[Stormhold Beach] The Midwinter Fire Festival (Open)

[Nya Winters]

Nya was struck with two impossibilities at once, and she paused slightly to take them both in and sort out which she was going to deal with. The first was the scent of snake, which seemed impossible, unless someone had brought one to the fire festival as perhaps a food offering or some sort of garment. It seemed slightly unthinkable, and so Nya second guessed herself and dismissed the notion almost immediately. It was an easy notion to dismiss, truthfully, and she nodded her head at Shai. "Yes, I'm fine." If she smelled it again, she decided, she'd go actively look for it...

Then her eyes widened, and a shocked look crossed her face, distracting her. Abashai surprised her completely. He wanted to dance? With her? Joy flooded her and she squeezed her hand that was still locked into his. The way he spoke was awkward, unlike her normally well controlled bondmate. He smelled of nervous excitement and she tilted her head and fidgeted in response to it until his words explained his emotions.

He didn't know how to dance.

Nya's smile was quick and fierce. She leaned closer to him, ran her jawline up his comfortingly, and whispered back into his ear. "I do not either, but Damien made it easier. We are among friends, so if we practice together, no one will laugh or think badly of us... I would very very very much like to dance with you." The forest cat said, pulling back slightly then tugging on his arm to drag him out into the area where the sand had been cleared for the dancers. They were forming two lines to get ready to go through a pattern. "They dance two ways... in patterns and very close together. This looks to be a pattern, so its more like swordwork than anything..." Nya said depositing her bondmate in the proper place and stationing herself opposite of him in the line with the rest of the women, leaving him to the men. She let go of his hand as the line of men bowed to the women, and the women returned the gesture. Then the musicians started up and the dances began to whirl.

It was an easy dance... two steps forward, three backwards, then pass your partner on the right, whirl, and the line changed direction. So they danced in what seemed to be a large line that rotated in a circle slowly. As they got deeper into the dance, the couples touched more, linking hands and forming arches, unlinking as they stepped back, and finally the men rather than let the women pass would pick them gently up and swing them past on their right side. The steps were easy, and the entire dance was all about flirtation. Each partner tried to outflirt the other one while still touching until the lines came together.

It was great fun, like a permission to flirt, no... not permission - encouragement - to do so. And though Nya wouldn't have with anyone else, she couldn't keep her eyes off her bondmate who's years of sword work, Ryvata and wandering in the desert made him as agile as a cat himself and something of a born dancer. Oh he mistepped a few times, so did she, but they both laughed and corrected themselves as they whirled through the pattern. Music changed and the rhythm altered a bit, but they adapted and learned new patterns, dancing with their friends and knights with their ladies, and even other children.

Nya gradually relaxed and watched the other women out of the corner of her eye, picking up on the fact that they stepped higher than they needed too, tossed their hair with wild abandon, and made their dances more like a courtship. And gradually she relaxed too it, her attention drifting from them and their partners to only her own. And as the dances changed, and they worked patterns that kept them close together, Nya's laughter and joy also filled the dance floor, for she discovered within herself a true joy of being with Abashai like this - this new side of him - this freer more relaxed side. And she also took great pride in him, in how she could feel his own joy through their bond, and how much his smiles shed years off his normally handsome stoic face.

And then she smelled the snake again. It was a close dance, one where Shai was required to pull her to him and whirl her around with her own hands on his shoulders. She growled low in her throat, joy fleeing her features to mix with concern, even though she should have been happy that finally a dance required her to be touching the benshira from almost her toys to the tip of her nose. But instead, there was no mistaking the scent that flooded her senses, and she lifted her head, rose on her toes, and whispered directly into Abashai's ear. "I swear.. I smell snake. I wasn't sure the first time, but now I am. Its closer. It's strong." She pulled away as the pattern demanded, her eyes no longer on her bondmate, but scanning the crowd, the ground, looking for the danger. Serpents were not unpleasant smelling, but they had their own particular tang. Nya broke the line, catching Avi's hand as she danced with Terminus, almost breaking up the line. She whispered furious to the other kelvic, knowing she had skills Nya did not.

