Closed Until That Day [Ayatah]

[Tinnok]

Everyone always complained about the undergrowth, but for the half-breed witch...well she rather liked it. The thick vines and creeping roots of nearby trees made for a sturdier foundation for her strange ingrown hut than she could ever hope to build with her poor carpentry skills. And if she had to dig out a new fire pit each morning? Good exercise, she'd say. Truly the witch was as comfortable in the overgrowth as a Tskanna with Kudzu vines growing around them, and this morning she was even humming a strange tuneless song to herself because she simply couldn't recall the words.

The interesting and wonderful thing about plants was that nearly all of them were connected in some way or another. The great trees did not put their roots so far down in the rather nutrient lacking soil, but plenty of shrubs and bushes did...it worked as a slow and almost useless alarm system, but just as she heard footsteps approaching she felt a slight warning from the vines she placed her hand upon: Footsteps treading upon moss and roots, too big and heavy to be ground fowl, too few in number to be a large quadruped: Visitors.

Instantly Tinnok's hand went to her belt, fingers fastening comfortably around the Scimitar that hung their glistening, barely ever leaving her side now.

"Tinny!"

She winced, but despite the horrendously embarrassing nature of that wonderful nickname Aya had conjured, what the sound meant brought a smile to hardened lips as the half-Eypharian bursted through the undergrowth and hammered upon the door. Since the house was a bit too small for three, Tinnok emerged with a grin, exposing a bottle of liquid...not quite the right color to be fruit wine.

"Dog got into it the other night." She rolled her eyes at the antics of creatures. "But I did pick this up from the square. Lethshine!"

The half breed took a swig of the strong clear liquid, closing her eyes for a moment as it seared a pathway down her throat, then proffered it to Aya, smirking as the Eypharian turned up her nose. "Ach, come on, it aint so bad."

Golden eyes moved over Ayatah's right shoulder to assess the Eagle that stood behind her, proffering a nod of greeting and a warm smile that passed her lips only for those she cared for...the majority of which were in the clearing presently. The initial happiness dimmed within slitted pupils as she assessed the amount of things each of the individuals carried, and the fact that they were visiting her simultaneously...which was an infrequent enough of an occurrence. So this was it then...

The smile remained upon her face, for she refused to let the even dim her spirits...at least until they had left. With the both of them departing on their various missions, the half breed would be left without many sentient members of society that were willing to put up with her so well as the two that stood before her. But of course, she was only thinking of herself...how she would miss them, not how they would miss everyone they were leaving behind as well, and each other, whenever that day came. The half breed sniffed suddenly then held up a finger and ducked back in side, her voice coming out in a muffled tone. "Tell me you a have a bit, I can cook you something!"

She disappeared into the shadowed depths of her hut, searching through dried fruits, meats, tubers and other collected food stuffs, trying to assess a good farewell lunch...was it lunch now? Early dinner? Perhaps all they had time for was a snack and she was keeping them. Tinnok slammed her head on a particularly solid beam and bit her lip to keep from cursing at the top of her lungs. Ach, she was behaving like a fool...

But who else could she be a fool around?

[Razkar]

Razkar's eyes widened in surprise as he heard the half-Dhani referred to... somewhat differently. The scowl on her lean face told him everything he needed to know about and he let a slow, sadistic smile over his face. He watches the two females greet each other and marvels and how Wolf's face softens and warms when she looks at Ayatah.

If that look were on a man's face, he would be jealous. But for her, he's just happy there's another being in Falyndar that can make her mask of sullen distrust crack and crumble like that.

He extended his hand for a greeting but with a smirk, she just slapped the bottle of shimmering Lethshine into it instead. What passed between them was more... complicated. They had met as warriors originally, and while they did not have the history Ayatah and she did, they had grown close in her way. Much of it was not conveyed in words. It was a silent connection that Razkar had never understood fully.

Some things don't need to be.

He licked his lips as he took the bottle, girded himself... and took a shallow swig. At once his throat and lungs burst into flames, memories coming with the sensation of late-night drinking sessions at the Garrison and a handful of taverns beyond it. Lethshine was apparently so-named because it had been blessed by the goddess herself, hence the shimmering color. Razkar believed the other version: that it was called that because if you prepared it during the sun's hours, it would probably burst into bloody flames.

