[The Sanctuary] Homecoming

by **Roland Eir** on August 2nd, 2014, 10:44 pm

6th of Summer, 514 AV

The air had changed. It was familiar this time, the salt-tinged air; like something out of a half-remembered dream. Roland drank it in greedily, invigorated by the smell of the sea. His horse seemed to remember it too: the gildling's ears perked up and its pace increased despite its wearied limbs. Roland allowed it, knowing that the poor animal deserved the better treatment it would receive on their arrival. The young man’s gaze lay fixed on the horizon and eager to make out the walls of The Sanctuary. Riverfall itself was naught but a large wall at this distance. The city he had yet to even visit, though he had spent the better part of a week living nearby.

Roland was saddened at the thought of that. The past year had been difficult; at times his new home at The Sanctuary had seemed like a dream. Some paradise he had imagined to make his struggle more bearable. If it was still his home. He had been welcomed before, not just into their lives but into their family as well, and he had left. Now his memory of this place and all that happened after was mired in regret. For how things turned out, for the choices he’d made, for everything. If they did not take him back he would be as lost as before. A stray leaf in a storm wind, careening through the sky with nowhere to land, nothing left to do but rot.

The air in Roland’s lungs felt stale and dry. He pulled back on the reins, forcing the tired beast to an uneasy halt. Its hooves pawed at the ground restlessly, sending dust into the air. Roland breathed heavily, unable to give the beast an answer to its questioning eyes. Why are we stopping? Fear, perhaps, though he didn’t like admitting it. The knuckles of his hands were white, and he forced himself to relax his grip. Leather creaked beneath him as the harness strained against the buckles. A year, most of it on the road, had done little good for man or beast. Now rest was an easy bell’s ride away and he was faltering.

He had only known her for a week, and The Sanctuary’s leader was still a mystery to him. She had healed him out of compassion, she loved her family, but she was also stern and took her responsibilities seriously. If Kavala decided one chance was all he would get, if the letter he had left wasn’t enough explanation, would she let him return? Should she? He must have sat there, dumb in the saddle, for ten chimes at least. The light breeze stirred his long, unkempt hair. The sun baked his sun-burned skin.

And he didn’t move until the horse beneath him nearly bucked him off. With a shouted curse and some fumbling with the reins, he managed to get the beast under control. The animal shook beneath him obviously scared. Roland found them turned towards the vast sea of grass that extended south of the Kabrin road. Not far from where he sat in the saddle the grass was parting, some unseen thing was moving towards him. He knew enough not to stay and find out. His hand forced, Roland turned the horse up the road and dug in his heels. The tired animal found some hidden reserve of strength and launched forward. Though he glanced back to make sure they weren’t followed, Roland never caught sight of whatever had been stalking him.

Soon enough, the compound came into sight. Stone walls, the gate—welcoming and forbidding at the same time—and the bell that would ring his arrival. The horse slowed beneath him without any need for command. They both felt the safety of those walls within reach. Roland found himself once more paralyzed with uncertainty, but perhaps the horse knew something he didn’t because it strode forward confidently. When they reached turned off the road and had reached the gate, the animal looked back at him with intelligent, expectant eyes. Roland poured out all his uncertainty and fears in a tremendous sigh, gave in to weariness and hope and got off the horse. His boots crunched the dry earth happily, though his legs wobbled from too long in the saddle. Four seasons of exhaustion seemed to weigh down his hand as he lifted it to ring the bell. It chimed pleasantly, ringing through the open air above the compound.

As he waited he wondered what they would think of him. Here he was again a messy, exhausted traveler on their doorstep. New wounds on his body, and new scars. Most from Sunberth. His clothes—all picked from the clean stock from his wardrobe here—were once again travel-soiled and tattered. If he did stay, the first thing they’d want from him would be a bath. He held the reins and patted his horse’s neck. “You need one too,” he whispered, wrinkling his nose.

They were an unfortunate pair, horse and rider. The most recent threat from the grass was not the first along their long road. It was also not the first that had gotten them moving but not harmed them. Not for the first time Roland wondered if the gods were at work here, pushing him onward. Kavala and the others seemed to think the gods took interest in their lives. He had seen their gnosis at work, of course. The long white scar on his right arm reminded him of that every day. But he still found the idea that they would care about a random boy from Sunberth unlikely. And unsettling. He looked to the sky, wondering if he’d catch a glimpse of some heavenly being looking down on him. Nothing but puffy white clouds and the glaring sun as usual. So he looked back towards the gate instead, and the future it held.

