Completed Up the Mountain We Go (Azira)

[Syveris]

Even though she could see that the huntress was struggling with the words, Syveris couldn't do anything. She wasn't sure if what she could try to say would just make matters worse, and so, she remained silent. As she watched Azira sit down on the ground, she couldn't help but frown. That had to be uncomfortable. The silly and unwelcome thought went away as quickly as it had come, as she watched Azira bring her hands to cover her face. Syveris' eyes widened, and worry and nervousness threatened to take control of her. Had she said something so horrible to actually make the other cry?

And then the other girl began to talk, her voice weird behind her hands. The words were hurtful, only now they were directed at the huntress herself. Syveris bit her lip, wanting to interrupt, to say it wasn't like that, but again, if she said anything, wouldn't it just make the other girl upset? She didn't know what to do, didn't know what she could do. Maybe it was just better to stay quiet, to let the other girl talk if she wanted.

But when she heard a sob, Syveris just cursed in her head, and ignored her caution. She did it most of the time anyway, and she wouldn't just stand there watching Azira cry, not if she could still speak. The Avora didn't think things would get much worse, anyway.

Determined, Syveris walked as fast as she could in the unfamiliar terrain, approaching the huntress. When she got to her side, she sat down besides her, wincing at the uncomfortable ground. But it wasn't time to care about the rocks. The words were locked in her throat, and she needed to get them out. She hoped that this time they would be able to help, not hurt.

"You're not a horrible person, Azira." Syveris said, softly. Her anger with the girl had gone away totally, and although she was still hurt, she was sure that the hurtful words had been meant as a protection. If only Azira could see she wasn't an enemy... "I know you very little, that's true, but I'm sure that you're not a horrible person. It's as you said... You don't like people, and yet you've come with me all the way here, because I was excited about it. That was very nice of you, Azira, and I'm grateful." being closer, Syveris could hear the sobs more clearly, and she wanted to hug the girl, to try to comfort her. But that was probably the worst move she could make now, and so, she only placed her hand on the huntress shoulder, trying to be comforting. It was easy for the huntress to shake it off if she wanted to. "People are different from each other, Azira. That's the beauty of things. Of course they react differently to bad things. Our ways of coping will always be different, but we need to try and change. As long as we do that, I think we're going to be fine."

"And..." Syveris smiled, even though she wasn't sure the girl could see it. "I know when your birthday is. You told me on the Market, remember?" actually, the Avora hadn't remembered it until now. It was thrown in the conversation, said as something without importance. Syveris was surprised she remembered, but she did have good memory when it was needed. "66th of Fall, was it not? If you want, we can celebrate it sometime soon. A late celebration, you can call it. And you can even ask me for a birthday present! Anything you want, just ask." Syveris tried to put a cheerful tone on her voice. It didn't work, but at least it came out encouraging. She wasn't kidding, though, and one look to her face would attest to that. Of course, there were things that the Avora couldn't do or buy, but she would do her best. "And... I know you don't want to talk, but if you ever want to, I'm here to listen." she offered, a little more unsure this time. She hoped the huntress wouldn't see it as she was trying to bring up the subject again. She would never do so again, not without Azira's permission.

x
x

x Abstract

[Azira]

   

If the teen had been in Syveris's position she wasn't sure if she could have shown any pity after such an outburst. Well that wasn't strictly true, she'd show pity or at least make an attempt at comfort but more out of a feeling of guilt. That probably didn't count. Yet she was eternally glad for the girl for trying to help her out after the huntress had been such a bitch to her. She actually came to sit beside her (a very uncomfortable activity on the current terrain) and tried to negate the words of the Azira's self-loathing. It was kind of the girl to try and it certainly made the Avora feel a bit better.

Yes, it was true that she hadn't had the heart to turn down her companion's desire to go hiking even though she disliked the activity immensely. But it was also true that Syveris didn't know her very well at all, didn't know the things that she'd done or the things that had been done to her. Though it was entirely possible that the woman was more perceptive than Azira was giving her credit for. Perhaps she would understand that the teen was broken inside and that her harsh words were a way to inflict her own misery and pain on the rest of the world.

The woman's hand was surprisingly comforting on her shoulder, she was getting better at accepting physical contact, a good sign to be sure but as Syveris continued to talk her words only made her cry harder rather than stemming the flow of her tears. The huntress had forgotten entirely about what she'd said that day at the market. It had only been the last market day but yet she'd forgotten. It had been the glassworker's birthday and she had mentioned her own. Someone actually knew!

