PM to join [Ruby Disctrict] Can't Help Curiosity (Khasr & Akilah)

[Nastaran Riverwalker]

6th of Winter, 512 AV

It was a pale afternoon with the sun fighting obscuration by clouds that held a thin promise of rain. Nastaran was walking through the Ruby District, warm in her new fur lined cloak, observing the items for sale that she one day hoped to afford. Her strider, Hansuul, followed her quickly, his ears pricked and head up as he studied their busy surroundings. The district was busier now that the day was officially in motion. The joy Nastaran had felt the day before upon her arrival to Endrykas was dimmed as she now spotted victims of the pox throughout the city. She hardly worried about catching it herself because she was more concerned for the older and younger members of her family who's health was more easily affected by such things. Nastaran was constantly on the look out for information that would better protect those in her family that were threatened by the disease.

The Ruby Clan was famous for their pavilions and for their wagons and it was the latter that Nastaran was admiring with desire. The wagons were indeed well made and as beautiful as a wagon could be. She stood in front of one that had really caught her fancy and ran her fingers through Hansuul's thick mane absentmindedly. "What about that one Hansuul? It is just the right size to carry our belongings." He bumped her shoulder, lipping at her long wavy hair. Nastaran continued her one sided conversation with a smile, "Well, I wouldn't expect you to pull it. We'd find a companion much more suited to such work. Whenever I raise the money that is. Would you like that?" She turned and scratched the white blaze down his face affectionately, grinning lovingly at the horse. As she did so, a man in the distance caught her attention.

[Colt]

A sharp wind wove through the tent city. Though it was by no means frigid, it bore the nasty bite of early winter. Frost coated the waxed canvases, and when the sun rose it cast Endrykas aglitter with a thousand little lights. While such lights had faded as Syna climbed higher into the sky, whenever someone walked just so the light would catch and tease the eye with a flash of red or blue or green that was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.

The morning was gone but it was not quite noon when the man appeared from the grasses. He wove his way tensely through the tent city, ill at ease with both the large number of people and the nameless disease that struck such terror within them. He knew fear well enough, at least well enough to know when he was walking within its domain.

He walked abreast of a strider, a massive beast that stabbed the ground with every step it took. Any passerby that knew horseflesh would immediately be able to sense the thing’s mean spirit, but the presence of its bonded rider was enough to prevent any undesirable scenes. At least for now. Yet despite its company he couldn’t dispel a twinge of nerve; the distinct lack of a shadow overhead was distressing, no matter how much he tried to ignore it. Few and far between were his excursions without the she-falcon, but he was fairly certain she was not any more partial to crowds than he was. And he wasn’t hunting, so therefore had nothing to offer her.

He shrugged deeper into his woolen cloak. He had no love of winter, but he knew its necessity. The biting cold drove the desire for warmth and survival, the same desire that had now led him here.

The flags atop the pavilions changed from scattered blue and white to red, and the deeper he went the thicker they became. Soon enough red was all that flew over the tents, reds depicting crafts and names and skills. He scanned the knotwork around him carefully, searching for—

—there. Over one tent was a knotted image of a pavilion’s skeleton alongside a wagon. Home-crafters.

As he approached he took note of the woman admiring one of the wagons outside. Immediately his internal defenses went up, even though he had yet to approach. Akaidras sensed his fear and bumped his rider’s shoulder. The man sighed through his teeth and grudgingly approached the pavilion. Perhaps she worked there..?

He neared and averted his eyes, though somewhere deep within he knew he was being paranoid. He was a Drykas and so was she; surely that was grounds enough for trust? It should be, he knew, but he couldn’t bring himself to breach that barrier. Not yet.

And because he was averting his eyes, he did not know where she was until he had walked straight into her.

[Akilah Windsong]

This was not what she expected when she came back. The Endrykas Akilah left in the summer was different than the one she returned to in the winter. Gone were the running children and loud conversations and in its place were the whispers of loss and fear.

Fear was something Akilah already knew of. Traveling in the grassy fields of her home, there was always the fear of an unexpected attack. A zith could take her away, a glassbeak could maul her, these fears were companionable and she learned how to defend against them.

The pox was something else entirely and this fear brought something new with it: helplessness. Akilah knew almost nothing of healing and a disease is not something you could just slash away until it died.

