Completed [Kelp Bar] Day after the Ball

[Weylin Quickshot]

Weylin blushed. She watched him kiss her hand, and instead of rejecting and shying away like she had with previous men, she stilled herself and listened. Her heart began to race, a mixture of both nerves and excitement building. It was all a different experience for her, emotions and feelings that she previously thought did not exist flaring up and consuming, a happiness so intense that it made her giddy. She felt alive.

"Perhaps we should leave this bar and find a way to make me utmost interesting to you Weylin."
Her eyes glanced over Valo, unsure what to say, how to respond, was it a simple invitation to move on, or perhaps something else? A joke? No, he still held onto her hand, and his eyes had yet to waver from hers. He was serious, and he seemed to have no intention to stop chasing her.
"Perhaps we should," she spoke softly, or as possible as her accent allowed her. She had no intention of leaving him, he did after all appear to be a lonely soul without her, and she equally. Either way a true response, a sign of affection, was needed.

She cupped his hand in both of hers and whispered "But Valo," she held her eye contact with him "I would not even know where to begin, if you help me though..." She smiled, but it was different from her other ones, it was a longing smile, a want for him and him alone, however he saw fit.
"It will after all take two to solve this."

[Valo]

It pleased him to see her blush at his somewhat simple gesture. Something within him almost expected to be rejected with every bold thing he did; not that any other woman had ever rejected him. But, as he had repeated to himself over and over again; she was different, in a good way but different. He held much respect for the Drykas and even more for her, for the more he got to know her the more his respect grew. And perhaps it was that respect that humbled him. If they had met in fall, he'd have swept her off her feet in the most bold and flamboyant of manners. But he was a different man now. With age his boisterous manner had subsided.

Both her hands held him and for a moment the two were lost in a very intimate space of their own. Time seemed to stop for a moment. Their green eyes locked a smile on her face. But it was indeed different than the other smiles. There was something in her eyes that he could not quite explain. He stared back at her, softness in his expression as the words went straight over his head. He felt he wanted to lean in and kiss her, so beautiful she looked. But then again they have only just met and it would be improper of him... or would it?

He blinked somewhat, ripping his eyes from her, his mind trying to remember what she just said. Oh yes, help, fun and other such frivolities. Seems his work and seclusion truly dulled down his charisma. He scratched the back of his neck with the other hand, not the one she was holding in an act of somewhat embarrassment. It there was any time his drinker's blush was exquisitely visible in all its ruby coloured glory, it was now. His mind now worked double to make up for that moment of complete thoughtlessness.

Where could they go? What could they do?

His immediate thought was East Street. Before the start of winter he almost resided there, so frequent were his visits. There wasn't a day when there wouldn't be music and dancing... real dancing. The kind when a man and a woman would hook arms and spin round one another in a whirlwind of feet, trying not to bump into the other couple and not stand on some poor drunken fool who mistook the dance floor for a bed. There would be alcohol and merriment and no one would look down upon the other for their behaviour. Then again was that really an appropriate place to take a lady such as her?

Then a different thought jumped into his mind. "Weylin?" he asked, it seemed he genuinely loved to speak her name. Such a beautiful sound it made with his accent. "Do you have a bonded strider? I couldn't help but notice the wind marks last night. Drykas culture is exceedingly interesting you see."

[Weylin Quickshot]

She laughed when he blinked, knowing that she had managed to make him loose his trail of thought, to be distracted by her and her subtle movements. She watched a brief look of panic and embarrassment pass through his face. For all the words that Valo could speak, he was still a man at the end of the day and so shared the same weaknesses. When confronted with a woman that had caught their interest, that they desired as if they were the greatest treasure of all the most simplest of actions always spoke loudest. And so, she held onto his hand watching his expression change as he searched his thoughts for an idea, before he spoke her name.
"Weylin?"
"Yes?" she gave a smile.
"Do you have a bonded strider? I couldn't help but notice the wind marks last night. Drykas culture is exceedingly interesting you see."
Weylin raised an eyebrow, and released his hand so it allowed her to point to the arrow head tattoos on her hand.
"What these? Yes, the are wind marks," she answered "They also mark my other name, Quickshot."
She returned one of her hands to his, her gaze becoming thoughtful "And yes, I do. His name is Averti, and a fiery one he is indeed. But brave, very brave."

To her Averti was not some simple animal, nor a mount to be ridden. Instead he was family, blood, a relationship she did not expect Valo to understand and an idea she would not force upon him either. The relationship between a Drykas and their Strider was a unique one indeed, and one that she could never take lightly. For both had managed to save the other on more than one occasion, and so their bonds becoming tight. If something were to happen to Averti she would race to the ends and back to ensure the safety of him. Yet Valo had asked, and so she turned her attention solely to him.
"Why do you ask? Do you wish to meet him?" she smiled before winking "Be careful he get's jealous easily."

[Valo]

Valo was pretty clear on the complex relationship that existed between a Drykas and their strider. He had mingled with them enough to learn this. And perhaps it mirrored the relationship an Endal shared with their wind eagle, a relationship based on love and respect for the creature, as one would respect them self. It sparked his curiosity and this was precisely why he asked.

"Well I guess there would be no hope for us if Averti didn't approve of me." he replied with a wink of his own. He held her hand firmly but softly as they made for the door.

A gush of cold air flew in through the door way, causing him to shiver. An unpleasant change from the warmth of the bar interior. It caused him to recalculate his decision to leave this place. And again made him wonder whether he should invite her back to his warm little cottage instead. He refused however to let his thoughts drift from the line of decency which he set, prior to their meeting.

