Off To The Taverns (Kalila, Anda, Lyalya){Complete}

[Sahashkalila]

12 Spring 512AV

Kalila walked alone through the streets on Sunberth, having no real destination or purpose for her walk, just letting her feet carry her through the dour streets. She hadn't been there long, only about two weeks since the traders left her there, not wanting her Dhani presence with them any longer. She had tried to keep her nature hidden, but her lisp was pronounced and after a few days on the road the traders began to notice that their pretty companion, was something much more deadly than she let on. She did not mean them any harm, in fact she treat their ailments without complaint and kept to herself mostly.....but no one likes a Dhani. SO at the first opportunity to dump her, they did, leaving her in this cutthroat city to fend for herself.

She frowned bitterly to herself, her emotions obscured by the sheer veil that she wore, marking her as an outsider. She had at least managed to get a small house for herself in Sunset Quarter, even treating some of the local urchins for scrapes and colds because she didn't like to see the children suffer. Not that that earned her any kind of respect though. SHe had yet to meet anyone who treated her with anything other than disdain, and she resolved that that was going to be her lot in life as she moved through the crowds on the street. Perhaps she just needed a drink to calm herself and get her out of this perpetual mood she was in? Yes, that was a good idea, but where to go? She may have been there for over a week, but she still got lost from time to time. She didn't even know where the nearest tavern was. She moved closer to the side of the street and out of the way, her body moving effortlessly through the crowds to not jostle them. Once there, her golden eyes searched for any kind sign to show where she was, hoping that she didn't look as lost as she seemed to feel.

[Andalusia]

The sun kissed every surface with a golden hue, a pleasant reminder of the afternoon as it approached the denizens of Sunberth. Andalusia stood out quite a little bit amongst the crowd, her skin clean and pale, while theirs were smeared with dirt and soot. The occasional well-to-do person would stroll by, their eyes lingering onto the strapped bow and quiver of arrows around her waist, either in fear or jealousy. Her clothing stood out compared to theirs as well, as she looked more like a hunter, a traveler, while they simple dressed to impress. Dante scampered alongside of her, careful not to let his paws be trampled over by any strangers, or even his master's deadly leather boots. Andalusia kept one hand clutched to the dagger strapped around her thigh, and her other hand peeking out from her beige manteau to pull Howlite along with her. The Leopardbred horse followed obediently, exhibiting the occasional soft neigh whenever she would let go of her knife to pet her soft, ivory-colored mane. Another day, another crowd. Her eyes scanned the many faces that passed her; some were somber and miserable, and some were fierce and serious. Others kept a blank expression, much like hers, only she had on a mix of ferocity. Another face popped out, only this time, it stood out just as much as hers did. She, stood out just as much as Andalusia did. She furrowed her brows, scanning the woman from head to toe. Her apparel revealed her to be an outsider, indeed. "Dan," she gestured to the dog with a tilt of her head. The woman was walking slowly, making it easy for her to catch up to her if she wanted to. The Luvanor turned and sniffed the scent that the woman trailed behind as they turned to follow her, but he couldn't make anything of it. Howlite grumbled in agreement. She quickened her pace, dodged shoulders, and passed many people until she was just behind her. If an outsider such as she were to be left alone until nightfall, she would never be seen alive again. "E-Excuse me," Andalusia called out, tightening her grip on Howlite as she anticipated the woman to turn around. Dante barked. She reached out to tap her shoulder lightly, quelling the fear of her turning around and hurting her. Odds are, she wouldn't, and hopefully the odds were in her favor.

[Sahashkalila]

The sun was beaming pleasantly that day, and perhaps that was the reason why she wasn't as aware of her surroundings as she normally was at any other given time. The sun lulled her body into relaxation, one of the many curses of being a Dhani, so her actions were a little slower than normal. Not that Kalila was worried about herself. She was more than capable of getting out of a sticky situation, and this day was no exception. So while her mind was busy watching the many inhabitants in front of her move along with their daily live......she did not expect someone to come up behind her. She heard a voice call out and slowed her predatory gait even more, wondering if that voice was calling out to her. Her golden eyes scanned the crowd of people quickly, looking for any signs of trouble ahead of her, and then she felt a slight tap on her shoulder.

Kalila stopped in her tracks, her hands inside of her robes clutching the small knife that she kept on her person. She did not wish for a confrontation, she didn't want to give up her identity, but if she had to.....she would rip this person apart. She slowly turned her head to the side, noting the pale hand that tapped her shoulder had moved away. She turned all the way around, coming face to face with a pale woman and two companions, a beautiful ivory horse and a dog, both of which were looking at her with trepidation. Animals did not like her much, so this could pose a problem for her. The woman though caught her attention, she did not look like she belonged in this vile city, her complexion much to fare and her stance much to feral. Her eyes glanced to the bow and quiver at her waist and the tense way she carried herself....this woman took her as a threat. Kalila felt a rare smile grace her face, obscured of course by the veil she wore, and she cocked her head to the side, deciding to treat this encounter delicately.

