Fresh Air, Open Spaces (open)

[Blythe]

Blythe was sitting against a low-rising hill facing out towards the water. She had just finished recording the lines:

on dark-daggered wings,
she will come to you

In her great-grandmother's journal before she found herself drifting off into a temporary sleep. Temporary because she kept hearing voices, voices that were talking about a bat. A really cute bat.

Unable to fall back asleep, or stay asleep, she placed her quill in the middle of the journal, and slapped it shut. Blythe slowly got to her feet. Realizing that she was still sleepy, she held her journal in her left hand as she cleaned the sleep crystals from her eyes with the right.

When that was done, she clutched the journal to her chest in both of her hands, and looked around to see where the noise was coming from. Spotting the source of the noise- another konti girl, and a man she started to walk over to them, hoping that she wasn't going to interrupt anything.

When she reached the others, she found that another young girl had joined them, and the konti woman had just stuck her hand out. The little girl grabbed it. I guess they're going somewhere, Blythe thought to herself as a dog sniffed around the area. I wonder who it belongs to, she thought as she said "Hello, I'm Blythe," and gave a shy smile.

[Dicae]

“Keyta!”

The Konti's panicked scream had startled Dicae, who thought that they had suddenly come under attack by some bandits. As it turned out the woman was reacting to Erhars playful display of friendship with the small girl. 'Figures', mused Dicae, 'I must be a scary looking beast to that woman'. The big Akalaks cheery demeanor was slightly deflated as he let out a deep sigh.

Dicae's sharp whistle brought Erhar running back, it seemed like this trip was going to bring with it challenges that hardened the mind not the body. Dicae looked up into the sky and couldn't help but to smile, 'women', he chuckled and brought his attention back to the beautiful Konti woman.

“I’m going back into town, Keyta, I think you should come with me until we figure out where you want to go. Sir Akalak, if there is nothing else I can do for you, please accept my sincerest wish that you find what you’re looking for on the Isle.”

To be honest it wasn't a completely unexpected turn of events, but it was still disappointing. He shrugged, he had a mission to focus on anyway.

"If you don't mind ma'am maybe I could just tag along and follow you into town. See, I got lost and could use some help. I could carry any bags you two ladies may be carrying, and miss". The big Akalak turned and looked directly to the Konti, "I'll walk in the front by several paces so you can keep your eye on me". He knew she didn't trust him and to Dicae it seemed like the most viable way to get to town.

The sudden sound of a hoof making two light taps on the ground had caused Dicae to freeze up and reach for his Lakan. Ako, the sturdy and experienced warhorse, had been the first to notice the newcomer who had crept up rather silently.

"Hello, I'm Blythe."

Another Konti. Another turn of events.

"Greetings Blythe, in fact... Greetings everyone! I don't think we have all been properly introduced! My name is Dicaearima Damathal, Dicae for short, at your service. With me are my faithful companions, the war horse Ako, and the pup is Erhar". Dicae's deep baritone voice was once again ringing with excitement, another chance to patch things up had arisen and he was determined to set things right.

"And ladies, who might you be?"

[Nari]

