Exploring the Market (Cay/Open)

[Miharu Mindi]

Miharu's great golden eyes went immediately to her bondmate, and there was understanding there - she knew what Siiri said. It was still her in there, no matter what form she wore. But she shook her head even as Siiri told her not to shift, and as the woman went about dragging her shirt off and ripping it into strips, Miharu dissolved in a flash of light and reformed naked and human. And screaming in pain from shifting with a dislocated shoulder.

She bit the scream off quickly, though, tasting blood as her teeth caught her tongue, and stared up at her bondmate. "Can't stay like that. Need to be able to talk," she ground out between her teeth.

The girl just rolled over onto her back, looking around a moment before she spied her pack and pointed a bloodied finger to get Siiri's attention and let her know where her things were - and then some strange woman was looming over her. She snarled a little when they started packing the wound with bandages, but it was more reaction than threat, golden eyes wide enough to show the whites all around as she glanced from the woman to Siiri and back again. Where would I have run?" she hissed, trying to stay calm and not breath too deeply - for every time she did, she could feel her ribs scrape together. "Only place I know is the market. Too many people - ah. Now I know," she growled, in too much pain to argue whatever point she might have had.

When Tingu arrived, Miharu decided immediately that she liked her. There was a no-nonsense way to her that made sense in a way that the social complexities of human culture (or Myrian culture, for that matter) didn't. "This one," she said when asked about her shape. She'd anticipated it, having suffered broken bones during her hunts and knowing how uncomfortable it was to shift when injured. It didn't matter how much she appreciated that, though - when her shoulder was jammed back into place, she howled and snapped her teeth at the herbalist just as any animal would have. Luckily Siiri was there to hold her down and keep her from fighting, and once it was over she simply laid and whined lowly in pain. Sweat rolled off her skin, mixing with the copious amounts of blood from both her and the Riamm she'd bitten.

The pain of the stitching was almost a relief compared to her shoulder, and the herbs were doing there job well enough to dull most of it. Sense finally returned to her animal eyes, and she turned them on her bondmate. "I'm sorry. I didn't - it just came at me. I don't know what happened. I'll stay in the barracks from now on," she promised - though it would likely be as disastrous to lock her in a room as it would be a regular wolf. But the worry in Siiri's eyes made the promise roll of her tongue as easily as the blood that still speckled her lips.

[Siiri]

The medicine woman patched up her bondmate right quick and Siiri could only look over the older woman’s shoulder as she worked on Miharu. Resetting of dislocated limbs, applying medicinal herbs, binding and stitching up of the wounds – she took in everything Tingu did on the Kelvic, the only outward sign of concern on her face was the clenching of her jaw. It was enough; Miharu still screamed in her head as her wounds were treated by the herbalist. She tried to impart comfort and strength to the girl but she could only shunt so much of her thoughts and emotions through their connection. It was mostly Miharu’s pain that flooded it.

She felt frustrated at the turn of events, at not being able to be there to protect her bondmate or even to just ease her pain. She didn’t blame the Riamm for what it’s done on Miharu – she couldn’t; it was just being true to its nature. Much the same way that crocodile did when it drowned and mangled her aunt all those years ago… Siiri had killed it in her grief, yes, but she did not blame it for the death of Shara for she knew it was the Dhani who were truly responsible for the tragedy. The riamm should be absolved of blame as well; the creature just reacted to what it perceived as a threat to its ward.

Tingu finished up with her work on Miharu, and Siiri would see that the aged woman did good work. The girl’s shoulder was set back in place and was sewn up where the riamm cut her up. She was naked again, something she seemed to be doing a lot lately, but she was whole and that was all Siiri could ask for. It might be a while before they could train for combat once more (or test the girl’s flexibility again, for that matter) – it looked like Miharu would need a couple of weeks at least to mend.

“Thank you,” was all Siiri could choke out through bright eyes. She gathered Miharu’s discarded clothes and pack before stooping down to gingerly lifted the injured girl in her arms, determined to ignore any of her would-be protests.

“I’ll pass by later to properly give thanks,” she concluded, promising payment for the timely help the herbalist provided.

[Cayenne]

“Feh,” the herbalist waved a hand as she dusted herself off when she stood up, picking up her bag. “No shifting,” she told the Kelvic warningly in Common. “She’ll be wanting a sling for her arm. It might help her a little more to prevent a repeat of this if she was seen with you more,” this was directed at Siiri in their own tongue before Tingu nodded briskly and headed off back in the direction from which she had come. A little boy, a bit too small and too pale to be a full-blooded Myrian and sporting an emerald-green Riamm of his own perched on his head, had picked up Miharu’s discarded clothing, carrying the bundle in his arms. He sensibly didn’t offer it to Siiri, just trotted after the warrior with Miharu’s belongings as she made her way back to the barracks. Funnily enough, that one didn’t even look twice at her, but it didn’t seem to think of Miharu as a threat as it purred away on its boy’s head.

