[Flashback] A Game of Pretend (Fois)

[Eoin]

The 16th Day of Summer, 501 AV Hard as he may try, Eoin could claim he wasn’t excited, but the boy was never too good at make believe. Now, cleaning the aeries wasn’t exactly a coveted job, but this was his first time even seeing the inside of an Endal’s home, the chosen few selected by the Wind Eagles themselves to ensure the survival of the citizens and to protect Wind Reach should disaster strike. It was an honour to directly help one of these heroes, as Eoin made them out to be, even if in the end it was just housecleaning. Thoughts wandering still, the boy finger combed his short, copper hair mindlessly. The length was getting a bit long, fortunately mostly at the back where it would not hinder his sight, but at least this way he would be mistaken for a drudge on fewer occasions. It was a bit unnerving to experience what the Deks did on a daily basis, being threatened rather than talked to, mistreated in general, and punished more severely than called for. Even if it was just one or two cases of mistaken identity, Eoin never wanted to feel as powerless as he did then. Perhaps it would encourage the boy to grow out his hair a bit more, look a bit more attractive for the girls, but he found it impractical, frivolous even, and refused to think otherwise. Finishing the short grooming session, his fingers found themselves weaving through long, orange strands of hair as he quickly braided them together. It may look like a bit rushed, but he wouldn’t want to be late and ruin his perfect attendance. Pulling his dark brown Bryda on, Eoin shoved his feet into two worn ankle boots before heading off to the aeries. A long climb separated him from his destination, and he figured the shortest route would be to pass by the Courtyard of the Sky, going up from there. In this situation, avoiding the kitchens was key, since the boy had forgotten to eat beforehand and would likely succumb to the scent of hot soup or beard, resulting in a very late Yasi. He walked quickly, taking two steps in the time span of one so that he may slow his pace down when he begins the lengthy climb. Reaching the bottom step, Eoin conserved his energy and ascended the stairs at his usual pace, certain that he would be right on time. The Endal had spoken to him briefly the day before, showed him the location of his aerie and gave the same general instructions that differed only slightly with every job. None of that was out of the ordinary, but what was was the fact that the boy felt as though he had forgotten something. Usually Eoin had the memory of a tskanna, but today was a bit of an off-day for him, and his growling stomach definitely agreed. Reaching the entrance, he took a quick, deep breath before knocking on the large wooden door, only to find it swing open. That was it. The Endal had said he would leave it unlocked just before Eoin would arrive as the hunter had business to attend to and could not meet with him. Actually now that he thought on this, the boy wasn’t so sure if that was all, but at least now he’d be able to begin his task. But first, the Yasi would allow himself a chime or two to look around. What the boy came face to face with was definitely not what he was expecting. The room was…filthy. Well, perhaps not to that extent but nonetheless, Eoin found himself disgusted with the condition of the aerie. The shelves and everything on it was littered with dust, some parts even housed spiders and their unmistakable webs. Likewise, the stone tables and chairs that sat in the middle of the room looked untouched, what was assumed to be the washroom door handle was rusting, and some areas of the common room had an abundance of cave mould. Evidently, the Endal did not spend much time here – perhaps more preoccupied with long hunting trips – and he clearly did not have any roommates other than his winged companion. How the Wind Eagle could stand these living conditions, he did not know. All Eoin knew now was that every ounce of excitement he had just a moment ago had vanished, and in its place was a creeping sense of dread. As he explored the rest of the aerie, the boy found the other rooms to be of similar condition with their own unique differences. The private bath had remnants of blood and dirt, likely from washing up after a hunt. The feather mattress in the bedroom was tearing, the weapon room was in complete disarray and the nesting chamber, well actually, it was the only well-kept room in the aerie. Clearly, the eagle did not venture far from his own lodgings. Feeling as though there was a great deal to be done, Eoin glanced over at the newly purchased bucket and rags, dragged himself over to the washroom, and reluctantly began his work.

[Fois]

OOCSorry that it took me so long to reply. It should be faster from now one, but I can't promise that it will be extremely quick.

