[Wind Reach]The Fruit of Unforgiveness [Haya]

[Kovac]

Kovac's wine-soddened brain had cleared somewhat, though a viscous fog remained. He watched Haya take the cane from his hand, his eyes following as her legs buckled and she slid down to the floor, back against the wall. Then, of all things, the bloody-lipped Drudge grinned. Kovac could hardly make out his own emotional state, clouded by drink, but when he saw the battered, lame, strong-willed Dek collapse and smile wearily, the Avora found his angst slowly being drained from him. The surly archer had belittled her, intimidated her, even struck her. Yet even now, Haya opened her eyes to look at him in amusement. The Drudge had struck something in Kovac's alcohol-affected heart. Confusion, admiration, and acceptance. At some other time from some other mouth, Haya's blunt and honest question would have been rebuffed sarcastically. But the woman had seized on his attention, somehow reaching into him. He looked at Haya on the floor and thought of the Rider Shayth. She too had touched him, somehow getting around his defenses. Funny, he thought, one at the top of the Wind Reach food chain, and one in the dregs at the bottom. And both of them more human than he cared to admit. He was getting soft, he muttered to himself in a slur. It all started with that boy Kellan. Kovac broke his gaze from Haya's, shuffled over next to her and slid to the floor beside her. He tilted his head back, poorly controlled, and it smacked with a thud against the stone. He winced, still feeling the pain through his drunkeness. The archer pondered the situation, the odd turn of events. He felt compelled to answer Haya's question, not so much for her, but for himself, it was a pain to have to hold it in all the time. The Avora's eyes opened and stared blankly across the hall. "I wasn't always like this, or at least this bad." He began in a soft, deliberate voice. "At least I wasn't so bad that I was able to catch the attention of a certain glass artisan. She actually loved me, or so she said." His last words came out with a distant tone. "We were going to join, she was going to move in. When I came home from a hunt the day she was to move her things in, she was already there. She was there, in my bed... with a Rider." Kovac let out a sigh, reaching up to finger the black and red glass earring in his ear. He turned to Haya. His features were honest and filled with regret and even hurt. He reached over to wipe the still trickling blood from her chin with the same hand that had shed it. "I know it is no excuse. It's not your fault. People just tend to annoy me, to remind me that I am messed up. I'm just a half-breed." Shut up! A voice that was much more coherent than the one he spoke with yelled in his head. What are you doing? He had no intention of telling this woman all of that. He had chastised Kellan for being so open. Maybe it was Haya's insignificant position that made it easier, maybe it was how she actually showed some measure of interest, maybe it was reluctant admiration of her spirit or maybe it was just the wine. He pulled up his knees, wrapped his arms around them and stared at the floor. "Gods, I have said too much."

[Haya]

Haya’s laugh resounded through the hallway. The normally so disgruntled archer seemed to be sulking like a kid, with his body curled up and his hands around his knees.
“Yes, wine has a habit of loosening the tongue.” Haya grinned, tilting her head aside to study the man’s profile. Despite her little moment of amusement she quickly fell silent again, her expression falling back into a more serious frown.

So he had been someone’s lover once. Haya’s fingers lifted to touch where the archer had wiped the blood from her face, a display of care that she had not expected from his side. Did he use to be like that?

“You aren´t so bad as you´d like to believe.”

Or as she had believed. Haya averted her gaze again, toying with the fabric of her lontev. Truth was, she felt sorry for the man. Yes, she had lost a loved one herself. But she’d lost him to death, not because he had denied her feelings. If Sohren would have ever turned his back to her... Haya didn’t know what she would’ve done, even the thought of it was enough to feel crushed.
However, to her it didn’t seem like the archer was looking for sympathy. What had happened to him was obviously painfull, and there was no need to point that out again. So instead, she focused on his other words.

Haya’s fingers clenched her cane a little tighter, raising it ever so slighty to knock it’s handle against the half-bloods forehead. It wasn’t hard enough to hurt, but firm enough to feel like a reprimanding. “Of course people will annoy you. If you don’t react to kind words, how else will they know if they can reach you?” She had twisted the intended meaning of his words, but that didn't make for a lesser truth.