Nari’s eyes widened as she noticed Keyta's nose dripping blood. She had never personally seen such an occurrence. No one else paid it much heed, however, even the girl herself, so Nari was left to silently wonder what could cause such an incident. The girl was small-boned and skinny, so it could be some sort of malnutrition. Maybe a disease from some other country that Nari had never yet seen, or it could be an effect of some sort of drug. Fears for the child’s health sprouted and took root inside of the perfumer’s mind. Her worry was short-lived, though, and more than a little silly. The bleeding stopped and Keyta docilely let Nari take her hand in a gentle grip. An inaudible sigh of relief washed through the Konti, relaxing her muscles and easing her tension. The girl had smiled and closed her eyes with a trust that Nari was sure she didn’t deserve but enjoyed nonetheless. Perhaps, the uncomfortable situation might be solved as easily as simply walking away. Before she could make any other move, however, her plans were yet again thrown awry. If you don't mind ma'am maybe I could just tag along and follow you into town. See, I got lost and could use some help. I could carry any bags you two ladies may be carrying, and miss". The big Akalak turned and looked directly to the Konti, "I'll walk in the front by several paces so you can keep your eye on me. The man was lost, or so he said. Protocol and her conscience could not let her just leave him there, no matter what her instincts had been. Nari bit her lip, hesitant to ask the Akalak to walk ahead of her. Not only was that rude, but it would be difficult for him to find his way unless she called out instructions every few feet. At least if he was beside her, she could keep an eye on him, make sure he didn’t have any hidden cohorts he was signaling to along the way, and didn’t get lost before town. Besides, she had been nothing but impolite to him the entire time, and she certainly wasn't making a good impression for the Konti race as a whole. What if he told everyone how he was treated? She would be shamed. “You should have said you were lost sooner. In that case, I wouldn’t have almost just left you here,” she said defensively, her shoulders drooping at the prospect of putting off her swim even longer. Her whole body felt dirty. “This probably means you’ve only just arrived and need to find food and lodgings for both yourself and your-- companions-- doesn’t it?” she continued briskly. While Nari didn’t like situations that she couldn’t control, now that the man was at her mercy rather than the other way around, she was getting more comfortable. If she was going to change his opinion of Konti women, she was going to have to start now. The least she could do was offer him food to make up for her earlier distrust. “I suppose I can help take care of those things, provided you promise not to make any trouble. I have plenty of fresh fruit and herbs from around the Isle, some meat pies, and fresh water at home if you’re hungry- though it would be quite crowded and we would probably have to eat outside. And I know of a place you could stay.” It wasn’t until then that she realized neither the man nor his aforementioned companions weren’t even paying attention to her. Ungrateful jerks. Their attention was focused on something else. Or, wait, someone else. Another Konti- one whose face she recognized but name she could not place. She had seen the other woman before, she was sure, though she couldn’t recall where. Hello, I'm Blythe. Blythe! That was the other female’s name, not that it rung any bells with Nari. At least she knew what to call the woman, though. “Blythe, I am very sorry. I hope we did not disturb you,” she said quickly, recalling her manners. It seemed the Akalak had, as well. He was, at least, not completely hopeless. “Dicae, Ako, and Erhar- it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Nari, and our smallest member here is Keyta,” she said, though she knew Dicae already knew Keyta's name. Of course, she probably should have let the girl introduce herself, but the strange behaviour with the fruit earlier and the lack of chatter now led Nari to believe the girl didn’t speak much, if at all. “We were all headed back into town, Blythe, if you would be interested in joining us,” she continued, tilting her head and smiling. This was more interaction with people than Nari had in quite some time, so she hoped she wasn’t coming off as too controlling.

[Blythe]

Blythe stood awkwardly next to Dicae, she felt rather small next to him. The other konti woman kept talking to him as the little girl held onto her hand. Apparently, Dicae was lost, and was hoping to accompany them into town, he offered to walk ahead. Blythe eyed the other konti, she seemed uncomfortable, nervous.

There was a pause before the other konti spoke, “You should have said you were lost sooner. In that case, I wouldn’t have almost just left you here,” she seemed defensive to Blythe.

There was a momentary pause, and Blythe looked down at her feet, slightly uncomfortable. The other konti spoke again, “This probably means you’ve only just arrived and need to find food and lodgings for both yourself and your-- companions-- doesn’t it?” Another pause, “I suppose I can help take care of those things, provided you promise not to make any trouble. I have plenty of fresh fruit and herbs from around the Isle, some meat pies, and fresh water at home if you’re hungry- though it would be quite crowded and we would probably have to eat outside. And I know of a place you could stay.”

It was then that the other konti seemed to notice her, and introduce everyone. Blythe simply smiled and waved shyly at everyone. "Nice to meet you all," she said, before Nari continued speaking, “We were all headed back into town, Blythe, if you would be interested in joining us.”

Blythe smiled happily as she said, "sure, I'd love to come along," as she clutched her journal closer to her chest. "Would you like to lead Nari?" she asked the other woman as she stepped a little closer to the rest of the group.

