Evening Breeze (Van)

[Khiara]

3rd Day of Spring

Khiara wandered down the dusty streets of Endrykas, breathing in the cooler evening air. She'd found a nice establishment and had settled in Pygmy, Vsenri and Pon. It seemed like a good time to rest, relax...but the city was new and exciting - and relativly safe. Making sure Pygmy was safe, the vantha had left her a note and taken her leave.

Dressed in her travelling clothes, she had sniffed slightly, turning her head slightly. The leather needed to be smoked, it smelt of damp and of sweat. Glancing at the last open shop fronts, she pulled into one with exotic clothing displayed on the cart. She couldn't afford finery, and the shop keep was obviously not wanting her to linger. Moving to the back of the cart, Khiara skimmed through the riding attire. Grabbing a soft leather dress, she took it to the keep paying quickly. It was cheap and not beautiful or dazzaling. But it was practical and fresh. Taking the dress to their tent, the vantha changed, leaving her other garments to air over the fire. It was a sleeveless dress, coming to just above her knees with a soft tassled fringe. It fit a little snug, but it worked, accompanied almost out of place by knee high, furlined boots.

Walking the streets, she followed her nose and her ears, looking for some good food and frankly, a little wine. The days of travel and her terrifying experience in the sea of grass left her jittery. It would be nice to wind down. Drawn by the inviting orange glow of a small encampment on her left, Khiara entered, violet eyes quickly taking in the sight of happy drinkers and steaming plates of food, a large carcass roasting on a central fire. It would do. Moving further inside, she sat on a vacant log by the fire and looked around. Serving girls moved between the tables, trays of food and steins of rich mead in their well practiced hands. Pushing her now unbraided hair behind her ears, the vantha tried to gain the attention of the closest one, her voice soft and unsure.

[Vanator]

Vanator had missed the meal prepared by his relatives at their Endrykas encampment. He had been on the plains with his beloved Strider, letting his mount open up and stretch her legs. Van had spent more time in the grasslands alone with Backlash. Their bond had grown as the mare matured. She had become more protective of him, and had shown a streak of sass that he found vaguely familiar. But now his hunger was strong, and he headed towards the nearest merchant's quarter to find a good meal. The aroma of roast meat drew him into one particular establishment, his body aching from the day of riding more than he wished to admit. Van moved through the tables when he spotted a familiar face by the fire. He was not particularly in a social mood, but this face was unexpected and quite welcomed. Khiara's hair was different, he thought, maybe just loose, and she wore a Drykas dress, but the fur-lined boots were unmistakable. He sidled up to her, clearing his throat to gain her attention. "Khiara, I see you found your way to Endrykas as well!"

[Khiara]

Khiara waved a hand unsucessfully as another serving girl hurried past her table, lowering the hand to self consiously push back a lock of shimmering hair. She was a fish out of water here, and the girls didnt notice her from a pile of dirt. Sitting back, the vantha watched them for a while, studying their movements and their apperence. Taller than her, and golden skin glowing in the firelight, they were a beautiful and built species. They were designed for this living, all wirey muscles and lean bodies - Khiara felt almost flawed with her softer, rounder features. Turning her violet eyes away from the patrons, the young woman was reminded of the drykas she'd met on the Sea of Grass. Vanator. Her mind remembered his movements and voice, intruiged by him and his beautiful mare.

Frowning slightly, she recalled the mark on his sternum. The mark of a love lost, a marriage broken. Absentmindedly, she touched her own chest, thinking of how she should have that too. Even if she hadn't married Eliac, she had loved him. Dully, her eyes stared into vacant space as she rubbed her sternum.

The sound of a voice, a familiar voice beside her made the vantha jump. She swivelled with wide violet eyes to look up at the man as he seated himself at her table, hand still resting on her chest.

"Vanator?" Khiara said with a slight tone of suprise, ears burning slightly. It was just like thinking of him had caused him to appear, and it took a moment for her to compose herself. Smiling, Khiara turned towards him, resting her hand on the table.

"Yes! I mean, Pygmy got me here, but yes definitly here. I needed to get away from the open plains for a bit." Laughing slightly, she shook her head.

