Flashback Come Here So I Can Thank You Properly, Dammit!

[Hess]

51 Fall, 511 Hess threw up a hand in casual greeting to the Chiet who ran the archery supply room as he passed. He was on his way to the back of the cavern that housed all the things the hunters needed. The Chiet gave him a friendly hello in return, recognizing Hess from the many times he had been down to the store rooms over the past ten years plus. But the Avora did not pause to chat, or to ask for anything from the vast store room. With a nod, he passed the other and kept right on walking. His movements were not as jerky and slow as they had been a few days ago. The more he was up and walking, the less pain he was feeling in his back. His hand, well, that was another matter. He still had a hard time believing that his right little finger was gone. Gone! Just like that. The healers had not been able to save it and they had removed it, to prevent gangrene from setting in. Hess still had to look down to actually see that it was missing to make himself believe. Phantom pains made it seem as if the digit was still attached. But, he knew he was lucky. Things could have been far, far worse. He would not even have lived, he thought with conviction, if it hadn’t been for the girl. The Dek who had saved him, carried him most of the way back to the gates, and then – vanished. It was so frustrating. Hess was, for the first time, really made aware of just how invisible the lowest caste of Wind Reach was. He had asked multiple times after the girl – he didn’t have a name to give. And he had been so loopy with pain and blood loss and shock that he couldn’t even recall what she looked like. No-one seemed to know who she was! He had asked the healers first, then the men who had brought him in to the infirmary, once he was recovered enough to get up out of bed. But her role in his rescue went completely unnoted, negated by her place in their world, which was about as important as dirt. They told him not to stress out over it. They asked him why was it so important to know who she was? She was only a Dek – a nobody, a nothing. He had survived and that was all that mattered. But once Hess could get up and stretch his legs and painfully hobble about, he began to ask – everyone he met. Did anyone know who the Dek girl was – the one who had saved the Avora hunter who had been attacked by a bear? She had carried him from the forest to the gates, almost. She had fetched the other hunters to come bring him the last bit of the way. She had even at some point returned his lost bow – and that was the most aggravating of all. She had been right there, in the infirmary, but no-one seemed able to recall anything about her, except that she had red hair. Go figure! Each day Hess grew stronger, his back wounds healing well. His hand was a mangled mess but the healer had done the best they could and said it would heal well enough for him to keep hunting. That had been a huge relief. And as he got more mobile, Hess widened the range of his search, It was almost unbelievable! Hadn’t the girl told anyone? Didn’t she have friends that she could boast a bit too? A partner? A master? She had to have told someone! But no, apparently not. Hess had been up and back on his feet for the better part of a week now, and not a single lead had he been able to uncover. He had searched Wind Reach from top to bottom. But as he didn’t know what she looked like, it seemed ridiculously futile. He just couldn’t stop, though. He wanted . . . he wanted . . . just to thank her, he supposed. She had saved his life. He wouldn’t be here, breathing, walking, swearing under his breath, if it wasn’t for her. But where in the world was she? And who was she? Finally, on this day, someone had told him something that he didn’t know. They had told him about the niche in the store room, where the Dek often went to practice. He’d never heard of the place, but he was determined to go seek it out, and ask around, for the girl. He knew she was a good shot. She must have gotten some practice in somewhere. Of course, there was the Broken Arrow, but he had had no luck there. So maybe . . . Finding his way to the back of the cavern, his eyes adjusting to the dim lighting, he looked about. He was in luck. There were three Dek standing about with bows in hand. Two were males, the other female, and she was off by herself a bit. But Hess, with the slight arrogance and confidence of his caste, walked right up to them and spoke loud enough for all three to hear. “I’m looking for a Dek girl. I don’t know her name. I don’t know what she looks like. I don’t know her age. But three weeks ago, she saved my life. I was attacked by a bear and she happened to be out hunting, and she saved me – carried me back to the gates. Well, almost to the gates. I need to find her. Does anyone know who I’m talking about?” He looked at each one in turn. First one of the men shook his head no, and then the other. In frustration, Hess looked at the female. “Well,” he asked curtly. “Do you know who she might be?”

