Completed A Winter Child

[Dasreide]

Winter 19, 512AV Winter cold rarely bit as hard within Riverfall as it did outside of Syliras. Dasreide had been sore from the constant training and research, a couple of purple-hued bruises tainting his otherwise sheer blue skin. His skin was not bright blue like Duce's but rather a midnight blue, one that could easily blend in with the surrounding foliage at night. He was quiet as he traversed the path that led out of Syliras and in the general direction of Zeltiva. He had been travelling for well over a week now, just reaching the intersection that split the road in two, one route heading east at a slight northern incline, the other heading straight north. He knew the North path led to a dangerous city that many would stray from, but he was unaware of the name. Zeltiva lay to the east, so his pace slowed as he reached the intersection. The sun was high in the sky upon the winter hills as Dasreide finally halted at the intersection. This will be a good place to rest for now... He thought to himself as he took a seat in a small grassy knoll to the left of the road, passing through brush to get to his spot. He took a seat, crossing his legs underneath him and placing the flat of his arms onto his knees. He frowned heavily as he tried to begin meditation, but felt the presence of another nearby. He was not too well in the arts of meditation to be in tune enough to designate the mother and child also walking towards the intersection, but he could tell someone was nearby. The animals had gone quiet, the air had slowed and the sun shined a little less as the pair approached. Someone comes... He opened a single eye to look onto the road ahead of him through the light brush, frowning. He would stand out. He knew that much. He wore a white pair of loose-fitting pants with similarly colored tabi, cloth-like shoes that were designed for monks. His chest was barren of hair and colored a light shade of midnight blue, while his hair was a dark, deep black. His eyes were the shades of pale gold and silver, keenly slanted and appearing to glow in contrast to his dark skin. His upper lip had a light bit of mustache sitting upon it, something he was proud to have obtained. Akalaks with facial hair were either old or lucky. He was the former of the two. He had been around far longer than either of his twin companions from his trip to Syliras after leaving Riverfall to seek knowledge. Whoever approached the intersection would have the eerie feeling that they were being watched...

[Ruby Majalenka]

Approaching the intersection was a silver-haired mother and a golden-haired teenage daughter, both straddling alongside a pack horse, which seemed to look bigger owing to their small Konti statures. Both wore worn-out yellow tunics under gray stoles and hoods, their sheepskin boots half-sunk in the snow with every step.

Still quite a distance from the intersection, an uneasy feeling of being watched gripped both of them, though the mother seemed to show no indications to it. The daughter became more watchful, sweeping the surroundings with her half-honed instinct. Nonchalantly, the mother informed while tying the horse to a pine that they will be resting.

"Mom, I think someone's watching us." said the little girl warily, as she unsheathed her dagger.
"Stay your hand, Ruby." she replied, eyes fixed upon the fire pit she's making.
"But-"
"You will listen to me, daughter." the mother said again, curtly and sharply. Ruby conceded and stood down, brows furrowed. "Would you care to join us, stranger ? Fire burns brighter with good wine and company." she added, in a much louder voice, calling out to the Akalak watching somewhere ahead. Despite the jovial tone, her hand never strayed far from her suvai's hilt.

[Dasreide]

The annoying sounds of a dagger being partially drawn met Dasreide's ears, quickly vanishing behind the retort of the mother-figure. Quaint. Dasreide thought to himself as his ears twitched at the subtle sounds of a fire pit being created. He frowned inwardly, never having liked building fires himself. Then came the request. Company is by far the better presence in the wilds. He recalled his old master's voice clearly through the fog of his memories. He frowned again, letting out a low, somewhat irritated grumble from the pit of his throat. No good can come of this. He found himself thinking as he leaned forward and, without using his arms or torso, lifted himself onto his feet using only his feet and legs. He turned to peer over the brush at the pair, his golden-pale eyes narrowing slightly. "Are you not afraid?" His voice was horse and gutteral, the cause of many years of silence within Riverfall. "Do you not fear assault? Rape? Death?" The last word was emphasized, as if he was hinting at the danger they might end up inviting into their camp. His back held his blade, a large five-foot long black broadsword with a fiery hilt and silvered edges that gleamed in the moonlight. He stepped through the brush separating the two spaces on the side of the road, his chest barren to them as he stepped forward and, without another word, sat before the fire pit that was in creation. His eyes tarried away from the pit for a moment to lock onto the dagger-blade that was held at the ready. "The dagger is useless, child." He said gruffly, "If I wanted to kill you both, you would be dead." He went silent then, hands clasped in his lap in peaceful meditation. He didn't seem to fear either of them and seemed quite at peace.

