Completed Accidental Meeting (Aerion)

[Amara Waveracer]

37th Day of Summer, 514 AV

The market was unusually busy today, but that fact did nothing the faze Amara's determination. She was going to steal the bottle of whiskey she had been looking at all this time if someone's life depended on it. She had been standing around all day trying to blend in the best she could while getting the occasional question that was always something along the lines of 'Why are you taking so long?'. She answered the first few with a shrug, but soon grew annoyed and started to walk away each time.

Someone was watching her at all times as there was so many people which made it incredibly difficult to steal anything without them seeing. Patiently waiting for the right chance was a challenge for Amara, as she couldn't wait to get her hands on that bottle. After a few more minutes she could barely wait any longer and sat down by the stand with the whiskey. The loud noise of the crowd became no longer bearable and she decided to drown it out with a small song.
"There's not a cloud today
Just a sky of blue
As the sun shines bright
It feels so new

As you walk down the street
You can see smiles from all around
It looks like everyone
Came to town

To enjoy the summer's day
And let time stand still
For just a little while
Just until-"

She was cut off by a loud commotion to her right and stood up curiously pushing her way through the crowd to see what was going on. She pushed a small human child down while trying to get through. The boy then started crying, but she didn't look back nor did she care. A large gap in the crowd started to form as two knights hauled a man with bloodstained fists that matched his clothing through. He looked to be quite old with his grey hair and tired eyes.

Amara was too busy staring to part with the crowd and stood plainly in the middle of the two groups. The knights soon were in front of her but she still did not seem to notice. They paused in front of her for a split second before the one on the left pushed her aside. She could here him whisper something to the other knight who then laughed, but she didn't know exactly what. Her best guess was that it was something rude that she didn't want to know. Amara stumbled and fell into the crowd near the young boy she previously pushed down, who started laughing and pointing at her until she came to her senses and narrowed her eyes at him.

Everyone seemed to be in a dazed state and not really paying any mind to what was going on after that. Noticing this, Amara stood and snuck back through the crowd, walking quickly to the stand with the bottle of whiskey she dearly wanted. She swiftly took it, hiding it behind her in her cloak, and pushing her way out of the crowd again. She turned a few corners and headed for the dock to enjoy her well deserved drink.

[Aerion]

Aerion walked through the crowd with Teren walking noisily beside him, he tried not to let the sounds and smells get to him as he kept track of different people through the crowd. This had been a game his father tried to teach him when he was younger. He never really had the knack for it, but now that he was older he realized it was more than a game, it was something that could mean life and death, so he still tried to practice it when he could.

That's when his eyes found a repeating pattern in the crowd, a young girl with hair that many Drykas women would be jealous of, she looked a little older than he, but not by much. He noticed that she kept going up to the same stall over and over, as if she seemed unable to decide what to buy, and kept getting shooed away by other customers who knew what they wanted. He frowned to himself thinking, "She must be casing the stand." His friends having dared each other to steal from stalls and shops while he was growing up, but never actually going through with it himself due to his higher standards. He recognized the expression and the frustration in the young woman's face each time she was shooed away, having seen it more often than not when they came back empty handed.

Aerion snapped back to the present, not realizing he had been daydreaming of simpler times, as she suddenly started singing. This was something his friends had never done, so he thought, "Maybe she is instead trying to sing for a drink." He listened, entranced by the song, feeling that the day was very bright and clear indeed.

He suddenly heard some commotion and her music stopped, he looked over toward the direction that the noise had come from, to see the tops of helmets peeking over a crowd encircling them. He jumped up on Teren's back for a better view, already being tall and with Teren's added height, he was easily able to see over the crowd, noting a man with bloody fists being dragged by two Syliran Knights through the crowd. He figured it was a troublemaker and thought nothing of it, so he looked back over the crowd to find the pretty young girl who was singing earlier. He saw her running around a corner down the road, curious, he looked back at the stall, first noting that the salesman and everyone around him was looking at the Knights, then noting that a bottle of whatever drink they sold here, was gone.

