Kavala watched Dust delighted. She leaned back slightly feeling relaxed for some reason in the kelvics presence. Things had been so tense lately, so strange, that to see something so beautiful and so normal like a playful raven just reminded Kavala that things were still right in the world. Hard times lead to peaceful times. It showed her, in small ways, that there was still hope. Sometimes, Kavala lost sight of that.
The Konti's face crinkled into a smile as the raven stalked her son. When she tickled Tasival, the boy squealed, back peddled and then tumbled to his rump. Tasi wasn't the most graceful of creatures. Shayru was better. But her son's darker personality didn't seem inclined to come out. Awkwardly, Tasi got on his hands and knees, retrieved a bite of fallen pear, stuffed it into his mouth, and started stalking the raven back, giggling. He babbled as he did so, in a mixture of Tukant and Pavi, with sometimes a word of common thrown in.
He didn't try to hurt Dust, instead he mimicked her walk - the strange bobbing gait and sometimes throwing in a sideways hop - and did everything she did down to a tilt of her head and opening his hands like wings. It was then Dust might notice Tasi had scales on his arms, spiraling upwards to gills set beneath his ears. And while his hair was super fine, it was a soft white like his mothers, not the dark of his father's race.
Kavala let the game go on interrupted. Tasi was just up from a nap, and the best thing for him was a bit of play. In fact, she was grateful to the kelvic. The Sanctuary's mistress was generally tired these days, her djed depleted.
She hadn't forgotten about Dust's question though. And she started talking as the two smaller forms played. Tasi never got truly close to Dust, but it was incredibly good fun for him to pretend to be Dust, mirroring her as his mother spoke.
"Iris lives there. She's a healer like myself, a Konti. My sister Akela used to also live there, but no one's seen her for a while. She was a Konti, but absolutely loved her sword. I've never seen a Konti more violent. I suspect she fell in the djed storm." Kavala said, describing each woman.
"Gianne and her bondmate Rhy live there. Gianne is human, young, and a riding instructor. Rhy is a kelvic dog. She's beautiful and funny. Everyone loves her because she says such straight to the point things. The two of them are often together. You can tell they share a great deal." Kavala said, smiling softly as Tasi almost tripped again. Her son was not coordinated, but each time he didn't actually fall was like a big victory for him.
"We have two other healers. Serrif, who used to live in Mura. He's a human, very gentle, to tries to watch over us. Sometimes hes a little pompous, as if women can't do what men can. And I think he has a minor heart attack every time one of us picks up a weapon. But I chalk it up to his soft living on Mura." She said, laughing slightly. Serrif would take offense to hear himself described as such, but it was the truth. He did see the women as not as capable as the men when the truth was most of the women could hold their own in battle. "I think hes a little in love with Gianne and Rhy too." Kavala added.
Looking thoughtful, Kavala told Dust about Elem, whom Tasi liked and immediately began changing his name... "Elem Bree Elem Bree". Kavala laughed. "Elem gives Tasi candy when I'm not looking. He's totally won my sons heart with sugar." The konti said, chuckling. "Elem is a really shy man. He's a healer from Zeltiva as well. He came this way looking for something more in life. I hope hes found it here. We're building a college, you see... to train healers to help animals and not just people. Elem was so docile when he moved here, but hes changing now. He's learning weapons and coming out of his shell. I think humans call it finding himself." Kavala added, slipping down the list mentally.
"My brother also lives there. He's the arms master. There's not a more beautiful man inside and out than Vanator. But hes been so incredibly hurt. Zith captured him and hes suffered under them. He never talks about it, but I can tell. And when he finally won his freedom, he found our entire pavilion on the Sea of Grass had been destroyed. All his family, his wives, everyone gone. He's so quiet these days. He used to laugh a great deal. Now he only exists. I can see him healing, slowly bit by bit, but its so painful not to be able to hug him and kiss his cheek and make all his hurts go away." Kavala said.
"Then there's Aweston. He's our chief groom and stablemaster. He took my last name when his pavilion was destroyed in the storm as well. He's a good man, works hard, and seems content behind stone walls instead of tent walls these days." Kavala said, describing each one of them physically too so if Dust saw them she'd known which one they were unless names slipped her mind.
Kavala kept talking. She seemed to enjoy speaking about her family. "My niece and nephew live there too. Cadra is a cat and an amazingly good cook. None of us quite know what we'd eat without her. Larik is an eagle, and hes fierce brooding and still recovering. I found them enslaved and bought their freedom with two seme mares." Kavala said, speaking of Cadra's easy laugh and her bright coppery hair. Larik looked different, being blonde, but he was still handsome even though he never smiled.
