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[Akilah Windsong]

Reading Kaja's look, she turned away from the silent woman, giving her a little space. She knew returning home was overwhelming, her mother occasionally just sat in a corner, watching everyone, whenever she had been away for long.

Listening to her explanation, Akilah blinked for a moment, taking it all in. Putting the words together, their meaning became clear.

So she could only talk to dogs? Thinking, she nodded to herself. That made sense, she was only one animal and so she could only speak one language.

Though, that did ruin her theory that all animals could understand each other.

Glancing at Kaja's hair colour, with its mix of browns and gold, she wondered what else she could do as a human beside understanding dog. Her colouring, Akilah knew, came from her animal form. But she wondered, did it go beyond appearances?

Laughing at the joke, Akilah added, "And you can't even do that all of the time. Some ability." It was kind of funny that their entire conversation was about speaking dog. "Say, can you hear and smell very well too?" Pausing, she realized something. "Is it hard going from human to dog? And back again? Not just changing form, but also...thinking, I guess?" She tried to think of a better way to put it. Dog society was probably a lot different than human society. There probably was less rules, for one. So was it hard, changing thoughts like that, thinking from the view of a dog and then to the view of a human?

Listening to Kaja's story, Akilah's eyes widened. This was probably one of those times she should have thought before speaking. Not everyone was like her, with a relatively good past. Most people, in fact, were not like her, with some tragic event occurring due to the dangerous nature of their world.

And here she went again, without even a little of the tact others possessed.

Grabbing Kaja's hands, she squeezed her fingers as she apologized. "I'm sorry! For what happened to you and for making you recount that too. It must have been bad enough to go through it once."

Unfortunately, she knew the remorse she had right now probably wouldn't stop her from making this mistake again. She was raised to speak her mind, after all, no matter what the consequences were.

[Kaja]

She smiled again at her continuing to ask questions of her. “My hearing and smelling ability is maybe a little above yours, but I wouldn’t say it was much better then yours in human form.” She cocked her head in thought she didn’t really even think about it. I mean sure in her animal form her thoughts were simpler, but that was almost relaxing to be in her animal form and only have to think in basic terms. “Well, I suppose since my animal form is my primary form I would say to be in my dog form is the most natural for me. Human form with all its more complex thought processes and communications and feelings is harder to be in then my dog form.” She shrugged lightly. “As far as my changing is concerned it is nothing to me to change I just think it and I am dog or human.”

When she seemed to feel bad about asking her about Syliras Kaja put her arm around her and said, “It’s okay. I am on an adventure and unfortunately part of my adventures has changed me for a time. I hope not forever, but if it does I will just live with it.” She smiled. “At least I am alive, right?” I mean really her memory loss was frustrating at times but she was still walking, breathing, and talking she could have been dead. In the scheme of things it wasn’t as bad as all that. She allowed her to hold her hands, and comfort her back for having put her through the memories of it, but it wasn’t really all that bad, but she would let it go.

“Do you all just stay where you are within the moving city? I suppose you get little mini adventures when you go to move from place to place, but are there any rite of passages that you might have to do? This for me is sort of my rite of passage as being a female in my family. I am too pick up a bond mate, or pack of my own while my brothers stay home to protect the rest of my family, and pack back home.” She smiled. She knew that she had not been anywhere outside this flowing tents of moving city, but maybe there was something else that let them distinguish themselves.

[Akilah Windsong]

Akilah was a tad bit disappointed. Not entirely, because Kaja could speak to dogs and still hear and smell a little better.

She just couldn't do it to the degree she imagined. At least, not in her human form.

And she was the same person as a human or a dog. Which made sense, but...

She doesn't know how to describe how she's feeling, only that it is probably a little disappointed.

Then again, she reminded herself that she still hadn't learned everything there was to a Kelvic, so perhaps there would be some surprises in the future.

"That's right, at least you're alive." Akilah nodded in agreement. That was one way to look at it, though she couldn't imagine forgetting everything about her past. What if she forgot about her strider?

She shuddered at the thought. They were almost one, and even should she get another strider, as some of her kin have, Adámas will always be special.

Brightening at the questions, familiar territory where she knew her place, she answered eagerly. "Well, we don't always stay in the same place. Some pavilions only join the city for a season or two, or maybe just a few years before splitting apart and going their own way. I've friends I see every few years, depending on when their family decides to return to the city. Because of that, we sometimes end up changing positions in the city, so it's like a living map." Raising her hands, she gestured at the stalls around them. "This used to be on the other side, but we had a few more pavilions join us so we changed positions. It's a little hard for new comers to get used to the city, but you'll find your way in time."

Bondmates? Racking her memory, she realized those were spouses, more or less. As for rites of passage...her smile lowered a little at that.

