The wind is free... [Emizal]

[Severn]

83 Spring 511

...But the sand goes where it is blown. When swept away by the river of destiny, what chance does one man have of swiming against the current? What is one lone grain of sand in the sea? These are questions a stranger was asking himself as he stood in the streets of Alvadas. A lone Benshira, away from his desert, his home, a single grain of sand lost in the sea.

"I should have never joined up with that mercenary band." The young man said to himself in Shiber, the native language of the Benshira. "I came here thinking there would be mizas to be made, but all I found is death." He spoke in Shiber as he clutched a hastily and poorly bandaged wound on his left arm. "Now I'm about to waste what little mizas I have on healing and a guide to get me out of here."

It was obvious this man was a mercenary who got involved with the wrong kind of people, only to almost end up dead in a fight that probably got the rest of his band killed. And he obviously had no skill whatsoever in treating a wound, his arm was simply wrapped in a strip of cloth torn from his cloak and left untreated, the wound would eventually fester.

The young man sighed, a heavy sigh, and looked around the streets of the city, unsure of what to do. He was one grain of sand lost in the sea, in a land he did not belong, who's people he did not understand.

[Emizal Silverden]

Javi walked the streets next to the clicks of the horses hoofs. her eyes looking side to side watching the walls of the buildings. Her tail was still tucked, she was not happy with the closed streets and barrow passages. Sevian nodded his head biting at the dog trying to bring her back to the issue at hand. The large stallion flicked his tail, also uneasy with the confined space given to move.

Emizal sat a top her strider calm and clear minded. This city was far different then what she imagined. The people where friendly wanting to help, but with Emizals lack of common unable her to speak clearly with them. She looked up the winding streets wondering if she should step down from her strider and walk. Just then Javi perked up, she let out a low growl combined with a bark. Sevian stomped his hoof as he cane to a stop. Being a warrior she knew this reaction, there was blood or danger near by. "Javi, seek it out."

Javi started off, she walked the streets forever looking ahead. Emizal kicked the side of Sevian and motioned him forward. They turned and twist down the winding roads, Javi dutifully following the sent. Soon Javi stopped and grilled a bit,looking back at Emizal. Emizal dismounted and walked from here. She saw what Javi seeked,it was a man dressed in tathired clothing,he dawned a headdress and looked out of place. She saw blood coming from his arm.she sighed,healing wad not her strong point. She patted Javi's head, "good girl" she spoke in Pavi. She didn't take her eyes off this man,fir she didn't know if he was friend or foe, so infill then she remained alert.

She slowly walked back to her strider grabbing hold of a bag, she turned to face the man slowly approaching him. "I helv" she spoke in common, badly broken and Healy accented. She held her hands up to show him she held no weapon, but that didn't mean she was defenseless. "me goos" she reached him looking into his eyes, ice blue just a shade lighter then her own, "I helv". She said once more.

Javi stayed with Sevian, both watching from a short distance away,both ready to rush in at moments notice.

[Severn]

The stranger looked at the girl and sighed. "Why you help a stranger? Not much people do that." He spoke to her in a strangely accented common. "Though if you help me, I thank you. Maybe there still good people in this world." He continued. "I am Severn, of tents of Akil, of sons of Malech." He said as he pointed towards himself, seeing that the girl wasn't very good with common either.

He raised his hand from the hilt of his scimitar to adjust his shroud again, it seemed to be a reflex for him. The man obviously had some reason to hide his face behind a shroud. He looked like a fearsome predator about to pounce any moment, especially because of his cold blue eyes which held a predatory intelligence. "May Yahal watch you, stranger." He said to her what seemed to be some sort of blessing, though he didn't quite form the sentence correctly.

"I am stranger here. But I see you are stranger as well. Why you in this city, so far from Cyphrus home?" He asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice. Overall, a strange sight, a Benshira so far away from Eyktol. And what he did next was even stranger. He pulled 3 gold mizas from his purse, handing them over to the girl. "For you help."

[Emizal Silverden]

Emizal looked at him and raised her eyebrow, this man was talking to fast. She couldnt understand him very well. She sighed as she looked away from his eyes to his arm. Yes it was a wound. It needed to be tired up till she could get him to someone that would be able to help more then that. She set down her bag, opening it. She found a blanket and ripped a shred off it. She looked up to the man who was still talking, he pointed at himself and spoke the word "Severn", that must be his name, Emizal thought. She stood and grabbed his arm, pulling it out to bandage it. The man fixed his head dress, hiding behind cloth. She smirked.

