Closed Late night confessions (Dravite)

[Akilah Windsong]

3 Spring, 515 AV

Akilah blinked owlishly as her cousin poured her another drink. Her birthday was coming up soon and to celebrate it before he left, he took her drinking.

His favourite pastime, not hers. As usual. She wasn't sure why she thought it would be otherwise.

"You should stop pretending this is for anyone but you," she blurted, staring at the glass as he handed it to her. He raised an eyebrow, surprised, before grinning broadly.

"Drunk already?"

"Am not." She sniffed the drink, nose wrinkling in distaste. This had to be an acquired taste. There was no way anyone would be drinking this poison otherwise.

She had to acquire it. Sipping it, she grimaced.

"You're blunt, but never that blunt. At least without apologizing."

"Maybe I'm like that with you." His grin grew broader and she was starting to hate him a little. Taking a deeper swig, she continued. "If you weren't such a cocky son of v--"

He laughed, covering her mouth. "Don't let grandma hear that. She'll find out all the words I taught you."

She licked his hand and let out a triumphant snort when he recoiled in disgust. "Would not."

"You can't lie."

"Can too."

"Badly," he amended. "Very badly."

"I can lie good!"

He shook his head, still laughing. "You're acting like a child."

At this, she frowned. "You aren't that much older than me."

"I'm older by enough," he replied, smiling and she resisted the urge to scratch his face. Somewhat. She scratched his hand instead but his skin was too tough it to do anything but amuse him.

"Bullshit, you just like acting as if you're better than me."

Reaching for the glass, she stared in surprise as he gently took the glass from her. "This is a good time to stop."

"What?" She pawed at his hand, trying to get the glass, but that just made him move it further away.

"Yeah, definitely a good time to stop. I might have given you a little too much." Her cousin shook his head, emptying the glass. He stared at it remorsefully. "But not a good time for me. Hmm." He looked at her, then around the tent they sat in. Baultimes Barrel was crowded tonight, and he caught the eye of a friend. Patting her on the back, he got up. "You'll be fine on your own, we're not that far from our pavilion."

"I can make it."

"That's the spirit!" He ruffled her hair, ignoring her angry hiss. "You'll make it home out of pure stubbornness. Just to prove me wrong."

She swiped at his hands, and he pulled away, laughing as she swore at him. "See you later, cuz."

And with that, she was left alone. The asshole couldn't even leave the drink.

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[Dravite]

Baultimes Barrel

Walking around Endykas, you might come across an extremely colorful tent, decorated with a variety of reds, and golds. For those more used to the moving city, they would know this tent to belong to Baultime, a large, middle age man, who seems to have enjoyed his product one too many times. Inside the tent, local and foreigner alike can find a good brew. Mostly his stock consists of locally made stuff, but imported stuff is also available. If asked he also makes his own signature brews, which can be bought at a reasonable price.

Dravite wasn’t the kind of man that went out drinking of an evening only to stumble back to his tent half inebriated in the night, so when he found himself at the local watering-hole, it had been to look for Belhatir, not to buy a drink. He had been out hunting deer the day before with Bel and the two had struck it lucky. taking down a young buck. As he still hadn’t managed to catch up with his friend after leaving him stranded a few miles from Endrykas with the kill, Dravite was starting to feel a little guilty.

Baultimes Crimsonedge was a middle aged man who had always enjoyed a good brew and a pretty girl or three and judging by the size of his belly, he wasn’t slowing down any time soon. When Dravite wandered into the tent he lifted a heavy hand to greet the new comer and set a handcrafted wooden mug down on the bar top. “Drink?” Beultime smiled welcomingly at the fellow Drykas.

“Not for me,” Dravite shook his head. “I’m just looking for someone actually, about this tall, tends to stop by here every now and then, and likes to gamble.”

He held a hand up above his head to signify Belhatir’s height but it seemed Baultime knew exactly who he was talking about. “Said he would be back soon,” Baultime lied, what was the point of getting old if you didn’t get a little crafty from time to time? “Why don’t you pull up a chair and have a drink while you wait?”

Dravite laughed. “Go on then, you’ve twisted my arm.”