Aerion sighed, grumbling to himself for taking his eyes off of her then urged Teren over to the stall, placing a Silver Miza into the cash bin. Hoping that would cover it, he and Teren decided together almost instantly to follow the girl. Aerion turned down the last corner that he saw her, using his basic tracking skills, he easily made out the bare feet he noticed on her earlier in the dust of the back alleys, following them to the docks. From there he noticed her sitting on the edge of the nearest dock, staring out to sea, taking a swing from the bottle now and then. He eased off of Teren and slowly walked up to her, trying his best not to make a sound. Finally making it to her he cleared his throat and said in a growl, "That was very nice back there, taking advantage of that distraction. Next time, be sure no one was watching."

[Amara Waveracer]

Realizing that she had gotten away, Amara slowed down her pace slightly and walked the rest of the way to the dock. It was indeed an incredibly hot day, but it was nothing she wasn't used to. She placed her whiskey down then sat by it, popping the top of the bottle. She took a small swig and placed her bare feet in the cool, refreshing water.

Spotting a large ship in the distance, she thought about her time at sea, but she still didn't miss it. She would probably never miss it after what had happened in her past. Suddenly, Rico's face came to the surface of the water and it looked almost real, then it faded away. Her grip tightened on the bottle as she took another swig. She took her feet out of the water, slightly shocked and frightened that the memory of him still haunted her.

She heard a voice behind her. "That was very nice back there, taking advantage of that distraction. Next time, be sure no one was watching." Her grip tightened even more on the bottle, which was nearly to the point of breaking. She turned slowly towards where the voice was coming from. She found she had to look up at the man as he was so tall. "I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. You must have the wrong person,"she said with a fake smile that was kind but intimidating all the same.

For the first time, she saw the large creature that was previously behind the man. Her eyes went wide in shock and she started shaking slightly, watching the beasts every movement. Suddenly, it looked towards her. She fell back in the water and grabbed onto the end of the dock to steady herself. As Amara lifted her head the creature made a strange sound and shook it's head. She pushed her head back down so only her eyes were above the dock. "What is that?"She asked while pointing at the large thing, whatever it was, which was now sniffing her whiskey bottle.

[Aerion]

Hearing the young woman's response, Aerion narrowed his eyes, but before he had the chance to speak, she looked behind him, her eyes widening in shock, then jumping into the water. Thinking there was something dangerous behind him, he quickly turned around, drawing his sword. Only to see Teren, who was snorting at her as she popped out of the water.

Placing his sword back into his belt, he feels slightly relieved and slightly amused, as he hears her ask, "What is that?" To which he responds with, "Who? Teren? He's a Dragon. He helps me find thieves and give them what they deserve." Using his best growling voice, Aerion tries not to laugh as he keeps his most convincing glare on her eyes that are all you can see of her face. He then shoos Teren away from the bottle, not knowing what was inside it, he tells Teren, "Whatever that is, it's probably not good for you my friend, I'll get you some water after we deal with her."

Aerion turns back to the young lady and stares at her, as if daring her to challenge his assumption of her stealing again.

[Amara Waveracer]

She continues to stare at the creature until she hears the mans reply. "Who? Teren? He's a dragon. He helps me find thieves and give them what they deserve." She turned her attention to the man as her eyes grow even wider. "A dragon? I.. I heard stories about those," She said as she sunk deeper into the water, scared. "They say those things can kill someone in a single bite.. Please don't hurt me, I didn't mean to do it I promise."

As she realize she gave away the fact that she had been a thief, she looked towards the so-called dragon to make sure it didn't try to hurt her as she sunk even deeper. Amara was incredibly scared now that she believed the beast was a dragon and she was about to cry. She bit her lower lip to keep the tears from flowing. She thought about begging or offering something for her life, but instead grabbed onto a pole that kept the dock up and hid under it.

She looked up through the holes between the boards to see when the man and his companion would leave as the tears starting spilling down her cheeks. She tried to stop herself so he wouldn't here her and know she was there, but she couldn't. She turned and looked for an escape and planned to swim to the other dock and run back into the city. Amara took in a large breath and started swimming to the other dock. She would do anything to live.