Steps were changing fast below Fois’ feet as the boy was walking the way up to the Eagle Aeries. He was counting each stair while climbing, but it was highly unlikely that the number he had in mind at the moment was a correct one, because he had lost count twice already. The bucket with rags and a brush in it was swinging in his hand by the side as the Yasi was swiftly moving up. It could be told, looking from a side, that the boy was a little excited. The reason, of course, was that, like all the Inarta, Fois liked birds, and Wind Eagles – most of all; maybe even more than his raven Rapon. So an opportunity to see and be seen by one from up close was always a thrilling one. When Fois eventually reached the aerie that he was assign to visit and clean today, he was a little out of breath and his cheeks were red with heat. The boy pushed the door open and entered the apartment of an Endal, closing the door behind him. Fois found himself in the common room that was a little bit surprising, and not in a pleasant way. The room was a mess and gave an impression of being abandoned. Why it was in such state was beyond him, because from what the boy had learnt, Endal could get any Dek to clean for them if none have been assigned to do it for some reason. Before the suspicion that he might be in a wrong, and in fact abandoned, aerie got stronger in his head, Fois heard a noise in the washroom, so he went to check it out. In there he found another Yasi who had already started cleaning up. ”Hi!” Fois greeted cheerfully. ”Looks like we have the same bendi today.” The other boy looked younger than Fois and his hairstyle was a little amusing to the Yasi. ”That’s a very Dekish hair you have there,” the boy chuckled while unconsciously running his fingers from front to back through his own, quite longer hair. ”Anyway... I’ll be right back in a chime, alright?” Fois dropped his bucket in the doorway of the washroom and walked away. The Yasi went towards the nesting room and slowed down his pace significantly once he approached it. Fois opened the door quietly and peaked inside. The chamber looked significantly cleaner than the parts of the aerie that the boy had seen, but his current mission wasn’t to find out that. Fois entered the nesting room and went deeper into it while looking around. He saw the metal chimes hanging from the ceiling and could hear a slight breeze gently play a peculiar melody on them. The boy also found the nest made of hides, but no Wind Eagle in or near it. Disappointed he finished the exploration. Scratching the back of his head Fois returned to the other Yasi in the washroom. ”There’s no Wind Eagle,” the boy sounded a little upset. ”Yesterday I was in an aerie to clean up and could walk up to the Wind Eagle this close,” Fois spread his arms indicating the length. ”And the eagle looked at me, too, for a while. He didn’t talk to me, of course, but I could tell that he liked me. Maybe…” The Yasi then crossed his arms in front of his chest. ”They could just send the Dek to clean up if the aerie is completely empty and we can’t meet the Wind Eagles. It’s not like we could learn anything useful by just cleaning up the mess, other than how to be a Dek. And you don’t need to learn anything to be a Dek, because they are those who can’t learn anything useful.” After finishing his rant, Fois looked at the other boy. ”What do you think?”

[Eoin]

Ironically, the bath became the most stubborn area to clean since, to a person with an average tolerance to filth, it was the only room that was considered dirty. Wringing the rag dry, his small but strong fingers went to work, rubbing the damp cloth forcefully against a caked blood and mud stain. Awkward wouldn’t even begin to describe Eoin’s current position, his tush high in the air as he slumped over the side of the bath. It was the only way to get at the largest stain without getting inside, and he figured a bit of mess on bare skin was easier to wash off than a bryda. However, the boy had underestimated the slippery nature of the material, his free hand reaching for the edge of the bath but missing almost comically, resulting in a gentle, reverberating clang from head colliding with metal. Recovering quickly out of embarrassment, Eoin took a moment to steady himself, his hand having finally found the infuriating rim of the bath. Now light-headed, combined with a persistent, hunger-caused agitation, the boy wasn’t very welcoming company when the other Yasi suddenly appeared in all his sunny glory. Of course, the new arrival wasn’t to be blamed and that Eoin knew, but at the moment he wasn’t so fond of his words or any sounds in particular, as they beat relentlessly against his eardrums. Trying to regain some semblance of composure, he managed to turn and face the newcomer with a polite expression free from any signs of his little mishap, aside from marks on his chest from leaning on the stains. A typical looking Inartan boy, red-haired and having an appropriate physique for a working Yasi stood before him, who started off with a straightforward comment much like the stereotype of their people. Already Eoin had a feeling that they would not get along very well, what with his rather smug showcasing of his less Dekish hairstyle and Eoin’s personal annoyance with the egoistical kind. Though, rather than make the day more arduous than necessary, the Yasi willed himself to remain cordial. One never knew who would rise to an Endal after all, though it was better not to make enemies of anyone either way, this was the safest way of thinking in any situation. “Can’t say the same for yours I suppose. I’m Eoin.” He kept his words brief, not wanting to reveal the irritation biting at his stomach and now, his head. Hopefully if he did, the other Yasi would have missed it since he left as promptly as he came. Briefly confused, he shrugged off the odd disturbance and returned to the strange position he was in. Now however, Eoin learned to plant both feet and to grip the edge of the bath since the thing worse than being caught in the same situation, was to have it witnessed. Gradually, the shards of pain began to dull to a gentle, burning throb, only to split into stabbing pinpricks when the other Yasi returned. Feeling exhaustion already nipping at his mind from resisting discomfort, Eoin decided to stop momentarily to listen, muted eyes watching steadily. His first thought was to doubt the other boy, as stories worth telling were often lies amongst Inartan males. Still, there was the slight possibility that all the Yasi’s assumptions were true, and that the Wind Eagle did see something in him. What it was, he could not fathom, especially not with his mind in such a haze. He thought it extremely unlikely that this male standing before him could rise to an Endal, but the small likelihood kept his mouth shut for the time being. As the other Yasi veered off on a tangent, even an inept boy like Eoin was beginning to see the sort of character he was dealing with. None of this new information was very comforting to say the least. “I think we should appreciate any work we get. You never know if you’ll become a Dek.” Eoin decided to address his latter points, his voice steadied with a controlled, neutral tone. “Even an Endal could be a Dek if his Wind Eagle dies and he becomes disabled. Or for an Avora who becomes mentally ill.” He added, wishing to push his argument forward in hopes that they would end the conversation soon so they may return to work. The boy never did feel quite right when he wasn’t doing something. Deciding to initiate the notion, Eoin turned himself around to continue his ineffective scrubbing at the stains, ears open to the boy’s prattle. “We should get started on this or else we might not have enough time to finish.” His tone was placid as he spoke, lacking authority despite his somewhat commanding words. Instead, his voice was spiked with weariness. Then, inadvertently, Eoin began to speak to the Yasi’s pride as he pointed out a frank observation. “The Endal wouldn’t like it very much if we couldn’t even do a drudge’s job well.”