She shivered in the breeze, drawing her coat around her tighter. The weather was chilly, matching the sober mood she was in. Adámas nickered beside her, her large head brushing gently against Akilah's. It was a comforting gesture from her strider, and she stroked her partner's white-red head.

"I know, at least we were away for part of it. But Fajra seems a little sick and what if she's got it?"

There was no reply to this. Nothing could be said. She walked slowly through the streets of the dying city, a city she no longer knew. It was almost hard to imagine she had ran through these streets only two seasons ago, excited about the seasonal hunt.

Vespera for once stayed near his master, a black shadow at her feet. It was only when he started to bark excitedly, running up to a man a short distance away, that Akilah looked up properly.

"Vespera!" She ran after him, Adámas trotting slowly behind them. She was probably enjoying this, she always did, and Akilah spared her a short frown. Catching up to the dog, she stopped short when she saw the man Vespera was leaping excitedly around.

"Oh, it's you!" She gave a bright smile, her first piece of good news since returning. She hadn't seen him in two seasons. "It's good to see you aren't sick! Or at least dead, I heard it's hard to tell if someone's sick. At least you seem healthy?" She moved closer to give him a quick hug, before finally noticing the strider he was with. "Did you finally find your strider? I knew you would."

Vespera was still trying to lick him, and she quickly pulled back her dog. "Sorry about that."

Noticing the girl beside him for the first time, Akilah made a startled noise. "I didn't notice you. Sorry, am I intruding?"

If he was able to actually talk to someone else properly, then clearly more than just the city changed during her time away.

[Nastaran Riverwalker]

There was something off about the man and Nastaran could not put her finger on it. His posture was comfortable and the steed beside him made her defenses go up. Nastaran looked away, watching Hansuul's ears as they listened to the approaching strider and rider. She trusted her horse and trusted his instincts. Putting it out of her mind, the young woman returned to looking at the wagon, letting Hansuul step away from her as she studied the knot-work carved into the wood. Suddenly a force collided into her and it took a second for her to regain her balance before spinning around to confront whoever had run into her. To her surprise she found herself staring into the green eyes of the mysterious man. "Oh, are you alright?" Nastaran managed to ask once she found her voice. Hansuul was immediately by her side, ears erect and nostrils flared, showing his agitation. Nastaran quieted him but did not turn away from the man and his threatening horse.

Nastaran jumped when an excited dog ran up to the man, obviously pleased to see him. She felt herself relax at the dog's happy demeanor and she smiled when the dog's owner ran up. While the woman spoke, Nastaran remained quiet, still confused as to what was happening but not wanting to interrupt the reunion of old friends. When the woman addressed her, Nastaran smiled, "Oh no, you're fine. We just had a small mishap. I don't mean to come between you. You are obviously good friends.

[Colt]

The man hastily backpedaled, and had Akaidras not been behind him then he would have probably fallen. As it was, the stallion was there to lend him balance, and once his feet were under him again he looked at the woman he had run into.

Concern for his safety? He looked at the ground and signed a quick I’m fine. Apology.

He raised his eyes to meet hers and tilted his head and signed again. Are you of this pavilion? he asked, nodding at the Ruby tent-crafters.

If she had wanted to answer, the loud barking of a dog cut off any chance of farther communication. Akaidras immediately stood to attention, pinning his ears back and snorting at the oncoming canine. The man turned and regarded the beast in alarm; though the wagging tail displayed that the dog was not looking to attack him, it was still a completely unfamiliar dog. The hunter moved to face the animal fully, and at the first chance he locked eyes. Shoulders wide, back arched, weight on the balls of his feet, he curled his upper lip slightly to show his teeth defensively. He did not want that dog coming any closer.

And with his attention focused on the dog, he failed to notice the young woman. He whipped to face the sudden voice, giving her the same expression he had given the dog. Though she was an adult, her youth was evident. Her black hair was long and glimmered with health, and her eyes held an innocence—well, as much of an innocence that could be had in the Sea of Grass.

And then she embraced him. He jerked, at first thinking that it was some kind of attack, but when no pain accompanied it he fell still. His body remained rigid, alarms continuing to go off in his head. When he heard Akaidras’ bellow, he knew that it was time for the embrace to end.

