Stitches In The Sun (Open)

by **Kavala** on April 7th, 2010, 8:21 pm

Timestamp: Early Spring
Location: Nice dry rocky outcropping on the beach below Riverfall
Reason: Embroidery XP & Training, Perhaps Socialization.
Status: Open To All Except Hatot (she's making him a present sorta)

The Konti sat on the outcropping of rock while a loose buckskin strider stretched out in the sun on the sand below. Windsong had enjoyed a good roll, then like all sensible horses, and stretched out to enjoy the sun a little after wandering around and grazing a bit. He knew his rider would be at it a while - she had that stubborn set to her back - as she climbed with the embroidery kit, instructions, and a little sketch pad up to the platform of rocks to overlook the sea. The horse truthfully didn't understand his riders new-found passion for all that open water, but given that she still spent plenty of time with him he tolerated her oddities.

Kavala suspected the embroidery was yet another thing Windsong would find odd. She wanted to fix up something for her friend, his cloak in fact, which seemed rather plain to her since she came from the grasslands where everyone always went decorated to the hilt on even the most simplest of their clothing. So, she'd all but stolen his cloak (something she was surprised he hadn't commented on) and taken a pattern of it - in case she'd ever took up sewing and wanted to make him a new one - then had set about designing some fancy stitching to decorate the sleeves and edges. The Akalak had no real formal art style, not like the Drykas did, but Kavala figured Hatot would look very nice in deep blues and cobalt stitching that formed knotwork up and down his garment. Half would be for Hatot, half for Radris.

She'd listened closely to everything Hatot and Radris said and so her design incorporated a great deal of what they'd shared with her into it. Hands played an important role and much of the knotwork ended in hands clasped, punching, grabbing, reaching out to help. There were animals incorporated in places too - the horse, the glassbeak they had hunted and the one they would hunt to become men. She'd planned to give the cloak back to them all hand stitched when her two friends had completed their rite of Manhood. One side of the cloak would feature Radris' violence, his intensity, his need to break free... with a transition at the crown of their head unfolding into a unity knot that would lie over their temple if the hood was pulled up and over their face. The other side would feature Hatot and his personality, his teaching and gentleness and something of his fear of loosing control. The Drykas had knots for everything, symbolizing intensely personal circumstances and meanings.

Just the thought of doing this work for her friend made her smile.

Of course, it wasn't going to be easy. Kavala had no practical embroidery experience. But she was a healer, so she did know how to stitch a wound. And she had been staring at good quality embroidery most of her life, so she knew what it was supposed to look like. So, all she had to do was carefully transfer her design onto the hood, sleeves and front opening of the cloak, transfer it into an embroidery hoop, and begin to stitch. She had ten days or so to finish it... maybe longer... but here she wanted the whole design on the cloak and at least one sleeve partially done. She'd start with Radris' side first. He'd be more forgiving of missed stitches and any mistakes she'd have to rip out.

The easiest way to transfer the design to the cloak was a simple one. She'd sketched the long knotwork onto one side of the parchment paper in charcoal, and made sure it looked like a mirror image of what she actually wanted the design to be. Then, she turned the paper over, laying it onto the sleeve of the cloak, and began to rub the parchment with a sharp stone. The charcoal transferred easily onto the white fabric which left the design clearly visible. Kavala then placed the sleeve into a hoop, Tightened it, and selected her first color... cobalt. She threaded her embroidery needle, reviewed in her little instruction booklet how to do a knot, and from the understand upwards through he fabric and hoop, Kavala made her first stitch.

Stem or Outline Stitch :

She would first outline the whole knotwork on that sleeve using an outline stitch. This stitch is worked from left to right. She brought needle up through fabric to right side on the line to be outlined. Holding the thread toward herself , she took a short slanting back stitch along her charcoaled line. She made the next and each successive stitch from right to left and brought the needle out to the left at the end of previous stitch. Once she got the hang of it, reading from the instructions in her little embroidery kit, she repeated the steps over and over again, keeping her stitches small and uniform.

