Had she been watching the young man closely, Oriah may have noticed the curious blackness of his tongue. Or perhaps the peculiar tint of his skin, which seemed to be covered with a kind of cosmetics. But she did not, as she kept her gaze mainly on the scenery. She did so partly for its simplistic, somber beauty, and partly as an unconscious act to ease her new friend into meaningful conversation.
There was a moment when Bakar knelt by the stones and spoke as if to himself again. Oriah took this as something of an unwitting habit and listened on in silence, noting the sad way he spoke of a duty to visit graves. She could only assume those graves belonged to people important to him. Small wonder he sounded as forlorn as he did.
But when he began to speak of his time in Syliras, Oriah found herself pondering more about his lifestyle. So she had somewhat been wrong about him being raised elsewhere. He did have a home once outside of the city, but had lost it a long time ago. And though he had lived a good portion of his life within Syliras he was still something of a stranger to it, having stayed in his home of the time and avoided knights in general. Still, he had is flute now. When he commented on his recent purchase Benshira found herself smiling. Alone and a bit gloomy he may have outwardly seemed, but he was trying, and that made him sweet in Oriah's eyes.
That he'd begun to hold better opinions of the Order, however, lent the squire much relief. She knew the knights held a tough reputation, but not all were as cold and aloof as they were made out to be. Oriah certainly hoped she would not become that way. It was impossible to even imagine.
Sunberth...Oriah knew the city by reputation alone. But she had not dared set foot within it, not even to see for herself what truly lay within its ramshackle borders. If had borders to begin with, that is. To know Bakar once came from the City of Slums spoke volumes of what he must have endured there. She shuddered to think of how his loved ones had perished; it had to have been nightmarish.
His story came to an abrupt and awkward end and Oriah did her best to assuage his misgivings. "Not to worry my friend, I enjoy to here these rambles." The Benshira wasn't entirely sure she was using the word correctly, but it sounded close enough.
"My life in the Bronze Woods is mostly training. Sera Mora, my patron, is something of a mystery even to her brothers and sisters. She likes to work alone. Even I don't know more than a handful of things about her life, other than that she disappears whenever she wishes." Oriah realized she was talking more about her patron than herself, so she quickly changed subjects. "But when I am not so tired I can barely walk, the woods are a beautiful place. I like the trees and the animals; they are so different from my homelands, but they also have a beauty of their own."
They'd reached the end of the garden so Oriah moved to turn back, their pace still that of aimless wandering. "As for how I became a squire..." She thought about Marrick and felt her cheeks grow pink, though she made no direct mention of him in her story. It seemed more appropriate to speak of duty and honor and not of feelings she still barely understood. "I came to this city three seasons ago, wishing to see for my own eyes its splendor. And when I arrived I found I could not leave."
Oriah smiled and looked up at the trees around them. "I grew to like the people here, and to believe very much in the Order's cause. Their ways are almost the same as those of my god, Yahal. So I saw it as a worthy, new path for my life, to honor my god and protect my new friends."
When she finished, the squire blinked against Syna's descending rays and realized with a jolt of surprise how late it had gotten. "Ahh, now I am the one who rambles," she confessed good naturedly. "And sadly, I am afraid it is time for me to go. I must ride back to the woods before Leth arrives, or else risk having to run from the wolves."
Oriah remembered distinctly the exact moment last Winter when she had done just that. Several moments, in fact. It was not a scenario she wished to repeat.
"It was good to meet you, Bakar," she smiled, extending her hand to seal their new friendship. "I will come back, and maybe we can talk again. I'd like to hear your flute, too!"
There was a moment when Bakar knelt by the stones and spoke as if to himself again. Oriah took this as something of an unwitting habit and listened on in silence, noting the sad way he spoke of a duty to visit graves. She could only assume those graves belonged to people important to him. Small wonder he sounded as forlorn as he did.
But when he began to speak of his time in Syliras, Oriah found herself pondering more about his lifestyle. So she had somewhat been wrong about him being raised elsewhere. He did have a home once outside of the city, but had lost it a long time ago. And though he had lived a good portion of his life within Syliras he was still something of a stranger to it, having stayed in his home of the time and avoided knights in general. Still, he had is flute now. When he commented on his recent purchase Benshira found herself smiling. Alone and a bit gloomy he may have outwardly seemed, but he was trying, and that made him sweet in Oriah's eyes.
That he'd begun to hold better opinions of the Order, however, lent the squire much relief. She knew the knights held a tough reputation, but not all were as cold and aloof as they were made out to be. Oriah certainly hoped she would not become that way. It was impossible to even imagine.
Sunberth...Oriah knew the city by reputation alone. But she had not dared set foot within it, not even to see for herself what truly lay within its ramshackle borders. If had borders to begin with, that is. To know Bakar once came from the City of Slums spoke volumes of what he must have endured there. She shuddered to think of how his loved ones had perished; it had to have been nightmarish.
His story came to an abrupt and awkward end and Oriah did her best to assuage his misgivings. "Not to worry my friend, I enjoy to here these rambles." The Benshira wasn't entirely sure she was using the word correctly, but it sounded close enough.
"My life in the Bronze Woods is mostly training. Sera Mora, my patron, is something of a mystery even to her brothers and sisters. She likes to work alone. Even I don't know more than a handful of things about her life, other than that she disappears whenever she wishes." Oriah realized she was talking more about her patron than herself, so she quickly changed subjects. "But when I am not so tired I can barely walk, the woods are a beautiful place. I like the trees and the animals; they are so different from my homelands, but they also have a beauty of their own."
They'd reached the end of the garden so Oriah moved to turn back, their pace still that of aimless wandering. "As for how I became a squire..." She thought about Marrick and felt her cheeks grow pink, though she made no direct mention of him in her story. It seemed more appropriate to speak of duty and honor and not of feelings she still barely understood. "I came to this city three seasons ago, wishing to see for my own eyes its splendor. And when I arrived I found I could not leave."
Oriah smiled and looked up at the trees around them. "I grew to like the people here, and to believe very much in the Order's cause. Their ways are almost the same as those of my god, Yahal. So I saw it as a worthy, new path for my life, to honor my god and protect my new friends."
When she finished, the squire blinked against Syna's descending rays and realized with a jolt of surprise how late it had gotten. "Ahh, now I am the one who rambles," she confessed good naturedly. "And sadly, I am afraid it is time for me to go. I must ride back to the woods before Leth arrives, or else risk having to run from the wolves."
Oriah remembered distinctly the exact moment last Winter when she had done just that. Several moments, in fact. It was not a scenario she wished to repeat.
"It was good to meet you, Bakar," she smiled, extending her hand to seal their new friendship. "I will come back, and maybe we can talk again. I'd like to hear your flute, too!"
oocHope this is an appropriate place to end, kind of felt like it fitted so I just went with it xD Let me know if it needs to be changed! We can also milk it for a few more posts if you want
