PM to join [Silver Chest Event] Saying Goodbye

[Naiya]

77th day of Summer, 515 AV
Fourth bell of the Afternoon

Rumors were flying around the city, in the way that most rumors did. A whisper from a husband to wife, passed to a second wife, a third. Mentioned by the third wife to another washerwoman as they set about cleaning the rugs of the pavilion. The washer woman soon passed the same words on, to the owner of the jewelry stall as she browsed the gems she would never afford. The merchant's wife, a wary eye on the washer woman whispered quietly to her husband, but not so quietly that the metalsmith next door could not hear.

So the rumor spread, like fire in the grass. Until Naiya herself heard it, passed on by the heavily pregnant woman minding the herd of pale coated Zibri that Naiya had come to consider.

"Yes ma'am, the lighter colored hair helps them stay cooler in the heat of summer. If the cows get too hot, they give less milk, so we breed for the lightest hair." The woman sat on a small stool, likely one she could carry with her to ease the burden of her pregnancy. Big as she was, she had told Naiya, she couldn't get up from the ground on her own.

"Now, you were asking after the milk? Most of the milk will have a good amount of butterfat. You have a couple of choices, you use the milk just as it is for drinking or cooking. You can add vinegar to the fresh milk to make curds which you can make into cheese. You can let the milk sit, the cream will float to the top of the milk, scoop it out and keep it separate, then you have milk and cream. The cream can be used for cooking, or turned into butter." She rattled off uses more quickly than Naiya would have imagined possible. It was what she had asked about though, so she kept focused on the words, the tasks seemed all simple enough.

"Are you with me?" The woman asked, and Naiya nodded. "If you make butter, but you don't have a use for it right away, you let that butter sit. It will form two layers, one clear liquid, the other solid. If you pour off the liquid, that can be stored for a good while with no attention, no cool storage." She looked Naiya up and down, judging her appearance, perhaps, her lack of clan indicating colors. "Do you know how to keep the milk cool? And the Cheese too?" She asked.

"Not really," Naiya admitted, "Just keeping it in water, we usually set up as close to a stream as we can and just float things that need to be cool. We haven't done much but drink the milk."

She smiled, her body a mixture between understanding and bemused. "I'll offer you a trick, since I understand you're here to buy today. All you need is a wide flat bowl of water, and a cloth. Put water in the bowl, add your cold foods, and drape the cloth over the top of it all. As the water travels up the cloth, the heat evaporates the water, and the inside stays cool as long as there is still water."

[Naiya]

"Ah, really?" Her less than intelligent reply was really the last touch on a number of seemingly silly questions, and the woman laughed then, even as she signed an apology for her rudeness.

"I'm sorry, I know I've given you a lot of new information, but you just seem to be in so over your head, I mean, didn't your mother teach you any of this? Making cheese, caring for zibri, or even other animals? The purple charms in your hair say you're from the amethyst clan, but you don't seem to have any of the skills." Shocked into remembering the charms, Naiya reached up to finger the trinkets, she had taken to no longer wearing her purple sash, nor the dress she had been given in a deep plum color, but she had forgotten entirely the charms in her hair.

"I spent most of my time sewing, I was an apprentice of an elderly woman. I learned sewing and embroidery, but I missed out on a lot of the cooking and animal handling skills that my sisters learned." Naiya explained. The other woman, looking reassured by the explanation continued.

"Instead of shearing the zibri, it is best if you just brush them, they loose most of their hair as the season warms in the spring, and again when they grow in a thicker winter coat. Just give them regular brushing and collect the hair to use yourself or sell to be made into wool." Naiya nodded, recalling the masses of hair that grooming had pulled from the zibri, she hadn't realized she wanted to sell that, she had just been using it to stuff cushions. She grimaced, and the woman stopped talking, inquiry clear in her posture.

"I was using the loose hair to restuff the cushions." Naiya admitted, ducking her head softly, but with a small smile still crossing her lips. "I was wondering, too, about breeding the zibri," Naiya began, shifting the subject away from her shortcomings.

"Ah, well that's pretty simple. Really the things to look out for are the sizes of the animals if the cow is exceptionally small, and the bull is exceptionally large, or if the gestation is especially long, there can be complications with the pregnancy. If that's the case, it's best to have an experienced handler around. The pregnancy of the cow lasts about two-hundred and eighty days, so if you see the cow get bred, mark the date and keep a close eye on her as she approaches the two-hundred sixty day mark." She glanced out over the collection of zibri that milled around behind the pavilion, and Naiya followed her gaze, watching the calves frolic around their mothers.

"Things to look out for are the signs of the cow going into labor, she'd be nervous, uncomfortable, and likely to lay down and stand right back up again fairly often. Delivery is fairly quick, taking one to two bells, the hooves and the nose are what you want to see first. If it takes more time than that, you'll need someone to help. They'll pass the afterbirth too, but that can take awhile depending on their diet and how long the labor was. Usually it isn't much concern, though."