Taking both of them by surprise no doubt, she found herself throwing her arms around her companion's neck and hugging her tightly, her tears staining the woman's clothing as they fell upon her shoulder.

"Oh Syveris, I'd forgotten I'd told you! I thought that nobody knew but you did! Sometimes I'm a real idiot and she shouldn't listen to me. I'm full of shyke but you aren't. You're kind and wonderful and-" she sobbed against the girl's katinu, so overwhelmed by emotion that she couldn't continue her list of her fellow Avora's good traits. Her companion was probably properly freaked out now though.

x

[Syveris]

When Azira started crying even harder, Syveris tensed, unsure what she had said to inflict such a reaction. Biting her lip again, the Avora tried to think about something else to say. Maybe she should just apologize.

But then, the huntress hugged her. It was so suddenly, and so unexpected, that Syveris was unable to do anything. Azira, the one who had refused any contact until now, the one who had threw so many hurtful words, was hugging her. The thought seemed to strange for Syveris too understand, and the only thing she could really do was stare with wide eyes to the closest tree, her mouth hanging open from a phrase that she probably would never be able to speak now. It was only when Azira began to talk that Syveris moved again, blinking a few times. She closed her mouth, knowing she must have looked like an idiot. But to say she was surprised was an understatement.

The words slowly made their way into her brain, and Syveris couldn't hold back a friendly chuckle. Well, Azira did seem a little better now. Moving her arms, Syveris hugged the Avora, running her hands through her hair, trying to calm the other. However, it was much more comforting to know that the huntress was better now, and it was almost like a real weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Things would get alright, one way or another.

"I think I'm full of shyke sometimes, too." she offered, her tone much more light this time. The harsh words still ringed in her ears, but she shoved them away. Syveris would deal with her own troubles later. Now, the mood was finally improving, and she was starting to like the day again. Maybe it had been hard until now, but if it was getting better, that was what matter.

Her katinu was getting soaked, but that wasn't even a worry for the Avora right then. Syveris waited for a while, letting Azira cry as much as she liked. Then, she hugged the huntress tighter for a moment, once again trying to be comforting, before she released the hug, still holding the girl's shoulder, though. The Avora looked the other in the eyes, and smiled.

"Better now?" she waited for a reply, before speaking again. "So, do you want to keep going or do you want to go back?" Syveris was fine either way. The day had been stressful enough, and she would understand if Azira wanted to go back. However, she really thought that a little exercise would help to eliminate the tension. And, since the mood had improved, she was sure it would be fun.

x
x

x Abstract

[Azira]

   

As soon as she'd hugged Syveris, the girl had frozen, her body stiff as the huntress sobbed against it. Perhaps her companion had an aversion to contact too or perhaps she was so startled or uncomfortable she didn't know what to do with herself. The teen couldn't be sure which it was but the girl did start to relax by degrees even going so far as to chuckle and hug her back. The chuckle hadn't sounded unfriendly so she told herself not to be paranoid; she wasn't being laughed at.

The hug itself was amazingly comforting. She felt safe somehow wrapped in the girl's arms and that was a feeling she hadn't had in a long time. The security of the embrace began to stem her tears at last until she was only sniffling and feeling considerably better. She let out a wet laugh at the glassworker's comment and wondered if that was true or not. She wouldn't put it past the woman to say it to give her some comfort.

When they finally broke apart, Azira honestly didn't feel that bad. It turned out it was a good thing to let her guard down every once in awhile. Maybe she might be able to have someone to talk to in the future, someone who would sympathise with her. Maybe Syveris would be her friend. The idea made her hopeful but she knew she'd have to make certain that there was absolutely no bad blood between them. You couldn't have a friendship start off like that.

"Yeah I'm really better. Sorry for snotting all over your katinu," she told her laughing as she indicated the sodden garment. She would never have believed that she could possibly cry that much but apparently she could and she had. 

The huntress thought carefully about the glassworker's question, trying to decide whether continuing was a good idea or not. She had promised the teen that she'd bring her hiking and it would be selfish of her to refuse to go on. That settled that then. Wincing, she got to her feet and held out a hand to her companion to help her up.