"Civilization is sometimes a good thing. Well! I'm..what are you doing here? I mean..do you live in Endrykas?" Internally, the vantha winced at herself. She was babbling. Closing her mouth, she smiled again. It was good to have a friend here.

[Vanator]

Vanator chuckled lightly, Khiara's startled jump and the expression in her vibrant violet eyes expressing her surprise at his appearance. Yes, it was definitely the Vantha he remembered. Her warm round features and olive skin framed in deep hued locks, did indeed stand out among the horse people. He greeted her with a big smile, sensing a bit of awkwardness in Khiara, surely due to being alone in a strange, new place. Van took a seat next to her on the log, turning towards the northerner. "I figured Pygmy would drag you here." He laughed. "I don't live here permanently. I have been in Endrykas since I met you and Pygmy in the grasslands. Myself and a few of my relatives have a small encampment in the city. More of our pavilion will arrive later in the season." A serving girl passed by, and Vanator voiced something in Pavi to the woman, who abruptly halted before them. He ordered a plate and a mead for himself, then turned to Khiara, speaking in Common. "Do you want something to eat or drink, just tell her what you want, its on me tonight." He flashed her another warm grin.

[Khiara]

Khiara chuckled a little, raising her eyebrows slightly at the mention of the kelvic. So she'd met up with Vanator the night prior in her drinking. Suprizingly, the vantha felt a little pang of dissappintment that she'd missed out and something else she couldn't put her finger on.

"Ah, dragging me here is probably the wrong term. Certainly she pointed me in the right direction. I don't know what she got into last night, but it left her quite ill. Poor thing. She has a terrible case of 'serve-you-rightous'." Her smile was genuinely sympathetic, but laced with humor. Self inflicted morning sickness was always slightly amusing to those who didn't participate.

Blushing at Vanator's generous offer, Khiara ordered a plate of the beautiful spit roast, vegetables, bread and a cup of wine. Looking at the drykas, his skin golden in the firelight, she shrugged.

"I'm not good at getting attention it seems. Lucky you found me, or I may have gone hungry tonight." Lifting her hand, she picked at the front of her dress a little, creating airflow to cool her down a little. Yes, the air was cooler in the evening, but it was still warm to her. A very light sheen of sweat covered her skin, assisting in the cooling process.

"Do you have a lot of family coming here?" The young woman asked lightly, curious about his race. Was a pavalion like a hold maybe? A sudden movement at their table made her turn away from the man, smiling at the girl as she set down their orders. The wine was warm and richly spiced, and the cup a lot larger than she'd expected. Picking it up in two hands, she sipped and was pleasently suprized at the rich fruity flavour.

[Vanator]

Vanator moved to a take a seat across the table, so that the two of them could converse easily as they dined. He was happy to see Khiara again, intrigued by the northern woman since they met last season. Recalling the previous nights events, Van chuckled. "Pygmy was like a fish in water at the tavern. She is a talented singer, entertainer really. I had to leave before she was finished, but she did spend the night in my pavilion." The Drykas blushed, realizing the possible misunderstanding. He laughed nervously and raised his hand as if to fend off any accusation that he took advantage of their Kelvic friend. " I, I mean, she stayed in a separate room in my tent. When I awoke in the morning, she was gone. I suspected she went back to the caravan you two traveled with." Van gave the serving girl a grateful smile and took a deep draught of the mead. He could see Khiara was still not acclimated to the warmer Cyphrus weather, her skin glistening with a sheen of sweat. He felt bad for the woman. She had found a cooler dress to wear, but she still wore those heavy fur boots. He wondered if her Frostmarch was faring any better. He also wondered if either Khiara or the horse would ever cool off in a river with him again after their encounter at the river with the Glassbeaks. At Khiara's inquiry about his family, he turned to look at her, always curious what hue of iris color his gaze will find when their eyes meet. "Most of my family will be arriving later this Spring. My cousin is getting married." Vanator tore a piece of roast meat from the hunk on his plate and popped it his mouth.

