[Library]A case of double identity (Lyam)

[Nai'shee]

6th of Spring, 512AV She was reading about magic, half-interested in what she was reading. She actually thought about everything that happened since the beginning of the season. Things calmed down until now and city was recovering, but fear and tension were still in the air. She felt bad for just sitting here and doing nothing. Still, the whole thing made her think a lot. She saw what magic was able to do and she didn't like it one bit. Yet, she knew she will never be able to defend if things keep going like this. This disaster was necessary for her to realize how unrealistic and childish her life goal was - to be a sailor. It sounded too simple. She will never earn for a boat from just stealing around and she wasn't the type to study navigation and similar things. Yet, she was still able to hear the voice of ocean, of Laviku himself calling her. It was her destiny. But, if it's impossible like this she will have to find other way. And that meant finding a new goal, until she is able to reach this one. It's silly to waste time doing nothing until then, even if that saves some money. So, she decided to read a bit about magic, maybe even pay classes next season. She already past basics with her Flux teacher, Professor Stonemiller, so she was able to practice by herself. There wasn't much about Flux to learn it was just practice, practice and more practice. So, the next thing that interested her the most was Shielding. In fact, it was Reimancy, but she concluded the first one was easier to learn if she has any talent and more useful for her, at least until she learns to combine her current skills in battle, without adding more of them. It was pretty simple and point of whole book was that there were no much rules. You had to concentrate, take your time and make Djed stick to an object and protect it. It reminded her of Flux a bit, you were also supposed to control Djed and make it go to certain location, just this time location was out of body. She decided to try it out later, when she has some time and thought if there's more subjects easy to understand as this one was. She wanted to grow her skills quickly and she was angry because she didn't do this sooner. But, despite all of her thoughts she couldn't help noticing a boy reading, with really interested face, turning pages too fast that looked at her from time to time. What she was able to see in his eyes was almost laugh, as he was plotting something or at least had some joke in his mind. He obviously wasn't here to read, anyways. She stood up, deciding to take a pause and gone to him, taking empty chair beside him without asking. "So", she said carelessly, almost annoyed, but still amused in some way, "what are you reading? Are you studying something interesting?" He didn't seem like a type who would be confused or insulted by approach like that, so she didn't mind, as usual. She wasn't able to be really open or cheerful for a while now and this helped her to finally relax a bit.

[Lyam]

Since Siarak had begun to teach me the art of reading, two month ago, I had made incredible progress. I knew now the alphabet by heart and if I still remained unable to write my ideas by myself, I was able to draw each letters properly. And to read. I was reading very slowly, one word after another, trying to understand the phrases written on the yellow paper of an herbalist book of the library. Fortunately, there were more pictures of flowers and diagrams to explain how to prepare them than real written indications. I was looking for a special plant Nadya indicated me, a very beautiful purple flower that I would have too prepare the day after for a special decoction. I was turning the page very fast, only reading the titles when I saw a purple flower. I finally found another page with a beautiful drawing of a little flower. M-O-R-N-I-N-G… ok it should be the Morning Glory I was looking for. Suddenly very serious, I was about to read the explanations besides the diagram when I felt that someone was sitting in front of me. “So” the person said without any other introduction, and at the very second I’d heard her, I knew who she was. If I had a very poor faces memory, I could not forget a voice. She was the woman I’d met two month earlier in the dark forest, the exhausted girl I had protected, the gentle person that had share her meal with me, the smiling child I had been playing with hours longs. “What are you reading? Are you studying something interesting?” She obviously did not recognize me. How could she have? I was a wolf the two times we’d met. And nothing could help her to make the link between me and the black wolf but the huge tattoo on my chest or the gold reflects in my eyes. But the former had been deeply hidden on my fur when I was a wolf so that I doubted she could have seen it and now that I was a human, it was half hidden by my opened shirt. What about my eyes, it was not really helpful. Don’t ask me why but I decided to do as if we were meeting for the first time. It was both funny and exciting, and it was a way for us to be bound in an other way. In fact, I think I wanted her to know me without any prejudice, good or bad. If she had known that I was the black wolf, she would have liked me without trying to know me really. I didn’t want that. “Aye” I finally answered as my green eyes met her blue gaze “Depends on your interest. Dyou like herbalism?” I turned the huge old book so that she could see the page I was studying. She remained poker-faced, certainly wondering why I was carrying about the Morning Glory and its secrets. A smile crossed my face as I was taking back the book and putting a piece of paper to mark the good page. Then I closed the book and crossed my arms in front of me, resting on the the herbalism encyclopaedia. “Now that you’d guessed I’m an apprentice who tries to please his master with overtime, tell me what you’re doing here.”