And a funny thing happened... once she caught her rhythm, she relaxed. Once she relaxed, she smiled. And once she smiled, she began to hum.

by **Taithrosa Eldytia** on April 7th, 2010, 11:36 pm

The morning had been successful at only one thing. Frustrating the Ethaefal/Akalak even more then he had been. The chaos of his life threatened to overwhelm him. There was so much that was different. The shapeshifting between his true form and that of his past life was heart reteching.

In life he had loved being Taithrosa Eldytia, a citzen of the now sunken Valkalah. Those were the memories that came most clear to him. That was the other frustrating thing about the change. He could bask in the memories of that immortal realm until his god retired for the morning. Then those memories would slip away. He remembered the glow and comfort, but he couldn't for the life of him remember more.

He has beat his fist in frustration. He clearly had a memory return then. It wasn't much but it was something. "Syadai" His body became ridgid. His silver eyes grew wide the muscles along his chest began to flex. His body seemed to poise itself as if it was ready for a fight. He sucked in his breath and tried to remember the importance of that name. It wasn't good, it was someone to be avoided, and not to be talked about.

Taith felt his body begin to relax as no clear danger made an appearances but he was now frustrated again. So he desided to try and calm himself. Oddely enough to look at him wasn't to see some one in high frustration. His face seemed passive and to hold wisdom, wisdom that had come from centuries of living with the divine.

He had returned to the water from which he had been reborn. Despite it as his arrival destination he still felt a bound for the water espeically these waters which had saved him.

So it was that he came upon the rock were a beautiful Konti was fixing the clothing for her friend. The Akalak was tall, one of the taller of his race. He appeared to be a young adult, but there was something almost ageless about him. He paused his silver eyes looking at the Konti sitting on the rock before him. He smiled at her flashing his row of white teeth which stood out against the dark blue skin. "Greetings." He looked out over the water and up at the sun. "It is a beautiful day and I think you found the best spot around to enjoy it." He found talking to people seemed to help calm him. It focused his mind.
"The name is.. Taithrosa." He paused for only a moment as if trying to remember something.

by **Kavala** on April 9th, 2010, 7:40 pm

The Konti felt positively amazing perched up on the shelf of rock overlooking the Suvan Sea and the bright stretch of beach that ran northward from Riverfall. The cliffs were up above and behind the beach, which varied from a wide ribbon of sand to a thin offshoot of cliff trying to survive the sea's constant inundation. She'd removed her light cloak and was actually sitting on it so that it made a splash of crimson across the seascape. Water flowed down rocks that trickled out onto the sea. It was an old lava flow, probably valterrian in origin, though there was no active volcano to be seen either above the cliffs or below them. Water rushed down the natural piles of pillow lava creating a slightly exotic backsplash that seemed almost surreal in the strong morning like.

It was not hard to see why the Konti had picked the spot to work on her embroidery.

Kavala had never met an Ethaefal, in fact she'd never even heard of one. Growing up on the Grasslands they had their own share of legends, but never ones that talked about people that fell from the stars during the Valterrian. So, when the man approached all the Konti saw was an Akalak - a race of men that she was slowly but surly growing to admire and feel comfortable around. They didn't threaten her, though she'd been warned about those with the tattooed faces. This one neither had tattoos or seemingly ill intent as he approached and introduced himself.

The pale woman twisted to get a better look at the man, carefully lowered her stitching, and smiled. "Greetings yourself. I'm Kavala. Nice to meet you. It is a lovely spot, isn't it? One of the locals said this spot was called Valkalah's Tears... the falls that is. I do not know much about the old Akalak city, but they claimed the waterfall pointed the way to where the ruins lie at the bottom of the Sea." The Konti said, something sad in her voice as she repeated what she'd heard. Reaching upwards, she tucked a strand of pale hair behind a slightly upwardly curved ear that was laced with iridescent scales. "I was just practicing my needlework. What brings you out on this fine day?" She asked, curious, though there was a hint of wariness in her voice. Strangers, especially Akalak males were always an unknown quality. Almost everyone knew she was a Nakivak in the city, and it was just a matter of time before someone claimed her debt to Riverfall and made her a broodmare. And as a full season had passed, then another, she realized that the Akalak in Riverfall were in no hurry. They were obviously letting her settle down, judging her sanity and health, and biding their time before someone eventually stepped forward. She wouldn't say no. She really couldn't say no. So now that she'd been here a while, she was always slightly suspicious of strangers - even when they seemed friendly enough.