"Avi.. your eyes are better than mine. Your hearing too.... I swear I smell snake... will you watch for it? I can't see it, but I swear to you I can smell it... close. I don't want anyone hurt, but I can't find it." Her eyes scanned the crowd walking by and she growled worriedly, but saw nothing at their feet. Nya had never heard of a Dhani, nor had such a thing ever occurred to her. She was looking for a threat from below and would continue to do so.

And just as quick as that, she was back with Abashai, stepping closer to him, for the dance was a slow one designed to let the participants relax slightly in each others arms for a few moments of respite while the musicians got ready for a few more lively numbers. Standing with him, her hand in his and his arm lightly on her waist, she looked up into his blue-green eyes and smiled reassuringly. "She'll see it... we'll find it.... I... " Nya blinked, suddenly aware once more of how good it felt to be with Shai like this. She flushed slightly, settled against him, and momentarily forgot the snake as she smiled slowly. He was so beautiful to her, so strong, but she said nothing. He would feel her thoughts, acutely, through the bond, for Nya's thoughts in that moment were wide open.

And through that link, he'd sense the same tang of snake in the air she could clearly smell.

[Avi]

As she picked at one of the fish's organs with her fingers while Abashai and Terminus spoke, she whipped her head around enough to whack whatever poor soul was behind her with the heavy braid. A hissing sound. Her ears drew back and her pupils shrank, as she listened for another repeat, the raw meat in her mouth, having frozen in mid-chew. When she didn't pick it up again, Avi turned her attention back to Terminus, listening attentively. Like Stitch, he didn't just brush them off or dismiss them or give her silly answers as though he had thought her questions were silly. He spoke to her like she was a logical, sensible adult. She nodded with clear approval when he explained he had learned from his mother about how to dance to fire. That was a good a way as any to learn - most of what she knew she had learned from her family - from her parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, her grandparents... tanning, skinning, the rudiments of leatherworking and the spear... all learned from them. At his offer to dance, though, she tilted her head until it was almost parallel with her shoulders and seemed to boggle at him as she clutched her plate. Food first, food was important. She was hungry. "I don't know how to dance with fire," she told him flat out, one eye a mixture of green and blue, the other ruby. Her stare was intent, and she relaxed once he clarified about after eating.

He seemed to have his priorities straight, she noted. These, clearly, were good people who understood the importance of eating. She half-wondered just what Nya had told them about her, if she had. Maybe she'd given them a head's up.

She peered at Damien as he talked with Stitch as she chewed on a piece of cheek. Nestling! There was a lot of nestlings here - how many were with Stitch, she wondered. Their talk of a donation reminded her that she needed to visit the donations table. She hadn't gotten that far yet - but she made sure she would go and stop there to deposit her own coin before the night was done. Surely fish didn't count as donations. She didn't have any finished projects that she could offer, either, but the miza would do. Probably better, really - that way they could get whatever they needed with it. She noted Nya's agitation, tossing her braid again. Had Nya heard that hissing sound? Did she smell something? She was opening her mouth to ask when she and Abashai went off to dance. So she stuck part of the brain in her mouth and set to chewing, saying nothing, and vaguely wanting to get off of the ground to go look.

Avi finished her fish guts eventually, though, as big as the pile had been - she had been hungry, and when she was packing food in, she really packed it in. She eyed Stitch now that she was done, as if making sure he'd be okay if she left him there while everyone went to dance. That wasn't very nice - she'd dance with him after... or come back and sit with him. She wasn't sure just how much use she would be at these dances - she knew some steps from home, but she wasn't much good at them. These steps were somewhat alien to her, but neither of these facts bothered her unduly. She would figure it out, or at least have a good time trying.