"Well, the main rite of passage, into adulthood, is when you're sixteen." She had a slightly nervous look on her face. "When you're sixteen, you either get married or you prove yourself, prove that you have strong skills in something useful." Worry entered her voice. "I'm just turning sixteen, so I'm a bit worried about that. If I don't prove myself soon..."

There weren't many who ended up like that, who were at the lowest of the pecking order. She had seen few, though, and those were enough. Despite how their family loved them, those people still had an invisible barrier around them, a look on their faces that spoke of trying and failing.

"Well, I hope I can at least prove my mettle in the battlefield. I want to be a warrior, a protector, like my mother." She smiled at that, patting the sword and bow that were slung on her mount's back. Scratching her horse's ears, she realized she had almost forgotten the most important thing. "Oh, and you aren't really considered a member of the clan until you have earned your windmarks. But that isn't something you can try to get, it only happens if a strider comes to you."

The summer sun shone down on them, and she could feel its heat on her skin. So warm, and summer had just started.

These were the plains, after all. There was no reprieve from the heat.

"Do you have a horse?" Her favourite event was coming up soon, something she had been anticipating every since Adámas had cantered into her life. "We have The Great Race every summer and as long as you have a horse you can enter. I'm going to be trying this year. We haven't really been able to enter before, Adámas was too young, but this year we finally can." A determined look crosses her face, her eyes narrowing as she imagines the race.

[Kaja]

Kaja listened to Akilah as she proudly told her about her people, and how they moved around and did things. It was interesting, but she never could concentrate for very long and she was soon looking around. She didn’t mean to be rude, or ignore people she just got easily distracted when information was filtered to her sometimes. At the moment she was watching on the ground as a fly buzzing about was casting a shadow. If she had been in her dog form she would have started chasing it, but as her human form she couldn’t very well drop on all fours and start smacking at the shadow. When the shadow of Akilah hands crossed before her view she then was drawn to look back up at her and she looked where she gestured. She turned red as she realized some small tiny thing had once again distracted her. She sighed and bent her head, “Sorry…” She looked back up. “Personality flaw sometimes I get distracted if my attention is completely engaged.” Sometimes she was better then others. Shadows unfortunately were a big distraction for her in human or animal form she loved to chase them.

She nodded her head as Akilah explained that she had to prove herself. “So you much train a lot, right?” She asked. She remembered the training she had got in unarmed combat and how hard it had been. She also remembered the session she had, had with Erzotol and that had been very hard. It was probably why Akilah looked so strong. She stretched as the warm sun beat down on her. She was tempted to change and just lay down in it in her dog form, stretch out, and take a nap right here. She was so tempted but this was not the time. She shook her head. “No, I have no horse, and have no experience much with them, except that I think they are beautiful graceful animals.” She smiled at her companion. She licked her lips and cocked her head. “Is there somewhere we could get a drink?” she asked. She was still trying to get her bearings of the city.

[Akilah Windsong]

At some point in her conversation, Akilah realized that Kaja had stopped listening. Watching the other girl for a moment, at the lazy circles her head made as she followed the movements of something, she was reminded of her oldest hound dog. His head would slowly lift out of his aged paws, eyes trained on the small bugs that flitted in front of him. If one got too close, he would snap his jaws at them, his excess skin shaking at the effort. Other wise, he watched them, content in just that.

"Ah, that's okay!" And this was something she had to train herself at, in knowing how much to speak. "I sometimes talk a lot," she winced at that part, not sure if there was a better way to say it in Common, "you should stop me when I bore you."

"Well, my clan is one of warriors, so I've been training since I could walk." She remembered very little of those early days, of her legs learning to shift from stance to stance, her arms following the flow. Now she could do it effortlessly, adjusting from attack to defense without thought. "It is tiring at times, but I'm used to it."

"Really? None at all?" This shocked her, even though she knew there were those who could not ride, who could not afford a horse, who didn't even like horses. She knew that but it shocked her all the same.

Horses have been always been a part of her life. Every moment, every step, she had taken with some companion by her side, be it her own mount or someone else's. "You should try it sometime, especially while you are here. There is no better teacher than a Drykas. I could help you sometime, if you like."

Then again, Kaja was a dog. She probably didn't need to ride a horse to get where she wants.

The weather was as humid as she expected, considering it was just after lunch and there was not a cloud in the sky. Even the breezes carried the stifling heat, only serving to make her hotter. Her throat parched, she nodded in agreement. "Good idea, I'm thirsty too."

Adámas whickered, her warm breaths tickling her ears. "What--oh."

Suddenly remembering the other girl, the silent girl, Akilah was torn. She didn't seem like she was ready to move yet, as though she would follow them to the shops that lined the streets nearby. Whatever was weighing her mind, it was something that would take time to unravel.

