Closed First a Read, then a Walk

[Matthew]

20th of Summer, 508 AV. While there were daily classes to be found at the Opal Temple, Matthew had decided that his meager part-time salary was not enough to indulge in such a thing. He already struggled to make ends meet when it came to food and board, and he didn't want to hand over the coin for a class only to find that he needed that coin to buy his meals for a few days. While the self-study route would be undoubtedly slower and could only get him so far, he was determined to learn what he could on his own. If anything, he would perhaps be able to afford some sort of workroom for a short time that would allow him to conduct some safe philtering experiments on his own. But first, he needed to know the ingredients for philtering, and he also needed to know the process. The ingredients were the most basic step, so he would start with those. Min had advised he go to the Opal Temple, so that is where he had found himself on the pretty morning. A few more Konti had pointed him to the white north tower, and now here he was. He was dressed particularly well, and groomed to match. A nice pair of white pants hung from his hips, and a slightly loose white shirt was slung over his chest, quite open on his shoulders. His hair was styled, his face apparently immune to every blemish that could touch it. He put a great deal of work into his physical appearance and had found that it was becoming quite expensive. While he was mainly here to research a medical paper he was writing for the University, he didn't see the problem in spending a little bit of time learning how to make his own colognes, soaps, and other sorts of cosmetics. Min at the perfume shop had already helped him with one of those tasks, and had also given him some homework. On to the next task, then. Setting a quill, paper, and a small vial of ink down at one of the empty corner tables, he went off in search of some books that would help him with his research. The books on medical herbalism and philtering were a given, and somewhat easy to find. The book on perfumery was a bit harder to locate, but he managed to hunt it down after a bit of searching. A few more scans of the shelves showed that there were plenty more medical and herbalism books to browse if he so desired. Even more impressive was a large plant collection that the library seemed to have. Once he was a bit wiser in the ways of herbalism, perhaps he should see about taking a tour through those as well. Konti swirled around him, Matthew just now realizing how out of place he looked. He drew a few eyes, both because of feminine good looks and the fact that he was simply different to see. He doubted that it was all that rare to see anything but members of the Opal Order and other Konti, but perhaps just rare enough that it tugged a quick glance. Mura was certainly a tourist attraction, but this particular place didn't seem to see much tourist activity. He had often considered attempting to study his seduction knowledge here in Mura, but had decided that it wouldn't be wise in the end. While it was dangerous to study in secret back in Zeltiva, he felt it would be more dangerous here. Perhaps not. Perhaps his attempts would be welcomed here. He often had lofty goals though, and could easily see himself getting carried away. He had spent a few hours trying to find Shahal Timandre's daily routine so he could 'accidentally' run into her and flirt a bit, just to see how well his skills had developed. He had quickly realized that his plan was a bit more obsessive than what was required. He had stuck to the medical studies since. Blinking his bright blue eyes, he went back to the task at hand. He was going to find an herb that was local to the Isle, and he was going to go see if he could successfully harvest it. That would be the best place to start. Something with medical properties, something he could integrate into a bar of soap. He first flipped open the book on herbalism, eyes slowly and awkwardly starting to read the text. After a few moments he paused, looking up and across the table to the one other empty seat that was there. Tilting his head, he considered it for a moment, then stood. Moving around to that side of the table, he tugged out the seat as if preparing it for someone, and then just left it there. The quiet young man went back to reading, leaving the seat as an open invitation. Two minds were always better than one, though it sometimes took a certain touch to get the quiet Konti to socialize. They were quieter than him, almost. If one didn't bite his somewhat subtle bait, he would just have to come up with a more inventive method to get someone involved.

[Kavala]

On Mura most of the Konti's had a specific type. They were elegant, dignified, prone to wearing ethereal clothing and going about perfectly put together. In their beauty, they had a timelessness and a gracefulness that made them seem surreal. Most were pale opalescent and went about wet or dry without seeming to notice which state they were in at any given time. Mura was like that.. a city that took care of its guests, but was well lived in by its residence. Partially underwater, the folks on land were never startled to see someone wet fresh from shopping below and beneath.

Oh there were the occasional non-conformists, visitors, and just flat out odd folks running around. Some of these weren't Konti but were instead human or perhaps Akalak and sometimes even more extreme like the Otani. But the creature that Matthew caught in his inviting chair wasn't one of the normal residents and wasn't decidedly one of the non-Konti either. She was distinctly Konti when she slipped in the room. Dressed in leather pants - wholly impractical on Mura - and a light summer blouse wrought with stitched knotwork, the young woman wore her hair in traditional Drykas braids which were coming loose. Instead of the fresh scent of the sea or a typical floral muran perfume, a noted smell very clearly pegged as 'horse' wafted off her.

She was clean, but there was an earthiness to her that most of the Konti didn't have. Like most of her sisters, her hair was translucent white, undoubtedly long with as many braids as she had it caught up in, though her pale skin was tinged with a deep tan - like she'd been out in the sun not hours but decades. She had clear blue eyes that were so pale they gave the false impression she was blind.

The young Konti took the seat Matthew had pushed out invitingly, slammed her journal down on it, then dropped her head on the journal and went silent for a moment. She lifted her head, ran her hand across her face, and then gave Matthew a pointed stare from across the table. Something she saw in his face seemed to reassure her because her expression immediately changed to one of relief instead of the expression of stress she'd worn walking in.

"A human. Thank Semele. Are all these Konti crazy?" She asked softly, lowering her voice so they weren't overheard. Sharp eyes glanced down, scanned the titles of the books Matthew was reading or taking notes from, and nodded. "Student?" She asked suddenly, then took a deep breath. Before his eyes, the Konti seemed to withdraw, regroup, and compose herself. He could almost see her counting her deep breaths and forcing herself to relax.

"My older half-brother, Vanator, said I'd not be happy here. He was so right. Everything is so strange. Back on the Grass, I was the only Konti for miles. Here, they are everywhere. And they always know what you want. Don't you find that odd? That they always know? It's like you can't have a private thought to yourself. I got dismissed out of class today... just now... because the instructor was 'distracted by my overfull bladder'. How embarrassing..." Kavala said, shaking her head in frustration. She ran a hand over her notebook, reached up and scratched delicately at the side of her nose, and visibly tried to calm down again.

