Dawn of a New Day (Taln)

[Sarye]

Sarye stood there in shock that she has not thought that Taln might KNOW her sister. She could have a pair of eyes and ears out there with her to make sure she was alive at least. "You've seen Kerra, you know what duty she is on, and you could get her a message. Taln, I could hug you!" Sarye almost did before Taln started in on his next idea.

Sarye looked at Taln with concern. With how worried he was about getting in trouble he seemed to be willing to risk it now. "Are you sure that you are willing to do this, Taln? I don't want to see you get in trouble. We'll need to hide that you are leading me around and not the other way around. I do wish to see my sister," Sarye was smiling brightly at the thought of seeing her sister and maybe even getting to talk with her. Hopefully Kerra was just as excited to she her.

[Taln]

Taln looked down and to the side, not quite able to meet her gaze at what he was about to say. "I uh...I guess it depends on how highly you value your reputation." He held out a large calloused hand and replied sheepishly. "You have only to take my hand to 'lead me around,' then you've essentially um...claimed me for personal use until my next work shift. Think carefully before you agree Chiet; being seen with me like this is an advertisement that you intend certain.." Crimson stole across his face as he hesitated to mention these things to a lady of delicate nature. He paused for a full chime. The tall man couldn't bring himself to be crude with Sarye. He'd never met anyone with such gentle sensibilities, and he didn't want to sully her reputation. He cleared his throat and finished his sentence as carefully as possible. "Aaah..personal liberties."

[Sarye]

Sarye watched Taln's gaze fall to the ground wondering what she had said to make him look away from her. With his next sentence she knew what was bothering him Kerra had felt the same way when they first met.

"I've told you before, Taln, I think my reputation has already been tainted a little by being with my sister during her meal time. If that's the only time I get with her then I'm going to take it Dek caste or not," Sarye took his hand. "And this is the time I ha..."

Taln interrupted her but she didn't mind she just smiled at the blush coming across his face. It wasn't long into what Taln was saying that Sarye had a similar blush covering her whole face. She had never been intimate with a man and the thought of people thinking she was using Taln made her sick inside.

"Personal liberties... um... yea," Sarye could barely get out the words, "I'm not... um... looking to... um bed you but I guess... um others can think that if they wish. I need to muster up that confident I'm in charge of this Dek look." Sarye gave him her best I'm in charge look but with the blush still flushing her whole face she didn't look confident just silly.

[Taln]

Taln raised an eyebrow and almost laughed as poor crimson faced, delicate Sarye managed to look stern, a little nauseous and thoroughly embarrassed all at once. When the crimson faded to a rosy hue, he said quietly, "I understand that a woman of your.. uh..virtue, has never dealt with anything like this before. And I know that most Inarta think of bedding a dek is the most disgusting thing they can think of--" He hadn't meant to offend her. Dek were commonly considered dumb brute animals in a step below and between a rat and an insect; it wasn't something he was proud of. Taln lowered his eyes to the floor, wishing he could sink into it. The man's shame was ten fold, but he had to help the chiet through it, and after a deep breath, he continued. ".. but if you want to see your sister, you'll have to try to look a little less like you're gonna throw up. Try to think of what you'd rather do to anyone who stands between you and your twin instead."

[Sarye]

Sarye could feel her heartbeat in her ears and the blood still rushing to her face but she knew that she needed to calm down as Taln was speaking to her. He looked like a bug that most people probably treated him as. She was just starting to calm down when Taln mentioned throwing up. This sent Sarye into a fit of giggles which made the sleeping Reech jump and start to squawk.

"Oh my," Sarye said jumping at Reech's squawk having forgotten that the bird was still in this little cave with them, "Can you quiet Reech and then we will get going to the baths before we miss the end of the shift."

[Taln]

Taln calmly locked a firm green gaze on Reech and the bird stopped in mid chirp. He'd been taught silence early on for his own safety and survival. To ease the harshness of the stare, the dek reached out a finger to stroke the bird's soft chest feathers. "Sorry about that. He's not used to anyone else but me with him. I don't talk much so he's never giggling before. Maybe he thought you were startled and reacted by being nervous too." The copper haired man reached out a hand for Sarye to take, and waited patiently for them to get moving.

[Sarye]

Sarye grabbed Taln's hand then they were off moving through the warrens a quick pace for the 5'5" woman. Sarye couldn't wait to see her sister outside of a time when she was working and her excitement was adding the the speed at which she walked. Making her way through the tunnels and cavern in the city was easy for her, even with the early morning light, since she had spent her whole life in this city. Her red hair waved across her shoulders and down her emerald bag that was on her back. She was glad to not have her scarf on her head at this moment but in her bag.

As she was nearing the baths, with Taln's hand still tucked into her own, she looked back at him with a smile. She was so grateful for him even though they had just met this morning. He was a quick link to her sister and maybe he could help Kerra with opening up to her help. With her head turned for the split second she almost run into the wall in front of the baths. 'So much for knowing the way so well' Sarye thought to herself.

She turned to Taln when they were standing there and said, "Follow what I say even if I can't pull of the bossy look okay?" She didn't give time for Taln to answer her back since she knew he would follow whatever she had said anyways. She only said that to calm some of her nerves. Her sister might not like her finding her like this or she might love it Sarye could never be sure.

Sarye slipped into the baths and stood by the towel storage like Taln had told her to do and there she was, her twin sister. She was just coming out of the storage room looking miserable. "Kerra," Sarye whispered to her. The black haired beauty turned around to look at who just said her name and found her sister.