Food done, she stood up at the seating area, taking the opportunity to scan the beach before she leaped down easily, and followed Terminus towards the dancers. She observed them with interest as she tried to pick a pattern out - but many of them seemed to have a different way of dancing from each other - some went one way, some went another. She seemed to settle into a stepping routine, occasionally bringing her hands together as if to clap them, her right palm hitting her left like she was simulating striking a drum held in her other hand, twisting her body back and forth with the music. Her heavy braid swung behind her as they rotated, and Avi's eyes settling down into a garnet colour. Although Terminus had just met her, there was a vague feeling that Avi was distracted. She didn't seem to be paying much attention to the dancing - when Avi's interest was attracted, she was intense in that interest - something was bothering her now. Maybe the two Kelvics were picking up on the other's irritation or anxiety or whatever it was, and amplifying the other's. If Nya, Forest Cat that she was, was concerned, Avi didn't favour being on the ground, regardless of the spear attached to her backpack.

At Nya's sudden approach, the younger Kelvic stopped dancing abruptly, her eyes going from garnet to violet, and she immediately started looking around. Hunt? Hunt! Dancing was no longer on her mind. That her friend was worried had her ever so much agitated, her pupils mere pinpricks in the firelight against her eyes. She couldn't smell like Nya could, but she listened for any more of that tell-tale hissing, stepping away from the dancers, her eyes searching the ground and undid the spear from its straps on her bag, the sharp end pointed towards the ground. No point in accidentally stabbing someone with it, after all. She remembered seeing a massive snake with a club on its tail when she had been flying through Taldera before. Was one of them here now? She eyed people, sweeping around the fires and weaving between the crowds, single-minded in her search for the snake. It had to be here somewhere...

[Terminus Norin]

Terminus was watching Avi while he was talking to Abashai and he saw the snap of her head as she obviously heard or sensed or saw something he didn't. he watched her pupils narrow as she concentrated and then she looked baco to him as he answered her questions patiently and with ernestness. He felt something between them whenever those ever changing eyes were on him, but he was convinced it was one way at this point.

As she tilted her head nearly parallell with her shoulder and her eyes each took on a different color, one of which he recognized as her agitated color. The clutching of her plate explained the color of her eyes and it took her a minute or so to process that he understood that eating was first on her list of things to get done. He laughed gently, but not derisively as she spoke gently to her

Its ok Avi..I dont expect anyone not trained as I am nor without my brand of magic to dance in the fire with me. I mean for us to dance like the others and I may be good in the fire, but I dont do so well out of it.

This was true, the fire added to his sense of rhythm and gave him a music like no other. However he would try and dance with her as he really wanted to. He noted Nya's agitation as well and figured now that both Kelvics had found something and it possibly was the same something. Then she was off with Abashai to dance and Avi had finished her guts so he lead her out to the dance area.


The music was rhythmic and familiar to him. This was a song his mither and father had danced to at many a festival and the pattern to him was simple and proper for a first dance as it required little physical contact. He moved with small and slow steps as Avi caught the dance patterns and they began to sway to the music.He watched as her eyes settled into a garnet color which seemed to indicate she was calm. But there was a strong sens of distraction commiong from her, he suppsed this was due to whatever she had sensed earlier. His suspicions would soon be confirmed.

Mid way through the dance, Nya came up to Avi obiously agaitated. She was mentioning something about a snake and a hunt. Her eys canged again to a violet which he presumed meant she was excited about something. She unslung her spear and began looking, he figured her eyes and ears were sharp being an avian. His hadn went to the sword at his side as he followed her, but not too closely as he didnt wsant to be in her or Nya's way

[Stitch]

Smoothly, incredibly smoothly considering Stitch couldn't really see, the blind man ducked the whipping braid. He barely gave notice to it, his body simply reacting and evading as needed. Instead, he was now preoccupied with the aura of the food tables. He had noticed when he eyed an aura, the smells of that aura seemed to gather to his nose particularly well. And now, as he was staring at a large, fat, roasted pig, the smell was nearly killing his stomach. It rumbled with hunger, and when the loud growl echoed out, Stitch decided it was time to do something about it. Noticing the others were off to dance, he figured it was a good time to go grab something. Tilting his head head down toward Damien, he gave the boy a nudge. The boy glanced toward him for a short second, then back toward Nya, who he was watching closely as she danced with Abashai. "What." Stitch raised an eyebrow, and shook his head, grinning. "Want some food, Damien?" Damien nodded absentmindedly, not even gracing Stitch with an audible answer. Stitch shrugged, and hopped quickly to his feet, eying the food table again. "Be right back then." He took a few steps forward, but was interrupted by Damien's sudden question.

