Exchanging Wisdom [Flashback][Kendall]

[Valleck]

Day of 2 Spring, AV 508 "Happy Birthday Old Man." Valleck sighed heavily to himself as he stepped off the boat and onto the docks of Zeltiva. It was another year, the mark of him being another year older. He still had his memory with him, and the vivid recollections of his past were so strong that he could remember just how he used to feel on his namedays. Nothing. From age nine to ten, he felt no different. From twenty to twenty-one, he was still in his prime, healthy, energetic, he hardly felt the years passed. Then he hit his late thirties when his injuries tended to hurt longer. Mid forties brought about the age of loss, when almost everyone he looked up to as a young man were dead, or dying. Fifties brought nothing but pain in the mornings and breathless rest periods after any brief moment of exhaustion. Sixties, and he was all but washed up. He could still weild a sword, and with Yahal's eternal help, he could still fight off hordes of bandits and thugs, though he was ache for days afterwards. Turning seventy brought about regret and pain because of his past. He often wondered how might he have been different if he settled down, married, and actually raised a child. It was likely he had dozens of his blood running around Mizahar, perhaps even grandchildren, but most he would never know of, and that hurt him. He was no father, and he often felt a void because of it. Despite his age, Valleck still carried his sword, not the Caedeserus, that blade had parted with him years ago, or was it he that parted with it? Regardless, the old friends were separated after decades of battles together. With each other's help, they both grew strong. The Caedeserus didn't age though, it had no weakness. Valleck was well wrinkled now. "I wonder what eighty will bring. Perhaps it will finally be my death." Such thoughts came up about every decade he survived to experience though. He believed because of his perilous lifestyle that he'd never see thirty. Then forty was old man age so he would never be able to survive then. Fifty was ridiculous for any human to survive, let alone still struggling and fighting. Sixty and seventy he expected to trip and fall to his death, yet even this failed him. Perhaps a peaceful death in his sleep would embrace him at eighty? One could only hope. Not much of a historic end, but he wasn't much of a hero, not like in all the tales children loved to hear. No, he only did things that his dear friend Gorah knew of. Perhaps he would carry Valleck's history to the world? That would please the old man. Valleck slowly walked the streets of Zeltiva, staff in hand to help himself walk, damn his leg. It was impossible to walk anywhere without his limp, and the pain never ceased. It was something you grew accustomed to, but never really could tolerate. He knew it would be there for the rest of his days, what few there may be, but dammit, how did you learn to deal with pain to the point where it no longers bothers the body? "Happy birthday old boy."

[Kendall Saarinen]

OOCItalics are said in Vani Kendall's day had been filled with study at the University. While most girls would have rather flirted with boys and spent their days enjoying themselves, Kendall preferred to be in a classroom learning. Granted, she already had a boyfriend, soon to be fiance. She let Kay'lan distract her a bit too much but the brunette would claim that she was able to keep up with her classes, even when her Vantha lover filled her thoughts. Kendall stood with Kay'lan on the front steps of the University. "Have lunch with me Kay'lan." The brunette looked at the Vantha lovingly. She was only about an inch shorter than him so it was never a struggle to look into his ever changing eyes. At the moment they had shifted from their normal amethyst color to a greenish blue. "I can't baby. I gotta get home for dinner, you know my mom." Kendall eyed Kay'lan. She knew what the color of his eyes meant. He was trying to get out of lunch with her. At times she wished that her eyes shifted like his so he could see how it pained her that he didn't want to have lunch with her. They just kept looking at him, a stable spring green. She sighed lightly as she looked at him. "Okay. Tell her I said hi for me." Kay'lan nodded, his eyes shifting back to their normal purple shade, a sign that he knew he had dodged trouble. "Of course Kenni. I love you" Kendall smiled lightly as she looked a him, a light blush coloring her cheeks. Kay'lan knew speaking Vani would make her soften. "I love you too Kay'lan." Leaning forward the Vantha kissed Kendall and the brunette was more than happy to kiss back. After Kay'lan left Kendall was left to walk off alone. She still wanted to go out for lunch but for now it seemed that she would have to settle with eating alone. As she walked she mentally ran over who she could eat with. Maybe her brothers? Layton was not always the most pleasurable lunch date. Even if Kendall loved him with all of her heart, she hated to listen to her brother's stories of the girls he had flirted with from day to day at the docks. Maybe Kel, Kendall's other older brother, would want to eat with her. She walked toward the docks in hopes that her brother was not too busy. It was always a bit boring and a little uncomfortable to eat at the Kelp Bar alone. As Kendall reached the docks she spotted an older man who seemed to be having difficulty walking. With a small frown she walked over to him, hating to see someone having so much difficulty with no one to help him. Her family had often told her to stop walking up to random people in the street. Not everyone was as kind as she thought they were. She knew that she would have been down on her self for the rest of the day if she did not help. "Excuse me sir. Do you need help?" She smiled lightly as she looked at him. "I don't mean any disrespect. I just know if I was limping I would be happy if someone helped me." She worried the man might be upset her offer but if he turned her down, life went on. She would go find Kel and have lunch. "I'm Kendall by the way." She smiled a bit brighter, holding out a hand.