Flashback To Leave It All Behind (Kawa)

[Vanari]

Winter, Day 55, 507 AV

Eighteen. That's how old she had just turned this morning. Hopeless, meaningless, inglorious eighteen.

The frustrated Vantha brushed her long, dark hair violently, unmindful of the snags and knots. It was supposed a happy occasion, but she could already hear the great symphony of worries and elderly advice awaiting her during the Birthing Day Feast.

"Vanari, dear, haven't you found interest in any young men yet? You're eighteen and you don't want to become an Ice Maiden, now do you?"
"Don't worry about your height, dear. There are plenty of older gentlemen who would suit you just perfectly."
"Lass, if you don't try to struttin' at least a little, those lads won't know what they're missin'!"

Why the petch did any one of them care? It was her life, her's! Not their's, not anyone else's. If she showed no interest, then by Morwen she would keep doing so until the day she felt she ought to show differently!

The girl sighed, gently placing her brush back on the table. She stared glumly at her plain, boring reflection. It was no use. She had never been good at standing up for herself, no matter how much fury or indignation she kept pent up inside.

"Vanari, breakfast!"

Her reflection blinked, emotionless. "Yes, mother."

The wooden stool screeched as she got up and smoothed her dress. Then she quickly braided her hair, tied the end with a leather strap, and made her way towards the door. She was just about to pull the latch when it swung open, revealing a moon-faced, pretty youth with large eyes and a wicked smile.

"You promised."
"I didn't say when."
"You promised."
"I just want to murder you, I hope you know that. You do know it's my Birthing Day, right?"

Sania feigned innocence, her face that of a cherub who knew no ill will. "Sister, you do me a terrible injustice. Since when would I forget such a momentous occasion?"

"Um, like about ten ticks ago," Vanari spat. "Just give me the stupid note. I'll deliver it after breakfast, if that will get you to shut up about it."

"Yes!" Sania squealed, her waves of dark hair bouncing as she embraced her sister. "You're the best sister in all of Mizahar."

"Don't make me barf."

"Girls, what's keeping you so long? Come down before the food gets cold."

"Yes, mother," the sisters droned in unison.

The two descended the stairs side by side, and the sun and moon themselves could not have looked more different. Vanari's stubborn locks twisted this way and that and shimmered like wild sparks, while Sania's fell in luxurious waves with gentle gleams of blue and violet. The eldest daughter was tall and gangly. The youngest, petite and curvy. One preferred solitude, day dreaming, and honing her skills. The other, constant attention, flirting, and defying her parents. And the list went on, and on, and on.

When they finally reached the bottom, their mother was waiting expectingly, a large smile on her olive face. She uncovered the platter at the center of the table, revealing the rare form of a giant, blackened sea urchin.

"Happy Birthing Day, dearest daughter!"

Vanari shuddered. She hated sea urchins.

"Don't make that face, dear, it will leave wrinkles when you're older. Sea urchin is good for you, and it costs a fortune! Now, eat up before it freezes over again."

The girls scowled, their shared genetics finally in sync. "Yes, mother."

[Kawa Snowsong]

Winter, Day 55, 507 AV

About two miles away from Avanthal, a young man leans against a tree, rotating a small blade in his hands, his eyes closed in contemplation...

"Boy, you don't be careful with that dagger, and you'll be adding a couple more scars to those hands of yours."

The Vantha youth's head raised up to meet the currently yellow eyes of the shorter, but much more muscular, older man who stood over him. The teen's own eyes changed to the same color, as he waved the weapon in his hand around wildly as he rocked back and forth on the snow-covered ground.

"Yeah, and if I'm really lucky, I might even lose a finger! Wouldn't that make a great story to tell around the hold?" Kawa pulled his left-hand's index finger under his palm, and studied the appendage for a minute, trying to decide if he liked the look.

"And not one person in all of Avanthal would be surprised that ya did it either, we've seen you trying to carve wood alone; when your mother ain't there to keep you focused, well, just look at your hands. Would it kill ya to wear some gloves now and then?" Ganar Coolwater, a long-time friend of Kawa's father, asked.

Kawa, in turn, started examining his palms, which were almost covered in very small scars, most of which were a result of carelessness with a wood-carving tool.