Anyone observing could tell it was not working.

"I came here to learn to be an animal healer, but all they want to teach is classes on healing people. We need healers for so much more than that. Back home, because I'm not human, I am not worth much. The best I could hope for was third or fourth wife. But if I learn a skill like healing, especially animal healing, I can actually provide something of use to my family and then can hope for second wife status which would be good. I can marry better that way and bring something useful to anyone who might want me. If I live much longer with my father's pavilion, it will cause him shame as well." Kavala said, studying Matthew's face.

"Do you know my father's first wife even suggested I come here to learn some skills in other areas? Like massage or cosmetology, even perhaps seamstressing? If I wanted to get anywhere in the horseclans?" She shook her head, not knowing what else to say. "And I just had this letter from them...." She slipped it out of the journal she'd been writing in, and fingered the crinkled parchment. "My second oldest half-brother just took a wife. Yet another woman in the pavilion that outranks me and can get me to clean and cook and do for her. At this rate, why would I ever even go home? And yet here... unbearable." She said, suddenly balling the letter up in a fit of frustration.

Then she suddenly flushed a deep pink, ran her hand over her eyes, and shook her head. "My apologies. I shouldn't be chatting with you when you are studying. Its just.. human, male... you look so normal. And its nice to talk to someone who doesn't know what you are going to say before they even say it. I'm Kavala Denusk, Denusk Pavilion, Sapphire Clan." She said, her voice heavily accented with pavi even though she spoke Common.

[Matthew]

Their beauty was so very distant to him. He wasn't so sure what to make of his feelings on the matter. He knew they were beautiful, but he only knew it because it was a logical thing for a hotblooded male like him to think. It was like another him understood their beauty, and he was simply watching that other him. Perhaps it was just an understanding and appreciation for beauty instead of an attraction to it. He had spent plenty of time sitting on one of the beautiful park benches that could be found around Mura, just to sit and ponder the gorgeous creatures around him. He had thought the bench was beautiful too. Was it the same kind of beautiful? Was he just overthinking a very simple concept? He had devoted a large chunk of time to simply sitting around and staring at women, so yes, he probably was. The water was offputting. It was almost impossible to stay dry. He didn't mind being wet, but being wet reminded him of swimming, and he had no idea how to swim. The Konti made it look easy. Apparently they knew how to swim from birth. He hadn't know how to do anything but cry at birth. He remembered it well. Kavala was a surprise, snapping him out of his thoughts. He found that his eyes had somehow advanced quite a ways down the page, and were now focused on a picture of the Aletrid herb that Min had shown him just a few days ago. The entry on the herb said it was found in temperate hills though. Did Mura even have temperate hills? He hadn't ever gone outside of Mura to explore the Isle. He had been told from birth that the wild was a very dangerous place to be. Was the Konti Isle the same way? She was talking now. He was being rude. He focused on her, the Konti's eyes oddly almost the exact shade of his own. There was a question, then there was another question. He had his lush lips open to answer, but noticed that she was taking a moment to compose herself. She was a bit different from the average Konti. Not as serene, one could say. He patiently waited, blue eyes holding her stare when her stare held his. His stare was passive and polite, though moments of confusion flickered behind the bright blue. The Grass, had she said? The part about them knowing though, he was painfully aware of that. Mura had transformed him into a completely transparent sort of person. He spoke openly and honestly, knowing that they would know even if he tried to lie. The combined population of the Konti knew everything, apparently. One had even scolded him for capturing a bug for study. Apparently the bug had been sad. He had believed it. The Konti knew everything. Third or fourth wife? He wasn't very familar with marriage, but he was pretty sure that wasn't how it worked. Then again, that was very short-sighted of him. Zeltiva and humans weren't the only things out there. He refocused, trying to keep up with Kavala, but it was near-impossible even with the brief pauses. It wasn't the sort of information he was used to processing. Moving quickly, he quietly grabbed a clean piece of paper and a quill, and got to work with very messy shorthand. He wrote as she spoke, and even when she had finished he kept on writing. He did reply though, his voice soft and carefully spoken, not an accent to be found. "I am Matthew, a medical student from Zeltiva. It is a pleasure to meet you. There is no reason to apologize. Pavilion, you say?" A random fact from a random bell of study popped up in his mind, and one piece clicked into place. "...Drykas? The horsemen. I believe I have met a few, but I have mostly heard stories... I have mostly been in Zeltiva and Mura all my life." He finally stopped writing, stared at his work for a moment, and then slowly spun the piece of paper to face her. Kavala Denus, Denusk Pavilion, Sapphire Clan. Konti among Drykas. At least two half-brothers so far, one named Vanator. Has a father, at least two mothers. Wants to be an animal healer, came to Mura to learn. Isn't a human, so isn't worth much.* Hopes to be a second wife, instead of a third or fourth.* Smells different than most Konti.** *Needs clarification. **Goat? Perhaps horse? Would make sense, animal handler. Or hopes to be. He had taken notes on her introduction. "Is this mostly correct? I know I missed a few details. I apologize, I was trying to keep up. It was a lot of information to take in at once. Do you need someone to talk to about your troubles? Do you know if there are any-" Matthew paused, glancing down at the open herbalism book. "-temperate hills in the Konti Isle? I am looking for Aletrid." His tone remained very polite and well-pronounced the whole time, head tilting to the side slightly. He wasn't put-off by her odd mannerisms (for a Konti), and they made sense now that he knew she had seemingly grown up in a completely different environment.

[Kavala]

Kavala watched the young man curiously. She’d been hoping that finding a human – either male or female – would be like an oasis in a sea of Kontiness. He took notes as she spoke, which earned him a slightly crooked grin, and then when he spun the parchment at her to look at, she complimented his penmanship even as she plucked the quill out of his hand. “You have very nice handwriting.” She said, adding a K to the end of her last name that denoted her pavilion.

