Closed For Want of Direction

[Dust]

Bigger than a raven but smaller than a dog. Dust bobbed her head to Van's response, finding it sufficient description. She was quiet as the Drykas went into his next story, listening avidly -- but mentally reminded herself, every so often, to pay attention to where they were going, too. Van expected her to get them back to familiar streets, after all. Or at least she started out that way, because the story started out rather unremarkable. Interesting, but unremarkable. "Sedated?" Dust broke in when the teller paused for a breath. "What's that mean?" But after that, the story just got weird, the raven blinking bemusedly (and a little dubiously) at her friend. Parasites and bug things and monsters from nowhere and... "...that doesn't happen to you guys often, right? I mean, that's just... weird." For lack of a better word. Then he pointed at her, which caused the girl to startle a bit. Then she smiled, and clapped her hands together -- or would have, but for the writing materials in the way. Instead there was just a sort of muffled thunk. "A raven! Was it a Kelvic too?" Then she shook her head in response to his question. "Nope! What's a Cerulean? Is that another kind of monster?" Spoken of in the same story as bug things and twisted men, that was the most reasonable supposition to make. He concluded with her own description of the tale -- weird -- and Dust nodded in decided agreement. "It sounds weird. It must've been really weird to have been there!" She shook her head then, and after a few moments transferred her attention to the street. She needed another arrow on her map, the Kelvic realized, and paused to hastily draw it in. Dust went on to consider the buildings around them, frowning slightly. These ones maybe seemed a little more familiar... OOCI figure a right at the next intersection, and we can come out on that street into the warrens. Feel free to take us there if you like.

[Vanator]

Vanator smiled, seeing his story had indeed sounded as bizarre to Dust as it was to experience. The incident seemed a lifetime ago. Sanctuary had changed, and so had Vanator. The Drykas brushed aside the nostalgia as quickly as the raven girl had returned to the task at hand. The pair halted in their tracks, surveying the surrounding architecture and available cross streets. Ahead and to the left, Van saw the top of a tower that was familiar, seaward, at least he remembered seeing it from a known location towards the gates of the city.

Van rested a hand on the woman's shoulder, pointing ahead with a furrowed brow. "Dust, I think we make a right up ahead, and walk away from that tower." His extended index finger moved from the tower and waved to the right, then lowered to indicate the same on the Kelvic's map-in-progress. The Drykas lifted his hand from Dust's shoulder and resumed walking.

The pair reached the intersection and rounded the corner, the tower and the sea to their backs. As they made their way, Vanator wrapped up one of Dust's questions. He believed it was important that she understood. "A Cerulean is an Akalak with tattoos on his face. I don't know much about them, only that they are a rather dark lot, like a cult or something. All I can say is, if you meet one, be very careful." Vanator could say that of any Akalak, given Dust's Kelvic nature, and was one reason why he wanted to come to the city with her. Van had become fond of the raven girl and did not want her wandering the streets alone.

The further they trod along the street, the more familiar the architecture appeared to Vanator. Eventually, the clutter of stalls of the bazaar appeared ahead on the right, with the accompanying cacophony of patrons shopping and vendors hocking their wares. Van looked down to give Dust a broad smile, his hand lifted towards the Zhongjie Warren in a flourishing 'ta-da' gesture.

"Now this looks familiar!" Van exclaimed.

[Dust]