Naiya nodded, none of what she heard seemed too strange. "I don't suppose you have any bulls for sale?" Naiya asked, lighthearted in the inquiry, no one ever really wanted to sell a breeding male.

The woman shook her head, laughing along with Naiya, but then in good favor offered, "If you take a dam, and a few calves today, we can come to a breeding agreement, though." Naiya nodded, accepting happily what was a very kind offer.

"Will you pick me out a good dam? Healthy calves too?" Naiya asked, and the woman nodded, gracious in her sale.

She stood, leaving her stool in place, and waddled back into the Zibri, gesturing for Naiya to follow. She took her to a healthy looking cow, who looked to be ready for milking. She gestured Naiya to a bucket and some rope. Confused, Naiya brought the items over, and offered them to the woman. She took the rope, and left her the bucket.

"Go ahead, give her a milking, make sure she's producing enough, and that the taste is satisfactory. Haven't you bought a zibri before?" Naiya's expression must have given her away, because the woman laughed amiably, "It is good procedure to let you taste the milk, and make sure she isn't troublesome, you don't want to buy a cow you can't milk."

She nodded, patting the pale yellow zibri in greeting, before crouching with the bucket beneath the udder. She had to think a moment, recalling her past experience trying to milk the zibri at home, it was squeezing the milk out through the teat, not pulling it, despite the appearance. She did so, finding that the cow only turned to give her a momentary glance before returning to grazing. The milk was milk, it looked fine, and she didn't have trouble actually getting it into the bucket.

"Seems fine," Naiya began, but the woman motioned for her to continue, not allowing for skipped steps.

[Naiya]

The bucket was a quarter full before she seemed to be done, and the woman nodded approvingly both at the dam and the girl. Perhaps glad Naiya hadn't done too poorly, and that the dam hadn't decided to kick her bucket over. She filled two medium sized jars from the bucket, jars that she had found while Naiya was busy, and filled a third, larger a quarter of the way.

"Now, she has a little one, so a third gallon is about what you'll get from her if you let the calf drink enough. Sometimes you might get closer to a quarter, depends on the heat and how the cow's doing." She paused to look at Naiya who was doing the same. "You should taste that milk, make sure it's good." She informed her, the teacher voice back, "Don't let someone sell you a zibri who doesn't make good milk. Goats are different, their milk tastes like what they eat, but zibri should have good milk no matter what, they might be sick otherwise." She continued on while Naiya lifted the third, mostly empty jar to her lips. The milk was good, maybe creamier than the milk at home, but she wasn't sure. "If the calf starts getting thin," The woman continued on as though she hadn't stopped to teach Naiya how to properly consider a zibri for purchase.. again, "You'll need to milk less frequently, once every other day."

Naiya nodded, looking to the clay jars to decide how many of those she wanted. Perhaps four of the large ones, and four of the smaller ones. That seemed like plenty. She signed to the woman, request, wait, need a moment. If she could take no more than a quarter gallon of milk from each zibri cow, and she had four cows, that was easy math to know she had a gallon of milk in the best of times. That left her only the four smaller jars for butter, cream, cheese, or whey. She was wrong then. She needed a gallon jug, two of the quarter gallon jars, and four of the pint size jars. That would serve her without fail. Unless she forgot to use the milk, or didn't use the cheese.

Two gallon jugs would store two days of milk, four half gallons would store byproducts, and the things she used most often could go in the four pint sized jars. Oh! Like yogurt, she had forgotten that one. She nodded, ready to proceed.

"I'll need two gallon jugs, four half gallons, and four pints. They don't have to match, just whatever you have on hand to sell in those sizes is fine." That would have to do. She would need to be sure things got used regularly, or there would be trouble, but they wouldn't let anything go to waste, either. It would be fine. The pregnant woman laughed, seeming quite pleased by Naiya taking hold of the negotiations.

"Of course, we'll get you those, and the milk bucket to go with them, no charge." She searched the grounds for a while, seeming to seek something else. In her hand she held the rope, looped now, and looking ready to take hold of something. She tossed the rope around the neck of a calf, looping her in carefully. The calf was a mix between rust and cream colored, she lowed a loud protest that told all around her that she wanted desperately to get that bit of grass she was being pulled away from. "This is her calf, and we'll get you the calf who's dam sold the other day but couldn't be convinced to take the young one."

With four cows, two calves, and a bull calf, assuming she could breed the new calves and the bull on her own, and the cows through both the breeding agreement today, and the existing one with the Nightsong Pavilion.... If they bred soon, she could have four calves from the grown cows in late spring. That would make eleven zibri in her herd.

"Do the young ones summer well? How do they manage the heat their first season or so? I imagine they fair fairly well in the cold seasons, the long hair and all..." She let the inquiry trail off without ending, seeking the knowledge she lacked.

