[Flashback] Sun Kisses and Bright Smiles [Kashik]

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Timestamp: Day 33rd of Spring, AV 501

"Ah yeah, that's a good boy. Who's a good strong dog? That's right, you are. Good boy Nibbles." Eldon had taken a liking to the Diamond Clan's general area within the roaming city. It was always interesting seeing the warriors at work, training, even on occasion he took to watching them, studying their moves, and even rarely he got to practice with them on occasion. At nearly fourteen years old, Eldon was beginning to show some signs of manhood. He wasn't nearly as muscular as he would be in his full fledged adult hood, but his arms were no longer scrawny. They had a little meat, a slight tone to them, and while he was far from impressive in reality, he felt very impressive. Eldon fed Nibbles the dog another small piece of rabbit meat, the last of it. He was already developing a sly nature about him, drawing the girl's dog out with food and promises of petting, it was a first, yet clever. She would, at some point, come looking for the dog. At least he hoped as much. It was part of his plan after all. Of course she would find Eldon and Nibbles at a much friendlier stance with each other than their first day meeting, a spear to the puppy's ribs and the terrified shock of being chased by a child with a warcry, it had to be terrible. At least they all seemed to forget about the cruel terrible past and moved on. Eldon sat on the ground as the dog lay in his lap, motionless except for the patting and rubbing from Eldon's hands. He was proud, earned his first official windmark, just a small one, but it was for the recognition of surviving his initiation into reimancy. His father was perhaps a little crazy to do it at such a young age, but Eldon proved strong enough. Even now, only faint pink lines on this forearms were the remainder of his initiation. That and, of course, the ability to conjure water. His father told him not to use it without supervision though. It was too dangerous for someone his age. "Where's your Brightsmile, eh? Doesn't she ever wonder where you are?" Eldon teased the dog lightly, of course he got no verbal response, or any acknowledgement what-so-ever. He seemed content to just lie there, soaking up sun rays and being loved on.

[Kashik]

"I don't know where the stupid dog is, Eamonn!" a voice yelled out from the other side of the tent. "Maybe he saw your ugly face and made a run for it, eh?" There was a low-pitched answer, and the sound of something crashing and breaking, and then a wave of giggles before Kashik came careening around the corner.

Unlike Eldon, she hadn't gotten much taller - still a slight thing, not even as tall as her Strider's shoulder. But womanhood was upon her just as surely as manhood was transforming Eldon. Softer instead of harder; though the sleeveless linen tunic she wore showed off the muscles that an early training in spear-fighting had earned her, they also did little to hide the curves that had accompanied the passing years. She'd bloomed early, as her mother had before her, and though she hadn't yet learned to use her body as a weapon, it made the blade of it no less sharp.

When she saw the young Sunkiss heir seated near her tent, she scrambled to a halt and just stared at him a moment. Nibbles, knowing that that look was a precursor to trouble, gave a playful bark and lit a hasty retreat back to the tent.

One breath, that's all the time he had to take in what she'd become in the months since their families had last laid their pavilions near enough for them to play the part of friends. One breath, and then she gave a shriek of joy and launched herself across the clearing. She dove onto him in some overly-excited cross between a hug and a tackle, rolling them both over in the grass as she laughed through it all.

When they finally came to a stop, she threw him flat on his back and climbed across his chest, then punched him in the shoulder as hard as she could. "Where have you been, you monster! It's been ages since I've seen you!" she growled, though she smiled through her fake anger.