The Drykas tapped her shoulder, and Dust blinked up at him. He went on to point to the tower, the street, and her map; the Kelvic looked between them all, and then nodded decisively. "Okay!" She hastily added two more lines and an arrow to the page and then jogged to catch up to Van. After a few steps, Dust opened her mouth -- and promptly closed it again, listening attentively to Van's explanation of cerulean. Not a monster, but another kind of Akalak. She mused over that for a little bit, then bobbed her head to show she understood. The 'be careful' part, anyway. "A cult?" the Kelvic echoed, for that word was also unfamiliar to her... and she couldn't let it go by without notice. Dark like a cult... "Do you mean your twisted man-monster things? Or, no, you said the Cerulean fought them, didn't he?" Which put paid to that inference. Hmm... Van proceeded to distract the Kelvic with his grandiose presentation of the bazaar. Dust lifted her attention from the abstract conundrum of words and their meanings to first blink at the familiar stalls down the way, then grin at her companion. "The bazaar! Now we know where we are." She looked down at the lines in her book, then folded it closed with a definite thnk. Tucking it under one arm, she snagged Vanator's hand in her now-freed one. "I'm hungry. Let's go find something to eat!" she declared -- he could talk along the way. The Kelvic led a winding path through the stalls, what seemed a haphazard course to look at, at odds with her air of purpose and informed direction. But then she pointed at a particular stall, once it came into sight. "I like that one," Dust informed her companion as she made a beeline for it. "They have good food!" she added, beaming at the green-skinned vendor (who had too much dignity to grin back, but nonetheless appeared pleased with the compliment). Simple food -- she picked out what was no more than a bread pocket with meat and cheese -- but to Dust's liking all the same. ledgerbread, half-loaf -- 1 cm cheese -- 1 sm meat -- 3 sm total: -4 sm, 1 cm

[Vanator]

Vanator's explanation of the more complicated aspects of Akalak culture inevitably lost to the vibrant bazaar now visible ahead, so the Drykas mentally tabled the Cerulean discussion for a more sedate moment. Dust's countenance beamed at the sight of the market, and with a decided motion, the novice cartographer closed the book on her penciled map and took the Denusk's hand in hers. Though the raven-girl was small next to the larger Drykas, Vanator found himself dragged through the makeshift alleys between the stalls, his friend weaving an unintelligible course through the warren until her exclamation proved there was a destination in mind.

Tugged to the food vendor, Vanator approved of his companion's choice, the aroma wafting from the back of the stall causing his stomach to clamor audible to be filled. He grinned down at Dust. "Good choice!" He condoned, and looked through the merchant's offerings. The Drykas opted for a smoked leg of fowl, large but unidentifiable by species. The golden brown crispy skin was all Van saw, what it was once attached to didn't matter. Dropping his mizas alongside Dust's, he took up the drumstick and, with a 'cheers' gesture to the Kelvic, took a bite of the smoked flesh. It was as delicious as he expected, and he nodded to the Akalak proprietor in approval.

Once the first swallow was down, Van turned and began to walk. For a moment, he hesitated, wondering if the fact that he was eating a bird offended Dust in some way. Glancing down at the raven woman as she enjoyed her meat pocket, the Denusk spoke before tearing another bite from the leg.

"I have talked enough. What about you? You have been at the Sanctuary for a few seasons now, how do you like it? What do you think of the people there?"

As they conversed, Van glanced over the passing stalls, in case he saw something he could use.

ledgerSmoked drumstick - 3sm

[Dust]

Dust beamed at Van's approval of her vendor selection. Wiggling the fingers of her free hand at the food merchant, she turned away from the stall and followed the Drykas on his meanderings through the market. She gave no indication of caring one whit what he ate, but regarded him steadily, eyebrows arching in unspoken prompt as he seemed to have something to say. "I know, I've been here a long time! I think maybe longer than I've stayed anywhere in... well, not ever. But a long time," she confided in her friend, around bites of her meal. "Or close to longer. I don't really know. Anyway, it's fun, and I really like everybody." Dust paused, pursing her lips, a slight frown creasing her brow. "I'm not sure if I'll find my bondmate here, though. There's so many Akalaks!... and I don't... thiiiink... an Akalak's it." She shrugged at Vanator, then had to scramble not to drop the book which had been tucked under her arm. Once she had it under control, the Kelvic continued speaking. "But I don't know how to tell either, really. I don't know what I'm looking for..." As was the Drykas beside her, even if she knew his attention was mostly on her words. One couldn't come to the bazaar and not look at all the figurative shinies in the stalls. Chewing on the last bite of her bread pocket, Dust followed the armsmaster's gaze towards -- of course -- a stall displaying weapons, including some she had yet to come to associate with Akalaks. "Oh! Hey! I didn't know anyone in Riverfall sold slings!" she announced to her friend, bouncing over to the stall in question. "But do you have a good one?" she challenged the merchant, grinning around the question with such evident cheer that he found it hard to take proper offense.

