Warm Me Up [Dayed]

[Naya]

23rd of Winter, 510AV Once again, Naya was in the Red Diamond Tavern. It was her common lurking place. It was better than the awkwardness of her Hold, where she was viewed as the strange, not-quite-right Vantha who had no chance at a good life. The issue of not being married at 26 was a constant issue with the rest of the people in her hold. To be honest, it irritated Naya. Why should she have to marry someone just because it is what was done? It took all the fun out of life. The Red Diamond was quiet tonight, with just a few people in corners. She was the only one who was alone, sipping at her drink at the bar. She smiled into her drink as she made up little stories for each of the groups she saw. In the corner next to the fire place, there sat two young Vantha girls, both giggling over something. Naya imagined them both to have snuck out of their hold - the Coolwater Hold, she decided - without their parents knowing, and were giggling over their supposed rebellion. She smiled. They had much to learn about rebellion. She glanced up to the second level. She saw, in the shadows, a lone figure with gleaming red eyes. Hmmm, interesting. Naya decided this man was an escapee from a distant city, most likely Sunberth or Ravok. He had murdered an innocent Konti, or Inarta, and having fled justice ended up in the city of Avanthal. He had survived the cold and raging animals as a master tracker, hunter and bowman. She snorted out loud at the improbability of it all, drawing a glance from the bartender, confused. She grinned winningly at him, and pouted her lips, as if for a kiss. He glanced away again, hurridely. Naya loved the reputation she had. Wench, harlot. She'd heard them all. Her ego grew with each derogatory word. The door opened silently in the corner, and Naya turned to observe this newcomer, wondering if she would have any fresh meat to play with.

[Dayed]

Dayed cursed in Nari as he made his way down the darkened streets of Avanthal, leading Veyk by the reins. His cheeks were red and windburnt from the harsh arctic winds outside the walls, his lips cracked and sore. He had never been bred for the cold, only adapted to it with clothing, but even his sheepskin coat did little to keep the wind's bite at bay. And now, to top things off, he was lost. Everything was so angular and disturbing; Dayed longed for the natural warrens of Mount Skyinarta with every discomfortingly sharp corner he turned. Add to that the fact that Dayed knew only a smattering of the native language, and he was truly beginning to despair of every being warm again.

"Silly cold is going to be the death of me," he chattered in his bird-like native tongue, turning yet another corner to behold a welcoming sight: what appeared to be an inn, the sign bearing a red diamond and the torches outside still lit. Even better, there was a stable for Veyk. Letting out a small trilling warble of victory, Dayed hurried forward with newfound vigor. The stableboy materialized from the darkness, and they haggled briefly, both speaking broken Basic, before Dayed managed to secure a stall and feed for Veyk, promising to pay the innkeeper for food and the space. And hopefully a bed as well, the young Inarta thought as he pushed open the door into the welcoming warmth of the inn.

Immediatley Dayed threw back the hood of his katinu, running his fingers through his hair as he did so to brush any tangles out of his fiery red locks, the various baubles making a slight jangle as they bounced around. Quickly checking to ensure the large eagle feather in his hair was undamaged, Dayed let out a slight sigh of remembrance before heading to an unoccupied table near the center of the establishment, his golden eyes flicking to each denizen of the inn. Several small groups in corners, a pair of young Vantha girls giggling in their native tongue, a shadowy figure upstairs, and an older woman who sat alone, watching the other patrons.

Dayed moved with an easy confidence, trying to look as if he hadn't been on the road for the past month as he propped his spear on the table next to his chair, within easy reach should things turn violent. His bow-staff he had left unstrung with Veyk, it would do him little good here. Looking around, Dayed wondered curiously if he would be served by the staff, or if he had to seek them out to order. Everything here was so backwards! He was an Eagle Rider! Or at least, he had been. Still, there were certain things that were his by rights, and quick service was one of them! Crossing his arms and leaning back in the chair, Dayed affected an air of impatience as he waited, trying to ignore the stares of the other patrons.

