[Stormhold Beach] The Midwinter Fire Festival (Open)

[Abashai]

The festival had become somewhat of a surreal experience for Abashai, as he found himself holding Nya close against him, dancing. Everything else seemed to fade away as they swayed slowly to the music. Ever since the bond first took place, over two seasons past, the man had tried to define his feelings for Nya, understand what their relationship was, and what he wanted it to be. But the one thing he had very carefully avoided was getting too close. It was a part of his extensive emotional defenses that had kept everyone a safe distance from his feelings, secrets and fears. It was not that he did not find Nya attractive or desirable, it was that he would not allow himself to see her as such. Avoiding such emotions meant that he could keep both of them from getting hurt. It prevented him from falling into temptation and taking advantage of her, and he did not want it to interfere with what their gods were doing. There had been a woman once that he began to fall for, and he chose to part ways with her for that very reason.

But that changed the day that she went missing. When Abashai thought that he might lose Nya, his defenses crumbled and he came face to face with the truth, he loved Nya. He found her beautiful and exciting, a wonderful friend and already tightly entwined with his heart. He found that he wanted her close, and she knew that, the bond had deepened to the point that they could not conceal their feelings.

So Abashai had lowered his walls, began reaching out to Nya with his affection. It had been scary and exhilarating, and comforting. He had never been so close to anyone. Now, dancing with her filled him with an incredible happiness. Then she spoke, softly in her alto voice.

Nya's parents were a bonded pair who fell in love. Abashai did not know that she had wanted a relationship like Zilvia and Ulvic, but it helped to explain some of her reactions over the past couple seasons. But he was not sure exactly what his bondmate meant, and what that meant in light of how he now felt about her, but he knew thatthe last thing both of them would settle for was a hollow life.

Then the forest cat looked up at him with warm moss green eyes. He realized, for the first time since fleeing Yahebah over a decade ago, that he was truly content, that large holes in his life were filling in, and he thanked Yahal. They had plenty of time for their own brand of love to form. He returned her smile and squeezed her gently.

The music picked up in pace, dissolving the ethereal moment, and the konti approached. Still caught up in all the excitement of the festival and the dance, Abashai decided to let the woman read his hand. Nya excused herself and headed for the beverage table. Somewhat hesitantly, the benshiran extended his hand to Sondra, the dark Shiber character of Yahal's marking clearly etched in his palm. He then looked into the pale face of the roguish Konti.

[Avi]

Avi was slightly surprised, and kind of pleased if she had to admit it, that Term had accepted her sudden break from dancing to look for the snake. Not only had he accepted it, but he had actually come with her. Hunting was good - Avi loved hunting like she loved eating, which was, to say, quite a bit. That Terminus had joined her on the hunt pleased her, and made her smile a little despite the seriousness of the task in front of her. "Do you like to hunt?" she asked him over her shoulder, regarding him with interest, grinning a little.

She circled through the crowds, her sweeping eyes going from violet to ruby once again as she settled into the hunt. A snake could do a lot of damage in this crowd - there were nestlings and elders about. She didn't know if Stitch would be able to see it, and he could get bit, too. The first time they passed by the offering table, Avi dropped her gold Miza into the offering pot before continuing her circling. If anyone looked at her askance, what with the spear out and pointing at the ground as she was, she paid them no mind. Once or twice she stopped, dropping into a crouch to look closely at the sand, however much of a pointless exercise as it was. With all the footfalls, a snake's slithering tracks were gone, if they had ever existed in the first place. She straightened, and glowered over the sand. Between the music, the laughter, the conversations... there was too much sound going on around her. Her eyes weren't having any problems in the dark, and there was light enough from the bonfires anyway.

She didn't get frustrated, despite the fact she wasn't finding what she knew was here - if you got frustrated, you overlooked things, and if you overlooked things, the hunt was as good as over. She'd had enough experience of her own, particularly trial and error when she had gotten impatient. She considered trying the search from the air, and had to decide against it - too many that might get frightened, too many that might make a fuss. Too many that probably had no notion of what a Talderian Black Owl was, and might well have taken a bow and shot her down for the thought of trying to snatch one of their nestlings or the roasting pig. And that, quite frankly, would be a bad thing. So she was going to have to work off of the ground. She was working her way back towards the middle again, homing in towards Stitch - he had been able to see her and her fish, blind as he was. Maybe he could see where the snake was and point her towards it. He had said his sight was better, after all.

He was talking to someone, she noticed, as she came up along side of him, still holding her spear, her long braid hanging down over her back. The Vantha grinned at Nyahna, and tapped Stitch's arm. "Watch your step," she told the pair of them. "There is a snake around. Have you seen it?" she directed this at Stitch, looking up at him.

