Closed [Mud Flats] Clammy hands and muddy feet (Kovac)

[Lavira]

Timestamp: Summer 75, 513

It had been a handful or so of days since the night Kovac had asked her out to the Inclement. The rough start to that evening had ended somewhat unexpectedly, but not un-welcome. The teenager had definitely been grateful in the end for the Avora's kindness and consolation as she struggled to cope.

Now, it was Vira's turn to ask the man out. Her note had been filled with the shy and awkward tone of someone unaccustomed to asking another out in this way. She had tried to make the letter sound more confident, a request to join her at the Flats to catch some food for the hatchlings that had been born the previous season, and not come off sounding like an over-infatuated clipped chick. She hoped he understood her meaning.

The letter had read,

Kovac,

I wanted to thank you for that evening out. You were very understanding throughout. I wondered if you might want to join me down on the Mud Flats around lunch bell? I'm hunting for some treats for the chicks at the Nesting Aeries; Heshvala thinks they're ready for some live prey to practice on...Anyways, I'll be down there at lunch bell, just look for me out there.

~Lavira

PS: Could you bring your flint and steel if you have one? We can eat lunch while we're down there. I've got a pot.

The letter sent, Vira had gone down early, stopping at the Traders Market first to pick up a few suppliesmedium basket, oyster knife, small copper pot, 2 small cages, small hand shovel along with a couple accessory items, one of which was currently worn. The feather on the leather thong hung from the knot in the back of her vinati, but the black silk and lace outfit was further complimented by the silk chiffon headband she wore. It pulled her red hair up and out of the way, tying it at the back of her skull, creating a simply ponytail that left the done-up hair hanging just to her shoulders.

The outfit bared no more than the usual, and was ideal for the muggy, marshy conditions of the flats. Though black, the legs of the bryda were the typical billowy class which had been rolled up to the knees to keep them mostly clean. The top itself had lace sleeves, letting her arms breath and remain unencumbered while she worked. She'd bought some sandals too that were better suited for working on the mud-flats and could easily be washed off for use later. Her only complaint of the outfit was how it left her side exposed. The hollow groove of scarring on that side was unpleasant enough to look at to herself; she didn't want to burden Kovac with the sight. Her blind eye was bad enough.

She was just striding onto the flats when the lunch bell tolled, the nearby ringing from the harbor heard from here. Cages, basket, and pot were all then set upon the ground as the teen let out a long, slow breath. It was just going to be an afternoon of gathering. No need to feel nervous! Just standing on the muddy edge of the tidal flat, Vira could see they were either going to have a great haul or just a great time. Lizards and birds writhed on the surface while little spider crabs went from hole to hole, trying to pull out smaller shellfish. If they could catch a good number of crabs, the hatchlings would have a blast. Some of the other things, well, they could enjoy themselves! That was the point of this little excursion.

[Kovac]

The note had reached Kovac late. The Dek Lavira had tasked with delivering the letter had been on a wild khalaca chase through Wind Reach trying to find the Avora hunter. The drudge finally crossed paths with the half-vanthan as he came up from the Arms Gallery after having some arrow heads repaired and honed. Dismissing the lower caste man with an acknowledging nod, Kovac opened and read the note. In the same vain as Kovac's letter that had lead to their ill-fated date at the Inclement Weather and the subsequent evening in which their friendship ignited, Vira's note was an informal invitation to help her gather foodstuffs for the eaglets. Certainly, such a noble task would be condoned by his superiors, and with a small grin, Kovac folded the paper and stuffed it into his bryda pocket.

Passing by a series of open arched windows, the Avora peered out over the crater of Skyinarta. The sun was higher than he had thought, leaving precious little time for him to get all the way down to Thunder Bay by lunch. Breaking into a run, Kovac navigated the warren passages, and dodged perturbed passersby, until he came to his room in the Commons. He was already clad in black a bryda, knife belt around his waist. His torso was bare, as usual, with no additional garb needed. Quickly grabbing a small field pack he kept ready, knowing it contained the supplies needed to start a fire, the hunter paused for a moment to take up his bow and quiver. The mud flats were teeming with game and he may have the opportunity to bag some while there. He then raced out again.