"Emizal Windsong," she said as she pointed at herself, "Daughter of the Diamond Clan" she spoke the rest in Pavi, "Wawwerr" she said in common pointing to herself. She then pulled her tie string out of her hair, her braid falling out, her long dark hair waved down her back. She held his arm in one hand, using her other to wrap the torn blanket around his wound. Using the tie string she took from her hair, She wrapped half around the bottom end, using her free hand and her mouth to tie it down, then ripping the extra off. She then tied the top similar to the bottom. "Dar," she let go of his harm and grabbed her bag, picking it up he held out gold Mizas, He spoke again and tried to hand them to her.

Emizal laughed, "No," She gently pushed his hand back to him, "You need helz" she smiled, "No me, iz bad." she said pointing to the newly wrapped arm. She walked back to her Strider and placed the bag back on the horse. "Javi, Sevian" she said back to Severn, "Compainyons" She smiled as Javi walked closer to him, sniffing at his side.

[Severn]

The warrior looked at the girl with thoughtful eyes. "Emizal. Thank you." He said to her and raised his other hand, removing the shroud from his face, revealling the ugly scar running across the right side of his face, from the temple, all the way down almost to his mouth. His features were harsh and windswept, making him seem years older than he actually was.

"I came here to look for job. But I find a friend. Friend better than job." He spoke in his badly accented common. "Why you here, in Alvadas?" He asked her again, this time speaking slower so she could understand. He smiled as she refused his mizas. "Rare... how to say... quality. Rare quality in person to help others. No one help me for free before. Where to buy horse here in city? I have no horse. Horse belonged to mercenary partner. Mercenary partner sold horse when we came into city. To buy weapons, he said. Spend it all on drink instead."

He looked at her with his clear eyes, then at her dog and her horse. "Nice companions" He said to her, thinking I wouldn't want to get chewed up by that dog. as he looked at the large war dog. He then looked back up at the girl and seemed to hesitate for a moment. "I came here with band of mercenaries. Mercenary partners found no work. Spend all mizas on drink. Then tried to rob people. I said no. The guards came. We drew swords."

[Emizal Silverden]

He spoke her name, she turned to face him, He took of his head dress, showing scars that ran down his face, it made him appear 5 years her senior. She blinked several times, wondering why and how her received them. Her face didn't show shock for she seen plenty of men with scares, being from a clan of warriors, many of her tent mates had them. It didnt even show distaste. She tilted her head, wondering what she should say. Sevian her strider pushed her back, She fell somewhat forward and looked back at Sevian, "That wasnt very polite." she said as she came out of her daze. Sevian blew at her towards Severn "And im trying to help him, but understanding him is hard." she scold the stallion. Sevian shook his head, his mane flying around, "Dont you dare give me atitude! Im trying!" she said to the horse, she turned and sighed. Walking back to Severn.

"Sowwy. Comman is bad." she smiled politly, "Here to ress, lond trwp." she blushed knowing that her common was terrible. "You need Helz?" she said agian, "Howse,"she pointed to her Stallion. "I helz" she smiled and sighed, this was going to be harder then what it seemed. She whistled to Javi and walked back over to Sevian, "Come" she said in Pavi, making motions as to bring one forth "I Helz." her eyes remained on his, she didnt even glace at the scar, for it was a part of life, plus even if she wanted to know the story behind it, he wouldnt understand the question.

Javi came to her side looking back at the man. She heard him speak slow, then some words she understood all to well. Rob, and mercenaries. She turned to face him, her eyes a bit harder, colder. "Bad pewple" she spoke, she looked down to her companions, "I be ok," she looked to him again, "yos," she said pointing to him, "not ok," she motioned him to come again, "eh...Come" she spoke in Pavi once more.

[Severn]

The warrior couldn't help but smile at her argument with the animals. Though he couldn't understand one word, the situation still seemed a bit funny to him. He watched her, trying do descipher what she said for a moment. "Ah. So you here to rest. After long journey." He said to her. He tilted his head, not understanding what exactly she wanted, but he followed her when she gestured him to follow.

"Mercenary work is hard. Hard to find job. Sometimes, mercenaries start to drink. They drink much, spend all mizas on drink. Then run out of mizas. Sometimes, mercenaries steal from people, when not find work. When mercenaries find work, often bad paid. Often merchants be greedy, not pay much. Hire few mercenaries. Bandits attack. Mercenaries die because merchants greedy. Life is hard for mercenary." He spoke to her, trying to explain why he ended up in the situation he was now.

"I was desperate. Needed job. Heard talk of work in Alvadas. Joined band of mercenaries. Came here to find work. Boss of mercenary band stupid. He boast much. Not good with sword. He was all talk, no do. We not find job because him. Then he sold horse. We could left. Had good tracker in mercenary band, knew surviving in wild. But stupid boss sold horse. Bought drink instead.