[Nai'shee]

After he asked about herbalism she brought up a fine poker face at the same amused by the fact somebody actually finds it intriguing and angry at herself for having no clue about any plant. Well, barely. But his next comment make her smile looking away, a bit ashamed of her first thoughts on topic. "Me? Well, my first intention was to study sailing, get a boat and sail far from here, but I guess it's not that cheap. So, now I mostly study Flux and read about other kinds of magic trying to get a better job to earn some money." She shrugged, considering that a normal life story. "I'm babbling around and meeting people, too. Oh, geez, if somebody pay me for that I would have the whole fleet by now." She took a book from his hand, partially putting away their conversation because of it. It wasn't her intention, but her curiosity. This can't be really complicated, she thought while watching pictures of different plants. She judged for few seconds and finally replied his first question: "You know what? It is useful and doesn't seem too complicated. Guess it's not bad ability to have." If she could grow her own food, sell different mixes for teas and cures it would make life so much easier. But she wasn't a type to be careful enough for this. She gave a book back to him. "Are you new in city?", she asked. "I haven't seen you until now, but I guess it can't be that you came during disaster. What's your story?"

[Lyam]

When I heard the resume of her story, I understood that we were not so much different. I smiled at her jokes that I really found kind. My animal form remembered her smell and voice, her laugh in the waves, our games. It was fine to see her that way too. It had been few minutes, but I’d already enjoyed it. She finally took my book and peered at it few second before saying it should not be so complicated. I wanted to say it was harder than she thought, but it cut no ice, so I shut up, just smiling. Then came the question I hated to answer. However, I kept smiling and explained gently: “Well, I’ve been there for a moment now. I arrived in Zeltiva few days before the Storm in fact. But I’m not astonished you did not see me before; Zeltiva is a huge town and until that day I’ve spent most of my time working with Nadya, my herbalism master.” I hesitated a second as I didn’t know what to add. I had done nothing interesting in my two years of living but to run, hunt, travel and steal. And that was for sure not avowable. ”What about my life… let’s say I’ve travelled a lot. I love discovering new things.”

[Nai'shee]

"Oh... Really?", his answer got her stunned for a second, but next second she was amazed. "Tell me more! I actually never left Zeltiva. I always like to listen about other cities, unknown races to me and similar things!" She actually noticed he avoided the topic, but she was stubborn and wanted to get him open to her. And, in the second hand, she was really curious. She. surprisingly, often met people who came from far away and listened to their stories and it was always interesting. She found out that many of races she only knew from tales really exist and she heard amazing stories about different cultures and beliefs, along with twisted stories about crime and evil. Excitement was probably obvious on her face, but she didn't really care how easy she is to read. She have always been. She smiled, remembering some of her weird lies she made up from early childhood.

[Lyam]

Unknown races? Did she get it? I smiled gently; no she could not have guessed. “All right, I’ll tell you” I finally said after an hesitation “But first, let’s move, will you?”. I did not wait for her answer and stood up and went out of the library. Without a word, I went through the huge university and finally stopped in the backyard, a beautiful garden covered with spring’s flowers. The sun was rising in the sky, and was offering a cool temperature. I sat directly on the grass, inviting the girl to do the same. My story began with a long silence. “I don’t know where I shall start” I finally said. But the truth was that I did not know what to say; what I could tell her, what I wanted her to know… Somehow I felt like to tell her everything, but… er, blast it. My gaze lost in the horizon, I began: “I don’t know where I come from” I explained in a half smile “But obviously I was born in the Sylira Region, somewhere deep on the mainland, cause I’m sure I’ve seen the sea for the first time when I arrived in Zeltiva. I don’t know my parents, I just have some blurred remembers, and it’s certainly better that way. They gave me the essential to survive and it’s up to me to live my life. So I’ve travelled through the whole region, looking for a goal, happiness, I don’t know, but I’ve only visited the capital, and it was not so long. The city is very huge, you know, beautiful with its high white building, but there were too many people for me. You know… I’m not really keen on crowd.” What could I add? I remained silent few minutes. “I’ve travelled alone most of my life through wide wilderness. It’s very new and strange for me to stay so long between high walls you know. I’m more… kind of a wild man”. I gazed at her and smiled again. “But I’ve forgotten the essential: I’m Lyam”. And you’re Nai’shee I added in thought, but I remained silent cause if I should explain how I knew her name, she would understand that this was not exactly the first time we met.

