Open There's Nothing Like the Whisper of Shadows

[Jace]

25, Summer 518AV

Common
Makath

It had been a few days since Jace arrived in Syka, and he was getting more and more curious to explore the jungle and uncover its secrets. He had always been more nocturnal than anything else, and he found that to be more true after being marked by the Goddess Akajia.

Jace had taken mostly to sleeping odd hours since took up residence in the Guest Quarters. He couldn't help it really, he was just more comfortable at night than during the day, more...awake. Tonight was no different.

The sand was cool beneath his feet now; the sun had long since receded and Akajia's domain had taken its place. The shadows danced along the beach, moving and speaking in ways only a chosen few could understand. He had yet to really speak to the shadows of Syka, let alone befriend them, so whatever secrets they may be holding from ages past were still theirs alone....for the time being. Still, he couldn't ignore the urge to explore the jungle any longer. It would undoubtedly be dangerous, and he didn't exactly have the lay of the land just yet, so he made sure to grab all the gear he might need to make it through this short expedition.

Within a few chimes he had on his leather breeches, tunic, and boots; his grandfather's short sword was strapped to his left hip. As for his bow and quiver, the quiver was fastened neatly to the back of his waist and he held the bow at the ready in his left hand. A medium-sized leather pouch hung from the right side of his waist, his hunting tools tucked neatly inside. He didn't plan on venturing far into the jungle, but it was still dangerous and unknown territory and he needed to be as prepared as he could.

He took one last look around the Guest Quarters before stepping into the green underbrush and into the shadows. There were secrets here, and he was going to find them.

[Okara]

Okara rolled her neck back and forth to loosen the knot that had formed in the muscle as the base of her head. She wriggled her shoulders and arms around to loosen the tightness she felt all across her upper back. She had just spent the last bell carefully pulling thorns out of the thigh of a settler who had fallen into a patch of vicious bushes. She was glad to help but with the amount of thorns stuck in his flesh she had to wonder if he had jumped in and rolled around to get them so deeply embedded. The slow, detailed work had left her body tight and her eyes sore from straining to look for bits of plant material left behind. She was grateful to end her shift though it was much later then she usually left the Panacea. Syna had long since set and darkness cloaked the settlement. It was simply the way it was for healers, you worked as long as you were needed. Complaining about long hours was a quick way to be asked to find other work. A healer was always in service to others and selfishness was not a suitable quality for a long career in the medical field. Okara waved a goodbye to a sleepy Jansen as she shrugged on her backpack. She had taken to carrying it with her everywhere, never sure what would happen next in this strange, tropical place. Inside she kept her healer’s kit, kukri, water skin, and suvai. It covered the basics of what she might need from day to day but she carried it more out of habit on the days she only really planned on walking to and from the Panacea between sleep. Okara padded softly across the beach, the sand softening the sounds of her boots. It felt so serene and calm at night. Most of the settlement was asleep and even the usually raucous noises of the forest quieted. At least a little, there was never truly a downtime out in that thick foliage. Something was always awake and moving. Okara walked along peacefully until she heard leaves crunching at the edge of the jungle. She froze in place and her eyes strained to see the cause of the noise. In the shadows of the foliage she could make out a man stepping further into the bushes. ”Hello? Who goes there? Are you alright? Do you need any help?” Okara called out and took a few steps closer. She was curious who would be out at this time of night much less walking into the dense vegetation. She reached a hand to finger the end of her blonde braid nervously. Being a healer, her mind immediately began going through worst case scenarios: was the man lost, hurt, confused? Was he looking for someone else that could be lost, hurt, or confused? As her mind raced through different options she waited quietly for his response.

[Jace]

Common
Makath

The moment Jace stepped wholly into the dark underbrush, he felt his instinctive need to be in a wooded area become satiated, and his restlessness calmed. The night had embraced him, and he, it. Before he went any further beyond the edge, he placed his bow on the ground leaning up against the trunk of a nearby tree, closed his eyes, and clasped his hands together in front of him.