He gasped and spluttered and laughed and coughed all at once, then handed the bottle back with a firm nod.

[color=#FF0000]"Beats the Barracks' grog, doesn't it?"

She smiled back but he could see the understanding behind her eyes, and the remote, hidden sadness that came with it. Tinnok was far from stupid, and after seasons out here in the jungle, she had learned not to let any little details escape her. Razkar knew that she would have guessed why they were visiting by the time the first one opened his or her mouth.

It wouldn't change anything, though. And they would miss her as much as she would them.

"Tell me you a have a bit, I can cook you something!"

Razkar gave a mock wince and leaned against the doorway, a quip already on his tongue... but she was gone. Too quickly, as well. He felt a twinge of pity for her and stooped a little to get under the doorway. Goddess, she was taller than him too; imagine how she must have felt in the undersized hut. He got in there just in time to see her crack her head onto a low beam and decided that sitting would be a better idea.

He gave Ayatah a quick glimpse as she stood beyond the doorway, fingers gently running over Nasila's back. That never ceased to amaze him. The massive constrictor had always unsettled him, but Ayatah? He was like that damn barbarian Dog was to Tinnok: loyal, placid and even affectionate.

Razkar turned back to the half-Dhani and crossed his arms, triumphant smirk on his lips.

"'Tinny', huh?"

[/color]

[Ayatah]

The relationship between the two half-breeds was a simple one; good, heart-warming friendship. The one between her lover and her friend, however, was not so plain. They had bonded over training and the patrols they had shared, Ayatah knew, but their friendship seemed to run deeper than simply being comrades. In all honesty, she was glad. It was one thing to have a half-Eypharian lover, but it was completely different to accept - and even care for - a woman that had the paternity of their peoples’ oldest enemy. Few purebloods would willingly share the company with two half bloods, and she shot her lover a sideways glance. I must remember to show my appreciation for that later…

The lack of her favourite tipple, however, was something that clearly dejected Ayatah. She shot the hound in question an accusatory look, but her expression changed to pure horror when the bottle of Lethshine was slipped into her hands.

Oh, the memories…

”Urgh, this is the stuff that shyke-head from the Shrunken Hands clan got me drunk on years ago-” The story ended there, somewhat bluntly. Although both had had lovers before, it was not something she and Razkar discussed particularly often, or enjoyed talking about. Both tended to be struck a kind of moody jealously whenever the topic was bought up. She sniffed the bottle, took a sip, and instantly pulled a face when that strange fiery sensation hit the back of her throat, burning her tonsils and tongue. ”Yep, still tastes mildly like regret.” They all shared a laugh.

Leaving Tinnok’s hut would be harder than anticipated, she realised painfully. If she visited her friend, it was usually to spend the night there laughing and drinking and recollecting old times. She had never come for such a solemn reason before, and it would be a while until she visited again.

The thought hit her like a punch to the stomach and Ayatah tried - and failed - to look perfectly fine as her friend hurried inside to throw together a meal. Her leaving Taloba was the best, she knew. But Myri, it was becoming a damn hard pill to swallow. Hovering just beyond the doorway, she trailed a finger down the length of her friend’s scalier pet. The snake slobbered much less than that alcohol-stealing dog, and those reasons alone made Ayatah favour lizard over hound. Look after her, serpent, else I’ll turn you into a pair of gloves.

"'Tinny', huh?"

Now that eased her discomfort, and it also put a smile back on Ayatah’s lips, which only widened as her friend winced once again at the name. ”Something from our childhood.” She explained nonchalantly, folding her arms as she leaned against the doorway of the hut, ”but before you tease Tinnok mercilessly for it, just think of what I could come up with for you.” There was a dangerous glint to her eyes, and a smirk to go with it.

Now where was that alcohol?

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Tinnok]

"That fellow? If I remember correctly, more than his hands were shrunken..." She smirked at her joke, and took a long look at Aya's mopey face. "Gah, alright, if your refined foreign palette just can't handle my wild booze..." Tinnok dipped into a dark corners ensconced by thicks vines and pulled out a slightly cooled dusty bottle with a wooden stopper. Clear that it was an old liquid, she presented it with much feigned graces and airs to her friend, pulling off the bottle and letting a truly delectable aroma emerge. "Can't wait till mother dearest realizes her ancient barbarian wine is gone. Some weird plant that we don't get here...indigo...or blueberry? I think...anyway. Sounds, weird, but perhaps you'll like it." She passed Aya a couple wooden cups.

