Closed Home, Sweet Home! (Ire)

[Savio]

Savio hated seeing the worry in his beloved’s eyes but it was comforting to know that she did care. Sadly, Savi could not answer her questions about what exactly the Hollow was and if it was dangerous or not since he had never been to in and only hear the barest of details concerning that happens within. So he just smiled the best he could and kissed her forehead.

“It’s a place of meditation to test one’s fortitude and strength of mind. I doubt it would too dangerous. If anything, the most I would suffer is a severe case of boredom. You know how difficult it is for me to stay in one spot for too long.” He answered with a light chuckle and hoped that it didn’t sound too forced. He then nuzzled Ireth’s hand and placed a kiss against its soft skin. “I will be fine, my love.” At least he hoped so. The words were more or less as much as a reassurance to himself as it was her.

He watched as she slipped from his lap and gathered her things, bundling up against the slight chill outside. He could see the troubled expression on her face and he almost gave in; forfeiting his plans to go to the Hollow. Almost. “Thank you, Ire. I am sure that the days will fly by quickly for you, since you always find such wonderful ways to busy yourself.” He said as he reached out to her to pull her back into his embrace, only to have her whisper those suggestive words directly into his ear. His face heated up as his face colored into a vibrant shade of scarlet and he was left stunned for several ticks while Ireth rushed out of the room in a fit of musical giggles.

Once he came to his senses he grabbed up his own jacket and tugged it on as he too rushed out of the room in pursuit. He almost tripped twice on the stairs going down; earning him a hard glare from Vysia before he too was outside in the cold Winter air. He shivered instantly as he searched the street for his Ireth, only to see her fleeing North towards the Bridge of the Dead.

Savio grinned and took off after her. Catching up to her would have been an incredibly easy feat, since his long legs were accustomed to running but he held back just to watch her run and hear her laugh. The few people that were on the street gave the two lovers a mixture of amused expressions and those of annoyance. Savio didn’t care and he mentally dared anyone to try to stop Ireth or him.

As they neared the bridge Savio picked up his speed and ran up behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and playfully spinning her in a small circle before setting her back down on solid ground. He was laughing hard while trying to catch his slightly rushed breath. He leaned down to kiss the top of her head before letting her go to move to her side and offering her his arm. If she took it, he would walk alongside her as they crossed the bridge together.

[Ireth Telemnar]

Ireth's peals of laughter rang out across the frosty sides of the mouth of the Aperture. "Put me down, you fool! You're making a scene!" She giggled incessantly whenever he did set her back on the ground, shivering lightly from the adrenaline and the chill. Taking Savio's offered arm, she wrapped her cloak closer around her body and huddling against his side as they walked across the bridge. Before coming to Nyka, Ireth hardly ever left the Ravokian surface at Lake level, except perhaps to go to the second floor of a building or to reach a high part of a ship. In Nyka it was different. She was constantly having to cross these bridges across the city's enormous fissure, a ravine as wide as several men's heights in some places. All it took was a single glance into the swimming darkness of the Aperture to make Ire's legs no better than the stalks of flowers, waving and weaving in the wind. But it was as if there was some innate need for her to look around, to look over the edge, to gaze down into the horrible black that was as tempting and as seething with monsters as the view outside her window was at night. Using Savio's body as a shield, Ireth pressed one side of her face into the shoulder of his jacket, allowing only one eye sight. She kept the other eye trained on the opposite side of the bridge. That need was pulling at her... No. By the time she gave in to the urge, they were on the ground again. Ire took a sort of a ragged breath and gave her sweetheart a soft, almost weary smile. As far as she'd encountered, she would rather be anywhere in Nyka but over the Aperture. The couple continued their walk into the Northern Quarter, the wildest part of Nyka. It was here that the monks and the townsfolk lived by the edges of their blades. Even from their position going along the streets the sharp sounds of metal smashing together and men grunting could be heard. Although she didn't really fear the fighting, she clung to Savio again. There was something about the bloodlust that she'd seen in the eyes of the monks that had their hoods over their heads that reminded her something of the stories her brothers used to tell her of rabid kelvics that were supposed to run loose in the lowlier parts of her water-bound city. She needed to get her mind off of her silly little paranoia. "So... Savio? You know why I came here, to seek out my aunt and, inadvertently, to meet you and Sayren. But what brought you to Nyka? I mean, you've mentioned your mother and father before. Why did you leave them?" Her breath left her lips in little misty clouds, disappearing almost as soon as they met the chilly air. Savio's boots clapped against the frosty cobblestones, drowning out some of the combative racket. "I know that I didn't want to leave my mother or brothers. I felt as if my heart were ripping in two when I set foot in the boat to leave the Ravokian Docks, the sensible part wanting to remain in my city and the strange urging part screaming at me to come to Nyka." She smiled again, looking up at her lover's scruffy face, his cheeks rosy. "And look where it got me. Into all this trouble." Ire nudged Savio lovingly.