"Goddess Akajia, Mistress of the Night, Queen of Shadows and Secrets. I beg of you to aid me in my endeavors under your domain. May your shadows keep me from prying eyes and the Night be my guide. Darkness is my friend, and you are my Savior." The words were in that of Makath, the language known only to Shadows, Akajia's marked, and the Goddess herself. The language Jace had been granted knowledge of almost two years ago when he had gained the Goddess' favor. The prayer, taught to him when he was a child by his parents, was one thing he felt compelled to do now more than ever with his connection to her.

The prayer finished, his eyes slowly opened and her reached down to pick up the shortbow he had placed against the tree. His arm outstretched halfway to it, Jace heard a woman's voice calling out from beyond the jungle where he had entered. Had she heard him speaking? He hoped not. Letting the settles know of his Kelvic nature was one thing, but his Gnosis of Akajia was still a secret he wasn't ready to give up so easily. At least, not just yet.

There was a moment of hesitation, then he picked up his bow and moved back into the moonlight where the shadows and foliage wouldn't disfigure his image so the woman could see him clearly. He wasn't very good at this socializing thing, especially when it had involved women. Riverfall didn't have many women to begin with, and his parents were against Jace going into town during the day, so when it came to really speaking with women he was awkward at best. The only other female he had interacted with was a Kelvic feline and the leader of the Syka Rangers. His new boss. It wasn't the same at all.

"Uh, he-hello," he replied, trying his best to smile and hide his anxiousness, most likely failing. "I'm, uh, my, my name is Jace. I've only been in Syka a few days and I just, well I couldn't help myself really. The call of the unknown jungle was too much for me to look past." he managed to get the words out, though he stammered nervously along the way.

Before she could really respond, he remembered that she might be worried about him in the dangerous wilds on his own. "OH! It's ok though. I've been made one of Syka's Rangers so I'll be alright. But, what are you doing out here so late by yourself?" It was a good question. The Akajia's domain had long since replaced that of Syna's, and this woman was alone, walking close enough to the edge of the jungle to hear Jace moving within it. Yet another curiosity he needed to know.

[Nieve Glass]

Nieve was restless. It was a warm, stagnant night, and even laying still, a sheen of sweat shone on her brown skin. The shadows wouldn't stop whispering, either; they seemed excited by something.

Finally, the yowlwing pushed herself up. "What is it?" She asked, in the tongue of the shadows, but they simply tittered at her and danced along the dimly lit walls of her tent. Evie frowned, slightly put-out. Crawling out of her tent, she stood on the sand, enjoying what small breeze came in off the ocean.

The moonlight illuminated her skin, and she blinked as her pupils dilated impossibly wide, wider than any human's could, taking in as much light as possible. The moonlit beach was easy to see, between her feline abilities and her gnosis.

"This way, this way," The shadows whispered, coaxing her towards the edge of the jungle, down the beach towards the Panacea, which wasn't too far from her five acres of land.

Nieve trusted the shadows implicitly, but she also wasn't foolish; something about them coaxing her towards the jungle was strange, and if they wanted her to enter, she wasn't about to do so without the proper equipment. Grimacing at the layers she would need despite the heat, she ducked back into her tent to dress.

First was her shirt, then her leather pants and leather jacket, followed by her waterproofed cowl that she kept hanging around her neck for the moment. She pulled on her high boots before applying insect repellent liberally; lastly, her kukri in its scabbard was sheathed in the back of her pants. As an afterthought, she also tucked her climbing claws into the pocket of her jacket, having no idea what to expect should she venture into the jungle.

Satisfied she was well-equipped, Evie left her tent once again, and set off at a jog down the beach. It didn't take her too long to see what the shadows were excited about; or at least, what she assumed they were excited about. Nieve slowed as she approached a feminine figure standing on the beach; it took her a moment, she identified a man standing in the underbrush as well. She didn't recognize either of them.

"Hello," She called out, as she approached, her pace slowing. She wiped a hand over her forehead, grimacing at the moisture on her skin. As she got closer, Nieve was hit with the distinct smell of animal-human that she recognized now as Kelvic; however, it was also distinctly canine.

