Closed [Traveler's Row] The Caged Bird

[Noah Amuel]

DISCLAIMER: The following thread will not be put into the grading queue to receive points in any skill or acquire any lores. The following thread is written for the sake of roleplay, to be used as a plot point and not for increasing the characters' stats.

22 Fall, 515

It was early afternoon before Noah woke up, his eyes laden with sleep still. He rolled about in his bed, tangling himself in the linens and blanket. More than half of him did not want to leave the bed for he knew that the cobblestone around him would be cold, the heat being sapped from it due to the passing fall and coming winter. Still, he reluctantly sat up and stretched, yawned, gazed around the room. One of the two windows of his home sat in his bedroom on the north side. Light from the orbiting sun streamed in, placing itself on the floor before reaching his bed. He couldn’t be sure what the time was.

It had been two weeks since he was bitten by the wolf. He was healing steadily but his wound was very apparent – the pain was still there in a dull ache, reminding him of his foolishness. Carefully he slid out of bed. His throat was dry, his leg softly throbbed. The woman, the doctor, was very gentle and Noah was still very grateful to her. He was also grateful for his friend down the hall, the Benshira, Elann. She had been gracious enough to visit him on a semi-regular basis. Her smile always shining, her eyes always flashing with concern, bringing the comfort of her smell, touch, and presence with her in stride.

He stood, placing most of his weight on his uninjured leg before testing the other for its strength. With fourteen days passing, he was able to put more and more weight on it, and as the day went on he was able to walk mostly normally, but it was always the worse in the mornings, or whenever he woke up. The first night he slept at home after the incident he awoke sweating and fidgeting from the pain, but now, it barely bothered him in his sleep. It was after he awoke when it gave him the most trouble. It felt like a lead weight attached to his thigh. Like now, it was swollen and dull, throbbing and achy, but bearable. He was thankful for that.

His stomach grumbled as he stood inches away from his bed, weight placed on his good leg. He wanted to crawl back under the covers, ignore the hunger. He could not appease it like he wanted to. He could not hunt like he loved to do. He glanced down at his nude body. Noah knew he lost weight, but he did not know how much. Elann said he needed to eat if he wanted to heal properly, but outside of the food she brought him sometimes, he did not eat, he didn’t even think about it.

Noah sighed, forced himself to move. He walked, limped, out of his room, pass the doorway, into his front room where his second window shone light into his simple abode. There was his dining table surrounded by four chairs to his right, sofa directly in front of him, flanked by a side table, his hearth, and water well in front of the sofa. The Kelvic glanced to the door, peered at the latches, they were unlocked. He kept it that way so Elann didn’t have trouble getting in and he didn’t have to get up from wherever he was in the apartment.

He couldn’t be sure if she was coming today. Elann had been pretty busy as of late, even moreso after she wedged him into her schedule. He felt guilty for it, but she did not listen to him when he insisted that she didn’t have to help him. Noah swallowed dryly then made his way for his sofa, sitting down on it gently before spreading out, lounging on his back with his bad leg hoisted on the sofa’s arm. For the moment, he was a caged bird and there was nothing he could do about it.

[Elann]

.

Elann figured that Noah would be waking up soon. She herself had been up much earlier. It was hard for her to help Noah get well and live her own life. Saving money was to hard to do when she literally had nothing in this city. Sometimes she just wanted to give up, but she couldn't. The city didn't accept the weak or the poor, nor did Yahal in the sense of letting go of your priorities. He wouldn't like the giving up of her duties and the ability to help someone in need, and Noah was her best friend.

Something kept her going, whether it was purpose or tradition she didn't know, but she had to fight. That she was good at, fighting. She moved down the hallway, dressed in her tunic, finding it kept her warm more so than the cute summer dresses she had purchased previously. She had in her free time, managed to make Noah some clothes of very nice quality from her stockpile of fabrics and was coming now to deliver them and make some breakfast for him.