Haya chuckled, meeting the Avora’s gaze with an honest smile. “Don’t complain, archer, you have a reason to be proud. Most of your kind end up like me.”

[Kovac]

Even as Kovac closed his eyes to keep the hallway from spinning, he heard Haya's unexpected comment and burst of laughter. The two fell silent for a long moment, allowing Kovac a breath to try and get his bearings. Even after the way he treated her, the woman sounded as comfortable with him as if he were a friend. How did she do it? It was like Haya was immune to him or something. Somehow Kovac went from beating her to spilling his guts to her. The intoxicated archer repeated her words to himself. Not as bad as I'd like to believe. What was she seeing? He was an abusive drunk with few redeeming qualities, that's what he believed. He pulled his eyes open and lifted his head to look at the woman, just in time to see the handle of her cane hovering before him, then felt it rap against his head. it was an interesting gesture, indicating she seemed to no longer fear him. It was almost as if a mentor was lecturing a protege. What she said was true, too true. Haya was nice to him, spoke encouraging words. He could not fathom why. She transcended his stereotype of the Dek. The Avora was baffled by her perception and insight, disarmed by her confidence and friendliness. He did not want to let on to her that she had him pretty much figured out. But Kovac was too tired and drunk to put up any more resistance. At the young woman's laughing smile, Kovac offered a weak grin. His bleary eyes met her lively gaze. He felt a bit sorry for the girl. Haya was bright, compassionate and could even be considered attractive. He wondered what she could have been if she wasn't condemned to be a Drudge. Then he wondered why he cared. Kovac's eyes dropped to her bare feet and the ankle she favored, the injury that surely trapped her in the community's lowest caste. He nodded, indicating her bad ankle. "How did it happen?"

[Haya]

This honest moment would pass, Haya knew that all too well. Tomorrow, the archer would wake up, no longer intoxicated. He might regret this conversation, he might not. But in any case, it would be awkward if they were to meet again. Needing to resettle in their roles, no longer being able to speak as freely as she felt she could right now... Kovac´s question dragged her out of her thoughts.

“Hnn, that...” Haya’s brows furrowed. “That was just stupid.” She sighed, stretched her leg and wiggled her toes. “I was so energetic as a kid, running, jumping around... one day I misstepped. I fell, the pain was so horrible I thought I was going to die,” she snickered in remembrance of her childish foolishness. “Of course I didn’t. But my ankle never healed well.”

She didn’t look at the archer, not willing to see any possible pity for the pathetic joke life had played upon her. She didn´t want to be glanced upon as pityfull, for she wasn´t beaten yet. She had set her own goals, with bitter determination to strike back at whatever fate would throw at her.

[Kovac]

Kovac looked up at Haya as she explained the simplistic accident that kept her a Dek. "Yeah, that was stupid." Kovac stated matter-0f-factly. He didn't pity her. The young woman seemed to adapt emotionally well to her fate, nonetheless determined to do and say what she wanted. But he did agree that life had done Haya wrong, that there was some universal injustice in what had happened to her. The wine had suddenly seemed to cause Kovac to wax philosophic. His words, however, did not reflect his moment of higher thinking. "Such a stupid little fall has screwed up your life Haya. Look at you, you are Wind Reach's maidservant." It was an ill-executed attempt at sympathy. His point was that she had potential, even a cynical drunk could see it. She was either very determined or just a bit of a nut. He noted that the blood on her lip had dried, the bleeding stopped. Yes, to sit here and joke with him after that, she was definitely one of those two things. "Well, I mean...." He closed his eyes to slow the spinning corridor. He fell silent, almost nodding off. After a moment, he opened his eyes to squint at the girl next to him. "I need to get home. I would appreciate some assistance. Do you think that cane could hold us both up?" Kovac smiled crookedly.