[Savio]

At first Savio didn’t notice his Beloved’s distress since he was otherwise distracted by the budding joy that filled him with warmth at having his woman on his arm. It wasn’t until he felt her bury her face into his shoulder than he looked down to see the stress in her expression. He couldn’t figure out what was making her so upset. Was it something he said? Something he did? If she had been upset at him, surely she wouldn’t be clinging so tightly to his arm…Right?

His questions were answered when they finally crossed the bridge and were once again on solid ground. Ireth visibly relaxed and smiled up at him but the uneasiness was still there in her beautiful eyes. She had gotten scared while crossing the Aperture. Savio smiled back at her reassuringly while pulling her close to him and wrapping his arm around her shoulders to offer some sort of comfort. He did not blame her in the least bit on being frightened of the Aperture. He has seen firsthand what could happen within those dark depths and he had seen a few of the monsters that crawled out of the orifice when the sun’s light left the sky.

While they walked through the Northern Quarter, sounds of steel clashing against steel echoed within the narrow streets and mixed in with the low murmur of the people walking about. It was a common sound in that part of the city. The Monks of the Sharp Blade take their training very seriously since it was their responsibility to keep the city as a whole safe. They were the guards that manned the gates and walls and they kept a vigilant watch over the Aperture to fight off whatever abomination decided to crawl out of it and wreak havoc upon the city. It was in the Northern Quarter that those battle ready Brothers honed their skills as sharp as the bladed weapons they welded. Needless to say, Savio held a great deal of respect for them.

It didn’t take Ireth too long before she was once again asking Savio questions. The acrobat didn’t mind since he liked that she wanted to know more about him. “As much as I love Syliras, I did not think that I was going to find my future there. I has no interest in staying a farmer like my father and I didn’t want to become a Knight. I just wanted to perfect my skills in acrobatics and when I learned of Ximal and his school here, I took the first caravan I could out of Syliras.” He answered after a short while, looking down into her lovely eyes and giving her a sheepish smile.

“I miss my home and my people, and I miss my family above all else but I am glad that I came here. I had hoped to one day return to Syliras and finally prove to my father that my dreams were not foolish. But now… I’ve found that I quite like it here. Perhaps one day I will return home to visit but I think my place is here… In Nyka.” Savio paused then and lifted Ireth’s chin to kiss her one the lips. “Plus, I currently have more incentive to stay.”

After a few chimes, the two of them made their way through the winding streets until they reached a large gate the opened out into what appeared to be wildlands with a narrow, well-worn path that led through it. Savio knew that road by heart since it went directly to the Iron Fist School, just west of the Nykshela quarries. The school was a little ways outside of the city and it didn’t take them long to reach the outer wall that surrounded the two acre property that the school was built on.

Savio pushed open the simple gate and allowed Ireth inside so that she could see the grounds. The School itself was made from the same rusty red stone that the rest of the city was made from with trees standing proudly inside the inner courtyard. The Iron Fist was first and foremost simplistic; like that of a well maintained barracks.

“Welcome to the Iron Fist School of Armed and Unarmed Combat!” Savio said in a proud tone.