[Keyta]

Thoughts of her home and her mother flood the mind of the little Kelvic, but these thoughts were interrupted when a rather deep voice began to speak again, “If you don't mind ma'am maybe I could just tag along and follow you into town. See, I got lost and could use some help. I could carry any bags you two ladies may be carrying, and miss. I'll walk in the front by several paces so you can keep your eye on me.” A rather small smile crept across Keyta’s face knowing they wouldn’t be leaving their new friend all alone, just then the pale girl who was still holding her hand said, “You should have said you were lost sooner. In that case, I wouldn’t have almost just left you here.” Keyta noticed an interesting tone coming from her as she said this, but she continued to say something about needing a place to stay and companions and fruit. The sound of fruit perked up the small girl and she almost began jumping up and down excited about trying the new fruits. Just as these thoughts continued, a new girl, and pale still walked over very shyly, she introduced herself as Blythe. Keyta quickly tried to put a name to a face as she studied the new girl’s face and recited the name in her head over and over. “Blythe, I am very sorry. I hope we did not disturb you,” said the first pale girl. "Greetings Blythe, in fact... Greetings everyone! I don't think we have all been properly introduced! My name is Dicaearima Damathal, Dicae for short, at your service. With me are my faithful companions, the war horse Ako, and the pup is Erhar,” said the large man, once thought to be Akalak, but now knowing his name is actually Dicae, the puppy was Erhar, and the other horse was Ako, so many names, almost overwhelming for her to try and remember them all. Keyta heard him ask who we all were and so she almost flipped her bag off her back once again but then the girl whose hand she was holding said, “Dicae, Ako, and Erhar- it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Nari, and our smallest member here is Keyta.” Hearing her name brought a hug smile to her face and even her teeth were showing this time. Glad that this girl, Nari it would seem, had remembered her name and introduced her for her. “We were all headed back into town, Blythe, if you would be interested in joining us,” Nari continued and even she was smiling as she said this, Keyta was glad the tensions between Nari and Dicae had finally settled down even a little bit. "Sure, I'd love to come along, would you like to lead Nari?" Blythe asked looking over Keyta and right to Nari. Never before had she felt so tiny standing with people, but then again, the only people she actually knew were members of her family. She had to look up at everyone, examining faces, watching emotions, seeing how the new names were formed by mouth. A chilling breeze rolled through the forest making the bat Kelvic shiver so she squeezed her hand harder and pulled up to Nari, hugging her tightly. Her eyes closed shut as she pulled herself against the shorter of the two pale girls, trying to collect as much heat as she could. It was then she remembered people from the markets of her home city had been selling really big and fuzzy tops, they called them coats. She had no idea what they were used for, but now she figured it was for times like now when you get cold. Keyta was rubbing her face against the chest of Nari when she realized that she was doing this to a complete stranger and wondered if she was making her uncomfortable, she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Nari shyly, looking for an answer to her own question.

[Nari]

OOCI just went on ahead with the thread, since Dicae doesn’t seem to be around anymore. I hope I didn’t assume too much in here but I thought we should probably try to move it ahead and wrap it up fairly soon.