Taithrosa included. He had the power and pose of an Akalak, but there was something else there too... as if he wasn't quite sure of who he was. Kavala was no Konti seer that read others and their emotions. She was far more in tune with animals which is why she mostly kept to herself. Somedays though, like this sunny one, there was no need to be alone.

"There's plenty of rock if you want to join me. Did you bring your sewing?" She asked, a glint of humor in her eyes.

by **Taithrosa Eldytia** on April 9th, 2010, 9:13 pm

A smile spread across his face as he looked out towards the falls and out beyond them towards the Sea. He briefly had a flash of a memory. Standing on a hill outside the city. He remembered the buildings and the satisfaction he felt as he looked over Valkalah's bleoved walls. His memory ended just as quickly as it had begun. To anyone else his silver eyes would have been staring out over the sea for a long moment. Before turning back his smile returning on his handsome face. "It is a good name. I like Valkalah's Tears."

He seemed to come to himself again and took a seat on the rock next to her and looked towards the sun high above him. Providing warmth and light, he could tell why Leth loved Syna so much. He still personally prefered to sit under the moon and let its gentle light flow over him. He laughted at her joke. "Sadely I left my stiching at home today. No I came out just to relax and gain inner peace." He gave her a crooked smile. "It has just been one of those day were nothing seems to be working." He gave a sade shack of his head. It was strangle nice just sitting out in the sun talking. It was a very mortal thing to do. His skin enjoyed the gentle warmth of the sun, and the water droplets in the air coming from the falling water. It was a soothing sensation, and it was nice that something about him was at peace.

His silver eyes looked over at the woman sitting next to him. Taithrosa the Akalak had lived before the Valterrian that had so radically affected eveyone including himself. He hadn't heard of a Knoti as the few memories he had predated the Valterrian. So this beautiful woman with her glimmering scales were a mystery to him. "I know this may seem rude, but what race are you? You appear almost human, but all the humans I remember never had scales, let alone scales with such interesting hughs." His silver eyes looked at her seriously, there was something else strang about those bright eyes. They seemed to hold a depth and understanding that was strange in one so young, and his face and body spoke of a man who was just into adulthood. "Again I apologies for being so forward."

by **Raiha** on April 10th, 2010, 4:57 am

Raiha had carefully guided her Firemane mare from Sanctuary earlier in the day, sitting astride Yakini to visit some stores - the one where she had seen Kavala pick up a sewing kit and an embroidery kit, and the Zhongjie Warren to get some cloth. the Akontak purchased the sewing kit (18 gold mizas), and she left quite happily with a number of rolls of brightly-coloured cotton cloth (which had been another 5 mizas, but she considered it money well spent. 50 pounds of cloth was a lot of cloth). Pink, green, blue, yellow, white, purple, and black. Raiha liked the darker colour, negative associations or not. As for the uncoloured cloth, well, she was happy with the plainer stuff - it would be good to work on, and she could always dye it later.

But now, with her purchases made, and secured in her saddlebags, Raiha donned her leather gauntlets before encouraging Uzima to step up from where she had been perched on the leather roll behind the seat of the saddle. With the goshawk's leash was secured to her belt, and Raiha held the bird out away from her so as not to upset the hawk's balance, and used one hand on the saddle horn to haul herself into Yakini's saddle. She was getting better at it. Slowly, but surely, she was getting better at it. As always, the auras of the bird and horse were warm, comforting sights. Both were healthy, robust, even, in a way that warmed her heart to see them. Uzima wanted to fly, as she let out a quiet shriek and flared her wings at her partner. You should be working at other things besides riding around on your pony and playing with the birds and other animals. Have you forgotten what you want to do here?