Nieve stopped some feet away from the woman, tracing the scent to the man standing in the underbrush of the jungle. Her brow furrowed; what was he doing venturing into the trees so late at night, and all alone? It seemed foolish. The shadows whispered and swirled around his feet before racing over the beach towards Nieve.

Evie turned her chin up slightly as she examined the Kelvic man with narrow, slitted eyes; she wouldn't be unfriendly, but dogs were dogs and she'd been chased by one too many strays to not be wary. But despite the canine stench of the man, there was something that she couldn't quite pinpoint that drew her to him...

Shaking her head, Evie glanced back at the woman, who was closer to her. Her pale hair lit up silver in the moonlight; she was very pretty, and Nieve could see scales shimmering along her forehead. A Konti, then; they had been relatively common in Riverfall. The two seemed to have already been talking, so Nieve had no idea what she was interrupting, but went ahead anyway.

"My name is Nieve. Who are you?" The question was directed at both of them. "What are you doing, going into the jungle so late at night? That hardly seems safe." The shadows laughed at that, mocking her, and Nieve hissed quietly at them, though there was no real venom in it. Comfortable as she was at night and in the shadows, it was true it was far less safe than when Syna lit the sky; especially in the jungle.

[Iolara Lyada]

By day, the tropical waters around Syka appeared as crystalline and clear as could be. The reefs below glimmered in every conceivable shade as the complex ecosystem played out beneath the waves like a miniature metropolis of life. As Syna’s golden radiance gave way to Leth’s silver sheen, the vibrant colors faded, but the grand dance among the reefs paused only for a brief moment. Schools of fish dispersed as hunting groups of sharks began prowling the edges of the reef in search of easy prey. The sea floor itself came alive as crustaceans and octopi played their deadly game of hide and seek. And it was here, into this twilit world beneath the sea that Iolara awoke from her shallow slumber. Protected as she was by Caiyha’s mark, the young Charoda knew she had little to fear from the ocean creatures, but old habits tended to stick around even so. And so it was that, until better shelter could be found, the ocean witch had taken to sleeping beneath a large shelf of coral, grown and modified over the last few weeks to be relatively closed off from the reef at large, save through the Charoda-sized opening Iolara now swam through. She took a moment to stretch her muscles, looping and diving through the water with an elegance even the finest Svefra swimmers would struggle to match. Twisting around to gaze up at the pale light streaming down through the surface, Iolara found herself struck by an urge to explore the nearby beach under Leth’s gentler gaze. Lady Caiyha, keep watch over your servant. The prayer came to Iolara’s mind nearly instinctively, after close to a decade of bearing the mark of her goddess it felt only right and proper to seek Caiyha’s blessing in all that she did. Once she had sufficiently worked the kinks of sleep out of her body, and with her spirit refreshed by the brief prayer, Iolara set off towards the shore with a double-kick of her webbed feet. The current was calm and the waves low as she reached the gentle upward slope of the beach, forcing her to stand upright. At night, there was no immediate discomfort of Syna’s heat baking her skin. Only the gentle breeze carried in from the sea, bringing with it the sloshing waves that broke around her slim legs. Wearing her usual wrap and skirt of woven seaweed, Iolara stepped out of the surf like a clownfish peering from its tentacles fortress: slow and cautious, but without true fear. While her given Domain lay beneath the waves rather than the jungle canopy, Iolara knew she had little to truly fear from Caiyha’s creations. Above the tideline, the sand was dry and cool beneath her bare feet. The young girl took a moment to dig her toes into the sand, her tentacles writhing in slow pleasure at the connection with the land. They sprang upward into an alert state, however, when her long, finned ears caught the sound of voices carried over the bare strand. Iolara crouched low more out of instinct than a desire to remain hidden, for the beach offered scant cover, even for a Charoda as diminutive as herself. Her unblinking eyes caught sight of two figures near the edge of the jungle. Their long hair told her they were likely human females, though they contrasted in every way. The smaller of the two, with her mass of dark curls, appeared vaguely familiar as she spoke to the taller woman, with the straight hair that shone like silver under Leth’s light. With careful, measured steps, Iolara drew closer. She hadn’t known any of the Syka residents to be hostile, but she was wary of strangers all the same. As she drew nearer, Iolara realized why the younger woman seemed familiar. Nieve! Io thought in a flash of recognition. She and the Kelvic had had an….interesting, but not unpleasant encounter on this very beach not too long ago. The presence of a familiar face allowed Iolara to drop her facade of caution and approach openly from behind the group. It was only when she was within an arm’s length of Nieve that Iolara realized there was actually a third person present, hiding himself in the shadows of the jungle plants. Her tentacles lay back in suspicion. Who would be skulking about this close to the village? the young witch thought, someone with ill intent, no doubt! “Nieve,” came Iolara’s melodic voice, “is he a bad man? Are you in trouble?” Gesturing towards the blonde woman with a pair of webbed fingers she continued, “and who is she? Is she in trouble too?” As she spoke, Iolara’s voice steadily increased rhythm and pitch. Wild beasts of Caiyha’s creation weren’t likely to cause her harm, but other sentient beings were another matter entirely.