Being up early meant she was able to get some milk for his breakfast as well as some various meats which she knew he had liked before. All in all it was going to be a very fatty and delicious breakfast with the items she had with her. It made for a good sized haul of things she was carrying between her two hands this morning.

As she stood at his door, she had to carefully balance everything. She smacked his latch, almost dropped everything, and instead had to return her hand to hold the pile steady. Slowly she moved her body closer to the door frame to use the frame itself to steady her pile of items, and once doing so, a few seconds later, she was able to get the door open. She didn't exactly look inside at first. Instead she moved to regain her hold on the pile of clothes and then turned to walk inside; pushing the door open further.

Other's Words ~~ My Words ~~ My Thoughts

[Noah Amuel]

Noah’s hand rested on his face, shielding his closed eyes from the rays of sun that penetrated his window. He did not have any curtains for the windows were too small for them, but when the sun hit them just right, the focused light was nearly blinding to the Kelvic. Slowly but surely the Kelvic was drifting back into a shallow sleep, his consciousness was beginning to fade. The white noise that was the bustling of Syliras outside his window only aided in lulling him to sleep.

As he drifted, his thoughts found themselves upon Caesarion. The man’s face flashed briefly into Noah’s mind where it stuck like a fly in honey. Unlike honey, the memory wasn’t a welcome one. Somberness settled on Noah’s thoughts, thickly coating them in an unshakeable layer of sadness. Caesarion and Noah’s bond was short lived yet was birthed through the strong emotions of a lover’s throe, only to be killed by the former’s abandonment of the latter. Noah left Caesarion’s campgrounds the morning after their tussle in the tent to return to Syliras, where the Kelvic planned to await Caesarion’s arrival. When Caesarion was to arrive at Syliras, Noah was supposed to join the man and his caravan to Riverfall, where Caesarion had planned a life out for them. Unfortunately, that all turned to ash when Caesarion never sought out Noah upon arriving in Syliras.

Thus Noah felt the bond wither away in the following days and weeks until nothing more than frayed thread remained. No matter how hard he tried, he could no longer sense his bondmate. It got to the point of exhaustion before Noah finally gave up trying, resolving himself to believe that he had been abandoned like a child in the rain, like the orphans at the Welcome Home. The days following his realization, Noah was plunged into a darkness only darkened further by his inability to seek solace in the skies, wind, and forests. He was stranded in Syliras with a busted leg and achy heart.

It was at the knocking of the door did Noah’s eyes snap open. Instantly Elann came to mind and how he had not told Elann of his bond. He groaned softly as he sat up. His throat was still dry; he had not drunken anything yet. He cleared his throat nonetheless, replying to the knocking: “It’s open,” he called before glancing down to his own body. He was still nude.

Noah struggled to stand to make way for the doorway to his bedroom and as he limped Elann had managed to open the door. That did not stop Noah in his motions. Elann had seen him naked before, but only to give him sponge baths at her insistence. She was too nice for her own good, he had once thought. It did not mean he didn’t appreciate her gestures: they kept him grounded when it would have been so easy for him to float away.

“Just a second,” he said, disappearing into his room after throwing her a quick glance. Noah made his way to his wardrobe where he shuffled through content until he found a suitable pair of shorts to put on. Smallclothes didn’t even come to mind as he leaned against the side of the dresser to put on his bottoms. He struggled but he did not want to call Elann for help. Surely when she saw that he didn’t emerge from the room quickly enough she would come to check on him.

[Elann]

.

Elann was a soul that really couldn't help but assist him in any and every need. He was the only family she had out here. They had done so many new and interesting things over the time she had known him that it broke her heart to see him so alone, so hurt, and so immobile. How could she not help him, to mend his brokenness. When she saw he was naked and making a run for the bedroom (so to say) she looked down, avoiding him.

She could hear him call out to wait just a second and she made a negative face as she closed the door behind her with her rear. Giving it a little kick, she made sure it was latched shut before she moved to his table to set everything down.

