Is Your Daughter Home(Naemi)

[Jarhal Treeshadow]

7th Spring, 511AV

It was a mighty refreshing change of pace to actually have something vaguely resembling directions to a place. Sure, it wasn't as much fun as tracking someone down, but it also didn't take all day. A tent with green swirls might seem like little to go on in an entire city of tents, but compared to having nothing it was trivializing.

The whole thing was rather different than Jarhal was used to, really. How often had he actually asked for directions? How often did he really care if he got lost or not? The times could be counted on one hand, and both happened to be mixed-blood women. Did that say something about him? He hoped not. The real shame was that this might turn out to be his first real friend from his own clan. He couldn't deny that part of that might be from a lack of trying on his part. Hopefully he wouldn't mess it up somehow.

Jarhal rode through the winding lanes of the green tents on his eye-catching strider, Topher. He had said he'd introduce him, after all. He wore his usual earth-tone clothes, with the hood of his green cloak drawn up out of habit rather than need. As the horse took him along with very little input needed on his part, he began to notice a few random passersby giving him little waves. Did they recognize him? Or were they just being polite? Either way, he gave them each a nod in return.

Topher might have really been the source of Jarhal's newfound popularity. The emerald hunter bonded to him knew keenly how much his strider loved to look good. To Jarhal anything but the most basics of grooming was a waste of time, but for his horse he sacrificed all the time necessary. Topher's long mane was braided into four or five cords that all hung to one side, and his coat was brushed clean of any dirt or debris. Frankly, the slumped figure of a green and brown unshaven man on the horse's back looked out of place.

From his horse's back, he saw a tent with swirls over the tops of the rest and smoothly directed his strider toward it. When they arrived in front of Naemi's home, Jarhal swung down from the Yvas and straightened his clothes. Drawing his hood back, he then strode to the entrance of the tent and cleared his throat.

"Hello?" Hesitantly he drew the flap open, suddenly unsure if this was the right tent or not. "Anybody home?"

[Naemi]

Naemi had debated telling her father that she had a visitor coming, only because it might make him even more stressed. He had been having trouble with paying for things, and right now the only way that they were surviving was because Naemi could hunt well. Not only that, but her father’s health had also been getting worse by the day. He could not travel very well and it pained Naemi to see him immobile day after day. Sometimes he would lie still for weeks at a time. Those were the days that she was with him whenever she wasn’t hunting, sitting beside him and getting him whatever he needed. In the end, Naemi had told her father that Jarhal was coming because she figured it would end up better if the visitor was not a surprise. After getting home from first meeting the man, she had tended to her father for most of the night because he was not feeling well. When morning came, however, he was feeling much better and even fixed a nice small meal for them to eat together. She had slept fairly well and the morning was going well so far, making her attitude that much better. She had eaten a small meal with her father and had gone back to her bed to put her usual clothes on. Her favorite dark green shirt, light brown pants and tall brown boots were slipped on as she put her hair up into a messy bun. She had just finished as a voice sounded outside of the tent. It sounded like Jarhal, and as she was beginning to get up, her father beat her to it. Her father, Gao had walked to the tent flap and held it open, “We’ve been expecting you…” he said, “come on in” Naemi smiled as her father’s face looked serious, but she could tell he was excited to have a visitor.

[Jarhal Treeshadow]

Jarhal followed Naemi's father in and just began to start looking around when he stopped himself. Making a good impression was more important than sating his curiosity. What was there to see anyway? It was a tent like thousands of others. A tent of a hunter, which made it absolutely certain it contained little Jarhal had not seen many times before. The only thing that hunters kept of interest to other hunters were trophies, antlers and fur and all the things made with either, which was also the first thing a hunter would invite curiosity on. But trophies could wait.

"Pleased to meet you, Ankal of the Jaydefire." Jarhal inclined his head slightly and placed his palm on his heart. "You have a warm home and a beautiful daughter. I hope you don't mind me visiting." He complimented the man about his home and daughter like someone would compliment a man's horse. It was just simple truth.

He kept his attention focused on Gao, but he did give a nod in greeting to Naemi as he mentioned her. As he studied the man's face, he saw the wrinkles of age and wondered how long he had spent on the plains. How many beasts he had killed. It felt comfortable to deal with someone cut from the same cloth as himself. For now though, he just wanted to pay respect to the Ankal of the pavilion. They were the ones who could throw you out if they decided they didn't like you.

[Naemi]

Jarhal had entered the tent and had greeted her father with a respectful compliment. Gao nodded briefly and then patted Jarhal on the back. It was obvious that her father liked her friend, for what reason, Naemi did not know. It could have been the fact that he was also a hunter like they were or maybe her father was just pleased that Naemi had not brought home another one of the various wounded animals that she had found hunting. The animals had found rest in their tent while they recovered, and loved Naemi but vaguely annoyed her father. Naemi had smiled as Jarhal glanced at her while mentioning her to Gao. Her father had spoken up again, “Thank you young man,” Gao’s gruff voice made him sound older than he was, but it gave him an air of authority, “You are welcome here anytime…” He had then ushered the young man toward a wooden chair, one of four that occupied their tent. As the men sat down, Naemi became the respectful woman of the tent and approached them, “Can I get you a drink?” her question was directed more toward Jarhal, but also toward her father, as the older man nodded slightly. Gao had spoken up again, directing his attention toward the visitor as Naemi quietly stood beside them, “So son, tell me about yourself. You must be an interesting person to have captured my daughter’s attention,” a small smile was given to Jarhal as Gao leaned forward and pretended to whisper, “she does not get along with everyone…” Naemi blushed slightly as she turned to pour drinks, her face becoming pink. It was true that she did not have many friends, but Naemi liked it that was. It allowed her to spend more time immersed in nature.

[Jarhal Treeshadow]

Jarhal nodded graciously as it became apparent that he had made a good first impression. He held his cloak to one side and sat on the wooden chair offered him. Now was when he began to glance about at things, looking for anything of even passing interest. Bows, antlers, knives, fur clothing... the sorts of things that usually had a story wrapped up in them in some way or another. There was little time to find anything to comment on before Naemi asked him if he'd like a drink, and the conversation began again.

"Water, please. Thank you." He smiled as he answered the woman, and then turned his attention away from her eyes and back to her father.

Was he an interesting person? There were many more enthralling sorts of people in Endrykas. Men more handsome, warriors stronger, and scholars more intelligent. His interests were simple, really, and most of his days consisted of the same thing. Most of what he knew would bore anyone that wasn't from the Emerald clan, and maybe bore a good number of those that were. But the other day on the plains Jarhal could tell that there was some great similarities between Naemi and himself. It was why he was here, really.

"I'm just a hunter, sir. Your daughter happens to have similar tastes in scenery." Was it just polite humbleness? Jarhal believed what he said. "Usually I enjoy nature by myself and find it more interesting than most people I meet, to be honest. Naemi is the first person I've met since my brothers died to, I believe, really understand that and share it. It was very..." He almost said attractive, but he wasn't quite sure he wanted to go that far. Especially not to her father. "Very refreshing. I forgot how nice it was to have somebody to share the view with, sometimes. Well, besides a dog or a horse."

He was unsure what more to say, so he ended there with a shrug. "I'm not really that that interesting though, just a hunter. You and your daughter have more to tell. I'm particularly interested in what your wife was like. I've never met Benshira."

Maybe another person would have avoid such a discussion so quickly, but he was not another person. He was Jarhal Treeshadow.