[Khiara]

Taking another sip of the spiced wine, Khiara supressed a splutter as Vanator explained his night with Pygmy, her eyes shifting to a bright shocked gold. Putting down the mug quickly, she swallowed, face a bright red. Obviously she had missed more signs then she thought when Pygmy had lightheartedly called dibs. Incrediously, she scolded herself for the sudden drop in her stomach.

"I..well.." She began, before the drykas quickly rephrased himself. Of course it was in a seperate tent. Pygmy would have positivly gushed otherwise - even in her hungover state. The vantha laughed a little, liquid light violet chasing away the gold with smokey streaks, before picking up a roasted root vegetable and popping it in her mouth. It was scalding hot, but delicious.

Meeting his flecked eyes with her own, almost lavender in the firelight, she took another deeper sip of wine. It assisted the burn on her tounge slightly. Nursing the cup, she smiled gently - almost wistfully.

"A wedding? What a beautiful occasion for your family." Pausing, her gaze dropped to her plate.

"You must be proud of your cousin. Marriage is such a powerful event, binding each others souls for eternity." Drinking deeply suddenly, Khiara put the mug down with a little shudder. It was a lot stronger than it tasted when sipped, and the yeasty alcoholic after taste sent a shiver up her spine. Pulling away a piece of meat, she sat back and looked at Vanator, heart beating in her ears. Her cheeks felt warm, rosy even. It was nice.

[Vanator]

At Khiara's words, her rather poetic description of marriage, Van's smile darkened and his eyes shifted to his mug. His finger ran around the uneven lip of the wood, gathering a small glob of foam. It was a nice sentiment, but not all marriages last an eternity, some not even a lifetime. His gaze lifted to the crowd around them, mostly unfamiliar faces. The hole in his soul, opened when the filthy Zith took Tamar's life, suddenly ached a little more. Van had made progress in his recovery. His new friends have definitely made life more fulfilling, even if some of them had not yet learned the story behind his Lacun mark. But he wondered if anything would ever fill that pressing, empty void. After taking in a deep drink of the honey mead, Van finally looked back at Khiara and smiled. She appeared more content now, the rich hue of her irises more subdued. Maybe she had just needed a meal and a good drink. Vanator was a bit weary, his heart somewhat heavy as he reflected on the subject of marriage. He was not in the mood for small talk. Khiara was a fascinating outsider, intriguing and friendly. He decided it was time to learn more about her. "Khiara, I've been wanting to ask you something. You have traveled an incredible distance. I cannot imagine how far, really, but I know it is further than I have ever journeyed, or probably ever will." He took a bite of cooked carrot, chewed and swallowed. "And surely you have met many dangers along the way. Mizahar is a dangerous place, no matter where you live." Van focused on the Vantha's lavender eyes, searching for an explanation. "Why did you leave home to go so far away?"

[Khiara]

Khiara had been watching Vanator as she waited, she caught the change in his features, the darkness that shadowed them like a stormy cloud over a blue sky. It only caused more intruige into his past. Such bitter emotions, perhaps it had been a divorce after all?

Smiling as he spoke about the distance she'd travelled, the vantha took another long drink of her wine, glancing inside to check how much she'd drunk. A third, somehow this suprized the woman. The mug was definitly bigger than she'd thought. Looking up, she caught his eyes again as he questioned her motives. The bemused smile faded, and she tapped her fingertips on the table as she calmed her heart. Sitting in silence, only the sound of the crackling fire and the other patrons filling the air. Looking away finally, she reached into her carry pack and withdrew a small carving. Rolling it in her hand, she leaned across the table and gave it to Vanator. It was made of whale bone, and appeared to be a man riding a whale.

"There once was a young fisherman," She began, speaking the fluid singsong Vani. "This fisherman was a fine hunter, and he was often asked to accompany the older men when they went out to sea to hunt the Great Whales. It was a huge honour, even for the older fisherman, to bring in the first Orca of the season. One day, there was a feeling of excitement in the air. The whales were seen breaking water. The hunt would begin. And The Young Fisherman was asked to join. Thrilled, he packed his things and prepared." Pausing, Khiara took a drink, steadying her voice. Still, as she spoke, there was a waiver.

