A Call to those who hesitate [Blythe, Nari]

[Dusk]

A Call to those who hesitate Prequel to the Syliras Winter Quest "Sinners or Slaves" 1st of Winter, 510 AV The first day of Winter brought with it a slight chill in the air, but it rarely got to be cold in Mura. The tropical isle stood protected from the worst of winter's ravages, and the peaceful denizens of the White Isle were better able to enjoy the blue flare of the watchtower than those on the mainland of Sylira. Even now the women of Mura were gathering in the Unity Circle, greeting each other with quiet smiles, sharing tales and trading baubles and goods. In one quiet corner, a Konti woman sat upon a small cushioned stool with a little table laid out in front of her. Upon it lay a deck of well-worn cards and a single candle, cold and unlit. She smiled to any who looked her way, but didn't seem as if she cared much to hawk her talents to passers-by, content in the knowledge that someone would step up, and that whoever did was meant to step up.

[Blythe]

Blythe slipped through a number of other Konti, searching for a familiar face, but finding none. Her entire family was busy doing other things- her grandmother baking, her mom assisting her, Briar, May, and Mist busy with their pottery, and teaching their children how to make clay pots as well, well the ones that were old enough to learn anyway.

Blythe slipped through the crowd, essentially, unnoticed, or so it seemed, for very few woman stopped to say hello to her. As she walked through the crowd, gradually, the profile of another Konti woman came into view.

In a more quiet corner, away from all the hustle and bustle, the noise that surrounded them in the Unity Circle, sat a Konti woman with a little table laid out in front of her. There was something on the table, but Blythe couldn't get a good look from where she was standing, lost in a small crowd of Konti, who were pushing their way past her, presumably, to meet up with someone else.

Slowly, Blythe began to make her way through the sea of Konti, apologizing profusely each time she stepped on someone's toes, or someone bumped into her. Eventually, she reached the mysterious woman, who looked up at her from a small cushioned stool. The woman had medium-length, wavy, strawberry blonde hair, pale green eyes, and pale skin, which seemed to glow a pale white, with yellow tints.

Blythe glanced down at the woman's table. Upon it, sat a single, unlit pale blue candle, and a stack of cards, that were well-worn and frayed at the edges, when Blythe looked up again, she locked eyes with the mysterious woman, and said, "hello," gesturing towards the stack of cards, she asked, "are you giving readings today?"

[Nari]

Nari inhaled, taking in the scent of milling Murans and wrinkling her nose. It wasn’t that the other Konti smelled bad. Normally, the intermingling of fragrances, both enjoyable and unpleasant, made Nari feel comfortable and calm. Today, however, she was enjoying the freshness of the outdoors, and the blending of bodily odors with dust kicked up from the ground only reminded her of all the work left undone in her small house. She could be practicing her philtering, creating scents that would entice more customers to buy from her. She could be out gathering flowerheads, roots, and bark to enhance her stores. She could be in this very place, laying out her wares and doing her best to entice her sisters into purchasing something. She could, if nothing else, be sleeping in her cozy, blanket-covered bed. Instead, however, she was strolling amongst her people, smiling blandly and nodding to the many she recognized. It was strange how many people you could know but not be particularly close to, where a simple wave of the hand was sufficient interaction for months at a time. Shaking her head to diffuse discouraging thoughts, Nari scanned the crowd for a face that she truly recognized, for a person she would actually want to engage in conversation. She saw family friends, childhood acquaintances, and cousins- all of which fit into the ‘wave’ category. They were kind enough, of course, but distant. Nari never really felt comfortable with them. Oh. Was that Blythe? Would she mind a little company? She seemed to be alone. Well, it couldn’t hurt to say hello, could it? Nari’s feet turned toward her acquaintance, and she plastered a cheesy smile onto her face. She hadn’t even noticed the other woman and her table, so focused was she what she was going to say to Blythe in order to not seem creepy and stalker-ish. “Enjoying the weather?” she asked, approaching behind Blythe’s left shoulder. She winced as she heard the words escape her lips. Really, Nari? The weather? “Oh, are you getting your fortune told?” she amended quickly in hopes that she hadn't sounded incredibly stupid.

[Dusk]

The woman smiled warmly as the pair of Konti approached, as if she'd been waiting just for them. "Welcome, sisters," she said, her voice as soft and fragile as he physical presence. "I am, indeed, giving readings, and it just so happens that I am better with a pair of subjects than a single one. Shall I explore the Chavi for you?" she asked, reaching out to touch a single fingertip to the stack of cards that waited between them.

[Blythe]

Blythe heard several footsteps coming from behind her. She thought nothing of it at first, knowing that she was surrounded by several other Konti, and not all of them stepped lightly. But as the footsteps gradually became louder and louder, Blythe glanced over her shoulder to find another Konti approaching her and the mysterious woman sitting at the table. As she squinted her eyes, and the woman grew closer and closer, Blythe began to realize that she had seen this woman before. In fact, she recognized her steely blue eyes, Nari!