Upward he worked his way, climbing stone stairs and weaving through corridors and galleries until he reached the Aeries. Ignoring the stares of a few Endal's he passed, Kovac launched into Sira and Aidara's aerie. He found the Kelvic Wind Eagle, and with much ingratiating and a promise of delicacies from the tidal flats, Sira agreed to fly the Avora down to the bay.

The Kelvic landed a small distance away, on more solid, dry ground. Kovac again promised foodstuffs and favors of all varieties to Sira for her transportation, waving as the great raptor lifted again to the sky. The hike down to the flats was not long, and Kovac had spotted where Lavira was working while circling the flats on Sira's back. The reeds and cattails became more prominent, the ground, more sodden as he descended onto the tidal flats. Kovack stopped long enough to tug off his boots, wishing he had brought something else to wear on his feet.

Finally breaking into a more open space, Kovac flushed a pair of bay gulls as he appeared, sending them flapping away in a cacophony of shrieks. The hunter spied the young Chiet. He waved, changing course to stride purposefully up to the girl. "Sorry if I am late, your message had a hard time finding me. But I am glad it did." He explained, smiling casually, his toes wriggling in the watery mud.

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[Lavira]

Now that everything was setup, Vira had grabbed the new shovel and basket and had moved away from the supplies to begin digging for clams. It was more an exercise in busyness as she tried to occupy her mind and not lose the courage that she'd gathered to do this. She'd been hanging around in the nesting aeries too much to avoid others in the city seeing her distressed.

When one of the Wind Eagles appeared overhead, however, Vira turned eyes up to it and marked where it descended and briefly landed, the towering form visible over the reeds and a figure dismounting from the birds back. Unable to see just who it was, however, the young woman shielded her eyes and squinted, listening for the approach. From the dune-grass he emerged, two of those raucous gulls launching ahead of him into the air. She felt her stomach flutter up into her chest and then plummet again to her waist as she stared at him.

There was a strange charm about the mixed blood that attracted the Chiet moreso than that arrogant petch of an Akalak had. She couldn't help eyeing his bare torso, the shadow of stubble that clung to his cheeks and jaws perpetually (Vira sighed inwardly at the memory of how it had felt against her hand, the coarse tickle appealing and helping to root her back into reality), the outline of his muscles that defined him as a hard working man, like she was. The teen could appreciate it even as he called to her, apologizing for getting here late. But the younger woman's gaze had returned to his face, her head turning slightly to the right and then tilting in that direction as well as her single eye looked into his with more clarity than she'd had the night they'd gone to the Inclement together.

Her stare went on longer than it should have before Vira snapped back to attention, clearing her throat and asking him to repeat himself with an apology added at the end.

"Oh, it's alright! I know you have an important role that keeps you busy." She used the line to mask the uncertainty in her voice enough that it kept the fear that he might not have come at bay. "Did you bring the flint? I've got some stuff we can put things in and an oyster knife in the basket. I don't know how much you like seafood, so if not there were some dusklop I'd spotted coming in. If you're not opposed to adorable rabbits for a meal,, of course!" She laughed, the sound coming out absurdly more shrill than it should have been, emphasizing her nerves a little more.

She cleared her throat then and turned back to grab the basket again. "I couldn't afford any gloves so the lizards and crabs will have to be caught by hand or trapped. You know more of this than I do; would you mind...?" She nodded towards a copse of short tide brush some yards off. It would make a good snare-trap for some of the ground creatures, and maybe even a bird or two. It may be taboo to hunt birds considering, but Inartans recognized, at least, that there were still avians that could be used as food (chickens and guinea, and quail, and what not).

[Kovac]

Lavira's greeting was a bit delayed, though Kovac did not think much of the lingering gaze they shared. He too took a long moment to look upon the young woman who had mustered the courage to, not once, but twice invite him to accompany her. To look upon Lavira was not like looking at others, and the way Kovac saw Lavira had changed recently. He, like most of Wind Reach, at first had found his attention distractedly focused on the blind eye. It was dead in appearance, cloudy, the faint pupil gazing out, its perception obviously void. Then one became preoccupied with not looking at it, shifting to her eyebrows, the bridge of her nose, the bow of her lips, or the other, living eye.

