[Various Locations]Riders of the Storm - Aren [CLOSED]

[Meera]

The smile that came to her face was easy and simple, it wasn't over done or understated. It crooked slightly to the left and her eyes showed immense happiness and relief when he brought her face towards him. The words Aren spoke were kind, and deeply affectionate in meaning to the woman. Aren probably would never understand the significance of his own acceptance of her, what those words truly meant to Meera. For a woman who was all but outcast since birth, only ever to dream of earning her windmark, meeting her Strider for real, to be told by a man she cared for almost infinitely it seemed at the moment that she 'was always a Drykas' was as exciting and grand as having all of her name-days rolled into one great big moment.

"You are not mad?" Meera asked, her voice wavering on a quivering lip. Dark almond eyes looked almost wet, how they glistened in the low light of the stable.
"You ... " She started again, unsure how to react. Her arms dropped from their defensive position. The knowledge that she had told him this story once before was lost to the blonde. Being inebriated would do that to a person. Meera imagined the knowledge, this overwhelming feeling of happiness to be what it would be like if she were ever loved, having doubts that Aren ever would, or could. It was something she could never explain to Aren, even though she was about to try.

Aren would know the importance of what he said to her, Meera was certain to convey the message. Meera only sought acceptance for being herself, and he was a man who didn't care -- couldn't care, even -- if her skin was adorned with ink or not.

For the first time in over a decade, crystalline drops of water rolled down to ebony lash, cushioned for the briefest of moments before leaping to meet their death on Meera's milk coloured skin. From there, the tear became a small path, leading the way for other fat, pregnant tears to well up and fall, meeting on Meera's chin. Her breath was ragged and the salty tears stung her eyes, causing more of the cursed leak to spring. The hands that had fallen rose back to her face, shielding her eyes from him as red splotches began to ring her eyes and cheeks. Meera tried not to cry, she honestly did try, but having not made a habit of crying, a girl such as Meera did not know how to stop.

Her hands were wet when she pulled them away and she stared at her palms in wonderment. What was this that was happening to her? Meera was not sad nor a child, and yet here she stood with leaking eyes as though she were one.

Meera's breath shuddered as she sobbed, a tiny sound, her nose sniffling as it too began to feel wet. Was her body simply expelling all fluids now, was that what was going to happen?, she asked herself, unwilling to believe she was crying.

Meera decided she must have been affected by the Djed storm. There was no way Aren could have made her so happy she was moved to tears, and yet she pressed her forehead against his breadth of chest, hands moving to embrace him tightly.

"You have me very happy, Aren."

[Aren]

His words had triggered a cascade of tears from Meera, counter to Aren's intentions, and he was left momentarily paralyzed by the display. The akalak just stood there, watching the coming of the inevitable storm, but at a loss as to what he could do about it. "No, don't..." he tried to stem the tide, but to no avail. As the drykas' tears continued to stream across her cheek, Aren began to progressively feel worse and worse. He didn't understand what had brought about this emotional flood, but he knew it was his fault. Somehow, something he had said had triggered the rain, and he didn't know if it was a mistake he could undo. The akalak's heart pounded in his chest as he tried to discern how he had stepped in it this time, but his mind provided no reply. She had just... started crying, and there seemed to be neither rhyme nor reason. "Aw, you made her cry, you bad, bad man you. Shame you don't even know how..." Seros interjected, much to his brother's chagrin. "I..." the akalak attempted to explain himself, to correct whatever error it was he had made, but he was helpless against the drykas' tears. "Wh..." again he tried to stumble something out, anything, but alas, no words made it past the mantle of confusion he found himself under. As Meera suddenly embraced him, however, things fell into place. It was the good kind of crying, Aren realized, smiling imperceptibly. His arms draped themselves around the girl's body, like a cloak, and he pressed her as close as he dared. "D-don't cry..." he pleaded, unable to properly voice the effect her tears had on him.

[Meera]

Meera certainly did not expect to cry and was terribly embarrassed to do so in public, let alone in front of Aren. As Aren tried to comfort her she could only move her head against his chest, a sort of nuzzling, closer and closer against the smooth blue skin and leather. She was getting him wet, but at this particular moment she didn't care. She wished she could say something to him to comfort him, of all things, to let him know that she truly was happy despite what her face decided to do. Her arms loosened on him, only to gather a better grip and encircle tighter. Aren begged her not to cry, and somehow that made it worse, as though the simple knowledge of him wanting her to be happy and healthy was more confirmation of his growing care for her. Why couldn't he have hated her? Everything would have been much more simpler then.

"I..." She started, letting loose another sob.
"I am happy," She said, her small and weak voice raising on the last syllable as though she were asking a question. She took several deep breaths, smelling the sweat and pheromone off Aren's skin. Meera smiled then through her tears.

"Telling that you say I am Drykas, ..." She tried to explain.

"Is like telling me you do not care about windmarks, about past. Is like telling me you only care about me, which is best thing to be told to me in all my life. Best thing by mile... Before today, best thing someone told me was maybe my riding a Strider wasn't a total disaster, but still far from decent. Mean my Darksand is not my mount. My true Strider. Is why I have no windmark..." But it was okay; Aren did not care about her tattoos - or lack thereof. It did not lessen her desire for them by a long stretch of the imagination, but it made the simple fact that she was without them more tolerable to bear. The fact that he knew her past now, and did not care, that was icing on the cake. A few more deep breaths, and Meera felt secure to remove her hand, to stand on her own two feet.

"Sorry," She apologized, feeling calmer now as she wiped away some of the tears.
"I just..." She tried to continue, unsure of what to say.
"You just make me very happy."

