Closed A Comedy of Errors (Shahar)

[Akilah Windsong]

Time stamp: 62nd day of Fall

Akilah's mind felt as clear as the sky today, if not as bright. While her worries and depression still lurked in the corners of her mind, she felt she could ignore them today. Even the crisp air didn't damper her spirits as she exited her pavilion.

Taking advantage of her good spirits, she strapped on her sword. Her hesitation had cost her the last hunt. Still, her worst fears were unfounded. When she had held her hand, it wasn't out of fear for death. Akilah knew she could hunt, could kill, could stomach the blood.

No, there was something else, something deeper behind her turbulent emotions. Maybe she should take her father's advice and seek help on this. The Opal Clan could heal the body. Why not the mind?

But not today. Akilah refused to call the fog back into her mind. Whistling for her dog, she laughed as she watched the eager dog scrambled onto his haunches with a questioning bark.

No matter how big Vespera grew, he was always a puppy at heart. "Out," she responded to his query, before leading the way to the market place.

There were few out here, even though it was mid-morning. The few that were were either nursing headaches or partially drunk. Her father was doing the same at home, trying to sleep off all the mead he drank yesterday. Finding all of those barrels out there was proving to be more of a curse than a blessing.

Despite that, she hoped to find another one out there. It'd be a good hunting exercise, at least. Midway into the Fall Hunt and her team had yet to find the winning prize. Unsurprising, considering how novice her teammates were at hunting.

Maybe if she found something on her own and led them there?

"Woah," Akilah yelped as she almost tripped over Vespera. Flailing, she wheeled her arms for a few perilous moments before regaining her balance. "That was close."

Closer yet was Vespera, pressing against her legs as she moved. Firmly, she pushed him away, ignoring his whines as he tried to move closer. "We're not going anywhere if I can't walk."

He whined again, nuzzle her hands, and she sighed. "Alright, com' here." Rubbing his head, she let him nuzzle and push against her, turning this way and that so her hands would stroke his back. "Sorry I ignored you for the past few days," she murmured. "I just needed some time."

And now that she thought about it, she really did. It wasn't just a phrase to say as she ran out of the pavilion and ignored her father's eyes. It rang true and she smiled. "Alright, ready to go now?"

Vespera barked in response and she straightened up.

[Colt]

The city stank today, more so than usual. Shahar was used to the tumble of scents that were usually between the tents, consisting mostly of sweat and refuse that would be left behind when Endrykas moved next, but today the entire place stank with something entirely different. Shahar had never tried alcohol, at least not that he could remember, but it was a scent he was familiar with. The blanket of the smell, however, was a mystery that he could not solve.

Not to mention the simple lack of people about. Few had come out of their tents by the time the hunter made his way into the city, a young pronghorn around his shoulders. The people that were out and about seemed in an almost perpetual state of intoxication, and Shahar avoided them when he could. There were also the people that looked like they had simply fallen asleep in the wrong place, while there were also those that had abstained entirely and went about their business with completely sober minds, sparing the drunkards disdainful looks and Shahar nods of appreciation for actually having the mind to work in the midst of a city-wide hangover.

The Emerald pavilion was deserted when he approached, despite the sun being well above the horizon. Awkwardly, the Dawnwhisper was forced to discretely circle around, trying to find the man who usually bought his kills.

“Hello there, sir.”

Shahar turned to see that a young woman had emerged from the pavilion in question and had taken up a casual stance against one of the support beams. She appeared to have just woken up; her hair was tousled and she wasn’t properly dressed, as one side of her collar had fallen far, far down one shoulder. She reeked of alcohol, and her smile was not like Shahar usually thought smiles to be like.

“Is there something you need help with, sir?” She put a bit of stress on the word ‘help,’ though Shahar could think of no reason why. After a moment of bemusement, he opted to simply treat the words like words.

I seek, he said. Where is “Dzarin?”

“Ah, that old man?” she replied, laughing breathily and never taking her eyes off of Shahar’s. “He is asleep. He won’t be up for… some time. A very long time.” She slid from the beam and stalked towards Shahar like a drunken lioness stalking a deer. “I’m sure I could be of some help. What do you… desire?”

Shahar fidgeted uncomfortably as she continued to close in, even taking a step back.

“Oh no, don’t run,” the woman said, slowing her advance. “You must be such a strong man, to be a hunter. So very strong. No need to fear someone like me. Just look at your arms…” Invitation, said her hands, come hither, come hither.

Shahar, for his part, had no idea what has happening or why she was now reaching for his arm, or why his sign-screamed extremely uncomfortable seemed to have no effect. This antelope, he signed desperately at the thing over his shoulder, this antelope, selling, seek, find, extreme importance sell antelope sell. But she was not looking at his hands at all; her cloudy blue eyes were instead locked onto Shahar’s green ones, and he couldn’t look away, not even as she trailed a finger over his shoulder and collar. Suddenly without the ability to run or talk, the hunter was left frozen, completely at the drunk woman’s mercy.

[Akilah Windsong]

Akilah wrinkled her nose as she headed further and further into the market. Here the stench of alcohol was at its worst, and she could see the empty caskets littering the ground. Oh the proud Drykas--fortunately strangers weren't around to see this mess.

Vespera nosed one of the caskets and she quickly pulled him away. It was one thing to have drunk kin, it was another to have a drunk dog. If only he was a pup again--she could easily have carried him out of the battlefield then. Now he weighed almost as much as her and was as stubborn as the goats she tended too.

"Come on, stupid, that's not good for you," she grunted as she wrapped her arms around her dog as he strained toward yet another casket. "If I knew you'd be like this, we'd have taken the long route."

Behind her she could hear a drunken voice. She had tuned it out before, but hearing the 'big strong arms' got her attention back. Was this woman flirting?

She sounded almost like one of Akilah's aunt's, appraising a relative she hadn't seen in a fortnight. Amused, she turned to see who the unfortunate victim was.

Only to freeze when she spotted the familiar figure.

Him. Akilah tried to feel the anger that had risen up earlier, the familiar comforting feeling that cloaked her. But it was hard to find. Even pain would have been welcoming. Instead, the fog was rolling back in.

Now, that made her mad. He wasn't going to run her good mood. This friend who wasn't a friend.

Vespera grunted in her arms and she sternly pushed his hind-legs down. "Stay," she growled, and for once he obeyed without protest.

Turning around, she approached the pair. Patting his back, she icily said, "Nice to see you again."

If he even remembered the last meeting. Why would he? She only left for a summer and he had forgotten her existence.

Of course, it would be easier to keep this anger if she hadn't heard how confused he sounded. The woman was still trying to seduce him and the helpless panic in his expression--she had forgotten how awkward he was around people.

Some things never changed. She almost smiled. Instead she sighed.

"Need help?"