About that drink (Gaius)

[Evora]

1st Day, Summer, Year 512 AV

Evora wrapped her arm around Gaius' arm and walked with him to the entrance of the pub. The sun was already turning purple in the sky and the pub was already alive with people.

The interior was dusty and poorly lit with candles. It was crowded and rowdy and the men had already begun singing. It was a cherry atmosphere and Evora spotted a table close to the back that was free. She walked over to it and sat down.

It made her slightly uncomfortable that she could not keep an eye on everyone in the room. She sat with her back to the corner of the room so she could fit as many people as possible into her view. She also suppressed the erg to take advantage of the already drunk men and line her pockets with a few copper and silvers, but reminded herself of her company. This Inartan man that she could not help but trust, be it heritage or the simple goodness that seemed always present in his acts.

She grabbed a rag from a passing server and ignoring the look the girl gave her, Evora began to clean away the crust of dry blood from her wound across her belly.

"So now, about that drink?" she asked, placing the rag on the table and looking to Gaius expectantly.

[Gaius Sivet]

As Gaius entered the tavern with Evora, his senses immediatly tuned to everything they could. The place was dusty and dimly lit, but that could be attributed to the fact that the sun was still up, so no one had yet lit the lamps. It was slightly dusty and very crowded. Several men were already well into their drink, singing in slurred tones, while others simply ate their meals and spoke of their days.

Gaius followed Evora to a table near the back, situated in a corner, just where he liked to sit. Evora took the seat with her back to the corner, so Gaius settled for a seat nearly against one wall. As he sat, Evora began to clean away the crust of blood over her belly and looked up at him.

"So now, about that drink?" she said meaningfully as she placed the rag on the table. She watched Gaius with a tempered expectance and Gaius nodded, slowly calling over a serving girl.

"Two ales if you would," Gaius said to which the girl nodded and went back about her work. It was a short wait before she returned, dropping their drink off and hurrying away again, but silence stretched between Gaius and Evora, making it seem like an eternity. Somehow, the silence between them was deafening, far louder than the tavern noise all around them.

"So," Gaius began uncertainly, not sure of what to say or where to begin. "Tell me about yourself?" he asked weakly, hoping it wouldn't come across as prying or selfish.

[Evora]

"Two ales if you would," Gaius asked a passing serving girl who nodded and rushed off to get the drinks. Well, maybe not so much rush. What seemed like a life time seemed to pass, where the two Inartans just stared at each other. Evora shifted uncomfortably, wishing they were back out in the yard sparring. That had been comfortable. In the yard there was no danger of her bluntness pushing Gaius away. But here in the tavern words seemed crucial and they failed her horribly.

"So," Gaius said, uncertainty lacing his voice. At least he was not the only one lost for words. "Tell me about yourself?"

Evora immediately threw up hr defenses. What did he want to know? Why did he want to know? What would he do with the information? And just as the thoughts came to her, she pushed them away. He did not mean her any harm. At least, she didn't want to think so. She wanted to trust this man. But he could not trust someone he did not know. So she would tell him about herself.

"I am of Wind Reach, of the Avora clan. My mother a glassblower and bead worker, my father a hunter and warrior. I loved my parents and they loved me in a way others of Wind Reach can not understand. We were a family. And they died. My mother we lost to a chill, my father I lost to madness. My own people could not understand my grief and love, so I left." The serving girl returned with their drinks and Evora looked into hers mournfully. She had told this stranger her story and it saddened her that he was also Inartan, and like the rest of her people would not quiet comprehend the sorrow she felt or the love they had shared as a family. She longed for Gaius to understand, for anyone to understand.

[Gaius Sivet]

Gaius listened intently as Evora spoke, glad that he had thought of the question before she could ask one of him. He knew the no matter what he tried to say, his natural bluntness would clod it up and he would only end up making an ass of himself. As Evora spoke, her voice was like sunlight on a once darkened field. Light and lovely in every aspect, even as it took on a somber, melancholy tone.