[Napua]

51 Fall, 511

Since Napua's encounter with the hunter in the forest, she had not ever expected to see him again. Hours passed, days passed until eventually weeks did as well and slowly she was beginning to feel more and more at ease that yes, what she did even though people saw and she got help, resulted in her having no recognition for it and whilst it bothered her at first, she just had to remember her place as a Dek and that this was normal. 'Well, no one will be looking for me atleast.' She said to herself as she went to work that day at the Bent Arrow and headed down to the supply room after her usual scolding from the Chiet at the entrance. Late or early, it was the same every morning and she never ever was late but because of that, she got hit anyway so most days she would wait until other Deks showed up and just duck in as quickly as she could with them.

This morning in particular started off as normal as could be to one in her position. She went into the storage room, loaded up quivers, went up to the range, waited as Chiets practised, collected the arrows when they were done with a shot and also she had to do a few runs over to Second Quiver before she came back and headed back into the supply room.

Since that day three weeks prior, she had went back to the infirmary to make sure the hunter could have his bow returned and she concluded that he likely was not a Dek from the way she was treated when she tried to just do the right thing. Perhaps for the best then she figured, she surely didn't need the attention so she never told anyone what she had done and the higher chaste didn't usually care so likely if this hunter survived and woke up, he might even be offended a dek saved him. Frankly she'd be surprised if the Avora hunters even told the injured man it was a Dek girl who alerted them for aid.

After completing her tasks for the day she ducked into the secret niche for her fellow Dek and just smiled a bit to herself as she looked out at the shoddy ranges and looked over at the arrows that were in pretty rough shape but she didn't care. She was away from the Chiet and Avora and anyone else for now when she was down here and losing herself in her own world of practise and focus. She paid no mind to the other pair of Dek present and they paid no mind to her either, but that was how it usually was unless you were friends with someone and those she didn't really have. She did most everything alone.

When another male joins them in the niche, she didn't notice at first either. She just heard the voice raise up and posed a question which turned her focus away from the range and she felt annoyance bubble up within her at that moment. She sighed and lowered her bow, looking to the tall, red-headed male and tilting her head when her grey eyes rest upon his features. Could it be? She thought, surprised. He looked familiar, he looked also like he was recovering from some great injury with how he limped a little as he turned from the dek males. And when she heard him speak more of having his life saved three weeks prior, the colour in her face drained and her heart begun to beat quickly within her chest.

Napua kept her eyes on the man, staring now as her mouth suddenly felt dry and feeling surprised at the urgency in his voice of his need to find this girl.. this girl who she was sure was herself he was speaking of and from the way he looked and his features, she was positive that was the hunter. He looked the same for the most part now that blood wasn't all over him and she stepped back a little without realizing it when he turned to look at her and she visibly swallowed when his words are direction to her questioningly.

She realized he did not recognise her at all! But he wouldn't have.. he was unconscious for most of the time as she lifted and carried him along and as she bounded his wounds best she could. 'Why was he here.. and why is he looking for me..' She thought, feeling her heart continue to thump in her chest and she just gave him a small nod to his question, her eyes darting to the other pair of Dek before looking over and up at the hunter she had saved.

[Hess]

Hess waited with a fair bit of badly concealed impatience for the Dek to answer him. She was just staring at him, like he was a ghost or some other weird apparition that she found alarming, and it was irritating. Finally she gave a small nod, and he waited still, but nothing more was given him. No explanation, no words whatsoever. Gods, no wonder Deks were Deks, he thought sourly, so wrapped in his own focus that he had totally slipped back into the entrenched thinking and prejudices of his race, regardless of what he had come to realize in the past few weeks. Regardless of the purpose of his mission, even. Taking in a deep breath to force his voice to a steady calm that he did not feel, Hess said slowly, as if speaking to a demented child, “Alright – you know her? Now, could you tell me who she is, and where I can find her?” There was never any intent to tack on the word please to that request. Not to a Dek. OOCSorry it's so short but I didn't want Hess to just jump to the conclusion this was the one he's looking for

[Napua]

Napua stared at the man still, even though she nodded, she couldn't get the words out to tell him anymore just yet as part of her was still in a small measure of shock. She honestly did not think she would ever see his face again but she was relieved to see he had indeed pulled through the worst, though her eyes drifted to the one severely injured hand unconsciously before going back to the hunter's face.