[Haya]

“Thanks for the reminder.” Haya let her forehead fall down into the palm of her hand with a wry grin. Wind Reach´s maidservant. This man was only good with words when coming up with some sort of stingy remark, it seemed. Anything else, and he was useless. The drudge pulled her hair back with a sigh, fixing her gaze on the half-blood once again. It was surreal to realise what he was capable of in his malice, and yet she found herself talking with him with natural ease. It was simply hard to stay afraid when someone opened up to you so sincerely.
But on the festival she’d already learned it didn’t take much for the man to suddenly revert back to his wicked ways, so she hadn’t yet thrown all caution in the wind. However, she was the kind of person who dealt with the 'here' and 'now', not so much with what had- or might happen. And right now he was requesting her assistance, who was she to deny him that?

“I’m not sure, but it’s worth a try.” Haya flinched when she pushed her body up from the floor. She was in fact completely beat, but there are times when one comes to a point where one doesn’t even care anymore. And Haya had reached that point.
She held out her hand for the archer to take, offering to help him up. Though the wall might provide a more stable support for him. If he managed to get on his feet, the drudge would lower her shoulder, inviting him to swing his arm around it for support. In return she’d swing her own left arm around his waist, allowing for further guidance. A small smile would creep up her lips. “I do hope you reside nearby, archer, or I doubt we´ll make it there before dawn.”

[Kovac]

Kovac ignored Haya's offered hands, he was coherent enough to know that if she tried to hoist him up, she would end up toppling onto him. He managed to work his way up the wall to his feet, swinging his right arm over the Dek's shoulders. Feeling her arm wrap around his waist, Kovac did not put a lot of weight on the slight woman, but used her more as a steadying support. He looked over at his lute on the floor across the hall. "Ah, I need to get that, it was my mother's." Testing their awkward arrangement, the unlikely companions made their way to the musical instrument. Kovac crouched down until he could grasp the lute's beck, then clung to Haya as he stood up again. "I do not live far, but if I happen to pass out on you, just leave me where I lay. If I do, there is a pinion in my pocket I am sure I will not miss come morning." Haya's down-to-earth positive influence had apparently steered the affects of the wine from Kovac's typical drunken belligerence to a snarky congeniality. The woman had performed no small feat. Together they ambled down the corridors of the warrens in silence. Kovac would waver occasionally, leaning on Haya, who in turned would move against him as she stumbled over his feet. Finally Kovac's sloppy voice rose softly. "Where do you sleep Dek? I don't know if you have a regular place, but you are welcomed to stay with me tonight." He raised his hand as if to stay an anticipated protest. He was sure she would believe he was implying some sordid tryst. He found the Drudge attractive, but for once his intentions were honorable. He wondered if she even had a bed to sleep in. "Its not what you think. I mean just to sleep. We both know I will pass out as soon as I get home, if not before. You have nothing to fear from me tonight, Haya, I promise." Again, his hand raised up as if taking an oath. His unprecedented generosity was inexplicable, even to himself, but he did mean it. Haya had given him something intangible, and Kovac felt some obligation to be grateful. Silly sodded brain.

[Haya]

Haya chuckled softly when the half-blood mentioned the pinion in his pocket. “Such a thing would do me no good. If I´d ever try to spend it they´ll chastise me for stealing.” But the mere fact that he’d mentioned it made a smile cling to her face.

It must look rather pathetic, Haya thought, to see the two of them stumble through the warrens. Every now and then Kovac’s fingers would dig themselves into her shoulder, trying to retain balance, and one or two times she could have sworn he really was going fall. But somehow they managed.

Haya frowned when the half-blood raised his voice a second time, surprised by his offer. It had been a long time since someone had cared about such matters, and she wasn’t quite sure how to react. The drudge usually slept in the nursery’s hallway with a few others, and she was fine with that, already having gotten used to it a long time ago. But the nursery was still a long walk from here, and she did not know how much further her legs would be willing to carry her.

“Heh,” Haya shook her head when the man tried to explain himself. “I know that, archer. It’s obvious you won’t get anything done in this state.” She had put it rather crude, making it painfully clear she did not suspect him of trying anything. “Do know that I’ve been told I have a habit of kicking while asleep.” Haya offered the man another smile to make up for the lack of thankfulness in her words. Sprouting jokes was just so much easier than putting into words the humiliating fact that she felt grateful for something as basic as a place to sleep.

