Eye of the Beholder [Sighard]

[Tara]

”I have no doubt that the world is not a safe place outside of Syliras” Tara murmured. Tara did not deny that being in Syliras was by far safer than hiding in the woods and wildlands. She just did not like the hurried atmosphere that wafted through the crowds during the day. The forest exhilarated her and allowed her to breath. She tilted her head slightly as Sighard’s gaze left the room to some place else. ” I do enjoy some of the things Syliran women enjoy, though I like to think I’m more down to earth than them” she said with a playful grin when he spoke again.

Tara found people like the ones he was describing irritating to no end. She had been forced to sit in a small space with someone like that for a couple hours before and it had been all Tara could do not to tell the woman to shut up. She shook away the thought, not letting the past distract her. She had started to enjoy the conversation and so she let her usually strong guard down. This was unusual for the jumpy kelvic, though and probably would not last very long.

[Sighard]

“It isn’t.” He responded plainly, and without the kind emphasis placed on words said before. There was a matter-of-fact to the statement, a venomous undertone that was loaded with experiences of the past. Even young and as a squire, the boy had seen things, violent communities whose caustic nature was alien to him, and all the more lethal. Stories contributed, as well, from the tales of his fathers and relatives which painted a rather chaotic picture, a miasma that tapered along the edges of the Syliran domain and always threatened to push inwards and slip it’s veiled fingers into the cracks of the fortress. Now was not the time for such conversations, however, and he digressed, offering a gentler smile.

“I am all the more thankful for your nature. Rarely is there such a combination with your beauty. I imagine you’ve an equally beautiful and strong willed mother?” Again with the circumvention, Sighard crafted his words in such a way so as to elicit particular responses. He was not so comfortable asking direct questions, but instead allowing Tara to divulge such information on her own whim maintained the individuality of the woman while keeping her interest piqued. No matter who the woman, given the opportunity to talk about themselves, they will.

Sighard smiled at the thought, rather pleased with the way things were progressing. He imagined the addition of drink, no better way to lighten the mood. A shame it is only morning.

[Tara]

”I imagine she was, though I wouldn’t know for sure” she replied in a way that lacked any emotion. Tara had no memories of her mother as she was taken from her at a very young age. However it didn’t really matter to Tara seen as she placed little value on blood relatives. ”I can’t remember her, since I was only little when--“ Tara continued, but broke off suddenly at the end. What would she say happened? Tara had no idea where her mother was or whether she was even alive or not. ”When she left” Tara lied. She decided quickly to move the conversation away from her mother.

”Anyways, I lived with another family here in Syliras until I was twelve and then I left” she said, somewhat unsure of why she was telling him. The truth was however that she was the equivalent of eight or nine but that small detail wasn’t necessary. ”I stayed outside Syliras for a couple years then just recently came back” she continued. She left out the details that weren’t necessary, such as why she left and why she came back. She found it therapeutic to let out some details though. She hadn’t opened up to anyone since she lived with her human family. ”At first I don’t think I wanted to come back. I hadn’t been in a big city in quite a while and I’d heard some stories about the Syliran knights being somewhat ill-tempered” she said with a small grin. ”Obviously they were misinformed”.

Tara was speaking without really thinking, which wasn’t generally something that the distrustful kelvic did. She had always been afraid of showing some weakness or flaw that the other person would take advantage of. She wondered if the boy across from her would do that. She decided not to let the thought cross her mind again. She was enjoying the conversation so far and her doubtful nature could go hind in the back of her mind for a little while at least.

[Sighard]

Strict but not ill-tempered. . . Sighard thought almost reflexively, the notion an abhorrent plague that had mired the reputation of the knights as loveless dictators as opposed to stern protectors. He was aware of their reputation, and it seemed, the further the lands stretched from their fortress, the more elaborate these myths came. Information was as malleable as any clay, and he shuddered to imagine the consequences of such word traveling some hundreds of miles away. “Stories are just that, my lady, meant to entertain the mind, not feed it intelligible thought. Pay close attention to what you hear and use your own reasoning.” People are so envious of the things they think they’ve been deprived.

A flickering image of his former Patron Knight came to mind, his geezer-like qualities a bone-chilling bout of nostalgia that made the flashback almost uncomfortable. Tons wit was as sharp as any mans blade, and he taught the squire much about what it meant to read into words and to find the truth behind stories. There is a root . . . he would beleaguer against deep rasps, . . within every story that can be extracted as simple truth, a fact so undeniable that it remains entrenched against all exaggerations. There is no catch-all way to find this truth, but you will learn if you listen. . . the haunting voice echoed, a fading crescendo that perpetuated nothingness and empty thoughts until Sighard was left with the image of before. He was not so opposed to this, however.