"Come on. We'll keep going. I said we'd go hiking after all, didn't I? I didn't say that I'd bring you to a mountain so you could sit on pointy rocks and let me cry on you all day." She smiled brightly at Syveris, wondering when the last time she'd felt this light was. Probably a long time.

x

[Syveris]

"It's ok. I needed to clean it, anyway." Syveris answered, feeling glad that the huntress had laughed. Her smile grew when the teen chose to keep going. Maybe the possibility of a friendship between them wasn't ruined, after all. It was a nice thought, and Syveris let herself be hopeful. And after all that had happened, they would now be able to have a nice day. She hoped that it would also be nice for Azira, since the huntress had said she didn't like hiking. But then, she had accepted to keep going, so maybe it wasn't so bad for her.

The Avora was once again surprised when Azira offered her a hand, while smiling. The day would sure going to be elected soon as the most surprising day of Fall, not that she minded it. Syveris accepted Azira's help, taking her hand and raising herself, relieved to be finally up from the uncomfortable ground. She patted her black bryda, trying to get the dust out of it.

"So, let's get going!" stretching her arms above her head, Syveris smiled to the other girl, before she began to walk up the mountain once more. The Avora was happy again, and so, it meant that she could truly appreciate the hiking. The ground wasn't that steep, but she wasn't accustomed to walking on that type of terrain, and so, her feet kept slipping. Thankfully, it wasn't something big enough that she would end up embarrassing herself, at least for the moment.

"What do you like to do on your free time?" Syveris asked, while using a tree root to balance herself. It was a simple and kind of stupid question, but she felt like talking again, happy that she managed to make the huntress smile. She slipped again, this time having to grab a nearby tree to keep herself from falling. This was a lot harder than she had thought, and they had just started it. Syveris was sure that she would fall before the end of the day. With a silly smile on her face, she let go of the tree. It was incredible different from the feeling of climbing, and it was a little annoying that she couldn't walk straight, but it was a challenge, and she was enjoying it.

x
x

x Abstract

[Azira]

   

Well this had certainly turned out better than she would have expected. Here they were grinning at each other, being extremely friendly towards one another. Syveris didn't mind that her katinu was soaked with tears and other things and had simply laughed it off. Well this day might actually end fairly well. Once the hiking was over anyway. The huntress hoped that it would be better today as it wasn't as wet. Maybe she hadn't gotten any enjoyment out of it the past time because of the mire the rain had turned the mountain into. Perhaps dry ground would be more fun, and considerably easier, to walk on.

Syveris's eagerness to go on made Azira smile more broadly as she followed her at a less enthusiastic pace, rubbing her bottom where the stones had dug sharply into it. She wouldn't be sitting on that kind of ground again in a hurry. 

Her slower pace was actually better than her companions. By moving slower she wasn't slipping every couple of ticks whereas the glassworker had to grasp things to make sure she didn't fall down. The teen decided to allow her companion, no...her friend, to realise for herself that a steady pace was the way forward. It was nice to think that thought, that Syveris was her friend. Well she wouldn't use the word out loud for a while but she could use it somewhat tentatively in her head.

"Well in my free time, which I don't have that much of because of hunting, I don't do that much. I like going to the Enclave. I love reading so if I have free time I like to sit in the Enclave and read. If I'm not in the mood to sit in there then I borrow books and read them in my rooms. I get fictions sometimes but mostly I get books out on hunting or tracking or something else educational. I just like information," she explained, trudging just a little behind Syveris, a hand ready to grab the young woman if she fell.

"If it's been a frustrating day then I shoot in the range. I shoot if I feel like it as well. It's nice to put an arrow through something sometimes especially if I don't get anything when I'm out hunting. I also spend a lot of time in the baths but that's because I get wet and muddy a lot. Some days I come back and I probably look like a monster," she told the other Avora then started to laugh.

"When I went hiking before, it was so wet and so muddy that I fell on my face I don't know how many times. I was so covered in muck that I couldn't even recognise myself when I saw my reflection. It was in my hair, all over my face, in my ears, it was even up my nose, it was disgusting," she sniggered, wrinkling her nose at the memory. "You're lucky it's dry. What do you like to do anyway when you aren't working?"

x

[Syveris]

When the huntress began to answer, Syveris noticed she was talking much more, and that she was also laughing. The Avora smiled to herself. She was right. Azira was a wonderful companion once she let her guard down, and once again Syveris was glad that she had invited the huntress to go hiking. She would appreciate it if they could become friends. Her thoughts were interrupted when she slipped again, and the Avora groaned. Why was she slipping so much? It was a little frustrating, not being able to walk two steps without almost falling, but she wouldn't give up.