Nari hated to be touched. It was just in her nature. She usually drew back from any sort of contact with another person- that is, unless she was working. Nari knew that her gift allowed her to touch material from another person’s body in order to transfer their senses into her own, but she did not relish the idea of having her own sight (or smell, touch, taste, etc) replaced with anyone else’s for no reason. She knew the sweet enticement of using her gift, and she had performed the ritual often enough to slip into the trance with little effort. It was this ability that made her afraid of contact. What if she unwittingly began to slow her breathing, entering a meditative state and traveling the paths of djed that linked her body and the other person’s? No, no. It was easier to just refrain from touching anyone else and avoid all temptation. With Keyta, however, it was different. Nari had, for quite some time, wished to have children. She had, just a year ago, fought off a desire to leave the Isle for that exact purpose. Having someone so small looking up at her with such an innocent smile, well, it made Nari’s heart ache. When Keyta pulled close, Nari instinctively wrapped her arms around the girl. She, of course, was used to the seasons in Mura and loved the coolness late fall brought. The child, though, was chilled and obviously unprepared for the temperature. That would just not do. She would have to make sure Keyta got some warmer clothing, though ‘warmer clothing’ on Mura may not be the same as most places. “Of course I can lead,” she replied to Blythe, nodding. She certainly didn’t expect anyone else in the group to know where she lived, so she had assumed that she would be the one heading the group. Blythe’s obvious politeness, though, was soothing. It was nice to have a fellow Konti around. “My home is actually fairly close so it shouldn’t take too long. Just be sure to stay close because I’ll not spend the rest of my night looking for you if you get lost,” she added, glancing at Dicae. Before she moved, though, Keyta started rubbing her face against Nari’s body, and the Konti flushed. She wasn’t used to this behavior and didn’t know exactly how to react, but she couldn’t say she hated having Keyta feel comfortable around her. Instead of pulling away, therefore, she smiled at the girl. “I suppose we should moving, then,” she said softly. “We need to get you fed and warmed up before it gets too late.” Nari had noticed the girl’s excitement at the mention of food. Even after Keyta had smiled, though, Nari had overlooked the elongated teeth. It seemed that she was quite dense for a Konti or knew nothing about children of other races. Keeping one arm around the child, she began the relatively short trek from the clearing back into town. She didn’t speak much during that time, and if the others had any sort of conversation, she only listened. She was a bit caught up in the feeling of being in charge of something other than herself. How unusual it felt. It only took a few chimes to reach the outskirts of town, and upon seeing the first few buildings, Nari turned abruptly to her right. Her home was relatively isolated in comparison to those closer to Silver Lake, the Opal Temple, or the shops. It was on a small hill with ample space for everyone to make themselves comfortable on the grass if they chose to. The house itself was a tiny building of white stone and only had one window. Nari shrugged, viewing it from the point of view of the others. “It’s nothing fancy, I suppose, but it’s mine. Please, have a seat, and I’ll bring out some refreshments.” She didn’t wait to see if the others were behind her or if they decided to sit. She gave Keyta a squeeze before letting the girl go (if Keyta hadn’t already moved away from her side) and opened her door with the intention of grabbing some food, water, and her cloak to help keep the child warm.

[Blythe]

All Blythe heard Nari say was, “I suppose we should moving, then, we need to get you fed and warmed up before it gets too late," as Keyta rubbed her face against Nari. Blythe had been rather distracted by Dicae, he just seemed sinister to her. She wasn't sure why exactly- maybe it was his eyes, but she wasn't really sure.

Nari started moving towards her house. Blythe simply followed quietly behind, occasionally shooting a nervous glance in Dicae's direction. He didn't seem to notice.

Blythe simply listened to everyone's footsteps as they hit the ground. The women seemed to make no sound. But Dicae's animals seemed to make a lot of noise. The dog especially, who had a tendency to sniff the ground as he moved, and bark occasionally.

Eventually, the group came to a house of white stone. It was on a small hill, which provided a lot of room for people to sit around. "It’s nothing fancy, I suppose, but it’s mine. Please, have a seat, and I’ll bring out some refreshments," Nari said, as everyone started to pile in.

Blythe sat down on the grass, it was a little damp, but it felt fresh and cool beneath her fingertips. "Need any help?" she called after Nari, not sure if the other konti heard her.

[Keyta]

