Completed Moving In and Meeting a Friend

[Noah Amuel]

25 Summer, 515
Mid-Morning

Noah’s eyes opened to the unwelcomed shining of Syna. Her rays beamed through the open window, one he had opened the night before in an attempt to cool down his room. Noah had failed to buy curtains throughout his residence in Syliras but found it unnecessary. If and when he did shift into his bird form, curtains were a dangerous thing to be around once he flew from his window. They had the chance of getting caught up in his large wingspan or talons. If they did tangle, he knew they could cause him serious harm. He may have had a large shifted form, but it was a very fragile one.

The Kelvic groaned, sat up on the edge of his bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He had risen from yet another restless night – thoughts of home and past friends preventing him from sleeping soundly. In nights like the last he thought of his mother’s voice and her lullaby. Even though it took time to lull him to sleep, it always worked. He looked around his small room now. It seemed as if he was never leaving the dreaded city that he found hard to love, and with each passing day, a small hope in him began to waver evermore.

Matilda, the Konti woman who owned the building, had become accustom to seeing the Kelvic every day. Noah made sure to thank her for her kindness before he left daily – if she were to be found in the lobby of the Traveler’s Row. When she wasn’t to be found, he helped himself to the plate of cookies she sat out. With the ever fading hope of ever leaving the city, he thought it time to ask Matilda for a room upgrade. For now he occupied a small single room apartment that included a table, chair, hearth, and chest at the foot of his bed that held the little items he collected. An upgrade would include a larger room and a sitting room where he hoped to have guests lounge about one day.

With a silent confirmation on the choice he rose from the bed, pushing himself off the comfy thing with a reluctance. The day was beginning to start for others in the city and Noah’s little sleep in didn’t make him feel too good about his productivity. Once a dockworker, Noah would have awaken long ago to head to the docks before the first ships came in from the Suvan Sea, now though, as a courier, he could sleep longer, waiting for merchants and others – his usual clientele – to set up shop before calling upon him to deliver messages and parcels.

With a bare chest, Noah leaned out of his window to sample the weather. The early summer morning had proved to possess a muggy, heavy, yet warm air about it. Above him, the clouds speckled in the sky, occasionally blocking Syna entirely. With a whiff of the air he could feel a storm brewing from the sea. The air was salty and he could feel Zulrav’s winds filling with angst slowly. He returned to his room from the window and went to the foot of his bed where his chest lay. With a grunt he opened it and retrieved a pair of undergarments that he put on. He found his shorts and a loose shirt, equipped them and slipped on his shoes.

With rain coming he knew he should head to the Bazaar in search of something with a hood to keep his head dry while he worked. From his table he took his coin purse, placed it in one of his pockets, and found his key near the burnt out candle from weeks earlier. He had failed to replace it and thus put buying a new set of candles on his to-do list.

When Noah stepped out of his apartment, he turned and locked the door. He double checked that it was locked before turning on his heel and heading down the hall. He stumbled down some stairs and made his way into the lobby of the Row. As he assumed, Matilda had stepped out. The note she left read that she’d be back before the ninth bell and as Noah recalled, the eighth bell had rung before he had fully awoken. Noah stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned against the desk, propped up by his elbow and waited, eyes wandering to and from the door.

[Elann]

Elann had risen early this day. It was the day of her arrival and the ships watchman was busy counting out the depth as they neared town. Many people were already awake and getting their things ready to leave the ship. Elann didn't have much in the way of things, so she was ready to go. A small smile crept over her face as through the morning fog the sight of the town of Syliras came into view. It was almost as if the city was birthed and grew and grew till she could not see the edges of it through the fog. Towers and large stone buildings seemed to dominate her senses and not a ray of the new rising sun was seen to penetrate it. Her smile faded as she moved off the boat in time and the smell of fish and sewage met her. The cold dark of the city met the toxic smell and light of many torches. In front of her though was the welcome center. Her boat's first mate kept telling anyone seeking establishment in the city to first go there, and now here she was.

A bell passed after going inside and she was all the more learned as to what the rules of the city were and how to get along in the city. They pointed her toward job postings and a place to stay. Being that she was tired from the arduous two month journey of being rocked to and fro, she wanted a place to stay. Grabbing her burlap sack of things, she headed to the Travelers lodge. It wasn't far away, but as she exited the welcome center she could see the sun had risen all the more. Roughly around the time Noah had leaned out his window came the short 5'5" tall Elann walking down the street. There was nothing flashy about her. In fact she may have stood out for how drab she looked. Her tunic, which was already years old, had endured the journey with a little wear. She had a robe on over it with a hood that lay down upon her neck, it being a plain beige drab color as well. Yes, the best way to describe her would be common-folk, less than ordinary.