[Okara]

Okara tilted her head to the side as Jace spoke. His hesitant manner of speaking made her a little suspicious. Perhaps she had caught the man in the middle of an act he would rather keep private. But then again, perhaps she had merely surprised him. She had plenty of memories of awkward moments when she felt unsure of herself in front of others. Okara determined to reserve judgment but keep alert to discern his intentions. Jace quickly turned her question back around on her and Okara opened her mouth to speak, but her words were cut off into a croak when the voice of another floated from behind her. She took a step back and turned to see a short, curly haired woman had joined them on the edge of the forest. Nieve, she named herself. Okara’s green eyes swept up and down the slender woman, noting how quietly she had approached them on the beach. She briefly questioned herself, wondering if she had really been so caught up in Jace to not hear someone else approaching. She chose to brush off the concern, sand muffled lots of noises. ”Well-“ Okara began but was cut off yet again but by a third questioning voice. Turning to face the ocean, she observed the latest addition to the group. Okara had been unaware that a Charoda had joined the settlement and practiced her doctorly reserve to prevent a look of surprise from registering on her face. This small town seemed to be growing by the day and Okara appreciated the diversity it was attracting. The texture of the Charoda’s skin fascinated the healer, as well as the webbed fingers so similar yet so different from her own. She wondered how closely a Charoda’s bone structure resembled a human’s. Okara blinked her eyes a few times to shoo away her crowded thoughts when she realized the Charoda had been speaking. A half smile pulled at the corner of Okara’s pink lips when finally they all stood silent. All four of them seemed to be suspicious of the actions of the others. Well, not quite, the Charoda seemed to recognize Nieve. Would they have felt the need to interrogate each other if they had chanced upon the same meeting under the light of Syna? The darkness seemed to lend a sinister lean to everyone’s actions. She realized that she herself had allowed the darkness to turn her mind to suspicion when she first heard Jace just a chime or two ago. The fear of the unknown was a powerful and seemingly universal influencer in the behavior of others. ”Well, I’m certainly in no trouble. And he doesn’t seem particularly bad though I can’t say I’ve known him more than a few chimes.” Okara began, affecting the calm, soothing but not syrupy voice she used with her patients. ”I’m Okara, I apprentice at the Panacea. I was on my way home from my shift when I heard this man shuffling about in the bushes. He seems to call himself Jace and was just saying that he felt the call of the jungle. Then you showed up, Nieve. Then you, though I’m sorry to say I’m not sure what to call you.” ”I think that takes us right up to this moment as far as what we are all doing. Though I agree with you Nieve, the jungle at night seems a dangerous place, Ranger or not. Even more dangerous than during the daytime. I do find it interesting that we were all drawn to this place in this moment though.” Okara said softly, and left that thought for the others to consider. She was not Avalis marked but she had grown up on an island jam packed with pale seers and she understood that sometimes the forces of fate simply drew people together. Whether that would be for good or ill or a small moment of mutual irritation was not something she could know.