[Naya]

The newcomer looked promising. He was young, she'd make a guess at still teens. Perfect. The younger ones got more flustered, and were definitely more responsive. He had longer red hair, down to his shoulders, which was adorned with all manner of bauble and trinket. His clothing was eccentric, and called out for attention - just like Naya. His yellow eyes gleamed as they took in the tavern, looking at everyone in the Tavern. Naya pouted just a little when his gaze didn't rest on her. She'd have to rectify that. He went and sat down at a table, not too far from where she sat. She bought herself another drink, and grabbing hers in her other hand, stood and sashayed over to where he sat. Standing above him, she spoke in Common, assuming he had very little grasp of Vani. "You look cold. A beer to warm your heart, perhaps?" It was fortunate that Hayere had managed to teach the hyper girl Common as a child. It widened the scope for games with foreigners. And, Morwen knew Naya needed a wide pool for her to play with. Without waiting for a response, she sat down in the chair opposite and offered the drink over, smiling as she stretched out her arm. The way she sat provided the younger man with quite a good view. "I'm Naya Snowsong, a local here. It's good you met me, for you won't find many quite as ... welcoming as I." She laughed lightly, though the other man would not understand quite what she was laughing at. He would see just how welcoming she could be. Smiling at him, her eyes flashed to a mauve purple - a purple which meant she had started her hunt. "And your name? You don't look like you've been in our parts before. Where are you from?"

[Dayed]

Dayed was just getting fed up with waiting when the older woman glided to his table, drink in hand. "You look cold. A beer to warm your heart, perhaps?" She said, in Common, thank Priskil. Dayed grinned, a disarming maneuver that had worked well on the more...aggressive women backin Wind Reach. "Yes, that would be much appreciated. Though to be honest, I'm more concerned about my frozen lips than my heart. It still beats, so it obviously functions well enough." He chuckled at his own rather morbid joke before accepting the glass from the woman, taking a long drink with both hands. He did his best to keep his eyes on the woman's face, though the way she sat made it clear, to him at least, that she wanted Dayed looking. I can play this game, he thought with a smirk.

Setting the mug down, Dayed leaned back from the woman, his raptor's eyes locked on hers as they shifted to a dark violet color. "I'm Naya Snowsong, a local here. It's good you met me, for you won't find many quite as ... welcoming as I." The woman barely paused to take a breath, but that was just fine by Dayed. He simply nodded his agreement. "True, though to be honest, you're the first person I've spoken to in...weeks, actually. I was starting to have a conversation with Veyk, but being a horse, you can imagine it wasn't a particularly enlightening conversation." Dayed grinned again, deliberately shifting his focus to the pair of younger girls on the other side of the inn, winking slyly at one as she glanced over her shoulder to get a better look of the exotic boy.

Smirking slightly as the young girl turned away, tittering away with her friend in Vani, Dayed reverted his focus to Naya as she spoke again. "And your name? You don't look like you've been in our parts before. Where are you from?" Dayed arched an eyebrow, as if the answer to the last question should be painfully obvious, Inarta didn't exactly blend into a crowd after all. Still grinning, his eyes darting occasionally to the younger pair, Dayed answered. "My name is Dayed, and as you can no doubt see, I am an Inarta. It thus follows logically that I am from Mount Skyinarta, does it not?" He widened his grin, showing just the barest hint of teeth as he leaned back, tilting the chair back onto two legs, one hand reaching up to fiddle with the falcon feather dangling from his left ear.

[Naya]

She smiled indulgently as the man took her drink. Already, she had him open and receptive to her. Quite a good start to the night. Hopefully it would be easy from this point onwards. She chuckled as he laughed, though the humour was immature. His age showed in his maturity and his smug attitude. She loved them boys, though. Boys were easier to use and dispose than men were. Men wanted a relationship, and romance with flowers and candles and moonlight... Boys, more often than not, wanted a quick fumbling beneath the sheets. That was something she could give. Men, she had nothing for. "No, I imagine the conversation with a horse would not be great. I'm sure I can provide you with some, if you needed to... Conversation, amongst other things, is my strong suit." She winked at him, smiling seductively. Her eyes narrowed as he glanced at the two younger girls, winking at them. A boy indeed! She sincerely hoped her irritation did not show, for if it did, this whole chase was down the drain. Let it be known that Naya Snowsong was not clingy or exclusive! She smiled back at him, widening her eyes innocently as he turned back to her. They always come crawling back. Her irritation, however, only increased as he kept flitting his eyes towards the barely there, vapid teens in the corner. This would be a challenge. And she did love a challenge... She reasserted herself, pouting her lips a little, looking out from under her eyelashes at the younger man. Faking a gasp, she began to speak. "An Inarta?! How enticingly exotic... I do love to meet someone different." She took a sip of her drink, sighing a little as she did so. She'd better get some damn results from this entire act. "Why, you are a long way from home. What brought you so far from Mount Skyinarta? You are a brave brave Eagle Rider indeed if you have travelled so far." Play to the ego. It always works.