As he sat down Baultime poured ale into the wooden mug. “And one for the lady,” Dravite said, offering Akilah a playful wink.

She was tall, lean and had beautiful dark hair that fell down to her waist. He couldn’t make out the colour of her eyes from where he sat, but noticed the wind-marks on her arm; his own taking pride of place on his neck, back and chest. “Ladies man,” Baultime laughed which caused Dravite to do the same.


"Far from it," Dravite admitted, "Just a kind stranger."

Ledger2 x Ale -4 SM

[Akilah Windsong]

3 Spring, 515 AV

Akilah stared in surprise at the mug that landed in front of her, the white froth reminding her of a cloud. The drink...her cousin had taken her mug with him, hadn't he?

Yes. Yes he had. And yet here it was, magically reappearing.

She stared at it again. The cloud remained, covering the reddish liquid. Yes, it was indeed the drink. As if sensing her confusion, the bartender approached her.

"From the shy stranger," Baultime said, guffawing as he gestured toward a man sitting near her. Akilah turned to look at him, surprised.

It was the man who had winked at her. Akilah had been sure that wink was for someone else.

The mug in her hand said otherwise and she smiled at him appreciatively. "Thanks."

Getting up, she moved toward him. Her body...something felt off about it. It felt, the word, what was it? Heavier? Not quite. Sluggish? Maybe. She could still move, still control her steps, and that was all she really needed..

Sitting down, the feeling passed and she was able to focus on her companion. He was about her age, his hair still bound tightly in the braids. Her own had loosened throughout the day and had she been in any other state of mind, it would have bothered her.

But it wasn't and the drink in her hand proved more pressing.

"Akilah," she said, introducing herself with a grin, before looking back at her drink. She took a deep sip and grimaced again.

Even time did not help with that strong taste.

But she wasn't going to let that stop her. Let her cousin try to interfere now.

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[Dravite]

“Akilah,” he tested out her name on his tongue and smiled, “What a pretty name.”

It wasn’t like Dravite to flirt, in fact he wasn’t very good at it, never having had much practice when it came to socialising with women, other than his wife Belkaia who didn’t often say much and certainly didn’t flirt. “I’m Dravite Windborne of the Emerald Clan, we’re camping about half a mile from Endrykas, you know how late comers are,” he laughed, a swig of the ale enough to loosen his lips already it seemed.

Dravite raised the wooden mug up as if to toast to something, her perhaps, and then took another taste of the ale, smooth, homemade, and far too easy to drink; Baultime knew his craft well which was probably why this place was so popular, and the main reason he kept finding his friend Belhatir here.

“Have you lived in Endrykas long? I can’t say I’ve noticed you around before,” Dravite bit his tongue, what was he doing? Of course he hadn’t seen her around before, his pavilion had been here all of two days and they rarely stayed much longer than a week in Endrykas; maybe this season was to be the exception.

Baultime watched from behind the bar, he had an eye for the ladies and told himself that it was okay to look; after all he was a businessman just doing his job and looking out for his patrons; at least that’s what he told himself. He picked up a dirty rag and started drying a couple of the used flagons, of course he didn’t wash them first; that would be a waste of water which was sometimes more valuable than gold out here. “Bit of spit shines them up nicely,” he said to himself, not thinking anyone would overhear.

Dravite made a face and looked at the wooden mug in his hand, stopping to consider how many other mouths had touched it tonight before his lips had. “Ah, don’t worry about it boy, the liquor kills all of those nasty bugs, you won’t get sick… for long.” The big bellied man roared, laughing until tears pooled in the corners of his beady little eyes.

Dravite, still not amused, set his drink down but would continue drinking as soon as something else distracted him from his current line of thought. When Akilah spoke he was all ears and warm smiles, but wouldn’t any man be? After all she was a beauty. He found the majority of Drykas women tended to look so plain; there was something different about her, almost exotic. “Tell me something about yourself, Akilah.”

[Akilah Windsong]

3 Spring, 515 AV

"Pretty?" Akilah mused, rolling her name in her mind. It was a name she chose for herself, but up until this moment she had never thought of it like that. "I guess so...Not quite what I was aiming for though."

Pretty. She filed that thought away for future reference--it meant something, she was sure. Just what, she didn't know.

