2nd Day of Fall, 517 AV
“And now you know why I’m here! Can you take me on as your apprentice?”
Roh beamed at the woman sitting beside her in the pew. The Calico was both nervous and excited, feeling at once like she may’ve droned on for too long, but believing that there was no other way to explain why she came in to the Temple today. Well, it was common knowledge that most anyone coming in during this time would be here for the prayer services, and that was true too—that was certainly part of the reason. But Rohka had the tendency to go during the evenings when she knew that Leth was either full or completely dark. She always felt like her prayers were most effective on those days. This evening was different, she knew that this evening Leth would be more of a crescent. She wasn’t quite sure what effect this would have on her meeting, since she wasn’t at all familiar with Leth’s phases. Regardless, she was told that she would find who she was looking for on this day, at this place, at this time, in this very spot, and the information she was given had been correct. So she seized her opportunity.
A silence was beginning to form between them, so she quickly blurted out the respect she tended to forget when seeking selfish gain,
“Please?”
A pale, scaled face looked back at her with an expression that Roh couldn’t quite figure out. It seemed like a cross between curiosity and pity, or perhaps it was an ounce of frustration mixed with a dash of boredom. Or could it be anguish? It was so hard to tell, even with the sigh that had escaped the woman’s lips. Rohka had only just finished telling the story of how she met Sariven Drolore, by mentioning every detail of their serendipitous meeting at the Malt House and concluding with the fact that he had recommended getting a job at the Mystic Eye. With Lelia.
He never mentioned how beautiful she was. She didn’t even seem quite human.
“Um. Rohka, was it?” The pale woman asked, her delicate hands neatly folded in her lap. Lelia was dressed simply, in a stark black gown and a dark red cloak, with a hood that had been up the entire time Roh spoke. There were people beginning to fill the pews around them. The two women were sitting at the very back row, with Lelia sitting right at the edge, nearest to the centre aisle with her drawstring pack by her feet, and Rohka sitting beside her. Very rarely did people sit this far back unless the chamber was hosting an especially auspicious prayer. This evening’s services were supposed to be quite normal, as far as Roh knew, and judging by the sparse crowd, she was right.
As if the implication of her thoughts had been known, Lelia brought her hands up to lift the hood of her cloak, letting it fall behind her. Her bone white hair stood in elegant contrast to her clothing, and Rohka stared a little in awe. She caught herself staring and cleared her throat before speaking up,
“Yes, Rohka. I’m Rohka Calico, daughter of Meer and Vida Calico, from the Calico Lumber Company near the Southern Trading Outpost. I forgot to mention that, but I figured you should know my background. What’s yours?” She asked, curiously.
“Well,” said Lelia, her hands back in her lap. Rohka silently studied the shimmering scales on the back of the woman’s hands before looking back up into her extremely lightened gaze. It was hard to tell what shade those eyes were, with such paleness. Lelia had noticed the awe and was quite used to such first impressions, so she began to answer without hesitation.
“Lelia is my name, as you know. I have no other name. I’m a Konti, a child of Avalis and a devotee of Rhysol, born in Mura. That’s all you need for my background, since you only asked because I look different from you. Your answer is yes, I am indeed a different race from you, born in a different place from you, and my work is absolutely different from what you do too.”
Like a blown-out flame from a candle, that answer snuffed Roh’s excitement.
“And now you know why I’m here! Can you take me on as your apprentice?”
Roh beamed at the woman sitting beside her in the pew. The Calico was both nervous and excited, feeling at once like she may’ve droned on for too long, but believing that there was no other way to explain why she came in to the Temple today. Well, it was common knowledge that most anyone coming in during this time would be here for the prayer services, and that was true too—that was certainly part of the reason. But Rohka had the tendency to go during the evenings when she knew that Leth was either full or completely dark. She always felt like her prayers were most effective on those days. This evening was different, she knew that this evening Leth would be more of a crescent. She wasn’t quite sure what effect this would have on her meeting, since she wasn’t at all familiar with Leth’s phases. Regardless, she was told that she would find who she was looking for on this day, at this place, at this time, in this very spot, and the information she was given had been correct. So she seized her opportunity.
A silence was beginning to form between them, so she quickly blurted out the respect she tended to forget when seeking selfish gain,
“Please?”
A pale, scaled face looked back at her with an expression that Roh couldn’t quite figure out. It seemed like a cross between curiosity and pity, or perhaps it was an ounce of frustration mixed with a dash of boredom. Or could it be anguish? It was so hard to tell, even with the sigh that had escaped the woman’s lips. Rohka had only just finished telling the story of how she met Sariven Drolore, by mentioning every detail of their serendipitous meeting at the Malt House and concluding with the fact that he had recommended getting a job at the Mystic Eye. With Lelia.
He never mentioned how beautiful she was. She didn’t even seem quite human.
“Um. Rohka, was it?” The pale woman asked, her delicate hands neatly folded in her lap. Lelia was dressed simply, in a stark black gown and a dark red cloak, with a hood that had been up the entire time Roh spoke. There were people beginning to fill the pews around them. The two women were sitting at the very back row, with Lelia sitting right at the edge, nearest to the centre aisle with her drawstring pack by her feet, and Rohka sitting beside her. Very rarely did people sit this far back unless the chamber was hosting an especially auspicious prayer. This evening’s services were supposed to be quite normal, as far as Roh knew, and judging by the sparse crowd, she was right.
As if the implication of her thoughts had been known, Lelia brought her hands up to lift the hood of her cloak, letting it fall behind her. Her bone white hair stood in elegant contrast to her clothing, and Rohka stared a little in awe. She caught herself staring and cleared her throat before speaking up,
“Yes, Rohka. I’m Rohka Calico, daughter of Meer and Vida Calico, from the Calico Lumber Company near the Southern Trading Outpost. I forgot to mention that, but I figured you should know my background. What’s yours?” She asked, curiously.
“Well,” said Lelia, her hands back in her lap. Rohka silently studied the shimmering scales on the back of the woman’s hands before looking back up into her extremely lightened gaze. It was hard to tell what shade those eyes were, with such paleness. Lelia had noticed the awe and was quite used to such first impressions, so she began to answer without hesitation.
“Lelia is my name, as you know. I have no other name. I’m a Konti, a child of Avalis and a devotee of Rhysol, born in Mura. That’s all you need for my background, since you only asked because I look different from you. Your answer is yes, I am indeed a different race from you, born in a different place from you, and my work is absolutely different from what you do too.”
Like a blown-out flame from a candle, that answer snuffed Roh’s excitement.