"They whether the seasons well, you just have to watch for distress in the calf. If they get too thin, too hot, they don't always know what to do about it. So keep an eye on them. Otherwise, the cows can be bred any season, just count your days and keep an eye for signs of early labor. Did you plan on calving your stock this year?" Naiya considered for a moment. She needed to start them breeding soon, eleven zibri was hardly a herd, and she didn't even have that many yet.

"Yes." Firm positive Her hands echoed her words, plucking the shapes from thin air and passing them on as she considered her next steps. If she used the contract today to have her cows impregnated, she could do the same and have the new stock bred by the Nightsongs in the following year. Or, better still, she could breed Dene with the calves she bought today once they were mature, and breed their offspring with the Nightsong stock. That would widen the genetic pool a bit. "How much would it cost to breed my four cows from your stock this season?"

The woman bit her lip considering the words carefully. They had agreed on a deal for the breeding rights with the purchase, but how much of a deal was questionable. "Normally it would be ten gold for each cow," The woman explained, her arms settling around her stomach as though she were holding it up, "We agreed to negotiate the price with your purchase today, though, so we can knock ten off the top."

Thirty gold miza. That put her nearer to a hundred than not. She shook her head, gentle disagreement. "That is too much, I'd pay you nearly a hundred miza today, that hardly seems like a deal, not after picking up so many of your animals. Could we do perhaps half that?" Naiya offered in return, her inquiry honest, well meant.

Rather than growing angry as others might, the woman really took the time to think about it. She seemed to come to a conclusion, shook her head and frowned, considering further the options.

"We couldn't give the best stock, not at that price, not to have so many bulls down afterwards." She wasn't declining though, more seeming to consider how to make what Naiya wanted happen. "For twenty, we could breed two silver bulls, and perhaps a yellow and a dun. They are all light enough, but the prime stock is white, and I can't discount you those, not at that price. If you're firm on fifteen, then we'd have to swap a silver for a darker coat." Her offer was one well planned, and even set to suit Naiya, who accepted graciously.

"Twenty, then, for the silver. My cows are all red and yellow, and if you mean what you say about the light colored coats, I want to dilute the red as much as possible." The woman nodded, and Naiya smiled. She could afford this, and it would keep her herd happy. That was what she needed.

She took hold of the young zibri's rope when the woman offered it, and she told her,

"This one is called Halu, she's pretty vocal, but sweet as can be, she's a year just this past spring. Her mother there is Choha, she's nearly three, and lazy, but if you need her to, she'll pull her own weight. The other calf is Sanry, she's a red and yellow brindle." She explained, seemingly searching for the other calf. "That means she's got striping in her colors." She added as an aside to account for Naiya's inexperience.

Naiya was overall quite pleased with the turn the afternoon had taken, if not slightly overwhelmed by the speed of the happenings, for soon she was holding to tied zibri while a third mouthed at her hand and rubbed in a cat like way against her legs, scratching its face and back against the fabric of her clothing.

"Who is this?" Naiya inquired while the other woman was still seeking the brindle coat of the other calf. She peered up and answered shortly,

"Mantali. She's a bit mean, so watch out." Naiya eyed the calf skeptically, she was pushy, but didn't seem mean. Her coat was white, so she was good stock, and really she didn't seem so bad. Attentive, perhaps. She followed Naiya closely even as she edged away from the allegedly mean creature.

When Snari and the woman arrived, Naiya was crouched beside the animal, scratching it's face and cooing softly. The creature hadn't given up until Naiya had pet her, and by then, Naiya was completely charmed by her.

"You should take her too." The woman told her, gesturing to the calf that seemed blissfully unaware of the approaching woman. "She doesn't get on well here, and honestly, I'd never seen her take to someone before. We figured we could breed her a season, see if her offspring is equally as mean, then be rid of her." Naiya nodded, accepting the extra calf without argument.

LedgerZibri Cow 15 GM
3 Zibri Calves 15 GM
Stud cost for four Cows 20GM
2 gallon jugs 1 GM
4 half gal jars 1 GM 6 SM
4 16 oz jars 4 SM
Milk bucket (2 gal) 0 GM