I haven't forgotten, Raiha was slightly defensive as she got settled into the saddle, hooking her right foot into the stirrup. I've been practicing that, too. She brought Uzima back in towards her before taking Yakini's reins, and turned the horse around with a combination of foot and rein to ride back down. It was nice that they didn't really fuss over her. Sure, she attracted her share of stares, with her white hair and blue skin, but she was getting used to it these days. Still, those at Sanctuary were used to her, and that suited the Akontak just fine. Yakini stepped lightly at a nudge from Raiha's heels and a click of her tongue, and mare and rider started back down towards lower tier of the city. From there, they could access the beach. Or, at least, that was how she was pretty sure Kavala had explained it...

You're not. Not nearly what you could be or should be. You are not taking advantage of all that is open to you. Don't you realize how much could be ours for taking here? Kanikra argued. What did I tell you? Want, take, have. If you want something, you take it. Then you have it. Of course, you have to get better at the 'taking' part so that you can have it... all in time. All in time.

Raiha sighed, and steered Yakini down towards the dune. Somewhere along this beach, Kavala would be around. She spotted Windsong before she spotted the Konti, and Yakini picked up her pace without Raiha's urging. The Akontak didn't mind, and was all too content to let the mare trot along the beach. Uzima did not appreciate it, however, and flapped her wings, gripping the leather with her sharp talons. "Whoa," she told Yakini, sitting back and envisioning the mare slowing down. Raiha never entirely understood how it worked - horses realized what you wanted when you wanted it, and sometimes before you realized it. She spotted the auras, then, standing out amongst the sand and the tide, and made her way towards the Konti and the Akalak. Kavala didn't seem alarmed... so she approached slowly at a leisurely walk. Once she got there, she drew back on the reins ever so slightly, and the Firemane peered at Kavala, recognizing her, and at Taithrosa.

The Akontak dismounted, her braid swinging over her back as she looked from one to the other. "Good afternoon," she smiled at both of them, holding onto Yakini's reins, glancing at her friend for some sign - did she want her to leave the pair of them to it?

by **Kavala** on April 12th, 2010, 9:02 pm

Kavala nodded. "It's sad, about the Akalak home city, and how much was lost. I know there are men that actively look for it now. I hope they succeed. Someday someone will find it, perhaps a Chardoa or someone like me. I heard its now at the bottom of the Suvan somewhere." She said softly, turning the stitching in her hand and starting on a new curve of the knotwork. She kept the outline stitch going, encircling the charcoal sketch on the sleeve. The thread was a dark blue, almost the same shade as Taith's skin. Kavala noted that absently, and glanced up to smile as he answered her joke in kind.

Mirth was a sign of a light heart, of goodness inherent, even if it was concealed or banked... Kavala relaxed a bit then.

"This is a peaceful place. I thought my embroidery would do the same thing as well. I keep finding the Akalak in need of such things... it is not an easy thing to be, is it? Your dual natures never bring much peace." She said softly then nodded to his question. It struck her as odd that he wouldn't know what a Konti was, but then since coming to live at Riverfall, she'd ran into many things that otherwise struck her as odd as well.

"I am a Konti. We are an all female race that originates from Mura, on Konti Island to the north and east. We live as long as the Akalak, but we are as equally at home in the water as we are on the land. Where have you been that you haven't ran into one? We are known for our inner sight and healing, though I am not a sighted woman." She said gently, a smile playing on her lips as she watched the Firemane carry a rider up to their location.

"Here's another one... Raiha. If you haven't met a konti, you probably haven't met her kind either. She is a hybrid of our two races - an Akontak. They are powerful creatures, stuff of myths. The Konti often produce offspring for the Akalak, but it is only very rare that a hybrid occurs. She's a falconer and a healer." Kavala said, and then lifted her voice in greeting to Raiha.

"Welcome... there's plenty of room up here." She said in a friendly manner, glad to see her new friend.

by **Taithrosa Eldytia** on April 13th, 2010, 7:30 am

The poor Ethaefal was in for a series of shocks this day. He was to meet not one but two new races, as it were, that hadn't excisted in his time. One of them had been a physical in possibility in his time. His head tilted as he listened his silver eyes clearly saying he was taking it all in.