"Sarye... hello." Kerra said not looking to happy to see her,"Do you need some help in the baths this morning?" It was then that Kerra noticed Taln standing beside Sarye her hand holding his. With her voice really low she addressed her sister, "So sister finally joined ranks with the other Inarta I see?" Kerra said with malice in her voice.

"Kerra, it's not what you think," Sarye said speaking a hushed whisper, "I just wanted to come and see you."

"You know I'm working, Sarye, and I could get beat for not getting back. He should know that," Kerra said forcefully to her sister. Kerra started to walk away from them but Sarye grabbed her arm.

"Please, Kerra. Your shift is over." Sarye could see all of the Dek that were in Kerra's shift to work the baths leaving through another tunnel out and their shift manager walking with them.

[Taln]

Taln watched the woman hurry toward her sister and shortened his stride to match hers. Sarye's smile was so hopeful and happy, he didn't have the heart to tell her Kerra had a reputation for being one of the most hostile dek in Wind Reach. Of course it was understandable, all things considered. Like him, Kerra seemed to be one of the unfortunate 'pet deks' that were favorites at night. The girl had a right to be angry at the cards life dealt, but unlike her, he'd learned to accept things as they were and move on. Not Kerra though-she had a lot more anger in her than most deks would dare to show. His eyes blazed ice green at Kerra's tone, knowing she should be the -last dek- on the planet to be offended by the situation. How many times had he seen her put herself in the way of a higher caste to get an extra meal or a soft bed for the night?! Taln snorted in disbelief at her tone. The tall copper haired man locked eyes on Kerra and he responded in a deep, quiet voice that sounded far more Endal than dek. "Don't you ever think of your sister that way. Sarye Chiet is an honorable woman who commanded my help to meet you and -nothing- further. How could you think that about her? Ever? Kerra there are a lot of things about you that I could say to your sister about you, so I recommend you check your tone with Sarye Chiet. Yea. I do know, and maybe you should apologize to your twin." He looked down apologetically at Sarye and his voice was much more gentle and courteous. "What Kerra means to say is that the Chiet bath task master is giving her an extra supper and a warm indoor place to sleep tonight--as long as she earns it after her shift. But her shame of it has her attacking you instead of refusing the Chiet and toughing it out like the rest of us dek."

[Sarye]

Sarye jumped a little at the forceful tone that came out of Taln and let go of Kerra's arm. Up until now all she had heard from him was sweet or lacking in self confidence. Now that she had heard this side of him she knew without a doubt that something was special about this man and she wanted to get to know him more. He was protecting her and her character after having just met her and that was unlike anyone she had ever met.

Kerra replied to Taln as if Sarye wasn't even there.,"The things you could tell her? You really think I care if she knows how I try to live life. Poor little Sarye so torn up about life and so weak." Kerra almost exploded that last word and could barely control her rage. Watching Taln try to be tender was making her want to be sick. How could this Dek care about anyone especially someone of a higher caste who couldn't give two pinions about anyone below them. Even though Sarye had shown her kindness these last three years it had been lost on Kerra because of how she had been treated the last seven years of her life and most of her childhood. Nobody could look past her appearance unless they wanted her in bed or to do some menial work for them.

"Poor Sarye needs a filthy Dek to help her understand what life must mean for me. I've seen you a few times become someone's pet for a night, Taln, don't think you're so far above me," Kerra put her hands on her hips and glared at both of them.

"Kerra," Sarye said her eyes filling with tears again this morning, "please stop being like this. Taln was just trying to help me find you and you don't need to be attacking him for that. You both have had a hard life but I see with Taln that you could have a better attitude about it. I've told you before that I'm not the one you are angry at. I couldn't have known about you. You're mad at our father not at me." Sarye looked up at Taln hoping that he would help her get away from her sister even though she so desperately wanted to crack through her hard shell.

Kerra saw this pleading look and mocked her sister, "You aren't even woman enough to leave a room when you want to even though you can. YOUR father flung me away like I was clump of crap on his boots. Don't you talk about him with me! I've told you not to talk about him with me!" Kerra was screaming now at the woman and Sarye was sobbing now.

[Taln]

The tall man moved to stand between the women, blocking the twins from each other. Taln stood taller, squared his shoulders and gave Kerra an icy glare. When he responded, his voice was still deep and quiet, but the menace was clear. "Who's weak Kerra? The woman who feels compassion and isn't afraid of what others think, or the dek who throws herself at every man or woman of higher rank? I defend her because you and I are equal rank Kerra, and your sister is a Lady-you understand? She doesn't act like you or talk like you, so what she -needs- is to get the petch away from you." His large fists clenched and the louder Kerra got, the quieter he became. Fury darkened his emerald eyes, but his voice, was still as low and deep as a growl. "Yea I've had my nights because -they- chase -me.- That's the big difference right there. You throw yourself at whoever will have you-you go out of your way for special treatment while the rest of us at least take pride in our work. You're not even good enough to be called a dek!" The copper haired man scowled angrily at the shorter, dark haired dek and took a step closer, letting her realize just how big six feet of angry Inarta really was. "You forget yourself Kerra-you know what I did to that dek last winter, so you sure as hells know what I'm capable of. If you ever talk to Sarye Chiet like that again, you'll have -me- to deal with. Now leave." He locked his gaze on Kerra, staring her down with barely controlled rage and took a half step closer until they were nearly face to chest. And stood firm.