[Fois]

Eoin’s voice sounded rather cold, lecturing and not friendly in general. Usually it wouldn’t mean a lot, because, unlike his brother, Fois wasn’t greatly drawn to making new friends, yet he felt a slight disappointment when the other Yasi didn’t share his views. Despite Eoin’s harsh and true words about a real chance for anyone to fall down into the drudge cast, Fois decided to defend his position. ”You can’t start out with such view that you may become a Dek,” some bits of cheerfulness had still remained in his voice. ”You have to aim as high as you can, so that even if you fail when doing your very best, the result would not be the very worst.” The Yasi scratched the back of his head. ”For example, an Avora is sometimes teaching me about birds and he says that he might take me as an apprentice. I always try to look up and not back down.” Fois didn’t feel a reason to keep anything secret, be it his plans or optimistic view on life. The other Yasi went back to work encouraging Fois to do the same. ”It’s such a mess in here that there’s not enough time to finish, however much of it we had,” the boy shrugged. Nevertheless, he took out a rag from his bucket and joined Eoin in the cleaning process. ”Drudges are drudges because they can’t do any job well,” the Yasi carried on. ”The freaks and the useless… They have no connection to the birds. Birds don’t love them, and if you ask me, I don’t think they love birds either,” although his voice was rather nonchalant throughout, the last bit held a significant amount of accusation and animosity in its tone. It wasn’t addressed at Eoin, though, because despite the unsympathetic response he had received and the apparent disparity in their opinions, Fois still didn’t see much reason not to like the Yasi. Scrubbing the stains quickly became tedious. Not that it had been expected to be exciting, especially when the treat of seeing a Wind Eagle from up close was out of the question. Still, seeing so little progress being made and so much work still left to do was greatly demotivating. ”Are we really expected to clean everything in here?” Fois asked Eoin while furiously rubbing one particular stain that he was starting to believe was part of the bathroom design. Of course he knew the answer himself, it wasn’t his first bendi. Still it felt good to share the frustration with the current situation with somebody else. ”How are you doing there?” Finally, after what felt like ages, but certainly wasn’t, Fois stood up. His body ached a little in several places because of the uncomfortable positions that had to be taken and the amount of effort the cleaning demanded. The boy brushed away the sweat, of which there was not much, from his forehead. ”I’d say it’s good enough,” the Yasi sounded a bit tired and yet still somewhat happy. The bathroom certainly wasn’t shining or glittering, but Fois was convinced that it was impossible for the chamber to ever return to its original glory. Suddenly an interesting thought crossed his mind. It wasn’t the kind that would usually visit Fois and reminded of something his brother Mirt would come up with. But after all something had to be done after such feat to keep the morale up for the rest of the bendi. A slightly cheeky smile formed on the boy’s lips. ”What would you say if I offered you to go look into this Endal’s storage room?”

[Eoin]