He listened to her about peace and duel nature. He once again heard the name Syadai as he thought of the duel nature. Odd, that was something the had elluided him memeory up to this point. It still was a blank, but he was sure that Syadai was his other personality, and defently not pleasent.

Taith smiled as she asked were had he been that he hadn't ever run into a Konti before, nor heard of them. That was a answer to end all answer. His smile was soft and friendly but his answer was interupted by three things. Inner Sight and Healing were the first two. Taith remembered that he had been a healer or sorts before, but much of that knoweldge was lost in the chaos of his mind. The other was the Akontak. A hybrid between Akalak and Konti. Her blue skin clearly marked her as one of Akalak blood, but he clearly remembered that his medical training, there would never be a woman of Akalak blood. Yet here one stood.

Taith politely closed his mouth and stood up to greet the newest arrival before returning to his seat on the rock. He waited for her to join them before turning back to Kavala. "You answered my question and you deserve and answer back." He paused his face clearlying saying he was trying to think of the best way to say were he had been. "It will be hard to believe, but I speak truth. I am a servant of Leth, and have lived many lives upon Mizahar, but he has sent me back to this realm one more time, given me a rebirth as it were. During the hours of Syna's dominion I appear as I did in a past life when I was an Akalak living in now sunk Valkalah. When my master rises above the horizon and takes dominion of the sky I will return to my heavenly form again." He looked out to sea, sad, "I have done it for some days now and it still is strange to me." He turned back. "I am sorry, my story must sound like pure fantasy to you. People falling from the sky." He gave a friendly shrug and smile. "Put yet we have a greater wonder here. A miracle from the gods." He said smiling at Raiha. "A precious gem to bless both our peoples. I am sorry for my manors, my name is Taithrosa." He said with a body his silver eyes kind, and wise.

by **Raiha** on April 15th, 2010, 3:42 pm

Raiha was pleased to hear the welcoming tone in Kavala’s voice. If her friend had wanted, Raiha would have left her alone for a while, and come back and talked to her later. It was really that simple – if Kavala wanted privacy, Raiha could give it to her. Her friend was oathbound, after all, to give Riverfall a child. Maybe this was a prospective father. She had no idea what she had just rode up on, after all. It wouldn’t do to speculate. Sure it would. That’s half the fun, after all.

Unlike you, I don’t try to imagine the worst in everyone, Raiha shot back as she smiled at both Konti and Akalak before stretching her arm with the goshawk on it out. The hawk flared her wings, and Raiha slid down from the saddle. She wasn’t particularly graceful with her long limbs, and the slight awkwardness clearly a new rider, but she was able to clear the Firemane’s back and land on two feet. She undid the hawk’s leash from her belt, and clipped it instead to the saddle, coaxing the goshawk to step onto the raised ridge on the back that she used for perching. Uzima made herself comfortable there, and set to preening as Raiha untacked the mare, settling on the rocks as well, moving quickly so as not to disrupt the conversation too much. Yakini would stay nearby.

I assume the worst of them because that is often the most accurate assumption. I know how the world works. You may think you do, but you have no idea. She lowered her gear onto the rocks, taking a seat by Kavala, leaving her bags unopened for now as she made herself comfortable, folding her long legs under her and stripping off her leather gauntlet, resting them out the saddle before carefully touching the goshawk’s feather. The glaring bird tilted her head just a little bit for Raiha to work her fingers amongst the smooth feathers to locate that elusive, annoying pinfeather and work some of the protective sheath off of it before dropping her hand, and listening to the Akalak’s explanation, her eyes getting progressively wider with interest and curiosity as he spoke of Leth and the transformation he underwent each day. To be so close to a god, and…

…

And he found her… a greater wonder…?