As Noah got dressed, she moved through the crowds toward the doorway. She had yet to learn how to move through them, so constantly she was apologizing for crashing into people and stopping the flow of traffic. She fumbled at the brass door handle as Noah came out of his room and headed down the stairway. Once she got her bearings on how to open the door she stumbled in. It was not as though they even used doors very often where she lived. Even on the ship, the crew needed to get through the passages without being hindered so there were no doors. Her only experiences with doors were in the temple, putting various supplies in the storeroom. Now that she was here and it had been at least a year, her hands had failed her at opening the door. With a slight frustrated grunt she closed the door, took a deep breath in and observed the surroundings of the room. As she looked about, through the disguise of ugly decor, her skin showed someone who was fair to look at, not touched by the sun, and eyes that if they were gems, would be fitting to be worn in the most beautiful of rings. What torchlight there was flickered on her face as she looked around. The smell of the sea came in with her and was not small in measure.

[Noah Amuel]

Quickly Noah’s mind began to take center stage in the quiet room. He imagined things centered on his family, his life in Syliras, and the want to return to Zeltiva sometime soon. It had been mere chimes before he was rocked from his thoughts by the grunt and closing of the door that led outside. His head whirled, expecting his eyes to land on Matilda’s pale face and blonde hair. Instead, though, they landed on another woman. This one was only like Matilda in that they shared a fair skin, other than that they differed greatly in appearance.

This woman was shorter than Noah by a lot, he determined. She possessed hair closer to the shade of his own and eyes that rivaled his own in terms of brightness. He felt his eyes dilate as he gazed upon her in silence. The quiet dragged on as he inspected her clothing. Due to its mute tones and foreignness to what Noah was accustom to, he assumed that she was from a place outside of the city. From where though, he didn’t know.

Again Noah’s eye rested on her own before he finally brought himself to speak. “Hello,” he said in a dry tone. It was a tone of sleep and not a tone of indifference or agitation. He cleared his throat, hearing his voice and changed his posture. Instead of leaning on his elbow, he now stood straight, revealing his entire height to the woman before him. “Who are you?” he asked bluntly. A dozen different scenarios danced about in his head for the woman’s reason for being here at the Row. Noah settled on the one that made the most sense, though: she sought a home.

He didn’t blame her. When he had come to Syliras himself, the Row was where he sought a roof. Matilda had proved to be quite the comfort. At the time, Noah was panicking, unsure of where to go to sleep, what to do for money, and how to get by in a city so unlike his hometown. Matilda offered the room he lived in now, and from that day he learned the ropes of the city, able to find a job eventually. However, Noah preferred the quiet and familiarity of the Bronze Woods opposed to the hustle and bustle of Syliras on every given day.

Realizing how detached and possibly hostile he was seeming, he offered her a small smile and revealed the deep dimples upon his cheeks. As his dimples faded he took strides toward the table off to the side of the room. At the table was a plate of cookies, a teapot, and a couple of teacups. The table was flanked by three chairs and the wall. Slowly he took a cookie from the plate and bit into it. It crunched from the pressure and he began to chew, eyes returning to the woman. With his other hand he took another cookie and raised it towards her, as if offering it.

[Elann]

Elann could tell this man on the far end of the room was waiting for something. Her eyes nearly skipped over him as she briefly inspected the room, but were it not for his introduction to her. Straightening her clothing out with very precise fingers, she looked up to him and could see a young man, slightly taller than her, but perhaps it was the skewed view of her perspective on the room. Taking in a swift breath she righted herself and replied in as dry a tone as Noah mustered. However there was a hint of difference in her voice. She had that raw, almost sexy tonal harmonic to her voice; not intentional mind you, but it just was her voice. It was the voice of a singer, someone who had spent hours voicing herself.

"Hello there", the words were almost surprising to her as she had almost forgotten what speaking was like. At the welcome center she mostly listened and on the boat for nearly two months she nearly had no-one to speak to. She checked to make sure she had everything of hers before looking to head to the desk where this resident was inquiring of her. As he bluntly asked her who she was, she curiously wondered who he was. Why was he asking her who she was? And in that blunt tone as well. It didn't make her nervous per say, but it definitely stopped her in her path to the counter for a quick moment before she continued on. Her lacking in understanding common to the degree of fluency made things a bit of a challenge too, because now what could she say to that except her name perhaps?