They seem to mock him now, each clinging mark and grimy stain, taunting him to challenge their hardiness and endurance. Still, despite the lack of results, the boy was fixated on his work like an artist before his muse. His failures were only inspiring him to work harder, and harder he did until he could see stars hindering his vision. Eoin shook his head gently, hopefully not too noticeably so that the other Yasi would bug him about it. In particular, he did not want the other boy’s attention to be drawn by his slow and inevitable defeat. Luckily, the boy hadn’t, likely more preoccupied with his words than the exhaustion wringing Eoin’s body dry. He was in agreement with most of what the boy said, feeling somewhat shamed that his agitation had been evident in his words as he had not set out to appear so pessimistic. Though he wasn’t about to interrupt the boy’s words to apologize, not that he really wanted to at the moment, or perhaps ever. Even Eoin had a sense of pride, being a male and an Inartan too, though it wasn’t quite as evident as most boys his age. Safe to say, he felt at competition with the Yasi already, noting his seniority and to his displeasure, his admiration for the boy’s accomplishments. "Are you going to be a falconer then?” Eoin asked from slight curiosity, his voice noticeably warmer since he was trying his best to seem less of a downer. The boy was not quite sure of his standing with the Avoras he worked under, being unskilled as he was in seeing through their eyes. However, no matter how many of them wished to take him for an apprentice, Eoin only had his eye for one, and she was the inspiring Chef Davoid. A third or even fourth hand would be needed to count the times he’s watched the chef and her apprentices at work, learning what he could when he wasn’t in awe of her culinary skill. Well, maybe it not just her abilities. A coral pink hue rested on his cheeks as he entertained the thought, and as if to counter his idleness, Eoin scrubbed with greater fervour. Though his self-discipline would be in vain as the other Yasi’s words stole his attention away, stating the common belief with a sense of cruelty that only a child was capable of. The corner of his lips tugged harshly, drawing them tight in the slightest frown as he listened, unable to keep himself from hearing every word. Normally these bits of opinion were bearable, as the boy heard them from a day to day basis. Now, Eoin was simply too agitated and starved to calm himself correctly as he was essentially lacking the power. The friction between the rag and the bloodied shell of the bath grew, but not a word was spoken. Words would lead to fists and he was in no mood in getting there, at least not yet. Not when he still had a way to preoccupy himself. “And the other rooms, but they are in better shape.” Eoin pointed out, mildly pleased that the other Yasi had finally got to work, only because he had hoped the other boy would fare better against the stains. Unfortunately, neither of them got anywhere, and when the boy suggested that they explore a little, Eoin’s agitation gently melted away as curiosity was blended in. He was quite sure the boy meant the weapons room, as it had been fashioned from a storage room. Though he had seen briefly seen the mess in the dimly lit room, the boy was still interested in getting a closer look, as he may never have such an opportunity to do so again. An Endal’s weapons were his tools of the trade, and would surely be as a magnificent as the Endals themselves. His mind played with the idea, but it did not take much convincing to keep the Yasi by the unrelenting bath. Standing slowly as his body was feeling the effects of his prolonged and awkward posture, he put his rag, now folded, on the rim of the tub. “I’d say that I have, but wish to take a closer look.” His voice could’ve sounded jovial if it were not wrapped in a thick sheet of weariness, sounding more deflated than anything. Either way, Eoin then followed the boy out and toward the closed door, anticipation building slower than molasses. Not that he wasn’t excited, it was just that it was all his body could muster at the moment. When the door was opened, he peered into the room, waiting for both eyes to adjust to the lighting conditions. Temporarily, he had forgotten the other boy’s presence and wandered to a corner by himself, managing not to trip in his somewhat blind state. Eventually his vision grew sharper and likely, so did the other boy as he heard him taking more sure steps. Eoin glanced at the few objects still on the tables and shelves, avoiding the main pile in the middle of the room. There were several bows covering the walls, each hung with two nails near the grip area. One in particular was quite long, lengthier than even a longbow. The boy’s limited knowledge of weaponry was sufficient in leading him to the right conclusion that it was a war bow, and a mighty fine one at that. It seemed like a recent purchase as it had barely any dust, showing off the gleam of the rich wood with greater exposure. It hung just beyond his reach, but Eoin did not dare to reach for it lest he break it somehow, though the boy would probably be so cautious that all he would do is clean it before putting it back into its place. Instead, he dragged his eyes away, focusing on the slew of objects on the table before him. A variety of daggers, knives and short swords laid waiting, but were of lesser quality than the bows. Deciding this was a safer bet, and so the boy carefully gripped the handle of the sword and pulled. It was a great deal heavier than he expected, almost throwing him off balance and into the shelf of hunting gear behind him. Fortunately, he timed the momentum correctly and instead, forced it back on top of the table with a short clang, breathing somewhat raggedly from exhaustion. This time, the boy tried something a little smaller, a beautifully crafted dagger with a slightly longer hilt than the others. More of a decorative object than a useful hunting knife, Eoin held the dagger up to examine the fine grooves of the etching. It was a sloppier job than what the Vanthas were capable of, but they were the masters at the craft and the efforts of every other race seemed inferior in comparison. Despite that, the boy always did think that the Inartans worked hard, and that it showed in the fruits of their craft even if it may not be the most luxurious item. Eoin was being a bit daring by poking around the aerie, but he was excited and couldn’t help it, not that he wanted to as the feeling beginning to fill his hollow belly with satisfaction. The boy itched to play with the weapons, but it felt wrong to do so with the elegant dagger in his hand and so, he placed it back down on the table in a similar position to the way he found it. Then grabbing a more plain and practical dagger, Eoin took a tentative jab in the air, knuckles turning white from his grip on the handle. He was amazed with how easy it was to use, its weight balanced so perfectly that there was barely any effort in his movement, but it was heavy enough to feel like he was holding onto something other than thin air. Still, he didn’t want to lessen his grip for fear that he’d let it slip, damaging it or himself in the process. That’s when Eoin remembered the other Yasi and turned around apprehensively with a sinking feeling of regret for not having kept a closer eye on him. Hopefully the boy hadn’t made a mess of things, if that was even possible in this pigsty.