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Eldon heard the arguing from a ways away, he felt an awkward knot, always that damned knot of anxiety, in his gut. He was beginning to think maybe it was a bad idea to lure the dog away like this. He, of course, could not have foreseen a little verbal war within the Brightsmile Pavilion, but nevertheless, he heard it. "You'll protect me if her father comes to kill me someday, right?" The only response he was awarded was the moist panting of the dog, who had an interesting yet foul breath that almost made him gag. He would have to remember that next time have a face-to-face conversation with the canine. Nibbles saw Kashik before Eldon, and it wasn't until the dog barked and fled that Eldon turned his head to see her. She stared at him and he at her. Was he in trouble? Well, he did somewhat kidnap their dog for the purpose of luring her out here. Still though, she looked so much more mature, where as Eldon probably just looked goofy. His freckles didn't fade at all, as much as he hoped they would, and she looked as muscular, if not more so, than he did, which was disheartening. Yet still, she was beautiful. Perhaps it just the rather new installation of hormones that told him this, but still, he had always felt very close to her, or at least over the years he became attached to her. Eldon had started to stand, yet before he even manage that he was thrown to the ground. Eldon found himself lying face up, dazed, and with Kashik sitting on his chest. He was practically pinned, and even though he probably had the strength to toss her off of him, he just sat there, a smirk across his face. Then she punched him. He winced for only a moment (that actually stun, she was stronger) before returning to a grin. "Hey there, Brightsmile. Glad to see you living up to the name. Did you miss me?" Eldon sure as hell did. His father had been keeping him busy, the Initiation just last season, training daily. Forced to stay in bed for precaution, and the few days he was let out, his father and he were riding or hunting or training. He loved his father to death, no doubt, but he could only take so much of the man before he started to feel imprisoned. Finally he was given the 'okay' to roam Endrykas again, with a few new rules attached of course. With power come responsibility. And of course there was the two seasons in Riverfall before the reimancy. Two most terrifying seasons of his life. He was without a doubt petrified of those blue men. Eldon stared up at Kashik, it was only a rare occasion that the were this close, and he can't recall a more awkward position to be trapped in. "Well, my father took me to Riverfall. We've been there two seasons. When we returned he was convinced I had to be initiated, then he says I was lucky to live and wasn't allowed to leave bed for days. Today I was set free, for a little while at least. I'm sure I'll be put to work soon. It's like we always said, I'm bound to be a water maker." Eldon smiled, he was a little more proud of the title after growing up a few years. As a child it felt weak, worthless, but now he understood more, he saw the droughts the plains offered, and he knew how desperate the people could be for drink. It's why Eldon also followed in his father's footsteps for focusing additional attention towards Makutsi. The Rain Goddess could easily dispel so much anguish on them, and every rainfall, no matter how short, was a tremendous blessing.

[Kashik]

Her grin somehow managed to turn up the wattage at his greeting, and she shimmied back before grabbing fistfuls of his shirt and yanking him up to a sitting position for a proper hug. Arms thrown around his neck, he just hugged him for a moment and breathed the familiar scent of the boy who'd been one of her best friends for years now.

It didn't occur to her, of course, that she was basically in his lap. No head for such things yet, not yet.

When she finally released him to tell his story, she simply sat and listened, arms propped on his shoulders and her eyes wide as he told of being bedridden. "Oh, petch me, are you all right? I didn't mean to..." she said, suddenly awkward, and her own dark cheeks flushed rose. "Here, come on," she said, scrambling to her feet and grabbing his hand to drag him up as well. "I've got some wine stashed, let's go celebrate, huh? And you can tell me all about Riverfall. I've never been, you know, but I hear they've amazing training facilities for fighters. But my da says I'm not to go, cause they'll keep me or something. I dunno, it was all very weird," she said with a roll of her eyes and another bright grin, twining her fingers with his and pulling him back towards the tent flap. "Do you like it? Being a water maker? I always knew you'd do it," she said, pride and confidence in him shining bright on her face.

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Eldon was pulled up into a more natural sitting position, though Kashik sitting there on his lap still wasn't particularly natural. It probably looked a little more acceptable than her looming over him like a Lioness watching her defeated prey. Held her arms reach around him, he of course did the same. He did miss her to be brutally honest. "No, it's okay. I'm fine. My father is just worried. You know how overprotective he is. He's determined to keep the Sunkiss name alive." Eldon saw a blush infect her for once. It was such a rare occasion to see the darker skinned Drykas Kashik light up like that, a deep crimson-like blush. He grinned as Kashik stood up, grabbing his arms and pulling him up to a stand once again. Eldon had, over the past few years, gotten accustomed to being pushed and dragged around by the girl. She always knew what she wanted, where she wanted to go, what she wanted to do, and it was rare she either asked his opinion or would even give in to his fear of getting into trouble (which had almost entirely dissipated by now). "You say wine?" There it was, that last bit of hesitation left within him. That, certainly, would anger his father if he was discovered drunk. He assumed, or perhaps hoped, she had something cheap, not particularly strong, or at least not a lot of it. "I wasn't in Riverfall too long, but long enough to grow a dislike for the place. It's terrifying seeing men two feet taller than you. Even their kids are so huge!" "Well, sure. I originally came by to see Nibbles today, but I suppose if you must drag me away I can come with." Eldon grinned as he followed Kashik. "Well, I haven't done much yet. I would say I'm a full fledged water maker. Father has forbidden me to make water unless he can watch over me. He says Overgiving is worse than the initiation. I'm still in practice."