Tinnok smirked almost painfully as she visibly noticed the tick of reputation points being wiped from the Eagle's slate, one dark eyebrow cocked visibly as he asked about her nickname. The half wince was transformed into a smile of gratitude at Aya's retort. What balance the two of them seemed to have... Dear Goddess here she went again. The half breed put a firm hand on Razkar's shoulder, nearly clocking herself again on another branch. "Out by the fire, the both of ye. I'm cooking and that's that...go put some booze in your stomachs."

Truth be told the abrupt nature of her hostessing had ulterior motives, and that was mostly of a composing kind of nature. As they departed the half breed let out a slow whistle of air out of her lungs as she began gathering supplies...Jerky, no that wouldn't do, didn't she have some fresher birds round here? Ah the three tinamou from a couple days ago, that was better.

The snake was a creature of iron walls and false appearances. She wasn't much of an actor, but a hard life had created a hard creature upon the surface, and a strangely fragile one deep within the inside. A winding path was taken to get to that glass-like core, but it was there. Aya knew of it, and Razkar had been exposed to it more than once now... She had known this day was coming. Aya spoke of traveling to the barbarian lands, had that spark of wonder and adventure, and the Eagle? She didn't need him to speak to know he needed a land where his merit could be judged upon the expert way he wielded his steel, and not what hung between his legs. But now? Just as she was getting her much needed taste of freedom, and had found her place in the expansive world...they had to go and find theirs as well.

As she thought she assembled. Dagger came into her grip on a whim and she began chopping and slicing the meat in quick patterns before her. Her eyes focused in one the glinting steel and her wrists rotated in rapid succession, chopping, slicing, and dicing. A little bit too much in fact...

Adding to the cutting were some dark red tubers with creamy white uncooked insides, and next were the chives. A sprinkling of unknown dried herbs and a brown marinating liquid made from animal fat, sugar, and beets was poured atop the mix, which she wrapped in the ever useful rubber leaves. Three large packets were brought out in her arms and Tinnok kicked the embers of her fire pit, nestling each of the packets in among ruby red coals. She took another swig this one longer....of the Lethshine, then went to fetch Nissila, who slithered comfortably across the half breed's shoulders and coiled around her arms and neck, sitting down by the fire next to her two friends as she waited for the food to cook, poking the packages periodically with a stick.

"So..." She smirked, plastering on the content facade that was falling apart at the seams. "Where you two headed anyway?"

[Razkar]

”Urgh, this is the stuff that shyke-head from the Shrunken Hands clan got me drunk on years ago-”

The words died on Ayatah's lips at about the same moment Razkar's head snapped around, eyes narrowed slightly. He knew that jealousy was not an attractive quality in anyone, but at least it showed he valued her, right?

Something inside him groaned with sympathy for the female gender. Goddess, if that's the the way they think...

Fortunately she diffused the moment with her usual flare, face flushed from the powerful hooch. Razkar shook his head and smiled at her yet again with something like awe. He book learning was not just broadening her knowledge; it helped her in the real world, too. Or maybe she had always been that way...

Then new sport was thrown his way. A gift, a blessing in the form of an embarrassing childhood nickname that he could milk years of jibes from... and his love, his woman, his heart stole that from him.

”Something from our childhood, but before you tease Tinnok mercilessly for it, just think of what I could come up with for you.”

Razkar's face seemed to fluctuate wildly. Shock, surprise, anger, helplessnes... yes, especially that last one. All the smug anticipation leaked out of him as his eyes went from Tinnok to Ayatah and then back again, until finally he just slumped his shoulders.

"Must you always spoil my fun? No, as a matter of fact, don't answer that..."

Before there could be any retort Tinnok had ushered them out and away from her makeshift kitchen (which was really a makeshift "entire living quarters"), stuffing a bottle of... much finer wine into Aya's hands. Only when they were back outside did Razkar hear that comment about her "mother dearest", and despite her playful, mocking tone, he felt his heart sink.