"I think you would like them." She added, even as Tasi did another half bow and mimicked Dusts opening and closing her mouth with his own.
The Konti's face crinkled into a smile as the raven stalked her son. When she tickled Tasival, the boy squealed, back peddled and then tumbled to his rump. Tasi wasn't the most graceful of creatures. Shayru was better. But her son's darker personality didn't seem inclined to come out. Awkwardly, Tasi got on his hands and knees, retrieved a bite of fallen pear, stuffed it into his mouth, and started stalking the raven back, giggling. He babbled as he did so, in a mixture of Tukant and Pavi, with sometimes a word of common thrown in.
He didn't try to hurt Dust, instead he mimicked her walk - the strange bobbing gait and sometimes throwing in a sideways hop - and did everything she did down to a tilt of her head and opening his hands like wings. It was then Dust might notice Tasi had scales on his arms, spiraling upwards to gills set beneath his ears. And while his hair was super fine, it was a soft white like his mothers, not the dark of his father's race.
Kavala let the game go on interrupted. Tasi was just up from a nap, and the best thing for him was a bit of play. In fact, she was grateful to the kelvic. The Sanctuary's mistress was generally tired these days, her djed depleted.
She hadn't forgotten about Dust's question though. And she started talking as the two smaller forms played. Tasi never got truly close to Dust, but it was incredibly good fun for him to pretend to be Dust, mirroring her as his mother spoke.
"Iris lives there. She's a healer like myself, a Konti. My sister Akela used to also live there, but no one's seen her for a while. She was a Konti, but absolutely loved her sword. I've never seen a Konti more violent. I suspect she fell in the djed storm." Kavala said, describing each woman.
"Gianne and her bondmate Rhy live there. Gianne is human, young, and a riding instructor. Rhy is a kelvic dog. She's beautiful and funny. Everyone loves her because she says such straight to the point things. The two of them are often together. You can tell they share a great deal." Kavala said, smiling softly as Tasi almost tripped again. Her son was not coordinated, but each time he didn't actually fall was like a big victory for him.
"We have two other healers. Serrif, who used to live in Mura. He's a human, very gentle, to tries to watch over us. Sometimes hes a little pompous, as if women can't do what men can. And I think he has a minor heart attack every time one of us picks up a weapon. But I chalk it up to his soft living on Mura." She said, laughing slightly. Serrif would take offense to hear himself described as such, but it was the truth. He did see the women as not as capable as the men when the truth was most of the women could hold their own in battle. "I think hes a little in love with Gianne and Rhy too." Kavala added.
Looking thoughtful, Kavala told Dust about Elem, whom Tasi liked and immediately began changing his name... "Elem Bree Elem Bree". Kavala laughed. "Elem gives Tasi candy when I'm not looking. He's totally won my sons heart with sugar." The konti said, chuckling. "Elem is a really shy man. He's a healer from Zeltiva as well. He came this way looking for something more in life. I hope hes found it here. We're building a college, you see... to train healers to help animals and not just people. Elem was so docile when he moved here, but hes changing now. He's learning weapons and coming out of his shell. I think humans call it finding himself." Kavala added, slipping down the list mentally.
"My brother also lives there. He's the arms master. There's not a more beautiful man inside and out than Vanator. But hes been so incredibly hurt. Zith captured him and hes suffered under them. He never talks about it, but I can tell. And when he finally won his freedom, he found our entire pavilion on the Sea of Grass had been destroyed. All his family, his wives, everyone gone. He's so quiet these days. He used to laugh a great deal. Now he only exists. I can see him healing, slowly bit by bit, but its so painful not to be able to hug him and kiss his cheek and make all his hurts go away." Kavala said.
"Then there's Aweston. He's our chief groom and stablemaster. He took my last name when his pavilion was destroyed in the storm as well. He's a good man, works hard, and seems content behind stone walls instead of tent walls these days." Kavala said, describing each one of them physically too so if Dust saw them she'd known which one they were unless names slipped her mind.
Kavala kept talking. She seemed to enjoy speaking about her family. "My niece and nephew live there too. Cadra is a cat and an amazingly good cook. None of us quite know what we'd eat without her. Larik is an eagle, and hes fierce brooding and still recovering. I found them enslaved and bought their freedom with two seme mares." Kavala said, speaking of Cadra's easy laugh and her bright coppery hair. Larik looked different, being blonde, but he was still handsome even though he never smiled.
"I think you would like them." She added, even as Tasi did another half bow and mimicked Dusts opening and closing her mouth with his own.