Akilah chuckled at his introduction. His laughter was infectious and conversation easily fell into place. "I guessed as much from your clothes." It was easily to tell the clan a Drykas came from--clothing colour almost always matched clan colours. And if not, there was always that one thing, that one thing that called back home.

"I should be saying that! I've lived here for quite a while, and I have never seen you," she replied. Feeling bold, she winked. "I'd have remembered."

She wasn't drunk enough, though, to not feel embarrassed by that line; she was never a flirt. She could barely even count as witty and she almost covered her face in embarrassment.

As if the line wasn't bad enough, but to wink with it too...her ears, she knew, must be red. She could feel the heat rolling off them in waves. Hopefully her skin or her hair hid it. Hopefully.

Quickly, she took another gulp to hide the flush. Her face scrunched up slightly--just how long would it take to get used to this taste?--and she kept the topic on track. "My pavilion is more often here than not--enough that I've come to think of here as home. Though, we leave every now and then for a season or two. Just to stretch our legs."

She almost demonstrated that last part but stopped herself just in time. Maybe her cousin was onto something, but she didn't want to admit he was right.

Baultime moved and she followed his movements with her head--it was hard to just move her eyes. Laughing again, she pushed her mug back and forth between her hands. "Spit huh? Must be why everyone leaves here sick." she teased.

Baultime guaffed. "I guess the lady would know more about that than me?"

Dravite had stilled next to her, and she nudged him a little with her shoulders. "Scared of a little spit?" she asked, taunting him. This was also bold, but not as embarrassing as the flirt had been.

It felt more like a dare, and she grinned at the thought.

"Something.." His words made her pause--it was a little hard to think. Almost like walking in the mud, her mind feeling thick and heavy. Still, she had the most important fact already out, the reason she was here.

"It's my birthday next week," she announced, gesturing to herself. While her voice wasn't too bad, her hands were starting to get affected by the alcohol. Even as she signed presents, celebration, she could feel her fingers slip out of formation too quickly."I'm taking this drink as a birthday present."

"I'll be..." She stared down at the drink for a moment. 20. The number unnerved her, and she shook her head. No, she wasn't drunk enough yet.

The drink in her hand said that was an easy problem to solve.

"Your turn," she said, resting her head on her hand as she leaned against the bar. "You've been out in the wilds for a while--see anything interesting?"

OCCSorry for the delay, I'm a little busy last and next weekend

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[Dravite]

Baultime smirked, his teeth lined with black rot from all of the ciders and ales he had brewed and consumed over the years. It seemed he found the night’s events almost as amusing as the young Drykas man, sat talking to the woman with the pretty name. “She’s feisty,” Baultime grinned, “I like that in a woman.”

Dravite looked from Akilah to the barman and back again. Would he be interrupting them all night? Not all night, Dravite quickly reminded himself; he had only come in search of Belhatir and the ale was a luxury his wife would scold him for later. Speaking of wives, he almost made mention of Belkaia to the young woman he was sharing a drink with when a selfish little side of him he hadn’t indulge before put a stop to that. “Only twenty?” Dravite smiled.

His teeth were white and surprisingly straight for a native, clearly he had grown without the luxuries of the city folk; honey, sweet-foods, and alcohol all rather foreign to him.

Akilah seemed to be in a rather cheerful mood, jeering at him in jest to the spit Baultime had teased them about washing his mugs out with. She had winked and Dravite was still trying to decipher the strange gesture as she inquired about his time out in The Sea of Grass which he mistook for more probing questions about himself. Where to start? He asked himself. The Windborne pavilion had seen a lot during its time spent traversing the wilds. “I suppose I have time for a story or two,” he smiled and made himself comfortable, “Especially for someone as interesting as you.” He mimicked her wink but couldn’t help but feel he had misused it.

“Where to start… I’m twenty-two, I’m an only child.” He paused to think, taking a swig of the ale as he thought on what to share with Akilah.
“I’m thinking of joining The Watch this spring,” he admitted.

Dravite stopped, maybe it was the alcohol or the woman’s pretty face, but he seemed to be getting carried away with himself and had missed her question completely. “Wait, wait… Things I’ve seen? Out there? In the grasslands?”