[Jace]

Common
Makath

"She's coming! She's coming!" The shadows were restless, excited. It was distracting, though he did his best to keep his focus on the woman in front of him anyway. Still, his curiosity had been peaked once more. Who was coming? And why were the shadows so excited about it? He didn't have to wait long to find out. The shadows that were swirling around his feet only a moment earlier were now racing toward a newcomer on the beach. Another woman. Great.

Before he could overthink and become anxious about yet another female joining this little night meeting, the wind changed direction and he could smell the distinct scent of feline Kelvic. At least he didn't have the urge to growl this time, that probably wouldn't have helped things a long at all. The shadows were clearly swirling around her feet though, and it was obvious she was the one they had been talking about.

Unfortunately, yet another woman had arrived before he had the chance to say anything which distracted him and derailed his train of thought. If any more showed up like this, Jace might end up having a heart attack. That certainly wouldn't be an ideal way to go. "Bad? N-no I, I, I, I'm not bad I promise! I just, just wanted to, to" He couldn't even form a full sentence at this point without stuttering and stammering like a complete fool. He probably looked redder than a hot iron at this point with the amount of blood he could feel filling his cheeks.

"Y-you, I, it, um. I, I am Jace, like, um like Okara said. I, I just, I just wanted, wanted to explore the jungle. The, the secrets it, um it holds, I couldn't, couldn't just pass that up." His stammering was bad enough with just one woman, but now with three it was increasingly getting out of control. Curse his inability to keep calm when beautiful women are around. Hopefully one day he would get over that. His head was down now, more than slightly embarrassed at the situation and being unable to speak clearly. That was when he saw the shadows still dancing at Nieve's feet. His eyes widened as he remembered what he had uncovered and his focus was now only on her.

"You're one of Akajia's chosen marked, aren't you? That's why the shadows were so excited! I was wondering what they were talking about, but it all makes sense now. You must have heard them whispering about it too, the secrets this place still holds. If you're really a Nightstalker like me, then you know why I couldn't just sit still knowing there were secrets to uncover here, right? There must be a reason we're both here now, two Nightstalkers, members of Akajia's chosen marked. Maybe the Mistress of Shadows wants us to uncover the secrets of the jungle together!" Whether it was his overwhelming curiosity, or sheer excitement and awe at meeting another Nightstalker here in Syka that allowed him to stop stammering to get that out, Jace wasn't sure. His mind wasn't even on the stammering a moment ago anymore. His only focus now, was on the secrets he hoped to uncover and the potential bond with another of Akajia's chosen.

[Nieve Glass]

Nieve heard the telltale splash of a body entering or exiting the ocean; her head tilted to the side slightly, though her eyes remained focused on the two strangers in front of her. The side of her face twitched slightly with the reflex to swivel her ears.

A few moments later, a somewhat familiar silhouette came into view. As the only Charoda Nieve had met so far, it wasn't difficult to recognize Iolara. The pitched voice of the aquatic woman carried over the sand as she approached, and Nieve finally turned her head, offering a fleeting but bright smile.

"I don't think so," She assured Iolara; sure enough, despite her hesitance, Nieve's posture was relaxed, her hands hanging loosely by her sides rather than tensed or reaching for the kukri in the back of her pants. The yowlwing had enough faith in Syka's founders to believe they wouldn't allow anyone with ill intentions to stay in the settlement.

The Kelvic had no answer for Iolara's questions regarding the Konti woman, so instead she simply settled an inquisitive gaze on the blonde stranger. The Konti finally spoke after the four of them stood in silence for a few ticks, and her voice was gentle, her tone calming. Nieve recognized it as the sort of tone one would use on a nervous animal, or perhaps the sort of of tone a doctor would use.

Her intuition was confirmed when the woman, who named herself as Okara, identified herself as an apprentice at the Panacea, the settlement's hospital; or as close to one as they had. The man was a ranger? Curious; it still didn't explain why he was entering the jungle alone so late at night.