Total 53 GM

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Timestamp: 77th Day of Summer, 515 AV Lukar, and Lira were sleeping again. The twins still weren't sleeping through the night, which made for long nights for Seirei since she had difficulty getting back to sleep once they woke her up during the night. But they were good about taking a nap during the day. Seirei was grateful for what she could get. She often spent the twins' nap time working on one of her many projects. And their willingness to nap at roughly the same time each day gave her hope that they might start sleeping through the night soon. Seirei missed getting a good night's sleep. But at least the twins were the only ones keeping her up at night. Lian hadn't touched her since he'd learned that forcing himself on her could hurt her unborn child. Seirei didn't know why he hadn't started raping her again after the twins were born...and she wasn't going to ask. She just hoped that he would continue to leave her alone. Seirei smiled as she watched the twins sleep. They were beautiful when they were asleep. Completely innocent, and unaware of what their "dada" had done to her in order to bring them to life. Part of her hoped that they would never find out. There was a vindictive part of her that longed for the twins to know exactly what their father had done to her. The suffering she had endured as he raped her repeatedly. That part of her saw it as her revenge for the agony she had endured. It wanted to see the anger and hatred in the twins' eyes as they learned what kind of man their father was. But that part of her was growing smaller as time passed. Lukar and Lira were precious treasures that made each day something to look forward to rather than something to dread. Every day was a new discovery. Something new and wonderful to explore. Seeing the world through the bright, eager eyes of the twins brought a new sense of wonder to Seirei. And while she hated what Lian had done to her, and dreaded suffering his attentions again, she couldn't wish it had never happened since her twins wouldn't exist if Lian hadn't captured her. Knowing what their father was capable of would hurt her twins, so a large part of her hoped they would never find out. She hated the thought of anything that would hurt her precious children. After a while, Seirei turned and got the willow branch she had been saving. She rummaged through her tool kit until she found her knife. Then she began the task of carefully stripping the bark off of the branch. When she was done, she examined her work. She had missed a few stubborn strips, so she scraped off the remaining bits of bark. After that, she rummaged through her tool kit once more, looking for her chisel. When she found it, she positioned the chisel near the end of the branch, and pressed down firmly. She felt it bite into the wood, and she slowly pushed the chisel away from her, carving off a shaving of wood as she did so. Then she turned the branch a bit, and repeated the process. She worked steadily, sharpening the end of the branch into a point. Every so often, she would stop to study her progress, correcting any flaws she discovered as she went. After the point was sharp enough to satisfy her, Seirei cleaned off her tools, and put them away. Then she pulled out the cloth she used to smooth and polish wood. Seirei rubbed the cloth over the point, smoothing the wood so that there would be no splinters to lodge into the meat that would be cooked on the cooking stick once it was finished. When she thought she was done, Seirei rubbed her hands over the point, testing it for any remaining rough spots. There were none, so Seirei moved on to the rest of the stick. As she worked, she considered carving a design into the stick. But she realized that the lines of the design would make it harder to clean the cooking stick after using it because the blood, and bits of flesh could get lodged in them. So while a design would make the tool pretty as well as useful, Seirei restrained the urge to carve one. Instead, she finished the task of sanding the stick. When she was done, she tested it to see if there were any spots that still needed to be smoothed. Satisfied that she was finished, she set the cooking stick aside. Seirei glanced at the still sleeping twins, wondering if she had time to work on another project. But as she watched, Lukar opened his eyes, and began telling the world in no uncertain terms that he was hungry. His cries woke his twin, who began crying as well. So much for getting any more work done. Seirei thought as she picked Lukar up. Holding him in one arm, Seirei exposed her breasts with the other hand. Then she got Lukar settled so he could feed. When he was nursing contentedly, Seirei picked Lira up, and offered her her other breast. At a little over six months old, the twins were getting big enough that it was starting to get hard to nurse them both at once. But when one wanted to be fed, so did the other. Making one wait for their meal simply wasn't an option. It would be cruel since they were too young to understand why their needs weren't being met immediately. After the twins had had their fill, Seirei rubbed their backs gently until they burped. Lukar and Lira showed no signs of wanting to go back to sleep, so Seirei decided to take them out for a walk. Getting some fresh air would do them all some good. So Seirei bundled the twins up in their slings, and headed out of the tent. She heard bits and pieces of conversations as she passed among the other tents. Something about a strange silver chest that seemed to be magic, and might be a gift from the gods. But as people became aware of her presence, conversations hushed and cold glares turned her way. New conversations started up, this time about her. Seirei did her best to ignore them. As a captive, she had become accustomed to such things. It hurt, but it would only hurt more if she allowed it to get to her. "Will you look at that? She's such a disgrace. There's only one good use for her, and she's even a failure at that!" "You're right. Look at how old those kids are. If she was a good captive, her belly would be swollen with child again. That's all her kind are good for." "Maybe it's not her fault. She did give birth to twins, after all. Maybe it damaged her in some way?" "Then she's useless! Her master ought to toss her back out into the Sea of Grass once her kids are weaned if she's unable to bear more children." "Maybe she's refusing her master." "Then she's not being punished enough. If she were my captive, and she tried to pull that, I'd make sure she was black and blue all over. She wouldn't dare keep refusing her master if she was in too much pain to stand after she was punished for her defiance!" There were nods and jeers at this statement. Seirei shivered, thankful that the speaker wasn't her master. Even at his worst, Lian hadn't punished her that severely...even if it was only because doing so would risk injuring her in a way that prevented her from having children. Seirei tried to ignore the chiding, and the jeering. The demands to know why she wasn't pregnant again, and the threats of what happened to captives who defied their masters. But she soon found herself surrounded, and unable to keep ignoring them. Seirei cringed back in fear. Were these people going to try to punish her themselves, or would they be content with tormenting her with their words? Seirei didn't know how to defend herself if they did try to hurt her, and even if she did, she couldn't risk it when doing so might get her twins hurt. Maybe the presence of her children would keep them safe? "Please...just let us go." she begged in hesitant pavi.