"Hey Stitch, do you think Nya likes that guy?"

Stitch paused, muffling a chuckle, redirecting his focus to Nya and Abashai. They were putting on quite the show. "Yes, this one believes she does." Damien's face fell, and he cast his gaze down toward the ground, a bit disappointed. Stitch paused a moment, and nodded toward Avi. "What about her, dancing with Lord Terminus? They don't seem too romantically involved yet, you could still have a chance." Damien shook his head rapidly, wrinkling his nose. "She is pretty, but she smells like fish. I hate fish." Stitch muffled another chuckle, choking on the noise that tried to gurgle out of his throat. Damien looked up, appearing a bit hurt, and Stitch quickly tried to redirect his attention. "Well, this one doesn't get the feeling Milord Abashai and Milady Nya are quite a couple yet..." He didn't know how he knew that, but there was a certain... disconnection in their auras, for all the connections that there were. Once again, the vague amounts of information he got from these auras, information that was never complete, annoyed him. No matter. "...Maybe you can provide him a bit of competition?"

Damien glanced up at the dancing pair, and grinned, a sudden look of slyness crossing his face. "...Maybe I could..." Stitch smiled at him, not yet realizing that Abashai was now in for it. "Good."

At that, he quickly made his way for the sow table. It was easy to make his way through the crowd, they made way for the blind man when they noticed his impairment, and he easily made his way around them when they did not. Noticing a man on the same route as him, he merely gave him a passing glance before suddenly snapping his eyes back. Something was wrong there, that man's aura was...

Different. Twisty. Curling, wrapping, slender, flexible. Curling around him like a rope positioning itself. Glancing about, Stitch couldn't find another person with the same aura. Intriguing! The man was alone it appeared, so maybe Stitch could go make a new friend, and perhaps sate his curiosity as well! Once again moving easily, Stitch discreetly caught up to the man, and very openly greeted him. "Hello there, milord!" He didn't touch him or anything, merely approached him from the side, fell in step with him toward the roasting sows, and angled his head at him as if looking him in the face.

"This doesn't believe he has seen you around town before, and this one was curious. Apologies if this one is being rude, curiosity took over for a moment." Stitch paused, smiling broadly, the over-eager smile a bit infectious. "This one is called Stitch."

[Abashai]

As usual, Nya had a way of putting Abashai at ease. Her whispered encouragement that the two of them would learn to dance together seemed to instantly banish his fear. He had followed after her, hand in hers, to the dance floor with a smile on his face, despite the butterflies in his stomach.

The dancing did seem to come to him naturally. Like Nya said, the movements were not so different from his sword exercises or Ryvata. Sweeping arcs with the feet, swinging arms, all seemed to flow, as long as he didn't think about it too much. But the most exilerating part was when the dance would bring Nya close, require him to take her hand, or put an arm around her. The thrill only intensified as the dance brought the couples closer. When the dance brought Nya to him, pressed against him, her hands on his shoulders, his heart was beating so fast he thought for sure Nya could feel it.

Then her smile change, he sensed the cat's alertness jump, and she told him of the scent of snake. She pulled away, intently surveying the area. A snake, this far into winter? He was familar with the dangers of serpents, the vipers of the desert were deadly. Nya had warned him of the venomous snakes of the woods. One slithering among this crowd could be tragic. If anyone there could find such a serpent, it would be the kelvics. Nya and Avi were uniquely qualified to do so.

He watched the two converse and crane thier necks in search of the reptile, then, as Avi searched, Nya returned. The break in the dance had allowed Abashai to catch his breath, but at the sight of Nya, his heart did not cease to race. She assured him Avi could find the snake, and they joined the others in a slow dance. The benshiran held firmly but gently to her hand, his hand on her waist. He looked down at her, her moss green eyes gazing into his. She was not Benshira, but that never really mattered to him. Nya was beautiful in a wild, natural, strong way that a benshiran woman could not.