[Vanator]

Vanator continued to tear at the leg while Dust answered his inquiry, having to wipe his mouth on his sleeve. The Drykas nodded when she mentioned a bondmate. The subject of a bondmate did not come up much between the two friends, Van had only known that Dust was unbonded. But the Drykas had learned that finding a bondmate was a compelling trait that seemed to affect all Kelvics, and it appeared Dust indeed was keeping a look out for someone. The Drykas was glad she didn't appear interested in an Akalak mate. He knew how the Riverians viewed their Kelvics, as pets. Van did not like the thought of his friend being condemned to that status.

"I began to bond with the twins mother, but back then, I didn't know anything about Kelvics or bonding, and had no idea what was going on. I thought I was well, falling in love with her. When we had our falling out, I learned what was happening. She broke the bond, it was pretty traumatic."

The conversation was tabled as the pair were drawn to a weapons vendor. The merchant sold mostly simple weapons, most likely brought in by ship from other ports around the Suvan. Van knew Dust had some interest in slings, though he himself had never used one. As the raven girl looked over the selection, he perused the other offerings. The merchant, a crafty looking balding human, eyed the simple hand ax thrust through Vanator's belt, and insisted that he look at some special items.

Giving a curious grin to Dust, Van turned back to the vendor, who held out something in both hands, wrapped in a brown cloth. The Drykas pulled back the fabric to reveal a battle ax and a matching hand ax. Finely crafted, the heads etched with the same exotic design. "Cold steel." The merchant taunted. Van took up the weapons in his hand, one at a time, examining the construction of each. The handles were carved with a hatchmark design, giving better grip, and secured firmly to the head. The balance of each was excellent, especially the hand ax, which could easily be thrown. Then Van lifted them together. His smile beamed as he hefted the fine weapons. They would be a fine combination, if he could learn to use them together.

They were beautiful, and Vanator wanted them. Little time was spent haggling on price, and Van settled up with the man, grinning like a school boy. He looked to Dust to see if anything had caught her fancy as well.

Ledger1- cold steel battle ax 35gm
1- cold steel hand ax 20gm

[Dust]

The vendor left her to sort through his selection of slings, which Dust did with cheerful abandon -- though she did try not to mess up his display too much. In the meantime, he stepped aside to attend to Vanator; the Kelvic glanced over briefly to see what they were haggling over -- whether it was anything she might be interested in... but it wasn't, really. So she went back to her study of slings. There were slings made entirely of leather, and slings made entirely of cord, as well as ones with something of each. There were slings with oval pockets, and slings with round pockets, and slings with 'pockets' that were nothing more than outlines around a hollow middle. There was even one with three sides instead of two, which she had to look at (handle) twice; how did that even work? It was a rather daunting diversity -- how did she pick just one? Of course, she could buy more than one... but that still required decisions. Van finished his business with the merchant, and Dust beamed at him as he looked up. Though that meant she needed to make a selection. The Kelvic snatched up one with undyed cord plaited in a way that wasn't the braiding she was familiar with, but looked really nifty. A quick tug suggested it sturdy enough. The pouch sewn onto it was leather, a dark greyish color. "This one!" she declared, holding it up for the merchant to see. "Ah, a very special sling," he said, and regaled the Kelvic with a few sentences on its origin and just how special it was, in the manner of salesmen everywhere, before asking three silver mizas for the item. Dust countered with one; after another exchange, both sides settled on 1.5 -- and both went away feeling successful, Dust for arguing the merchant down, the merchant for getting more profit on the little thing than he might have otherwise expected. Her companion appearing finished with the stall as well, Dust stepped away from the table and let someone else occupy the vendor's attention. She twirled the empty sling a bit as she walked, excited at her new toy -- but not for very long, apologizing with a sheepish but unrepentant expression as it collided with someone else. "So..." Folding the sling up, though still keeping it in hand, she turned back to Van. What had they been... oh. Oh. "You had a bond with a Kelvic?" Dust echoed. "What was that like?" ledger-1.5 sm for sling