As Evora spoke her story, Gaius felt himself becoming more somber with her. It was a story of loss that spoke to his own heart, a story of their common people, who understood neither of them, and never would. Slowly, Gaius realized that Evora had stopped speaking and the serving girl had dropped off their drinks. Evora was staring into hers with a sad intensity that could have brought many people to tears just to look at her.

For a moment, Gaius thought to reach out to her, lay his hand over hers in a gesture of comfort. But as soon as the thought rose to his mind he pushed it down, trying to drown it in a sea of thoughts. It was too forward, too likely to offend. For the moment, he would have to settle for trying to comfort her with words.

"Evora, I wish there were something I could say to be of comfort. I'm afraid this isn't really my strong suit. But I do at least understand one thing. I understand your people, our people, not understanding. That's why I'm here. I asked questions and couldn't hope to find the answer's in Wind Reach. I can say that at least. That I understand where you come from. I hope that is something. If there is anything I can do or say, please ask."

As Gaius finished speaking, he realized how hollow his words must sound. Vague musings and platitudes, things to be said and discarded like used paper. He nearly despaired right there, but managed to keep his composure, hoping Evora wouldn't hear the hollowness, and only the intent.

[Evora]

Gaius allowed another silence to stretch between them but this time it wasn't uncomfortable, just somber. He seemed not to know what to do. But eventually he found words.

"Evora, I wish there were something I could say to be of comfort. I'm afraid this isn't really my strong suit. But I do at least understand one thing. I understand your people, our people, not understanding. That's why I'm here. I asked questions and couldn't hope to find the answer's in Wind Reach. I can say that at least. That I understand where you come from. I hope that is something. If there is anything I can do or say, please ask."

Evora looked up at him, his face a picture of concern. Could he really understand? What heart aches did he face at Wind Reach. Speaking was no Inartans strong suit.

"There is something you can do for me," Evora said looking up at him, "Tell me why you are here? Why did you leaving Wind Reach?" Maybe the question was too personal but Evora had lay out her cards, something she was not used to, and she expected Gaius to have the good grace to answer in kind.

[Gaius Sivet]

"Tell my why you are here? Why did you leave Wind Reach?" Evora asked. Her whole being was one of tense apprehension, as though she wasn't sure if she had overstepped her bounds, but was also to eager to hear Gaius' reply to truly care. Gaius, for his part, was caught more or less off guard. He had expected something like this, anxiously hoped for it more like, but some part of him was still worried, still whispering in his ear that to tell anyone his past was a bad idea.

What can you hope to gain from such foolish hopes? the voice asked, mockingly. You may understand one aspect of each other, but never the whole. You're wasting both of your times and all that will come of it is depressing pain.

Gaius fought to push the voice away, forcing it to be silent. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then lifted his ale and took a long, slow drink, his mind still racing. Finally, he set the mug down and nodded slowly, committed and decided.

"My mother and father taught and raised me well. I had no tragedy, nothing that is strange for a young man's life. But I grew bored. I began asking questions that were seen as strange, and some that were simply ignored for their inflammatory nature, and looking for answers that I couldn't hope to find in Wind Reach. Soon enough, I realized that the only way to find answers, to find whatever it is I'm looking for, was to leave. So I packed my things and made my way here, hoping that the biggest and busiest of cities might hold what I'm looking for. So far, I don't know if I've found anything like the answers I sought when I left, but I know I've learned more than I could have had I stayed. I don't regret my choice, but I do miss home sometimes. I miss my family too."

A silence slowly began to spread between the two once more as Gaius finished speaking. It had been fast and long winded and he hoped it hadn't sounded too pompous. As always, he was left knowing that his words had been blunt and clumsy in a situation where the smooth edged speaking of someone else would have been far better. Slowly, the silence stretched and Gaius took another drink.

"I hope that answers your questions," he said quietly, not quite knowing what else to do. Even as he said it, he wished he hadn't. It sounded clumsy and childish, even to his untrained ear. All he could do was sigh inwardly and hope Evora either didn't notice or didn't care.