The little Kelvic was happy that Nari was so open to how she was acting around her, she continuously had to remind herself that Nari was not her mother. Even with these thoughts, she couldn’t help but hold onto the pale woman as they walked together. ‘This feels so nice’ she thought to herself, smirking and closing her eyes admiring the feeling of warmth coming from Nari. After walking for some time, Keyta got lost in thought and was surprised when they had stopped at a small home on a hill; it looked cute and homey, even though it was small. Nari squeezed the little Kelvic forcing the air out of her, and then she started walking inside saying “It’s nothing fancy, I suppose, but it’s mine. Please, have a seat, and I’ll bring out some refreshments.” Another new word, ‘refreshments, what does that mean?’ the little girl wondered. When the pale woman left her sight, she quickly looked over her shoulder only to see Blythe, Dicae seems to of fallen behind, but that made things easier. She quietly ran to the back of the house and stripped her clothes, this time laying them on top of her bag, once she had removed all of her clothes; she turned into her bat form and took to the sky. Circling around for a few moments, she found a tree that grew an odd fruit, and flew straight into it, crashing head first at the fruit, taking it and her down out of the tree and to the ground. Satisfied with her find, she quickly turned back to her human form and ran back to the home she had just left. Her steps a little louder than before, she managed to sneak back to her bag and didn’t even think about re-dressing, she just simply sat against the brick and begin nibbling at the new fruit. When she thought she heard Nari coming back outside she quickly got up and ran to the front of the house, with her fruit still mostly intact. The still naked child hoped to find out what the name of this fruit was and see what refreshments were, but before meeting up with Nari, she saw Blythe first, and studied the odd expression that she was giving her, she was not use to such expressions.

[Nari]

Nari turned toward the sound of Blythe’s voice, though she couldn’t see the other woman. “No, but thank you for the offer,” she called from inside. She didn’t particularly want anyone else to see the incredible mess and clutter than made up her living space. Various buckets, bottles, jars, bowls, and plates littered the table and floor between her bed and hearth. Clothing and blankets, as well, were flung haphazardly over the chairs and bed. It looked, to put it simply, less neat and organized than a livestock pen. She didn’t see what the two did outside or who was all gathered around her house, so she dug through her stores to find enough food and water to fill them all. She grabbed her two trusty buckets, filling one with clean water from her tub. She was in the habit of filling it each morning so that she didn’t have to run down to the shore for each new herb she was experimenting upon. In her other bucket, she tossed a few shriveled bilberry fruit (though the flavor would not be diminished), a jar of cianberry paste, a packet of merata roots, a loaf of day-old bread, apples, raisins, and cold meat pies wrapped in paper to prevent contamination. Nodding to herself, she tossed her worn white cloak and a blanket over her shoulder and carried the impromptu picnic out into the yard. It was only then that she noticed that their party had become much smaller. Not that it bothered her, of course. “I wasn’t sure what you liked so I grabbed a bit of everything,” she admitted cheerfully to Blythe. With Dicae gone (hopefully to the Inn), she felt much more comfortable. She just hoped now that she hadn’t grabbed way too much food. “There’s fruit, bread and jelly, earthy roots, and meat pies,” she explained as she spread the blanket on the ground and began to place the items upon it. “There’s also water,” she added, pointing to her second bucket with a plain ladle sticking out from the top. Sitting down, she patted the spot next to her for others to join if they so chose. “I hope you don’t mind the plain fare. I wasn’t expecting company,” she fretted to the other Konti who probably ate better normally. When she finally looked up, she was clearly expecting to see Keyta at her side. It was strange how quickly she had become attached to the child. When the girl was no where to be found, however, the perfumer started to panic. She opened her mouth to shout to the child, frightened that Dicae had managed to steal her away the moment Nari turned her back. She, instead, only uttered a squeak when she saw the child, unharmed and unclothed, run from behind her house. Keyta’s attention was soley on Blythe, though, so it gave Nari a moment to collect her thoughts. Blinking rapidly, she tilted her head to hear what, if any, reaction the other Konti would have to this strange twist of events. After that, though, she held her cloak out in front of her for Keyta to see, in case she wanted to wear it. “So much for being cold,”she mumbled half-heartedly, an indulgent smile on her face. “ I didn’t know I was taking so long that you needed to scavenge for food. And just where did you get that?” she asked, pointing at the fruit in the child’s hands. It was large and greenish-yellow, obviously a breadfruit. It was a surprise to Nari, then, that the girl had been eating it- must be those teeth. “Those are usually better after being cooked. Why don’t you eat some of these other tasty treats instead?”