Reassured by the look on the woman’s face he laughed at himself and looked into the wooden mug that was fast emptying before grinning like a fool. “I once saw a Night Lion get mauled by a wild boar. I didn’t know pigs liked to eat meat before that night, turns out they do.”

Dravite shrunk in his seat a little, doing an absolutely appalling job at flirting. Perhaps for all his time out on the plain away from the city, he really did lack some social skills after all. Baultime must have noticed the man staring into his drink as if contemplating something, for it wasn’t long before he piped up, “Can I get you another drink, young man?”

Dravite shook his head, if this blur of words were to be the effects of one drink, imagine what two would do; he didn’t know how his Windborne brother, Belhatir, did this so often, and still managed to find his way home without too much trouble. “Sorry,” Dravite chuckled, still laughing at himself on the inside, “That was a terrible story.”

[Akilah Windsong]

3 Spring, 515 AV

Akilah froze. Had she actually said her age aloud?

Hearing it from another, reality sunk in even further. It was almost oppressive, suffocating to hear the words. To have them float in the air, polluting her ears.

20.

She had hit 20 and nothing had changed. No, she was not a proper Drykas at all. At one time, she wouldn't have minded. Part of her still doesn't mind, she has never let her culture restrict her when she thought something was unfair or unjust.

It was just her nature. It was just the way of the Drykas to argue and fight against things that didn't make sense.

But the storm two years ago changed everything and some things are more important than personal freedoms.

And yet, still, nothing has changed.

This time, it was impossible to ignore the wink--it was for her. Just as the words, the stress on interesting, it was all for her. She had never been hit on before, not so directly at least, and she flushed lightly.

It wasn't bad, this feeling.

"Twenty-two?" she echoed. She was right, he was not much older than her. Then, maybe... "Are you married?"

Perhaps more than once? It was not uncommon for that to be the case. Her father had two wives, she knew, though the first one had died when she was young, too young to remember. Which one was her 'mother', in reality, she didn't care. The one that she had come to know, the one that raised her, that was all that mattered.

"The watch, how brave." She smiled at him--with so many family members in it, she had nothing but respect for it. Covering his hand with hers, she squeezed it lightly. "Good luck."

A boar, mauling a night lion? Nodding her head in agreement, she replied, "It really is a terrible story. All that time out there, and that was the best you had?"

A little too on the nose, perhaps, but somewhere between a few drinks she had stopped caring.

Seeing as he didn't get a drink, she frowned. "Done for the night then?" She felt disappointed and let it show. "Too bad."

Her own mug was almost empty, and she drank the last of it.

This time, she didn't wince as much. Akilah wasn't sure if it was because she was getting used to it or if her taste had died already. Probably the latter.

"I don't have a better story myself," she added, laughing. "I might be a little too sheltered. I went hunting once, a summer beast calling for a city wide hunt appeared. My group--my group ended up lost." She shook her head sadly. "Can't even call that bad luck."

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[Dravite]

Akilah squeezed Dravite’s hand, causing him to smile. She seemed to hold The Watch in high regard and Dravite liked that, it made him feel as if he were making the right choice about joining; that it was a noble, honest line of work. However, his story about the wild pig facing off against the lion had done little to impress his drinking buddy; fair enough, it was quite poor in regards to some of the amazing things he had seen in his time, but that one had really stuck with him.

Dravite laughed, more so at himself and how pathetic his attempt at storytelling had been. It didn’t seem Akilah had too much to share in the way of stories either and after inquiring about his marital status he merely smiled into the cup again. “Yes, I was married four years ago; my son Kyanite just turned three on the first of spring. My wife’s name is Belkaia; she is actually the daughter of our Ankal, Belhaur. I’ve been good friends with her brother since the time I could walk.”

This reminded Dravite, he should go looking for Belhatir and not sit too long enjoying himself, as much as he was. He finished his drink and put the wooden mug down on the counter, fingers still drummed against the side lightly as if contemplating a second. He wanted a second drink, the thought of leaving so soon was less than pleasing. “You’ll have to come by the pavilion some time, we usually camp on the outskirts on the Emerald Clan’s side of Endrykas.”

