New Beginnings on a Cold Road (GRADED)

[Zanril]

Her Vani greeting made him smile. Now that she was awake, he could see her Konti form well. It seemed she was beautiful regardless of the time of day. Her violet eyes were especially noticable. When she offered him food, he nearly declined. Nearly. The thought of fruit excited him. The trail rations he had been munching on were grating on his palate. Yes, thank you. I will provide the next meal, though. A snack will be good before we travel again. Zanril beamed. The scratch? Do not worry about it. It... is just a scratch. May have had it for days. Zanril plopped down on his side playfully, looking up at her, examining her. It is hard to think you are the same person, if I may say. Was your sleep pleasant? I did not wake you at any time, did I? She was looking in her bag. Her voice was different now, but Zanril liked both voices just fine. Zanril was glad that this woman saved him from the pain of a lonely road. He was glad she saved him from himself. If not for her, he might have ended it today. Just laid down and let the cold take him. Then again, maybe he wouldn't have. The thought had crossed his mind several times before, and he wasn't sure when or if he would act on it. She calmed the storm in him, and he would try to do the same. Zanril hoped they would become fast friends.

[Velaa]

Velaa smiled and got to work dragging out dried apples and pears for him to choose from. In Syna's light, the scale patterns up her hands and arms shimmered, disappearing under her clothing. They reappeared along the back of her neck and peaking at her forehead before dwindling into nothingness along the bridge of her nose. The scales, as well as the gills at the side of her neck and the webbings between her slender fingers gave herald to the fact that she was non-human. Her father, from her mortal life, was supposedly some Chaktawe from the Burning Lands. The body Velaa currently wore, however, looked nothing like the Chaktawe in her blood. Konti bred Konti, and she was therefore full Konti.

"Is it okay if the fruit is dried, Zanril?" She asked him, smiling very faintly now. He was so much more... cheery today. More so than he had been the night before. There was no sadness in his voice, and he took her change surprisingly well for someone who had not even heard of her race before. "That scratch wasn't there last night, Zanril." She put a teasing inflection into her voice.

She thought about his final questions, violet eyes thinking about her sleep. Had she slept good? Oh yes, very good. But she didn't remember being disturbed at all during the night. In fact, it was the best sleep she'd had in a while. "Mmm... I slept very well, actually. And nope! You didn't wake me at any time. In fact, I think you helped me sleep better. I usually don't sleep long. Not at all." Her smile returned again and she picked a dried pear to eat, choosing that as a snack before they hit the road. She allowed him his pick of fruit. "How did you sleep? I didn't wake you up when I marked your cheek?"

While he believed she had saved him, she felt that he had come into her life at one of the darkest times like a little beam of sunlight and was slowly warming the frost off of her life. His company would make her feel alive again, it would give her a reason to not take to the great Sea off Mura and never return. If she could ever make that up to him, she would. She may still be hesitant in admitting emotions to herself, but she knew that one day she'd figure out what emotions came to mind when it came to the Vantha next to her.

"So..." She started with a little smile. "Do you know which way we should go?"

[Zanril]

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The early sunlight painted the snow a golden hue as the two figures exchanged words. Zanril snatched a dried apple and peach and began munching contentedly. The light made her features sparkle, and now that she was up, he noticed... scales. Zanril shrugged. She was still quite lovely. Her hands were odd, too, but he didn't care. Zanril stuck his tongue out at her when she teased him about the scratch. Naw, you difn't wehk me! Zanril swallowed. You did not wake me. I think not, at least. Zanril stood and embraced the cold morning air. He set his gaze on the Southern sky. The wind whipped around him as he stared at the horizon. Destiny herself was calling, and he had never felt so alive. To the South, my friend... To the South!

[Zanril]

AWAITING GRADING

[Secret]

THREAD AWARDS Zanril   Skills Skill Gain Notes Rhetoric 3 Wilderness Survival 2 Detection 1 Observation 1 Storytelling 1 Cooking 1   Lores Wilderness Survival: Making Camp Ethaefal (Basic) Wilderness Survival: Using Other's Body Heat for Warmth   Notes A lovely read. Well done. I've heard Spires is south of you. Just sayin' Velaa   Skills Skill Gain Notes Rhetoric 3 Auristics 3 Observation 2 Wilderness Survival 1   Lores Auristics: Determining an Emotional Reaction (Basic) Grieving Traditions of Avanthal Wilderness Survival: Using Other's Body Heat for Warmth   Notes Very well done, I quite enjoyed it. Rumor has it that a town called Spires is south of you.