Her features furrowed slightly when she saw his evident frustration and she realized she was the obvious cause as she wasn't delivering what he requested so she took a deep breath and released it slowly before she parted her lips to respond softly, "I.. yes, I know her. Yes, I know where to find her." She was unsure if to ask to speak in private to him and decided it was not her place to make such a request. Her eyes drifted to the other two Deks present but seeing as they returned to practice she stepped slightly closer to the hunter and visibly swallowed as she spoke up softly to continue her answer.

"The girl was me and.. it is good to see.. you have lived..." She says, her words trailing off as she bit the corner of her lower lip and looked up at the hunter now and waited.

[Hess]

Hess had to grit his teeth. Yes, I know her. Yes I know where to find her. Seriously? Was he going to have to grab the Dek by the front of her grimy tunic and shake the answers he wanted out of her? This was like pulling teeth! He forced himself to take a deep breath, trying to focus on the fact that at least, finally, he was getting somewhere – even if the process was maddening. The Dek girl glanced at the other two as if unsure of what more she should say. Hess was literally on the verge of grabbing her – by the arm if not the tunic – and insisting that she tell him what she knew, the others be damned. But she stepped closer to him, and . . . her next words made him want to kick himself. He could only stare down at her for a few moments, stupidly, mute, astonished. She was looking up at him and though he had been asking after her and searching for her for weeks, it seemed so hard to believe, that here she was! And so tiny! Hess realized that, in all his searching and thinking about the Dek who had saved him, he had never envisioned a real person. This Dek had just been some amorphous, nebulous entity, and though he had been determined to find her, he hadn’t truly thought of her for what she was – a Dek. He felt like a complete ass, and such a hypocrite! So set on finding her and thanking her, yet still so completely steeped in the classism that he had come to see and think about for the first time in his life, these past few weeks. What a complete tosser he was! His eyes had widened in surprise at her words, but he carefully reworked his face into one less astonished, and more open – more friendly looking, he hoped. It would kind of defeat the purpose of thanking her of he had a scowl on his face. He nodded, trying to gather the words to express what he had wished to say since he had recovered enough to understand what she had done. But he found himself at a total loss, the annoyance that he had directed at her but a few moments ago filling him with awkwardness. Finally, he nodded, cleared his throat, and said in a rather strained voice, “Yes, I’m alive. Thanks to you.” He paused, and felt just a bit more relaxed, having got the first few words out. Nodding again, he ducked his head a bit, for the first time in his life feeling quite odd around a Dek. This was awkward, and embarrassing. Not because he found himself indebted to her, but because he had been so rude to her. But he forced himself to go on, and felt like admitting his stupidity was the best way to address it and move on, hopefully. “Look, I’m sorry I snapped at you just now. I – I’ve been looking for you, ever since I was well enough to get up. No-one knew who you were – it was . . . it was very frustrating. I was getting impatient.” No, that wasn’t the whole truth was it? Hess bit down on his lower lip for a second, and then gave her a direct look. “Because you are a Dek. I was impatient with you because . . . that’s how it is, with Deks. I’m sorry. For three weeks it’s been driving me crazy how no-one cared – no-one cared at all who you were, even though you saved my life. It was so ridiculous, and frustrating, and . . .wrong. And yet . . . I’m just the same. Just like the rest of them.” He paused for a very long moment, wondering how it was that such behaviors became ingrained almost in one’s very soul – and if it was possible to somehow uproot them and drive them out. But the true object of his mission brought him back to look at her again. “I’m sorry – that you were ignored. That was wrong. And I’m sorry that I was rude to you, just now. But . . . the reason that I wanted to find you was that – I wanted to thank you. You saved my life.” His voice held an undercurrent of awe at that bald summation of what had truly been a heroic feat. “I owe you . . . everything.” Still not sure where he wanted to go with this, Hess seemed as if he suddenly remembered something, and reached into the pouch at his belt, awkwardly, because of his bandaged hand. Withdrawing a bow string, coiled up neatly, he extended it to her. “This is yours, I think. You used it to tie on the bandages. It looks like it’s still in pretty good shape. I – I didn’t know if you’d want it back.” He paused, really taking in their surroundings for the first time, seeing in the dim light the scraps and leftovers of better weapons, sub-par arrows littering the ground, and the rag-tag targets. He knew that Deks rarely were able to procure decent weapons of their own. But she had brought down that deer – she must have something better than this crap. Or did have – apparently she had sacrificed it to bandage him up. “You – you made a great shot – that deer you brought down.” His gaze came back to her face. “Do I get to know the name of my savior?” he asked, with a slightly teasing quality to his voice, though he was really in dead earnest. This tiny girl had saved him, and he was prepared to see that she had more than just his words of thanks in repayment.