Dravite raised the wooden mug to his lips again and realised it was all gone. He shook his head, smirking at himself. “I think I should probably make a move soon before I get in trouble for spending too much coin.”

[Akilah Windsong]

3 Spring, 515 AV

"Four years, huh?" Akilah murmured, staring down at her own mug. It was mostly empty, only a few sips left, but any desire to drink it had left her.

Her mind felt woozy enough as it was. His words didn't help either.

Four years and with a son.

"You must be happy." She tried to say congratulations, tried to smile, but the words couldn't make it past her throat. "Four years."

By all rights, she should have married four years ago. A little later, that was fine.

But now she was turning 20. 20, and her skills, while diverse, were not masterful.

She wasn't listening right now, her thoughts and fears turning over and over in her mind.

She was 20 and her usefulness, her abilities--none of them helped her clan as much as she wanted to. And none of them negated the fact that as of yet, she was still unmarried.

"I thought I was going to, once," she admitted. She wasn't sure why--the drink, the atmosphere, her worries--but the words, the words wouldn't stop. "But he...he changed. He literally became a different person."

He didn't remember her, his mannerisms were different...if she didn't recongize his face, she would have thought it was a different person.

Maybe he was. Maybe it was a game to him. Maybe she should have picked up on the hints back then.

Maybe this would have always happened and that was all.

"Sometimes," and her voice was low now, low and shaky, this was the fear that kept her up some nights, "I don't think I will get married. I don't think anyone wants to marry me."

Akilah wasn't crying, not yet. Something in her, something too numb to really feel this, just wouldn't let her. Not yet at least. Maybe in the morning. Maybe at home.

But not now. She looked over at Dravite. "And then what use am I?"

It was hot, suffocating and stifling, in here now. "I need to go," she said, trying to get up. Her limbs were slow and heavy, like she was 7 and trying to pick up a sword for the first time. They refused to move as she wanted, and she swayed as she stood.

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[Dravite]

There was a shift in the tent, a faint hum carried on the breeze as it died. The tiny hairs on the back of his neck rose to attention and the horripilation of the flesh on his arms seemed to suggest that he had noticed the change in Akilah’s tone; from bubbly and flirty, so reminiscent and blue.

Four years, it seemed strange to hear it come out of someone else’s mouth and the man smiled softly, a half smile that saw one side of his mouth go up while the other remained fixed, like a boat anchored to the dock; swayed by none but the tide. “It’s not bad,” he confessed quietly before letting the woman finish.

Akilah admitted that she had been betrothed at one point, but the arrangement had fallen through; it wasn’t uncommon in Endrykas, people often had a change of heart but when they found the right person, things came easier and lasted a lot longer; Akilah’s day would come. Dravite sat still for a time; he couldn’t imagine what his life might have been like without Belkaia in it.

Useless. The word swam around in his mind, homeless; he had never heard anyone speak the word in regards to marriage. “I’m sure you’re not useless,” Dravite tried to console Akilah, moving his left hand to set it on her right shoulder gently, as if to offer some form of comfort. “Some things take time, there are a lot of young women around and scarcely enough men to go round; I’m sure you’ve seen it with you own two eyes, what reckless fools we can be,” he smiled and let his hand fall at his side.

Akilah looked distraught and was attempting to excuse herself. Dravite didn’t want to stop her, though part of him was concerned for her. “Would you like me to walk you back to your camp?” He offered; it was the least he could do really.

As he got to his feet, he scooped up their mugs and pushed them aside for the barman to collect. The big, burly fellow gave them a distracted wave, it seemed some pretty thing had wandered in and won his attention. Dravite pushed in his chair and stepped away from the bar before looking back to see if Akilah would join him. “I meant what I said you know, you should come by some time and go on a hunt with me. Maybe I could set you up with one of the warriors from the Windborne pavilion?”

He hoped he wasn’t adding insult to injury with his words; Akilah seemed like a really nice girl and if he had been in a position to take a second wife, he probably wouldn’t have to give it much thought. She was beautiful, not too old, and skilled huntress by the sounds of it; any man would be crazy not to at least toy with the idea. Dravite looked out at the darkening sky and told himself Belhatir would have to make it home on his own tonight.