"Iss thiss how you alwaysss great sstrangers girl,"she said with slight humor in her melodic voice, her lisp more pronounced than the would have liked. Hopefully the girl would not notice it too much.

[Andalusia]

The woman in front of her froze, almost leading her to bump into her back, yet she effectively halted a few steps away from her. She turned around, veil still covering the side of her face. It was when she had completely faced her that Andalusia's breath hitched at the sight of her eyes, a deadly bright sheen of gold, so otherworldly, so obviously not of Sunberth, quite definitely not human. The little skin that she had left revealed was a creamy, beautiful shade of light honey. She gulped as the woman spoke. A lisp? Perhaps the woman had mouth sores, or was sick, and that was why she looked and sounded this way. She sounded more like a hissing snake than a sick woman, her voice sultry and low. It sent shivers down Andalusia's spine. "I-I'm, I'm sorry..." she trailed off, unable to find the words to explain herself. They stood, the both of them, while the rest of the passersby continued on without notice. Howlite began to shift uncomfortably at the sight of the woman, and slowly edged behind Andalusia. Dante scampered behind Howlite and stuck close to one of his hind hooves, his tail behind his legs, shivering. He growled and whimpered with fear. Andalusia glanced behind her suspiciously, wondering what was wrong with the two. They were never comfortable with strangers, but they were always complacent and calm around them. What made this woman any different? "I don't mean to offend, I... just..." she found herself staring at the floor as she spoke. Looking up, she found herself caught in a little trance by the woman's mesmerizing eyes. Quickly, she took a deep breathe and gathered all her courage. "I'm Andalusia," she said firmly, the hand clutching her dagger raising up to initiate a hand shake, her other hand clutching tighter onto the rope tied around Howlite, seemingly gathering strength from the force. "It's... not safe here, in Sunberth, a-alone," she scanned the crowd, but still, nobody turned to look at them or eye them with suspicion, thankfully. "And when the night falls, it's even worse," she added, her eyes making their way back to the woman's. She was learning to become more comfortable with people even quicker than usual, now, and it sent in even more courage to speak. "Please, allow me to escort you to... to wherever, you may be g-going, l-let me help, or do you need a place to stay... for the night?" she tried to give the woman a warm smile, only it came out looking like a tiny, brief smirk, and then she had to resume her expressionless facade. Her eyes bore the same sense of ferocity that it had a moment ago, but it was there not to intimidate the woman - oh, she was completely sure that she could do nothing to scare her off - but to show that she had no fear for her, nor did she want to inflict her any harm.

[Sahashkalila]

Kalila stared at the woman curiously, her eyes narrowing in displeasure at the reaction of the animals. If she wasn't careful they were going to give her away, which was how the traders that she had traveled with found out what she was. The horses would balk whenever she got near them, and it seems this horse was no exception, but if she needed to she could just excuse that as the animal being nervous around someone knew. However, the dog turned out to be much more worrisome to her as she watched it cower behind its owner. It knew what she was, because she could not hide her scent from it, which is why she tried to avoid animals in general when in public. Kalila shifted her feet a bit nervously in the muddy street, her eyes looking back at the woman in front of her as they stood there a bit awkwardly as she inclined her head to the other woman's hesitant apology while other people passed by, not noticing, or more likely not caring about the interaction between the two women.

The woman in front of Kalila may have put off a hostile demeanor, but she could not help but notice the way she seemed to stumble over what she was saying. Hesitating here and there, stuttering over certain words, which was opposite the persona that she that she seemed to try and maintain. Kalila wondered if it was just natural for her to do that, or if the pale woman had guessed what she was and was trying to make a good impression to her. Perhaps she was just trying to be nice, but Kalila highly doubted that that was what she was doing. No one came up to her and offered assistance just out of the blue without some kind of other motive, whether for good or for ill.....well that remained to be seen.

SHe looked down at the offered hand the woman gave her and another small smile appeared behind her sheer veil, the second one today at that. So the woman thought Kalila had no idea what she had walked into while in this city? It was almost comical really, the way this pale stranger was offering assistance to her, as if she was some old maid who needed coddling. Kalila needed no one to take care of herself, but she decided to take this...Andalusia up on her offer, purely because her attempt at being cordial amused Kalila. Her hands relaxed on the small knife inside of her robes before she pulled them out, extending one delicate hand to shake the other woman's pale hand briefly and then let them rest at her sides. The woman's eyes were still feral, and her smirk was halfhearted, but Kalila did not think that she was going to be openly hostile towards her....at least not yet. The removal of her hand from her dagger in her attempt at a handshake proved that.