He set the bundle down on a bunk when they got there, and beat a hasty retreat, only to see someone making a face at him from a hammock, and hurrying over there. Half-bloods were rarely welcomed in Taloba, at least, not until they were older and had gone through their trials to prove their mettle. Of course, those with Myrian mothers had it a bit easier than those with a Myrian father and a non-Myrian mother, and if Siiri had paid a bit of attention she might have thought she had seen the child around Scout’s Roost. Corra of the Changing Moon had herself a non-Myrian mate. It might have been one of her brood.

“What happened?” Aksi wanted to know. Shorter than Siiri, but certainly a bit stouter, her hair woven in braids against her scalp, the scout was in her hammock cleaning weapons when Siiri brought the girl in. It had been her that called the boy over, and now Aksi of the Changing Moon had put the mace aside to scoop up the boy, tucking him on her lap before handing him the lighter mace to hold. He did so gingerly, surprised to be allowed to stay here, much less hold a warrior's prized weapon, but was determined to make the most of it and be perfectly quiet to boot. He was a scout's son, after all. He knew how to be quiet.

[Siiri]

“Riamm attack,” Siiri explained as she gently laid her bondmate upon the cot they shared. She tried to make Miharu comfortable as best she could, propping the girl's injured shoulder against a pillow to ease any pressure on it.. Naked still, she covered the Kelvic up with a blanket, then took a new blouse of her own to wear. She checked up on the girl once more, noticing that her eyes were closed, before turning to speak to Aksi.

“She wandered the market by herself. Marked she may be, but I guess she hasn't been seen enough around a Myrian yet to be fully accepted. She broke that Riamm's arm good though.” Siiri's tone was neutral but she added the last part as if to dare her roommate to challenge her bondmate's mettle. So what if she wasn't Myrian? Miharu could dish out as much as she received, let no one doubt that. And no one should dare question Siiri's choice in a partner if they knew what was good for them.

Taking the discarded clothing set down by the boy to fold it, Siiri nodded her thanks at him. She considered briefly before waving him over.

“Could you do something for me?” she asked. Not waiting for the boy to answer, she pulled out six Bikka from her money pouch, handing them to him. “Give the five to Tingu, tell her if they're not enough, I will come over later for full payment. Pass her my gratitude for her timely arrival. The last one you can keep on your own, with my thanks.”

Restless, Siiri returned her attention to her bondmate, concern filling her features once more.

LedgerDeduct 6 Bikka

[Miharu Mindi]

"I'm fine," Miharu muttered as Siiri turned her attention back to her, a husky chuckle barely making it past her lips. She looked pale - or at least paler than normal, the blood loss undoing what color she'd gained from the sun in the last few days - but her eyes were clear now, though tired. "Riamm? That's the name of that creature? Well. It makes a good guard, though I've no idea why it thought it needed to guard against me. If I smell like anything, it's those flowers you put in the bath," she said. A smile fought its way onto her lips; by the gods, she might actually be teasing Siiri! But then, now that her pain was diminishing it was easier for her to read her bondmate's fear and worry. And the good thing about being stuck in human form was that it made it easier to remember human niceties when it came to conversation.

[Siiri]

"Liar," Siiri said, but she did so with a faint smile. The Myrian's eyes were filled with as much pain as the girl before her had in hers. She was not suppressing the sensation of the wound's sting from the bond they share - her own way of showing Miharu that she did not have to go through what she was feeling by herself.

"Even if it can grow to the size of a small horse, I wouldn't trade you for one. Even if it was my old one." Siiri's voice started out light but became gloomy as she finished. She was silent for a moment, lost in the past. "That one died protecting me."

Reaching down, she brushed Miharu's wild, golden locks up, spreading them on the hard pillow. It was of a color no true Myrian could ever have, a reminder of the outsider status of her bondmate - the very thing emphasized by the unfortunate incident in the market. The Kelvic's complete acceptance into Myrian society would take time it seemed.

"Get some rest, Miharu. I will return later with food and drink and we...shall lie beside each other for you to better absorb my scent." She stuck her tongue out at the girl, her humor returning at last. While she could not forget her past, Siiri was never one to dwell on things she had no power over, choosing instead to act on those she did. Right now, one of those things was putting her bondmate on the mend quickly.

-Fin-

[Cayenne]

I apologize in advance for this thread - I didn't do the best job on it, and so for that, I apologize, especially since I didn't get in some of the things I planned on. But I did love writing with you both, and as I've said before, and I'll say it again, I love reading your interaction. Looking forward to more! I hereby award the following: Miharu: Unarmed Combat - 3 XP Lore - Possessive Tendencies of the Riamm Lore - Riamm Berserking Abilities Lore - The Riamm Siiri: Land Navigation - 1 XP Medicine - 1 XP Herbalism - 1 XP Lore - Possessive Tendencies of the Riamm Lore - Riamm Berserking Abilities Lore - The Riamm