But having gotten closer to Lavira, to know her, Kovac no longer wrestled with the girl's blind eye. He found the living one to exceed its partner in interest. Vibrant amber-emerald, expressive, he had seen the depths of despair, and the elevation of hope reflected in the shining orb. Affection too, sweet enough to soften his sardonic heart, had been revealed in that singular gaze, pure enough to captivate his spirit and bring an echoing glimmer to his own features. Even now, as he mused upon that monocular glance, he saw the distraction that he brought to his friend's countenance, flattering the Avora's soul. It made him happy to see her happy, his intent to help her find peace after the horrific experience of her fall. For a tick, he considered giving her a kiss, or even a hug. But Vira graciously cleared her throat, broke the stalemate, and set them to work.

His gaze darted around, before slipping the pack from his back, bringing the bow and quiver unplanned with it, a jumble that he juggled quickly with his boots to contain in his corded arms."Um...yes, yes I did." He chuckled a bit at himself, as awkward as Lavira's giggle. He glanced towards the brush that she indicated, challenging him to construct a snare. "Oyster, crab, those are fine with me. I don't get to eat those very much." The task of digging in the much with Lavira suddenly had much more appeal than picking off a dusklop with an arrow. "But I am afraid I don't know how to make a snare. My forte is shooting things." Even as he spoke, he spied a crab pop up and skitter away before disappearing again. He already had an idea for snagging some of those.

Stepping far enough away to find a clump of reeds, Kovac put his foot down on the shoots, laying them flat long enough to lay his gear on them, above the mucky ground. He reached down to roll up the legs of his bryda, the hems already dampened. Green eyes shifted back to Lavira, studying her in the Summer sun. Her garments, though dark, were were light and thin, made of smooth silk and translucent lace. The garb did not conceal the fitness of the Chiet, a working class woman whose daily tasks had shaped lean muscle along her limbs and a flatness to the plane of her belly. Her youth did not restrict the contours of her feminine form, appealing in the black fabric. Kovac noted the gouge of scarring at the side of her trim torso, marring an otherwise pleasing form. Again, like the white-capped eye, the nature of the woman herself rendered the puckered flesh just another attribute that made Lavira special.

Kovac was up for a bit of fun, the Avora snagging up a cage from the woman's gear and moved back towards Lavira, the squishy soft earth squeezing between his toes. Taking up a position nearby, he began to scan the ground for signs of movement, for bubbles in the muck, indications of one of the crabs. His bravado assured him he would need no protective gloves while pursuing his prey. Crab was best when cooked live, otherwise, he would attempt to stab them with an arrow.

"Thanks for the invitation, Vira. I haven't been up here since I worked at Water Reach to clean up after the Big Storm." He flashed the girl a broad smile. He was curious about how she was progressing in her attempt to cope with the tragic accident. But she seemed happily preoccupied with the tasks at hand, and Kovac was more than content to leave the dark topic lie undisturbed.

A movement from the corner of his eye caught the Avora's attention, and he darted towards the sizeable crab that had appeared, a crimson-carapaced creature with delicious claws. Kovac scooted after it, splashing up the thin layer of sea water as he scrambed after his prey, hand extended to seize the crustacean. But he tripped up in the soft earth, careening forward to land on the flats face down. There was but a tick before he pushed himself up from the mud, cursing under his breath. "Petchin'..." He was wet, some of the gritty sand-soil stuck to his arms chest and face. He looked back at Lavira, a grimace on his face. But it quickly faded to a sheepish smile. "Quick little deklickers they are."

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[Lavira]

When the man explained he did not know how to make a trap, Vira chewed her lips in thought. "Well, that's alright, we'll figure something out. We will need a fire going before we catch too much. Not to worry." She was in a better mood now, the morning chores done up in the aeries and the rest of the day designated to obtaining these treats for the hatchlings. They would love them, of that, the teen was sure.