“If you belong to a pavilion that pavilion name is automatically your last name. See?” She tapped the freshly inked in K where it had read Kavala Denus and then tapped the Denusk part showing him they now matched. “Even if you aren’t blood related, its how you know who you belong too and who your people are.” She added, handing him the quill back and sliding the paper back at him. Her common was heavily accented but she seemed to understand and speak it well enough.

“Pavilions are large communal tents. The Drykas organize under them in familial groups. I am indeed Drykas. Yes, that is completely correct. Except that I’m not worth much. I am. That’s what I’m here to prove to myself and my family.” She added, thinking he knew this already though by what he’d stated a moment before and taking no offense that he took notes.

After all, Mura had plenty of trees and paper. Maybe it was common practice here to write everything down. And she’d heard stories of Zeltiva being a huge place of learning, For some, books and writing equated learning far more than going out and doing. Sure, she wasn’t one of those types, but she didn’t begrudge people who were.

“I’m not familiar with either term. Temperate or Aletrid. Can you show me a picture or explain what each means? I might be able to help then. I’m not a native Common speaker; my first language is Pavi so I don’t know every common term out there.” She said leaning forward to get a look at the herbalism book he had open. It might have had an illustration or two. She still found it strange there were books everywhere. No one learned from books out on the grasslands. “If I know what a temperate hill is we can certainly go find one. I brought my horse with me and he can cover a lot of ground. No one here has horses. It’s strange. They just have those deer…” Kavala said, shaking her head in good humored confusion.

[Matthew]

While the air had once sparked with an eager energy and hummed with her excited words, she now seemed to have reined in this innate power and found a more calm sort of strength within herself. She had been bottled up perhaps, and he had been what she decided to unleash the torrent of words on. Chewing his lower lip in thought, he studied her quietly, intense stare only broken because she plucked the quill out of his fingertips. Nice handwriting, she said? He furrowed his brow, glancing down at his chicken scratch. Was she trying to be nice or did she actually think he had nice handwriting? He thought his handwriting was horrifying. There was graceful and elegant script that the scribes used, and then there was... his. It was the exact opposite. He had half a mind to grab another piece of paper and write something else, just to see if she would have the same reaction. Perhaps her words had been a mistake. Was he pleased by the compliment? Being pleased was an odd feeling. It felt like a very faint warm glow on the top of his stomach. His attention returned to her as she started to explain the things that he was obviously unclear on. He appreciated the gesture, and a flicker deep within his eyes reflected this. His eyes were windows to the island inside of him, the island where he watched all of his emotions. Other people could watch them too, faint and distant as they were, if only they stared and paid close enough attention. He had found other people were like that too. It was almost cliche how many different stories that eyes could tell. What about her eyes, he wondered? No time to read though, she was explaining. He had to absorb. The young student didn't take notes this time, instead using his more common method of information absorbtion. There was a library in his head with a great number of books, each of these books being a topic. Leather bound with gold script, the were his ideal book, even if books were rarely found in that condition. Now there was a book for Pavilions, though perhaps the information would be best placed with the people that it belonged to. The horsemen, with their large communcal tents. Drykas she had said, so he had remembered correctly. Her explainations made sense, all of them but one. He held his tongue on that one for the moment, closing his eyes for a moment as he properly commited all the information she had gifted him to memory. He tried to, at least. His memory was fairly good, but not perfect. That was what the library was for, to help it become as close to perfect as it could. Opening his eyes, he studied her again. She wasn't familar with the terms he had used, explaining that she wasn't a native Common speaker. How very interesting. Most of his experiences had been with native Common speakers. He wondered if it would prove any more difficult to conversate with her. So far, not knowing just a few terms wasn't all that bad. Nibbling his lower lip again (a bad habit that demanded he purchase lip balm), he took a moment to study her. His study was almost offensive, though hopefully she would take it as such. His eyes were forward and unashamed, taking her in inch by inch and shelving away little details. Long hair, luminous skin. Petite, but at the same time... He wasn't sure, it was hard to tell her figure. Her movements had been confident though. The scales were particularly interesting to the student, unique in their color, at least what he had seen so far. Tanning, as well... though not purposeful, it seemed. He tanned purposefully in his study of other topics. It was a headache. "Ah, yes, of course. Aletrid is a herb." He paused a moment, flipping through his herbalism book, looking for other references to the herb that might include a picture. Not able to find anything in his first few moments of searching, he quickly flipped back to his original find and slowly read out the physical description listed there. "Aletrid grows quickly with twisting roots that spread over low walls and other barriers. It has soft, serrated leaves sprouting all along its length. The leaves sometimes erupt in spikes covered with clusters of tiny five- pedaled gold flowers. Aletrid has a pleasing aroma and is often kept in tangles to mask bad odors." He was slow both to pronounce the words properly, and because his reading skill wasn't all that incredible. With that finished, he moved on to the next problem. Temperate, was it? He closed his eyes for a moment, puzzle pieces shifting around in his head. He knew he had a book on the term somewhere. Ah. There. His eyes opened, focused on hers. "Temperate; having temperatures that are not too hot or too cold." He hesitated, some of her earlier words suddenly springing back to mind. Had she said horse? He cleared his throat, hesitated again, and then spoke very slowly. "A horse? Deer? If possible, the deer might be a... better choice." He furrowed his brow again, then suddenly shook his head. "No, no. A horse would be wonderful. I appreciate the offer, it is very kind." A slight flicker of fear had singed the edge of his mind. That would not stop him. Not ever, if he could help it. "We certainly do not have to go find such a hill right away, however. If you are willing to help me, I'd appreciate the opportunity to return the favor." How could he return the favor, though? He paused a tick longer, and then very slowly spoke. "Perhaps... you'd like to see... seahorses?" He had absolutely no idea. People seemed to think seahorses were cute, and the woman seemed to like horses. So perhaps... seahorses?

[Kavala]

ooc: Sorry for the delay!