[Fois]

Fois smiled at Eoin’s question gleefully. No matter how many times a day the topic would come up, it was always a source of great excitement for the Yasi. ”I really hope so! Lepei says that I’m really good with the birds and that my skills could be put to good use. ’You have real potential’ is what he said about me,” Fois unconsciously puffed out his chest a little as if had just been complimented on a huge accomplishment by somebody. His tone was noticeably full of pride, too. Those Avora’s words meant a lot to the Yasi. He tremendously liked spending time with the birds, especially his raven Rapon, and looked forward to it every day while in class or doing bendi. The Yasi would have been devastated if it would have turned out that he hadn’t had what it takes to become a falconer. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case and the Avora had on a few occasions hinted rather unambiguously that the day when Fois would be taken as an apprentice was getting close. ”To be surrounded and so strongly connected to all those birds is probably the closest one could get to being one,” the sound of the words revealed some hints of passion that the Yasi felt about the subject. The thoughts sent shivers down his back and Fois decided to move on with the conversation. ”How about you? You know what you want to be doing?” he asked Eoin. Fois’s excitement grew when Eoin agreed to go explore the weapons room of the Endal, even though the Yasi’s voice lacked any real enthusiasm when he expressed his interest. However, words were enough for Fois and emotions didn’t bother him. He crumpled up the rag and threw it into the bucket, almost missing the target. ”Let’s go then,” the Yasi turned around and confidently marched in front of his colleague for the day towards the storage room. The doors opened slowly, revealing that the first attempt was successful at locating their destination. It wasn’t always that easy to navigate in the aeries, but today Fois was in luck. The room was darker than the one they were currently in and it took a few moments to get used to it. Eoin evidently adjusted to the conditions faster and moved past Fois, who just smiled to himself, finding the change in his partner’s behaviour a bit amusing. Just a few chimes ago he was so concentrated on scrubbing dirty surfaces as he had been instructed, but now was the first to dive into the room to examine the weapons. Fois followed Eoin into the room. The collection of blades and bows was too great and too amazing to take in with one glance. Very few items appeared of poor enough quality for a Chiet to afford. Others, however, looked as crafts of a master to Fois’s eyes. He slowly walked around the room, carefully looking at the walls that were decorated with bows. Most of them were longbows of different hues, presumably carved out of different wood, and of various unique designs with some rather peculiar, but nevertheless beautiful, carvings. The boy glanced back at Eoin, who had just moved away from an impressive bow. The weapon caught Fois’s attention and he went closer to examine. The Yasi had never had an opportunity to touch, much less to wield a war bow. And this one appeared to be a truly respectable representative of its type. Everything about the bow indicated that it was new and expensive. Attractive ornaments reminding of feathers were painted on it in red and black, and the grip was wrapped in fine leather. Fois just couldn’t resist. He reached with his hand for the bow, but the weapon escaped his grasp. The boy stood on his tiptoes and extended his arm as much as he could. His fingers, determined to accomplish the task entrusted to them successfully, eventually touched the bow, but that still wasn’t enough to remove the weapon from its place. Fois was faced with two options: give up or try harder. The fight was just beginning, so the Yasi had no intentions to back away at the first signs of failure. A clang reached his ears, but the boy didn’t let it to distract him. With unwavering focus, Fois reached for the war bow again. When his fingertips were close to the target, he employed a sudden and quite strong poke to push the bow out of its position. The outcome was better than the Yasi had anticipated: the bow was pushed of the nails it was hanging on, and now, freed from its captivity, was falling straight down on Fois. The boy’s reflexes made him jump away a bit, but the fear of damaging the expensive bow threw his arms in front of him allowing the weapon to bounce of his wrists before being awkwardly fumbled and caught. Fois sighted in relieve. He wasn’t sure what he was more worried about, denting the bow or the Endal finding out that the Yasi had damaged it. After Fois took a few moments to collect himself, he gripped the bow properly in his right hand. It was not an easy task, because the weapon was longer than the current user. The Yasi couldn’t manage to keep the end of the bow off the ground, and even in that position, he still wasn’t able to keep it from swaying to sides a little. Despite the conditions that would be unfavourable if he wanted to actually use the weapon, Fois decided to try and pull back the string. He remembered being told not to shoot the bow without an arrow, but now was not the time to look for one. Not that there was a proper target to shoot at. And after all, what’s the worst that could happen? Fois put three fingers on the string, just below the point where the arrow should have been, and attempted to pull it back. It was a struggle with barely any results, so the boy resorted to getting the full grip of the string. Being right handed and 11 years old were the factors working against him in this endeavour. Slowly and without any sings of cooperation, the string gave in, but only to about half way of the proper stretch. Fighting to keep it at that, Fois wanted to savour this moment for a bit. Even though his position might have looked a little strange from a side, the Yasi felt rather powerful. On the outside, he might have been a boy playing with the weapon that was too big for him. However, in his mind he now was an Endal, who has confronted a large, angry bear. It was the fight for survival. With a slow exhale the boy released the string and the imaginary arrow along with it. Alas, the made-up bear wasn’t the one who got hurt by the shot. Instead, the bowstring slapped Fois just below his thumb with all the force from the shot. ”Ahh!” The boy managed not to drop the bow on the impact, but now carefully put it down on the ground. He clutched his newly acquired bruise, while sitting down on the floor, and looked up at Eoin. ”Now that was stupid,” he said with a smile, but his tone still gave away that it hurt to get slapped with a string like that. Fois lnoticed a rather simple dagger in Eoin’s hand. The boy was probably of simpler tastes. ”Well? How’r’you finding it in here?” The Yasi looked around the room once more. ”There’s some pretty neat things he has in here. What you wanna do?”