It would be awkward waking next to a sobered up Kovac, but she might get the opportunaty to sneak out before he’d notice, for she doubted the archer would wake early after his fit of heavy drinking.

[Kovac]

The staggering pair finally stopped in front of Kovac's door among the Commonrooms. Removing his arm from around Haya's shoulders, he fumbled with the iron handle until he got the portal open. Faint light from the hallway revealed the corner of a small table along the wall near the entrance. Kovac stepped in, laying the lute on the table with a hollow 'bonk'. It took a few moments, but he managed to light a small lamp on the same table, nothing more than a shallow dish of oil with a spout for a wick. It managed to cast a dim illumination across the small room. Entering further into the room, Kovac looked back to give the Drudge a nod to enter. If she looked, she would see under the lute on the table a couple scraps of paper that appeared to have a half finished musical score scribbled upon them. The spartan room was rather neatly kept, for one who did not seem to care about very much. Another table and a couple chairs, a chest and a small corner table with a water basin, towel and pitcher surrounded a neatly made bed that was not large but would accommodate two comfortably. pegs on one wall held some garments, both for inside and outside the crater. A wooden rack across the room held a shortbow, quiver and a talon sword. Kovac tried to pull off one ankle boot while standing up, failing miserably to fall against the bed. Recovering, he chose to remove his footgear as he sat. He waved widely towards the table with the water basin. "You may wash your mouth over there," He brushed awkwardly at his lip, indicating the wound he had inflicted upon her. Having removed his boots, the archer stood to unlatch his belt and laid the black and read beaded strap holding his single-edged dagger one of the chairs. He did not remove his bryda as he normally would, but whether it was out of deference to Haya, or that he was just too drunk, he did not indicate to her. Turning to the bed, he pulled back the light cover and bleary-eyed, crawled in. He rolled to face away from Haya's side, waiting for her. "Make yourself comfortable. But I will warn you, if you steal the covers, I will kick you to the floor." He muttered.

[Haya]

She´d arrive back at the nursery way too late tomorrow morning. But what better excuse than to admit someone had made her ‘stay the night?’ A wry grin played on Haya’s lips. It wasn’t entirely fair, but such an insinuation might make the others cut her some slack at least.

When Kovac opened the door to his room, Haya peeked inside curiously. A room was, in a way, a personal thing, and it was nice to be let in. But there was little she could make out in the scarse light filtering through from the warrens, and Haya hesitated in the doorway until she could see the archer nod. His face was now illuminated by a small lamp on the table, and though the light was still dim, it was enough to make out shapes and safely navigate through the unknown room.

Haya stepped inside slowly, taking notice of all that was in there. Her fingers slid lightly over the table´s surface, her eyes falling onto the sheets of paper there. She recognised the scribbles for what they were, but could not make out what was written. The drudge´s eyes darted futher, and it was only now when she saw the room was pretty clean, that she realised she had expected it to be more messy. Funny.

Haya turned her head to look at the half-blood while he struggled with his boots, quirking her brows into an amused frown. She would have offered to help, if it weren’t that he waved his arm at that moment, indicating she could use the water basin in the corner of the room to clean the dried blood from her chin. Haya did so carefully, not wanting to pull open the small wound again.

When she turned to face the archer again he’d already gotten rid of his belt, crawling into the bed while -thankfully- still wearing his bryda. Haya put out the small light on the table before slowly following his example, seating herself on the edge of the bed before letting her cane drop gently on the floor next to it. Her shoulder brushed Kovac´s back lighty while she moved to lay on her side, mirroring the man’s position.

Comfortable he said. She wouldn´t be truly comfortable before he slept, but luckely that shouldn´t take too long. Haya gave no real reaction to the man´s words, but she smiled, pulling the cover up to her nose like a child would and curled up a little more. Ah... she´d forgotten how nice this was.