"This fisherman, he had a young sweetheart, who loved him with her whole soul. Everytime he would leave, she whispered to him, 'My heart goes with you, Goddess willing you return it.' And everytime, the fisherman would return and give her a gift, a trinket of his love and his return. This time though, The Young Fisherman's sweetheart begged him not to go. She felt in her heart something was not right. But he was a proud young man, and he promised her he would bring back her heart. And so they left, with his sweetheart waiting on the snowy shore. And she waited, and she waited." There were tears in the vantha's eyes, and she stared into her mug.

"Finally, the boat returned, smashed and broken. The men got off, all wet and frozen. But the young fisherman wasn't there. The sweetheart pleaded witht he other men, but the young man had fallen out, and had dissapeared under the water. His body never re-appeared." Khiara stopped there, unable to continue. Looking up, she smiled a little at Vanator.

"Eliac and The Whale." She said weakly, before taking a large drink of her wine.

[Vanator]

When Khiara hesitated at his question, Vanator wondered if he was prying to far into her personal life. The she held something out to him. The Drykas took the small carving from Khiara quizzically, admiring the craftsmanship. Running his fingers over the details of the piece, It appeared to him to be of bone, but Vanator could not identify the large sea creature depicted. He looked curiously at the woman across from him, not understanding how anyone could ride such a beast. Khiara's reply to his question puzzled Van at first. The Vantha began to speak in a rich tone, her eyes shifting hue again, the pattern of her speech that of a skilled storyteller. The strange lyrical rhythym instantly drew him. A tale unfolded before Van, one at first he believed it was some old Vantha lore, recited around her people's evening fires for generations. The horseman listened intently, seeing for the first time a peek into the culture of this stranger from the frozen north. But when Khiara continued after a pause to take a drink, Vanator detected the slight quiver, the glistening in the Vantha's eyes. He had pondered how this old tale related to the motives behind Khiara's long journey, and why it moved her emotions so. When the tragedy was revealed, the tears welling in Khiara's eyes, Van looked down at the carving of the man and whale and understood. She was the woman who had lost the man she loved. His heart suddenly ached desperately, his stomach tightening. He looked away from the deep sorrow in the Vantha's eyes, unable to bear to see the pain she could not conceal. His own ache spiked, so surprisingly fresh after five years. His teeth set upon his lower lip, a mental battle ensued to bridle the rising helplessness that had accompanied Tamar's death. Van looked again upon Khiara, his gold-flecked brown eyes conveying an empathy that only one who had suffered as Khiara could embrace. Had he known her better, he would have moved beside her, held her and tried to comfort, knowing there was no comfort that appeased this agony. Instead he reached across the table and took her hand, placing the small bone carving it her palm and gently closed her fingers around it. Giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "I am so sorry Khiara, so deeply sorry, Now I understand, I really do." Vanator replied, his voice rich with emotion and grace. Vanator suddenly felt compelled to tell her about Tamar. Not to take anything away from Khiara's moment, but he wanted her to know that she was not alone. Not in Endrykas and not in her sorrow. The food and drink forgotten, Vanator met Khiara's deep gaze. His hand moved to rest against his chest, where the Lacun mark stained his skin beneath his tunic. "I know you saw this at the river, the mark." He paused to see the acknowledgment in her beautifully colored eyes. "Five years ago, my wife, Tamar, left with some of the other women to gather roots to cook. They were late in returning, so myself and some other men went to look for them. We arrived too late. Zith had attacked, taking most of the women. They use them as slaves and food. But they did not take my Tamar, thank the gods. She was left behind. When I found her, she..." He paused now, his teeth gritting audibly, his face contorting with both grief and anger. "They had left her to die. When I got to her, it was too late." His last words were soft and thick with emotion as he struggled to retain his composure. Vanator suddenly felt exposed. Not before Khiara, whom he found himself feeling quite close to now, finding some small comfort in a kindred soul, someone who knew the utter despair of losing the love of your life. But Van felt vulnerable in the crowd. An emotion the Ankal's son did not relish. "Khiara, why don't we step outside, we can take the food and drink with us."