However, she didn't have that long to wait before making her decision.

Glancing back at her mount, an idea struck her.

Switching to Pavi, she spoke, "Would you mind staying with her? When she's ready, you can lead her to us. I'm sure you can smell us out." Adámas softly blew into Akilah's hair before dropping her head, slowly chewing the soft grasses that were easy to find at the edges of the city. Smiling, she rubbed her horse's side. "Thank you."

Returning to Common, she picked up Vespera as she spoke to Kaja, "Adámas can stay with your friend, until she's ready to come with us. And now, let's go. I find that those from the Opal Clan usually make the best drinks, I guess that comes from knowing about different plants."

The sector where they sold food and drinks wasn't too far from the entrance, as most visitors usually wanted that before anything else. Vespera barked lightly in her arms, a wiggling mass of fur and flesh, before settling down so his paws and head stuck out from the wall of her arms.

[Kaja]

It wasn’t that anything really bored her necessarily it was just that her mind would wonder onto other things either object, thoughts, or sometimes even emotions. It wasn’t anyone’s fault and those that were used to dealing with the wonderings and simplicity of Kelvics in their thought process just learned to live with it. However, since Akiah was taking it pretty well Kaja nodded and reminded herself to work on her concentration more it seemed she was going to need it more here in order to fit in, and be able to train well. However, she couldn’t help the blush that formed on her cheeks even so. She really didn’t like how different this was then her earlier lifestyle; however, she was determined to make something if not improving her training and habits while here.

“Do you think I will eventually get used to the rigors of training more?” She asked. She trained in Syliras, at least she thought she had. She couldn’t remember much, she knew that she had to have trained some or she wouldn’t know some things naturally as she did, but what, and to what extent eluded her. It was still so frustrating to have so many blank holes in her life as far as her memory was concerned. A smile returned to her face when Akilah mentioned she should try riding. “Do you think I could? I would love to attempt that.” A shiny expectant lively look came to her eyes when she thought of that propect.

She was happy when Akilah agreed with her about needing something to drink. She also hoped that maybe if they were in a tent that it would be a bit cooler. She nodded her head, and also had almost forgot poor Tebridiar, and her blush returned. Akilah was so interesting and the other Kelvic seemed a bit overwhelmed at the moment. She smiled down her fellow Kelvic, and said, “You should be okay with Adámas.” She moved forward with the young Drakas toward the tents that were the food and drink stalls. Her mouth was watering at the smells, and she looked at several stands of meat, that looked appetizing but she was not going to say she was hungry too. She would be happy if she could get some water or something. She looked about making sure she marked the different locations of the area that Akilah showed her. She hoped she could remember everything for later when she was by herself.

[Akilah Windsong]

"Definitely. I used to be so scrawny, unable to pick up a sword. Now," Akilah raised her right arm, flexing it. "I have enough muscles to do more than that. It just takes a little time, to get that strength." It was so hard, she remembered waking up some mornings unable to get out of bed. Her muscles screamed for days on end, at times, before finally adjusting to the rigorous regime her father and uncle gave. "It just might hurt until you do get that strength."

The bright look in Kaja's eyes cheered Akilah. Stroking Adámas, she added, "You can even have your mount teach you at the same time. Half of my riding I learned from striders." The horses would stop at times, when her heels dug in too deep or her posture too tense. They were intelligent, more than most outsiders understood. They didn't need anything more than the lightest of touches, the softest of commands, in order to get the job done. "I'm sure you'll be amazing. You already have the right attitude."

As they walked, Akilah pointed out a few locations. Pointing at a pavilion on their right, with delicate red foxes running across the tan cloth, passing brillantly coloured flowers as they bloomed, a red moon hanging in the background, she commented, "They are Fireheart, of the Ruby Clan. They have some of the best designs." A little further, a stall that had dark green dogs snapping at the heels of an emerald stag. "They are Wolfsbane, and they have the most tender meat."

There were so many others she would have liked to point out, Shadowmoon and their fresh rabbits, Stormvale and their sturdy apparel. The grass bent beneath their feet, trodden from travelers before. So many to point out but Kaja wouldn't be able to remember them all. She wouldn't be able to remember that Silvertear had the best healers or that Clearblood had tarty berries. Instead, she took the time to point out where most of the hunters gathered, where the healers lived.

Kaja should be able to figure out where to go from there, when she needed to.

Stopping, finally, in front of one of the Opal clan's pavilions, Akilah waited until Damara appeared. Her pavilion had gentle rabbits trimmed in silver traversing the white background. Green plants lined the bottom, for this pavilion specialized in herbs.