Why can't they see what Aya and I see? Why must they be so obsessed with a purity that does not truly exist? Bravery, courage, honor, cunning, determination... has she not got them all?

In the brief silence outside, listening to a knife slicing away furiously at vegetables, sizzling meat and wrapping leaves, the pureblood and the half-breed exchanged wary looks. Sadness borne from realization was radiating faintly off Tinnok, and both of them could see it. They would miss her so much, but what was there for her?

Razkar smelled the food cooking. He heard the gentle, almost friendly hissing from Nasila. He heard the wind through the trees that Tinnok loved so much, and all he felt was a sadness. But for her, not himself. She had worked so hard to carve out her own life, find meaning and purpose. Wolf was never going to be a social creature: his own race's prejudice and disgust had seen to that. But she...

Does she need you? Both of you? Or are you just attaching more to yourselves so your leaving has more import?

The male did not know. His eyes lifted slowly and met with Ayatah's. He could read similar thoughts in them and thumbed silently to Tinnok. There was something he truly loved about her: she understood him. Without words or elaboration or even much in the way of hints, she seemed to just... follow his thoughts.

So when he smiled sadly and his eyes took in the hut and the Jungle all at once, Razkar knew that she understood.

Will it be enough for her until we return?

She made to reply and at that moment the "door" parted and Wolf emerged in a minor pall of smoke, packed and... Goddess, those really smelled good. Razkar felt himself salivating as he watched her plop the three bundles into her fire pit and bully the flames back into some kind of life. She reclaimed her positively affable Nasila and then settled back, smile on her face that Razkar almost pitied, because it fooled no-one.

"So. Where you two headed anyway?"

Pity would insult her worse than insults to her blood or honor. This will be the last time you see her, "Eagle". Don't petch it up.

He and Ayatah gave each other that momentarily-clueless look that couples always seem to exchange when their shared future is discussed by others. Goddess, he really hadn't thought about it up until she asked. Where, after all? The world outside of Falyndar was...

"Ayatah gave me a book," he said almost sheepishly, "I'll probably get some ideas from there. I have heard the Blue Skinned people are fine warriors. That could be a good place to start..."

Feeling somewhat adrift, his hand snaked over and grasped Ayatah's briefly. His eyes met hers and his lips twitched into a smile.

"Riverfall. That is where we will go, I think. It's the nearest barbarian port after Black Rock. From there..." his face crushed briefly in pain, but the smile came back quickly "then we shall part."

Melancholy. That was what it was becoming, yet again, and he had promised it would not be. He squeezed Ayatah's hand again and let go, turning his attention to Tinnok. She was the reason for this visit, anyway, and the person they would both miss most of all that was not kin.

"So, to answer your question, I have no idea. I'm sure Aya had her plans, of course. Like always..." He decided to ignore the soft glare she directed his way, giving Wolf a knowing wink. "But we couldn't leave without seeing you. After all, we were hungry, you're a decent cook, so a free meal before-"

He guffawed as he dodged the hurled stick swept up by her hand. But not by much.

At least her aim's improving...

[Ayatah]

Ayatah bowed lowly as Tinnok revealed her secret supply of fine wine - though whether the falsified grand gesture was for the alcohol or her friend was not clear. ”Marvellous. I am a creature of fine tastes, don’t you know?” Her words were tinged with some silly accent, one that she suspected the barbarians from her books that lived in majestic towers sounded like. Then she winked accepted the wine gladly.

"Must you always spoil my fun? No, as a matter of fact, don't answer that..."

Now came the fake sympathy; she pouted and patted Razkar on the chest, a secret smile creasing her eyes as Tinnok ushered them out of her hut. Then the humour kind of died, replaced by quietness and melancholy.

They were outside once again, amongst the jungle that had been their home for the past twenty-odd years. Ayatah wandered around the perimeters of Tinnok’s own slice of the jungle, imprinting the place in her memory. Myri, she would miss her fellow half-breed. They had looked out for each other as girls, giggled at salacious gossip as teenagers before finally becoming respectable adults (well, thereabouts anyways).

And for Ayatah, the idea of missing out on more of those times was as upsetting as missing out on watching her young siblings grow up. She is a sister in all ways but blood.