He relaxed a bit and focused on his bond link with Nya. What he felt made his heart swell. He felt what she was feeling, about him, about being this close. It humbled him, and filled him with unexplainable joy. And as they danced, holding each other in a way that Abashai would never have a season ago, Nya would start to realize the feelings for her that Abashai had kept even from himself.

As he reveled in the moment, the connection he shared with Nya, he smiled. He could almost smell the serpent himself.

Then Abashai made a decision. He squeezed her hand slightly. "Ny, I have some things I need to tell you. But not here. Maybe when we get back to the cave in a few days?"

[Azar]

Azar wandered into the Festival a bit later then everyone else. She had spent some time alone in the stable with her horse and had lost track of time. The city was overwhelming and she welcomed the solitude she had gained with Rose [her horse]. The amount of people jostling in the crowds was almost frightening to her; she’d spent so long on empty roads.

At the Inn where she was staying, the owner’s daughter was kind enough to lend her more festive attire. Azar still wore her blouse, but gone were her pants and in their place a vivid red skirt. Around her waist were several multi-coloured scarves acting as a bright, braided sash. Instead of hide moccasins, she wore sandals. Her left hand remained bandaged to the elbow, but the dressing was pristine and fresh.

She paid her entrance fee and roamed towards the musicians, pausing for a few moments to appreciate their talent before moving onwards. Azar dropped five silver rimmed mizas at the donation table, giving the old widows a friendly, if not slightly strained smile. She browsed the buffet table with mild chagrin; her stomach was weak and couldn’t handle much food. It all looked like a waste to her.

Azar did, however, purchase a cup of water. All the noise and movement was parching her throat. After draining half the beverage, Azar found herself huddled in front of one of the bonfires; her bandaged hand reaching out to feel the licking warmth of the flames. She wasn’t sure how long she spent there, getting swept up by the familiarity of fire in all the loud confusion of the city.

She eventually made her way down to the sea, wrinkling her nose when she past the people roasting the pig. The smell of the charred meat was enough to turn her feeble appetite. Lifting her face to the salty breeze, Azar couldn’t help but be fascinated by it. Just like mud and grass, the ocean was a source of amusement for the desert-girl. She wandered back towards everyone else and Azar subconsciously grinned at the festivities, her foot twitched along to the music.

Ever since her arrival, there had been a dull ache of anticipation building in her core. She sanded her hands together for warmth, although it was not needed, and gazed around at the people collected on the beach.

Note: :

-1 Gold miza & -5 Silver mizas

[Nyahna Sasin]

Sasin wandered over to the fire pit, completely unaware of the commotion he was causing among the kelvics on the beach. He was calm, relaxed, and quite content, if cold, with no clue that around him, several people were hunting a "snake" they had scented.

Well, maybe not no clue. He did notice one of the dancers break out of the line and pull a spear out. A second later, her partner pulled out a sword. They seemed to be hunting something. He frowned, but ignored it. He liked chaos, and as long as they kept the pointy ends away from him, fine.

He pulled his eyes away from the hunting pair in time to see a man come up to him, smiling. The man introduced himself as Stitch. He could see why. The man was wrapped in bandages, but he could see a stitched up scar on his collar.

Sasin hesitated slightly, unused to social interaction with humans. Most of the time, his interaction with them is limited to killing, robbing, extorting, or accepting contracts from them. Still, first time for anything. "Ah, a pleassure to meets you, Stitch." He said, wincing inwardly at how......snakelike that had come out. He knew that some people didn't like his kind, and he was a firm believer of "Don't ask, don't tell." That he was a Dhani wasn't a fact he was keen to advertise. "I'm Sasin. I'm not surprissed that you don't know me. I came only a few days ago."

[Sondra]

Sondra returned from her conversation with Leo and Terminus with a quickened mind and sober eyes. Both traits she would endeavor to dampen. Heightened awareness meant keener and more frequent visions as her focus was stronger. In a crowd like this, it was the last thing she wanted.

Dancing had begun in earnest, people clasping hands, laughing over no more than stumbles and fumbling fingers. Gaiety made everyone forgiving. She flexed and closed her gloved hands, thinking of the electric tang and lightness of human touch.