"Can I help it if I found how my hands looked to be bland? These are just decorations, is all!"

Having heard this response many times already, Ganar simply sighed, and reached out a hand to help the brown-skinned youth up, muttering something about frost-bite.

"Besides," The fisherman grunted as he pulled Kawa to his feet, "If you cut off a finger, ya couldn't play the flute anymore. And wouldn't that be a shame?"

"Perhaps..." Kawa responded softly, his eyes turning a light blue.

Ganar, seeing this, placed a hand on the musician's shoulder.
"If your still worried about what your father thinks, I already told ya to stop thinking about it. You're a Snow-song, music comes naturally to ya... Unlike fishing."

With that, Ganar started pushing Kawa forward, grabbing a wooden fishing pole which was leaning against a nearby log.

"Which is why, yet again, we're going to struggle through a day of you wasting my bait while we both sit on the ice and freeze to death. Here, try not to hook yourself this time." The burly man ordered, shoving the rod into Kawa's free hand, as the boy slipped the dagger into his pack.

"I make no promises."

[Vanari]

Vanari burst from the front door before her mother could attempt to force feed her another piece of sea urchin. Gods, how she hated those things!

"Remember to come back well before the feast, dear!" her mother yodeled after her. "We have much preparation to do!"

"Yes, mother," the girl snapped, already up to her eyeballs in annoyance. Preparation was just code for endless hours of grooming, dressing, and lectures on proper behavior for a lady. If it weren't for the mouth-watering fare awaiting her at the actual feast, Vanari would have dived head first into a hunting hole just to spare herself the misery.

Why am I always so miserable? she bemoaned to herself. I'm so tired of it--so tired of all of this!

All she felt like doing was plopping herself down in the snow and wallowing in self-pity. Unfortunately, she still had the blasted letter in her pocket, and she would not hear the end of it if she didn't deliver it to Tirelin before the feast. Vanari sighed. Whatever mischief her sister was up to today, she didn't want to know. Especially not today.

"Nari, there you are!" a young man cheerfully greeted as he ran up to her, slightly out of breath and cheeks aglow from the exercise. "Happy Birthing Day!"

Vanari rolled her eyes. "I have no idea what you keep calling me that. It sounds like the name of someone's wet nurse. But thanks, Tirelin. I guess."

"You guess? Why the long fa--ohh," the Iceglaze realized. "Worried about the whole Icemaiden business, huh?"

The Skyglow teen mentally cringed. Tirelin was as handsome as they come, with his dark curls and white smile, but he was so dreadfully thick-headed. He and Sania truly were a perfect match.

"Sania has a message," Vanari replied curtly, ignoring the subject altogether. "Gods know why she doesn't just give them to you herself."

"Because it is romantic!" Tirelin wistfully explained. "She sends her affections in secret and defies her parents's wishes, all for the love of me! Just imagine how wonderful a story that will be for our children and grandchildren. Oh, Nari, you have no idea--the day I marry Sania will be the beginning of all the happiest days of my life!"

Did you hit yourself in the head the day you met her, too? Vanari wanted to ask, but didn't, for fear the young architect would require further explanation. Besides, his careless yet heartfelt words stung her more than she cared to admit.

"Here." She slapped the note on his forehead, startling him out of his insipid reverie. "I'm busy today, so don't bother sending one back."

And with that she stormed off, leaving the smitten youth to salivate over his lover's letter.

"Great Morwen, how much more must I put up with?!" she fumed outloud. "Not long now before I just decide to be an ice statue for the rest of eternity and be done with it! At least that way, no one can bother me anymore with their stupid, petching--"

Vanari froze. All her anger evaporated and she completely lost her train of thought as she turned about in the snow, trying to find the source of the music. It was the crystal timber of the flute, and it was the sweetest thing she had ever heard.

[Kawa Snowsong]

'That could have gone better...'

Kawa sighed as he seated himself on a large rock nearby... he didn't know. He had been wandering around Avathal for nearly half an hour now, and had stopped paying attention to his path long before that. Reaching into his pack, the youth pulled out a intricate, bone flute, and proceeded to examine it for several minutes.

'Ganar said that playing this is natural to me... But what good does that do? How am I supposed to make a living playing a flute in a Hold based on musical talent?'