[Napua]

The Dek girl stared up at the taller Avora hunter as she stood and patiently awaited his reaction and response to her words. Her breath caught in her throat and she had to internally struggle to release it as quietly as possible. Not much made Napua anxious but this did as she wasn't sure the reaction she would get as a result of this deed. She was expecting anger and confusion for one then whatever could happen next -- that was the part that scared her.

The Avora continued to stare at her however and that made her swallow visibly but she stood her ground and watched a wave of emotion come over the taller Inartan's features and she lowered her gaze after that, bringing her hands to clasp before her tunic. All she could think about that could be the worst reaction to all of this was that he might be bitter towards her but if that was to be, why come looking for a Dek -- the Dek girl who was said to have saved you. Why waste the energy in seeking her out to just be bitter. Napua thought to herself and it didn't make sense so she shifted her gaze back up to the hunter when he began to speak again.

Napua dipped her head at the Hunter's words, her heart once more beginning to drum within in her chest.. He had thanked her and that alone surprised her then he apologized for snapping at her as well. The dek girl could only subtly raise her brow and bite her lower lip as she nodded, listening to the Avora's words. She heard the truth in his voice as he spoke of her being a dek as the cause of his initial frustration which didn't surprise her ofcourse and she wanted to badly place her hand on his arm to show him it was no bother to her but she left her hands clasped.

"It is.. fine.. please don't worry. I am sorry if I was not very forthcoming at first but.. I.. do not know how you would've reacted to such a thing.." She continued to listen to him and he was beginning to surprise her and not just a little but immensely and when he said he owed her everything, her brows lifted high and her eyes watched his movements. Owes me everything? She thought, "Oh petch.." She said out-loud without realizing and she clears her throat then, her gaze drifting to the bandaged hand then that bow string that comes into view and she gasps, reaching for it and gently touching it as if it were something sacred.

"Thank you.. so much.." She answers, smiling for the first time up at the Avora, "It did the job well.. it is strong.." She commented, her eyes looking to the bows and arrows in the niche which causes her to wrinkle her nose briefly before looking back to the bow string within her grasp.

Her gaze drifted upwards again at the remark about the deer and she nodded softly, her heart still beating fast but her features much more calm now and she gave a little smile as her cheeks colour a little and she parts her lips to answer, "I'm Napua."

[Hess]