[Eoin]

Before Eoin could interject, the string was released and a forceful snap shook his focus from the boy to the bow. His pulse was at a momentary halt at the thought damaging an Endal's weapon as both eyes followed the trail of its trajectory. Fortunately for the two of them, the only damage was received by the long haired boy in the form of a painfully red bruise. Then, as his fears began to fade, irritation at himself for not watching the other boy, snooping around in the weapon's room and at the boy's daring nature began to take its place. However, when Eoin saw the Yasi's mischievous smile coupled with his rather obvious wording, he couldn't help but crack a relieved smile. "It was." He replied automatically, unfurrowing his eyebrows and feeling his anxiety alleviated from the humor of the situation. In his bout of agitation, Eoin had almost forgotten how silly the boy looked with a warbow nearly twice his height but likely half the size of his ego. Still, even though the Yasi had made a fool of himself, Eoin thought that in a way it was sort of...admirable that he was able to express himself so easily. For him, words never lead his thoughts for they had always been under the thumb of his will. At times even he admitted it was difficult, to watch an opportunity slip by or misunderstanding seeded by his flaw. That was perhaps the reason why he began to see the boy in a new light, for the first time seeing the seniority he had over him. With the mental image of the boy was still fresh in his mind, prolonging his cheery mood for long enough for him to offer a hand to the sitting Inartan and come up with what was probably the only spontaneous thought Eoin had ever had. Looking back, he'd probably blame the strange notion on the boy's influence. "Let's be Endals ourselves." The boy didn't jump up with the knife and introduce himself as "Eoin (insert the greatest Wind Eagle name here)", jabbing here and there with the blade as though that proved him to be a great hunter and warrior. He had no knack for storytelling, of holding another's attention longer than necessary, and would blend into the background like an aged tree amongst the woods. Despite the disconnect between the idea and his personality, he was still the same as ever, a frank and simple boy. Though from the excited look in his eyes and that small, rare smile, Eoin certaintly didn't look like himself. There wasn't much more for him to say, as the idea was plain to see from his perspective. Instead, he made a move toward the table, placing the dagger on the table with a little less care than usual but still a great deal more than a child would. Nearby, a used shortbow was hung within reach, and so Eoin made his way over to the Inartans' preferred weapon of choice. He took a moment to note the scratches on the bow, imagining how each was a scar from battle before his prudent nature reminded him that some were likely made by irresponsible handling. Grabbing the weapon, he turned to face the Yasi, who was likely pleasantly surprised by Eoin's irratic behaviour. He may believe the boy was the cause for it all, but his adventurous spirit had always been, but was left on the backburner in pursuit of a more secure and promising future. Something as unattainable as an Endal's position wasn't for him, a boy who relied on sure promises. By now his spontaneity was finishing its run, dying down to child-like embers. Confusion was beginning to creep into his gaze, and second thoughts were intruding upon his grandiose imaginings. Still, he was persistent by nature and strived to make this idea work. "Are you with me or against?" Eoin almost felt like a true authority figure with just that one confident line, his eyes looking as sharp as a Wind Eagle. With his trusty bow at his side, the boy stood with as much of an intimidating pose as he could muster, slowly relaxing into a role he had played many times in his mind, that of a dependable Endal who was always thrown into dangerous adventures.

EditFixed an embarrassing mistake. And here I thought this post came easily...>_<

[Fois]