[Naiya]

Laden with zibri, and so many containers that they had to be tied on the the cow, Naiya was set to head home, rope around her waist held the ties for the calves, the dam more than happy to follow after her calf.

"You have been more than kind to me today," Naiya began, gratitude underlying her words, "I'd like to come back if I have questions, or need more breeding stock, would that be okay?"

She nodded, "It was a pleasure to work with you today, even fun to go over some of the basics. I would quite enjoy helping you again in the future. Perhaps you can learn with the baby." The woman teased, and Naiya feigned hurt.

"You wound me, surely I am ahead of an infant?" She responded. Then after a brief pause, continued, "No, no. Don't answer that. I don't thank I can face the news."

They both laughed, and Naiya noticed that it seemed to cause the woman to run out of breath quickly. Perhaps the pregnancy weighed heavily on her.

"When you return, ask for me, I am Layin Skyshine." She informed Naiya, who gave her own name in return. "Have you no clan, Naiya?" Layin asked, curious that her introduction ended with her name.

Naiya shook her head. "My husband, he is a Drykas, same as I, but he has no memory of his family, of his clan, so we live somewhere between foreigners and Drykas, accepted by the striders, but with no clan to claim our own."

"Do you fare well?" She asked, the oddity of the situation seeming to strike her, but she portrayed no cruelty nor dislike in her body, simply curiosity, so Naiya answered.

"Yes, there is no question that we are proper Drykas, windmarked and bonded, it is my hope that our pavilion will attract the attention of a clan, that they might adopt us if we can prove our worth."

Layin nodded, seeming to accept the story. "With the herd you are cultivating, perhaps the Amethyst clan will find you favorable." Naiya shook her head, adopting a scheming posture.

"My husband and wife are hunters, trackers, all of us fighters of one sort or another. I believe our fates lay with the emerald clan, or perhaps the diamond. If I am to admit, though, my skills lean towards the ruby clan, cooking and crafting, but who knows. It takes all kinds, no?" She asked the question facetiously, and the woman seemed to understand that she wished to speak no more of the topic. "If I may ask, when is the baby due?" Naiya asked to shift the subject without hard feelings.

The woman's grin grew large, she cradled her belly in her arms. "Soon, perhaps within the season." Naiya nodded, almost as please as the woman was with the news, the Drykas were recovering from their losses, children were being born again. It was a time of happiness for them all.

"Oh, I meant to ask, Naiya, have you visited the chest?" Layin asked, seemingly quite interested. Naiya shook her head, what chest? She signed an inquiry.

"There are rumors, about a chest that appeared in the city, finely crafted silver, but impossible to move." She dropped her voice then, her tone conspiratorial, "I have heard that if you put something in the chest and close the lid, when you open it, something new appears." She seemed excited, and Naiya grew excited too, what sort of magic was this? Something more to be happy about, perhaps a mark of favor from the dealings with the gods in the season passed.

"They said a man put in a shirt riddled with holes and received a tunic of silk in perfect condition. A woman gave a beloved bangle crafted of bone, worth hardly anything but to her, for it she was gifted a silver necklace embedded with jewels. Later she found it was fake!" She seemed to lose some of her excitement, "I have nothing I can bear to part with, no memories to leave behind."

Naiya understood her reasoning, but she did have memories to part with, and she would do so gladly today. "I have clan colors, gems like the ones in my hair. Things I should have been rid of long ago. Perhaps you could accompany me to see what the mystery is?" Naiya offered, hoping to cut back some of the disheartened manner that had settled into the woman.

She shook her head, but seemed to grow brightened by the idea. "Perhaps you can come back and tell me sometime, next time you need jars or when you return with the cows you want bred?"

[Naiya]

Acceptance, happiness She signed, as her head turned to the calf that had started pulling her away. "The animals grow impatient, I should get them to their new home, or at least get them off my belt. I'll return soon with the cows and news of the chest. It was wonderful meeting you, Layin." She waved as she departed, checking that the cow did indeed follow her, and giving gentle tugs on the ropes that held her new calves.

She was across the market from her pavilion, and with her little herd of animals, she figured it best to go around, moving through the less crowded plots rather than trying to barge through the market proper.

"Will you look at that? She's such a disgrace." Naiya heard, glancing around to see who was speaking, but the whisper was too low, not spoken to her. More whispers followed, quiet but pointed, it was a strange sound, hard to make out, but obviously spoken with the intent to be cruel.