“Napua.” Hess repeated the name, as if trying it out on his lips. Or perhaps he was committing it to memory, afraid that, once found, he’d somehow lose her again. He nodded, solemnly. “Yes, it was an excellent shot. It surprised the hell out of me. I had no idea anyone else was in that clearing. Thanks the gods, that you were.” Though the Dek girl's gaze had flickered up and down throughout their interaction so far, Hess’ golden eyes remained fixed on her as he spoke. Now that he knew, now that at least some of the embarrassment over his own poor behavior seemed to have been allayed with her own quiet apologies – as if she had been at fault for his rudeness – the awkwardness that he had felt a moment before was quickly ebbing away. In its place was a quiet wonder, as it really hit home what this girl had done. How had she managed it? She was so small, though her frame looked sturdy. Still, to carry him as far as she had. And to do the bandaging. Truly, the fact that he was standing before her now was a minor miracle. “I’m Hess,” he went on, his voice picking up just a bit more of its more usual affability. “In case no-one ever told you.” He was looking at her intently, trying to fathom who she was, really, inside. He had never had a thought like that before, about a Dek. “Though you probably didn’t care to know, the way you were treated so dismissively. That was wrong, and poorly done. I guess . . . I guess people just . . . don’t think.” That sounded so lame. Here he was, making excuses again. He knew, she never even got a thank you, from any of them. Napua. The girl who had saved his life. Her efforts meant . . . nothing. But to him, they meant . . . everything. “Listen,” he said. “I – I want to repay you, somehow. I mean – there isn’t really any way that I can repay you. Not unless I save your life some day. And I sure don’t want to have to do that – though I would. In a heartbeat.” Hesitantly, he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. He couldn’t even recall another time when he had purposefully touched a Dek, not like this. Not as a friend, or an equal. “But I want to try to show you my appreciation, for what you did, Napua. I . . . I want to . . . give you something, or-or . . . “ He paused. In the back of his mind, as he had searched for this mystery Dek, he had had some vague notion of giving her a reward of some kind. Pinions, maybe. Or – a gift? Now, that all seemed so lame. To put something in her hand and turn around and walk away? That wasn’t what he wanted. He suddenly realized – what he wanted to do was what she wanted. What could he do that would please her? “I – I want to be your friend. And I want to do something for you. Something….meaningful. Something that you want, Napua. If I could help you realize your wildest dream, I would, if it was in my power. Tell me . . . what do you want? What can I do – for you?”

[Napua]

Napua listened to his words and she felt his eyes upon her always, even as she shifted her away nervously from time to time. She was conditioned to not look anyone of a higher caste directly in their gaze unless told to do so, which often came in the form of a command like 'Look at me when I'm talking to you, dek!' or something similar so him constantly having his eyes on her, made her a tad uncomfortable at first but she slowly became more surprised at his words and the tone of his voice and eventually, she let her smoky eyes meet his.

She suddenly felt so small before him. He was taller and bigger and even though she was a sturdy young girl, she still was petite in her frame and the hunter towered over her and his bulk expanded her own atleast twice over. She could only wonder to herself, how she ever managed to carry this bulk of a man so far as she chewed on her lower lip and kept her gaze on the hunter's own now.

"Hess. Hess.. it is.. very nice to meet you." Comes her response as she nervously wet her lower lip, her brow furrowing faintly at the words that follow and she inhaled deeply. Yes, she was dismissed, no one even bothered to tell her who it was she had saved. She only figured out he was of the Avora caste because of how the others responded when she led them to him as he laid half dead and injured and how quickly they rushed over at seeing one of their own. It filled her with disgust at first at how she helped one of them and they did not care and it was all just because she was who she was.. a nobody.. a dek.

"I did wish to know.. but no one could be bothered to tell me even when I returned your things..but it might not have mattered.. I did not think you would wish to know who helped you.. but.. you know this.. already.." She says slowly, attempting to hide the bitterness in her voice before clearing her throat and keeping her hands at her sides, hoping she did not say too much and that she was not too forward. She lifted her eyes to gauge his reaction but instead he looked at her and continued to speak, soon resting his hand on her shoulder and her body tensed automatically her head tilting subtly as she continues to listen.

'Why does he.. touch me.. does he want me? Now..?' She wonders to herself, feeling dread come up into her heart. 'All this talk of thanking me.. showing appreciation.. giving me something? I'm a nobody.. why should he feel indebted to me..?' The thoughts continued to fire rapidly as she kept her eyes on Hess and remained still before they widen at his next words, her features turning into one of confusion and she swallowed visibly, shifting her gaze around quickly before her eyes return to Hess'.

