Closed Tentative Overtures (Seirei)

[Lian Windrunner]

Timestamp: 3rd Day of Fall, 514 AV Get to know his captive. Easier said than done. There was far too much between them. Too much fear and hatred for him on the girl's part. Too much...what on his part? Too much arrogance? Too much superiority because he was a Drykas, and she was not? Too much of a coward, fearing to discover that his captive was, in fact a real person? Lian frowned. He didn't like the tone his thoughts were taking. Lian was no coward. Waisana's words at their last meeting had left a deep impression on him. They rang through his heart with an unpleasant twang. It annoyed him deeply. But there was a kernel of truth within them. It wouldn't kill him to try to get to know his captive a little. So he would try. Speaking of which... Lian glanced over at his captive. Seirei was watching him warily. The expression in her eyes suggested that she thought he was going to attack her without warning. In the past, he might well have. He'd learned that if he rushed her, not giving the girl a chance to brace herself when he wanted to use her, things went a lot better. She didn't have the physical strength to resist him, but if he gave her the chance to mount a resistance, he was forced to use extra force to overwhelm her. Then he had to discipline her when he was finished using her. Both caused the girl unnecessary injuries that risked her health. Worse, since she was pregnant...the unborn child was at risk as well. But none of that was important right now. Lian watched his captive carefully, giving himself a few ticks to gather his thoughts. She watched him in return. There was a look of fear in her eyes. But Lian could also see the light of anger and defiance hiding behind the fear. Lian sighed. He really didn't know how to go about getting the answers he wanted. Seirei had no reason to trust him, no reason to give him anything. And yet...if he could offer her something in return... "Seirei." Lian hesitated for a tick. "I know that you aren't happy here. I also know that it's my fault that you aren't. I'd like to get to know you better. You have no reason to trust me, no reason to want to answer my questions. And that's my fault, too. I haven't given you any reason to trust me." The silence in the tent was cold enough to freeze water despite the warmth of the season. Lian sighed again. "I have a proposition for you. For every question you answer of mine, I will answer one for you. I know that you've done some exploring while I'm out hunting. But there are many things that you won't learn by just wandering around on your own. Things that an outsider will never learn unless they learn it from a Drykas." And some of the information she learns from me may well help her on her way to freedom if it inspires an interest in my people within her. he thought as he waited for an answer. "To show you that I am sincere in this, I will even allow you to ask the first question." Lian could see his captive considering his words. All he could do was wait. Would she take him up on his offer?

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

He was watching her again. Why did he do that? Was it delibrate? Does he know how much it frightened her to be under his gaze like this? Seirei shuddered, shrinking into herself as much as she could. She felt much like a helpless mouse might feel when it was caught in the gaze of a falcon. When Lian spoke, Seirei flinched. She more than half expected a sharp blow, more "punishment" for defying him. Instead, he continued to speak. And his words, while true, were something Seirei had never in her wildest dreams expected her captor to acknowledge. The man continued to speak, and Seirei felt a spike of white hot rage tear through her. He wanted to "get to know her?" What right did he have to expect that she would tell him anything after the way he forced himself on her? What gave him the gall to make him think that she would open up, and make herself even more vulnerable to him? Only...he didn't really think that, did he? He admitted that she had no reason to trust him, no reason to want to answer his questions. Seirei inhaled sharply, and opened her mouth to speak. She would refuse him, of course. It would give her great pleasure to deny him something that he seemed to truly want. Something that he couldn't force out of her no matter how hard he tried. And if the emotions in his voice were anything to go by, she might not even get punished for her defiance this time. But before she could speak, the man continued. A proposition? Answers to questions in exchange for answers to his questions? If Seirei were honest to herself, she would have to admit that that could be incredibly useful to her. When she was ready to escape, the more knowledge she had about this place, the more likely she would be able to form a plan of escape that would actually work. So Seirei hesitated, torn by indecision. She still wanted to refuse the man...desperately so. She longed to tell him what he could do with his offer. And yet...could she really pass up this chance? The man's next words threw her even further off balance. She could go first in their exchange of information? What reason did he have to believe that she would answer one of his questions after he'd answered one of hers? What reason did he have for believing that she would tell him the truth even if she did answer his questions? And for that matter, what proof did she have that he would answer her questions truthfully? There was a way that she could test that, though. If she asked him a question that she already had a partial answer for, she would know if he was giving her the right information. He may know that she had done some exploring, after all...but he wouldn't know what she had and had not learned. Probably. Hopefully, at least. So Seirei would go along with the man's quest for information. For now. Whether she responded in kind, and whether she would answer truthfully or not would depend on whether he told her the truth now. "You're right that I've been exploring the city a couple of times. One of the things I've learned while doing so is that there are different Clans here. What are they?" Seirei asked after a long moment.