[Dayed]

Dayed smirked as the woman made references to conversation. "I'm always one to enjoy the...finer points, of conversation. I'm sure, way up here in the Reaches, you must have a vastly different perspective than what I was offered in Wind Reach." Dayed continued flitting his gaze between the two teens and the woman, struggling to suppress his growing grin as he noted the agitation in her eyes. That was good. Women always chased you so much harder when they were certain you weren't interested in them. "Almost as easy as taking a drudge to bed," he muttered below his breath in his native Nari, casting another look over his shoulder to the two teens as the woman started fawning over his "exotic" heritage.

The mention of his being an Eagle Rider snapped his head away from the teens, his golden raptor's eyes narrowed nearly to slits, right hand instinctively edging towards his spear. "The Endal do not leave Wind Reach," he spoke low, straining not to revert back to Nari in his anger. He wanted this woman to understand his words. "Not while their mounts draw breath. You do not understand the Inarta, and you do not know me. I am no Rider, and you will never again mention such to me." Dayed rose then, glaring down at the woman as he snatched his spear from the table and turned about.

Composing himself, Dayed took several deep breaths before his face once more reflected his easy smile as he sauntered over to the table with the two teens and seated himself across from them, leaning his chair back on two legs as he had done previously. "I must be in luck, to chance across such lovely maidens as yourselves," he said in Nari. Making eye contact with each in turn, he smiled, proudly displaying his teeth as he twirled the feather from his ear, pretending not to notice their confusion before widening his eyes in mock surprise. "Ah, my apologies, I am Dayed, of Wind Reach. I am not used to these foreign languages." He spoke in Common this time, glancing over their shoulders to the older woman. Let her think on what she said. Then, if she is still interested, perhaps I will let her try again.

[Naya]

Damn this arrogant teen and his two Vantha girlfriends. She growled lowly, getting more and more agitated as he openly ogled the two saplings at the table next to them. Clearing her throat, she took a sip of her drink, hoping to gain some calm. She was beginning to wonder if this young man was worth the effort, being as arrogant, smug and stuck up as he was. Naya jumped, beer sloshing just a little as Dayed whipped his head around. As soon as she saw the man's eyes, now slits, she knew she had lost him. It was times like this, when a young, angry man had a hand on his spear, that she wished she had wanted to be a hunter, or warrior, and not a weak-assed story teller. She cringed at the anger in his voice, wondering what had set him off so. It couldn't have been Naya's fault. Wait. Not while their mounts drew breath... Petch. His mount evidently didn't draw breath. Alright, so Naya made a faux pas, not that she would EVER admit it to ANYONE. It wasn't irredeemable, though, right? She could bounce back from this. She would just move on from the topic... No way she was apologising though. It was his own fault for getting so angry. It was with a rising anger that she watched him storm away from her, taking his drink and his spear, as if he were not coming back. Her anger reached new heights as he sat opposite the two children - one could not call them true women - in the corner. She growled. She had just been rejected. How dare he? She'd came and welcomed him, and he tossed that welcome aside to go and toy with some younger meat. Refusing to watch him cosy up to the two stick figures, she slammed her drink down and attached her black cloak. She walked with a huff out of the Red Diamond Tavern, slamming the doors behind her. At least, in her angry exit, she could create some drama and draw attention. She stood in the cold air of the Avanthal winter for a couple of minutes. Being night, no one else was around - everyone inside the Tavern or in the safety of their holds. The cold air, however, served to calm her down. Her breathing calmed, and her heart rate slowed, and her red hot anger simmered down. But by no means did it vanish. Switching back to the safety of Vani, she ranted, whilst pacing. "That petching, stupid young man! How dare he ignore Naya Snowsong? He is missing out on so much, he has no idea the type of time he could have had."

[Dayed]

Dayed's smirk was nearly wiped off his narrow face as the woman stormed out in a huff. Apparently she didn't take rejection well. I didn't really reject her though, she's attractive enough, to be sure, Dayed thought, cursing under his breath in Nari. The two teens across from him remained curiously silent, even after his introduction in Common. Cocking his head to the side in a decidedly bird-like manner, Dayed ventured the question. "Do either of you even speak Common?" The two simply giggled to each other, speaking in their strange tongue, of which Dayed recognized only enough to understand that they were talking about him, though not what exactly was being said.