"I am new here. Elann.", she said matter of factly with a rustic, wonderful Benshiran accent. Hey bluish ocean colored eyes looked him up and down, evaluating whether he was some sort of bellhop, employee, owner, or just a person. As she studied him he seemed detached and possibly just rude, but as her looking him over continued in those brief moments she could see him flash her the slightest smile. It really put her at ease as it meant he was just speaking out of curiosity, not judging her for being the "newcomer". They invariably switch spots, her passing by the table with the cookies, and him moving to it. She moved to the counter and looking to him, her stomach grumbled as she saw the cookie he offered. It was rude in her custom to reject a gift, so setting down her backpack she took the spot where he previously had stood and said in that same dark beautiful voice. "Do you live here? Or work?" she meant, "did he work here", and to clarify, her hands pointed to the building vaguely as she asked him if he "worked". As she did she moved to grab the cookie and with welcoming hands, took hold of it and brought it back to her counter. With little bites she welcomed the sweet taste with little mmm sounds. Though it was not super fresh and had a crunch, it was very welcomed.

[Noah Amuel]

Noah watched as Elann took the cookie from his hand. Her movements were gentle and her voice rang with familiarity. She shared the accent of an old friend of his, Oriah. Oriah was another Benshira whose sun kissed skin, light eyes, and light hair hypnotized Noah every time he had seen her – the few times he had seen her anyway. It had been a while since he last saw her, the person he called friend and he had no way of knowing if she thought the same of him. It was quite possibly an unrequited friendship, one that brought a somber thought to his mind whenever it drifted around.

“Live,” he answered Elann. Noah took another bite of the cookie before setting it on the tea-table. He took the back of the chair facing Elann and pulled it out before sitting in it. He took his eyes off of her to pour himself a cup of tea. “I live upstairs,” he continued. “Matilda,” he paused unsure if Elann knew who Matilda was or not. “The owner,” he tried to clarify, “is out right now. I’m waiting for her to return.” After saying his piece he took a drag from his tea cup.

The tea was smooth against his tongue. It held a sweetness that he savored before swallowing. Noah took note of the Benshira’s voice in the moment of quiet. Even though the accent was there and apparent, she managed to keep a tone of fluidity coursing through her words like water through a manmade brook. Noah looked from Elann to the cup clasped in his hands. The tea cup possessed a faded pattern of flowers on it. The flowers were chained together by ribbons and the pattern continued in an aging cream color from cup to cup to the teapot itself. “My name is Noah,” he finally said to break the creeping silence. “Pleased to meet you.”

[Elann]

Elan was thankful of her journey ending the way it did. Such violence could have been there to meet her in this city. The world was not a peaceful place, and here she was met by someone who at the very least offered her a cookie. That was gold in her book, while he may think nothing of it, she treasured it. A few more bites crunched in her mouth as she listened to him speak about how he lives here. He seemed to her a very slow, patiently spoken man. Perhaps someone of status or education, but she wasn't sure. It was all to often that those who came to her tent in Yahebah were fast speaking, loud talkers. They would shout and do all they could to barter a better price for a rug. While she knew how to be like that, she wasn't by nature. She had learned patience from Yahal and commonly leaned on the peace he gave her.

It seemed that Matilda was out. Looking to the counter and beyond she affirmed that no-one was there. She was not very used to this setting of housing as where she lived coming upon a tent you were welcomed at the door by it's host, given every manner of courtesy, and treated like you were part of the family. While it was appreciated, this greeting of Noah's, it fell short of what she was used to. With a slight bite of her lip upon dwelling on these thoughts, she thought it better perhaps to wait and see if Matilda would return soon.

He had a cup of tea and was drinking it. It seemed to be public domain, for all to drink from, but she already felt slightly guilty in taking the cookie from him as she didn't feel it was his to give. Perhaps if Matilda had said at one point to help herself, then she would have felt better, but for now she just munched the cookie awkwardly. It was quiet in the room for a moment, and she had introduced herself to the man, but nothing came from him. He seemed like one who thought long and hard about what he was going to do and say. When he finally spoke she took in a deep breath. It was comforting to know he wasn't just going to stare at her. While her robe and tunic hid most, she was well formed and very pretty to look at. The more one could notice of her the more they could see she had been untouched by life for the most part. She offered him a peacemaking smile, one that bunched up in the corners of her mouth and then she gave a nod in greeting. Not allowing any more creeping silence come between them, she offered to make conversation, which was bold of her being that she was new here.