"A friend? Um.. my dreams..? Um.. should be talk about this here? Uh.." She stammers now, wanting badly to back away from the hunter but she was mostly frozen in shock and at the possibilities now that he was presenting to her. Could he make her into someone better than what she was now if she accepted his friendship and told him her dreams or was this just a joke to him? Napua did not trust easily and especially those of a higher caste but she did not want to seem ungrateful either because she knew another chance like this.. if it were genuine, may not come again.

[Hess]

He felt her tense under his touch, saw the look on her face and the rigidity in her body. Her words – parroted back versions of what he had just offered her – were laced with nervousness – apprehension – even fear. It was hard for him to remain calm, and to keep telling himself she has a reason, she does! – despite wanting to respond in the way he had always responded to sub-intelligent Deks. It was so bred into him – to automatically relegate all Deks to a spot on the floor with the dirt. But that wasn’t who this girl was – his brain insisted. She was a skilled hunter. She was quick to react to an emergency. She had fashioned and applied bandages – and carried him almost all the way to the gates! All things a Dek would probably be assumed unable to carry out unless explicitly instructed. All things A Dek shouldn’t have done – for what did she owe him? She could have just turned her back and walked away and left him to die, with no-one the wiser. But she didn’t. And that was why she now practically trembled before him. Because despite all that, she feared him. Like all Avora – Endals - Chiets even – he had the power of life or death over her, the power to give her orders, to force himself on her, to be abusive in any way he liked. That’s why she could not accept his offers graciously, quickly, and with a show of thanks, as maybe he subconsciously had expected her to. She feared him, and she didn’t trust him. If anything, she looked as if she’d like to run away from him as fast as she could. Hess let his hand drop back to his side, feeling frustrated, but still determined to find some way to thank this girl, with more than words. He chewed on his lower lip for a moment, then said, “Come with me.” He didn’t wait for her to say yes or no. She had no choice. He turned and began to walk, out of the little niche in the back of the huge cavern, past the supply room, and thence to stairs that ran up and down, passages that went sideways, back and forth, through the shoulder of the volcano. He walked for many, many minutes, with never a glance backwards, until finally he came to a door in an area where many of the Avora hunters claimed quarters. He opened it and stepped inside his room, holding the door open and waiting for Napua to follow him in.

[Napua]

Napua's smoky-hue eyes stayed on the hunter when her shoulder was touched and she felt herself stiffen up in apprehension and fear. While his touch was not one of force or was it heavy-handed upon her, it was also with a normalcy of a friend and that she was not used to or possibly would never be used to if this Avora did indeed wish to be her friend. She wondered to herself how long he would possibly last in the presence of a Dek, how long before his peers wondered if she was just his play thing or if they would laugh at him if he revealed that he wished to be this young dek girl's friend or all things and she would not blame them for thinking such really. She was but a Dek, a nobody determined by the society but what hurt was she also put herself in that situation.

She watched Hess' hand drop from her shoulder and she paled a moment, realizing that she must've looked like some frightened animal about to be slaughtered and she lowered her eyes and cleared her throat before hearing the tremor of his voice and the request to come, which caused her to life her gaze once again in time to see him turn his back to her and begin to step along. Ofcourse she followed, he told her to, it was not a request. So follow she did; she stepped along quick enough to keep pace but to remain behind, her soft-sandaled foot barely making much of a sound as they walked out the niche and through the storage room towards the stairs.

When they left the archery range proper and stepped into one of the passages, she looked back then around before moving quickly behind the tall, red-headed Avora. He took many a turn through these passages and she continued to follow, seeing from time to time a few people coming through the passages as well and they would all look at the hunter then lastly at her as they made their way along.

She realized soon they were no where near where Dek's would be allowed to come, unless accompanied by an Avora and she stopped when Hess did, turning her gaze to see him open up a door and she clenched her hands together and saw him hold the door open, obviously waiting for her to step in and so she did and stood just at the side of the doorway once inside, her eyes returning to look up at the Avora hunter now, waiting for him to come in and shut the door.

She did not know what would come next now, she could only hold her breath and wait and see.