"I really am lucky." the Avora had to laugh when the other mentioned her last trip. She could only imagine what Azira looked like, but it was a funny picture. "If I'm like this with dry ground, imagine if it was wet! But just wait. Until the end of the day, I'll surely..." she was interrupted by another slip, this one making her stumble three steps forward, ending up with her knees and hands on the rocky ground. "Oh, petch. What did I tell you?" she didn't exactly fall on her face, but she had been scratched by the rocky ground. It was barely hurting , but it had shred her bryda a little, and she scowled. "Guess I'll try to walk slower now."

Syveris got up, looking at her knees and hands. There was a little blood on them, but nothing serious. It wouldn't even keep her from working. Shrugging, she kept walking, more embarrassed than anything by her fall.

"Well, I usually climb up the Edge of the Word." Syveris began to answer the question, cleaning her hands on her bryda. She thought for a while, then decided to offer more information. Azira had told her a lot, and it would be unfair if she didn't do the same. "I feel free out there, you know? Well, I love my work and all, but the Reverie is closed, and you can't exactly feel the wind. On the Edge, though, it's truly amazing. I can't go very high yet, otherwise I would fall, but still, to be off the ground and feel the wind around... It's an amazing feeling. Maybe you should try sometime."

"I've brought this sword on the last few days of this Summer." she pointed to her talon sword. "I've never had an weapon before, so I'm doing some training. I don't know why, but I'm terrible with the bow. The first and only time I tried it, I couldn't even shoot an arrow."

"I guess I can't say I like to read." Syveris chuckled, a little embarrassed by it. "But I'm doing it more this days, to learn about birds... I also began to train falconry a little... Not really related to my job, but I'll need it anyway, because..." she stopped her rambling, suddenly wondering if she should tell Azira. Then she huffed. She was being stupid and overprotective. Azira wouldn't go into her room and steal the egg, she was sure of it. "Virat gave me a falcon egg. I need to know a little about them before it hatches, so I can take care of the chick." Azira was the first person she was telling about her present, and it made her feel a little nervous. She didn't know exactly why. Maybe she was afraid that the girl would reprimand her for deviating her attention from her job.

x
x

x Abstract

[Azira]

   

The huntress couldn't remember talking so much before. Well she supposed she must have chattered a bit when she was younger but she didn't usually talk this much without insulting someone. Maybe it was because she'd already offended the girl as much as she could and so maybe now she was just able to talk. It certainly seemed that way.

As Syveris laughed at her story and the image of her covered in mud, the girl slipped and fell, grazing her hands and probably her legs in the process. She didn't seem to badly hurt but the huntress found herself frowning worriedly all the same. Hovering at the woman's side until it was apparent that she wasn't too badly hurt.

"Are you okay?" she asked the glassworker, biting her lip. "Well at least if you'd fallen when it was wet it's a lot softer, definitely less sharp. I would have told you to slow down  but I thought that you'd figure it out by yourself," she explained before lapsing into silence to listen to her companion speak.

The huntress found herself frowning at the idea of climbing the Edge of the World. It must be truly terrifying to climb up so high with the wind whipping around you. Well she supposed that exhilarating could be another word to describe it though the idea wasn't too appealing to her. Azira didn't think she'd be going climbing any time soon. The talon sword caught her attention though.

"Oh you have a sword! One of the Endal, Turrin, offered to give me lessons but I don't know whether to take him up on his offer or not. Think it's worth it? Well it could come in useful I suppose but I don't know for sure. Archery isn't easy by the way, it took me ages before I could even pull the string back so don't feel bad about it."

The teen focused on where she was putting her feet for a few chimes while she listened to the girl talk about reading up on falconry and the fact that someone had given her a falcon egg. Something about that made her feel as if she'd forgotten something important on this subject but she couldn't for the life of her remember what.

"That's interesting. I can't say that I'm that interested in falconry but I suppose I ought to be. It'd be really handy for hunting. If you want some help with it though you could always ask Lavira. She's an Endal now but she used to work with birds I think..." she trailed off, as she remembered what she'd forgotten. The last day in the market, Syveris had been buying...

"Crates! That's why you were buying crates a few days ago wasn't it? You were getting stuff for when your chick hatches!" the Avora felt immensely pleased with herself for remembering that but she looked to her companion to find out if she was right.

x

[Syveris]

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I tend to get hurt a lot." Syveris smiled, trying to ease the others worry. "I guess I should have guessed, but me and slow don't get along too well." at least, not on first times. She could learn to slow down on some activities, but it took some time.