[Blythe]

“No, but thank you for the offer,” Nari called behind her. She had already gone inside by the time her reply hit Blythe's ears. "Alright, just call if you change your mind," Blythe called over her shoulder, hoping that Nari heard that too.

Blythe simply sat in the grass, her knees tucked into her chest, her journal resting on them, her hands behind her, palm down, on the grass. It swayed silently in the breeze, and a few birds flew overhead. Chirping to one another. Blythe wondered what they were saying to each other.

A few minutes later, when Blythe had been lost in a daze, she was jerked out of it suddenly when Nari emerged from her cottage carrying two buckets. Although she stepped lightly, the gentle swish of liquid in a bucket, and the sound of grass crunching beneath her was enough to bring Blythe out of her trance.

As soon as she heard her, Blythe turned and got up. “I wasn’t sure what you liked so I grabbed a bit of everything,” Nari said to her. Blythe smiled, "need some help?" she asked as Nari put the blanket she was carrying on the ground, and started to spread out everything.

“There’s fruit, bread and jelly, earthy roots, and meat pies,” Blythe nodded, and began to help Nari unload a few things and spread them out on the blanket. “There’s also water,” Nari added, pointing to her second bucket with a plain ladle sticking out from the top. “I hope you don’t mind the plain fare. I wasn’t expecting company,” Nari said as she sat down.

Blythe took a seat on Nari's right side. "No, not at all, everything looks lovely," she said as she helped herself to an orange, and started to peel off the skin. The smell of citrus filled her nostrils, and the juice would squirt out occasionally as she pierced the orange's flesh by mistake with her fingers. It even got Blythe in the eye once, and she had to blink rapidly to get her eyes to tear so they'd stop hurting. She laughed at herself when the pain had sub-sided, and she got the skin off.

Blythe then split the orange in two, and popped a slice in her mouth. The half of the orange she wasn't working on sat in her lap, on top of the orange peel. As soon as she bit down, she was hit with the unmistakable taste of orange. It was slightly sour, tangy. Just plain amazing. Blythe smiled. "This is really good," she said as she popped another few slices into her mouth.

Blythe surveyed the area, wondering where everyone had gone. The horse, his rider, and the dog had disappeared, maybe they had gone to the inn after all? she thought to herself. But that left Keyta, who was no where in sight. For whatever reason, Blythe wasn't worried. She felt like the girl could care for herself... or maybe... a part of her could sense that the child was not far. Blythe couldn't tell for sure.

Suddenly, Keyta burst from behind Nari's house. She was essentially nude. Blythe wasn't surprised, remembering how all of her sister's children used to like to run around naked when they were little. She also wasn't disgusted or embarrassed by the girl's body as others may have been. Having spent more and more time painting, Blythe was beginning to see things as a work of art on more and more occasions.

Not wanting to stare, however, she drew her eyes away from Keyta's tiny form, and resumed eating her orange. “So much for being cold,” Nari muttered. Blythe chuckled, never taking her eyes off her hands, which were about to raise another slice of orange to her lips, "suppose so," was all she said.

“I didn’t know I was taking so long that you needed to scavenge for food. And just where did you get that?” Nari asked. Blythe looked up from her fruit for a moment, Nari was right, the girl was holding something in her hands. It was greenish-yellow, and for whatever reason, didn't seem too appetizing to Blythe. “Those are usually better after being cooked. Why don’t you eat some of these other tasty treats instead?” Nari asked Keyta. Blythe simply shrugged, she didn't want to get involved. It was starting to seem more and more apparent to her, that for whatever reason, Nari felt the need to care for the small girl, yet she wasn't sure why. It wasn't as though they had known each other for all that long, as far as she could tell, and they weren't related.

But perhaps such a thing didn't matter. She knew she was like that at times. Perhaps it had to do with never having a child of her own to care for. Perhaps Nari was like her, unable to have children. Or maybe her child had died too? Or grown up and moved on? Something? Blythe couldn't be certain of anything other than the simple fact that Nari seemed to be the only one that lived in the cottage at this point in time. After all, no one had come out to great her, or to introduce themselves.