"Damara!" The girl was manning their stall this time, standing two heads taller than Akilah. Her blonde hair was carefully braided, with soft white beads hanging down on creamy ribbons. "Why are you always so tall?" Enveloping her in a fierce hug, she murmured, "And why are you always so busy?"

"Only because you're so short!" Chuckling, the older girl hugged her back. "Training takes a while to master. You have no idea how many ways we can use the grass you're standing on."

"Do you?"

"No, but that's beside the point." Glancing on, Damara glanced at Kaja. "And you are...?"

Flushing, Akilah let go. "Ah, sorry, this is my friend Kaja. And this is Damara. She is not nearly as strong as she looks."

"Better than you intelligence, at least."

"If you keep insulting your customers, you won't have any."

Damara raised an eyebrow at this. "And how are you going to pay?"

A sly expression crept over her face. "Well, grandma is baking today, those tarts you--"

Interrupting her, Damara picked a number. "Eight." Before Akilah could bargin, she added, "And you still owed me for last time."

"...fine. Ten, happy? These drinks had better be good."

"Yes, yes," Damara disappeared into her pavilion, no doubt creating the drink as they waited. Shortly after, she returned with two glasses, with a slightly peachy colour to the liquid inside. "A bit of a fruit mix, as we managed to find some really nice berries this morning."

Offering one cup to Kaja, she gave the other to Akilah. "You'd have better bring those tarts by sundown."

Nodding, Akilah took a sip.

[Kaja]

{/center]

Blinking this way and that as Akilah being a good guide pointed Kaja out to some of the more general areas of Endrykas, and the different clans and groups and what they did best. She nodded in understanding hoping she could remember some of what she told her. She had already in the past few days experienced some of the things she was talking about and knew them to be true. She moved along beside her looking at everything she pointed out and trying to see some landmark of where the stall was. She knew that depending on if she stayed or not for the next move that Endrykas made it might not be where it was before, but for know it gave her some sort of reference she hoped to find it again.

Kaja blinked as they stepped into the shaded coolness of the pavilion tent that Akilah led them to. Coming from the bright light of outside into the more dim light of the tent made her have to blink to adjust faster to the lesser light. When her eyes adjusted she saw the tall blond haired young girl that looked slightly older then her friend next to her. She smiled as the other two greeted each other and then went on in a friendly little banter with each other. It was plain to see they were close, as it seemed that all the Drykas were in one way or another either as family members or dear friends. It gave her since of unity even if she wasn’t quite a part of it yet herself.

She smiled shyly as the younger girl introduced her to the older girl. She inclined her head and said, “Afternoon.” She listened some more as the two girls bargained for something to drink, and then she moved toward the back to make the drinks. When she came back she handed the sweet smelling drinks to Kaja and Akilah. She smiled and said a quiet, “Thank you.” She took a sip, and it bloomed fruity on her tongue a very luscious taste and she smiled up to the girl. “MMMM… This is very good.” She said a little louder.

[Akilah Windsong]

Akilah tried not to wince as the tarty flavours of her drink burst on her tongue. Damara must have done that for hers, she knew that Akilah half-loved, half-hated the sour-sweet flavour of blackberries.

They tasted well enough on their own, but the anticipation always made her hesitate before eating one. This was especially true when they had just ripened--the sourness was overwhelming then. And Damara must have used those berries, not the overly-ripe ones and their smooth, wine-like flavouring.

She'd just have to pick the sweetest of the tarts then as revenge.

Glancing at Kaja, she felt relieved when the girl moaned in happiness. Obviously Damara didn't do this to both drinks.

Damara had a cheeky smile as she heard the compliment. "Then I'm getting better." Turning to Akilah, the smile grew wider. "And you?"

"Very sweet," and seeing the smile dim slightly made it all worth it. Before Damara could say anything, another customer came up, and after a small jingle of coin, she disappeared into the tent once more.

Still sipping the drink, she surveyed the path, the people walking it. After a moment, she turned to Kaja. "Is there anything else you want to see or do while we're here?"

[Kaja]

Kaja drank hers in bliss, however she did see Akilah make a slight face and wondered what was wrong with her drink. She wondered if maybe she had been accidentally been given a bad drink. She then looked over at her and asked, "Is yours alright?" Not knowing that she was trying to save face in front of her cousin for the trick that was played on her.

She sipped on her drink happily feeling much more refreshed. She smiled at the two other girls and listened to their banter. She then was inquired of whether she needed anything else to be shown her. She wasn't sure really. She had learned quite a bit about the little wondering city before she had run into Akilah, and now she had shown her even more. "I'm not sure." She said honestly, not knowing enough to know if she was missing anything or not. "I know where most the eating is, where to train, and to find food, clothing, and repairs for any equipment I might have, so I don't know what else I could be missing." She really didn't have much in the way of equipment anyway, but she did have a few things.