Closed Calming Seas (Alaia)

[Roland Eir]

68th of Summer, 514 AV Nothing comes close to this, Roland thought, sitting leisurely in the soft sand. The breeze tousled his hair playfully, blocking his eyes with shocks of dark brown. Absent-minded hands would brush the hair aside, but his attention was focused forward. The glittering Suvan Sea stretched out to meet the horizon before him. His gaze danced along the crests of rolling waves, dipping in and out of view. The clear sky was mirrored in the more distant sea, the water so far from reach that his eye could not detect the changes in current or flow. A part of him was deeply envious of the sea. To be a single drop of water, he imagined, would be so much simpler. Instantly a part of something great and powerful, yet so individually powerless that any mistake he made could not harm the greater whole. A smile crossed his face at the thought. Leaning forward he let his fingers drag in the sand around him. The sand was the same, a microcosm of perfect life. Each grain was unique, some course and some smooth, but so small that the defects in one did not detract from the beach itself. Out here, he felt a part of that world. Lying back on the sand he could almost let himself sink away into that grand meaningless existence. It was breathtakingly peaceful. The only thing that drew him back into the world was the nagging voice at the back of his mind that asked him: is that really what you want? Some part of him, deep and dangerous, that desired more. To be more than a drop in the sea or a grain in the sand. To think on it unsettled him, but lately Roland had found that this desire burned brighter every day; the longer he stayed in a land where magic was practiced rather than shunned, the more he yearned not to go along with the currents but to control them. To mold water and sand according to his whims, and aye, air and fire too. Roland sat up, his reverie broken by the pounding of his heart. Sand stuck to his neck and trickled down the back of his sleeveless shirt. Tucking in his legs an resting his arms on he knees, he looked back out to sea. His brow furrowed in self-concern, he sucked in air between his teeth. It was scary, at times, how quickly his peace could be shattered. Around him the world was as it was before: the sea sparkling and calm, the sand soft, the sun warm. But his mind stormed now with conflict, churning in contrast with the mild ocean. After pushing himself to his feet sand trickled from his hair and clothes. Damn my inconstant spirit, he thought bitterly, missing the previous serenity of the afternoon. It wasn't like him to philosophize and think such weighty thoughts. A grim smile lay upon his countenance. This place has begun to change me already. Back in Sunberth he would never stand so freely, or bother to think about anything but how he would survive the next day. If the sun was out he would stick to the shadows, not laze about on the open sand. But the air in Sunberth stank of filth and ale, and here the air was all salt and kelp and he'd been here long enough now to tell the difference. If he had changed, then so much the better. It's what he had set out to do. "Enough," he muttered to himself. It was the same endless mind-game he'd played since leaving Sunberth. To distract his busied mind he submerged his toes in the damp sand and searched the tide line for shells. He never took them from the beach, but the simple act of finding them sometimes calmed his troubled soul.

[Alaia]

The smell of salty brine filled the Konti’s nose as she walked slowly along the beach. Her sandals, as usual, were forgotten back at home with the prospect of the sand between her toes and the ocean rushing up and over the webs of her feet. With her life this summer everything had changed, some for the worst and some for the best but Laviku’s domain was always a constant for her. She always found solace here even when her mind was as unforgiving as the Sea god’s wrath upon an unsuspecting ship traveling the open seas. Her gilded hair pulled back from her face as she walked into the breeze rather than with it, the scents of the water clinging to her and making her feel even more settled.

The waves that crashed into the sand at her feet splashed water up her bare legs and even reached the lace of the soft blue dress she wore causing it to cling to her thighs. Fingers twitched at her sides with the desire to be fully submerged in the water and without thought she stepped into the sea until it reached halfway up her calves. As the waves rolled in they brought the water up to her knee before sliding back out like a playful friend. The sea was calling to her and her breath caught as she let her fingertips skim the tides in response. “Patience, I will be with you soon.” She had every intention to swim tonight but she wanted to enjoy the process and not rush into it.

Alaia glanced out over the beach and that was when she spotted the movement not too far from her, she hadn’t noticed him before but as he stood her head tilted curiously. She usually came here when no one else was around, it was easier to enjoy the silence then. If she wanted noise and bustle she’d sit on the docks, something she didn’t do nearly enough since she moved to the Sanctuary. She could ignore him but she was too close to pretend to not see him, plus she was staring at him. The healer’s bright blue eyes averted from the male briefly before she glanced back and offered him a raise of her hand in a subtle wave if she caught his eye.