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian's eyes widened in surprise at the question. It wasn't one that he had been suspecting. It was also a question that indicated at least some slight interest in his people on Seirei's part. And that pleased him greatly. "You probably have learned about the Sapphire Clan. That's my clan." Lian began. The pride in Lian's voice was obvious. "We also have the Opal Clan, which I know you know of. Your friend Waisana is a member of that clan." Lian scowled briefly at the mention of the disagreeable healer, but he quickly dismissed her from his thoughts, and moved on. "Then there's the Emerald Clan, the Ruby Clan, the Amethyst Clan, the Diamond Clan, and the Topaz Clan." Lian hesitated for a tick. He didn't want to give away too much information with each question becuase he hoped to encourage Seirei to ask more questions. But at the same time, he wanted to give her enough information to spark an interest, and make her want to ask more questions. It was a delicate balance. "You may have noticed that there are many different colored tents. That is one way that people have of knowing who belongs to which clan at a glance. Each clan has a distinct color that is associated with them. People usually wear the colors of their clan. Both as clothing, and as hair wraps, and such. Likewise, a person's pavilion reflects their clan." And that was all Lian was prepared to say in response to his captive's first question. With luck, it would inspire the girl to ask more about the different clans, and their place in Drykas society. It was Lian's turn to ask a question now, so he gave the matter some serious thought. There were many things he wanted to know. But he also knew that Seirei had no reason to trust him, and even less reason to be willing to give him any personal information. So after a few chimes, he decided on a question that was personal, but not so much so that it would reveal too much about her. Lian hoped that by starting off with easy questions, he might learn more about his captive in the long run. "What is your favorite color?"

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Much to Seirei's surprise, Lian did answer her question truthfully. At least it matched what she had managed to find out for herself. And since Lian had no way of knowing just how much, or how little she'd managed to learn on her own, he had little reason to lie to her about it. As far as Seirei could see, anyway. But she knew that he could easily have motives that she knew nothing about. She also knew that she could drive herself insane by constantly second guessing herself if she allowed herself to. Another surprise was that her captor seemed to be pleased that she'd asked the question about the Drykas Clans. Seirei had more than half believed that the question would anger him. She was an outsider, and from what little Seirei had seen of the man, he was very proud of his people. Maybe that was it? He was happy that she had shown interest in them rather than seeing it as an outsider barging into matters that were none of their business? Seirei ran through the information Lian had given her. She had learned of the Emerald Clan, and the Amethyst Clan through her explorations. And Waisana belonged to the Opal Clan. Seirei had not known exactly that Lian was part of the Sapphire Clan, but it made sense. She had guessed at sapphire being one of the clan names once she had discovered that they were named after jewels. What other gem was dark blue, after all? As she'd walked around the city for her daily exercise, she had seen red tents as well. So the Ruby Clan made perfect sense. But the Diamond Clan and the Topaz Clan were completely new to her. How would the Diamond Clan tents be different than the Opal Clan ones? Weren't both white? And what of the Topaz Clan? Would they have orange colored tents, maybe? Or yellow ones? Seirei wasn't sure since she couldn't remember if she had ever seen a topaz before, or had learned what color it was. Lian's question startled Seirei out of her thoughts. Her favorite color? What had that to do with anything? Seirei had expected the man to ask her something deeply personal. An invasion into her privacy that would horrify her, and the whole interrogation session would end when she was forced to refuse to answer. But this? The simple question startled her so much that it never even occurred to her to lie. "I don't really have one favorite color. I do tend to like the darker colors, though. Black, dark greys, purple, greens...blues." Seirei admitted the last part only with great reluctance. Blue was Lian's color. And she really didn't want anything to do with him. "The things that I've heard suggest that each clan is known for something. The Opal Clan are healers, for example. What are the other clans known for? If that's too broad a question, we can start with the Ruby Clan." she offered. Seirei was more interested in getting the information she wanted than in getting as much information as possible out of each question she asked. And if Lian was going to stick to simple questions, at least for a while, she would be able to get more information by asking several smaller questions than risking ending the session by asking too much at once.