[Stitch]

The voice was interesting, Stitch noticed. Perhaps that was why his aura was so... snaky? Yes, that was a good word to describe it. It didn't seem to faze Stitch in the slightest, however, and he just kept on smiling brightly. Holding out his hand for a firm handshake, Stitch spoke, his voice still as upbeat as before. "Well, milord, this one is very pleased to meet you. If you are new in town, you should stop by the Welcome Home one of these days. This one runs an orphanage, and this one is sure that the children would love to cook for you, or show you around town, or anything you might like to do. Must make visitors feel welcome and at home, and all of that." Stitch nodded, as if confirming his words, and nodded toward the roasting pits. "Don't let this one distract you from a meal, though! This one was just heading over there as well."

As they reached the pit, Stitch got a platter for them both, offering Sasin the one he had grabbed for him. The ladies handing out the platters gave Stitch a curious look, the bandage covering his eyes signaled him as blind, and it was odd to see a blind man moving around so well. They were not nosy though, so they simply moved on, and served the other people next in line.

"Are you having fun at the festival, and with the town so far, Milord?" Stitch pleasantly tried to keep up a conversation, he was trusting the man would let him know if he was being too annoying, or bothersome, or anything like that. Sensing Avi coming up out of the corner of his vision, he turned his head slightly, and was met with the sight of the girl coming up beside of him with a... was that a spear? Stitch blinked as she tapped his arm, curiously focusing all of his attention on her. Why did she have a spear? He hadn't noticed it before, but then again, he hadn't really been looking. He had been too confused by the massive fish on her shoulder, when he had first saw her. As she asked her question, he paused, mentally glancing back and forth between Sasin, and Avi.

He smiled suddenly, the wide grin crossing his face, and slowly shook his head. "This one has seen no snake, milady. Perhaps though a snake would be better off in being caught, and released into the wild, instead of stabbed through with a spear? Perhaps it means us no harm, and simply wants some roasted pig?" Stitch spoke gently, not mean or harsh at all, simply offering the girl another idea on what a snake could be in the crowd for. It seemed the man had a soft spot and a bright outlook on everything, including snakes.

[Nyahna Sasin]

This one...Sorry, Stitch, had and interesting, apparently infectious speech pattern. He shook the man's hand, wondering vaguely how a blind man had sought him out, before concluding that it didn't matter. There were ways, they were just not that common.

Sasin shook his hand, liking the human already. He seemed a rather decent fellow. And running an orphanage! He could imagine that would be difficult, with children rampaging here and there. He surpressed a grin at the thought of a dozen little kids overwhelming the man.

He took the plate from Stitch ("Thankss") and continued walking with him. "Fun at the festival? Certainly. The town seems very interesting. Although right now, it seem very cold."

As they walked, he saw the woman with the spear approach them. He stiffened slightly, then relaxed as she addressed stitch. As he heard her mentioning a snake, he froze. "Pardon me, but did you actually ssee the ssnake?"

[Sondra]

Sondra smiled at the pair as they took a step away from the tide of music and bodies. The woman departed for something to drink and the man extended his hand.
Swirled on the palm was a letter in Shiber, Sondra blinked at the gnosis curiously.
"Yahal, trust and purity."
It boded well.

As she cradled the back of his hand in her own, Sondra adopted the soothing look she was accustomed to giving those she read in the past. Her fingertip began to follow the lines of his palm, tickling it. Then something shifted within Abashai. It felt like blood and water was moving towards his hand, only to be let by the Konti. It was painless, but strangely intimate.

Sondra bowed her head over Abashai's hand, hiding her closed eyes. She lifted her face to mouth a name Abashai remembered well. The Konti's steel colored eyes considered the Benshira for a breath. Her gaze fluttered between disappointment and pity.

When Nya returned, though, the Konti's expression was painted in brighter tones.
"Your friend," Sondra began, "His love line tells a good yarn."

Her finger followed a crease on his palm.
"In his youth, he was given over to passions." A mildly suggestive wink to Nya at this.
"There was desire in his past, but he has left the object of it."

Sondra looked at the wandering Benshira as she pronounced, "He has left and forgotten much."
With a new breath, Sondra smiled and broke her concentration on Abashai. She glanced to Nya, as she spoke veiled encouragement.

"However, his line tells me he has a new affection in his life. And his future speaks of connections he will not leave or seek to undo."

The Konti released Abashai's hand from hers. A serene mask was adopted while her stomach churned adopted guilt over abandonment and destructive lusts. She was swallowing a new shame, absorbing it into her memories where it would brush against her own.