"I will like this place?" her common being a bit shy of hitting the mark of her indicated phrase, but the meaning was clear enough. "I am looking for a nice clean ...um bed to stay. " She finished by nodding and slowly moving to a chair opposite of him. There was no sense in standing about like a fool at the counter when she could be sitting and being amiable company

[Noah Amuel]

Noah set his cup down as Elann spoke to him, asking him questions whose answers were a subject of opinion. With the index finger on his left hand he traced around the rim of the small cup, listening until he was certain she was done talking. “I think you’ll like it here,” he answered, eyes focused on the task at his hands. “It’s quiet though. Are you used to the quiet?” he asked, eyes flashing to her now.

From what he understood the Benshiran people were people of loudness and overt friendliness. Traits like those failed to translate properly to Syliras’ culture. Syliras proved to be a melting pot for several races and cultures but Noah found it hard to find obvious signs of those cultures without venturing too far from the place he called home. He knew though that although Syliras was a safe place, it proved to be a hard place to live for those not accustom to its denizens fast pace and working lifestyle.

Sure, there were places to relax and people of kindness occupying several nooks in the city, however, there was also a danger in finding someone that wasn’t quite agreeable with other people. Albeit Noah had yet to find any, he knew they existed. Perhaps he’d find some if he ventured elsewhere besides the Bronze Woods nearly every day. It is what he planned to do though, so maybe a not-so-agreeable person would grace him with their appearance and gruffness.

Noah blended more conversation into his question, as if it was rhetorical. “Matilda does a good job of keeping her rooms clean so there will be a clean and warm bed for you to sleep in,” he said, answering her second question as she moved towards the table. He watched her find her way into the seat across from him. Noah sat straighter in his chair, eyes studying Elann. “Where are you from?” he asked, trying to keep an honest and inquisitive tone.

[Elann]

Elann could see he had a very methodical way about his movements, much like a snake or some sort of owl. The more they talked the less she considered him human in her mind. She had known kelvic in the past, but each were very different from the others. She considered his question with a bit of thought as she watched him trace the rim of his cup. He melds in the answer with Matilda and she feels he actually is interested in knowing if she will be okay with the quiet. Having a bit of cookie in her mouth she chewed quickly and gave him a concessionary "mhm" to appease him. After a couple of seconds she spoke with her hand covering her mouth.

"It is very quiet in the desert where I am from", she finished swallowing her food licks her lips thus wiping away anything that lingered on them from the cookie. Lowering her hand she then says,"We do know how to make it loud though at times." She chuckled, bringing forth an overwhelmingly cute smile. It wasn't just her smile, but her vibrancy, her pose, and the life behind it. Even her eyes seemed a couple shades lighter and brighter when she was happy like that.

When he asked where she was from she considered that perhaps he was not a well educated man, she was obviously Benshiran. Didn't all Benshira come from the same place? It was perhaps then that he was educated and that he was just asking out of courtesy. No that couldn't be it either. He had an honest, inquisitive tone, and so therefore she deduced that he likely was asking specifically where she was from. Just to play things safe though she gave mind to give him all the answers above so that regardless the case, he would be answered.

"I am my fathers Daughter. Elann the daughter of Shlomet of the Sons of Rapa. I was from a tent of my fathers. He is the family head and master. Yahebah in Eyktol we lived near to and draw from springs and rivers of our ancestors." She grinned, hoping that answer would appease him. He however seemed a quiet fellow and likely all she would get is a somber response. She was enjoying her chance however to finally not only speak with someone, but speak with them in common.

[Noah Amuel]

Noah watched Elann’s tongue grace over her lips, picking up crumbs from the cookie she had eaten. He focused on her lips as she spoke, watching them work to form the words in Common. While she talked he let his eyes wander from her lips to her eyes to her cheeks and everywhere in between. With her being so close to him he could fully appreciate the woman’s finer details, seeing them with near perfect clarity. She was a beautiful young woman, somewhere around the age of himself – he found comfort in that. He wasn’t speaking to someone overly wise or someone underwhelmingly naïve either. He was speaking to someone hopefully on his own playing field, a level he could keep up with – if not surpass.