Fois moved the hurt hand to his lips. He gave a prolonged deep kiss to the red bruise, sucking the flesh while letting the saliva to moisten the area around it. The Yasi didn’t know what he was doing or how it was supposed to help. He was acting more on an instinct than some kind of knowledge or experience. Strangely it seemed to relieve the discomfort a little, even if only in his mind. During all this process the boy was following the shifting expressions on Eoin’s face with his eyes. Once he felt that his childish attempt at first aid did its job, Fois took the hand offered by the other Yasi. ”Thanks,” he muttered the word along with a brief exhale while standing up. Even though the boy had only spent a couple of short moments sitting on the ground and the bendi of that day involved getting dirty in general, irrational reflexes still made him dust off his Bryda. When Fois finished, he looked up at Eoin with a slight and seemingly amused surprise on his face caused by the boy’s suggestion. It only took the tinniest part of a chime for him to understand what was meant by those words. ”That’s great!” the Yasi replied and followed the words with a brief laughter. He found Eoin’s change of heart rather amusing. The reasons for that were left a mystery to him, but that didn’t prevent the boy from enjoying it. It seemed that the bendi would soon become much more interesting than how Fois had expected it to be when he met the other boy at first. He watched Eoin exchange the dagger for a short bow and transform into a child version of an Endal. It appeared as if a weapon and a though were enough to change the character completely, since the look in the boy’s eyes had become completely unrecognizable. Fois glanced at the war bow that was now resting on the ground. Surely there would be plenty of time to put it back into its place later. Still smiling at Eoin’s idea, the Yasi walked over to the table covered with a wide variety of blades. ”Of course I’m with ya,” he chuckled. His fingers slid across the top of the table until they caught up with the eyes that were locked on an elegant knife. Outside, the steel blade would make rays of sun dance on it and blind any beholder’s eyes for an instant. In that dark room, however, all those effects were left to the imagination. Fois wrapped his fingers around the wooden hilt of the weapon. The wood felt smooth even though it appeared as if someone just broke off a tree branch and stuck a metal blade on top of it. What would sound as a not very profound idea for an amateurish weapon design had manifested as an actually masterfully crafted, sleek weapon. As Fois picked up the knife, his amused and interested smile turned into a roguish one. ”...unless our goals are not the same, my fellow Endal.” Fois met Eoin’s eyes with a similarly sharp look that perhaps had a little more mischief in it. Without breaking the eye contact he walked up to the boy and pointed the dagger at him, the tip of the blade ending up just barely a couple of inches away from Eoin’s bare chest. Although the move might have appeared quite reckless, Fois was very conscious of the possible accident and took, what seemed to him, great care not to actually hurt the other Yasi. ”Do you feel the undying urge to set out on this adventure? Is your blood begging you to shed that of the others? Do you feel no fear or hesitation?” His voice now lacked any elation and cheerfulness from earlier. Rather, it sounded dead serious as if Fois was truly interrogating or trying to motivate Eoin before their campaign. The Yasi didn't know what he was actually talking about or what he was trying to say. This random arrangement of words just sounded cool and dramatic. He had picked up such manner of speaking from his brother when the two would play something similar, even though such occurrences were now very rare. ”If so, my friend, then we shall move. Let’s find them and hunt them down. For our people. For Wind Reach! Let’s go!”

[Eoin]

With a confident cock of the eyebrow and a ghost of a smile, Eoin returned the Yasi's challenge with ease. "For your sake I hope that isn't true, for I will not let anyone stand in my way." His tone was mature, almost daring, and was certainly mismatched with a boy of his stature. However, that mattered little, for he was no longer a youth of Wind Reach, but a savior of Inartans and companion to Ataxia, a Wind Eagle of chaotic nature. Yes the boy even went as far as to name the imagined eagle, and did so with care for he took in mind the opposing natures of an Endal to his Wind Eagle. He was a planner this one, and had many played through adventures in storage for such an ocassion, though Eoin had never expected a party of more than one. In this way he was able to support his spontaneous thought, though he hesitated slightly in revealing such stories to another. Fearing ridicule, his self-assured appearance dimmed for a moment, but was reinvigorated with the Yasi's words. He was right to think the boy was an entertainer of sorts, for he held Eoin's attention and even inspired a bit of awe in the dull boy through his words, however half-thought out they were. They were said in a way he could probably never replicate, and for that he held some respect for the fellow youth. However, Eoin was definitely surprised to see the Yasi be so daring as to point the dagger at him, faltering slightly in his acting. There was a brief flash of fear in his eyes as all sorts of unlikely but possible scenarios ran rampant through his mind. Fortunately, he noticed the boy's firm grip on the dagger and the distance between the point and himself, and began to steady his heartbeat. Recovering with little indication of his unease, Eoin stood tall before the Yasi. "Was there ever any doubt?" He replied, feeling a few inches added to his height. "If you are ready to best the dangers of the mountains, then join me Endal." Daring the Yasi to follow, Eoin moved outside of their camping grounds and into the vaste wilderness. Outside of the confines of the storage room, the common area seemed like a new world waiting to be explored. From then on, they would only be walled by their imagination and creativity. Not wanting to be bested even in this category of performance, Eoin began to paint a scene to the best of his ability. Sneaking steathily with his body low, the boy hid behind the dusty table (yet to be cleaned but not forgotten) and gestured with a silent hand toward the Yasi behind him. When he was sure he was not alone, a hushed voice dipped its feet into the waters and began. "There, two bears. A resting mother and its energetic cub." His eyes were fixated upon the center of the room, seeing the sun-bathing duo as clear as day. The cub was circling the mother slowly, but with as much bounce in its step as a child would. Its mother laid on her shoulder, her belly slightly exposed but shielded with one cautious paw. Eoin made this information known to the Yasi in brief summary. "She's wounded, see there, above her paw." His voice wavered slightly at the end, feeling somewhat embarrassed at having to explain a sight that he could see so easily in his mind. "But she is still a bear and will tear us apart if she thinks we're a danger to her cub." Regaining his composure, Eoin's eyes cooled gradually to an emerald green, looking more vibrant than usual as it reflected the grass beneath their feet. Then, after a short pause for effect, he pulled his eyes from the peaceful scene, fixing that same, experienced gaze upon the Yasi. "We can try to separate the two, but whoever takes the cub will need to deal with it quickly." He proposed, almost feeling as though he was the senior Endal instructing his young hunting partner. "Since an angry mother is too much for one person to handle." Eoin finished, his reasoning sound but lacked in conveying the danger they would face even with such a plan at their disposal. Still, he was somewhat proud at creating such a scenario and strategy, and it showed in his eyes, a dignified look awaiting his fellow hunter's input.