[Lian Windrunner]

Once again, Lian found himself quite happy with his captive's question. It was strange, really. If, in the highly unlikely chance Seirei did one day become a true Drykas, he would lose his captive. With her, he would lose a means of fulfilling his duty to his people. As an unmarried man, siring children on a captive was the only way he could do his duty to the people he loved. He was a hunter, but his skills were mediocre at best. Most of the time he could bring in enough game to support himself, and his captive, but that was about it. It was very unusual that he had anything left over. His current skill left him unable to go after bigger, more valuable game. Night lions, and glassbeaks, both creatures with parts that a trader would pay well for were well beyond his ability to bring down. Were he to make the attempt, he would quickly find himself the prey, not them...and Lian was well aware of that fact. Likewise, he was useless when it came to driving predators away from the ziberi herds, or the city itself when they became desperate enough to approach the city. As a Webber, Lian was of more use. People often came to him looking for help in finding a stray ziberi, or a lost item. Or even asking him to tie a precious belonging into the Web for them so they always had means to find it should it be lost. Minor things that they didn't want to bother their ankal with. But even so, Lian wasn't a member of the Watch. And it was hard to be the ankal of one's pavilion when your family consisted of one. Two, if he counted his captive...which he didn't. As a result, his Webbing was more of a useful hobby than a thing of value to his people. Lian's deep love of Webbing, and his pride in his Webbing abilities made him hate to admit that fact, but it was true all the same. So Lian's greatest value to his people lay in the children he would give them. And that meant that he needed Seirei to fulfill his duty to his people. Losing her would take away most of his value to the Drykas people as well. Worse, losing her might well destroy any hope he had for rebuilding his family, and one day his pavilion as well; her children would almost certainly go with her if she left, after all. Lian knew that he had little to offer a wife. Few women would even consider him worthy of marrying. Lian also was reluctant to marry for anything less that a deep and abiding love. Growing up, he had seen how much his parents loved each other. So much so, in fact, that his father had never taken a second wife because he knew that his mother would feel inadequate if he did. If Lian were to make the committment of marriage, he wanted a love as strong as the one his parents had enjoyed. But at the same time...if Seirei were truly to embrace the ways of his people, and become a Drykas, then his people would gain her as well as the children she would bear. It was for that reason that Lian found himself hoping that Seirei did become a Drykas, despite the overwhemling odds against it. And it was also for that reason that Lian was pleased by her questions. They showed that Seirei had some interest in his people. Lian noticed that his captive was staring at him uncertainly. He chided himself for allowing himself to get caught up in his own thoughts so completely. Then he chuckled lightly. "The Ruby Clan, is it? Of all the clans, I suspect that you would like them the most. You have a great deal in common with them in some ways." Lian paused for a tick. He imagined that he could feel the disbelief that his captive must be feeling. "It's true, though. Members of the Ruby Clan tend to be skilled crafters. They spin and weave clothing, build wagons and tents, craft clay pottery and tools, make baskets, and jewelry...things of that nature. Most of the pavilions you'll find in the city were made by the Ruby Clan. Wood is rare here in Endrykas, so we don't have all that many people who carve wood the way you do. But carving wood is a craft just as the things that many within the Ruby Clan do. So in that way, I think that you have a great deal in common with them." Lian considered telling his captive about the other clans as well, but he liked the idea of stretching the information out. It would give him the opportunity to ask more questions as well. "And with that, I think it is my turn to ask another question. I had an older brother named Lukar, and a younger sister named Lily. They both meant everything to me. Do you have any siblings?"