[Nai'shee]

She didn't really answer his question, but he didn't mind. He stood up and wanted her to follow. As she exited the library she looked back at her book, untidily left on the table. Geez, it took her a while to convince herself to study, now she will have to start mental preparations all over again later. So, she followed, unwillingly. Passing trough University she felt somehow familiar this time. It was funny how short it took for a place she didn't dare to step in, place that cut her freedom, to gain a title of home. But it pretty much did. Her daily life was now based not only on docks, but in University too. The boy led her to the backyard which was definitely touched by spring. Everything was blooming and blossoming, colorful and peaceful. A hot weather bothered her a bit, but she was used to it. They sat down as he began his story. It desperately reminded her of herself. She was probably born somewhere in Sylira Region, but it was less relevant for her. But it's most likely that she was from some city close to the sea because Zeltivan weather never bothered her, but she couldn't recall early childhood, the period she came here as a baby. She didn't remember her parents either, but she never thought about them much. She was pretty sure that they and her brother were still alive and well, but why they abandoned her, she didn't know that. She was somewhat grateful to be left in Zeltiva. However, rest of his story was complete opposite. She always knew her goal and she never wished to get away from Zeltiva, except for sailing, and she would visit at leas once in a while anyhow. This city was too meaningful to her. She knew it's every corner and tree and most of the people. The whole city was her home and her family and she could never forget that. "I'm Nai'shee", she simply replied. After a moment of silence she decided she needed to tell a story behind the name at least, in exchange for his story. "Or at least that's what I said when I appeared here. I mean, one citizen found me as a baby and adopted me. That's how I called myself. It might be short of my real name, I wasn't much of a speaker back then. Well, nice to meet you, Lyam." With that said she laid down in soft light green grass, silently. She probably waited for him to ask about her. She wasn't in babble mood, probably because thoughts about magic and storm and possible change of her career still occupied her. But she counted on him to help with her mood.

[Lyam]

I smiled when I heard her revelations. I knew that somehow, we were the same. It seemed equally difficult for her to trust someone. I was glad she did for me. Nai’shee… Would you act the same if you knew who I really was? You liked the wolf, now you’d met the man, but could you like both of them, the single person I was? She laid down and did not say a word. For a babbler, she was very silent. As I did not know what to say, I laid down by her side and gazed at the beautiful blue sky. “See? This cloud looks like a running wolf” I remarked. There had been a long time since I’d not just sat and looked at the clouds. I’d almost forgotten how peaceful it was.

[Nai'shee]

She haven't been watching clouds for eternity. She looked at the one he mentioned. There were two little clouds around it, so she was confused for a moment. "It looks like a sinking boat to me... Oh, look! It's really a wolf!", she said laughing while the wolf rose his ears flying around. It reminded her of something. It reminded her of beautiful day, not so long ago, but still in some other time. Nothing mattered back then. There was no storm, no catastrophe, no hunger and no crazy wizards. Just her, that Klevic and beautiful day. Yet, she was pretty sure not to see him again. She guessed he would notice her by now if he stayed in Zeltiva, he probably traveled somewhere. Oh, she hoped the storm didn't catch him somewhere along the way. She removed nostalgic smile from her face and pointed at another cloud. "I don't know what that long one looks like."

[Lyam]

Where did she see a ship? Oh, right, here. We were lucky it was a windy day, so that the clouds were moving fast. She pointed me another cloud, wondering what it looked like. “Er… It looks like a… ” I began, without finding any proper image “Well, I think it’s a cloud that looks like a cloud” I joked. I laugh a moment while the wind was changing our cloud-looking cloud. “Oh no, wait!” I added “I think it turns into a rolling wave, see?” I could hear on my mind the sound of this rolling wave, I could even smell the salty air. “I love the sea” I conclude simply without any explanation.