[Fois]

A satisfied smile appeared on Fois's face when he heard a determined response from Eoin. The Yasi seemed like a good person to play with. He put the dagger away from his fellow Endal and carefully, trying not to make too much noise, followed him into the woods. For now he would let his comrade lead and see what he would find. Fois had now become an experienced hunter, one that is driven by the thrill of the hunt, chance to fight and evaluate his skills as much as by the results. One short blade was all that he needed to cut down most of the dangers that he might encounter in the forests around Wind Reach. The two young Inarta, who now were among the most honoured people of their race, passed a couple of tall, old trees, which were high enough to block the sun, casting down a light shadow on them. The woods felt quiet and calm to Fois, except for some birds singing somewhere far away. Their songs were so beautiful that the boy wanted to mimic the sounds that he was hearing in his head, but didn’t. The time required to be serious. Who knows what dangers might be held in store for them or when they would need to react quickly to kill their helpless prey. Fois saw Eoin sneak behind a large rock. Or was it a bush? Which one of these was more likely to appear in the environment that the two hunters were now in? The Yasi pondered for a few moments and decided the rock sounded as a more attractive option. With that much decided he followed his partner in the same stealthy manner. He listened to what the other boy had to report about his findings. Fois carefully looked from behind the rock to see it for himself. It was just like Eoin had told: two bears – bigger one lying on the ground and resting, and a cub being energetic. That would mean that the small bear was probably running around and playing. It was likely never going too far from his mother and just fooling around nearby. The other Endal soon informed him that the mother bear was injured. ”Aha, I see that,” he noticed that immediately. The wound appeared right at the exact place where Eoin had told it was. Fois wondered whether that fact would make the cub more careful about not leaving her alone and maybe even be more protective. On the other hand, it was just a small cub, so it probably wouldn’t have been troubled with any kind of pressure. What were the bears thinking in such situations anyway? How were they acting and socializing with each other at all? And how smart were they? Possibly not as smart as the birds. Fois had no doubt that Rapon was brighter than the two bears that the hunters had just encountered. Having gained as much imaginary visual information as he felt he had needed, Fois returned to hide behind the rock. He listened to the rough plan that Eoin laid down. It was a simple and reasonable one, and Fois didn’t have any real objections to it. However, they needed to be more specific about what they were actually going to do for this plan to work. ”I agree. We can either distract the mother and kill the cube or try and lure the little one away from the big bear,” his words sounded much easier than such actions would actually be. It was difficult for the boy to actually feel the danger, risk and anxiety that would accompany such situation in reality. There, in the safety of the Endal’s aerie, the two bears weren’t any peril at all. ”I have an idea of how we could do it. It’s dangerous, I know, but where there are risks, there are also rewards,” Fois wasn’t sure how the last part of what he said fit in with their current situation, but it sounded like a good, interesting thought. Something a smart grownup would come up with. Maybe he had heard it from one. ”I would sneak over there, almost behind them,” the Endal pretender motioned at a not too large bush that was played by a pile of old and tattered furs that the Endal probably decided to get rid of quite some time ago. ”When I will be there, you would jump out from behind this rock and shoot at the mother bear. If we’re lucky, she will attack you. Uhm… I mean she will move towards you trying to attack, but she is wounded, so hopefully she is not that fast. Of course, if the bear comes near, avoid her,” that sounded like and obvious advice. ”While the bear will be thinking that she is protecting her cub by actually leaving it behind, I will get out from my hiding and try to kill the small bear as fast and swiftly as I could. Again, if we’re lucky, neither of them will be expecting that making my task a bit easier. Then with the cub gone we will have surrounded the adult bear. Whoever she was attacking, another one would be behind her, able to launch an unexpected attack. With your bow and my blade we should be able to end the bear’s life and escape with our lives and spoils of the hunt.” Fois sounded satisfied with his plan. There were very few flaws in it that the young and inexperienced Yasi turned skilled hunter could spot and none of them were critical. ”What’d you think about it?” If Eoin agreed to go ahead with the proposed plan, Fois would then go on carrying out his part of the set up. With his knees bent and body lowered, the boy would slowly and carefully move away from their hiding towards the line of trees that were in place of the wall of the common room. Once among them, Fois would little by little slink towards the bush he had noticed earlier, using everything he would find in his way as cover, be it partly opened doors or a stone chair. All that turned into bushes, trees and stones in the Yasi’s mind. When he would finally reach his hiding spot, Fois would look back at the rock where Eoin had remained and would gesture with his hand to start their assault. OOCIf Eoin disagrees with the plan or wants to change something, you can assume that Fois listens to it agrees with the changes. Unless his plan was completely scrapped and he was called an idiot for coming up with it, in which case – FIGHT!