[Evora]

Questions. Questions. What questions?

Evora burned to know and to ask but somehow felt this was not the time nor the place. But what really caught her attention was that Gaius missed his family. Evora wondered what kind of relationship they shared. Was it the common relationship where you share a roof with the woman you bed but beyond that children slept alone and raised themselves, or was it as his words imply something similar to what she shared with her family? Something warm. Something love.

"I hope that answers your questions," Gaius said after a long while. Not really, Evora thought but smiled. She wouldn't pry more right now. Form this meeting she could tell they would meet again and have time again to talk about such things.

"Indeed," she said smiling and drinking from her ale. She enjoyed his simple bluntness, it matched hers and she felt no shame in her mannerisms when she spoke with Gaius. She tipped her cup with his and took a long drink.

[Gaius Sivet]

Several moments passed and Giaus felt the all to familiar weight of the the heavy, awkward silence. He stared at his hands, shifted in his seat, took a drink from his ale. In general, he fidgeted, not knowing what to do or say.

This is so difficult, but why? Sparring was easy and fluid, it all came so quickly and simply, so why should simply talking be so much harder? Gaius wondered. Finally, he looked up and to Evora, and he answered his own question.

She was beautiful, beyond a doubt. Her fair skin and the simple grace of her very frame, the way her eyes sparkled with a mischievous intelligence and her mouth quirked up into a smile. The flowing simplicity of her auburn hair and how it caught the light just so. And that was the pitfall. Her beauty made her intimidating to talk to, for fear that one wrong word would turn that beauty against you and it would be destroyed. That, coupled with an already crippled ability to speak to others, destroyed any semblance of normal conversation.

Gaius stood quickly, more quickly than he had hoped, nearly knocking his chair over as he did so. It has to be done, and quickly before I change my mind, Gaius thought to himself. He paused a moment and knocked back the rest of his ale before looking to Evora again and extending a hand towards her in what he hoped was a gesture of friendliness and chivalry.

"Would you like to take a walk then? I love a good tavern as much as anyone, but the dull lighting is destroying the perfection before me. You are much more fit for the sun than the shadow," Gaius said, hoping the words sounded more pleasing to Evora than they did to his own ears.

[Evora]

Gaius kept moving about. His feet tapped, his hands wrung each other. He could not, would not sit still. The silence that stretched started to become awkward again. As if the silence was a being that sat itself at their table, blocking any words or thoughts that might stimulate a conversation.

"Would you like to take a walk then? I love a good tavern as much as anyone, but the dull lighting is destroying the perfection before me. You are much more fit for the sun than the shadow," Gaius extended his hand to Evora and he spoke a little too fast. For the first time in a long time Evora smiled till the smile reached her eyes.

Evora studied the man for a moment. He was taller than her with a muscular build. His hair was a shock of red and his eyes a grey that glistened in contrast against his brighter features. He was handsome, but he was somehow… nervous? Uncomfortable? That in turn made Evora nervous. Maybe she was a bother to him. Unwanted. Inconvenient. But he wouldn’t ask her to walk with him then, right?

Evora pushed her insecurities aside for the moment, deciding that she was being all too serious about a meeting with a near stranger in any case. Instead she smiled saying, “I don’t know what perfection it is you speak of but I will come with you,” and accepted Gaius’ hand, allowing him to lead her from the tavern out into the setting sun outside.

[Gaius Sivet]

Evora stood and took Gaius' hand, a smile touching her face. “I don’t know what perfection it is you speak of but I will come with you,” she said. Gaius smiled in kind and led her out of the tavern, stopping only long enough to pay for their drinks. Gaius opened the door and the pair walked out into the sunlight streets of Syliras, all a bustle with traders and people going about their daily business. Gaius looked about the streets, suddenly aware of his lack of a plan. He was also acutely aware that Evora had not let go of his hand yet, something that both encouraged and confused him.

"Well, where should we go to? The city is large and wonderful, plenty to see, plenty to do. Any ideas?"