"That's all her kind are good for." She caught that again, and the culprits came into her line of sight. "Maybe she's refusing her master."

"Then she's not being punished enough. If she were my captive, and she tried to pull that, I'd make sure she was black and blue all over. She wouldn't dare keep refusing her master if she was in too much pain to stand after she was punished for her defiance!" The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, her solders growing tense with anger.

A captive, that was what this cloud of misery was about, the tension in the air, like the calm before a storm. She glanced around, if the girl hadn't been cowering like a rabbit in a snare, she wouldn't have stood out to Naiya as a captive, she didn't look like a foreigner that had been brought to the city. Not so distinctively different.

"This whole affair is a disgrace." Naiya commented loudly, catching their attention. "Look at this, a mother and her children cowering in the streets." She scoffed, putting on airs for the gathered Drykas, proving a point.

"What kind of Drykas does this? Don't any of you remember the Elder's decree? Once a captive woman has given birth, they are to be free or welcomed to stay, treated as any other guest, or honored visitor who has proven valuable to the city. Is this how you treat an honored guest?"

She glanced around at the woman's tormentors, daring them to disagree. "What of me, I am of child bearing age, married, but have no children, nor does my belly grow with child." Her chin rose, she grew tall in her stance, sneering down at them, spitting the words at the onlookers like they were poison darts.

"Will you insult me, say my husband does not beat me enough?" She glared, fury turning her body in its form, disgust speeding the signs of her hands.

She, tied to three different animals, still stood more proudly, with more confidence than the hecklers, her every motion daring the people to disagree with her words.

"Come then, perhaps you'd beat me yourself? I'm not pregnant, I have no children on my back, by your reckoning I'm worse than this woman here, able, married, yet without child." Her words were a challenge, and she would wait and see if any would rise to it.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

A delicate bloom

"This whole affair is a disgrace."

The crowd turned to see who had spoken. Many frowned.

"Look at this, a mother and her children cowering in the streets."

Seirei flinched, thinking that the new comer was chiding her for cowering in fear instead of taking her supposedly deserved punishment with resignation. But her next words gave her hope that she might be scolding the gathered crowd, instead. And what was this Elder's decree that the red haired woman spoke of? Was her limited pavi misleading her, or was the woman truly saying that she should be free now that she had given birth? Lian certainly hadn't mentioned any such thing! On the day he dragged her to this city, he'd told her that for the "debt" of him saving her life, she would spend the rest of her life bearing his children. Did he really have the right to keep her here now? Or could she leave? If she could...this required a lot of thought. Last winter, she had met a man named Caelum who had offered to show her his garden if she should ever find her way to Riverfall. Perhaps if she worked really hard, she could earn enough money to buy passage to Riverfall with one of the trade caravans when the tent city drew near enough for trade once more. But...even if Lian were willing to allow her to leave, he wouldn't let her take the twins with her. Could she leave them behind? She didn't know. And what kind of a mother would it make her if she did? Was there a way she could take them with her?

Seirei's thoughts were drawn back to the present when the woman spoke again. She tried to follow what she was saying, and she thought she had gotten the gist of it. The woman was old enough to have children, yet had none. Seirei wondered if a woman's status in Endrykas was determined by whether she had children or not. She didn't think so, but she certainly didn't know much of the people she lived among. Not enough to be certain it wasn't part of a woman's status. And yet, Waisana didn't have children, either. And she was a respected healer.


The woman continued. As Seirei watched, she seemed to dare the crowd to beat her, standing proudly as she spoke. Seirei wished she had some of the other woman's courage. She had been braver once. Before she'd been captured by Lian, and shown that trying to defend herself only brought more pain.

The crowd muttered uneasily. Many seemed surprised that the woman would stand up for a captive. Others looked angry. Seirei shivered, hoping that the woman wouldn't be hurt for trying to defend her.

"Beat you? Of course I'm not going to beat you! And if I thought your husband was beating you, I'd personally explain the error of his ways to him!"

"He's right!"

"It's not the same thing at all. You're Drykas. She isn't." one woman said firmly.

"That's right! You're one of us! She's an outsider! *Her* only use is the children her captor sires on her. She has no right to deny her captor the use of her body in order to produce more children!"

There were murmurs of agreement throughout the crowd.

"She's a broodmare. Her purpose among us is to be bred for our benefit, just like we would breed a zibri, or one of the striders. And at that, my brood mares are better behaved. *They* don't scream, and try to resist when it's time to breed them. I've seen her before. She's Lian Windrunner's captive. Our pavilion used to set up camp near them sometimes, but we had to stop because her screams kept us awake at night, and spooked our herds!"

Seirei couldn't help but wonder if the woman who had spoken would allow herself to be raped without a fight. Or if she was strong enough to remain silent when forced against her will. Would she be so quick to judge her if she herself knew what it was like?

