Completed Who ever loved that loved not at first sight? (Ireth)

[Savio]

44th of Fall, 513AV

Savio was soaked to the bone and shivering as he ran the narrow streets of Nyka. Normally, he would have been on the rooftops but the titles were too slick with water that it was a completely unsafe idea. He really and truly longed to be inside, nice and warm and dry. But that was not the case. He had to work to earn his mizas, and couriers worked in sunshine and in rain.

As Savio turned a corner, he sneezed. Aw petching great, he was coming down sick. At least the streets were mostly bare, the more sensible Nykans having gone inside to escape the downpour. Savio envied them and their dry clothes and warm fires.

At least this was his last delivery for the day, but of course his horrible luck made sure it would be all the way in the Western Quarter, on the other side of the city from the Bureau. Ovek must truly detest me. Savio thought bitterly to himself as his boots splashed mud onto his red trousers. It didn’t help that it was difficult to see thanks to the wet hair that plastered in front of his eyes. To be honest, he was running the direction on memory alone.

He was almost to the destination, he just had one more corner to turn and then there would be a straight shot to the home of his final patron. Then he could get back to the school and take a long hot bath to melt the chill from his skin.

[Ireth Telemnar]

Rain... Ireth had decided along the road that she loved rain. It didn't rain very often, if ever, in her city. But it was water, and water was protective. Just as Lake Ravok protected Ravok, Ireth felt as though the rain might protect her in this strange and frightening city in some way. Maybe.

It poured down heavily, the drops fat and vicious. They hadn't soaked through Ireth's cloak, which she counted as a blessing. She didn't know what she might have done if her beloved flute had gotten wet and swollen up. It would take ages to dry out and repair...

The presence of so much earth was eerie too. And the earth mixed with the rain to form silty mud. It smelled strange, and stuck to the bottom of her old boots. Every once in a while she had to scrap it off or walk through a puddle to work it loose so that it didn't drag her boots from her feet.

The downpour took Ireth's mind off of the fact that she was a tad lost. The day was wearing late, and she needed to find shelter for the night. She knew that there was no way for her to find her aunt tonight, not in this rain, and probably not without some guide.

She wandered on for a bit, probably getting more and more lost with each step, when the sound of hurried steps smattering along the wet ground reached her ears. The echoes of the rain made it difficult for her to tell where the person was coming from. Just as she neared a corner, she was hit by a man. "Oh!" She cried.

He'd been running swiftly, and he smashed into her with great force. Ireth's backpack flew from her shoulders, hitting a building. Subconsciously, she listened for but didn't hear the sound of splintering wood. Oh Rhysol, let my flute be okay! Both Ireth and the man tumbled down, into a mud puddle on the street. The man had collapsed on top of her, and she'd hit her elbow soundly.
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[Savio]

He really should have been paying attention, but he was distracted by hopes of warmth and dry clothes. If he had been focused, he would have heard the sound of a pair of footsteps on the other side of the corner before he turned and crashed right into someone. He hit the person hard and they both went tumbling to the wet and muddy cobble stones. Savio swore colorfully as he worked to untangle himself, apologizing profusely until he was able to get a good look at his poor helpless victim.

He froze; his grey eyes wide as he looked into the face of the young woman he had run into the ground. He recognized that sweet face from a dream he once had. “B-by Tavasi… It’s you? Um… Ireth?” His voice was a horse whisper as he slowly sat up and helped Ireth up as well.

His brain couldn’t even form proper words as the rain fell around them and the sky thundered, themselves and their belongings becoming completely soaked. This had to be a dream. He must have dreamed the whole day and he was still back at the school in his nice warm bed and this wasn’t real.

[Ireth Telemnar]

That face...

That voice...

The man helped Ireth up, the look on his face confusing her even further. She couldn't tell if it was fear or confusion or joy or... adoration? Ireth shook her head at the last notion. What's goin' through your head girl? She reprimanded herself. But then, he knew her name?

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" His accent wasn't Ravokian, and that face... She didn't think that she could forget a face as handsome as that. Her heart did a little flip-flop, the way it had when she'd have a childhood crush.

Get a hold you yourself! You're behaving like a child!

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[Savio]

Savio blinked when she asked him if she knew him. Of course she didn’t! Savio felt his face go completely red with embarrassment as he carefully got back onto his feet and helped her stand as well. But her hand was just as soft as it was in the dream, and she still had that doe like expression on her soft features.