[Kashik]

"Yes, wine," she said, laughing as they ducked into the tent. It was empty at this time of day, most of the men out hunting or otherwise killing things while the women were gathering or working on what crafts they had need of. At just barely thirteen, Kashik was yet too young and untrained to be allowed out on the Sea for the more dangerous missions, though her father was more lenient about such things than Eldon's - and her brothers even more so.

And so there weren't any prying eyes to see the two young adventurers as they caught up with each other. "Your father is a nutcase," she said bluntly, rolling her eyes, but she was smiling as she said it. "But I can't really complain because you're still alive. I like you alive," she laughed.

A wave of her hand sent him towards a pile of pillows and cushions near one corner. The bottom of the tent had been rolled up a few inches, allowing a fresh spring breeze to blow in on the little niche. A pitcher of water stood nearby with a scrap of linen covering it to keep the dust and dog hair out. Nibbles himself was sprawled behind the cushions, only the back half of him within the tent as if he wanted to keep an ear on the outside lest he be called.

"Two feet taller?" she asked incredulously, and the scrunch of her face said she didn't really believe him. "You're already almost a foot taller than me and you're trying to tell me they have two whole feet on you?" she squeaked, paying more attention to him them what she was doing - which was digging around in a pile of belongings until she found the bottle of wine she'd stashed. It was only about halfway full, but that meant maybe two glasses for each of them. Not that she grabbed glasses - she just snatched the bottle and skipped back over to the corner to plop herself right at his side, legs folded under her and one thigh laid alongside his. She struggled to yank the cork out, then offered the first sip to him as she snuggled against the pile of cushions until she was comfortable, her shoulder touching his as well. "What was it like?" she said, her voice a little more serious, and she blushed again inexplicably as she looked up at his face so close to hers. Freckles now stood out against her cheeks as well, evidence of much time spent in the sun, and she bit her lip just a moment though her gaze on his didn't waver. "The initiation I mean. I hear it's... well, you hear rumors. No one really wants to say."

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Eldon was led inside the Pavilion like a docile little lamb, easily commanded, not so much as a twitch to struggle against Kashik, as always. He found himself sitting down, watching as Kashik searched for the bottle of wine she mentioned. And he might or might not have focused briefly on her butt as she was preoccupied with searching for the bottle. Shameful! Eldon, he thought, looked away before she noticed. It wasn't that he cared he was looking at her like that, but it would be embarrassing, and he was known to light up like a sunburned baby even at the slightest embarrassment. "That's a little extreme. I prefer just a standard lunatic though." Eldon grinned. He didn't truly believe his father was insane, but there were plenty of days fresh and stale in his mind that forced him to believe otherwise. "I still care about him though. He's doing his best to be a father and two mothers, just not doing a great job being feminine. It's all for the best. That's what I keep telling myself." Eldon grinned, hearing her say 'I like you.' It was only a brief moment later he heard 'alive' on top of that. An extra word than he preferred to hear, but he would live with it for now. "Oh yeah, two feet taller than me. Goodness, they are built like some monster I've never even dreamed of. I've never been so scared in my life of going outside as when I was there. They have some weird code of honor though, it sounds a little reasonable though, a little like Drykas, except there's more killing and fighting involved. They are so focused on it." Eldon subconsciously held his breath as Kashik came and sat next to him. Right beside him. She was actually leaning against him, so close. Like the young teenager he was, his heart was pounding violently in his chest. He took the bottle in his hands and smiled. "I uh, I was about to say ladies first but. If you insist." Eldon took a took a drink from the bottle, a small one. He hadn't intended to consume the rest of her bottle himself. Hell, he didn't even intend to drink much. "How was it?" Eldon shrugged his shoulders as he gave a short 'meh' sound. "It's no big deal. Really weird feeling. A little hard to explain." Eldon found the experience terrible. His body dry heaved for hours during and after the event, the feeling of his father's res moving through his body made him want to tremble in fear and scream in burning pain. The sensations were so foreign to him, yet in that moments were everywhere inside. He felt several times that he was going to die, perhaps even by asphyxiation. Eldon glanced at Kashik, she was blushing again, looking at him. "It takes a while for it to kick in, but I thought I was going to die."

