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[Siola]

She listened to the man’s introduction, the one on the horse. The other man seemed to be fixated on the area behind them, his attention not wavering.

She was amazed as the man on the horse spoke. She hadn’t met anyone for a long time who had travelled from that far away. Questions burned from inside her, wanting to know the answers from her childhood, but she stopped herself. Believing that, most likely, it would be taken the wrong way and would seem rude rather than curious.

He put his hand to his chest, over his heart, an snake, made up of some blue-green stone lay there, catching the brief glimpses of sunlight that escaped the canopies grasp to the floor below. It was beautiful. Siola wondered what hands carved it. It wasn’t like anything she had seen in Sylaris recently. Some of the jewellers sold animal bracelets, but she had never seen one this colour or shape.

As the man finished, she realised that he probably thought that Sylaris was where she was from. ‘-oh, ah, no, I’m from Zeltiva, I’ve been here only since the summer.’ She hurriedly corrected him. However much she loved the city and the grounds around it, it didn’t mean as much to her as her home back in the shambles of Zeltiva. She would never give up her claim to that place.

A few minutes hung in the air before the forest dweller spoke, his voice breaking the untimely and uncomfortable silence. He paused after saying his first name. This surprised Siola. How long had it been since he had seen someone? How could his own name sound alien on his own lips? Siola watched Jonathon with confusion.

Jonathon explained that he did not need their help for looking for the game, and with Siola was pleased. She wasn’t a natural hunter, far from it. Her hand eye co-ordination didn’t work well with swords and bows. Let alone catching a simple ball. ‘How long have you lived here?’ She asked, curious to know.’

[Khaled]

After the man had introduced himself, Khaled smiled again ”well met Jonathon.” it intrigued him greatly that the man seemed to be spending so much time in the wilderness. Perhaps he was like the wanderers, those who could find no home amongst the tribes, and so instead strode the deserts by themselves, often going quite mad in the process. But of course, there was little to worry about here, the sun held less sway, but loneliness was of course as prevalent as ever. ”Probably Nidal” said Khaled, pointing to his horse who neighed in response to the attention. ”him you can't eat” continued he with a vague grin ”he my friend.” ”Zel...tiva?” Said he experimentally, he the name did not immediately ring any bells, ”where is that?” He was very interested to know, after all he was intending to travel to there at some point, as he was with everywhere else. But for now he was going to stay in Syliras, the city still held much for him to discover. As she asked the wanderer how long he'd been striding amongst the wilderness, Khaled turned to him as well, there was perhaps a tale to be found in the man's experience here, and Khaled was always eager to hear a tale.

[Jonathon DuFraine]

"Well met indeed." Despite the long months of hermitage, Jonathon's voice had a sort of polish and gravity to it that didn't seem to speak of a savage. His voice was not wild and emotional, but carefully controlled. This, and the tense stance that Jonathon seemed to always be in, gave him an aura of unease. It was like he was afraid that the two would suddenly leap for his throat if he made a sudden or careless move.

Once again, Jonathon pondered the question slowly, this time with a somewhat quizzical expression. "Hmm... I am not quite sure... Since... spring, I believe. Yes, spring was when I came here and never returned..." That wasn't that long ago, he realized; only one or two full seasons. It certainly seemed longer to him; each day was full of excitement and duties, new experiances and surprises.

Jonathon pondered a moment. "Zeltiva..." Long afternoons of sipping ale and listening to traveler's tales in the Rearing Stallion came to him mind; memories he had not gone over in quite a while. "Hm. I may have heard of it, but if I have, I have not heard much of it... Perhaps you can tell us more?"

Jonathon gestured behind him. "In any case, standing about in the wilderness conversing is foolish. I have something of a dwelling nearby that we can talk in; it's not much, but it should keep us out of the way of any beasts that might wander past. Some can be quite deadly." Jonathon remembered something. "Oh, and if either of you are hungry, I always have food to spare for visitors..."

[Siola]

Siola listened to Jonathon’s story. It amazed her no end, how someone could survive so well some place like this. A thought in the back of her mind questioned whether he was truly human, but yet it still amazed her that someone could survive somewhere that was so dangerous and unforgiving, however it beautiful it looked on mere sight. He said he had been here in the Bronze woods since spring, a long time to be on your own. The way he said the words seemed a little eerie to Siola, the words ‘never returned’ sent shivers down her spine. Old words from horror stories of times gone by.