Wouldn't you like to dance?, asked a still girlish part of her mind. Her answer was spoken aloud.
"Absolutely not."

Even still, she observed one couple so immersed in another, she felt embarrassed for watching.

If she held their hands, what would she find? Nothing but some minor offense, paled against their rhapsodies of devotion?
Sondra was divided within, hoping for some affirmation of the goodness she often doubted, but a mar to this apparent goodness was also a relief. They too would have sinned and still been allowed to bask in something like happiness.

Lady-lis, she was getting maudlin. Only one way to sate her curiosity, though.

Sondra pulled off her gloves, then shoved her hands in her pockets . She'd wait for the opportunity, lingering at the makeshift edge of the dance-floor. She affixed a pleasant mask to her features, covering the questions on morality and humanity with a placid look of enjoyment.

When Abashai and Nya passed by her, the Konti smiled and commented warmly, "You look so happy together."
With a friendly look she offered, "Let me read your palms. I'll follow your love line and try to see something there."

Sondra gestured towards Abashai, first. Men tended to have the more egregious pasts.

[Zae]

'Hmmm,' Zae thought, 'Why is it so quiet around here?' He walked over to a passer-by. "Excuse me sir, but I was just wondering, where is everyone?"

"Oh, Havent you heard? There is a huge festival down at the beach. I would go, but I still have students that are too young to attend. It costs 1 Gold Miza for entry, but I'm sure you'll get your money's worth, if you know what I mean."

The man winked at Zae, and walked off. 'Ok, well, it can't be that bad, I might as well go.' Zae leaped up onto a building and set off at a run, jumping from house to house. A few minutes later he arrived at the beach. After returning to ground level, he walked over to the entry. "Hey, can I get a ticket please." he asked.

"Sure," the entry guard replied, "but it'll be 1 Gold Miza."

"Oh, ok," said, rummaging through his pack. "Here you go." he said, walking past, into the surrounding ruckus of drunks, music and dancing. 'Yes,' he thought, 'this is going to be interesting.'

[Nya Winters]

There were things in life that were incredibly hard. Nya had struggled all her life to find her way and stumble upon a pathway that other people laid out for her. Ending up in Syliras and fitting in had been at best a struggle. Finding a bondmate such as Abashai though seemed to be something else entirely. She couldn't call it luck for both of their Gods were intimately intertwined in their lives and she knew too much of Gods to let their presence be dismissed. But in that moment, even with the interruption of the snake scent, life didn't get any better. She pressed against Abashai in a soft slow dance that let her drink in his rich earthly scent. There was no greater joy for a cat than truly experiencing someones scent in such an intimate way. And Abashai's was unique. He smelled of spice with a hint of musk intertwined with rich leather and the oil he used to clean his weapons. She rested her cheek against his shoulder, feeling his warm presence, and had a sudden insight into her own existence... one she never thought she'd make, even as his emotions gently traveled across their bond - infusing her with love and contentment, admiration and wonder.

Her words were soft when she spoke, partially muffled against his neck. They weren't a pronouncement of love, for they'd both already spoke of such things to each other during a trial in the past where they could tangibly feel concern. Instead, Nya said something else, perhaps something only Abashai realized the weight of. "I used to want what Zilvia and Ulvic had. I used to want it so bad that everything in me hurt with the longing. It was such a foolish wish. Had it been granted, I would have been stuck in that hollow life. This is so much better, this freedom and partnership. When I open my heart to Zulrav and tell him of my thoughts for the day, I always pass along my thanks for not answering my prayers." She said softly, lifting her head to smile at him and then growling slightly as the music changed.

It was a good thing too, for the konti interrupted them shortly thereafter, and Nya was both needing a drink - she wanted to try the Widow Kalvika's Apple Cider - and a bit of a break from her bondmate who made her feel too much sometimes, and those feelings were a bit frightening still because of her youth. She gave Abashai and Sondra a moment of privacy, promising to retrieve them all drinks while Sondra gazed at Abashai's palm, not really understanding what it was the Konti was going to do. She'd be back in a heartbeat, hopefully in time to hear the fortune.