"You mention the Elder's decree. Pretty words. I was at the auction. 'Welcome' the captives into our families? Ha! They're captives! Slaves! Not family! The captives were brought here to breed for us. They should be giving birth as often as they can, and they deserve nothing more than to be used until they die of it."

There were more murmurs of agreement.

"Several of my friends bought captives. Most of them are either carrying their second child, or have given birth to them already. And none of them have been freed! Welcome to stay? Of course they are! They have to! They're captives! Useful? Yes. Valuable? Yes. But honored guests? I think not."

"Oh, let them go. Her master won't thank us if the girl is rendered unable to bear more children, or if his kids are hurt by accident when she is punished for her disobedience. Besides...there are more interesting things to discuss than a defiant captive. Have any of you visited the mysterious silver chest?"
As the topic of conversation changed, the crowd quickly lost interest in Seirei, much to her relief. When it looked as though none would try to stop her, she made her way over to the woman who had spoken up for her.

"Thank you." she said with deep sincerity, and gratitude.

She spoke in pavi, but her words were heavily accented, and the hand signs that accompanied them were hesitant, made so by uncertainty. Seirei knew more of the spoken language than the hand signs, so she was uncertain that she was making them the right way. Or even if she had chosen the right ones. The signs she had chosen were for "gratitude," and emphasis," but there were so many variations of both that she didn't know if she had chosen the right ones. And since pavi wasn't her native language, she was unaccustomed to speaking with her hands as well as her words.

[Naiya]

Excuses were made, the state of the rules questioned, and the topic shoved away. More than anything Naiya wished to call them cowards, fools, treating the captive peoples as such was folly. They were to be welcomed, made family, and there people all failed the simple task before them with each day that passed.

She was livid, beyond ready to continue arguing, to show these people that they were wrong. It was the look of relief on the other woman's face as the crowd began to disperse that halted her accusations. She would not stir these people back up, not when the woman she defended seemed so glad to just have the ordeal over with.

Naiya was defeated, anger draining out of her until only the pain of her wounds was left. They ached, perhaps from her signing, or her stance while she spoke. Whatever the case, she sagged slightly, the change hardly welcome.

"Any proper Drykas would have stepped in." Naiya informed her gently, "It seems, though, proper Drykas may be in short supply." Reassurance, peace she signed with her words, unable to accept thanks for doing what seemed like the only reasonable course of action.

"Do you often face such troubles when out in the city? Perhaps I may come with you on your errands today?" She offered without hesitation, the woman obviously was not well liked, even for a captive. If she could do nothing else, she would see the woman home safely.

"I am Naiya Dawnwhipser." She offered her name in a way that begged no name in return. After such a scene, Naiya was not sure she would be trusting of any stranger, seemingly kind or otherwise. "I was heading home, to drop off the zibri, and after I intend to visit the silver chest they mentioned, but if you need a hand today, I will happily abandon the chest in exchange for lending you a hand."

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

A delicate bloom

"Any proper Drykas would have stepped in."


In Seirei's experience, this was not true. She had met a few Drykas who had been nice to her, and some who had seemed indifferent to her status as a captive. There were a few others she had even become friends with. But most of the people she'd encountered seemed to think the same way that Lian did; that as a captive, she was good only for breeding. And to those people, it was a horrible failure or an inexcusable defiance on her part that she wasn't pregnant again. Still, Seirei had not met all that many people since she had been captured. Although Lian gave her a great deal of freedom in her movements, Seirei was afraid to push that too far because doing so might make it more difficult for her to escape when the time came. So it was possible that she simply hadn't met the right people yet. Seirei hoped that that was the case.

The woman's hands moved as she spoke, forming two signs. The first was familiar to her. If she was right, it meant reassurance. But she didn't know what the second sign meant. It looked slightly similar to a few signs she had seen before, but she only had a vague idea of what they meant, and the similarities weren't enough for Seirei to be certain they were related.

When the woman spoke again, Seirei paid close attention to her words, translating them as best she could. It seemed as though she was asking if people treated her this way a lot, so she nodded.

"Some people are nice." she said carefully, thinking of Waisana, and her other friends.

"But many of the people I've seen...are like these."

As Seirei struggled to find the right words, her hands hesitantly made the signs for "hate," and "different."

"To them, I am not Drykas, so I am good only for breeding."

The woman continued to speak, and Seirei was pretty certain that she was offering to help her with errands. By now, the twins were awake, and watching the world around them with wide, anxious eyes. The noise of the crowd had woken them from their nap, and the anger in their tone had upset them. But it had ended before they could truly become frightened, so they were tense, and alert, but not yet crying. Seirei took a few ticks to try and soothe their distress. It helped, but not as much as she would have liked.

"No errands." Seirei said at last, searching for the words she needed.

She gestured towards the twins.

"They needed to get out."

Seirei wanted to mention the magic chest she had heard about, but she wasn't sure of the words she needed, and she was even less sure she would be permitted to go. But then the woman introduced herself as Naiya Dawnwhisper, and mentioned the chest herself.