"Very well then," he chirped in Nari, "I'll take that as a no." He stood, gathering his possessions, deciding that this inn probably wasn't a great place to stay the night after all. Giving his vibrant hair a toss and miming a blown kiss to the two young ladies he had been sitting with, Dayed pulled his hood up and once more ventured out into the frigid air. Immediately his breath came in feathery clouds in front of his face, the cold stinging his cheeks until they were red, though it didn't cut to his bones like the wind would, if it weren't for the walls and numerous corners of the city.

The Naya woman was outside also, and Dayed was suddenly overwhelmed with pity. Unusual for him, but he was sure his behavior was just as unusual to her. Cursing in Nari, he approached her slowly. "I meant what I said," he began in Common, his voice low and smooth. "You do not understand the Inarta, or the pain that an Eagle's death brings to its rider. My reaction was...unwarranted, given the circumstances. You are not Inarta, and could not possibly understand the emotional connection between Eagle and Endal. Vayeki's death is still fresh in my mind." He drew himself up proudly, unconsciously reaching his left hand up to stroke the Eagle feather braided into his hair beneath the hood. "I will not apologize for my words, for they were the truth. However, I will apologize for my tone." He braced himself, ready for whatever fury the woman might unleash at him, his freezing knuckles gripping the haft of his spear in apprehension, though he struggled not to show it.

[Naya]

The crunching of snow underfoot, feet that were not her own engaged in furious pacing, shook her from her angry trance. She looked up. He was cursing in a strange language, the language of the Inarta, she guessed, and approaching her slowly. He looked hesitant in approaching her - good. He should be afraid. He had wronged Naya Snowsong. He had better be quaking in his boots. He spoke in Common, his tone gentler than when he had stormed off to the two younger girls. She was silent as he pled his case. He had been brought down a knot or two, though still not quite apologetic enough. She only regarded him out the corners of her eyes, raised eyebrows and all. She did not do him the courtesy of turning to face him completely. He had not yet redeemed himself that far. The man had lost his eagle, his companion. He was angry over the death. Naya could understand that. She was still angry everyday over the death of Hayere. Her mind softened just a little towards this young, prideful Inarta - though she would never admit it. She had a reputation to maintain. As he apologised, she began to turn slowly towards him. He bowed his head at the end of his speech, and at that point, Naya stood full in front of the man, arms crossed and eyebrow high. She almost laughed aloud at the way he was grasping his spear, like she had any capability for violence. She had forgiven him, as he had come crawling back. Though she would make him squirm for a while yet. "So, you have come back. But what about those two girls in the corner? I am sure they must be very disappointed at being without the warmth of your company."

[Dayed]

Dayed smirked, as if he had not just thought of running the woman through with the business end of his spear just minutes earlier. "They proved to be decidedly incapable of conversation with as interesting a specimen as myself," he said, sighing. "That, and they apparently didn't speak a lick of Common or Nari, and I know even less of Vani." As he saw that she was not going to fly off the handle and attack him, Dayed slowly eased his grip on the haft of his spear, though he kept it well at hand, only a fool ever completely let his guard down.

Thumping the butt of his spear on the ground, as if that small action would generate warmth for him, he kept his golden eyes on Naya. She was quite the intriguing woman, and this was an intriguing city. Dayed let his eyes wander up to the sky, where the bands of celestial light sparkled like ribbons strung through the hair of an ebony-headed maiden. For a moment, the sight took his breath away, his mouth dropping open slightly. "Gods," he muttered in Nari, along with a quick, silent prayer to Priskil for allowing such illuminated beauty to exist.

"They're beautiful," he remarked in Common, unable to believe that he hadn't noticed them before. It was a poor attempt at conversation, but perhaps as a native, Naya could tell him more about this phenomenon that made the whole city sparkle as though it were illuminated from within. Dayed nearly even forgot the cold, his eyes looking almost as if they belonged to a human instead of a bird of prey. He rememberd Veyeki and the hunts they had been on.... He sighed, shaking his head to clear them of the painful memories, returning his softened gaze to meet the brilliant violet of Naya's.