He didn't emerge right away and she said, "You shouldn't be doing that Noah." as if she could see him through the wall. "I made you something. They might look strange, but ahh...it'll help."

She moved to his doorway and held the pair of underwear with lengthy strings on the sides of them through.

"Hold on to the strings when you set it on the ground. When your feet are over the holes, pull up on the strings. Then you can tuck the strings into the pockets on the inside of the underwear." she waited for him to take them, making sure she didn't see him nude again when she didn't need to. "I made you pants and a shirt as well. Plus some changes of underwear for the cold."

He didn't have to lie to her. She knew it was cold some nights and he didn't want to get up to heat his place. She had already made him some extra blankets, but that wasn't enough sometimes.

"I also am finishing up some nice thick socks that will keep you warm." she added as she wait by his door.

Other's Words ~~ My Words ~~ My Thoughts

[Noah Amuel]

Noah winced as the fabric of his shorts roughly rubbed against his healing leg. He hissed a curse beneath his breath and dropped the shorts right there. The ordeal had taken its toll on the Kelvic, forcing him to sit down on his bed. He bent over to check his wound. A gnarly, scabbed over gash that raked down his leg resembling ragged roots originating from one disturbing tree. There was no blood coming from his scabs so he assumed he was fine, but he didn’t stand. Maybe Elann was right, he shouldn’t have tried to put his clothes on himself, but the reliance on another soul was starting to leave a bitter taste in his mouth.

During his struggle he had heard her say that she made him something, something strange. What could it be? he wondered. He turned his head and body to face her as she appeared in his doorway holding a pair of underwear. He ran a hand through his unkempt, curly head of hair before canting his head to the side to focus his eyes on examining the smallclothes from afar. With head canted, he flashed a quick look to Elann then back to the underwear before moving as quickly as his leg would allow to take the underwear from her.

She was always one with her creative mind, which didn’t bother him, but when it came to what he put on his body to hide his assets, that was a different thing. It was something his mother would do. Then, as he set the underwear on the floor to follow her instructions, she said she made him a pair of pants and a shirt along with more underwear. There was no end to her sea of kindness; it was as vast as the Suvan itself.

When he got the underwear on, and tucked the strings into the little pockets lined inside of it, he examined himself. Other than the strings it was a normal pair of smallclothes. “You know I don’t,” he started to say, setting his eyes on her. He wanted to say ‘you know I don’t like it when you make me clothes’, but instead he said, “Thank you.” Then showed her a small, sad smile.

While his eyes were still as sharp, they definitely weren’t as bright as they once were, not as bright as Elann had probably seen them. One didn’t have to look closely to see that he was thinning out; his ribs were poking through, resembling a xylophone’s keys; his hip bones were attempting to protrude; even his face had hollowed slightly, showing his cheekbones, nevermind the scruff that began to grow due to his neglecting to shave as he usually did.

He scratched the scruff under his chin, letting his eyes fall on Elann, draped in her tunic. “You’re too nice to me,” he said, sitting down to face her on the side of his bed closest to the doorway, closest to her, his friend. Then he thought, I’m not nice enough to her.

[Elann]

.

The wound on his side reminded her of the one on her own hand that now, thanks to Devi, was moving much better and seemed almost to have complete range of motion. Only the slighted pink change of her skin indicated that anything had ever happened there. His wound was far more noticeable; something that would be there the rest of his life. It wasn't but a week ago that it had even started to scab over, and now here it was like this. Here he was, putting on underwear for the first time in a long time. Yet he didn't seem as thrilled as her.

His sad smile and near rebuke didn't diminish the smile of excitement that was on her face. The brightness in her didn't waiver, as if she was lit by something made of sterner stuff. Maybe it was her upbringing, or maybe it was a blessing of Yahal, either way she waved dismissively at his negativity and his saying that she was too nice to him. She didn't understand the kelvic bond at all, nor see why he was so desolate. He explained it but it just wasn't the same as him living it. But perhaps her lack of understanding was all that was keeping him alive still.

