Summons to Raiha

[Indigo]

[Raiha]

18th of Spring, 512 AV.

Neither Kanikra nor Raiha had not been impressed with the summons brought to her from the Council. She had accepted it, of course, with good grace and a practicedly bland expression, a hissing and threatening Kiwidinok on her arm. She had tucked it away in her woolen sweater until the Akalak was well and truly gone from the premises, drawing it out only much later later to have a look at when she was curled up with Kadrath in their bed in the underground. She had figured one was coming, yes. Kavala had gone before the council earlier in the day regarding her Nakivak status following her miscarriage when they’d come out of hiding. She would go, of course; a summons left little option about that, but she would go because Kavala was her friend. And Raiha wanted to know what it was going to take to get her out of her bondage to the city. If this could be resolved in other ways, perhaps it would enable her to keep from spilling the biggest secret she knew to her best friend. If it wouldn’t, so be it. She would have to swallow her pride and betray her convictions, if only for a little while.

She arrived promptly, though, half a bell early, with Diallo in tow. While she certainly wasn’t going looking for trouble in the meantime, she had learned early on that even Riverfall could mean trouble for her. If it hadn’t been for her dog and a timely meeting with her father, she might well not have been standing here now. And now that she was a season into her pregnancy, Raiha took no chances. She sat on the bench outside of the Council Chamber, caressing the massive white Deerstalker’s face and ears, looking down at him. In the nearly two year time span she had been in Riverfall, she had done her best to fly under the radar. She hadn’t sought attention for herself for being different; preferring to let those who needed their birds trained seek her out. Kanikra appeared to everyone else even less, mimicking her sister and lurking in the shadows, watching everything with cold, sharpened lethality. Sure, the men were bigger and stronger and able to wreak violence in their own right, but what was carefully hidden deep within Kanikra was an apparently bottomless capacity for lethal mayhem. And Raiha found it bleeding more into her, too, especially with little ones to protect.

Any falconer would confirm it. The female was more deadly than the male.

She had hesitated when deciding what to wear before them. Anywhere else, it was a non-issue. However, she was testifying on Kavala’s behalf. Anything accentuating her femininity might detract from what she had to say. She had gone with clean, neat work clothes. Down to earth, solid, industrious, hard-working, honest. First impressions could never be remade, after all. Dark leather trousers hugged her form, ending in well-worn, sturdy, but clean boots. Under her sweater was a leather vest over cotton undershirt. One of her suvai was tucked under her dark brown woolen sweater on her leather belt, but she had left her father’s lakan hidden in the Within. She would not bring it before them, lest they figure out from it her connection to her fathers. And since he had assured her before that the Council didn’t know anything about her parentage, Raiha was determined to keep it that way. In the eyes of the Council, after all, he did not exist. That was a secret that she was determined to keep. Her long white hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, woven into a braid, and pinned into a bun with carved, jutting driftwood sticks that had been sharpened to a point, some of the curling tendrils tucked behind her ears. Despite her efforts to the contrary, she still looked her age - so very, very young indeed.

She was still sitting there when the bell tolled ten, and she stood up when a clerk came to get her, clicking her tongue at Diallo before following him in, Diallo at her side. She stood there, mask in place, looking at the older men with solemn gold eyes as two muted clicks of her tongue brought the white dog to a sit at her side. She wouldn’t speak until they told her to. Raiha understood that game well enough - to speak without permission would make her look insolent. Mind your tongue, lest you cut yourself with it, she remembered the old saying. No doubt that it applied here.

[Indigo]

Somehow word was leaked that an Akontak (and pregnant no less!)would be appearing before the Council and a small crowd had gathered just outside the chamber doors. In a city of Akalaks, the special and blessed Akontaks were lucky to be seen once in five generations. The only one they knew of kept hidden within the walls of Akajia's tower as High Priestess. Rumors spread that there were two Akontaks to appear today among them, and no one who was anyone wanted to miss it. Every detail of Raiha's form, face, clothing, hair and posture were taken into account with murmured awe. A few of the women in the crowd planned to ask their seamstress for similar clothing and some of the men coveted the strong white beast at her side. An officious looking clerk came out to shoo the crowd back hastily, and bowed respectfully to the Akontak female and her protector. He gestured for her to precede him to the chambers, his eyes taking in their awed fill at such a rare personage in their midst. The temple priests from each of the city's towers had gathered along the back wall of the packed chamber to witness the presence of an Akontak in their midst. Akajia's heavily cloaked High Priestess remained unknown, silent and still unlike the rest of their religious brethren. They gave a swift and saucy wink of recognition to Raiha and Kanikra, smiling secretively. Not even the council could force the Akajia High Priestess to reveal the secrets they knew of the Akontak. A cushioned, well-made chair with an elaborate side table holding a pitcher of fresh, cold water, greeted Raiha as she came into the room. The Council of Elders stood as one unit when she entered, not sitting until she did. An Akontak was more than prestigious enough to merit such courtesy, but a -pregnant- Akontak had never been witnessed in their lifetimes. Twenty eyes were locked on Raiha in a mixture of awe and fascination. While rumor had indicated that there -might- be an Akontak or two on the outskirts of the city, it hadn't been confirmed until now. Her neat, clean, functional clothing, hair and visible weapon were met with high approval. Her calm and respectful demeanor was everything an Akontak should be in their opinions. Diallo's appearance added to her aura of sheer strength that she could (assuredly) control such a powerful beast. "Distinguished Akontak Raiha and Kanikra, your honored presences are summoned here to attest the validity of statements made by Nakivak Kavala Denusk. Do you concede to questioning at this time?" asked Nevar with pure formality. Although they had the authority to question all citizens of Riverfall, courtesy was demanded for such highly esteemed persons as the rare and Gods Blessed Akontak. All waited politely for the consent that she must inevitably give. As the head Elder spoke, Butros Jovai allowed his auristic senses to concentrate solely on the Akontak's abdomen. A hot, vibrant purple emanated strongly from her stomach, showing she was pregnant beyond all doubt. An almost electric blue aura surrounded the unique young woman, with her blatant, glowing good health and strength not really needing any auristics to see it. He noted her condition decisively in his notes and passed it to his fellow Council members. She was in flawless health, currently breeding, fit, armed, confident and efficient in demeanor. None could find any fault in her countenance--at least all excepting Wolcirkm Javelis. Raiha looked to be a mere teen, hardly old enough to bear young. Youth could not be hidden, and Wolcirkm honed in on it like a hawk searching for weakness... Lorvet Quiavec rustled his ledgers and papers in a polite and unobtrusive way to get Raiha's attention. "According to the notes, you are owner of The Mews and operate within the confines of the business known as Sanctuary?" He awaited her assent before continuing. "How long have your run this business and what are your financial and time estimates to rebuild to full function after the Spring Storm? Also, will you be financially assisting Nakivak Denusk's business in order to see to your own?" Councilman Quiavec, while no less impressed with Raiha/Kanikra's status, was far more concerned with the practical, financial and business aspects of a meeting.