But what would their leaving mean for Tinnok? The relationship with her family was not a loving one, aside from that younger brother, and other than herself and Razkar, Aya knew her friend had few others that cared for her. It was infuriating that their people were so narrow-minded… But it was worrying, too; how would Tinnok deal with even less support? Would she be happy?

They weren’t saying goodbye - not just yet at least - so Ayatah tried to push those damming thoughts out of her mind. After taking a deep breath, she turned around and headed back to the bonfire. She passed a wooden cup to Razkar, and poured some wine into it whether he wanted any or not. When her eyes met his, she knew he had been thinking similarly. Giving a minute nod to acknowledge her understanding, Aya tried to smile - though the sadness did not leave her eyes. I understand. Myri, I understand…

Fortunately the half-Dhani herself broke the sad silence by bursting out of her hut, armed with food that she then placed on the smoking red coals. Almost instantly an aroma of meat, vegetables and herbs was released, making Ayatah’s stomach grumble like some hungry tiger cub.

"Where you two headed anyway?"

Ah, there was that question. Ayatah was glad when Razkar answered it first, and as she listened to her beloved describe his plans (or lack of), the half-Eypharian found herself smiling, strangely enough. There was no good in being so remorseful, not when these were the final bells she would be spending with her closest friend for quite some time. You can either laugh or cry about a thing - I know what I’d rather do: it was another of Quinneth’s slogans, and yet again Ayatah was forced to agree.

The sadness would come eventually, but for now she wanted nothing more but to enjoy her company.

”There’s nothing wrong with a plan…” she muttered, pretending to be horribly insulted as she sipped at the wine - now that was better drinking! ”I’m going to Zeltiva…. To their… university…” Those final words were said sheepishly, and understandably so; it was so unbelievably un-Myrian to leave Taloba to learn amongst the barbarians, let alone to learn about them as well. ”Because nothing says ‘MYRIAN’ like reading a good book in a library.”

They laughed, and the day felt a little easier.

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Tinnok]

The half breed listened, nodding occasionally. She was interested, even if the ideas of traveling to barbarian lands only appealed to her because of the creatures they would contain. Giant blue men? Myri the females of Taloba would surely hate them... She felt somewhat like she was stuck in time then, as both of her friends had goals and aspirations to move forward, and here she was, left behind like a sick dog...but that was not at all how it was, she told herself sternly. She was a guardian and sentinel. Her time would come to leave this jungle as well...when Caiyha bid it, but not before, not when there was so much to be done. The half breed took a long and cleansing breath, air whistling out of her nostrils which turned into a chortle at Aya's comment.

"Serving Myri abroad in the land of tomes...sounds just like you."

She got up to retrieve the stick that she had thrown past the Eagle, and just because she knew how off-putting Nissila was to him, she lifted up the massive snake and plonked it on his shoulders. Before she could be dislodged the constrictor wrapped neck and tail comfortably tight around either of Razkar's arms, giving him full mobility, and a wonderful new serpentine accessory. Tinnok snorted at the expression on his face, as she grabbed the branch. "Don't struggle, she'll only hug you tighter."

Returning to the fire she opened up one of the leaves to check the steaming contents. Satisfied with the color of the cooking food, and the smell. she used more of the plant like substance to lift the leaves out of the coals, depositing one in front of each of them. "Lunch time!"

The dog raced through the underbrush, sitting down promptly next to Tinnok with her tongue lolling. The half breed rolled her eyes and threw her a bit of the bird meat included in the meal, scooping a handful of the substance out and dropping it into her mouth, then promptly spitting it out with a curse. "Tskanna balls!"

Two pairs of dark eyes assessed her with amusement and Tinnok grumbled, rising from the ground, her words becoming incoherent mumbling as she made her way back to the hut. "It's petching hot alright? I'll go get some eating knives..."

The half breed returned with a few wooden spoons and short knives not good for much other than stabbing and cutting food, distributing them and sitting back down, the dog's black eyes fastened utterly to the meal. Tinnok told her off with a comment and the canine went to lay down outside of the hut, eyes forlorn. The witch only rolled her eyes and took a slightly more tempered approach to her food the second time.

"So...blue men and books, you think you will continue traveling after? See the whole of Mizahar or summin?" Her own way of saying...So when are you coming back?