Nieve smiled at Okara's words, the curve of her mouth sly, amusement twinkling in her eyes. It was interesting, though for Nieve it was no mystery what had lead her to the others. While aware of the man, Jace, she'd almost forgotten his presence in his silence. His sudden burst of speaking caused Nieve's head to whip around, gaze alighting on him, her curiosity renewed.

His stammering was amusing; the poor Kelvic seemed particularly flustered as he stuttered his way through denying his ill intentions. Evie grinned shamelessly, though it wasn't badly meant; it was almost sweet how nervous he seemed, his face bright red, and she found herself believing his words.

Secrets indeed. Nieve had felt the call of the jungle herself, though she had yet to properly venture into it. She liked to think she had a tad more sense than the man before her, though she supposed in fairness, if he was a ranger he did have more wilderness experience than her.

She opened her mouth to ask something, but was interrupted as Jace suddenly seemed to make a connection. Words tumbled out of his mouth, miraculously without stammering this time around. Evie felt her spine straighten and stiffen, her eyes narrowing in suspicion, then widening in surprise; excitement stirred in her stomach. It suddenly made sense why the shadows had been so excited, and why she had felt drawn to the other Kelvic.

She didn't hide the fact that she was one of Akajia's marked, but nor did she announce it openly. The triangle between her shoulder blades was often on view for any and everyone to see, with how often she wandered around without clothing, but the only one who had ever addressed it was Sinaetri, and the Verusk had been aware of its meaning.

Nieve was acutely aware of the presence of the other two women as she gazed at Jace. The man spoke in the language of the shadows, so she responded in kind; despite the other two women not being able to understand them, it still felt strange. "I am," She allowed, and her voice for once was restrained; it felt...not quite right to admit to such a part of herself in front of strangers, to discuss it so openly, despite only Jace and the shadows being able to understand her.

"I've felt it, but I also have a little bit of sense." Nieve switched back to Common when she spoke again; her words were scolding, but her tone was light and amused. "I'm not willing to risk my life to enter the jungle alone and at night; secrets aren't of much use if you're dead." But perhaps he was onto something. The two of them were there, with the shadows whispering in Makath, and they had company as well.

A surge of boldness and excitement washed over Nieve, and she spun on her heel to address the two women. Neither of them seemed exactly prepared to enter the jungle, but the Kelvic forged on ahead anyway. "What do you think? Iolara, Okara? He's not exactly alone anymore." A grin curved Evie's lips, flashing her white teeth against tanned skin, fangs shining in the moonlight. In that moment, she'd made a decision.

"What do you say? Will you both come with us, into the jungle? There's safety in numbers. We can help guide you, we're good at seeing in the dark. It could be exciting, fun; an adventure!" Nieve was bouncing on her toes by then, hands clasped and eyes shining with eagerness as the idea took hold of her.

"Oh, do come with us, please! We'll be careful of course!" Four people was perhaps a bit of a crowd for the Kelvic if she considered it, but in the moment, and given the situation which she was proposing, the thought didn't even cross her mind; instead she simply cast a pleading and hopeful gaze back and forth between Okara and Iolara, her excitement almost palpable.

Word Count: 948

[Iolara Lyada]