[Raiha]

Raiha hated the extra attention from curious onlookers. She really did. She hadn’t liked it in Mura, with the white women hovering around and over her, making fuss and speaking in tongues. She’d borne it with a good grace then by getting the petch out of the city. And in Riverfall, she usually managed by going into the city at odd hours and hiding her hair and face. No one was going to mistake her for a Myrian woman any time soon, but a girl could hope. Regardless, she did not have that option here, so she just smiled at those around her and continued to pet Diallo. Be cheerful, Kanikra told her dryly. They are an asset. This is what we are meant for, to inspire, to lead, to advise. Make the best of it. Despite that, Raiha was secretly relieved when the clerk shooed the others away and escorted her into the council chambers.

She observed the room as she went in, sweeping around and finding those amongst the clergy that she recognized. They wouldn’t have mentioned her secret about Akajia, and that knowledge made her feel just a little more secure. She faced the Councilmembers, then, bowing at the waist, about halfway, her eyes never leaving them. She bowed with respect, not submission, female or not. The priests and priestesses got their own bow from her, before she took her seat, folding her long body into it comfortably. Diallo parked his rump beside her, and she neatly crossed her ankles, facing the men.

She listened as Nevar spoke to her, and she nodded slightly. “I am Raiha, but I speak with my sister’s consent on her behalf as well,” she clarified who she was for them. She knew she was relatively unknown to them, and the less Kanikra’s name was said, the more content her nasty-minded sister would remain. “I thank you and the Council for allowing us the opportunity to speak to you with regards to Kavala Denusk.” She hadn’t really any choice, having been summoned before them, but if there was anything Raiha could say or do to help sway the odds in Kavala’s favour, then she had to try it. As Raiha sat there with Diallo, Kanikra’s sharpened eyes studied the big blue men before them. Their father had once termed them ‘pokey old bastards’. At first appearances and impressions, he was proven right.

She turned her head towards Councilman Quiavec when he began to rustle his papers, taking in his questions, nodding her agreement when he asked her about her position. “When I arrived in Riverfall, Kavala took me on as a healer for the Sanctuary. I tend to specialize more in birds, and to accommodate this, we built the Mews, Kavala and I, as an addition over one of the stables. We completed them on the 42nd day of Spring, in the 510th year after the Valterrian,” she told them. “So going on nearly two years now. All a falconer needs is a bit of shelter, knowledge, birds, and some equipment. I am able to operate just fine presently. The Mews will be built in stone, this time around, to better withstand the storm. However, birds being birds, the larger animals take some precedence right now, and that is of no consequence. They are comfortable as they are,” Raiha explained. “I can fly them regardless of whether or not there is a building dedicated to their housing. I expect the construction to cost approximately one thousand to fifteen-hundred gold mizas, but I am able to pay for this, and I plan on assisting Kavala, financially, with rebuilding. Not because it is essential to my business that that happens, but because I also work at the Sanctuary, keeping the lands clean of vermin that would get into the food stores or injure the horses by tunneling in the pastures. I help out there when and where I can. I owe it to Kavala, as my close friend, to see her dream rebuilt and assist in doing so where I can. I promised her that I would, and one must honor their promises.”

There was absolutely no poke in her tone in the last words that. None at all.

As their questions continued, Raiha told the councilmen what she knew about what had transpired. She answered their questions directly, for the most part, usually taking her time before speaking and remaining polite and respectful throughout. When she was excused, she stood up, bowing slightly to them, and again to the priests and priestesses, before nodding at Diallo and slipping out of the building before heading back to Sanctuary. There was work to be done, and while this had been a necessary duty, there was just so much to do...

OOCDone, just submitting. Doubt there's anything in it, but eh.