Without much more thought the Konti turned her feet away from the depths of the sea and back towards the land, a brief rush of longing rushing through her as she put off swimming and instead walked until she was close enough to be heard. “Hello …” Her common heavily accented with the natural swirls of her mother tongue. “…I hope I didn’t disturb you?” She couldn’t be sure if her presence was what made him leave his spot in the sand but she offered the male a shy smile in greeting. “The sea is lovely today.” What a lame way to start a conversation. she chastised herself slightly which only made her cheeks color in awkwardness. She was convinced it would be a miracle if she ever greeted someone with confidence, approaching others just wasn’t her forte unless it was at work.

Was it less disturbing to just not approach him and pretend he wasn’t there? Suddenly she was unsure on which would have been the better choice. Maybe he was looking for the solitude she had been looking for? Well she had approached him now, she couldn’t just walk away. Smooth Alaia. Delicately webbed fingers straightened out the damp hem of her dress while she chewed the inside of her cheek. Alaia knew she shouldn’t worry over it he would either welcome the conversation or ignore her, and they could get back to whatever they were both doing. Unfortunately not worrying about proper social etiquette was not exactly easy for her, it was how she “fit in” when she was required to interact with people she didn’t know and well it was rude otherwise.

[Roland Eir]

What was this shell called? Roland didn't know, but he examined the smooth flat surface, marred only by a cracked hole in its center, with mild interest. With its round shape the hole gave it the look of a lens. Gingerly bouncing its weight on his palm, he considered trying to skip it on the waves like a stone, but he'd never been much good at that. Instead he let it drop back to the sand where he'd found it. He brushed wet sand from his hands onto the breezy cotton of his pants and glanced around the empty beach. Or at least he'd expected it to be empty. The konti wading in the surf caught him by surprise, but he realized someone else must have wandered down from The Sanctuary. It seemed she had noticed him as well; her head was tilted and her eyes stared right back. She was beautiful, like all konti he'd seen, in their exotic way. With their scales and webbed fingers and toes, their obvious inhuman nature had initially set him on edge. This one's gaze particularly caught his attention. Her eyes echoed the hues of the sky above them: startlingly blue and clear. She looked away for a brief moment before flashing him a smile and a wave in greeting. Curiosity mingled with disciplined trepidation as he gave a subdued half-wave in return. Instincts born of a lifetime in Sunberth warned him that every pretty face hid a knife behind its back, but he suppressed the sentiment in favor of his more recent experience. So instead of keeping his distance he let her approach and politely answered her hello with one of his own. "You're not disturbing anything," he assured her, though in a way he was lying. Truly he was thankful for her presence. Anything to occupy his mind. Roland smiled at her comment on the sea, looking out past her at the gently rolling waves. Some of the afternoon's previous restfulness returned as the sun flashed on the water. "Yes, it's beautiful," he agreed, ignoring her flushed cheeks. He was in the mood for normal, and the simplicity of the comment put him off his guard. The fact that she could be awkward at all made him more comfortable with the konti. Wind danced his hair back into his eyes and he shook it back out. After a moment he turned back to her and offered her a smile. "I'm Roland," he said, extending his hand to shake.

[Alaia]

Alaia was unsure why people had this need to shake hands when they were greeting someone new, it was a custom that baffled her and she really would have loved to meet the person to start it so she could give them a stern look. She didn’t want to hurt them of course, that would be horrid, but she wanted to them to be aware she was unhappy with this unnecessary personal contact. “Roland…” She spoke his name to familiarize herself with the sound of it, she couldn’t remember meeting a Roland before, and then she offered him a warm grin. “I’m Alaia.” Her eyes glanced to his hand and her smile turned apologetic. Life was easier here at the Sanctuary where she no longer had to force herself to handle other people unless she wanted to and really it wouldn’t be fair to him when he didn’t know her gift.

Instead of shaking his hand she ran fingers through her windblown locks and motioned to the Sanctuary. “You live here?” She hadn’t seen him before but that wasn’t something to be considered alarming, instead curiosity filled her tone. Carefully the healer shifted her weight until she was standing beside him, her webbed toes leaving unique prints in the wet sand only to get washed away a moment later by the incoming tide.