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei listened intently to what her captor had to say about the Ruby Clan. It confirmed what she had observed in the past. As such, it was more proof that Lian was willing to tell the truth when he answered her questions. Seirei also believed that he was right. An entire Clan of craftspeople sounded very appealing to Seirei. Even if the chosen crafts were different than the one she had chosen, the mindset would be similar. The pride they had in their skill, and their craft. Seirei knew that hunters, herders, and anyone in any type of profession would take pride in their work. But creating something was what she knew. Creating something beautiful was her goal. She longed to one day create a master work that would amaze all who saw it. One that would be talked about for years. Those sentiments were something she would have in common with other craftspeople whether they made jewelry, pottery, clothes, baskets...or anything else. "I think you might be right. They do sound like people I might like." Seirei admitted. Seirei hated to admit that she liked anything about the Drykas to her captor. But she would be lying if she didn't. Waisana was a friend that made her existence in Endyrkas better than it would have been had she not met the kind healer. There were other things she liked, too. Things she had learned from her father over the years. She just didn't want to admit that to her captor because it felt as though she was giving in to him if she did. Telling him that he was right to force himself on her just because he was Drykas, and she was not. Part of Seirei realized that she was silly for feeling the way she did. But at the same time, she couldn't control the way she felt. Especially now when her emotions were all over the place due to her pregnancy. Lian told her that he had an older brother, and a younger sister. Had. That suggested that they were dead now. Since she was still deeply mourning the loss of her mother, Seirei couldn't help but feel some sympathy for him for his loss. Both his words, and his tone told her just how much his siblings had meant to him. And Seirei could definitely identify with that. Her mother had meant everything to her. Seirei nodded. "I had...have an older brother named Jared. He's my half brother to be precise. But that never mattered between us. He was my amazing older brother...and I was his annoying little sister who always wanted to play with him when I wasn't learning how to carve wood with my mother, or working with wood on my own when I got older." Seirei said with a small smile at the memory. Then she sighed. "Jared didn't die the way your brother and sister did, but he is lost to me all the same." she said sadly. It hurt to think of the way Jared had betrayed her when he and the others in her caravan had abandoned her in the Sea of Grass to die. In some ways, it was easier to think of her brother as dead, and the man who had abandoned her as a completely different person. It was Seirei's turn to ask a question again. She had planned on asking about another clan, but talking about Jared, and hearing a bit about Lian's brother and sister had changed her mind. "What were your siblings like?" she asked softly.

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian heard the mixed emotions in Seirei's voice when she told him about Jared. Grief, and longing were present. Much the way he knew he sounded when he spoke of his siblings. He could sympathize. He knew what it was like to lose a loved one to death. But there was anger there as well. Anger, confusion, and a sense of betrayal. Was Jared the one who had abandoned Seirei to die? Or did he simply allow it to happen, doing nothing to try and save his sister? Lian couldn't even begin to comprehend that. You looked after your family. It was that simple. No excuses. No looking the other way if someone wanted to hurt your family because you were mad at them for some silly reason. Family was everything, and family looked out for one another when no one else would. Lian wanted to say something. He wanted to offer some sort of comfort even though he knew that Seirei would never take it from him. But then she asked him about his own siblings, and Lian allowed himself to be distracted. It was possible that Seirei wanted to hear about his brother and sister as a way to stop thinking about her brother. Since he knew that she wouldn't trust any kindness coming from him, Lian decided to oblige her if she needed a distraction. "Lukar was three years older than me. If he were alive now, he would be 25. If I were to try and describe him..." Lian fell silent, considering his words. "Lukar was what an older brother should be. He was a friend, companion, confidant, rival, teacher, role model, and protector all in one. He played with me, and indulged my childish whims, especially when I was a young boy. Our father taught us both equally, but if I ever needed extra help with something, Lukar was the one who was always there to help me. But we were rivals, too. Each challenging the other to improve. And if I took longer to learn something that he thought I should, well...I was in for my share of teasing, that's for sure." Lian smiled ruefully at the memories that rose up in his mind. "And believe me, that was a common occurence. I