“Oh…um… Please forgive me, I should have been looking where I was going. I really didn’t mean to run you over like that.” He quickly reached for her backpack and handed it to her after attempting to wipe off some of the mud on it. He kept his eyes down and kicked at the ground in an abashed way. Cmon, Savio! What would Matthew do in a situation like this?....Right… Best not think of that.

“Um…Ah… Can I escort you to…um… your home?” Savio stammered. He felt pathetic. He could fight against Revy, and spar with Bones, and train alongside Ximal but he could not talk to a single pretty woman. What was wrong with him??

[Ireth Telemnar]

Ireth took the pack gingerly from the man, but their fingers inevitably touched. His hands were rough, strong. They were marked with small nicks and callouses. But they were kind.

The moment she collected herself, she threw open her pack to check on her belongings. One in particular... Ah.... Good. Her flute was fine, wrapped in a pair of socks out of harm's way.

She winced, her cloak flapping on her elbow, and looked up at the man. "I should have been paying more attention as well. I was... preoccupied?"

When he asked her if he could assist her home, she feigned a smile to keep a look of regret from crossing her face. "I'm not actually from here. You see, I'm... just a visitor. But I need lodging. Might you assist me with that?" She almost felt a twinkle in her eye as she offered him her arm, her cloak dripping.
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[Savio]

Savio truly loved the sound of her voice. It soothed him completely, and he calmed enough to not be as nervous. As soon as she took her bag, she began rummaging though it until he visibly relaxed when she found something within. Savio was glad that she also calmed. He would have felt terrible if something of her’s had gotten broken.

He then quickly became concerned when she winced in pain as he soaked cloak touched her arm. Without thought, he brushed her cloak aside and gently took her arm to get a better look. The rain quickly washed away the mud to show a rather painful scrape on her elbow. He then quickly reached into his own messanger bag to pull out a small piece of cloth that was only mildly damp to carefully wipe away the remaining dirt and blood.

“I hurt you. I am sorry.” Savio apologized again as he released her arm. He was going to have mend that once he got her somewhere dry and warm.

When she confessed that she wasn’t from Nyka, he wasn’t in the least bit surprised. She had a strange accent that he couldn’t really place. The best place for her would be to take her to the Hostel. Savio licked his lips and he thought quickly. “I must make this last delivery, if you would be willing to wait for me for just a short moment I can take you to an Inn before it gets dark. Nyka is dangerous at night.” Savio informed the girl. Once she allowed him to go he would take off in a full sprint, running as fast as his long legs would take him.

He reached the address in a short amount of time and gave the elderly man his package. The old man nodded and gave Savio the delivery fee plus an extra silver miza as a tip. Savio smiled at the man before taken off in another sprint back the way he came. He prayed to Tavasi that the girl had waited for him.

[Ireth Telemnar]

Ireth watched the man run off. She stared after him for a bit, then noticed the water that had soaked her hair was beginning to seep through her tunic and into her skin. She moved off, just a bit, until she was under the awning of some business that was already closed up for the evening. The red and yellow striped canvas kept the chilly rain from her, and she shrugged her pack off to lean against the cold gray stone building.

Stay? The man had asked her to stay. The sky was darkening, even so beneath the thunderous clouds, and she was without protection. From the weather, and from strangers. But to stay? To trust a man she'd never met before? Or wait... Had they met? And he knew her name...

He had said he'd be back. Post haste. He... he didn't even have a name. Or at least he hadn't given one.

Ireth crossed her arms and pondered the universe as the rain beat down in torrents on the cobblestones. Pulling the hood from atop her head, she swept back her mess of hair and waited.

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[Savio]

While Savio was off doing his delivery, a man had been watching the whole scene from a darkened alleyway. He was dirty, and his clothes were in rags and thanks to the rain, he was the cleanest he had been in days. He watched with greedy eyes as the pretty boy ran off and left the girl alone in the rain. He chuckled darkly as he inched from his secluded hiding spot and moved in closer to the girl.

“Hello, my darling little morsel. It seems you are all alone and in need of old Emil’s company, noooo?” The nasty old man moved in closer to her, causing Ireth to back up until her back was pressed against the wall of the building behind her. He grabbed her wrists with surprising strength and reached for her bosom to grope it with his filthy hands. "Such a pretty girl, you are. How could any man in his right mind just leave you like that unattended?"

[Ireth Telemnar]

His breath was like that of month-old rotten fish that Ireth and her brothers had stumbled upon when she was really young. She retched, her eyes swimming. "No sir, I need no company... Ah!" He grabbed at her and held her down, his clench like old rope, spoiled but strong. She flinched so hard that her wrists popped when he reached for her breasts. "Oh, Lord no!"

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