One by one, Nieve and Okara assured Iolara they were in no danger. Though the man in the shadows still made her uneasy, the Charoda did her best to relax, straightening her spine as she let the others converse. Her eyes widened as she realized her rudeness to Okara. What would Io’s mother have said about failing to introduce oneself? Well, she wouldn’t be happy, that’s for sure, thought Iolara with a wry smile. Offering a polite half-bow to the older woman, Iolara spoke again in her melodic Common: “Ah, very sorry. I am called Iolara. I dive for…” she struggled to find just the right Common word before settling on one that was suitable enough, “shells. Iolara dives for shells, trades with merchants.” She gave a self-satisfied nod, as if that should settle any tension between the group. For Jace’s part, he seemed to be having some sort of moment with Nieve. Their eyes were locked, though to Iolara, she heard nothing that passed between them. Her tentacles flared in a bout of confusion, and she tilted her head to the side, her eyes searching each of them with an inquisitive gaze. The man had said he wanted to explore the jungle just moments ago, but surely Iolara had misunderstood him. The jungle? At night? The Charoda decided she must have heard the wrong words coming from his lips. Iolara was broken from her confused attempt at interpretation when Nieve spoke, apparently free of whatever trance had held her and Jace’s attention. But now she was suggesting this lunacy too! Iolara glanced at Okara, Jace, and Nieve in turn. Each of them was at least somewhat equipped to handle a trek through the brush of the forest. For herself, however, Iolara was wearing only her customary seaweed clothing, and was barefoot as well. Hardly proper jungle attire! And yet, she did have something the others did not. While Iolara was marked by Caiyha to tend the seas and not the jungle, she would still be able to communicate with any animals they came across. And at the very least, the presence of a witch just might cause a hungry predator to look elsewhere for its meal. And so, much against her better judgement, Iolara nodded her assent to Nieve, then to Jace. Grinning from ear to ear, Iolara addressed her eager friend, “If you wish to explore jungle, I cannot let you go alone. Not with strangers.” To be fair, she and Nieve had been acquainted for scarcely ten days, and the Kelvic woman seemed to have formed some sort of connection with the man, though what that may be was beyond Iolara’s understanding. Lady Caiyha, guide me and guard me, for surely I am entering into foolishness! she prayed as the group turned to a Okara, waiting on her response before venturing forth. Word Count479

[Okara]

The corners of Okara’s lips turned down in the faintest frown as Jace stammered at the other two women. She was a little concerned for the man, did he have a medical condition? Perhaps some affliction of the tongue or brain that caused his speech patterns? That sort of problem was beyond her experience and she was half tempted to suggest he come by the Panacea when Jansen was working so he could be examined. She had only just met Jace however and he might take offense to that, as well-intended as the suggestion might be. She would have to hold her peace for know and continue her observation. The Charoda broke into her thoughts with a polite introduction. Iolara, it was beautiful, musical sounding name. Okara offered her a kind smile in acknowledgement, the sea woman seemed well intended and protective of Nieve. She couldn’t fault her for being concerned for a friend, it was a good sign of loyalty. She couldn’t really fault any of them for much, they seemed to have all been rather startled by each other. Okara glanced at the others when she realized they had gone very quiet. In fact, Jace was staring wide-eyed at Nieve to Okara’s alarm. She could have almost sworn she saw his mouth move but she couldn’t really hear anything come out, only the slightest whisper of wind between the tree leaves. Was he having a seizure now? But no, Nieve seemed just as engaged with the man. Was there such a thing as shared seizure events? Okara had never heard of such a thing but it was difficult to explain the moment of tense silence that stretched between the two. When the moment broke and Nieve suddenly declared her interest in night exploration Okara’s alarm turned to suspicion. Her eyes narrowed for half a tick before her expression smoothed over again. Given their energy and awareness she knew there was nothing physically wrong with them, but something had occurred which she didn’t fully understand. Her curiosity was piqued now and questions that desired answers revolved through her thoughts. Iolara echoed Jace and Nieve’s intentions to enter the forest, although with somewhat less enthusiasm. All were now looking at her and Okara realized she had remaining vote. The tropical forest was a challenging place at the best of times and night time would not make that easier though Nieve claimed she and Jace had good night vision. That was an interesting clue to be filed away. Perhaps with the four of them it wouldn’t be a difficult trip. Besides, as a healer she couldn’t very well let others roam off into possible danger without offering assistance. Stuck hurt or wounded in the forest was not a fate she wished for anyone. ”Very well, I would be happy to accompany you all. It does seem wisest to travel in a group rather then going in alone. Well Jace, this idea was originally yours. Lead the way!” Okara said with a small laugh and a soft smile. They had all met with some degree of suspicion and now they were going to be trampling through the forest together, watching each other’s backs. Looking for secrets, according to Jace. Okara wasn’t exactly sure what she was interested in more, the secrets of the jungle or her new companions. Word Count: 556 OOCIt can be assumed that Okara will follow the group into the forest