[Ireth Telemnar]

Ire's breath caught when she realized that they were leaving the city. Even though she suspected that there was a greater risk of her being in danger inside the city perimeter, there was something unnerving about being outside the protectiveness of civilization. Sure she had endured it for some 60 days on her way to Nyka from her Ravok. That seemed like so long ago now... She allowed Savi to usher her in and was almost taken aback at the simplicity of the establishment. Ireth paused for a moment and listened to Savio proclaim the School's name with pride. "Wow..." A small smile crept onto her face. "I'd expected it to be bigger. But it's handsome, in an old, knowledgable way. As if it's seen many things, many years..." Her smile turned into a giggle and she clung to her lover eagerly, letting him lead the way. The building was plain in appearance, it's features basic and comfortable in the embrace of the nature around it. Beautiful old trees hung in close, spreading their large and motherly branches over the School, though their bare branches did little to protect it from the sun's frostlit glistening. "Tell me again what happened to your mentor, your headmaster? The Ximal man that you always refer to?" The answer hung in the crisp air as the couple made their way inside, and though she wasn't sure why, Ire took great care to step as lightly and as quietly as she could. There was fighting going on somewhere, though she wasn't the least surprised. It was a school for fighting after all. The building was warm, but they quickly found their way out of it as they entered a large courtyard. In the yard were some more trees, growing despite the ground wore bare by the constant dance of feet upon it. Objects that Ireth assumed were training equipment were also outside, notwithstanding the winter weather beating down on them. Upon closer inspection, she decided that the weather wasn't the worst thing that had beating down on the tools and toys. There was a man, in the cold, doing some form of exercise. His movements were mesmerizing, probably because Ireth had neither the grace nor the hand-eye coordination required to do any sort of fighting. To Savio, though she didn't want to tear her gaze away from the strangely versatile man, Ire whispered "Show me around. I want to see what you do all day."

[Savio]

It gave Savio great joy knowing that Ireth liked the school even though her perception of the school’s age was a little off; if he remembered correctly, Ximal had only started the school a year or two ago. Savio let it slide, though. He was too excited that Ireth was finally getting to see that part of his life and she was accepting of it. Since joining the school two seasons ago he had become fond of the place and its other tenants. The Iron Fist had become a home away from home.

Savio took Ireth’s hand once more and lead her through the entry court yard and to the doorway of the school proper. Her question of Ximal made his mood drop slightly. He still missed the man despite his flaws. “Ximal… He went into the Aperture for training purposes and never came back. We can only assume that the creatures or whatever evil dwells down there had gotten the best of him. It’s a great shame since he was truly a strong and powerful man. But Revy is honoring him by keeping the school running. I wish you could have met him.” Savio answered in a solemn tone but he was quick to change it. He did not wish to ruin the mood or Ireth’s fun with things he could not change.

He led her through the school building and back outside but that time they were in the training yard. Most of the grass was dead and gone from either the weather or long hours of many practiced steps over it. Savio was amused by her interest in what he did even though she was a peaceful woman by nature. “This is where most of the training happens. There is a lot more space and more training dummies than inside the training room. I do most of my teaching out here or in the War fields since I teach acrobatics and a little bit of unarmed combat. The dirt is a lot softer to fall on than wood flooring.” He said chuckling softly. He did not wish to disturb the person who was training. “Come, there is more I need to show you.” He said as he carefully moved her to the other side of the courtyard and back into the building.

The room he brought her in was the training room. It was a fairly decent sized room with well-worn wooden floors, large windows facing the courtyard and dummies lining the far wall. There were also weapon racks that held the equipment the teachers and students used to practice with. “This is the training room I was talking about. What do you think? It’s certainly a lot warmer than outside and I like to use this to practice at night when I can’t sleep.”

[Ireth Telemnar]