"Andalusssia.....it iss a pleasure to meet you,"she said finally, nodding her head in formal greeting, clasping her hands in front of her. "I have not been in thisss city long, and I do not know your waysss yet. Although from what I have ssseen, it iss rather vile." She inwardly winced at her lisp, not liking the way it was rolling off her tongue, but perhaps Andalusia would think it was something else and it would not deter her. "You need not worry about me, I am in no need of protection, but I am in need of a drink...and perhapsss sssome company. If you are willing to give it? I sseem to be losst and in need of guidance." She kept her voice light and friendly, her body relaxed as she meant the other woman no harm.

[Lyalya]

Lyalya sat in one of the taverns, her eyes carefully scanning the streets. She couldn't seem to grow tired of the types of people she found here. Back home in the Suvan Sea, everyone was pretty much the same, seafolk. Here, you couldn't take anything on face level. A sweet face could really be hiding a lethal blade and vicious tendencies. Lyalya felt the need to keep her guard up constantly, she didn't know when someone would try anything with her.

Out on the streets she noticed two figures shaking hands, one veiled and one leading a horse. Interesting, it seemed like a pleasant interaction. Lyalya smirked, leaning back in her chair, a jug of ale in her palm. She was new here, not sure if she would stay, it was especially hard making companions here. Hopefully joining the Crimson Edge will change that. Lyalya's pale hair twisted around into her face as she tucked it back behind her ear. Maybe, just maybe, this was a chance to make an acquaintance.

[Andalusia]

"Oh," Andalusia giggled softly, maneuvering her horse towards the Pig's Foot Tavern, conveniently situated at the heart of Sunberth. "I'm quite sure that you're in no need of protection," she eyed the woman fierce, beautifully golden eyes, and knew that they were enough to intimidate almost any fool driven by ulterior motives. "Come with me, I'll take you to the Pig's Foot tavern," she began to take careful, short strides away from the woman, lugging Howlite alongside of her. Dante scampered off to walk next to her, his side bumping onto her leg nervously. She turned and attempted to give the woman another timid little smile as they made their way to the building, "It's the best one around here, and the safest." Makeshift lanterns and torches were strewn across the tavern haphazardly, the ground still a little damp from the past storm, with a few puddles littered about. Andalusia frowned at the sight from the open doorway, yet the few people who hung around the tavern seemed unfazed by the mess. She tied Howlite's rope firmly around one of the wooden poles just outside of the area; she knew that if anything were to happen to the Leopardbred, she could simply shoot an arrow through the door, or one of the broken windows. The rubble around the building and inside was quite an unbearable sight, gathered into mounds in the side. People were still a little lazy to clean things up. Dante quickly ran for the bar, laying underneath a stool expectantly. Andalusia gestured over to the woman and the two sat behind the bar, with her sitting on the one Dante had claimed. Certain people eyed them as they entered, some with suspicion, and others with innocent interest. Some of them recognized Andalusia as the fair-skinned hunter from just outside of the city, but they could not place the face - or more specifically, the eyes - of the woman who was with her. The immense amount of coverage caused quite a little bit of turmoil for one specific table, yet they did not take any action. Others simply glanced, too busy with their ale to call them out. Andalusia knew them all a little too well, having had observed them for quite some time. But one woman caught her eye; a blonde, with silken straight hair, and eyes that were strikingly reminiscent of the sea. She looked at her for a second too long, and quickly turned away. "New faces, here and there," she thought to herself quite fondly. She remembered the time that she was the stranger walking down the packed roads of Sunberth, all eyes on her and her eccentricity. She gestured to a barmaid politely, a ghost of a smile gracing her lips as the woman approached. She was tense at first, until she'd realize that it was just her, the 'hunter-girl,' a title that people have taken to call her, seemingly. The barmaid, middle-aged yet decent-looking with her dark chestnut braids and amber eyes, nodded to Andalusia. "Oh, no, I won't have anything," she murmured softly, and then turned to the woman next to her, "what'll you have, then?"

[Sahashkalila]

Kalila moved to follow Andalusia to this oddly named tavern, curious to know what would be considered "the best" in this ramshackle town, while she doubted that anywhere was safe. The storm seemed to have hit this place hard, the streets still littered with debris and sludge that no one seemed to bother to pick up, the few houses that were there left in ruin. The same was true about the tavern that the woman led her too, and Kalila eyed it with a raised brow. It did not seem very safe or even the best to be honest, the front littered with rubble while some of the windows were broken. In fact, it had a sort of dilapidated look too it.....but Andalusia seemed to have no problem with going inside, and Kalila followed her in without complaint.