The truth was Kavala didn’t want to chase him off with her sense of utter relief to find someone she considered ‘normal’ in Mura. The teen wasn’t a silly flirty Konti who wanted nothing more than to drag the first handsome male creature of any sort she found into her Pavilion and take advantage of him. Kavala grew up sheltered among males that defined virility and strength. She was used to their leadership and missed their company. She missed the safe feeling she had with them and the wisdom they always seemed to interject into everything. Not that she’d be opposed to such activities, especially here where there were no overprotective brothers to fend off. But it wasn’t her first thought, and it wasn’t even her second or third one.

Here there was light and laughter and a knowing that was uncanny. Here she couldn’t have a private thought or be the exotic little sister of half the males that surrounded her. Here, she was crude, unrefined, and somewhat feral because the Konti often thought of the Drykas as half wild. Kavala guessed it was true, but not in the sense they might have understood. The Drykas survived. That’s what she was doing here, surviving. And finding Matthew was another survival tool she could put into her yvas bag and be comforted in knowing it was there… even if right now it was staring quizzically at her and licking chapped lips.

“You really should get some lip balm for your lips. They look wind blown and if you keep licking them they are only going to peel. I have philtering lab time in the early evening if you want to come with me. I’ll show you how to make some on your own lip balm that’s fairly easy. I know how to make a lot of things for the skin. I’ve been helping with that sort of thing since I could walk.” She offered, casually, as an aside from the rest of the conversation.

As Kavala spoke, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with Matthew. If pressed she’d be at a loss for words what it was. But there was guardedness to him, almost as if he compartmentalized all his thoughts and feelings and didn’t let them out of tiny neat little organized boxes. The thought made the Konti tilt her head and study him all the more intently. It was something about his eyes. Emotions crossed his piercing gaze, but they were so distant and never truly surfaced. She wondered, suddenly and almost cruelly, if he felt pain or love or if he shut that back too. And she was relieved, in that moment, that he couldn’t read her thoughts and that his skin wasn’t Konti pale and scaled, else he would know what she wondered.

Akela would have sneered at her and continued sharpening a blade, calling her weak for thinking her thoughts were cruel and wondering of the young man felt pain or even passion. But Kavala was curious. Did he? Or would it just float across his gaze distantly, like she was staring at islands on the horizon she’d never visit.

Now that she was paying attention, he was studying her like she was studying him. Good. It wasn’t something he shied away from. The Konti smiled. It wasn’t a smile of pleasure, but more of the type one flashed when they’d been caught doing something impolite. “I’m staring because it’s nice to see someone that doesn’t look exactly like me starting back. I hope you don’t mind. I might stare a bit longer if not.” The girl said, and wondered if she had dirt on her face again or if she smelled like horse. One of her instructors had already made that complaint – about the smell – and it hadn’t pleased her one bit. She’d spent a half hour trying to figure out what horse smelled like until one of the other Konti girls had pointed out that she probably had no ability to smell horse being part horse herself.

It was crazy that someone would find that sort of gift from the Gods that offensive anyhow. Kavala had just moved her seat further back in the class.

When he started answering her questions, Kavala looked pleased. She nodded when he gave an explanation of what Aletrid was. “I think that shouldn’t be hard to find. The smell and description seems distinct.” Kavala added, and then listened when he described Temperate. “Half the slopes around here are temperate by your definition. So we’re looking for a twisted root plant with low rocky growth – mostly probably spread out – with serrated leaves and gold flowers… we should be able to spot that from horseback.” She said, and then laughed when he mentioned deer.

“I don’t think you are small enough for a deer. Have you ever noticed how tiny these Konti are? I have a horse. He’ll be all we need.” She said, catching the flicker of fear in his eyes for just a moment. She couldn’t figure out why he’d be afraid of temperate slopes or an herb. In Kavala’s world, fear of horses was unthinkable. She tilted her head puzzled and decided she’d find out.

He wanted to return the favor? Was it a favor? Kavala almost laughed, almost explained to him that he was doing her a favor by escaping the white women with her on a plant seeking adventure. They’d have to ride double, pelvis’ pressed together where her brothers couldn’t give disapproving looks, and she’d be free to think whatever thought she wanted and he wouldn’t read them in her mind. Favor? He had no idea the favor he was already doing for her. “Of course… I’d love to see a seahorse. I… have no idea what one is, but I’m sure its interesting. Is it like a strider?” She asked, curious.

Kavala was already gathering her stuff. She tossed everything in a bag she had with her and beckoned to him to follow. “Come on. We have time now and we are both alive and the weather is perfect. Let’s go find you’re temperate and your Aletrid before something changes. It will be fun.” She said, switching to pavi for a moment in the excitement of the idea of escaping.

Kavala waited impatiently while he gathered his stuff, then lead him out into the hall if he decided he would follow. She’d stop two twists from the door and pause at a locker of sorts, shoving her stuff in and anything he wanted to leave as well, and taking out a long thick piece of leather about as long as she was tall and a blanket to go with it. There were handles on the leather and it smelled decidedly of horse.

Once he decided what he’d leave and take, Kavala took the lead once more and lead them out of the building, into the street, and down a winding path that lead to a park like place. She opened the gate to the park, let out a sharp whistle, and before long hoof beats could be heard as a buckskin stallion – smallish in stature – trotted up and paused. Kavala swung the blanket onto his back, fastened the yvas tightly around the girth, and then neatly jumped up onto the horse’s back. She didn’t bother putting anything on his head and the only thing they really had to sit on was a small blanket. Kavala offered her hand to Matthew. “Come up. Let’s get going while we still have midday light...” She said, scooting forward and decidedly offering him the place at her back.