[Aerion]

Aerion frowns inwardly, realizing he may have taken the joke a bit too far. While he enjoyed toying with criminals, he didn't mean to be cruel to the poor girl. He was about to correct his mistake when she started swimming away from him. Teren was instantly at his side, and as Aerion swung up onto Teren's back, he took off at a quick gallop toward the other dock, the obvious and only other land choice for the young lady.

They handily reached the dock before her, and as she was working so hard to get away from the dock they had found her on, she had not heard Teren's hooves hitting the wood, so she did not realize that they had made it there first. Aerion reached down and grabbed her arm as she made to clamber up the dock, she stared at him, so shocked that he was there that she didn't seem to be able to try to run.

Aerion told her in a calmer, less threatening voice, "I did not mean to frighten you so, I only meant to try to get you to admit that you stole it. I usually try to play with criminals I find, however, attempting to harm those who cannot defend themselves is a cowards game, so for that I am sorry. Teren isn't as frightening as he seems, in fact he is not a dragon at all, just a harmless old horse." Aerion smiles a bit as Teren noses and snuffs the back of his head. "Fine, you're not THAT harmless, but you could back me up a bit more in some of the fights we have had."

Aerion helps the young lady up out of the water, still shaking, but not as afraid. He stares at her with a frown, realizing she is in fact younger than he thought at first glace, at least a couple years younger than he was.

[Amara Waveracer]

She watches him as he talks, slightly narrowing her eyes."A horse? I've heard stories about those too. They aren't nearly as tough as dragons." she says as she looks at the horse then back at him. She crossed her arms over her chest, shivering from the cold water. She didn't use to mind it so much, but she hadn't been swimming for so long.

"And for your information, I can handle myself." She lifted her leg and kicked him where no man should be kicked as hard as she could. "That's for tricking me, and you owe me a drink since you made me waste mine!" Looking towards the other dock, she saw a man with black dreadlocks had picked the bottle of whiskey up and started to drink it. She grimaced then looked back towards the man in front of her. She of course wanted to show kindness to him as he did before, but she had to stand up for herself.

Amara looked over her shoulder as she started walking towards the tavern, waiting for him to follow. "What are you waiting for? You're buying me a drink one way or another, even if I have to drag you there," she called over her shoulder. She suddenly got an idea of something she did as a kid, and turned to face him again, smiling. "I'll race you there!" Amara took off running, not caring to make it a fair race, nor to wait until she heard him coming.

She turned the corner and ran into a man carrying a stack of papers. She looked back at the man then pushed the stack of papers just enough for them to fall. Amara knew the man had a kind heart and would stop to help him, so she could get there first. She smiled and took off running towards the tavern again. She could here the man with the papers yell at her but she didn't stop. She hadn't had this much fun since she was a child.

[Aerion]

Aerion stood there with a look of cold fury in his eyes, fully intending to go after her and put his sword to her throat. He could feel the pain of the body, but the pain of falling for a stupid trick such as crying was far worse. He had to stand there for a few minutes, not paying attention as she said several things that he could not hear. The cold fury that was built up inside him constantly threatened to burst, this was one time he almost lost control.

About 10 minutes later, he finally regained control of the rage inside him, letting his sword fall down onto the dock, not even realizing he had drawn it, he fell down on his knees beside it, unaware of his body pain now, he felt drained. Teren walked over to him, and slipped his head underneath Aerion's body, helping him back up. "Thank you my friend.." Aerion said to his ever faithful companion Teren, who snorted, his nostrils flaring. "You're right, that was definitely uncalled for. When we find her, she's all yours." Teren supported Aerion as he went to get his sword, putting it back in his belt, Teren helped him clamber up onto his back as the horse took him to the nearest place it smelled whatever was in that bottle again.

Several minutes later, as they approached the tavern, Aerion had regained some of his composure, his strength, along with his body pain, came back along with it. Feeling anger bubble back up to the surface, he tried to ignore the pain, then he spotted the girl sitting at a table inside the bar. The anger flaring up once more, then quieting down like a breaking wave. He allowed Teren to stand outside while he went in, knowing he would not stray.