Blythe smiled, and her eyes glistened. Finally, a familiar face! A friend! She thought, as Nari approached them, and Blythe turned her body to the side, so that each of the women could see a portion of her face. Blythe didn't want to seem rude for having her back turned to either of them.

When Nari reached Blythe, Blythe realized that Nari had a stupid grin plastered across her face. It was hard for Blythe not to laugh, or turn away. "Hello Nari," Blythe greeted her as Nari asked, "enjoying the weather?"

Blythe looked at her, slightly confused, what an odd thing to say, and before giving a proper greeting? "It has been... nice..." Blythe's voice trailed off, she cast a glance over at the other Konti woman, before looking back at Nari as she spoke. "Oh, are you getting your fortune told?” Nari asked.

Blythe glanced nervously at the woman who was sitting behind the table, as if searching her eyes, her posture, her face, would supply her with the answer to that question. "I guess..." Blythe replied, her voice trailing off again.

Suddenly, the reader spoke, as though she had waited for the two of them to exchange their pleasantries before she chose to chime in, to remind them that she was present as well. "Welcome, sisters," the woman said. Her voice was soft, fragile; just like her.

Blythe looked over at the reader, locking eyes with her. "I am, indeed, giving readings, and it just so happens that I am better with a pair of subjects than a single one. Shall I explore the Chavi for you?" she asked, reaching out to touch a single fingertip to the stack of cards that waited between them. Blythe glanced over at Nari, giving a slight nod, "sure, why not?" she said.

[Nari]

Nari’s eyes widened as the woman at the table spoke. She seemed ethereal, even compared to many ofher other Sisters. There was something mysterious and reassuring about the delicate, yet sweet sincerity the woman exuded. Nari grimaced, however, when she noted what the woman had actually said. It wasn’t that she was opposed to supporting the gift of a fellow Konti or that she didn’t want to share a reading with Blythe. Those were two things that Nari truly did want to do- especially the latter. That was something friends did, right? Share experiences? Go shopping together, take walks, talk about their lives- that sort of thing. But Nari didn’t like readings. She didn’t like the idea of someone looking into the chavi and telling her things about herself or what was going to happen to her. She had enough problems with her own sight, let alone borrowing problems using someone else’s. What if the woman told her that she was going to be alone her entire life? That she was going to go broke while trying to run her business? That she was going to go insane or die soon? Any or all of those things would destroy little pieces of her will, making life even harder. Who wanted to risk that when life already had it’s discouraging moments? Startling, Nari blinked and shook her head, realizing that she had been inside her own mind for quite some time. Her brow visibly relaxed, and she took a deep breath in order to calm herself. Blythe had said yes to this idea, hadn’t she? Well, that meant she really didn’t have much choice. Unless she wanted to make this encounter uncomfortable for everyone involved- which didn’t sound like the right thing to do. Instead of shaking her head like she wanted, Nari bit her lip and nodded. “Couldn’t hurt,” she added to Blythe’s comment, hoping that she wasn’t going to be proven wrong. She also hoped her voice wasn't as strained as it felt. “This is all new to me. Do we, uh, need to do anything?”

[Dusk]

A soft chuckle escaped the woman's lips as the two Konti girls gave rather unsure affirmatives to the readings. "I am Nualla Natra," she said, smiling warmly again as she set fingertips to the cards and gathered them up into her hands. The well-worn cards slid against her skin like old friends, giving way easily to her fingers as she shuffled them. "Welcome, sisters. Let us see what the days have in store for you." She laid the deck on the table once more, then fanned them out with a skilled flick of her wrist. "You have each been ruled by wanting," she murmured, the childish voice taking on a sing-song quality as her lids fell heavy and languorous over bright eyes. "It is a thread between you, this yearning for more in life, though you do not know it. It is not the thirst for adventure that some feel, no craving for excitement or danger - no, it is purpose you seek," she said with a girlish giggle, blinking widely for a moment. "And purpose you shall find, sooner than you think. Choose a card, my loves," she said, shaking her head a little as if to dispel a fog, and smiled once more as she pointed to the cards fanned out before her.

[Blythe]

Blythe extended her left hand, and passed it over the cards. She knew she should feel a little tug towards one of them, and that the card she was drawn to should be the one that she would pick up. Blythe's hand passed back and forth over the cards, one, two, three times, before it landed on a card more towards the center of the spread than either end. The card was rather worn, and the top right corner was bent inwards, towards the table. The card felt like the pages of an old, and well-read book beneath Blythe's fingertips. She held the card in-between her thumb and remaining fingers, pulling it slowly away from the spread, before twisting it between her fingertips.

Blythe flipped the card over, it showed a wolf standing on a hill, and howling up at the night sky. A crescent moon hung behind a thin layer of clouds. The card was upside-down, and what Blythe recognized instantly as the reverse moon card. The card was associated with white lies and trickery; silence. Blythe stared down at the card, her breath catching in her throat as a bead of sweat appeared on her brow, she held the card out to Nualla. It was face up in her hand. Blythe smiled shyly over at Nualla as her blonde hair fell into the right side of her face, concealing it almost entirely. Blythe didn't bother to push it away as she held out the card expectantly, and whispered, "your turn Nari."