[Matthew]

He furrowed his brow yet again at her comment on his lips, lifting a hand to touch to the dry skin. He knew he bit them a lot, it was a bad habit that he had somehow picked up along the way. He knew his mother used to do it a lot, so perhaps that is where he had seen it. Children often mimicked their parents, did they not? He didn't remember very much of his childhood. There were a few very vibrant memories, but they were very scattered. All of them were useless to him as he was now. They were just memories of games and laughter. Tossing a ball or trying to learn how to swim. What use did he have now for learning how to toss a ball? In this world, it was better to learn and toss a blade. At her offer though, he visibly lit up, one of the few noticeable changes in expression that the young student had performed. Making his own lip balm? "That'd be fantastic, and I do appreciate the offer. I've wanted to make my own lip balm before. I've especially wanted to make it scented, and flavored. Have you ever kissed a man or woman and their breath tasted horrid, or their lips tasted bad? It isn't pleasant. Oral care isn't the top priority of most people, it seems." It was perhaps slightly odd to see the pristine young man talk about cosmetics and kisses in such a professional and bold fashion, but then again it perhaps made sense. He was, after all, preened more than even some of the Konti. His hair was so very in place, his beautiful features practically painted on. Perhaps he was just a man who took extremely good care of himself. Maybe rare, but it couldn't be that incredibly odd. The Konti tilted her head and Matthew blinked at her. Out of all the little quirks and habits that all the different people of Mizahar had, the head tilt was perhaps the only one he immediately understood. She was studying him. Why was she studying him? He kept his eyes focused on her, not wavering from her stare. The eyes were the window to the soul, were they not? If she wanted to study him, he would provide her a good specimen to study. "Is that why you are staring?" His voice was soft, curious, innocent. "You stare like I do whenever I am studying someone. Wondering something. Trying to fit together pieces of a puzzle. The head tilt and the eye contact, the thoughtful stare. The intensity in the thought. Is there something you would like to know about me? Though, I can understand if it is just because I am different. There are a lot of Konti here." He shrugged his broad shoulders slowly, and then gave a little shake of his head. "But, no, stare all you like. I am flattered." He didn't sound particularly flattered. Just polite, like always. Ah, so they would go by horse. A brief bit of fear twisted in his stomach, but he quickly controlled the feeling and pushed it down underneath the waves. He watched his emotion from an island, watched as they tried to climb to shore. Sometimes he could drown them before they reached him. Sometimes he had to hold them underwater until they stopped struggling. She was gathering her stuff, and Matthew quickly followed suit. He put the books back where they belonged, though he took a moment to very roughly write the description of the herb they were to be hunting for. Folding this piece of paper and pocketing it, he then set the ink well and quill to the side. A few short words to a nearby Konti let her know that he would be back to gather up his meager mess, and then he was ready to go. Considering her question for a moment, he shook his head a bit and gave her an apologetic look. "I have never actually seen a seahorse. It just sounds interesting and exotic, so I thought you might enjoy them, since you like horses. There are a few pools of water around Mura that I have been told have them, so we could take some time to explore whenever you like." He followed her quickly, noting the brief air of impatience and the spring she had to her step. The lockers were an interesting sight, and he nearly went back to gather his things and deposit them along with hers. Not wanting to slow their pace though, he just let things stay as they were. The smell of the leather hit his nose, and he fought to keep from wrinkling it. He knew that smell. He was about to be in for quite the new experience. Having to keep his wits about him and his feetmoving quickly, he continued to follow Kavala out into the park. There was a whistle that caused him to wince a bit, then the beating of hooves.. and then a horse. It wasn't too big of a horse, that was good. But where were the reins that they were supposed to hold on to? And had she just jumped onto it? Quite the graceful Konti, but weren't they all? She offered him a hand, and he paused, not quite so sure how to handle it all. There wasn't very much to hold on to. Should he grab onto the mane and her hand? No, no, that might hurt the beast. Already it was eyeballing him, likely sensing his hesitation. His soft hand wrapped in hers, and he used the leverage to haul himself up. His leap was graceful, and his positioning was rather perfect. He landed nicely behind her, one arm held out for balance, the look in his eyes clearly showing that he couldn't believe he had just managed to do this without hurting himself. He scooted close, noticeably sculpted body pressing slim definition shamelessly to her back. She was his anchor for this, and he was definitely going to make sure he was attached as tightly as possible to his anchor. Arms soon went around her, looping loosely around her stomach. His head dipped down, chin hovering a bit above her shoulder, the student suddenly quite childlike in his method of horseback-riding. Taking a breath, his quiet voice echoed out. "Am I riding correctly, or do I need to adjust something?"

[Kavala]

The Konti smiled at Matthew. “No, I haven’t. I haven’t kissed anyone.. .not in the way you mean.” Kavala said before they left the library. “My people take tooth care seriously. We make powders to clean our teeth and use trimmed down roots you find on the grass to brush them with daily. I’ve seen humans elsewhere. I don’t know how they live with a mouth full of rot.” The Konti said, knowing people thought the Dryaks were primitive but the truth was far different.

She thought it odd he left his stuff but didn’t comment knowing it would be there when he got back. The Konti moved with confidence, excited by the prospect of the outing, and spending time with the stranger who was more familiar to her than the pale women surrounding them.

“I didn’t mean to stare. I just miss my family, other humans, and well.. you have an oddness to your expression. It’s hard to explain, and I don’t want to offend you by being too bold with it.” Kavala’s accent had a tilt to it that stretched out some conjunctions oddly. “You have these expressions of emotions that flit across your face like birds startled out of the grass fly into the air… but they don’t touch your eyes. Your eyes are stationary, stoic, and seem to hold the same expression always. I don’t know if you can understand.. but smiles don’t reach them, and that fear you had that crossed your face a moment ago was so fleeting… your lips and cheeks and brows felt it, but not your eyes. I only wonder why not.” She said, reaching up to flip her loosely braided hair back over her head and usher him out of the library with more alacrity. The Drykas Konti wanted freedom, an adventure, to get out and have a horse beneath her and good company at her back.

Libraries, for all the wonder they held, couldn’t touch that feeling.

When he admitted he’d never seen a seahorse, something in her softened to the fact and she laughed. “Well, then we’ll go swimming and experience them together no?” She said, nodding to herself as if it was all decided.