[Kadurro]

Kadurro had been watching the donation table for some time. He found himself debating with his own mind on whether or not it would be safe to try and pinch a few Mizas for himself when he made his "donation". One Miza in, two Mizas out. No, three Mizas...But, he thought, as he looked upon the widows collecting. Surely it is not for them, but for some greater cause...or perhaps it is simply a way to raise money for the city's coffers... The smell of roasting meat was enticing him to make a decision all the more quickly. Blast it all, he thought, as he strode over to the donation table.

"Ten for your troubles, ladies," he said with his biggest smile, dropping a handful of Mizas into their collections. He hurried past them, not waiting for a response, lest he be tempted to recoup his losses. Kadurro didn't spend much time thinking about his choice, however, as the spectacle of the Fire Festival was truly amazing to behold. Music, dancing, food, and plenty of people without a care in the world. No. No picking of pockets tonight. Let them all be safe for one night; safety is something one does not get every day of the year, after all. He made his way further down the beach, towards the smell of roasting pig that dominated his sense of smell. He happened to glance to his right, however, and his feet froze. ...Dancing...

His mind recalled a memory of himself dancing in a large group of Vantha, along with a beautiful girl with stunning, golden eyes. Dancing isn't so hard, Kadurro. It's more about the grace you put into it than the effort.

Kadurro found his eyes were tearing up at the thought. "Shyke," he cursed under his breath, wiping his eyes. All of a sudden he had lost his appetite, so he moved around the fire pit until he found himself facing the sea. He let out a sigh, taking a seat on the sand, untouched by the tide, and then laying down, facing up at the sky. What have I been doing all this time? What is wrong with me? He closed his eyes, taking in the sounds of the music and the festival, as well as the peaceful sounds of the waves upon the beach. "Why did I bother coming here in the first place," he asked himself. He knew full-well the answer to that question, though. Kadurro had come to pick pockets and find friends that would be able to help him achieve his goal. A gathering with so many people is sure to have at least one person who would be of service, he had told himself. But now, he found himself wondering if his scheme was worth all the effort he was putting into it. Because effort doesn't pay off in the end, he told himself, the beautiful Vantha from his memories dominating his thoughts.

Ledger
-10 Gold Mizas

[Terminus Norin]

Terminus was intently watching Avi as she began her hunt for the snake, he also had no idea what a Dhani was so he never suspected that the snake was actually standing near the fire talking to Stitch. She was very focused and earnest so he gathered that not only was this a serious matter as a viper could cause great harm, but she was enjoying herself. He had to admit he was enjoying the hunt too, and when she smiled a bit and looked back to him with a look he could interpret as interest he had to smile a bit too. The something he felt between them was kind of like an undercurrent and not something he was used to feeling. At her question he chuckled.

I do love to hunt Avi, but I don't have the skills to do so. Perhaps sometime you can teach me? he had to admit that this was true on both counts and he hoped she would agree as he would like to have the time to get to know her better, even perhaps to get her to let him see her wild form. He had decided that at least as far as Avi and Nya were concerned he was fond of Kelvics.

The pursued the hunt for a while, simply weaving in and out of the crowds with Avi's more sensitive sense of hearing and sight leading the way. He watched as her eyes went to ruby from violet, he wondered if she were agitated or perhaps this was a color that showed her seriousness. He knew how serious this was and that was one reason he was not to perturbed about the dancing being interrupted. Besides he got to see Avi being her own self and that was something he enjoyed. He kept his attention on the hunt, looking for any clues that Avi might have missed, but like Avi he was seeing that any evidence would have been obliterated by the crowd.

He listened as Stitch suggested that the snake shouldn't be hunted at the point of a spear. He thought that Stitch might be right, but as Avi was a different sort of being, he accepted that she might see this differently. He simply stood by her side and waited for her to continue or discontinue the hunt.

[Nya Winters]

Nya stared at the Konti, confused at her words. Her bondmate? Given over to passions? Nya turned her head to study Abashai in a more distinct way. She didn't believe a word of it. He was passionate about things - books, his Benshira people, all his blasted weapons (which she learned about after leaving fingerprints on a freshly oiled blade which she thought made a good mirror for a moment). She also wondered what he'd forgotten and left? The desert? Well that one was obvious, but hopefully he'd not left anything important behind. The part about new affections? One he will not seek to undo or leave? Her head swiveled around and she off handedly looked for a Benshira female that might be lurking in the shadows. Benshira women, in Nya's mind, were creatures of perfection and objects of her scorn since they were the only ones Abashai could feel such things for.