[Razkar]

He would hold to this time when he was far away from these two females. He would close his eyes, or sometimes just focus them onto nothing as he stared out onto the horizon, and see them sat around the fire. Food in hand, spirits at their elbows, jibes and jokes passing between them. Hot and flavorful fat dribbled down his chin as he chewed at the roasted birds, using only a crude knife to skewer it before ripping chunks off with his teeth. He noted Ayatah's slight frown and shrugged, nodding to an equally-ravenous Tinnok.

"Army of Taloba table manners, my love. Stuff of legends... just not the legends you' expect."

Another short burst of shared laughter and shaking heads. Goddess... that was so refreshing. How long had it been since all three of them had just laughed? Enjoyed each others company? Ate a meal, drank some wine together, talked without fear or concern...

Razkar shook his head with just a hint of sadness. He would miss these moments.

"So... blue men and books, you think you will continue traveling after? See the whole of Mizahar or summin?"

The clueless male did not hear the secondary, silent question in the primary, so he just shrugged again instead, taking another swig of Lethshine. The whole of Mizahar... Goddess, that seemed like a challenge. He'd heard that it would take a man two whole years to walk from one end of the world to the other, and that was without stopping or stalling. But to sup and savor each land, each people, each city or clime... that might take lifetimes.

Razkar chewed more thoughtfully at that idea, frowning into the winking embers. Very slowly, he shook his head.

"I think I'll move on if something promising comes up, but... not too far. This is still my home. It just..." His tone became haunted, almost hunted, but only for a moment or two. Then he forced it back to cheerfulness. He would not have melancholy be Wolf's lasting memory of him. "... doesn't feel like it right now. Going on Pilgrimage, that'll get it out of my system."

He looked up and there was a soft smile on his face as he regarded the canopy. For months now he had hated and feared the Jungle. It had turned on them, and Caiyha with it, against her inhabitants that had loved her as much as their own true Goddess-Queen. He did not understand it. None of them did. So in their confusion and anger they had hacked and battered and burned down swathes of it that were freshly in their way, around Taloba and beyond...

Now the male sighed. The humidity and scent of sap. The sound of wind whistling past countless millions of leaves. The calls of creatures from the impossibly tiny to breathtakingly large... all were in his senses now. He wondered idly, that if this was how he saw the Jungle, how incredible it must be to have Tinnok's gifts.

"... it will be good to come back. Being away... lets you remember how much you love somewhere." His eyes flashed to Tinnok's inquiring face for a moment, and a smile flashed with it. "And how much you miss those you leave behind. A year... maybe two... and you'll see my ugly face marchin' back towards your hut."

He poked at the ribcage of his impaled dinner with a finger, pushing some odd and wobbly viscera to one side to get at a good chunk of meat. He ripped it out with his front teeth and chewed, winking at Ayatah and dispelling the thoughts.

"Plus... a romantic cruise across the Suvan Sea?" He pressed a hand over his heart with a dramatic sigh, the very epitome of sarcastic romanticism. "One can hardly imagine a more beautiful thing...!"

A fresh pelt of missiles, some of them still-hot bones. Razkar didn't bother to dodge, just threw up a warding arm and chuckled. Ah, Myrian females. They never were easily seduced by the sentimental notions of the barbarians...

[Ayatah]

Books were thing that truly excited Ayatah about arriving in Zeltiva. She knew the university had an ancient library, full of old texts covering a vast array of topics. And different people, from various lands and times, had written them all. The mere thought of all that literature, how the books would smell and feel in her hands, was enough to make her stomach flutter and twist with excitement. This hunger for knowledge had existed within Ayatah for as long as she could remember. Nighttime tales had never been enough; she had had to ask questions, to query the outcome and have more information. The more she learnt, the more she wanted to learn. Why bother knowing the minor details when you could learn everything? Or at least… thereabouts, anyway.

In truth, it was the only aspect of her personality that Ayatah was happy to attribute to her father - the patching arrogant so-and-so he was (or apparently had been). The Eypharian had craved knowledge and learning, whereas Paira of the Scattered Bones lusted after bloodshed and victory. Ayatah lay somewhere between the two, enjoying little more than a good book when the blood of her enemies’ still tainted her fingertips -- as long as the blood didn’t stain the pages, obviously.