wasn't lazy when I was a child. Far from it, really. But I did have other interests than the things I was supposed to be learning. And I had an unfortunate tendency to focus on those interests to the exclusion of my lessons if given half the chance." Lian had no intention of telling his captive what those interests were. Seirei was an outsider, and he wasn't going to tell an outsider about the Web. So he changed the subject instead. "Then there was Lily. She was five years younger than me. She'd be 17 now. Lily was...my little sister. I would have done anything in my power for her. Indulged any whim, given her anything I could, protected her from any harm. Everyone in my family would have. She was a sweet, gentle girl, but she had a strong will. When she wanted to, she could be incredibly stubborn. In that, she was a little like you. The two of you might well have been friends if she were alive now. It was impossible not to like Lily. She had this way of charming everyone who met her. She could be a bit bossy at times too, though. She definitely had her own ideas of how things should be." Lian paused for a tick, trying to regain control of his emotions before they could overwhelm him. For the most part, he was successful. "I tried to be the best older brother I could be for Lily. Just like Lukar was for me. I wanted to be a good role model for her, someone she could be proud of. Someone she could look up to as much as I looked up to Lukar. So I started paying closer attention to what my father and brother were trying to teach me. I started truly trying to learn rather than escaping as quickly as I could to pursue my real interests. It became very important to me to try and master the hunting skills they wanted me to learn. Partly because I was old enough to realize it was something I needed to know how to do. But mostly because by doing so, I was showing Lily that you had to focus on mastering the skills that were important for your future before indulging on things that you did for pleasure." Webbing was far more than just "fun" for Lian. He had truly meant to devote his life to it before he had learned that only ankals and members of the Watch used Webbing as a job. He was painfully aware that he wasn't good enough to be considered for the Watch...and that it was all his fault that he wasn't. Ironically enough, had he spent more time learning what he was supposed to as a child, he might well be a member of the Watch now. And as for being an ankal, well...what was the point? He was the ankal of a pavilion of one. "With that, I think it's my turn to ask another question." Lian wanted to ask why Seirei had been abandoned, but he knew that she would likely balk in answering something so painful. "I know that you work with wood for a living. I've even seen you carving a few times. You seem to truly enjoy it. How did you get into carving? Who taught you? What made you decide that is what you wanted to do? I know that that's too many questions to ask. I don't expect you to answer them all right now. I'd like to know the answers to all three questions eventually, but why don't you choose one to answer for now?"

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Listening to Lian describe his family, and hearing the sincerity, and the naked longing in his voice as he spoke of them gave Seirei an insight into his character that she suspected that he hadn't meant to give her. It was clear that family meant everything to him...much the same way that it did for her. When her mother was alive, she had been...everything. Mother. Caretaker. Mentor. Partner. Confidant. Best friend. Seirei had had several close friends, and she and her brother had been very close as well. The entire caravan had been her family, and she had loved them all. But her mother was the one person she had been closest to. Losing her was a pain that would never fade from her heart entirely. It was clear that Lian felt the same way about his siblings as Seirei felt about her mother. It meant that they had something in common. Seirei didn't know how she felt about that. Seirei came to another realization as well. When she had been captured, Lian had told her that the Drykas were taking captives to repopulate their people due to the illness and zith attacks they had suffered. But for Lian...it was more than just that. Seirei had no doubt that the reasons he had given were part of his motivation. But he had personal reasons for wanting children as well. "You're trying to replace your family, aren't you?" she asked softly, her eyes widening as she made that connection. Seirei shook her head. No, that wasn't quite right. "No...not replace them. Nothing can ever do that. But you want to recreate your family. To rebuild it. You...you just want a family again, don't you?" she asked softly. Seirei didn't know what she felt about that realization either. It didn't excuse what Lian had done to her. There was no excuse for raping someone. Seirei would never be able to forgive the man for the way he had treated her. But it did make the man more human in Seirei's eyes. Less of a monster. Or perhaps...not only a monster, at least. It meant that her captor wasn't forcing himself on her because he enjoyed hurting her, using the need to repopulate his people as an excuse. Lian was going about it the wrong way, but