[Emizal Silverden]

She smiled as she listened to his voice she only understood some of what he said, but she got the just of it, he came here with others and they left him or he left them...what ever the case he was alone and in need of medical attention, also a horse. "We go fin Howse." she said to him, looking at him from the side, "Thaz whaz you Nee?" she blushed agian, she needed to find a translator. "Javi," the dog looked up and barked a deep bark, Emizal used grassland sign, the dog wagged his tail and ran off. "She fin stabzes." she shook her head, "Stablzs" She turned and looked at him "you get?"

Sevian nipped at Emizals shirt, trying to get her to pay attention on the road, or what was in the road. A man stood there smiling, he pointed at her and spoke common.

"You GIRL!" he smiled "How bout you give me that horse?!" he chuckled.

Emizal eyes narrowed. "You would be polite to address me better then that," she spoke pavi, her voice was stern and straight forward. "And as for my Strider, one of your nature could never impress him" she reached to the back of the horse, laying her hand on her long bow.

"Yuz fihte?" she spoke with Severn "dars moor" she said as more came out if hiding.

[Severn]

The mercenary looked at the bandits. "Good thing my sword arm isn't injured." He said to himself in Shiber as he drew his scimitar. "You, bandit. I am mercenary. Hired to defend this girl. Know who she is? Her father big chieftain, has many warriors. Many mizas and mercenaries. You stupid if you attack her." He warned the robber.

Some of the robbers already looked confused. "There are more mercenaries, hidden, you no see them. You outnumbered." Severn continued, reversing the grip on his scimitar as he slowly walked towards the group of robbers. Two of them ran off, but one of the robbers laughed at the Benshira. "I heard you talk earlier. I'm not scared of an injured halfwit mercenary who can't even speak properly." The man said and drew a long knife. The others laughed as well and drew cudgels, knives and even a shortsword.

The mercenary didn't give them time to react. These were clearly petty thieves with barely any training beyond streetfighting experience. Despite his lack of actual combat experience, with his superior training, Severn knew he could defeat any one of them, even with an injured arm. So he slashed with his scimitar, almost decapitating the first robber, who was taken by surprise. He then blocked a blow from a second robber's cudgel and dodged a third one with a knife, only to be hit by another cudgel across the back.

He struck another robber in the face with the hilt of the scimitar, then turned and slashed at another, hitting his opponent just below the neck, causing an injury. Then, Severn attempted to surprise another one by stabbing backwards at him, but the robber dodged the attack. Finally, the robber with the shortsword attacked Severn with a downward slash of his weapon. Severn blocked it and kicked the man hard in the ribs, distracting him for a split second, then stabbing him with his scimitar. "There goes the swordsman." He said to himself in Shiber, as he killed the opponent he considered the most dangerous, but failed to dodge another knife wielding thug, who managed to land a cut on his ribs, almost stabbing him.

[Emizal Silverden]

Emizal was already in motion once the first bandit lunged, she grabbed hold of her long bow, unstrapping it with one movement off Sevian, then dodging one bandit that ran at her she slid under her Srtider, to his flank to grab the arrows. Sevian bucked knocking the guy off balance and trampling towards him. The wild Strider then back kicked another to prevent him from mounting him.

Emizal smiled at this, years together made their bond strong, and no one was able to get to her or that horse as long as they lived. She notched a arrow onto the bow string, pulling back she, she aimed for a bandits hand who held a knife, she fired, the arrow flew straight through the mans hands, causing him to drop the knife and scream out. She quickly notched another arrow, preparing to fire again, only to get hit from behind. It was a heavy blow that knocked the air out of her, she fell to her knees and gasped. She still clutched on to her arrow, feeling the man behind her she flipped to her back side, the man came falling down on her, landing on the arrow. It pierced the mans stomach, he fell limply on her. "JAVI!!!" she screamed, as she pushed the now dead man off her.

She rolled over to her side trying to catch her breath, these people met to do them harm, and wanted to kill for her Strider and gold. She pushed herself up grabbing hold of the knife that the man she just killed had. She tossed it up in the air, as she watched the remaining bandits surround her and Severn. "Any bright plans?" she said to the strange man she just met, knowing that he didnt understand a word she said. She held the knife out as she saw one man grab the leads to Sevian. "NO!" she then ran at the nearest bandit, grabbing his shirt and throwing him face first to the ground. She saw red at this point, no one was to touch her Strider, her friend, her chosen one. She clutched the knife in hand, as Sevian bucked several men away. She made it to his side and slashed, striking a man in the face. Then a loud low bark came from behind him as she stood to punch Emizal. Javi heard Emi and came running.

Javi was visios looking, her teeth bared and ears back, her bark was low and dangerous, Javi leaped into the air, snapping at the mans thought. With out time to think, Emizal jumped upon her Sevian and lead him to Severn, she held a hand out for the man to grab hold of, hoping that he would and she could pull him to the safety of the horses back, and they could get the hell out of here before one of them were killed.