"That's nonsense. Now stay there, and lets get these new pants on you..." she voiced as she moved away from the doorway to the table to grab them and the shirt, "get you shaved, and then you can try on this shirt."

She came around the corner with them in hand and then bringing the pants to the top, she moved into his bedroom. Her thin, yet strong weaver's fingers, swiftly snagged the thread from inside the pants and she moved to hand them to him. They were of the same design as the underwear; complete with strings attached that she now held out to him.

"Now with these...throw them outward past your legs. Then as you are sitting, you can pull them up toward your feet. That way you don't have to do it standing." She looked to him, hand on her hip, waiting for him to do so.

Other's Words ~~ My Words ~~ My Thoughts

[Noah Amuel]

His hand ran over his cheeks. It had been a long time since he had grown any kind of scruff on his face. His eldest brother had taught him how to shave when his whiskers started to show, ever since then, he made sure to keep his face smooth. Besides, the scruff itched sometimes, especially in its young, growing state. He sat with his new underwear on, listening and watching Elann attentively. She waved away his comment and her smile failed to falter even the slightest bit at his somberness. Her energy, vibrant as it was, shed some light on Noah’s own edging darkness.

It was a true enough statement, he had thought; she treated him with all the kindness he had ever known while he was sure he failed to match it with his own. Another sad thought crept into his mind, it had taken him getting injured for him to realize just how good of a friend Elann was. His mind walked on while he remained put, it thought of Elann and what she did outside of taking care of him. Were there others whom had her attention like he did or, was he the only one? His dry tongue graced over dryer lips.

Elann had disappeared from his doorway back into the front room of his home. When she rounded the corner again, she came fully into his bedroom, holding new trousers for Noah’s wardrobe. There’s no end, he thought. She extended them to him and he took them gently from her. The Kelvic brought them out at an arm’s reach to turn them over, to examine them. “Thank you,” he muttered again, doing as she had instructed him. The way she watched him, hand on her hip, made her appear more maternal than she probably thought. It was something Noah did not miss.

After the pants were on he went to stand, placing his hand on the bedpost nearest to him, hoisting himself up with the aid of his good leg. She said they would shave him; he didn’t want to seem resistant by remaining seated. Still, busted leg and all, he towered over her. There was no pride in that fact since it was she who was watching over him, not the other way around. He wondered if he would do the same for her if she found herself in the same situation him. He decided that he would at least try to. She knew far more than him when it came to caring for others. If anything, it would be her teaching Noah how to care for another, despite being the injured party herself.

“Why?” he asked, thoughts gathering to add to the question. “Why do you make such a fuss about helping me?” The question didn’t harbor any ill-feelings, it was purely curious, stated as he stood before her.

[Elann]

.

His words were still sad and empty. He had no light in his eyes. The beautiful eagle that he was had been clipped and could no longer soar where he wanted. She understood all too well. Perhaps not to the degree of understanding the Kelvic bond, but she knew him as a person and she knew herself.

"Because Noah- You might not realize it, but we have more in common than you've considered." She stopped her fussing and set the shirt down on the bed. Resting her hands gently on the top of the bed post, she then set her chin upon her hands while looking to him. "I miss my family, my way of life. I have no-one to help me here. When I got off that ship...I can't express what I felt. I felt like an empty shell with nowhere to go. My life was gone. Those who I loved deeply I likely can never see again." she smirked, took in a deep breath, and straightened up a bit; hands still resting on the post. "You helped me up. It didn't seem like much maybe to you, but it meant the world to me. You mean the world to me. When I see you hurting, I want to do whatever I can to help. That is why. You are my family. What else do I have?"

She gave him a cute little smile and then moved over to the washbasin to fill it with water so that he could shave himself.