While Kovac rolled his bryda up, Vira took the opportunity to get the basket and shovel ready. They could just boil the clams they caught in saltwater. It would enhance the flavor, or so she told herself; the younger woman was by far and large NOT a cook. Moving away from the rest now, she spotted a hole with fresh foam rising from it. It was tiny, really, little more than an arrow-tip wide. Here, she knelt and began to dig quick and hard through the silt, using both shovel and hand to try and get to the clam buried down there. Her hand had just caught a brush of it against one finger when she heard Kovac call out, mentioning the storm.

Hand closing around the clam, she pulled it out and dropped it in the basket, replying simultaneously, "Oh, you're welcome, Kovac. Thank you for coming, too." She paused, peering back at him and catching his eye as it explored her. "It...it means a lot to me, really." Another awkward moment as she cleared her throat distractedly, getting back to her feet to search slowly for the next hole that might hide a treat. "Ahem, you were down here after the storm?" She asked next, offhand. "I was part of the rebuilding effort for the nesting aeries. It was awful..."

The teen talked about what they'd found when they were finally allowed back into that part of the mountain. Crushed nests, dead young, even a dek or two that had been trapped and suffocated slowly to death inside some of the nest sites. "It's why the aeries are built the way they are now. Two points of entry and exit. One for us-" she gestured to the two of them, "-and one for the birds. The Eagles use the larger entrance only; if you've ever visited there, you probably saw the big crates that're kept at the back, all filled with hay and fur. Those are what I like to call the escape pods, heh. We can load the eggs and unfledged hatchlings into these and they can be safely removed by the eagles. And if a citizen gets trapped, they can either exit the same way (which...I, eh, I don't recommend) as the birds, or through the standard entrance. There are two vents in each nesting cave, though, that can be crawled through to a point higher or lower in the mountain. It's very important that those stay cleaned."

During this little speech, she'd procured four more clams; the basket was weighing a pretty piece now and Vira turned to face Kovac. Except, when she turned and saw him, she burst into laughter. He'd gone crawling through the mud and sand after one of the crabs, it looked like, and still missed it. The man had wound up covered in silt, and the sight was absolutely hilarious. She continued laughing for another few ticks before finally calming. She set the basket and shovel down and approached him, grinning from ear to ear.

Once near, the younger woman reached for the back of his head, cradling it and then tenderly wiped the grit from his covered face with her hand. She passed a thumb over his eyes and then across his lips, wiped this on the side of her bryda to clear her thumb, and wiped it once more over his nose, advising him to blow any out now. The rest of his face was cleaned with her palm then, twice more wiping the grit off on her own pants before finishing wiping it away. It took less than a chime to do, an act so simple and yet beyond endearing. It was something a mother might do, someone used to caring for others; how she hadn't ended up as a teacher for the yasi, well, that would never be known.

[Kovac]

Lavira's recitation of the damage suffered in the nesting aeries and the reconstruction brought back many memories of the cataclysm. The storm had been unexpected and devastating, in many ways. Physically, it was catastrophic, killing many, changing the eagles, altering the very mountaintops around them. The communal impact upon the Inartan, including Kovac, was as stunning, as the nature of the Valterrian and the existence of Ivak and their ties to Skyinarta were revealed after centuries of being magically hidden from the Inarta. The recovery from both aspects of the Storm's power was long and hard, and still unfinished.

The soberness of the recollections was dashed by his blunder with the crab, and as he tried to brush the wet silt from his legs and chest, Lavira approached. She was clearly amused, her smile wide and bright. The girl made no joke or offered no verbal pity. Instead, she surprised Kovac. As one would do with a child, she steadied his head with a soft press of her hand, and carefully brushed the mud from his face. While Kovac thought he was the one nurturing and taking care of the young woman, she turned and tended to him with the sweetness of a mother or lover. His gaze fixed on her studious eye, a slight smile touching his lips. She wiped the last of the damp grit on her bryda, Kovac still looking at her with a warm grin. "Thanks." Kovac offered. He was struck with the desire to kiss Lavira at that moment, touched by the tenderness of her care, care that few others had shown the half-breed. He refrained, however, for the moment, but did lean down to press his lips to her forehead.