Syveris chuckled when Azira frowned at the idea of climbing. She had figured that the activity wouldn't seem pleasant to the huntress. The Avora still thought that the other might like it if she tried, but she wasn't going to insist. She smiled when Azira mentioned Turrin. Syveris had only met the half-Myrian few times, but his company was pleasant and she found his stories about his people to be very interesting.

"I think it's worth it if you want to do it." Syveris answered the huntress, trying to slow down her pace. She was still slipping, but not so much anymore. "Turrin is a wonderful person, though. I've trained with him before and he is a good teacher too. So, if you want to, go for it! The three of us can even train together one day, if you want." Syveris proposed. She didn't know what Azira's relationship with Turrin was like, and she didn't know whatever her presence would make the huntress more at ease or not, but she supposed she would just make the proposal, and Azira could decide what was best for her.

"Lavira... Oh, yes. I know her. She has helped me." Syveris remembered her first lesson in falconry, a little embarrassed. "Virat, my mentor, was very insistent that I took falconry lessons, and I didn't know why, since he hadn't gave me the egg yet. So he searched for an instructor and asked Lavira to teach me. But I didn't knew what we would be doing, so I wasn't prepared." the Avora gave a nervous chuckle. "Of course, she was a little annoyed by it. But Lavira taught me really well, and I'm grateful."

"Yes. I'm using it to keep the egg warm and protected, so it can hatch without problems." the huntress seemed to be pleased with herself for remembering, and Syveris was glad that she could confirm the others guess. The Avora slipped again, and she had to once again grab a tree to stop herself from falling. Well, she would learn sometime. "I'm a little nervous, because if it's already hard work getting prepared for when it hatches, I imagine how it will be when the chick actually hatch. But it's very exciting at the same time." she slowed down even more, walking besides Azira, trying to walk at the same speed as the huntress. Maybe she would slip less that way. "I can show you the egg, if you want! I mean, it's still an egg and all, but..." Syveris blushed a little, and then shook her head. Yes, she was excited about the whole thing, but it was still only an egg, and she doubted that Azira would share the same excitement, specially since she had nothing to do with it. "Ah, forget it. I'm getting overexcited again." she offered, as a way of apologizing for her chattiness.

x
x

x Abstract

[Azira]

   

Well Syveris still seemed to be in one piece for the moment. Her fall and her little slips didn't seem to have prevented her from nattering happily away. She was actually pleased that the girl was talking to her, not seeming to mind whether she answered or not, or even if she was listening at all. The glassworker seemed perfectly content to just have somebody to talk at. Someone who replied seemed to be a bonus for her. At least she was talking about things that Azira could actually comment on her if she wanted to.

The girl's suggestion that she take up Turrin's offer and that the three of them work together made the huntress turn crimson. Syveris had no idea about what she'd done to the half-Myrian. The young woman debated whether or not to explain the incident to her companion or not. Looking back it had been extremely embarrassing and recklessly stupid. She decided that she might as well tell the girl about it so she'd understand why she might be reluctant to take up Turrin up on his offer.

"Well actually the thing about Turrin is that he was very kind in making that offer considering that I didn't deserve such pleasant treatment," she began, not looking at the glassworker. "I was just eating dinner on my own and he thought I looked lonely so he came over to talk to me and sometimes I'm quite cranky and get easily...annoyed." Annoyed was putting it mildly. "I might have thrown something at him, insulted his people, caught the attention of another Endal who decided he wanted to bed me and Turrin might have started a fight with him over it and then he was nice enough to offer to bring me hunting and giving me lessons," the Avora finished in a rush, blushing fiercely. "So yes. Things between us might just be a little awkward to say the least."

The girl pounced on the subject of Lavira. "Yes, Lavira's very nice and understanding and I don't think she hates me anymore. She brought me hunting just the day before I met you in the market. It was...nice, I guess but she does love her birds. I bet you learned loads from her." 

She lapsed into silence for a chime, paying extra attention to her footing despite the fact that she was confident enough about where to walk. The extra attention and her embarrassment actually made her slip, a stone rolling unexpectedly under her foot. Luckily she managed not to fall which would have only added to her embarrassment and her face was only just now beginning to cool.

"I've never seen a falcon's egg before. Maybe I can come and see it some time soon. When do you think it'll hatch?" she asked, not having to fake her interest. The falcon egg seemed to be a neutral enough subject anyway. There was no way she could bring up anyone else she'd offended by talking about that.

x