Seirei could certainly understand the intense desire to have a family. It was Lian's turn to ask a question. He asked three, but he acknowledged that that was too many to answer at once, and gave her the choice of which one she wanted to answer this time. Seirei considered the questions. They were closely related. Perhaps if she answered more than one as a show of good faith, Lian might answer more than one question during her next turn. "My mother taught me how to carve." she said quietly. Her voice was filled with fondness at the memories the question brought up. "Ever since I can remember, my mother always worked with wood. It was her passion in life. She loved it as much as she loved Jared and I. And it showed. Everyone who knew her knew that." Seirei smiled. In her mind's eye, she could clearly see her mother singing softly as she worked on her latest creation. "She was quite good, too. My mother had the ability to take a piece of wood, and turn it into something beautiful. I always admired her for that. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to be able to do that, too. To take something ordinary, and create something beautiful out of it. And if the end result is something that can be useful as well, so much the better." Seirei fell silent. She felt odd about talking about carving with Lian. Until he asked, she never would have been willing to talk about something she loved so much with someone she hated and feared. And yet...it felt good to talk about it, even with him. She was also surprised that the man was taking enough interest in her as a person to want to know such things about her. Was this a trick of some sort? If it was, Seirei really couldn't see what he was gaining from his questions. He was also holding up his end of their agreement, and was answering her questions. Seirei wasn't completely certain he was telling the truth with his answers, but when she'd asked questions that she had partial information about, the information he gave her matched what she already knew. And it seemed unlikely that he would know what she had learned on her own. "I answered all three of your questions, so I would like you to tell me about the Diamond Clan, and the Topaz Clan." Seirei hesitated for a tick. Asking about the Sapphire Clan felt dangerously like asking about Lian himself since he was a member of the Clan. But she really did want to know more about the people she was living with - her father's people. Besides...she had already asked Lian about his siblings, and that was a far more personal question than asking him about his clan. "I would like you to tell me about the Sapphire Clan as well."

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian truly hadn't expected Seirei to answer all three of his questions at once, but he was quite pleased that she had. From the tone in Seirei's voice, and the soft look in her eyes as she spoke of her mother, Lian could tell that she loved her mother dearly. Perhaps she had been as close to her mother as Lian had been to his own family. Once again, the questions Seirei asked showed that the girl was taking an interest in his people. Lian's first thought was to not answer three questions at once. He had told Seirei that she could choose one to answer, after all. She had volunteered the rest of the information. And yet...she had answered all three. If Lian did not respond in kind, it seemed likely that Seirei would end their little game. So since she was asking questions that Lian wanted to answer, he would answer them all. "The Diamond Clan is a clan of warriors. They are the ones the rest of us trust to deal with bandits, slavers, and the like. Many members of that clan join the Watch. White and silver are the two colors that represent their clan." With those words, Lian hesitated. He didn't particularly want to discuss storm wardens with an outsider. Especially when he knew so little about them himself. So he didn't mention them. "The topaz Clan's colors are gold, and a variety of yellows, as you might imagine. Members of this clan are usually the ones who enforce the laws, philosophies, and social standards of our people. And while the Diamond Clan are warriors who defend us from outside threats, the Topaz Clan protects us from threats from the inside. They often act as guards, and help keep crime to a minimum within the city." Lian wasn't prepared to discuss Webbing, and the Web with Seirei, so he didn't mention that members of the Topaz Clan were also often the ones who responded to discrepancies in the Web. "Then there's my clan." Lian hesitated again. How to describe his Clan without even the slightest mention of Webbing, and the Web that was so important to his people? "As I'm sure you've noticed, the color that represents my clan is blue. The Sapphire Clan is known for its magic users. Reimancy is fairly common among the Drykas, and many reimancers are born among my clan. Glyphing is another type of magic that is common among the Drykas." Lian spent a few ticks considering what his next question would be. The one he most wanted to ask was how Seirei came to find herself out in the Sea of Grass when Lian found her. But he wasn't sure that his captive would be willing to answer such a personal question. Another, possibly safer question would be to ask about her father. Seirei had told