73rd of Spring, 511 AV
Train train train. Perfect your skills. Clear your mind. Every day it seemed, this was all Elhaym did. For months she had studied as an Acolyte of the Shinya, but today she could tolerate no more. She was in luck for once, a brief repose for the Acolytes was in effect as the Shinya had gathered for a meeting amongst themselves, leaving the very unfortunate Acolytes without teachers for the night. Her daily studies with the Sanim obviously would be held off for the day, and so she was free. Something in her was restless though, and a night in the city did not sound appealing.
A night alone however, that did. Long had she yearned for the mornings in Syliras, alone along the coast of the Suvan Sea with nothing but her and the water. The shores were rocky in Kalea, and she knew better than to plunge into those waters. It didn't have to be water; the relative safety of the immediate area outside the walls of Syliras had been enough to let her frolic alone in some semblance of nature. She needed that, just for one day. A place safe enough to relax, but far enough away to be alone. Kota was a good man and she loved him earnestly, but even his protests couldn't stop her. She had her massive pack on her back and was walking out the door, finally relenting to his request to stay along the road to the Tranquil Port. That at least was safe enough with regular foot traffic back and forth.
And so it was, Elhaym trucking down the beaten path with an overstuffed pack on her back and a smile on her face. She had a bundle with her from the Surya Plaza, a collection of salted meat, goat cheese and bread. She wasn't intending on roughing it that much, after all.
"Hello!" she yelled out at two approaching men, each holding a covered basket that reeked of fish on their backs. They looked away as they passed, their greeting sounding subdued as they averted their gaze. She was still unused to the way the Shimobe were treated, and they seldom took well to her greeting them. She assumed they thought it was a trick, and they would be beaten if they spoke without the proper formality. With a sigh she trudged on, her back starting to feel the weight of her pack. She was well below the city already, near the Twilight's rice farms if she were to veer off the road. A good enough idea she thought, and she pushed her way into the sparse treeline.
It was rougher than she had hoped, and the trees had stifled the moon and starlight that had kept her well adjusted eyes aware of her path. She stumbled several times, her balance precarious with the great weight on her back. Worse yet were the branches and leaves that would appear as if from the void, slapping her across the face or depositing an insect on her arms that she hurriedly swiped off. Damned if she hadn't thought to stop and light her lantern! She thought about trying, but in the dark there was little hope of even finding her flint and steel amidst the chaos of her pack. She floundered on, muscles straining from the overloaded backpack's burden. Elhaym knew she sounded like a charging boar out in the silence of the night, but thought little of it.
She thought little of it of course, until she stumbled from the tree line into a clearing with several men huddled around a fire. She had been too absorbed in her thoughts to even notice the glow, gods! The men's heads all shot up at her approach, faces obscured by wide thatched hats that were held in place by a leather chin strap. Her eyes were wide with panic until the first spoke.
"Lo' there! You be lookin' for the foreman? He on the other side of the farm, down that'a'way there."
Elhaym took a few steps forward, and realized she had stumbled into the camp of a group of Shimobe farmers. Nothing more threatening than farm tools were scattered about, and she could see the faint outlines of rickety wooden structures that had to be their bunks.
"Well, no. I'm just out for a walk, and thought i'd try to have a night out alone." She replied to the one who had spoken, apparently the appointed leader of the group. Her face settled into a scowl as they all roared in laughter, catching quick exchanges about city folk not knowing how good they had it. Yet they were friendly, and she walked to the fireside among them.
"Well, if you want to spend the night out ere', best you stay close by. It's no a good idea to venture much farther, no a good idea at all." the leader said, producing a lit pipe seemingly out of nowhere and puffing on it thoughtfully. "Ren, Kado! Help this young lady get settled, eh? Not too far off now, no much farther than shouting distance. We don't want the foreman to think we be bringin' down girls from the city, no by my watch anyway. Young lady, if you want some quiet than you'll get a bit out ere'. Look like you came prepared at least, no like some of the city folk who think this be easy livin' and all. Kado, Zintila curse ya, get a move on!"
Elhaym got the idea that they were trying to be friendly enough, but wanted her far enough away as to keep themselves out of trouble of the 'foreman' (whoever that was) came around. Two of the men who looked almost identical nodded to her, and near dove into the wilderness from which she had just come. She followed their darkened silhouettes cautiously, the idea of being drug down by some farmer's plot and mugged or worse breaching her calm. Such notions were shattered when they reached a smallish clearly, maybe ten paces in every direction.
"This'll do, my lady. We was only on a break you see, just a small one. We gotta get back to work now, but first lemme' give you a head start. I hear that lantern clankin' around, you got oil?"
She nodded at Ren, or maybe Kado. She wasn't sure, honestly. She remembered pushing a flask of the oil into a side pouch on her pack, and produced it with little trouble. After unhooking the lantern, she handed them both to the man who hadn't spoken. The other was busily moving about the site, checking for any unseen dangers. A bright flash caused her to whirl around and near lose her balance, but was only the man lighting the lantern. He'd done it impossibly fast, filling the oil and producing a flame with his flint and steel. Now with the clearing fully lit, he handed it to her and tossed the empty flask aside. "Trash pile." he said with a grin.
"Now, eh... young lady, we goin' now. No to be rude, but you won't be tellin' a soul about our break, will you?"
Elhaym couldn't help but laugh at the pleading undertones of his request. They must have thought she had been there to punish them at first! Their eyes widened at her laugh, mistaking it for one of cruelty. She put them at ease.