[Vanator]

As the friends continued on their trek through the bazaar, the large fowl leg that had been neglected for the fine ax set was now set to with fervor, the Dryas cleaning the bone of the smoked flesh. The remains were tossed into a small two-wheeled cart place at the end of a row of stalls intended for such waste.

Dust brought them back to their previous discussion, and the nature of Vanator's experience with Kelvic bonding. The Denusk gave the young raven girl a small smile. "I didn't know anything about bonding back then, and I don't believe it took totally. I knew Pygmy liked me, and, though she was not the type of woman with which I usually kept company, I found myself drawn to her. I thought maybe I was falling for her, and I was fond of her, yet, it did not feel exactly like love. That is just the only thing I knew to relate it too. I didn't really understand it until we parted ways. Then she explained to me about bonding, before she broke the bond."

Vanator's pace slowed as he remembered the experience, how in the passing of a moment he saw all of Pygmy's hurt, needs, failings. It was almost more than he could bear. In the end, the goat girl had asked him to give her a new name. He chose Dhanya. "The experience was....unpleasant. But my understanding is that Kelvics and their bondmates don't separate often." He did not mention that the bonds were not always amiable. He thought of the Kelvics of Riverfall, of Mao. It was that kind of bond that kept Vanator at Dust's side upon her every visit to the city. He could not bear to see the vibrant girl somehow ending up a pet or forced to breed for the Akalaks.

Vanator glanced down at Dust, a smile widening in hope of dispelling the sober mood of his reply. "But she was young, and I naive. Much like in love, patience, waiting for the right one, seems to be as important in bonding."

[Dust]

Drawn to another. Like love, but not quite. Unpleasant when broken. Most of what Vanator related meshed with what Dust knew of bonding -- though she'd never given much thought to willingly ending a bond, before. The Kelvic grimaced as he talked about that, her steps slowing to match his; she shook her head a bit. It wasn't a thought she cared to dwell on. "I wouldn't want to do that," she remarked. Who would want to, given any other option? The Drykas glanced over to her, and Dust looked up at him, echoing his smile with a grin. She was predictable that way. Then he went on to talk about patience, which elicited a huff from the girl -- likely also not a surprise to her friend. "Patience is boring," she remarked, though that complaint was half hyperbole. Dust wasn't beyond practicing patience when she saw fit -- she just greatly preferred to be doing rather than waiting. On which note, Dust skipped ahead a couple of steps, then grinned over her shoulder at Van -- the I've just had an idea grin that didn't necessarily bode well for her companion. "Hey! I'll race you to the gates!" she declared, thereby putting an end to all philosophical or introspective discussions for the time being. And probably for the entire day, for that matter, as they both had new toys to play with when they got home.

[Vanator]

It was true, Vanator and Dust had a habit of contagious smiling, one seemingly always infecting the other, always navigating their was back from more sobering subjects to the simple joy of each other's company. Vanator's grin broke into a chuckle at the Kelvic's half-hearted protest about patience.

As if to prove her point, the raven girl jaunted forward. Vanator knew the twinkle in her eye, the same one that adorned her sweet face before she started the Great Snowball War of 512. Dust was up to something. A challenge was offered. Vanator sighed.

"I don't know Dust, I am pretty tired and..." The Drykas suddenly gripped the bundled axes in both hands and broke into a run, trotting passed her with a wide smile. "Last one to the gate cleans out the mews!" He called back after her. Of all those that lived at the Sanctuary, Vanator was probably the softest on Dust. Whether he won or not, he knew he would end up helping clean out the mews.