jumping to one side to avoid the flames heat. "More lies!! I courted her for weeks! Weeks!!" The glint of steel came from his sword now, spun deftly by a well practiced hand. "You took her from me! It is only by my own mercy that you live still today. But I intend to correct that tonight." Leoric had fire and shadows, Gaidan had speed and skill and used it now to launch himself at Leoric, sword arching high and around then down with the intent to slash directly at his twin's heart.

As Leoric had warned him, he had practiced his skill with his sword. Perhaps he would never have that skill his brother had, he had enough to deflect that slash. Not enough not to go unscratched as the tip drew blood as it cut through his tunic along his left side. Ancient tongue was his in an old chant that would turn steel to brittle of his brother's sword that now wore his own blood. There was something wrong that still niggled as he turned with that blow to have his own sword come up to slash across his brother's throat. That moment he would feel the blade there, he heard a curse instead as Leoric shoved him away, throwing it down instead. Shadows were lifted as he stood there well under the moonlight, his hand holding his side as it became bloodied. "And..." His words faltering under that niggling thought. "What if the woman lied to us both?" He was wide open for another blow if his brother so wished, it would not be with his shattered sword but Leoric knew well he had a dagger too. Leo found he could not kill his brother, no matter what. He would have to be killed instead if such were to be.

Leoric had boasted increased skill, Gaidan hadn't believed it until now, when he fought to raise his own sword to deflect the strike that might not just draw blood but kill him outright. He braced himself for it, waiting to feel the cold steel slice open the flesh of his neck... and found himself stumbling backward, his sword... the sword wielded in many a battle, shattered and useless. The hilt fell to the ground when he dropped it, his hand reaching for the dagger tucked into his belt. Fingers wrapped tight around the handle and there they stopped, blue eyes finding Leoric, no longer hidden in shadow. The look of fury he had worn since leaving the tavern had softened somewhat, the words spoken penetrating. "Katie would not lie..." It was meant to be a shout but fell off, sounding more like a question than a statement.

His voice was thick, husky, as one losing blood but he still stood as the Barrett tartan covered up how bad the wound really was. His sight blurred then cleared as he spoke up again. "She said the same to both of us, Gaidan. We were only fifteen and in love with a woman much older than us, near ten years. She could not have been a virgin. I never..."

Words were slurring some as he had never laid with the woman, they were suppose to but when he got close this deceit started on his brother. Vision blurred again as the ground met his knees, soften some by the new sprouted grass that was stained in his blood. Another even deeper hurt surfaced. "Does the nut fall far from the tree father, shall we find we are insane as thee?" More under his breath as he collapsed into unconsciousness.

The warrior's shoulders sagged as he listened to his brother's words. No blood drawn, no injuries to his person and yet he looked all the world as a man defeated. No reply, he had no reply for he was having the same thoughts about Katie. "For what... purpose?" His hand had long since dropped away from the hilt of his dagger. "Leoric..." Two steps toward his brother as the man fell to his knees. He did not hear what Leo's whispered words were for he was rushing to his side. He did not need sight to know the cause. Leoric was the same size as he, lifting him would be no easy task but he needed to get him inside and a healer to him as quickly as possible. He grunted under the weight as he hefted him over his shoulder, mindless of the blood that would now stain his own shirt. Holding tight to his twin, he turned back for the Thistle at the quickest pace he could manage.

His strength was starting to go by the time he pushed the door open. "I need help!" Spinning around once to point himself in the direction of the hearth. "Alex! Send for my mother!" Stumbling the last few steps until he could lay his brother on the sofa by the low burning fire.

Leoric was alive still, just a lot of lost blood. The low moan was the only brief surfacing to consciousness as he hit the couch. They would find the cut deep although any vital organs had been missed. It would need stitching or some kind of sealing-searing to close it off. Oh, he was going to be sore for a couple weeks but functional.

"Alex, you...!!" Roaring after the man, stopping halfway to the kitchen and turning back, realizing that the woman coming to Leo's aid must be a healer herself. "Can you help him? Can you heal him?" Stark panic in his voice as he came once again to Leo's side.

His hand was still plastered to his side, thick blood sealing it there with the wool of his tartan. She would have to rip the rest of his shirt apart and ease his hand aside to find the damage below. Lucky for Leo, he was out for the count at this point, anything they needed to do best be done now while he wouldn't register much of any pain and if he did, it wouldn't be remembered.

He opened his mouth to do just that but closed it just as quickly. "I need a drink." Turning as the sight of blood finally registered. He had done that. He had done that to his brother.

Had Leoric sliced his brother's throat, the night would have found them both dead upon that field up behind the tavern. In his inability to kill his brother, he saved his own life. Eventually they would come to realize a lot of things that had been taken wrong so long ago. His breathing was shallow but Leoric especially was open to such healing, he had used a lot of his own energy putting out the fire he started before it really caught. One reason the loss of blood now was taking its toll. Still, he had a pulse, vital signs were good and they strengthened as those energies flowed, fueling him as the seeping of the blood of his wound ceased completely.

Those very facts were not lost on him either. He owed Leoric his life, Leoric owed Gaidan his. Gaidan couldn't look back at the bloody mess that was his brother. Not yet. After drinking down the poteen he ran the back of his hand across his mouth.

Consciousness struggled to take hold but the healing had him also becoming stronger. Slate blues opened, slowly, as they focused in. He was still groggy and had that quality to his eyes. "My brother? Gaidan, where is he?" Staring into the woman's eyes that was healing him. This also dawned on him as a weak smile surfaced. "Thank you lass.."

"Is he still alive..." He needn't have asked for he heard Leo's voice, weak though it was and whirled around. The sight of his brother conscious, alive, was almost enough to send him to the floor in a fit of prayer and thanks but he kept himself collected and hurried back to Leo's side. "Here. I'm here." And there he knelt, taking Leo's hand in his.

He mustered up all the strength he had to squeeze his brother's hand in reassurance, as much his own. He had a near death experience and the sight he saw had him saying one thing very important to them both. "We have much to talk on little brother but, you and I have to go back to Kildare soon. I saw something that may prove something very vital and important to us both on our father."

The Wizard Thalan

"Aye, we'll go, soon as you're well enough." He bent his head, forehead resting on Leo's hand. He did not dismiss what his brother had said, he was so thankful to have him there.

He felt that pain too as he raised his other hand to place on Gaidan's bent head. All was going to be well, more than flesh. A wincing groan came as he couldn't keep his hand there long. Sliding off he let it rest along the couch as the pain subsided. "I will be fine." Was slightly gritted out between his teeth. He too was a warrior in his own way. A tartan and kilt ruined, a favored sword shattered, but certainly a small price for what was gained this evening. He struggled to sit for his attire and to see better.

"I know," and he did. Now. It was the terrifying moments before that he felt still. He raised his head, dark, slate blue eyes meeting Leo's.

Shifting a moment to eyes the same coloring of his own, they paused there in thought. "Together as brothers once more we shall find the answer."

Twins Torn Return to Kildare The Painter The Experiment Turning Points Regaining Kildare Rebuilding Kildare
(Note: there are quite a few SLs done under Leoric and his brother that will eventually be up on our new MB)