[Ruby Majalenka]

Ruby seemed fascinated by the new company, as she'd never knew such thing as meditation. Mistaking him to be asleep, Ruby was about to touch the dreds when her mother threw a scornful glance.

"Come now, stranger." the mother smiled as she gently tapped the Akalak's shoulder and sat by the lit fire herself, the other hand holding out a wooden goblet of watered wine for him. "Tell us a bit of yourself if you don't mind, at least your name... and destination."
"You forgot to introduce ourselves, mom." Ruby scolded, much to her mother's chagrin. "My name is Ruby Majalenka, and this is my mother-"
"-The White Scholar, as widely known. I prefer to be addressed as such."
"But mom-"
"I shall take my leave from these lands in the near future, which is why I don't see any merits in spreading my name any further, permit my daughter." she smiled.
"He doesn't seem to be listening, mom. He's a vegetable." Ruby sighed.
"Ruby ! Ladies do not start fights !"
"But ladies can end one ! Besides, he threatened us first." retorted Ruby. "See ? He's sleeping." she squeezed the dreds.

The mother simply put her palm to the face. Her maternal instinct rose and lurched in her stomach, though she sensed the Akalak was a peaceful one from his demeanor. Moreover, she expected something funny to happen. Something educating for Ruby.

[Dasreide]

The little one is annoying. Dasreide let out a sigh when he felt his dreds touched and then squeezed, opening his eyes to glare at the child. "Sleep would be welcoming tonight, child, but no. I am not asleep." He stated, eyes turning to the mother. "My peers call me Dasreide in your tongue. It means 'The Quiet One' when translated from the Akalak tongue to yours." He stated, falling quiet once again. He remained in his meditative trance for a while longer before he opened his eyes again, his right arm glowing blue as he focused his Djed onto the arm. He then raised the arm up and back quick enough that it appeared he did not move and yet Ruby would find her hand being struck away with the force of a battering ram. It was not enough to break bones, but it would leave a red mark. "Don't touch my hair." He states. Hair in the Akalak culture was something not to be trifled with. He let out a sigh and rested his hands in his lap again, his fingers curling as he loosed his grip on the Flux magics. "My destination is Zeltiva. My purpose is knowledge." He explained simple, frowning as he closed his eyes and tried to return into meditation.

[Ruby Majalenka]

Responding to the Akalak's glare, Ruby flinched but stood her ground. Though scared, she doesn't take kindly regarding her pride. Her hand was finally struck away with a swift motion. She jumped back and cradled her red arm, holding in the urge to cry in pain. The mother, however, giggled.

"A man of knowledge. Yet I see a man of action within." she recited. "Excuse my impudence, but may I make a request ?"

Ruby flinched once again, sensing the request was somehow connected to her. However, when she stared hard at her mother's face, nothing was shown except a wise, yet whimsical mock thinking face.

Finally the adult Konti said in a formal tone, "I ask of you to let my daughter travel along as your apprentice. The lands are wild, and I am soon to return to Mura." Staring at the impassive Akalak, she added, in a much softer voice.

"After all, knowledge kept is knowledge wasted, sir Dasreide."

[Dasreide]

Could I make a request? This was the start of all the bad beginnings of the tales told between Akalak fathers and their sons. The precursor to a request that would inevitably result in the change of one's fate. Sure enough, the request pertained to the small child who so curiously annoyed Dasreide. "The child would never survive with me, White Scholar." He stated with a frown, opening his eye to glare at the young Konti appraisingly. He let out a sigh, closing his eyes as he did and shaking his head. To travel alone is to invite a dagger into your back, but be weary of who you travel with, for surely they would sooner drive a steak into your spine first. His mentor's teachings were wise and yet indecisive. The words he recalled helped him none, so the choice rested upon the Akalak's broad shoulders. He let out a sigh, "Fine." He grumbled, glancing to the younger child. "I will take her with me to Zeltiva and place her under my charge, provided that she keeps from touching my hair." He stated with a serious tone, keeping his eyes on the young woman. "Who knows, she might end up being more of use to me than I thought." He states, closing his eyes once again and let out a sigh. Konti are, afterall, the only sure mate an Akalak can have... He thought to himself whimsically. Maybe when she's matured... He sighed again. His thoughts were distracting himself.