"Are you alright?" She asked Sondra, for when the Konti released his hand, a strange expression crossed over her face. It was a lot like discomfort or pain. Nya folded her hands behind her back unconsciously. If the woman saw the past, there was no need for her to touch Nya's hands, and upset her bondmate. Eating people was already a sore spot with Abashai, and Nya didn't want him reminded of it for a minute. But there was more... blood, wires, magic, oaths she couldn't break. None of it were things Abashai needed to know - at least not yet.

She was saved in that instant because she smelled snake mingled with Stitch and Avi's scent, then and there, as clearly as if it was slithering at her feet. Her head swiveled, her eyes widened, and her gaze traveled to where they stood. A third person stood with them. Nya growled, low in her throat, and left the konti and her bondmate abruptly - stalking away. She could smell Stitch. She could smell Avi. And she could smell the third person - snake through and through. She didn't know if it was kelvic, though she'd never heard of a reptilian one, but she did now she didn't want it standing by her friends.

She paused in front of it, where she could defend her friends, and said in a low dangerous voice. "Get away from them. I can smell you. And it smells like nothing good." She was in full fledged attack mode, but because her bondmate was there, she gave the creature full warning and a chance to leave before she attacked. It wasn't a chance she'd give him in the wild.

[Azar]

Azar was starting to think she should head in for the night. It had been an uneventful and boring evening; nothing worthy of memory. She tore her gaze away from the dancers and started to shove (not to gently) her way through the crowd. Maybe it was fate or maybe it was just chance, but Azar was soon swept up and pushed along in a wave of people. A streak of purple flashed in her vision, and she found herself on a collision course with a watery-eyed Vantha.

“Excuse me!” She called, a bit desperately. She did not want to spend her last few moments at this festival crushed to the ground.

Azar had had to twist awkwardly but she managed to avoid crashing into the Vantha. She regained her balance, struggled out from the mass of people and stood for a moment, brushing dust from her borrowed clothes. When she glanced up, she saw a green-eyed woman, possibly a Kelvic, challenging a leather-clad man.

Maybe this evening wont be so uneventful after all, she thought hopefully.

For mere seconds she contemplated just leaving, then she thought a bit about joining the situation. She took a cautious step forward and opened her mouth to say something like, “Hey, this was an open invitation, wasn’t it? Can’t we all just get along?” But something stopped her, maybe it was the look on the woman’s face or some inner premonition – whatever it was, Azar melted back a few steps and instead watched the events from the crowd.

[Abashai]

Abashai had never had his palm read, but he was surprised to actually feel something of himself flow towards his hand, as if it followed a current that continued into the Konti through her touch. It formed a curious raw connection with the pale woman that made him blush. He glanced up at Sondra, though she was intent upon on his palm.

When the Konti raised her head, he saw the name on her lips, even if she did not utter a sound. The smile fled from his face, his heart seemed to stop beating. What did she see?

Nya appeared, and Abashai felt a cold sweat gather on his brow. What did the Konti see? What would she tell Nya? He stiffly listened to the words foretold by the silver-eyed woman. Sondra's words were true, but carefully vieled. She had indeed seen his past. She did not reveal it, but tantalized Nya enough he was sure. He eyed Sondra carefully, then looked to Nya. His bondmate seemed seemed skeptical of the Konti's words, and he wondered if she would let the seer read her palm. The tense moment was broken as Nya sniffed the air and growled, making a beeline for Avi and Stitch. Abashai sighed in relief, gave Sondra a final, curious glance and hurried after his bondmate, wondering if the snake had seized her attention again.

His long legs brought him to Avi and Stitch as Nya halted suddenly before them. The third man Abashai did not recognize. Nya glared at the leather-clad man, growling. The benshiran stepped closer, ready to intervene if necessary. His bondmate's low, dangerous tone was unmistakably threatening. He trusted Nya's instincts, but not always her tactics. He leaned closer to her, almost giving her a warning. But he paused, giving the kelvic the benefit of the doubt.

As he watched the interaction carefully, he saw a woman approach from the corner of his eye. Her red skirt and bright sash caught his attention. He glanced at her, finding something very interesting in her face. Her skin was honey-colored and smooth. Her long-lashed eyes were bright and crystal blue, quite uncommon in Sylira, but not among Benshira. He wanted to ask her about where she was from, whether she have desert blood, but it would have to wait. Then the woman stepped forward, as if to address the situation. Abashai gave her a soft smile, but held his hand up as a warning. He did not want her to aggravate the forest cat and put herself in danger.