They made it through the gates and over to where Windsong was… and though she’d seen fear in him before, he didn’t hesitate now. The jump up was impressive, and Kavala smiled though he probably couldn’t see it. The stallion had stood steady while the man mounted, shifting only when he was aboard and safely scooted up against Kavala. Tossing his head, he snorted the dust to clear his nose and glanced back at the pale Drykas wondering what was next.

Kavala paused, letting the feeling of a man at her back settle in her mind. She was putting on a brave face, but the truth is this was the closest she’d ever gotten to one. She liked it… liked it a lot. She liked the feel of his arms around her and his form pressed against her back. She liked that he was taller than she was and they fit together well. But she could also tell this was the first time he was on horseback or was seriously paying attention to what he did on horseback.

The Konti reached down and gently grasped his hands. She linked her fingers in his for a moment then slide them apart and off her stomach to her hips. “The secret, Matthew, to riding is here.” She laid his hands flat on her hips so he was gently gripping her pelvis. Kavala closed her eyes a moment, enjoying the sensation, and then gently asked Windsong for a walk. The buckskin moved forward and began to walk in a large circle in the park on the grass. “I can feel your hips are stiff, Matthew. Feel mine for a moment now that we are just at a walk. Feel how loose they are? I’m gripping him with my legs… you can’t hurt him doing that. But I’m letting my pelvis move freely.. and keeping firmness in my back and shoulders. Move as close to me as you can. Anchor us together, but let your pelvis move. That way you don’t hurt him and you don’t get in the way of how his body normally moves beneath you.” Kavala said, turning her head slightly to offer him a smile.

She was right. Her breath was clean smelling and so too was her hair. There was a bit of horse about her, and she looked rough around the edges because of how she’d dressed in the trousers and high riding boots and light shirt, but he could tell she was clean.

Kavala left her hands covering his on her hips until she could feel his pelvis begin to loosen pressed up against her rear. Windsong maintained his patient walk, understanding this was a lesson as well as an adventure. Then when he was relaxed more, riding rather than sitting on the horse, she brought his hands off her hips and back to her stomach. She had no excess fat, but nor was she rail thin. The Konti had stomach muscles Matthew could feel, probably from years of riding. Her form was warm, and they fit together nicely as the horse moved out, walking a bit bolder now. Kavala had no qualms against pressing back against Matthew, so their bodies rocked together as the horse moved beneath them. It was thrillingly intimate and she was enjoying it far more than she should. No man had ever touched her. No one had ever ridden double with her that wasn’t also female, and the whole thing just felt deliciously wicked.

For a moment, she wondered what it would feel like with no leather trousers and linen shirts between them. Would skin on skin feel just as good? And she wondered for a moment what it would feel like if he ran his hands up her chest and across her breasts. The Konti blushed then, her pale white skin tinting pink for a moment enjoying the sensation. There were no overprotective fathers here. There were no brothers who would have killed another Drykas being this close to her. Mura was her one chance at getting out and exploring more things than just medicine. When she returned home she’d have nothing to look forward too but offers of marriage for a third or forth wife.. if she was lucky a second wife… because of her medical training. No one would fall in love with a Konti on the grass. They had nothing to offer the future of the pavilion except the skills they knew. They wouldn’t even care if she was touched or not, experienced in the things men and women did together behind closed tent flaps. Her value wasn’t for her body. It was for her skills.

But here, with this human, he knew nothing of that. He didn’t seem to care she was Konti or know that she was not good enough for a first wife and thus not worth his time looking. He might be persuaded to kiss or touch, well aware that it would probably mean nothing to him. His eyes were empty… in some regards unless lit with curiosity about plants and the meaning of new things. She could tell he was smart but detached. He might make the perfect person to have a few firsts with while she was away, someone her brothers would never know and could never hurt.

The Konti smiled.

“I’m not shy.” She said suddenly, abruptly, breaking her train of thought. “You can hold on as tight as you need to wherever you need too… and ask any question you might have. Are you ready?” She said, turning the stallion yet again and setting him at a walk out the park gate and down a cobbled lane that lead away from the parts of the city that were submerged and out into the more wild parts of Mura.

Kavala sent Windsong into a nice trot. It was bouncy, more of a three beat up and down motion than the gentle four beat of a canter. But as they got going, Kavala seemed to glow with the joy of being on the move, having a mission, and being out with good company. They soon left the city behind, and cut into the woods which was a temperate thing filled with silvery white trees and knee high flowers on the horse beneath them. They climbed hills and traversed little clearings, climbing higher and looking for a temperate place high enough to hold rocky vegetation that was lower to the ground.

“So what are your goals while you are here on Mura? I want to learn more animal healing and have some experiences I couldn’t have at home because of a bit of a family that’s overbearing. Swimming in the Sea with seahorses sounds like a great first. Finding temperate slopes with Aletrid sounds like another. I’d also like a kiss, I think… a first one while I am here.” She said boldly, turning to grin at him as she urged Windsong into a canter. It didn’t actually cause the horse to move faster, but his footfalls turned from a three beat gait to a four beat gate and the ride suddenly smoothed out a lot more.

Her eyes scanned the area, and she turned Windsong north, the horse beginning to climb now, moving into higher altitudes. The horse had no problems climbing at a canter and seemed eager to do so. Kavala abruptly laughed, glad to be outside, away from the books and the teachers and all the students that looked all alike to her. She was also glad to have Matthew at her back, enjoying the day with her.