OOCSorry this post is short, and just plain awful, I will do better next time, I promise!

[Nari]

As she watched Blythe’s process in choosing a card, Nari couldn’t help but shiver. She didn’t breathe; she didn’t even blink until her eyes began to burn. She was biting her bottom lip in response to the rising anxiety she felt, and her heart was racing- so it was probably obvious that she was considering running in the opposite direction of the table in front of her and the woman behind it. This was not her comfortable home with the familiar objects and smells that had become dear to her in the past season; this was a precipice, or so it felt, and she was petrified of the consequences of one wrong step. Blythe picked a card and held it out to the fortune teller. Her friend had been reacting strangely as she glanced at it, which did nothing to set Nari’s agitated nerves at ease. Nari had no idea what it meant, and she cursed herself for never having any interest in fortunes in her youth. If she had just spent a little less time with her herbs and a little more time with other Konti, maybe this wouldn’t be affecting her as strongly. When her friend announced that it was her turn, Nari started, her breath rushing into her lungs with almost painful speed. “Oh. Of course,” she said, swallowing audibly. She stretched out the fingers on both her hands, staring at her cultivated nails. When she held them out above the cards, she felt nothing but foolishness. Obviously stalling for time and hoping for some sort of ‘pull’ to help her pick a card, Nari glanced at the seemingly sweet- though very mystical and distant- Konti fortune teller. “Nualla, it is a pleasure to meet you. You seem to know your craft- as well as my innermost desire- quite well,” she said, her voice shaking. Her fingers finally settled on a card that seemed no different from any of the others. Her fingertips brushed it lightly and she took a steadying breath before turning it over. It had some sort of warrior on it, being pulled in a type of armored cart by two horses. That certainly couldn’t be right. Nari was no warrior, and she had only a very few times even seen a horse. She could not have been meant to pick up the chariot card. “ I think I did it wrong,” she mumbled as she held the card back to Nualla, casting an embarrassed glance at Blythe. Her new friend was probably going to think she was an idiot after this.

[Dusk]

Nualla watched the two women choose their cards, an amused little smile tilting one corner of her mouth at their nervousness. She took the Moon Reversed with a nod, setting it carefully in front of her, between the spread of cards and the edge of the table. As Nari fidgeted and stared, and finally spoke her compliment, Nualla chuckled and reached out to take the girl's shaking fingers in her own. Pale green eyes found hers, the shade of sunlight through water, and she smiled again. "Calm, sister. You've nothing to fear from me or the cards. All you need do is choose. It's all you ever need do," she murmured, releasing her fingers and waving her to choose. When the Chariot card appeared, Nualla nodded as if she'd expected just that. She took the card, chuckling as Nari's comment about picking the wrong card. "There is no wrong," she said, taking that card as well and laying it at her left hand as Blythe's was laid at her right. She gathered the rest of the cards in her hands. Closing her eyes a moment, she shuffled them deftly several times and then flipped the first card over between the other two. The Hierophant stared up at them, and for a moment the voluminous feathers of its headdress seemed to extend beyond the mere borders of the card and draw the other two towards it, a bridge between them. Then the women blinked and the moment passed, and Nualla simply smiled up at them both. "You are tied together," she murmured setting the deck of cards down and spreading her fingers against the cards they'd each overturned, caressing them like old friends. "Not because of this - your fates have been drawing you forward for some time. You've felt it, yes? It is why you hesitate. There can be no hesitation without the thing from which you're shying away. You will travel," she said, tapping the Chariot card, "not just physically. A new phase of your existence looms on the horizon, and it will not be an easy transition. You must work together, yes? To find your way through this tumultuous time. You two... and another," she said with a curious tilt of her head. Her fingers moved to the Moon card, and she traced the crescent with a fingernail. "There will be puzzles, and lies and treachery, and you must bring with you the truth. You will not be trusted," she said, tapping the Moon card and then the Chariot, "but you must persevere. You must win, no matter what the cost. No matter what the cost," she said, and the steel that threaded her voice made it clear that that particular part was the most important. Finally her fingers drew together the two cards, and she folded them beneath the Hierophant until only that one remained face-up. "You must know, truly know, what it is you value. The gods will not interfere, but their eyes are upon you, and the decisions made could very well change the course of history." She looked up from the cards, and smiled brightly. "You are cogs in a machine, my darlings, but you are very important cogs. You cannot ignore it any longer. You must answer The Call." As she said it, put words to it, both women would feel something stir deep within their bones. The restlessness, the uncertainty and boredom and vague unease of the last days seemed to coalesce, crystallizing within them like salt on the sand. It became desire, molten and hot, and it pulled them towards the docks as surely as an oasis pulls a dying man in the desert. "It is what we are," Nualla whispered, not without sympathy. "And it is time."