He put space between him and the strange young woman as his strider shied, kneeing the air in fury at what he certainly presumed was an assault against his human. The man put one shoulder against the stallion’s chest to deter the beast from retaliation, and a low rumbling purr began to roll from his throat. The stallion halted, unwillingly calmed by the comforting vibration emanating from its rider. Moments dragged, and the horse returned to its senses enough for the man to place himself firmly by his strider’s side.

He looked at the young black-haired woman with a steely gaze, then gave a cold sign.

Who are you?

[Akilah Windsong]

His strider was as jumpy and wild as he was. It didn't surprise Akilah in the least, though it startled her slightly when he started to paw the air, anger and fear written clearly with every motion. He was a large stallion and each hoofbeat felt like an earthquake.

Hopefully the strider was not entirely like his partner and they would not have to go through the strange cycle of anger and apologies before becoming accustomed to one another.

No, what did surprise Akilah was how tense her friend was when she hugged him. He never was one for physical affection, but it had been two seasons. Surely an exception could have been made for her. At least this once.

What was even worse was the steps he took back. A small warning ran in her head, a feeling she didn't understand, and she turned to the girl to ignore it.

"Mishap?" She responded to the girl, laughter on her lips. "With him mishaps are the start of any friendship. I'd say you're well on your way to becoming his newest friend."

Akilah took in the slightly older stranger for a moment, before giving a friendly smile. There was something confident about her, something strong, and Akilah liked her immediately. "It's nice to meet you. And your strider too." She nodded at the horse.

Turning back to her friend, her arms still wrapped around the struggling dog, her smile dropped when she saw his signed words.

Who are you?

She flinched. She couldn't help it. This was not what she expected at all.

Her first reaction was anger. Disbelief. She sank into it, let its familiarity cloud her for a moment. He must be angry about something. "You're joking right? We didn't even fight the last time we met!"

Even as she said that, she knew that wasn't it. His eyes didn't show a glimmer of recognizing her, his posture tenser than she had ever seen it. Even when they had first met he had never acted so hostile. His entire expression was guarded, like steel, like the winter they were all trying to escape. She let go of Vespera in shock, a strange feeling in the back of her throat growing larger with every second.

Her black dog, nervous of the stallion, sank to his hunches, whining lightly. Absentmindedly, her hand fell to his head and stroked it, calming him as she tried to comprehend what was in front of her.

Adámas snorted behind her, reminding her to talk. She felt a little braver with her strider behind her, a little more put together. "I'm Akilah, Akilah Windsong. Do you remember my name at least?" She paused, trying to think of what might help him remember. "You showed me that secret grotto once? And that stampede?"

[Nastaran Riverwalker]

Nastaran attempted to reach forward and catch him from falling but his intimidating strider beat her to it. She retracted her hands, watching him carefully. While his horse was threatening and she knew the man was dangerous, she did not feel frightened of him, morel like he was guarded against her. Nastaran offered a smile as he signed to her and she nodded, signing back No apology needed. When he nodded at the Ruby clan tents she turned in slight confusion and realized his mistake after a moment but before she could sign back a very friendly dog bounded up to them. The man's reaction to the dog fascinated her. He seemed to read the dog differently than she had and she stood back watching silently. Hansuul bumped his nose against her, his attention switching from the other strider to the dog and man.

"New friends are always welcome in this land." Nastaran laughed, loving the woman's positive demeanor immediately. She was not so sure about friendship with the man for it did not appear to her that he was interested in making friends. However, Nastaran would never turn down a friendship. "It's nice to meet you and yours," She replied nodding to the dog and horse with a warm smile. If new friends were being made, she hoped that Akilah was one of them. The pleasant conversation turned confusing for Nastaran as the man seemed completely baffled by Akilah's interactions with him. Nastaran was not sure she should remain, listening to such a private conversation but curiosity about the strange man kept her from bowing out. Even Hansuul did not try to move away, his attention now completely on the strider. He snorted softly and Nastaran stroked his velvet nose as she listened.

[Colt]

The young woman twitched visibly, sheer disbelief flitting across her gaze. He did not react nor change his stance; simply watched her with hard eyes, waiting for an answer.

Her dog sat and began to whine, which made the man feel slightly more at ease. He had been attacked by dogs before; it was good to know that this one was not thinking of doing something similar.

He tilted his head at her.

Akilah. Akilah Windsong.

He carefully mulled over the words, not just committing them to memory, but also carefully sifting through his own mind and his own scarce memories, doing his best to match her name with anything that dwelt there.

There was nothing.