[Kashik]

She listened to his short story with wide eyes, and heard some things he didn't say as well. When he finished, she took the bottle from him, her eyes drifting down to their hands. She lifted the wine as if to drink, and then paused to swallow harshly. "I... If you'd died, I would have killed you," she said in a rush, and then tipped the bottle back and took a few quick gulps. She handed it back to him, swallowing with a wince although a few shimmering drops clung to her lips. "Seriously. Killed you. You didn't... I didn't even know you were going off to do that, all I knew was you were going to Riverfall. What if you'd died?" she said, scowling up at him. "You ever do anything like that again, I'll punch your lights out, you hear?"

As angry as her expression and her words were, there was a bit of fear trembling behind her voice and flashing through her jewel-bright eyes. She was upset that he might have died - that much was clear even through the gruffness of her demeanor as she shoved the bottle back into his hands.

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Eldon nodded slowly, a faint smirk, a weak forced smirk, was frozen to his lips. He hadn't any idea that they were going to stay in Riverfall so long. It was some job, Eldon's father was brought along by two healers, they got word of an Akalak that needed serious treatment, and despite not being a healer himself, clean, fresh, pure water was a necessity. His father was a widower, Eldon was his only remaining child that really needed him, it made sense that the Sunkiss be chosen, and he of course took Eldon with him, not daring to leave him unprotected for who-knows-how-long. They stayed until the Akalak was healed from his illness and they kept the sickness, whether it was contagious or not, from spreading, but it took two full seasons from the day they left, to the day they returned. Eldon watched the entire time, fearing to do anything else with the Akalak giants roaming the city. Something during that event told his father Eldon was ready, like he felt the readiness rather than seeing it or waiting until it should have come about. That's why the initiation was not to wait. "I know. I'm sorry, I didn't even know what my dad was doing. I didn't think we'd be gone so long. I won't do that again." Eldon took the bottle, almost dropping it as she roughly passed it too him. It didn't take a mind reader to realize she had been tormented by his absence, by worry. He felt terrible doing that to her, despite having no say or control over what had happened. He was a child, his father's word was law. Eldon's hands did not bring the drink up to his lips, as if the bottle just gained two hundred pounds. It rested on the ground, his hand lightly holding the neck. His eyes were distracted, jumping from her eyes to her lips. They were glistening, taunting him. He met her gaze again, she was so upset. He finally lifted the drink to his lips and matched her, swallow for swallow. He gave a short weak wheeze as he offered the bottle back to Kashik. "I bet you probably hate me for that, huh?"

[Kashik]

There were a few awkward moments as she stared at the wine bottle in his hands and he stared at her face, and she felt a blush blaze its way across her cheeks again. Why was this so strange? It had never been so strange around him before. Her eyes stuck to the scars on his hands, his arms, and she swallowed harshly and looked away as he lifted the bottle. He could have died.

His words, though, caught her attention. She flinched a little and glanced up at him, meeting his gaze with utter surprise. "Hate you? Of course not, you idiot. You're the best friend I have. Being pissed at you isn't the same as hating you." With that she wrinkled her nose at him, and took the bottle back. "I'm just... you're not... I'm the one who's supposed to be risking their life," she blurted out in frustration, completely unsure what she was going to say until she said it. "You're not... I'm not used to... I was worried!" she stammered. The blush grew more intense, spreading down her throat and across her chest until she looked as if she were sunburned. It must have been strange - for once, it was Kashik stuttering and blushing and worried for his safety instead of the other way around.

She took another gulp of wine, then swiped a finger across her bottom lip. "I don't hate you, you ass," she muttered, frowning fiercely to hide the confusion she was feeling.