[Matthew]

Matthew nodded at their discussion on tooth care, the topic seemingly another one that he could easily talk about. "I will have to have you teach me a little more about that as well. They sell small brushes in Zeltiva, along with a paste that can be scrubbed on to keep them clean. However, it is a bit hard to come by, or at least in my experience. It is just another thing thatI would like to be able to provide for myself." He had all sorts of ideas for oral care that he would one day have to explore. He had only briefly considered it, but he thought that it one day might come in handy for some of the things he had thought about exploring. There was the idea of flavored cleaning pastes that left a minty smell, the idea of some sort of textured paste that could polish the teeth, perhaps even candies that left a good smell instead of a sugar smell. Perhaps even candies that numbed the throat, though that would be for an entirely different purpose. An oddness to his expression, did he? "You won't offend me, I don't think. I can't remember the last time I took offense to something." Being offended was another one of those things that was foreign to him. It was like getting his feelings hurt. It just didn't really happen all that often, or at least he didn't think it did. It was hard to tell, as always. Doing what he good to follow along with her slightly foreign accent, he tilted his head and listened carefully. He was starting to get used to it. Back at the University, everyone was short and polite. It wasn't actually her accent that was giving him the most trouble, it was just the number of words. He was just having to listen more than normal, which wasn't actually a problem. It just required focus, which was a polite thing to give anyways. "Emotions are very distant to me." He tried his best to explain, not at all shy about it. "When you have an emotion, it usually rises in your chest, right? Or sometimes in your stomach. There is always sort of a sensation to emotion, or at least from what I can remember." It was so very hard to remember. "For me, it is different. Instead of feeling that sensation in my chest, it is like I am watching another me, watching the sensation fill up his chest. It tries to reach me, but since I have warning, I can... stop it." It was hard to describe. It wasn't that he didn't feel, he just didn't feel as strongly, he thought. It had opened his eyes, in a way. When you could prepare for emotion, when you saw it coming, when you could study it passively and apathetically before it took you and consumed you... it was suddenly a very different thing. A scary thing, almost. It was the one thing that he couldn't control. It was his own body, but once emotion consumed him, it became foreign. No longer was he the master of his puppet, he was instead the puppet of a different master. Of fear, of pride, of sadness, of joy. He was scared of emotion, but even that was buried. What did that make him, in the end? Swimming sounded good. He needed to practice his swimming. He was much more comfortable with the crystal pools of the Konti, where he could clearly see the bottom. The Suvan left way too much to his imagination. They weren't moving yet. If he was on an island and the fear was trying to swim ashore, the number of swimmers was slowly growing. He would feel better if they moved. Instead, Kavala had grown quiet. Why was she quiet? He opened his mouth to try and jumpstart the lesson, but she was one step ahead of him. Her hands found his and then guided them to her hips, and then they were moving. His fingers very nearly clamped down, but he controlled it and instead listened. Stiff. Loosen. Let your hips flow. He had read a book on this recently, when he had first started to explore a potential profession. That book came to mind as Kavala guided him, and he used that knowledge to suppliment the knowledge she was giving him. His body loosened and then scooted forward, but not in a desperate cling like they had before. This time he let his body find her slopes and mold to that, slowly melting his form against her. Instead of stiffness, he was silk. His hips moved in a slow sway as the horse walked, Matthew fighting the urge to take control of them. Instead, he just made sure his legs remained secure. It was a slightly odd way to sit. Nipping his lower lip, he reviewed his form, ever the proper student. Firm back and shoulders, but not stiff. There was a very big difference in the two. The horse made some sort of silent noise, and suddenly Matthew felt something. Glancing at the animal, he matched stares with the beast, and suddenly felt like the animal was very aware. Animals had always been animals to him. He had never had an attachment to them, never felt a fondness for them, never had thought of them as any more than a source of food and labor. But there was intellect in that stare. It only lasted a moment before they broke eye contact, but that moment sat in Matthew's mind. He shelved it away, planning to study it later. It had made something in his mind buzz, and he wasn't so sure what that was. Was she blushing? It was brief, but he thought he had seen it. Why? His mind fired out yet another one of his endless questions, reviewing the material that he had only recently gained on the subject. He hadn't done anything to make her blush, had he? He hadn't used any of the techniques in the book. For Matthew, all that existed was the book and the science. He didn't have any of the natural instincts that would have easily clued him in on the reason for her brief tint of pink. At the same time though, he could appreciate her. It was like any other emotion. He didn't deny it existed, and it was a very natural one. There was the primal and simple rush of lust for her curves, and the personal like for her definition. Perhaps she had noticed things about him that she liked? Perhaps it was his hair. He thought he had a nice head of hair. They were going to go faster. He was okay with that. Should he grab her hips again? Or perhaps tighten his arms around her stomach? No, he would never learn if he did that. He would be depending on her as a pillar, and would never be able to advance beyond needing a pillar. He kept his pose for now, tightening his jaw as the horse began to trot. The urge to clamp down on the horse with his legs was overwhelming, and the desire to stiffen his swaying hips was mingled with that. He fought it though, holding the fear beneath the water, clinging to the common sense she had given him. He was so very focused on this that the time passed in quite the blur and he nearly missed her eventual questions. He paused a moment, blinking rapidly as his mind slowly came back to the here and now. Goals, experiences, overbearing family, seahorses, and a kiss. He searched his brain, trying to recall what he was here for. His paper. "I am a medical student at a University. As a show of what I have learned, I am assembling a scholarly paper that details a theoretical medical undertaking. Something new to Mizahar, or something that greatly improves on a process we already have. I would like to cure a race of people called the Akalak on a condition they suffer from. I have never actually encountered one, and I know little about them besides what the books tell me... so I am using my yearly visits here in order to learn all I can, and then develop a cure... if I can. It is a learning experience for me." He really wished he could have gone to Riverfall, but that had been impossible. It was too far, too dangerous, would take much too long. "Have you learned more about animal healing? Do you know how to kiss?" The ease at which he talked about the topic was either refreshing or disappointing. He wasn't bold like Kavala, but he wasn't at all put off by her boldness. He was certainly a good subject to test on, like she had considered. She had chosen a good way to go. It would likely be rockier this high up, so the student kept his eyes peeled. They even moved past cascading waters here and there, pools and waterfalls not at all uncommon for Mura. Perhaps they would be able to take a moment to find a seahorse today. Her sudden laughter caused him to glance over at her, but then something else distracted him. A speck of gold caught his eye, and his head turned to stare. Just a bit further in the distance was a slightly rocky section with a small cluster of trees and another one of the cascading falls, with a rather large patch of something shimmering gold on the ground. Perhaps those were the flowers they were looking for? More interesting to him were the small group of rather large cat-like creatures lounging about, licking themselves and each other, stretching out and yawning. He noticed sharp teeth. At the same time though, the cats had seen them and didn't look at all interested. Much like the rest of Mura, they seemed very at peace with their surroundings. Slowly lifting a hesitant finger, the student pointed at the group. "Over there. I see gold. Do you know what those creatures are, though?"