Her explanation on where she was from proved a shocking one to Noah, his eyes widening as she spoke. Quickly though he returned his face to that of a sullen boy. The places she listed rung no bells in Noah’s mind, and her father’s name, Shlomet, proved difficult for him to even imagine how to pronounce so he didn’t try. Her explaining where she came from only proved to further confuse the Kelvic. Who were the Sons of Rapa? Why was her father a “master”? Yahebah? Eyktol? Where those places or people? Noah felt his brow furrow in confusion.

He had marked this as the only other Benshira he had met, and without knowing much about their culture it proved to him that they held various characteristics, much like Kelvic themselves. Perhaps they weren’t too different after all?

His head whirled to the door once more as it opened again, this time revealing Matilda carrying a basket. The contents of the basket were covered by a pale cloth. Noah rose from his chair hurriedly and went towards Matilda, offering a hand to the basket. She waved him off with one of her pleasant and calming smiles.

“It’s okay dear,” she said to him. “I can handle it.”

Noah nodded, a little saddened before standing straight. “How are you, miss?” he asked, head bowing slightly.

“I am well,” she answered. “Thank you for asking.” Matilda turned to close the door. When she turned to face the room again she caught sight of Elann and flashed her a smile. “Hello, dear,” she said. “You must be one of the new arrivals.” Matilda spoke as she made way towards her desk. Once there she set her basket down before turning towards Elann and Noah once more. “Looking from a place to stay, are you?”

New arrivals? Noah thought, taking steps towards the tea-table. He picked up his cup, brought it to his mouth, and took a sip from it. His tea had gotten colder being exposed to the open air during his conversation with Elann, but its taste remained unaltered. Matilda’s words shed new light on Elann’s situation and whereabouts before arriving in the city. Now that he thought about it, Elann did look a little downtrodden and travel weary. He remained quiet, allowing the two women to engage in conversation uninterrupted. He busied himself with gulping down the rest of his tea and collecting his tea cup to bring to Matilda to be washed.

[Elann]

Nothing came to her mind as Noah searched her face. In fact it was normal for people to study the face of the person talking. What did send her into a bit of worry was his look of confusion, though that was to be expected when she was talking. She considered all she said and thought perhaps maybe she misspoke, or rather it was too much information for him? She couldn't quite tell what had caused his puzzled look, but whatever it was he could have been quicker to hop up and address Matilda. It kind of hurt to be open with someone and tell them your lineage, you life, and where you are from, and have them blow you off. Like a bird that scattered a loud sound, so was Noah it seemed.

As he attended to Matilda she listened in and calmly reached for a napkin to dust the cookie crumble off her hands. Once done she folded the cloth neatly and put it in the basket for cleaning. Looking down to her waist she could see that nary a drop of cookie fell upon her and she was glad at that. Calmly she stood in like-company, paying respects to the newly arrived Ms. Matilda. With a placating bow she returned the smile and answered in a kind way.

"Yes miss. I have come from the ship that just arrived this morning." It was dark when she got to town, but now the sun beamed through the window that lined the front wall, at least as well as it could in Syliras. The dark damp streets covered with the outpouring of people's waste water and various puddles of who knew what all traveled in the small stone gutters to who knew where, but it gave the city a wet appeal to her senses compared to where she came from. There the very ground cracked like a dry throat every time you stepped upon it. "If it isn't too much trouble," she said in her thinning accent "I could use a room. Do you have one to spare?" She wanted to get a room secured before a job because she was sure many people would come off the boat and want to stay. The rooms then would be filled and she would be looking for an apartment elsewhere. Now however she managed to beat the "crowds" and came so early it seemed she even beat the proprietor.

"I believe we have some rooms for rent", Matilda said in response. "Let me check the ledger...", she dottled behind the counter a few moments before finding the right day in her ledger. A thin finger traced down the lines of the cypher that was her log book until she found the last entry of vacancies. "Yes. It looks as though there are some. How long are you planning on staying?" She seemed kind enough and Elann moved over to the counter. She flashed a look back at Noah but the smile that had so kindly graced her lips moments earlier was no longer there. She didn't seem mad or hateful, she just had lost her smile and seemed to be seeing what he was doing.

"Dear?", came the kind inquisitive and slightly rushed tone of Matilda as Elann failed to answer her question.

"Oh yes...sorry", she said looking to her with a shy grin that showed embarrasment. "I will likely be staying for a while. I can pay." her voice came along with the sound of money as out of a sack she pulled her coin bag. She sorted through it and looking at the rates, she deduced how much to pay. "Here is for a week." She paid the woman and then stuffed her money back into the bag. All seemed to be in order to Matilda handed her her key and took the money to deposit and then write in the ledger.