Aerion walked up to the table with the young girl in it, cold fire burning in his eyes as he glared at her. "Teren was all for stomping on your face, he would have gone after you if he had not been busy attempting to help calm me down, and I would have allowed it if I had not regained control of my anger. Well, part control, you see, I have had a berserker's rage for as long as I can remember, but my father helped me temper it a bit, or at least helped me learn how to control it outside of battle. You're lucky that I do not recognize you as a real threat." His eyes staring daggers at her as he said this. "I do not understand how you people can drink this." He said suddenly, staring at the mixture in her mug, trying to change the subject from his anger, so that it may die down again.

[Amara Waveracer]

Amara tapped her nails on he mug of whiskey, reciting a song in her head. She heard the door to the tavern open but paid no mind to it. She took another swig of her drink, thinking the man had decided not to come. But soon, she heard his voice and looked up to see him sitting in front of her. She seemed to come out of a daze and started listening to what he was saying. He seemed incredibly mad when he started talking, but seemed to simmer down as he continued.

"Why don't you try it?" she asked, thinking it may help his anger."It's good, that's why I drink it." She knew it was a lie, both that it was good and that's why she drank it all the time. She pushed the mug towards him, resting her chin in her other hand. "Wanna hear a song?" Amara didn't wait for a reply and started to sing.

"Whiskey River take my mind,
Don't let his mem'ry torture me.
Whiskey River don't run dry,
You're all I've got, take care of me.

Whiskey River take my mind,
Don't let his mem'ry torture me.
Whiskey River don't run dry,
You're all I've got, take care of me.

I'm drowning in a whiskey river,
Bathing my mem'ried mind in the wetness of its soul.
Feeling the amber current flowin' from my mind.
And warm an empty heart you left so cold.

Whiskey River take my mind,
Don't let his mem'ry torture me.
Whiskey River don't run dry,
You're all I've got, take care of me.

I'm drowning in a whiskey river,
Bathing my mem'ried mind in the wetness of its soul.
Feeling the amber current flowin' from my mind.
And warm an empty heart you left so cold.

Whiskey River take my mind,
Don't let his mem'ry torture me.
Whiskey River don't run dry,
You're all I've got, take care of me."

She sings it while looking at the table and her voice cracks on the last word. She looks away and tries not to cry. "I'm sorry about kicking you," she manages to say barely above a whisper so it's barely audible. She takes the mug of whiskey and drinks a small amount. Thoughts of Rico flooded her mind. He was the only reason Amara decided to train in combat. She thought she could have saved him if she could get away from the two Svefra holding her back. She looked up at the man, remembering he was there and plastered a fake smile on her face, showing she was fine if he had wondered.

[Aerion]

Aerion looked at the mug, deciding against it, with a bit of prodding and agreement from Teren, he pushed it back across the table as his anger boiled down to a slight shimmer on his eyes.

He listened as she sang, listening for the first couple of verses, lost in thought about accidents that had happened when he was younger, he suddenly realized that the song had a double meaning, his eyes looked from the mug sitting in the middle of the table, to the sadness on her face. Realizing she had lost someone, his anger seemed to cap itself for now, sorrow for his words and actions suddenly welled up inside him in it's place.

He heard her apology, barely audible over the background noise of the pub, he responds in the same calm voice as earlier on the dock, but softer, sounding much kinder, "It is alright, tempers flare, violence begets violence, things happen. For all you knew you were defending yourself. You should probably wait until after I leave later though, I cannot exactly control all that Teren does, and he still seems a bit angry toward you." Teren's neighs are heard outside the window as Aerion tries to smile back at her, both knowing the other is faking the smile, but trying all the same. Trying to lighten the mood a bit, he asks, "So how long have you been here in Syliras? I assume not long enough to find the shop or stall keepers that don't have the hawk eyes on their wares at all times." Giving his first hint of a genuine smile during their conversation.