[Ruby Majalenka]

"The child would never survive with me, White Scholar." the Akalak frowned, glaring at Ruby who scooted back almost immediately. She was still fearful though curious at the Akalak, similar to an explorer stumbling upon a beautiful, deadly, unknown beast. However her feelings were abated by the trust her mother had put to her new guardian.

'Mom is never wrong.' she thought to herself. 'Though I have to put up having a guardian like this. Well, I guess this is the last thing she wants me to learn. Discipline.' She caught her mother's glance, which confirmed her prediction.

After the Akalak had voiced his approval, the mother untied her suvai and buried it into the hard ground with a stab. "I'll be taking my leave then. One thing, sir. Don't touch her yet, at least until she ripens." she whispered with a giggle. "If you ever chance upon Mura, find me." She stood up, and walked past Dasreide to the landscape, away from the road.

"Mom-" Ruby called, to which her mother's step halted.
"You be good, okay ? I never remembered raising a crybaby. Remember the caravan trip." the White Scholar said sternly, though with a sad smile, before disappearing amidst the blurry snowfall.

All of a sudden Ruby felt robbed of all feelings, just a cold, empty shock of losing someone within. A strange state she always strangely welcomed, rather than a heartwrenching sensation.

"Remember the caravan trip." she recited under her breath, after her mind had tuned to the present circumstances.

Then, looking at the Akalak, she smiled, a bit forced. "Shall we get going, master ?"

[Dasreide]

The whisper into his ear caused a brow to perk as the mother seductively spoke to him about finding her instead of touching the child. I wasn't intending on touching her until she matured anyhow... He thought to himself, looking at Ruby and frowning. Night was nearly setting and the mother had just charged off into the cold, leaving the two behind and yet the youngling wished to dash off after her mother. This made Dasreide's frown deepen. He reached out and grabbed the child by her shoulder, pressing down to force her into a sitting position. "Listen up, child, and listen well. I took you into my care for one reason and one reason only. Your kind has the gifts of foresight and Intuition and for that, you are allowed to stay." He said gruffly, glaring at her, "But what I say is law to you now, go it? I'm not going to have you running off into trouble that I'll inevitably have to get you out of, understood?" His tone was deep, masculine and held enough authority in it to stay anyone's answer for a moment. The grip on her shoulder was released soon after as Dasreide replaced his hands on his knees and began to return to meditation, his voice dropping in threat as he spoke a lot more calmer. "Your mother is gone and we are not moving from camp until morning, so get some rest." He stated with a blank face, his expression impossible to read.

[Ruby Majalenka]

Losing to the uneasy feeling as she attempted to comprehend the Akalak's mood, she nodded dumbly, frowning, and curled up to sleep, her back to the fire, her mother's suvai left buried still.

'Your kind has the gifts of foresight and Intuition and for that, you are allowed to stay.' The phrase kept echoing in her head, and a thought began to develop out of wariness. 'The so-called Konti Gifts ? All my life I've been with mom, which rendered such extraordinary skills of not much use.' she pondered. 'The goddess grants us what we need, not what we want, though I have no imagination what instincts I'd love to possess.'

She stole a quick glance over her shoulders at the Akalak. 'Would he cast me aside upon discovering my lack of vision ? Or treat me more coldly ? Well, with things this tense already it'd not make much difference, though the thought of being alone once again is a bit terrifying.'

Ruby inhaled deeply and made a resolve. 'By the time I'm finished with him, I must've acquired it . Wise, I might as well go to Mura, tails between my legs.'

"Oh, master ?" Ruby called. "I don't mind doing the night watch, please wake me in the event that you desire some rest yourself." Then she shut her eyes and dozed off into a dream.