Of course, it wasn't a question Kawa needed an answer to. Ganar had openly told him what he would have to do... Right after a fish snapped their fishing rod in two.

"Well, that's probably a new record.." The fisherman had muttered, picking up the pieces of the destroyed tool.

"Sorry..." Kawa said with a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his head, having tumbled backwards when the pole snapped.

"Don't worry about it, I've come to expect this from ya..." Ganar answered, but his eyes weren't their usual yellow. That alone told Kawa what was coming.

"But the thing is, kid." Ganar continued, a scowl coming to his face. "I shouldn't have gotten used to this kind of thing. You're sixteen now, and that makes you an adult, yet you're still out here with me, trying to catch a few measly fish so that you contribute something to your Hold."

The older man sighed, and locked eyes with his charge.

"You can't keep this up. You're father will only give you lodgings for so long, but eventually, you'll have to make your own way. And how do you plan on doing that? You're not a hunter or fisherman, and you've not got the patience for farming. The two things that you've got any talent for is music and wood carving, and good luck making a living off of those here."

With that, Ganar placed a hand on Kawa's shoulder, as his eyes turned deep blue.

"If you keep this up, the only way you'll survive is by leaving Avanthal."

That had been almost two hours ago, and in all that time, Kawa was running those words over and over in his head...

Leave Avanthal...

He didn't want to leave, this was his home! He loved the cold days, the friendliness of everyone in the Hold, and most of all, the stories. Kawa was certain that no other place in Mizahar had such great story tellers.

That thought reminded him of something else, and, placing his flute on his lap, he reached back into his pack, and retrieved the dagger.

'I originally bought this for my own safety in the woods... But...'

Quickly shaking his head, Kawa drove the thoughts from his mind. He'd never even killed a rabbit before, much less...

'But... What else can I do?'

Sighing, Kawa returned the dagger to his pack, and raised the flute to his lips. He needed to think, and nothing help him more than music.

For a moment, the young man simply sat there, as he searched his memory for a tune that he felt like playing. Finally, he settled on a poem he had heard once.

Taking a breath, Kawa started to play, following the words in his mind with the flute's music.

'Though the winds doth halt, at the death of an exalt, and the seas themselves cease to roar. Though the wild beast doth grow tame, and start to whisper the name, of the mighty who is no more. Though all of creation shall heed mourning's call, every creature great and small. Though I tell you too late, because of their hate, mankind shall not know when gods fall.'

[Vanari]

The song held a somber air, carrying subtle peaks and dips and whispery trembles that felt all too familiar to the young Vantha. It was no feat for a native to recognize that a story was being told through the flute's ethereal voice, though such a musical skill was rare and difficult even for the most gifted of Snowsongs.

Vanari winced as snow crunched beneath her feet, visibly distressed at how it marred the surreal melody. But she was determined to find this mystery musician, knowing it would keep her up wondering night after night if she didn't. For all of her attempts to appear composed and reasonable, the Vantha girl's impulses were often like the wind--strong, sudden, and nigh unstoppable.

She was nearing the edge of the forest, and the flute's ghostly voice grew stronger with each step. Almost there. Her heart pounded faster in anticipation. She could just make out the--

Crack.

Vanari lifted her foot and stared at the broken twig in horror. The sound was like a mighty whip in the isolated, barren forest and sent birds flocking towards the sky.

Silence followed. The music had stopped.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Vanari panicked, looking frantically left and right. "You would, you absolutely would you oafish, brainless Jamoura!"

The girl felt a twinge of guilt at such a racial slur, as Jamouras were quite intelligent beings. At the moment, however, she was far from caring, as she suddenly spotted something beyond the clearing of the forest. It was human shaped and appeared to be staring up at the fleeing birds. Then its head lowered, and it seemed to look straight at her.

For a breath or two, Vanari stood frozen in place, unsure of what do. Then she shook off her paralysis, cleared her throat, and walked out into the clearing.

What she saw took her completely by surprise. She was expecting a withered grandmother or grandfather, bent crookedly over their equally ancient instrument. Instead, sitting a few strides before her was a boy no older than she, with dark hair and nut brown skin. His ears were pinkish with wind burn and his hands--oh Morwen, so many scars! Though it did not seem to impede his handling of the bone flute, Vanari felt a stab of sympathetic pain. Didn't it hurt, to be cut so many times?