Chiet had already gathered a number of clams, and the skilled hunter had procured nothing. Looking again around them, he went over and picked up his bow and a stout arrow. Planting his feet in the mucky soil, Kovac held the arrow loosely to the string, eyes watching the flats around him. A flutter of movement to the left drew his eye and his bow, but the source, a crab, was too small to trouble with. Still scanning the terrain, the Avora lifted his voice again. "Have you ever ridden an eagle Vira?" He inquired. The Chiet had few opportunities to ride with the Endal, but Lavira seemed to have a knack of making her own opportunities. A quick snap of his torso brought the head of the arrow around to the right, aimed low and drawn only half-way back. The missile was released and the shaft sank into a sizable crab, causing it to tumble several times with the force of the impact. Another darted out of the muck and scrambled sideways nearby. In one fluid motion, Kovac drew an arrow, nocked it, half-drew and shot the second crab through. He retrieved the skewered crustaceans, claws and legs squirming, and carried them back to Lavira's supplies, where he drew out the arrows and placed the crabs in one of the cages. They would not live long, so he would have to gather whatever else he could grab quickly so they could start cooking. Kovac was hungry anyway.

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[Lavira]

He kissed her brow and Vira faltered a tiny bit, lids lowering over her eyes and a happy little smile dimpling her cheeks. "You're welcome." She supplemented lamely afterwards, straightening and grabbing up her basket. The teen watched as he gathered up his bow instead, laughing inwardly when he took aim at a crab. That was going to ruin them! What if he caught the claw?? But true to his word the night of their date, he was a good shot. Both the first, and the second crabs were struck solidly and though they both squirmed violently, neither would be getting away. "Nice shot." She supplemented and then moved off.

Dipping to the mud again, the woman began digging through the silt for the source of the bubbles she'd spotted, answering his next question. "Yes, quite a few years ago. It was one of my first big Bendi. One of my mentors managed to get an Endal to take me on a hunt with him, hoping to show off my skills and maybe get me apprenticed via word of mouth. His name was Raif, I'm sure you've seen him around. I still do, though he's quite a busy rider. It was the most exhilirating thing I'd ever experienced." The look on her face spoke true of what was said. It had given her her first taste of flight, a rare treat for a Yasi, and a memory Vira treasured above all things thus far. *The thread with Raif has barely begun; I don't have further details on it

"I'm sure you've ridden several; you're a hunter, afterall. You can't get to every location worth hunting in on foot. Oh! Quick, get it!" She snapped, lunging after something that'd shot out of the hole she'd dug for the clam. It hadn't been a clam at all that was making those bubbles, but a rather pissed off eel. It had squirmed its way up the moment the shovel touched it and aimed a bite for the Chiet before slipping and wriggling out in search of a new spot to dwell in until the tides returned. Eels were delicious eating but notoriously difficult to catch. It would make a perfect lunch for them and the clams could be taken up to the aeries for the hatchlings.

[Kovac]

As Lavira revealed the opportunity she had to ride an eagle with Raif, Kovac nodded. It really did take just one ride on the back of a Skyinartan Wind Eagle to set the hook. For most, it was the genesis of a life long effort to attain the rank of Endal, to bond with one of the magnificent creatures and spend your life viewing the world below you. Thing was, when many of them became riders, they did indeed look down on the world, and everyone in it below their caste. He did not know much about Raif himself, and that automatically ascribed the rider to the disliked category, until further proof could vindicate him. The grudge against the Endal was deep seated in Kovac. But he had attained much in the way of recovering from the consuming hate of them, thanks to individual riders that had surfaced to disprove his general criticism of the class. Amon, Aidara, Sira, Sairque...it was really just some recognition of the half-bred Avora that had won them over in his eyes.

Looking at the young woman as she dug for clams, unworried about the muck, a light sheen of sweat gathering on her brow, a few strands of stray hair waving in the wind, Kovac agreed on two things. One, the girl had the moxy to overcome her disabilities to be whatever she wanted, and second, that if she did become an Endal, Vira would not treat others like many of the riders treated him.