him a little about her mother, and her brother, after all. She might be more likely to tell him about her father than about the events that led up to her being abandoned in the Sea of Grass. Still... "The day I found you out in the Sea of Grass...what happened? How did you end up in that mess? Did you run away?" Lian knew that Seirei hadn't really run away from her caravan. When he'd checked the Web to see if anyone was near by, he saw them moving away from her at a fairly good speed. Not spread out and moving in all directions the way that searchers would. But in giving her a "way out" so to speak, Seirei might feel more comfortable about answering the question. She might feel that running away sounded better than what really happened...whatever that might be. Seirei's answer would also tell him if Seirei was willing to lie in order to protect her secrets from him. It would if she told him that she had run away, at least.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei listened intently to the information Lian offered about the three Clans she'd asked about. She noticed that he gave less information about his own Clan than he had about the others. Seirei was curious about that, but she decided not to call him on it. There could be a perfectly reasonable explanation for it, after all. Magic was a...tricky thing. A personal thing. And people had very wildly varying views on it. To some, it was a useful tool. But some hated and feared it. Or were jealous of those who could wield it. It was possible that the Drykas didn't like magic much. Or perhaps they were wary of discussing it with outsiders for fear that they might learn some of their secrets. It was even possible that Lian hesitated to say more because he didn't know what she thought about magic. For all of those reasons, pressing the issue was unlikely to get her any more information. So Seirei dropped the subject. Lian's question for her sent a shock through her. She suspected that he would ask...but she hated to hear it all the same. She didn't even want to think about it. And she certainly didn't want to talk about it. Especially not to him. Seirei didn't trust the man. And she couldn't help but think he would find a way to torment her with the knowledge if were to tell him what he wanted to know. Why else would he want to know? Why did he care? The only use the man had for her was to force her to bear children for his people. To spend the rest of her life as a brood mare. Right? Anger made Seirei want to scream at him, demanding to know why he wanted to know. She wanted to shake him, and refuse to answer. Fear for what he might do with the knowledge, and pain from the memories involved made her want to just avoid the subject all together. And yet...he had given her an easy way out. It would be all too easy to tell Lian that she had run away. She could make up some somewhat believable story, and he would likely believe it. At the least, he would have to pretend that he did. So why give her a way out? Did he really think that she was stupid enough...or desperate enough to run off into the Sea of Grass to what would be certain death without the relative safety of the caravan? Was he trying to convince himself that he was right to force himself on her as payment for protecting her from herself? Or was there some kind of trap in the question that Seirei couldn't see? Suspicion and distrust warred with curiosity in Seirei's mind as she tried to figure out what her captor's motives were in asking that question. There was something else to consider as well. Lian had told her about the Clans of his people. As best as she could tell, he was telling her the truth. At least the little she had managed to learn on her own matched with what he had told her. Seirei didn't feel that she owed him an answer, exactly...she had answered his questions in return, after all. But several of his questions had been about little things, like her favorite color. One could almost say that he had wasted some of his questions. Unless, of course, the earlier questions had all been to lure her into lowering her guard before dropping this question on her. Still...Seirei hoped to learn more about the Drykas in the future. Knowing them might help her exploit something that would help her escape when the time came. "No...I didn't run away." Seirei said slowly, as if the words were being forced out of her. "We had fallen into a string of bad luck that had lasted for a few years. It got bad enough that people started leaving the caravan. People got desperate. They were looking for someone to blame. And then...my mother died. I think that that was the final straw. I was different than the others, so some decided that I was causing the bad luck some how. There were rumors, and the people who blamed me must have been able to convince others. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in the Sea of Grass...alone." Seirei didn't say the words that they had abandoned her...but the truth was plain. Tears of anger, and betrayal filled her eyes, and she scrubbed her eyes in a futile attempt to make them go away. The last thing she wanted was for Lian to see how badly hurt she'd been by what they had done. "Why did you want to know?" It was the only question Seirei could think to ask, and she was desperate to change the subject.