"I won't tell a soul. Thank you for your help... I'll yell if I need anything."
The two nodded and let grins overtake their faces, like children who had gotten away with a prank. They scurried off back to their camp, and likely their actual work. She was left alone, with nothing but her lamp light illuminating the clearing.
Perfect.
A night alone however, that did. Long had she yearned for the mornings in Syliras, alone along the coast of the Suvan Sea with nothing but her and the water. The shores were rocky in Kalea, and she knew better than to plunge into those waters. It didn't have to be water; the relative safety of the immediate area outside the walls of Syliras had been enough to let her frolic alone in some semblance of nature. She needed that, just for one day. A place safe enough to relax, but far enough away to be alone. Kota was a good man and she loved him earnestly, but even his protests couldn't stop her. She had her massive pack on her back and was walking out the door, finally relenting to his request to stay along the road to the Tranquil Port. That at least was safe enough with regular foot traffic back and forth.
And so it was, Elhaym trucking down the beaten path with an overstuffed pack on her back and a smile on her face. She had a bundle with her from the Surya Plaza, a collection of salted meat, goat cheese and bread. She wasn't intending on roughing it that much, after all.
"Hello!" she yelled out at two approaching men, each holding a covered basket that reeked of fish on their backs. They looked away as they passed, their greeting sounding subdued as they averted their gaze. She was still unused to the way the Shimobe were treated, and they seldom took well to her greeting them. She assumed they thought it was a trick, and they would be beaten if they spoke without the proper formality. With a sigh she trudged on, her back starting to feel the weight of her pack. She was well below the city already, near the Twilight's rice farms if she were to veer off the road. A good enough idea she thought, and she pushed her way into the sparse treeline.
It was rougher than she had hoped, and the trees had stifled the moon and starlight that had kept her well adjusted eyes aware of her path. She stumbled several times, her balance precarious with the great weight on her back. Worse yet were the branches and leaves that would appear as if from the void, slapping her across the face or depositing an insect on her arms that she hurriedly swiped off. Damned if she hadn't thought to stop and light her lantern! She thought about trying, but in the dark there was little hope of even finding her flint and steel amidst the chaos of her pack. She floundered on, muscles straining from the overloaded backpack's burden. Elhaym knew she sounded like a charging boar out in the silence of the night, but thought little of it.
She thought little of it of course, until she stumbled from the tree line into a clearing with several men huddled around a fire. She had been too absorbed in her thoughts to even notice the glow, gods! The men's heads all shot up at her approach, faces obscured by wide thatched hats that were held in place by a leather chin strap. Her eyes were wide with panic until the first spoke.
"Lo' there! You be lookin' for the foreman? He on the other side of the farm, down that'a'way there."
Elhaym took a few steps forward, and realized she had stumbled into the camp of a group of Shimobe farmers. Nothing more threatening than farm tools were scattered about, and she could see the faint outlines of rickety wooden structures that had to be their bunks.
"Well, no. I'm just out for a walk, and thought i'd try to have a night out alone." She replied to the one who had spoken, apparently the appointed leader of the group. Her face settled into a scowl as they all roared in laughter, catching quick exchanges about city folk not knowing how good they had it. Yet they were friendly, and she walked to the fireside among them.
"Well, if you want to spend the night out ere', best you stay close by. It's no a good idea to venture much farther, no a good idea at all." the leader said, producing a lit pipe seemingly out of nowhere and puffing on it thoughtfully. "Ren, Kado! Help this young lady get settled, eh? Not too far off now, no much farther than shouting distance. We don't want the foreman to think we be bringin' down girls from the city, no by my watch anyway. Young lady, if you want some quiet than you'll get a bit out ere'. Look like you came prepared at least, no like some of the city folk who think this be easy livin' and all. Kado, Zintila curse ya, get a move on!"
Elhaym got the idea that they were trying to be friendly enough, but wanted her far enough away as to keep themselves out of trouble of the 'foreman' (whoever that was) came around. Two of the men who looked almost identical nodded to her, and near dove into the wilderness from which she had just come. She followed their darkened silhouettes cautiously, the idea of being drug down by some farmer's plot and mugged or worse breaching her calm. Such notions were shattered when they reached a smallish clearly, maybe ten paces in every direction.
"This'll do, my lady. We was only on a break you see, just a small one. We gotta get back to work now, but first lemme' give you a head start. I hear that lantern clankin' around, you got oil?"
She nodded at Ren, or maybe Kado. She wasn't sure, honestly. She remembered pushing a flask of the oil into a side pouch on her pack, and produced it with little trouble. After unhooking the lantern, she handed them both to the man who hadn't spoken. The other was busily moving about the site, checking for any unseen dangers. A bright flash caused her to whirl around and near lose her balance, but was only the man lighting the lantern. He'd done it impossibly fast, filling the oil and producing a flame with his flint and steel. Now with the clearing fully lit, he handed it to her and tossed the empty flask aside. "Trash pile." he said with a grin.
"Now, eh... young lady, we goin' now. No to be rude, but you won't be tellin' a soul about our break, will you?"
Elhaym couldn't help but laugh at the pleading undertones of his request. They must have thought she had been there to punish them at first! Their eyes widened at her laugh, mistaking it for one of cruelty. She put them at ease.
"I won't tell a soul. Thank you for your help... I'll yell if I need anything."
The two nodded and let grins overtake their faces, like children who had gotten away with a prank. They scurried off back to their camp, and likely their actual work. She was left alone, with nothing but her lamp light illuminating the clearing.
Perfect.