Kovac snapped at Lavira's quick command, lunging at the escaping eel before thinking, the Avora went headlong again into the brackish muck, scrambling arms and legs as he reached out with clutching hands. Only the flat tail slid along the outstretched digits, too quickly for Kovac to grab. The hunter floundered after the creature, Kovac knowing as well the delectable taste of the prey. Water and silt flung in all directions as Kovac clawed after the quick eel, unwilling to give up. Finally his strong hands grabbed the tail of the animal and the mongrel squeezed a tight hold on it. Rising up on his knees, Kovac held the eel in outstretched arms, the thing writhing and wriggling madly, needle-toothed maw gnashing for some part of the offending man to latch onto. Struggling to his feet, Kovac raised the eel in both hands and slammed it against the ground. The head smacked against the thin layer of watery silt, stunning it. Kovac then drew his hunting knife and shoved it into the flesh just behind the head. The long creature spasmed for only a few ticks before going limp.

Standing again, holding the dead eel by the tail, Kovac looked at Lavira. His smile was wide, boyish. His body was once again spattered with grainy mud. "All this work catching lunch has made me hungry enough to eat it. I will get a fire started."

With that, Kovac laid the eel by the other catches and set about to find dry wood and a place to start the fire.

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[Lavira]

Vira, too, dove after the fish, fingers clawing in the mud just ahead of Kovacs but narrowly missing it again as the fins hauled the wriggling beasty further and further out of reach. The Avora was on his feet first and dove a second time, this time catching it around the middle and hauling the limber creature up and off the ground while trying to fend off bites. Ecstatic, Vira whooped from where she was kneeling, one hand against her side and the other thrust into the air in triumphant praise. The exertion stretched the puckered skin over the scar, missing muscles unable to support the movement; it hurt, but it could not defy the delight she felt at him catching their lunch.

"Alright, I'll get it cleaned." Vira knew the basics of readying a kill; besides, eels were easy. You just took off the head and scooped the guts; everything else was edible! And if it had any roe, that too was edible. The teen got to her feet, wiping hands on her bryda and went to take the eel and knife from him before he could set it down. She was still grinning when she slipped past him, giving his leg a little bump with her hip in passing. "Nice catch, by the way." A pause, barely a tick long, and then she added, "You handle your eel well." Yea, she went there.

Leaving him there to get what he needed to start a fire, the woman hurried to one of the deeper tide pools to rinse the dead fish of the silt and debris writhing across the mud had collected. The knife was left to one side and her fingers moved over the creature quickly to wipe the dirt off. Then, tucking it beneath one arm, she held the head out to arms length and grabbed the knife again. With quick attention, she severed the head and headed back towards the supplies. There was a stone she could use to remove the insides, the eel laid across this and the knife stuck into the creatures vent and dragging it quickly to the wound that had previously had the head. The eel opened up now, she scooped the insides out and set these aside (they could be given to Tulaj; he'd enjoy them) before wiping the knife clean on the outside of her bryda again (it was joyously filthy now). Then, the woman began cutting it into pieces about a hand long each, using the stone to lay them across. They'd need a flat rock to cook over if straight and sturdy sticks could not be obtained. It wouldn't matter in the end, of course, the eel was just as good raw as it was cooked.

The whole process took less than ten chimes and once it was over, Vira simply sat down with her knees raised and arms resting atop them, watching Kovac work. The Chiet could no longer deny her attraction to him, but she remained cautious, afraid to rush things or misinterpret his intentions as she almost had that night after they left the Inclement. The curious thing about it all was how comfortable he made her feel when around him; maybe he was just that charismatic. She didn't want to think that maybe she was letting her attraction confuse the whole thing; still, his charm could not be denied. "He's so different from Garren..." She said too quietly to be heard.

He cares in a way I don't think the akalak did. He didn't run that night, either, though I wonder if he didn't want to. He stayed...how is that not caring? I know I've upset Tulaj with the dreams before, but Kovac stayed. I want to know him more, but....but what a wasted investment it would be if he ran.