[Weylin Quickshot]

"Well I guess there would be no hope for us if Averti didn't approve of me."
"There is an us then?" Weylin laced her fingers with his as she allowed him lead her to the door. She had no reason to protest against his wanting to leave.

The door was opened, and the winter wind grasped onto them. The outside air made Weylin shudder, and let out a gasp. But only for a moment, she was largely use to the outside weather, the Drykas had to be with the nature in which they lived. Outside in the open plains, the winter wind gripping onto all. She shook off the cold, and inhaled the air. It was in the same instant that she found herself getting use to the cold, remembering her preference for the cooler times than the warmer ones. She watched the chill claw at Valo's features, before smirking, "Too cold for you Valo?"

[Valo]

"There is an us then?" the question repeated in him mind. Her voice spoke it over and over again within the conglomeration of thoughts which his mind was made of. A desperate search for an adequate answer to it.

"Well..." he paused. "There can be if that is your wish my dear."

As they exited the Kelp bar and lef the warmth behind them she posed him another question. Their fingers not entertwined in a romantic knot. "Too cold for you Valo?" she asked.

He chuckled and the air expelled from his thin lips manifested it self in swirls of hostly fog. "Yes, it is quite chilly. Are you not cold?" she replied with a question. His manner caring as always.

[Weylin Quickshot]

For a moment Weylin was quiet, unsure on how to answer at first her fingers for a moment slipping. She did enjoy Valo's company, and if she was to ask herself honestly she no longer wanted to let go of him. He was gentle to her, and worried about her in which she could do little more than worry about his well being in return. He did after all seem capable of looking after himself quiet well.

"Then it is what I wish," she smiled and looked up to him, her fingers regaining their grip around his "But only if Averti approves of you though."
She looked on ahead as they exited, watching the city unfold before them, her eyes for a moment growing sharp as she watched all, then relaxing knowing well there was no need to hunt out those that may of been perhaps more ill intended.
"Yes, it is quite chilly. Are you not cold?"
She laughed "Far from it. I prefer the cold of winter to the heat of summer," she paused a thoughtful expression growing on her face "If it is better for you, we can retreat elsewhere and I can introduce you to Averti when it is warmer."

[Valo]

Was all of this really that simple? Valo had been with many women in his past but never did he really care for any, like he did for Waylin. Never had he ever dreamed that this over-exaggerated and oversimplified notion of love really existed. And perhaps it didn't really exist and this was a temporary moment of pure rapture, which would float out the window like a dream, slipping from his hands like a koi. But even though there was a danger that one day he may wake up and find his heart broken, he was ready to finally become a real man.

And here was the part where he would have to jump though headless to gain the acceptance of the strider, Averti. Such a gorgeous name, when he though of it. Truly the Drykas had the most imagination when it came to names. But the notion didn't at all faze him. In his culture, the boy had to gain the acceptance of the girl's parents and he not had to gain the acceptance of the horse. It's all one and the same, coming to think of it.

"If it is better for you, we can retreat elsewhere and I can introduce you to Averti when it is warmer."she said.

Valo laughed a merry laugh. "The cold doesn't scare me." he replied softly. "And perhaps another day I may loose all courage and not be able to face Averti. There's quite a lot at stake here."

[Weylin Quickshot]

It was for a moment that perhaps Weylin hesitated, recalling the words that had been said, or more over what she had just wished. Was it really so simple to say such words? Perhaps it was a sense of guilt that she used words so freely without registering the consequences of them first. Her eyes averted away, her hold loosening and her hand falling to her side. Her eyes for a moment glazed over, as if she was thinking deeply, deciding and planning what her next tentative steps should be. But then he let out a laugh, and her thoughts were lost, "The cold doesn't scare me."
"On the Sea of grass you may disagree," she met his eye, almost as if to challenge the artist "The cold brings out all manner of creatures there."

Her eyes slid away, and she looked on ahead listening carefully to Valo speak, "And perhaps another day I may loose all courage and not be able to face Averti. There's quite a lot at stake here."
What are your true intentions Valo? What do you really want from me? Do you think me frivolous?
"So what is it that is exactly at stake to you Valo?" she was blunt with her with her words, and perhaps surprisingly so. She kept on smiling however, but did not making eye contact with him, her mind becoming confused with emotions and thoughts.
"This way," she pointed onwards "If you are sure about meeting Averti."

[Valo]

She was very blunt indeed and it was that bluntness that he held in high esteem. In his experience, blunt people had a habit of brutal honesty and such honesty was a pricey commodity in Mizahar. Sometimes it was hard to distinguish friend from foe, to decide whom to trust. But though this bluntness he decided to trust her and hoped he would not be wrong.

However the way in which she looked away from him suddenly became very worrying. What's on her mind? Did he say something wrong? Upset her somehow? Was there something wrong with his manner? Why was she suddenly so set on not making eye contact when she seemed quite content with it beforehand.

"So what is it that is exactly at stake to you Valo?" she asked, still smiling but there was perhaps a note of something else within her words.

"Well there's your friendship for one." he spoke without hesitation to gather his thoughts. Honesty was the best he could do and the way she spoke, it sounded like she was testing him. "And perhaps one day maybe something more romantic in nature. Once again pardon my boldness. But I am very fond of you Weylin." he admitted though perhaps his voice was a little quieter than he normally spoke. Only by a fraction but it was still present. The smile slid from his face and was replaced by a more neutral expression, as he fallowed her though the streets.