"I am Seirei." she offered with a hesitant smile.

"And the chest...I hoped to see it too."

[Naiya]

"They disgrace our people with their actions, you are meant to be family, loved." She shook her head, wondering if Hope had faced such trials when she went into the city, wondering if that was why she spent so much time alone in her tent. "I am sorry you are treated so." Naiya told her, remorse clear in her tone and her hands if the woman should recognize it.

She let the subject fall away with that, the woman's name given in return cementing Naiya's like for her. "Seirei," she repeated the name, "It is a a pleasure to meet you."

She smiled at the woman, her hands moving to gesture at the small herd of zibri she brought with her. "I must go home, leave the animals, gather a gift for the chest. Would you come with me?" She inquired, not forcing the woman's hand in the matter, but rather unwilling to continue her day so burdened by animals as she was.

The woman's agreement came, and Naiya led the way to her home in peace, watchful of the faces of other Drykas, seeking those who would have challenged her new companion, taking note of which merchants looked unkindly towards them. They, Naiya knew then, would no longer have her business, she would buy only from proper Drykas, ones who welcomed and honored the captives as the saviors they were.

It was not too far beyond the market that her pavilion camped, on the outskirts surely, but well within reach of the protection and resources of the city. As they approached Naiya slowed, seeking Shahar and Khida. Neither were to be found in camp, out doing one thing or another, perhaps. The pavilion's front was dropped loosely closed, a clear sign to Naiya 'not home'.

She knew it was not to Shahar's comfort to have company at home, but she couldn't have left the woman alone, it would have been cruel. She offered her a seat beside the barely burning embers of the fire while she unbound the creatures from herself. A pale of milk cooled in the shade of the pavilion, and she offered the woman that as well, should she accept, Naiya would bring her a cup of the liquid, fresh from the morning.

"A moment, please, I will gather my gift, and then we shall go." Naiya informed her, tying up the pavilion flap with a simple looping knot that she could pull loose easily before she left.

Once inside, she faced a decision. What would she include in her gift, it was a gift to the gods, a sacrifice of parts of oneself, one's possessions. Some things came easily. She had a past, a self that no longer was. Rue. Rue Nightsong, a woman of the Amethyst clan who was no more. Rue's belongings would go, the reminders of a past that brought far mixed feelings to the woman she was today.

A purple dress worn only once or twice, a purple sash that had decried her clan in the past. She tied the sash tightly around the waist of the dress. Next was a necklace from her mother, purple string knotted in the pattern of their pavilion, strung through a bangle, carved wood with amethyst set into the band in numerous places. She wrapped the necklace around the bangle, tying the ends together so that they became one entity, one bejeweled mark of her past.

These things were easy enough to do, the difficulty was in saying good bye. This was an acceptance, leaving her pavilion behind, her clan, her family in the Nightsongs. It was a parting long overdue, but still difficult. They had shaped her, pushed her to be the woman that had some how caught the attentions of her now husband.

Her joining with her new family was only happiness, trial and error, sure, but she was happy, and that was more than could often have been said of Rue. She shook her head, she would do this, she would part with Rue, leave her behind like she should have in the season before. Her hair clicked and rang gently, the charms that had caught Layin's eye before those had to go too.

She dismantled the first braid, freeing one charm by undoing the careful plaiting of hair that had never before been undone. Twice more she unwound the careful weave of hair that kept the charm in place. The three jewels held together, stray strands of her hair caught in the seams.

It was fitting that it took her hair with it, another part of her, connecting Naiya to Rue. She tucked the bracelet, necklace, and charms into the bodice of the dress, taking care to make sure they sat in the heart of the garment. She folded the dress around the jewels, carefully tucking the sleeves and skirt up and into the heart. The bundle was wrapped too, her winter cloak, a purple so deep it rivaled the color of the stone, folding around the cloth.

This would be her gift. Not just articles to be worn, but a part of her self best left in the past. She stepped back outside, pulling the cord loose, letting the tent fall closed once more.

She wasn't just a person gone, she was someone new, someone better. Naiya. She wasn't alone either, she had Wildfire, Shahar, Khida. She had the animals, her friends. She was someone new too, she was not leaving everything behind. She moved to Wildfire, running her fingers through his mane until she had a number of loose hairs. She combed her own hair too, gathering a number more of them to twine around the hair from Wildfire. She knotted the strands of hair, forming a single band.

A length of rope from the travois gave her something to secure her bundle, and after she tied the band of intertwined hair around the rope, she used it to secure the bundle of cloth and jewels into something she could carry easily to her destination.

Naiya took a deep breath. She could part with Rue Nightsong.

She would.

"Are you ready?" Naiya asked Seirei, her gaze traveling over the woman, then out to the herd, the new calves making themselves known among the rest of the herd.