The courier was right. Though there was no fire or hearth to heat the room, it was noticeably warmer compared to being outside. Ireth left Savio's side and walked around the perimeter of the training room. She took slow steps, examining each practice weapon and piece of equipment with the same untrained eye that a child has when looking at expensive clothing: all wonder and amazement, but no real knowledge of what's behind the objects. Ireth's familiarity began and ended with daggers her brothers used to bring home, blood-hungry metal teeth that Zhidynach's little princess was never allowed to touch. Reaching the center or the room, Ire cocked her head back and gazed into the boards that made up the ceiling. It was a lot to take in, this other half to Savio's world. "I think it's amazing. You have so much heart for this training, this School. I see the way you walk here, through the corridors and rooms. You're so at ease here, so at one with everything." She was speaking in riddles, she knew. She probably wasn't making any sense either, just allowing random thoughts to flow forth from her mouth. Looking to Savio again, she smiled softly, not sure what else to say. Ire was beginning to wonder about this courtship of the courier's. How far did he mean to go? She was beginning to have trouble imagining being with anyone else, but she'd only met Savio last season. Getting attached easily was one of her faults, she knew. But he never seemed to mind. In fact, he acted as if he relished it. And she loved that about him. The future... she hoped that his future might involve her. With all her heart, as Ireth's eyes ran along that body with which she had become enamored, she prayed that something would come of a Ravokian and a Sylirian. Clearing her throat, Ire knew she was being silly. Her thoughts were scattered into the winds, flying and tracing and twirling with disarray. Her eyes crinkled when she smiled and she walked back to Savio again, embracing him and leaning into his chest. "What else have you to show me?"

[Savio]

He watched her from afar as she took everything in in stride. He understood that for someone as peaceful and tender as Ireth it would be hard to fully grasp this part of him; but gods, how he loved the look of open curiosity in those beautiful eyes of her’s. He could not keep the smile off his own face and he was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement. It also helped when her words stoked his ego.

“This school does mean a lot to me. Though I have only been here for a short time, I have made many fond memories here. If it wasn’t for Ximal or the Iron Fist, I would have never left Syliras… I would have never met you, or Sayren, or anyone here for that matter.” He replied as he finally walked over to her to meet her halfway and wrap his arms around her middle. He nuzzled his face into the side of her neck and placed a loving kiss there.

Upon listening to her question, he thought for a moment with his face still buried into her soft neck. “Hmm… Well… There is my room. It isn’t much but it is where I spend my night when I am not with you.” He suggested before he finally pulled away, taking her hand and gently leading her in that direction. “After that, then it is your call where we go from there.” He said, looking back at her with glint in his eye that suggested more. He longed to see that lovely blush grace her cheeks once more. In fact, if he thought about it... He couldn’t think of not seeing his beloved’s face whenever possible.

As he pulled her along, he found his mind drifting. He knew she wanted to return home. Every time the thought crossed his mind, his chest would feel like it was constricting. However, he could not deny her anything and if she truly wished to return to Ravok then who was he to stop her? Sure, he could try to convince her otherwise but ultimately it was her choice. Because he loved her. And he was sure that the feeling was mutual. He could always ask her for her hand in marriage. His own face reddened at the idea. Would she even accept such an offer? Most likely not since they only met at the tail end of last season. There was so much that they needed to learn of each other and so little time.

[Ireth Telemnar]

She knew what he wanted to see. She knew, there was no denying it. And as hard as she fought... She blushed. Bright red in contrast to the green of her dress. Ire delivered a light smack to her beloved's arm, giggling "You horrible boy." Not that she held any hard feelings against the man. Balancing carefully on the tips of her toes, she placed a small kiss upon his cheek before they began walking again. "Your bedroom, huh?" She tried to imagine what a room would be like if inhabited by one of her brothers. Messy perhaps, undecorated... Savio was quiet. Ireth wondered if she'd done something wrong, but decided agianst it. She'd done nothing, he was simply thinking. The busker gave her love's hand a gentle squeeze, pressing the lightly callused bits of her fingers against the fleshy places between his knuckles. Ire looked down, watching their fingers dance beyond the edges of their sleeves. She'd forgotten about the cold without, the lone man practicing his art in the courtyard, the Challenge. She focused solely the moment, letting all else fall away. He was leaving the rest of the day up to her. Silly was it seemed, Ireth only wished that they might go back to the Hostel and spend the night together before Savio left. Thoughts of what they'd do made her blush more, and she thanked whichever deity was watching that Savio was looking in the other direction. As they walked on in the quiet, Ireth glanced at the doors they passed. Her fingers decided to run away with themselves. Her index finger began tracing circles around the veins on the back of his hand. Shaking her head, the busker took a deep breath. She was being childish, dreaming and such! Still... Ire leaned against Savio as they walked, unable to help herself.