But isn't that what she was doing anyways? Running? She could never admit it consciously, but Vira was running and would be for a while yet. With him, however, the young woman didn't feel like running, at least not away from him. This thought made her smile a little. It was a smile of intrigue that eventually summoned the Chiet off the ground to go over to him. She felt no anxiety to say what came next, either, as she might otherwise with another.

"I'm going to go rinse off, Kovac. You probably should too; it'll take a bit for the fire to get hot enough for the eel anyways. I train with Tulaj out here a lot, there's a deeper spot safe from the tide over there." Her head nodded towards the so described tide-pool and then left him there, walking purposefully towards the body-length wide spot. While she left the bandana on, Vira did remove the thong and feather from her hair, tying it to the overhanging branch of a saltwater cedar whose roots had begun to creep into the pool.

Though still in sight of the fire, Vira stripped from her bryda but left her vinati and sandals on before stepping quickly into the briny waters, warmed from the sun. The bottom was lined with bay coral, a couple docile starfish, and one urchin along with a number of small perch. The urchin Vira took care to avoid stepping on should it be a poisonous variety and began to scrub the silt off with quick and vigorous rubs of her hands, taking care around the mending flesh of her side. It took several chimes to complete, but once it was done, she felt better. A fastidiously tidy nature didn't do well dealing with dirt. She finished it all with a dunk beneath the salty waters surface, breath held as she rubbed her fingers through the loose part of the pony tail. When she surfaced, her back was to Kovac and the fire, now just enjoying the relaxation the water provided.

[Kovac]

Kovac handed over the eel and drew his knife, offering it handle first to Lavira. She took them, giving her companion a playful bump at the hip. It was a small but significant gesture, the equivalent of flirting on Kovac's eyes, indicating a new facet of their vaguely defined relationship. The girl's next comment opened that door wide. The glaringly dual- meaning of her eel comment made Kovac laugh in surprise, stealing any words, but the experienced hunter recovered quickly enough to give Vira a wink before she slipped away with their catch. For a fraction of a tick, the ornery Avora considered giving the young falconer a light swat on the arse, but wisdom advised against it. Lavira was still healing, physically from her fall, and emotionally from a man's betrayal. Kovac had committed himself to a measured approach towards Lavira, unrushed, looking to her for signs of readiness for..whatever may come between them. Her randy comment was one such indication, but it was not an invitation to handle her as another woman may have welcomed. It did make him feel good that she thought about him....that way.

Finding some kindling and some large dry branches, Kovac took some dried grass and leaves from a small pouch to serve as tinder. Several strikes of his steel rod against the chunk of flint produced sufficient sparks to ignite the dry material, reaching to lick up the smaller twigs and thin sticks which would, in turn, begin to burn the thicker wood above them. Lavira had returned with the eel meat, but soon excused herself to wash in the surf. As he blew on the fire to help it spread across the fuel, Kovac watched the young Chiet. She plucked the signature feather from her pony tail, and tugged off her bryda. Even at the distance, the Avora could see the lean muscle of the girl's legs, the taut curve of her arse beneath her undergarment. Yes, he was attracted to Lavira like that. Even with the scarred eye, Kovac found her pretty, the brightness of her youth and her seeing eye eclipsing the marring. In fact, it made Lavira look unique, a trait the mongrel favored even over the pristine beauty so many others revered. She looked different than the others, like he did. The fire flared with a gust of sea breeze, and the distracted Kovac recoiled as the heat reached his skin. His eyes returned though, to watch the girl wash in the water, indulging in a bit of harmless voyeurism.

The fire had taken hold, now lively, and Kovac headed to the water to wash as well. Lavira stood in the cool water, looking out over the bay. Kovac looked down at his bryda. He did not wear undergarments. An atypical shyness crept over him. The last thing he wanted to do was to make Lavira uncomfortable, or scare her off. "Um, I...don't have anything on under this, so you may want to keep turned around. Or you may spot an eel you were not expecting to find." He joked, referring to her earlier snarky comment.

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