[Kavala]

Matthew was sure a curious sort. How was it he had grown to adulthood and didn’t know about cleaning teeth with roots? Wasn’t that how everyone did it? No, it seemed it wasn’t. He went on to explain to her how teeth were properly cleaned in Zeltiva. For the life of her Kavala couldn’t imagine tiny brushes small enough to fit into one’s mouth. Didn’t people in Zeltiva make brushes from realistic things like porcupine quills and horsehair? As much as she liked horses, the idea of putting horsehair in her mouth wasn’t appealing. In fact, she spent a good deal of time fishing it out of her mouth when she was riding actively day in and day out when Windsong was shedding. How odd. The people of Zeltiva hadn’t seemed all that different when she’d traveled through on her way here from Endrykas. But then again, she hadn’t stayed more than the length of time it had taken to catch a ship.

So… he wasn’t offended? That too was interesting. She wondered if it had to do with the detachment in his eyes. She hoped he’d comment on that and he didn’t let her down. “I feel everything with every inch of my body, from my toes to my nose. It’s not just in my chest. It doesn’t come from my chest.. it comes from my soul. It is the same with everyone, isn’t it? You sound detached. I’ve heard of that. Usually people feel like that after trauma… a baby dies, a lover dies… or you loose your pavilion. It happens a lot on the Sea of Grass.” Kavala commented, hoping again she wasn’t opening old wounds. But as far as she knew, Matthew had a perfectly normal family somewhere doing something perfectly mundane like raising cattle or fishing.

The day continued forward, so too did the conversation. And as they moved deeper into the wilds, the Konti was amazed at the abundance of plants and animals on Mura. When she urged Windsong on, she was slightly disappointed that Matthew wasn’t clinging but was instead working out the basics of riding all on his own. He actually wasn’t half bad at it, but Kavala suspected the reason for it was something she’d already noted about him. He was prone to extreme attention to detail. When he was thinking he was quiet, but he wasn’t afraid to share his thoughts it seemed after he’d gotten done analyzing them himself.

Kavala was a sharp girl, prone to observation herself, which was why she was here. Her brothers had to do something with her to keep her contented and from getting into too much trouble on her own. It was bad enough her older sister was as prone to wander and find trouble as she was. Sending Kavala away to study seemed the best course of action, especially since they’d had a bountiful year with the herds and had sold some extra cattle they’d rounded up on the grass. It had given The Denusks enough coin to send Kavala north for a bit, more for the better of the pavilion than anything else. They needed a healer and a good one to strengthen their clan.

“Medical student or not…” She said after a moment when he mentioned what his topic was… “Wouldn’t you have to intimately examine the Akalak reproductive system, their fluids, how they mated, and witness all that to start solving some of their issues? I mean, who’s going to let someone do that? At least with animals you can examine their ejaculate and find out if its potent or not. Do you know we cull stallions that don’t have both testicles hanging outside of their body? If they don’t have both swinging free, something about that makes their seed hard to take and they often have to cover a mare multiple times and maybe won’t get her in foal at all. Late to conceive foals mean smaller weaker animals going in to winter and they don’t always survive. When they have none at all outside their body, they often can’t catch a mare with a foal. Seems to me the Akalak aren’t going to let you look at their manparts, you know? So that would be the first place I’d look. Are they inside or out? It makes a difference. There was a boy from another clan that only had one.. well you know… one testicle. No one would let him marry their daughters either because they didn’t think he’d ever sire sons. There are so many problems it could be. How are you going to know what it is? Do you know my uncle has a theory about the shape of a horses’ penis? He thinks that its slightly designed a s a shovel to push out any previous seed before injecting his own… because my uncle swears if he breeds multiple stallions to a single mare, the last one who breeds her that day is the one that often takes.” Kavala finished, her train of thought going more towards animal breeding than people breeding but in the end it was all the same.

“No, there are no animal healing classes here. I’m just taking people healing classes. But I plan to adapt the techniques to animals later on. There are no places to learn animal healing specifically. It’s kind of sad. Maybe that’s what I will do when I get older.” She mused, turning slightly to look at Matthew to see if he was still looking nervous. Kavala honestly thought he looked better, more relaxed now.

Windsong snorted his agreement and swished his tail, cow hopping over a small gully that had a tiny stream draining from it. The couple bounced together again and Kavala laughed once more, leaning forward to kiss her horse between the ears.

“Everyone knows how to kiss, Matthew. I kiss my horse all the time. I’ve just never kissed a man who wasn’t related in the way you mean. I have too many protective brothers to have one get anywhere near me.” She said, scratching Windstong’s neck causing the horse to dance in place and pause in his canter.

The horse flicked an ear in the direction Matthew was suddenly looking, indicating he was looking that way as well… and as one the three of them turned and slowed, walking quietly up to an outcropping of stone that looked to be covered with the herb in question. Kavala made an excited noise, swung a leg up over Windsong’s neck, and slid down leaving Matthew perched on the horse alone. The horse in question pawed at the ground, dropped his head and began to graze on the sparse grass found at that elevation while Kavala waited for her companion to join her and verify that this was indeed what they were looking for.

“We’ve found gold. You are right. I don’t know what the cats are, but the horse doesn’t seem worried. He’s keeping an eye on them. See? His ears tattle tale where he’s watching and hes watching them. But I don’t think they will bother us. So far, the only thing I’ve been warned about are poisonous fish.. I had a brief class on what was poisonous out in the water, and I was told to stay away from the deer with horns, the bulls, when the rut is happening because they get aggressive. But that’s in the fall, not now.” The Konti helpfully informed her companion. She offered him a smile and then unfastened a bag from Windsong’s yvas and pulled a small trowel and a set of clippers from it.

“Need these?” She said, holding out the offerings to Matthew.