Even when she put forth experiences she obviously believed him to have partaken in, though he searched he again found nothing. He reached back, through his past season in Endrykas, to Sama’el’s discovery of him, through the haze of summer, even to spring, before he had met the she-falcon. And then, once again, he hit a wall of darkness; there was nothing else to remember.

Which roused the question: had he existed before then?

Before the full gravity of the question hit him, he noticed the older woman, the one he had run into. She was looking uncomfortable, and if paranoia was not altering his senses then she looked like she wished to leave. That did not sound good at all.

He tried to catch her gaze discretely, not daring to sign in case he would offend this… Akilah. He then did his best to convey to her please, don’t leave me here with this insane girl. Granted, he didn’t know this woman either, but at least she didn’t know him. Or think that he knew him.

He locked his eyes with Akilah’s, something that he did not do often with anyone or anything.

I do not know you, he signed.

[Akilah Windsong]

He didn't know her.

He somehow didn't know her. Akilah had lost friends before. Some due to growing apart, some to death, some just disappeared. She was used to people coming in and out of her life before.

But she had never had a friend forget her existence. Especially one that was almost constantly angry at her. Toward the last few times they met, he seemed to have been warming up to her--there were few fights and he was almost like a child dragging her around.

Now he looked like he did at the beginning, only worse. "Your family would remem..." she paused at that thought, hitting her forehead lightly. "Or not, now that I think about it. I think I only ever saw them from a distance. For some reason you were a bit...dodgy about them. Or nearly anything else I ever asked you. Even during the hunt..."

Her voice was a little louder now and when she stopped talking, the silence was deafening.

He was only signing back to her, not talking, not yelling. Akilah felt small, almost not worth the effort.

She looked at him, at the girl beside him. Both looked uncomfortable, wary almost, and that was also something she was not used to. When she spoke, her words had that affect at times. Even for a Drykas she was too blunt at times, unable to differentiate between personal and public thoughts.

It was only recently that she had started to develop that filter, shifting her opinions through a sieve.

But she had never made two strangers (and he was almost a stranger at the moment, not the friend she knew) uncomfortable so quickly.

And while he had it coming--how could he forget her--the woman beside her didn't deserve this when she was probably just out here shopping.

Turning to the girl--it was easier to ignore him, to ignore the confusion that balled up in her at the moment--she gave her a weak smile. "I'm sorry that I'm making such a big scene here. You're shopping and I..."

And she didn't quite know what to say. She shrugged, feeling helpless. "I don't even know your name. I'm Akilah, and this is Vespera." She almost had a strangle grip on her dog's black fur, and she released him. The black stallion was still an intimidating figure, and while Vespera had gotten over his initial fear, he wasn't quite ready to face the horse. Instead he trotted over to the girl, giving a sharp bark when he heard his name. Wagging his tail, he rose up against the girl, his tongue hanging out as he tried to greet her.

Adámas brushed her long head against Akilah, and she reached up to stroke her soft fur. "This is Adámas."

He still didn't make a sound. Not even of his characteristic impatience. She almost wanted to leave right then, just leave and find a small corner to hide in. To think in. To take it all in.

But that wouldn't sort anything out.

"...did you lose your memory? Amnesia, I think it's called. Did that happen to you?" It was the only explanation she could think of. The ball in her throat grew smaller at that thought.

Sorrow was tangible. So was rage. So was hurt.

But this wasn't just one or the other. It wasn't a mix that she could recognize. It was strange and she pushed down the feelings for later, when she could give it words.

Strangely enough, she didn't feel like crying.

[Limey]

Khasr Skill and Lore Rewards Skills Lore Observation 3 A Fear Of Crowds Intimidation 1 Do I Know You? Investigation 1 Akilah: A Beautiful Enigma Akilah Skill and Lore Rewards Skills Lore Observation 2 Endrykas: Whisper of Fear and Loss Rhetoric 2 Trying To Jolt A Memory Investigation 1 The Sorrow of Being Struck From Memory Additional Notes : Nastaran, if you return to activity, PM me and let me know so I can give you a grade for this. Great work as usual, Khasr. I loved how you didn't cop out and have a flash of clarity, remembering Akilah. Amnesia is rarely so merciful. Damn shame this didn't go anywhere more, it was about to get interesting, but once again, there's always next time and it's one more loose end tied up. Any questions or queries, please PM me.