Food arrived, shortly followed by a grumbling Tinnok leaving and returning with utensils. Ayatah held them delicately in her hands and pulled apart the soft flesh of the birds, smiling and nodding appreciatively once she tasted them. As usual, Tinnok’s cooking was delicious, and she made a mental note to take a lesson off her friend another time --

Oh.

"Army of Taloba table manners, my love. Stuff of legends... just not the legends you' expect."

The comment dragged Ayatah back to present, and she was thankful for it. Laughing, and shrugged her shoulders and nodded to Razkar’s chin, which glistened with fat. ”It’s just as well I don’t love you for your manners, isn’t it?” Smirking, she took a sip of her wine.

"So... blue men and books, you think you will continue traveling after? See the whole of Mizahar or summin?"

Unlike the oblivious male amongst them, Ayatah did pick up on that other meaning to her friend’s question. But it was one that she could not answer - at least not straight away. The courses at Zeltiva University lasted a season, so if she arrived there for Winter, she’d be finished studying by Spring. She calculated the time frames in her head, though gave up.

She would need to play it by ear, she knew. Taloba was her home, but as Razkar had just so rightfully said, it just didn’t feel like it. She would come home, but when was an entirely other matter.

”I think…” she started slowly, almost thinking out aloud as much as answering Tinnok’s question, ”when there’s nothing else for me in Zeltiva, or wherever I’ll be. That’s when I’ll come back.” Taking another sip of her wine, she flashed a grin and shrugged casually, ”or when I’ve learning absolutely everything and am known far and wide as the genius of Mizahar. Y’know, whatever comes first.”

"Plus... a romantic cruise across the Suvan Sea? One can hardly imagine a more beautiful thing...!"

Ayatah rolled her eyes to Tinnok, before turning around to smile sweetly at Razkar. ”Of course. I can hardly wait to gaze out to the ocean with you… Or wash the stink of fish and sailors off my body afterwards.” Her nose wrinkled at the mere idea, and she catapulted a few of her leftovers towards him. The dog rushed forwards, tongue lolling and eyes alight with the excitement of flying food. Instantly the canine began to lick at Razkar fervently, mopping up the grease stains Ayatah’s projectiles had left.

Her attention turned back to Tinnok, and her smile softened slightly for her friend. ”But we’ll write, whether you like it or not. How else are we going to know what’s happening here?” Letters would be by no means a replacement to the real thing… But it would have to do.

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Tinnok]

She sat there, basking in the contentment of the moment. She might feel this again, even after they were gone, but it simply wouldn't be the same, not like in this moment. That being said, Tinnok wasn't a creature to dwell in the past. Despite her inherent sadness at the occasion, the prospect of her friends traveling to foreign barbarian lands was also exciting to her, even if not as much as the entities actually traveling.

Her cameo nearly up, Tinnok rose abruptly from the log, took one final sip of Lethshine, and fed the remains of her food to the dog. "I'll have to fetch a homing pidgeon from the market's, those things are petching expensive they are...or perhaps I can train a bird..." She was thoughtful for a moment, and her eyes trained playfully upon the both of them. "You better petching write." She looked at Razkar, putting a hand over her mouth as she addressed Ayatah. "I don't think that brute can, though."

It was the male's turn to throw a large and wooden object in the form of a wooden cup, which Tinnok nimbly caught, chuckling. Her demeanor got a bit more serious then, but a genuine smile still hung on her face. "Sorry I have only the meal to offer the two of you before you set off, but there's nothing you two are going to need out there that I can offer you."

A strange compliment, but one nonetheless. As the two travelers rose from their seats, the dog eagerly finishing any left overs, and Tinnok idly stretched her arms. Goodbyes were not something she had had to undergo during her lifetime, given or received.

Though unsure of how to proceed, she gave Aya a firm hug, both unconventional of the half breed, but perhaps necessary given the circumstances. For the Eagle she removed the constrictor from across his shoulder, and made due with a nod. "Serve Myri well, and return with all your bits, right?"

She smiled. There were a lot of fearsome foes out there beyond their little jungle, but the half breed wasn't especially worried about these two...smart and strong, cunning and thoughtful. If any two Myrians could travel Mizahar and return, it would be them.