Her mind sparked with interest when she heard they wanted to know about Zeltiva. She cleared her throat her little, summing up everything quickly in her mind, the best bits. The things, however small, that stuck to her like glue. ‘Well..’ She paused, frowning slightly as she thought yet again. ‘It’s basically like a port, and that’s it, well, actually I mean that everything is built around it.’ She paused. ‘It’s all flat though, but it’s so beautiful, as the mountains that overlook it and barely a few hours walk away at the most. They tower over, making it dark out of the sun, but it keeps the wind at bay, most of the time.’ She told them enthusiastically. ‘Many merchants and traders pass through the city each day, my father is one of them, as well as one of my brothers, they travel, see? It’s what I want to do one day.’ She finished wistfully, thinking of what her life would be like then, before snapping back to the conversation at hand. ‘What’s it like where you are from?’ She asked curiously.

Jonathon spoke again, warning them of the dangers of standing outside in the open too long. Siola guessed they were serving themselves to some of the beasts that used these forests for hunting grounds. ‘Sounds like a good plan.’ She agreed.

[Khaled]

Khaled listened intensely to what both were saying, he knew a little about living in the wilderness himself, he had spent days in the deep deserts of his home. But to spend seasons alone, he'd never done that before. It would be quite a challenge to try it some time, but he first had to learn about the wilderness. When the Siola spoke of Zeltiva, Khaled became entranced by what she spoke of, it sounded magnificent. For a moment he envied her, that she could so beautifully describe her home in common, like a nightingale, where his words were like the brutish hoot of an oxen. He put it aside, instead making a mental note of visiting the place when he got the chance, it sounded like a nice place to visit. He was intending to visit everywhere at least once. But it never hurt to know where the best attraction lay. Then they were invited to join Jonathon for lunch and Khaled smiled happily ”it would be honor Jonathon. I have food too.” he patted the backpack tied to Nidal's back jovially, ”We make a feast, eh?” Then Siola started asked about whereabouts, and Khaled presumed it pertained to him as well ”I come from Eyktol deserts, my family part of wandering tribe. I just wander a little further.” He smiled at the last comment, while it wasn't a joke, it perfectly explained his current situation.

[Jonathon DuFraine]

Jonathon listened to Siola, interested, but still seeming distracted. "Perhaps I have heard of Zeltiva... Port cities tend to be well-known. In any case, it sounds like a good place to call home." Jonathon seemed a bit surprised at Siola's question, then realized that his origin wasn't necessarily obvious. "I have lived in Syliras for most of my life, although I moved from Wind Reach when I was very young; with my parents. That is also why I have a more Syliran name."

Jonathon shrugged at Khaled. "Never heard of the place." If he hailed from deserts, however, it was no wonder why he found the forests of Sylira so beautiful. They must seem rather exotic to him, just as endless fields of sand do to me. The nomad's other words were answered with a grin. "That sounds excellent. My food will take a while to prepare, and in any case is only one course- rabbit."

Now that the two had accepted his invitation, he nodded, turned around, and started moving. After about three seconds of a fast stride, he slowed his pace, remembering that not everyone preferred to travel at a fast walk. His path was not well-established; the trees and bushes grew close to the winding road. It wouldn't be difficult for anyone to get through, but the horse might encounter some small trouble.

[Siola]

When Khaled spoke of where he lived, Siola was amazed. The desert? Siola had never seen such a place. She could imagine the vast sands, glowing gold in the sun, sparsely populated with vegetation. But of course, her impressions of what she had heard could be wrong, how would she know? She made a note to travel there someday, to see for herself if the harsh lands where as she perceived. And a wandering tribe? That meant that they saw a new place every few weeks, a new season with new land. Questions burned inside her mind, she wanted to know how they lived, how they knew where to go next, but she would ask later, perhaps when they reached the place Jonathon called home.

Jonathon spoke following Khaled, saying that he was from the city just down the mountain. ‘They sound like good places to live. I will have to travel to the desert some time, and for Sylaris, in the short time I have lived there I know it is a good place.’ She smiled.

As Jonathon turned and began to walk, Siola began to follow quietly, settling back into the pace she had used before. He seemed to know where he was going, when, to her, they were just turning circles. The trees towered above them, looking the same. Still, solitary beings.