They received a few odd looks upon entering, and Kalila was used to that because her clothing placed her as an outsider. Others merely glanced up before turning bag to their mugs, too busy drinking their lives away to care about the business of the two women. Kalila paid them no mind, she did not fear anyone in there....and she was sure she could depend on her strange companion to keep them from any sort of real trouble. However, one young woman caught her eye, who seemed to take a keen interest in them both. Kalila eyed her, taking in her long blonde hair and the calculating glint in her eyes before she turned her attention away, not caring what the blonde stranger thought of her. She sat down on the stood next to Andalusia, her legs dangling freely because of her short stature.

The bar maid seemed to know the huntress beside her, as a small smile appeared when she came over to them, placing the rag in her hand over her shoulder. Kalila waited until Andalusia spoke before she politely placed her own order. "I don't sssuppose thiss ssort of esstablishment sservess tea....sso I will jusst have an ale, if you pleasse." She said softly, the bar maid looking at her oddly before bringing her request and setting down the mug in from of her. Kalila thanked her and placed the proper amount of mizas on the bar before she reached up and slowly began to unwind the veil she wore. She hardly ever removed it, mostly just to dine or in the privacy of her home. Her long, curling black hair tumbled down her back as she let the veil drape around her neck, her small hands reaching for her mug once the veil was in place.

"Pleasse excusse my terrible mannersss before,"she said with a ghost of a smile as she turned toward Andalusia, feeling like an exotic oddity in the tavern. "I don't believe I properly introduced mysself, my name iss Kalila." She then took a sip of the beverage, making a face as she set the mug back down. "I don't normally drink thisss.....and now I know why, thiss is rather vile."

[Lyalya]

Lyalya connected eyes with the women walking in, how interesting. What was a Dhani doing here? It was the eyes that gave her away. She had met a few in her travels but never thought she'd see one here. Oh her curiosity, it seemed to dictate much of what she did. She weighed her options in her head: Either be a good girl and mind her tongue, or open a conversation and see what she's doing here. As was usual, her need for excitement won out.

Taking her ale with her, Lyalya got off the stool and took the steps that brought her to the two women. There was a friendly smile on her face, she didn't want to be seen as a threat. "I know I'm rather blunt and straightforward but your a Dhani right? I met some of your kind during my travels, fun people. As you'll soon find out, I'm a very curious person but I usually mean no harm," she blurted, her voice hushed. She wasted to know, but that didn't mean the rest of the room needed to. She wanted to atleast somewhat respect her privacy, she the woman obviously wanted it based on the veil. "Oh, I'm Lyalya."

Lyalya's face was intense, not in a bad way though. Just very confident and inquisitive. Certainly not violent, although it always had the potential if anyone rubbed her the wrong way. Maybe she could make acquaintances with these women, she always needed friends. Being alone was so... not entertaining.

[Sahashkalila]

Kalila froze in the middle of taking another sip of the ale, her eyes widening in surprise as she turned to face the newcomer up behind her. It was the blonde woman that she had locked eyes with as she entered the tavern....she should have known. Kalila carefully put down her mug, shooting a quick glance at Andalusia beside her as several possibilities raced through her mind. THe safest option would have been to kindly excuse herself, pleading that she wasn't well...but that could be suspicious as well. She could slip poison into each woman's cup, but she did not want to leave a trail behind her either, and she did not want to hurt these woman...especially one who showed her brief kindness. Or she could just say to hell with it and play this mysterious woman's game, because she did not appreciate this blatant intrusion to her privacy.

"A rather odd way to introduce yoursself...Lyalya,"she said tightly, eyeing the woman's intense expression with a humorless smile. It was time to bluff, because she did not need the whole city in an uproar because of her presence, she would lose what little respect she had gained by treating some of the local street urchins for wounds....and possibly her life. "I'm afraid you are quite misstaken with your asssumptionss, I am no Dhani." She looked at the blond woman in front of her, her golden eyes narrowed. Even though Lyalya had spoken softly, one never knew who was listening, and this child in front of her did not need to say something like that outloud. "But you know what they ssay, curiosity killed the cat, or some other nonssence,"she said with a small laugh, her sultry tone ringing with a hint of threat. "But if you are looking for company, you are welcome to join usss....if my friend here doessn't mind?" She gestured towards Andalusia, a genuine smile appearing on her face.