Other's Words ~~ My Words ~~ My Thoughts

[Noah Amuel]

Noah glanced at the shirt as Elann set it down on his bed. He wondered what she meant by saying that they had more in common than Noah originally thought. Perhaps it was true, Noah understood that he didn’t give Elann’s own life much thought in comparison to his own. It was almost black and white for him; Elann was herself, a Benshira, and Noah was himself, a Kelvic. What exactly did they have in common besides appearing human?

Elann rested her hands upon his bedpost and then placed her chin on her hands. Noah remained standing, taking note of a misplaced hair drifting from Elann’s head over her face. He tried to understand everything she said. She said she missed her family, he missed his; she said she had no one to help her in Syliras, neither did he, unless you counted her; she said she felt like an empty shell, nowhere to go, at first, so did he.

Noah had gotten over most of that on his own, taking to the wilds to deal with the loneliness and stress. Elann could not do that, he supposed. It was true that he had not seen any of his family in very long time – he couldn’t even remember the last time he wrote to his mother. Then again, he couldn’t remember the last time he checked the office downstairs for mail. For all he knew, Maltida had dedicated an entire chest to his mail alone, too nice to bother him about picking it up.

What Elann said next took the Kelvic by surprise. He did not suspect that he had helped her in anyway. During their first meeting in the aforementioned office, Noah just showed her kindness he expected to be showed to him if were in such a situation. There was no intention to what he said, how he acted, just the execution of what his mother had taught him. Then she said that he meant the world of her, something that left his face blank, eyes widened in a subtle shock.

“You mean the world to me,” she said. Noah had no reply. “You are my family. What else do I have?”

Noah reflected her smile back at her with a small one of his own creation. Elann didn’t give Noah time to reply before moving to the waterbasin. It wasn’t as if he had anything to say anyway. He had to think of something though. He knew Elann didn’t like it when he didn’t try to carry the conversation on.

‘What else do I have?’ The question repeated in his head, churning around in his thoughts. There was no answer that came to mind. In fact her question answered his own questions. Apparently there were no others Elann showed her kindness to. Apparently Noah was the only one. He smiled to himself at that thought.

Noah realized that he was standing still. He moved back towards his wardrobe and opened it. From the top and only shelf he retrieved his shaving kit made up of a straight razor, a half empty jar of depilatory cream, a shaving brush, and a relatively clean towel.

“Do you really have no one else besides me?” he asked of her. The question never left his mind. “I don’t think I’m all that special, Elann.” It was the truth. “I mean, I appreciate it; I don’t have anyone else but you too, but,” he paused, finding her in the apartment, “you don’t think you’re wasting time being with me?” He looked her in the eyes, as he tried to do whenever he got the chance.

[Elann]

.

"No, no I do not think I'm wasting my time, and no I do not have anyone else." The answer came quicker probably than he would have normally expected from her and probably a bit more curt than normal. Her eyes avoided him as she busied herself with the filling of the water. Once done, she moved the basin up high onto his dresser so he didn't have to bend down to it and positioned his mirror there too so he could see himself.

The self doubt he had, the self reliance he possessed, yes had kind of made her a little snippy, but she wasn't rude about it. She just didn't like the sad Noah, and missed him being full of life and free. One day she hoped he would return to that state, but for now it was hard on her.

She rested by the dresser, waiting for him to come over; resting on its frame much as she had been resting on the post of his bed. Her blue eyes caught the light of the sun and shimmered at him as she looked his way.

"I think in no time you are going to be up walking, going up and down stairs, and even flying again." she said as if at some point he doubted he would even live again, which may have been true. She divined a lot of things about him even though she never took them seriously. She looked down to his dresser, studying the arrangement of it. "In my homeland, when someone has lost their way, we sit with them, help them call out to themselves; to call for that person to come back. Sometimes they do and are strong in that old way again. And sometimes they do not. If that person doesn't come back, they have become a new person." She fidgeted with various baubles and knickknacks on his dresser, straightening it up. "And that can be a good thing too." she said quietly, looking back up to him.

Other's Words ~~ My Words ~~ My Thoughts