In truth he’d heard every word the girl was saying but he was –listening- for the undertones, the passive phrases that sought to chase away further explanation by quick explanation. He was not so practiced in the art but there was something, a rather pronounced statement that caught the ear and made the imagination run wild. “You lived outside these walls for two years? How?” He could not think of a craftier way of putting the question, for the statement seemed so obtuse, so remarkably profound that he assumed rational logic behind it. Even hunters are so bold only to travel out for a few days. . . and some never return.

[Tara]

Tara immediately regretted sharing the amount of information that she did. She had only managed to survive by robbing passing hunters but telling him that would not be received well. I know I did use more honest ways of surviving as well… she thought. ”I was pretty small, so I hid during the day and hunted at night” she told him, shrugging her shoulders as if it was not a big deal. Her statement was true though, the hunters had only played a part in her getting money and slightly tastier food. It was all building up to when she would come back to Syliras. Since she was kelvic, basic survival instincts were built into her nature. She knew how to hunt and how to disguise her scent. She also knew how to disguise her ‘crime scenes’ as animal attacks.

Maybe people made up stories about me when I was still out there… Tara mused. She was somewhat curious as to what people made of it at the time. She had stayed out there for a little over a year in reality, which stepped down a bit from the two years that the squire thought she was out there. But however long she stayed out there people must have noticed the escalation of ‘animal attacks’ that went on in the forests. Surely people would have tried to come up with a reason. The thought crossed her mind to ask someone, but as soon as it entered it was discarded.

While she had been in the forest Tara had let her humanity slip away or at least hide in the shadows. She had let her animalistic nature take over which left Tara free of guilt. Now that she was back in Syliras however Tara had begun to feel pangs of sympathy for the hunters. She didn’t appreciate the feeling and shut it away for the most part, reminding herself that they had taken the risk in coming into the forest and payed the price. It was hardly her fault that they refused to stay within the safety of Syliras.

[Sighard]

“I—“ Sighard’s words were stolen, bereft of their vocalization by the almost sudden appearance of a man drawn up in heavy plate. A large helmet masked his features but he was rather imposing, and his tones were booming and dominant, projecting the authority he’d held over the squire. He drained the vestigial splashes of life which existed in the conversation, a proverbial vacuum who’s hollow, empty words maintained an air of uneasy mystique.

“You are required, Squire.” Words were not spared for the female, but a cursory, investigative glance was shot her way through the great shift of his mammoth neck which expressed the slow grind of metal chafing against chain. An unearthly aura of efficiency trailed the knight as he swiveled directly on his heels, striding out more elegantly than one may have supposed. The two were alone, for the moment.

“I am terribly sorry, Tara. I would be lying to you if I said this wasn’t such a common occurrence. This is the selfless pursuit of a knight’s life it seems.” He made motion to move, sliding half-way from his seat before he turned his gaze to her once more. “We’ll run into each other I’m sure.” Before she could gather the sense to illicit a response she’d find the boy was halfway out of the tavern, ambling with uncanny grace. Petch my luck.

OOCForgive my cutting the thread short but I felt as if I've been forcing it these last few posts. I don't believe there should be any reason Sighard should learn all about this girl in one conversation and think we he does finally realize she's a kelvic, it should be in a more surprising setting. Feel free to post a closing post! I'll put the request in afterwards.

[Tara]

Tara watched the man leave and before she could get a word in he was nearly out the door. She got up from the table, seeing no need to stay seated. Her hair fell over her face slightly and she pushed it back with a pale hand. She walked across the tavern and out the door. She peered up at the sky. At least it’s not raining anymore . She had spent a good while in the tavern and the day had gotten bright now that the sun was up in the sky, but the air was still icy cold. Tara remembered she left her cloak inside and went back into the tavern to get it. She put it on and walked down the icy lane which lead to the forest. She would come back to Syliras once it had gotten later and people were either asleep or at least inside.

[Chevalier]

Sighard

LORE

• Acquaintance: Tara
• Persisting through Shyness

EXPERIENCE

Skill	XP Earned
Rhetoric	4
Philsophy	2
Seduction	2
Interrogation	4

Tara

LORE

• Acquaintance: Sighard
• Syliran Squires (Basic)
• Receiving Compliments

EXPERIENCE

Skill	XP Earned
Rhetoric	5
Philosophy	4
Observation	3

Storyteller Notes

Cute social thread. Both characters got Rhetoric for their social conversation. Sig got Interrogation since he was constantly questioning and trying to find out more and more (Interrogation doesn't have to be torturous or anything). Seduction was there for lavishing Tara with compliments, that will come in useful . Tara got Rhetoric for similar reasons, Philosophy for considering her life, Syliran life etc, and Observation for attempting to stay vigilant.