Gradually, the girl realized how awkward the silence had gotten and how openly she had been staring. She could feel the heat in her face and felt ready to die of embarrassment, but the words tumbled out before she could stop herself.

"Um, e--excuse me,", Vanari stammered. "Could you...play that again?"

[Kawa Snowsong]

Kawa blinked, still unable to tear his gaze away from his visitor. She was very tall for a Vantha, which was what he first noticed about her. The stranger wasn't the most beautiful women he had ever seen, but she was still very pleasant to look at...

It was then that the girl spoke, which managed to bring the flute player out of his thoughts, though he was surprised at her request.

She wanted him to keep playing.

A part of Kawa wanted to speak to the women, but... There was something in her voice....

Nodding, the youth raised the flute back to his lips, and began playing again. This time, however, Kawa kept his focus completely on his music, so that he wouldn't meet her gaze again.

[Vanari]

Enchanted, Vanari sank down on a nearby rock and listened with rapt attention. She hugged her knees close to her chin, warding off the cold, winter breeze as best she could, and closed her eyes.

In the darkness, she saw smokey wisps of color rising and falling like the ocean tide. Sometimes she imagined the wind, its ghostly fingers tickling her brow, or the roar of the sea, dying to eery stillness. Or, even, the hushed foot steps of the forest's denizens, cautious and forboding. The song was hauntingly brief, though at the end it held so much resignation and sorrow that the girl felt her own heart ache.

When the last note had long faded into the winter air, Vanari looked up, blinking against the bright snow.

"That was the best birthday day gift I've ever received," she murmured, her voice hushed as though she was occupying some kind of sacred space. "Where did you learn to play like that?"

Suddenly, she jumped from the rock and brushed the snow hastily from her furs. "Great Morwen, where are my manners?" Vanari smiled and held out her hand, no longer mindful of the cold, nor her troubling day. "My name is Vanari. What is your's?"

[Kawa Snowsong]

Kawa found himself staring at her again, before his own sense of manners kicked in, and his eyes turned to their usual yellow.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Vanari." The Vantha cheerfully greeted, grasping her hand in his own. "I am Kawa Snowsong, though you probably could have guessed my Hold. As for where I learned to play, well, it's a mixture of my own practice, and my father's teachings. He says that I am quite good at it..."

For a second, Kawa's eye turn a light blue, as his smile falters. But, remembering that he was no longer without company, the boy quickly shifted his mood, eyes returning to the same color as his highlights.

"But I am rambling now, did you mention something about a birthday?"

[Vanari]

Despite his warm smile, Vanari couldn't help but suspect he had quite a few inner demons of his own. For the brief moment their hands stayed grasped, his scars like a million little calluses against her palm, the girl sensed a hint of worry and self-doubt in Kawa that mirrored her own. The quick succession of emotions shifting colors in his eyes was dually noted, though it wasn't too hard to guess what plagued his mind. Especially not after the mention of his father...

He was quick to recover, however, as most Vantha are with the obvious difficulties in hiding their emotions. A Snowsong! Oddly enough, she had never had a Snowsong for a friend, even though she was old enough to be an Icemaiden. Without thinking, Vanari gripped his hand with both of hers as she was struck with a sudden, brilliant idea.

"Yes, I did," she answered, grinning foolishly as her eyes gleamed tangerine with excitement. "Today I turn eighteen, and my feast is...Oh, gods, it's in three bells. Nevermind that. I have a proposition to make. How would you like to play a song at my Birthing Day Feast?"

Before he could answer, she hastily added, "It doesn't have to be anything extravagent, it's only family and friends. I was just thinking it would really make the whole thing more bearable, and you could have a chance to show everyone what you're made of!" Vanari smiled, his hand still trapped in hers. "It'll be grand. What do you say?"

[Kawa Snowsong]

Again, Kawa blinked, his brain going over what was just suggested for a second.

'Well, get's right to the point doesn't she? Hm... It is still several hours until I'm expected back at my Hold...'

Finally, Kawa's smile widened, and he nodded his head.

"If you'll have me, it sounds like fun. Though I'm afraid my range of music is limited. The flute is not exactly an instrument with a lot of variety, but I'll do what I can."