“I’ve not been here long myself, I’m a healer.” She nodded and with the movement of her affirmation the sun glinted against the swirling sigil on the right side of her face that could only belong to the goddess Rak’keli. Alaia moved a foot forward and nodded down the length of the beach. “If I’m not disturbing you would you like to walk in the water with me? I like the feel between my toes.” It was such a simple statement but she figured it would be nice to offer him an invite and she was more comfortable doing so after he said she wasn’t bothering him. “Do you swim? I was going to at some point …” A delicately scaled shoulder shrugged and her eyes tilted out towards the ocean. There was no rush between her questions and if he walked with her she’d simply let the silence embrace them before speaking again.

On days like today when the ocean was playful and the sun warmed her to her bones she saw no reason to not simply enjoy the easiness of it all. “What do you do here?” It would be good to get to know the others who worked here, so far she only knew Kavala and Caelum. Maybe he knew a trade she didn’t and he could explain it to her? She was always willing to learn more of course but she was getting ahead of herself. Looking back at him the Konti let her eyes truly take him in now, memorizing his features slowly from the length of his dark hair to the way his mouth shifted when he spoke. A sudden wild urge flashed through her and for a brief moment she wish she brought her sketch pad, it had been too long since she picked up the charcoal and paper.

[Roland Eir]

The rejected hand hovered in the air uncertainly before dropping back to Roland’s side. Had he done something wrong? He was still adjusting to the difference in culture, but until then he’d never experienced any issues with contact. The people of Riverfall were often much more physical than those of Sunberth. Less likely someone was hiding a dagger up their sleeve or looking for a loose coin purse, Roland speculated. Taking in the konti’s apologetic smile, he figured it must be a personal issue and let it go. “Good to meet you, Alaia,” he said pleasantly. “Aye, I’ve been living here since the season began.” He shifted to allow for her movement so that they now stood next to each other facing the shining sea. He wasn’t surprised to learn she was a healer—especially after seeing the now-familiar mark of Rak’keli upon her face. It also explained the fact that they hadn’t met until now. Roland’s work at the Sanctuary was simple labor and his path rarely crossed those of the healers. She looked like a healer, he thought. The brilliant blue eyes were bathed in kindness and her movements were calm and careful. He allowed himself to relax and an easy smile snuck onto his face. The peace of the day was returning as any thoughts of his desires were swept away on the tide. He shrugged at her suggestion. “Sure, of course. Why not?” He crouched briefly to roll up the loose cuffs of his pants up to his knees before following her into the gentle surf. The water rolled up past his ankles, pushing and pulling with the tide. Compared to the air the water felt cool, but it was still far warmer than he remembered feeling it on the far coasts of Sunberth. The water splashed refreshingly as his feet lifted through it in his stride. Her second suggestion flushed his cheeks in embarrassment. “Ah, actually… no. I’ve never learned.” He’d seen the many children of Riverfall take to it as easily as fish, watching with envy as they dived off the piers and rode the waves back onto the beach. This particular gap in his education was a regret that he’d nursed since arriving at the Sanctuary. “It’s just something I never had time for.” In truth, he’d even asked his father to teach him once, but all it had earned him was a cuff on the ear and a reminder to focus on more important things. Perhaps now he’d have a chance to learn, but he wasn’t sure he felt like crossing that particular bridge with a new acquaintance. Maybe, but he gladly grabbed hold of the new thread of the conversation. “Oh, I do this and that. Basically whatever Kavala asks me to do.” He looked down at his feet, brushing a bit of kelp out of the way. “Mostly just digging, clearing land, shoveling out the stables. Simple work, but it gives me a place to stay.” And a new family to stay with. He glanced over at Alaia, realizing she was now a part of that family too, at least as far as the others were concerned. “Welcome, by the way. They’re good people here. Though I reckon you already knew that by now.” The concept of the Sanctuary’s family atmosphere was still a concept he was unsure, but he remembered the first time he’d been here: the immediate acceptance despite his unknown past. It had been revolutionary to the young man who'd grown up barely trusting his family. How did Alaia take it, he wondered?