[Aren]

Aren's hands moved to wipe the tears from Meera's face. His blue fingers danced gently on her rosy cheeks, doing their best to dry the glistening skin. His golden hued gaze, meanwhile, could not separate itself from the girl's weepy, auburn eyes, even as she apologized for her tears. The akalak smiled softly as he heard the drykas' affirmation of happiness, a few fingers straying over her lips, involuntarily. Meera looked so vulnerable in that moment that she almost felt like another person altogether. She normally seemed so fearless, so determined, yet that had all melted away in a stream of tears. It was almost like Aren was seeing her without her armor, and what he was saw was just a young woman, whom he cared for more deeply than he could readily admit. "I..." he started, but a thought in the back of his mind seized his tongue. Meera had told him her deepest, darkest secret, putting her feelings on the line to do so. Aren, on the other hand, could not bring himself to do the same. If he did not find the courage to reveal all that he must, how meaningless were any words he could utter? Even if he believed them, even if he wanted to say them at the top of his lungs, they would nonetheless ring hollow in his own heart. "The words of a coward are empty," Seros stated, simply and objectively, and Aren was forced to agree, knowing that he spoke the truth.

[Meera]

Meera felt foolish all of a sudden in front of him, now that he was keeping quiet. As much as she had shared about herself to him, the fact that he clammed up now was something to be feared. However, Meera was fearless. She believed herself to be fearless, and she was to a large extent - she had the scars on her arm from punching a Glassbeak in the mouth with a dagger to prove it, and no one did that without being quite brave and sure of themselves. If Aren betrayed her now when she gave him so much ammunition against herself.
She figuratively gave her bow away when it was loaded with an arrow.
One day the offer will be too tempting not to shoot her.

Meera wiped the last of her tears, her smile calming to something more "Meera" and less... whatever the hell she just was.
OK, she said to herself. He knows the truth now. He may not have said anything, but he hasn't run away. What is done is done. It seemed to calm her nerves. There was nothing that could be done about it now.

"I..." She echoed Aren. "Need to clean Darksand now. Meet you after?" She said, sure that Aren would not want to watch her work or help her with her stallion's blue beard. Meera had convinced herself a quarter bell ago that telling him her past would be good now that they were courting. The Drykas didn't know the first thing about relationships, aside from the fact that she was now in one. Was she expected to do certain things now? In Endrykas the husbands and wives were seen doing many things together. The men would weave, sew, anything their wives did, and the women would fight right beside their husbands. Aren, by Meera's limited knowledge, should help wash Darksand, but Riverfall was his home, and having been so ravaged by wild Djed Meera was not going to wish him to stay. It would be cruel to ask him when his mind already would be reeling with other concerns, just like Meera who now stood unsure she had done a good thing.

Meera adjusted her braid as though it were a nervous tic, making sure she looked good in front of him. She should braid Darksand's hair again, she thought. Just to show the bond between them regardless of what the rest of her clan said. Her hands returned to his for a brief moment.

"You go," she told him, "make sure... ah, Nys? give more ale." Meera would want another pint, something told her. She gave an almost reassuring smile before dropping his hands and turning her priorities back to her horse and her focus back to what the possible implications were of sharing such knowledge of herself.
"Oh!" She exclaimed, turning her head to face him again. "Please hold a room? I checked out when left... for, eh, Sea of Grass. Worried no rooms left now with storm. People lost houses."

[Aren]

Aren, realizing Meera was parroting him, did not like to see his idiocy passed on to the drykas. "Yeah," he said softly, not quite sure what else to say. His thoughts were in chaos, his mind struggling with the urge to both keep quite and to confess, all at the same time. He wondered how he had centered himself long enough to say anything at all, but the akalak supposed that even he couldn't forget a century of mental discipline. "I'll-" Aren chuckled as Meera suggested that he make sure Nys have more ale to dispense, "I'll make sure he saves some for you," he said, forgetting his own deep seated personal issues, for a moment. "You know, when the day comes that I have my chance at her... I think I'll be doing you a favor, because this is disgusting," Seros poked his head out, yet again. Recently, Aren was starting to notice an increase in the frequency with which his darker brother rendered his unwanted advice, and it was starting to worry him. He knew it was because of Meera, but the knowledge did not increase his ability to maintain his discipline around the girl. The fact that Seros had become so bold of late, so loud in his mind, had Aren concerned that perhaps his mental strength was waning even more than he suspected. Could he really trust himself around the drykas? Did he even have time to train her? He had thought he could remain disciplined, but had he grossly overestimated his own fortitude? The akalak did not like the logical answer to these questions, but neither could he accept the only solution available to him. No, he still had strength remaining, Aren forced himself to believe. The blue skinned giant nodded, with a smile, as Meera asked him to hold a room for her at the inn. It was an empty smile, however, a facade, as the burden of knowing something you didn't want to was always a heavy one.

[Indigo]

Character: Meera Skills: +1 Reflexes, +1 Teaching Pavi, Lore: Seeing Res for the 1st time, Ignorance isn't bliss when it's dangerous, Words aren't comprehension Character: Aren Skills: +1 Subterfuge, +1 Learning Pavi, Lore: Trying to use Djed after a Djed storm, Hiding your brother half, How do you deal with a girl's tears? Notes: ** I graded this before I noticed Aren hasn't upgraded his CS. Meera you can apply the awarded lores and skills. ** Nice interplay of words vs. meaning between you. You both are two players who consistently display that leaning words of another language takes explanation to make them understood. Aren, you did great with showing more of your brother half. Keep up the good work Aren and Meera. If you have any questions or comments about your grade, please PM me.