Raiha flushed a little, her cheeks taking on the beginning a deep purple tinge. “No, I… I thank you, but you are one who has lived with a god, and I…” she swallowed as Kanikra started protesting at her modesty, drowning out her own thoughts, making the Akontak pause for a moment to regroup. She blinked, having realized she’d lost focus for a moment. “I’m just me. But I thank you. That’s very kind, and it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Raiha. Kavala was kind enough to hire me.”

by **Asim** on April 17th, 2010, 12:31 am

Running down the beach, tossing sand this way and that, came a massive bear, covered in grizzly brown fur, roaring quite loudly. A couple yards from the three stationed on the beach, the bear slid to a stop and growled softly. The bear stood there for a minute, staring at the two Konti and the Akalak, a loud growl building in his throat. Once letting the growl out, he took a step towards Raiha, his jaws snapping.

And then the bear stopped for a minute, and sat down, staring at Raiha. He sat there for a minute, before a changing into his human form, still sitting on the beach. The straight face as he was suddenly a naked human did not change, as he stared straight at Raiha, not even giving the Konti or the Akalak a second glance.

by **Kavala** on April 18th, 2010, 6:58 pm

Kavala looked thoughtful at Taith's words. Her needle dipped into the cloth, the outline around the sleeve finally finished with the last of the running stitch. Next came dark blue, medium blue, and pale blue thread, the same shades as Hatot's skin, which would fill in the designs, some of them at least, with a rich color that would bring out his vibrant tones and accent the plain white of the cloak. She cut a length of thread, strung the needle, and moved the hoop on the fabric to a new starting point. Her next stitch would be a Couching Stitch. She held several threads along the line to be followed. Then she brought her needle, threaded with finer thread, up close to cord. Then, thrusting the needle down through the fabric on opposite side of cord, made the stitch at right angles to her laid out thread. It created a lovely textured pattern that if repeated over and over again filled in the knotwork far nicer than a simple fill stitch ever would. She laid out strands, brought the needle up to left in position for another right angle stitch. It was a repetitive process, one that made Kavala's ability to talk a bit difficult. She continued taking her stitches over cord, spacing them evenly and creating the pattern.

Finally, when Taith was done speaking, she met his gaze with her azure eyes. "It sounds truly beautiful, sir... to move through life always in transition. Are you alone, do you think, or is there a name for your kind? I know what it is to follow and love a goddess... so I understand a devotion like yours. Mine is Rak'keli for I am a healer marked by her. I trained on Konti for a time, and am back here serving the Akalak and their beasts." She added.

Interesting effects of the couching stitch may be achieved by working over several threads in blanket stitch, chain stitch and the feather stitch. Kavala had yet to learn those stitches, though she knew the basic principles of them through watching her mother. Once she finished the section she was working on, she switched to a blanket stitch to edge the hem of the cloak. Her little instruction book that came with the embroidery set had a neat direction for it.

Blanket Stitch :

She wondered if Taith had any interest in healing or what his purpose in 'being sent back' to Mizahar really was. Kavala had been thinking a lot of purposes lately in trying to find her own way... and as Raiha joined them she smiled a little because she loved one of Raiha's purposes in Kavala's life. Raiha simply took the spotlight off the damaged Konti. Kavala hated being the center of attention, and with the Akontak around, she rarely was. The healer could go quiet in her stitching again, letting the Akalak marvel at the hybrid - which was funny because Raiha was about as unpretentious as they came. She honestly paid more attention to her animals than she did other people... which made the attention she got in Riverfall amusing to Kavala. And it helped draw attention away from the Konti, who preferred boys clothing, a tousled pony tail, or nothing at all to fine linens and silks.

The bear however... was something else. Kavala had a vague warning one might be showing up since Raiha had warned her about Asim. But this ill tempered creature with eyes only for the Akontak was something she didn't exactly expect. Sighing softly rose slightly, pulled the splash of crimson out from under her and tossed the cloak to Asim. He might not take the hint, but if he didn't, it was no true loss to Kavala. She'd seen men before - especially naked. They were filthy, disgusting, revolting creatures that liked fear and pain and fed off it like some creatures fed off the rotting material at the bottom of a lake.

The thought caused her to shiver slightly and look distinctly uncomfortable.