The Letter :

by **Kavala** on August 13th, 2014, 12:06 am

When he swung off his horse, the animal instinctual turned its head and offered a nicker of a greeting. A lone figure leaned against the wall, balanced by a slightly tilted hip propped against stone that seemed as familiar to her as her own skin. The Konti was slight, thinner perhaps than Roland remembered, but otherwise unchanged. Clad in dark leathers with tall riding boots and a thin tank top that was soaked with sweat, he could tell she'd been working the horses quite heavily. Tangled hair escaped from a leather thong that swept it back to the nape of her neck. The sections free of the leather tie twisted about her face. She had an impish grin on her face, one of surprised delight more at place on a child than on a Konti full grown.

But it was obvious she was glad to see him.

She pushed herself off and walked his way, taking her time as if wanting to get a good look at him before necessity forced her to speak. She held her hand out, eyes on Roland, but greeted the horse in the gentle way horses greeted each other by sharing breath and touch. Hands encased in fingerless gloves stroked the horse's cheek and then ran a hand down its neck. The gildling looked thin in Kavala's eyes and that marred her smile of greeting. "You've ridden hard and for quite a while." She said softly, then broke her gaze to meet the horse's soft eyes then.

"We'll get some good food into you. I bet you are hungry." She said to the animal, stroking its shoudler and then glancing back at Roland. "Both of you." She added, offering him a hesitant smile. She noted that he moved like a tired man, maybe a wounded one, though there was no obvious sign she could see. The Konti reached up, touching Roland much like she'd just touched his horse, and ran her fingers over the long white scar on his arm.

"You've not been treating yourself well either. Come on then... lets get this horse fed an settled and then do the same for you. You look like you aren't going to be standing long." She said with a half smile, noting his fatigue. It was not the first time he'd come to her exhausted. That seemed to be what sort of relationship they had.

Kavala didn't mind. She was used to fixing things up and setting them free. To her payment was enough to know that they'd lived a better life because they'd crossed paths with her.

"How was your trip?" She asked cautiously, not wanting to open a can of worms he perhaps did not want opened. But if he wanted to talk about it, she certainly would oblige.

And without touching the horse further or asking Roland's permission, Kavala clucked lightly with her tongue and turned on her heel. She was headed for one of the barns flanking the courtyard. She lead them both through a stone archway, down an isle, and into the first open box stall she came too. Once there, without asking Roland or asking for an assist, she started stripping off the horse's tack. She stowed it and Roland's saddlebags on hangers outside the stall and then went to fetch fresh food and water.

Kavala returned with a huge pile of sweet hay, piling it up high in the horse's stall. Then she came back with warm bran mash that had a generous portion of rolled oats and corn added in. She set the food out for the horse, turned on the spicket for water, and then grabbed a rag and began cleaning the sweat and dirty horse off the creature. All the while, if Roland wanted to talk, she'd listen.

by **Roland Eir** on August 13th, 2014, 1:45 am

Tired and sore, it seemed to him that the konti materialized out of thin air. "Gods above," he muttered, stepping back and grinning sheepishly. From the look of her she'd been working with the horses--no surprise there--but she seemed genuinely pleased to see him. That was good. He didn't stop her from going to the horse, and though her eyes were on him he knew her heart went out mainly to the animal. There were no hurt feelings there, Roland had subjected the animal to his own untrained handling for long enough. There would likely be words from Kavala on that subject later, but for now she was sympathetic.

"I reckon we're both about as starved as we were last time," Roland said, reaching up to scratch at his jaw. The skin was stretched tight over muscle and bone, not even the thick layer of untrimmed hair could hide that. He paused as her hand reached up to brush against his scar. Her gentle touch brought back a flash of memory, the searing pain of healing and the power of her magic. A thin breath shivered through his teeth and he pulled back a bit, not quite ready to give up a life-time of suspicion and doubt. Hiding his own frustration at his gracelessness, he thanked her for her concern and gladly followed her into the compound.

"Unfortunate," he said in answer to her question. "The roads are no safer now than they were before. Seems your almost as likely to find a band of thieves on the open road as you are on the streets back ho... in Sunberth. And every time I made camp it felt like I was being stalked by some animal." He shook his head, remembering the eerie glow of eyes in night, the snap of a twig that would send him leaping from his bedroll in panic. "I feel like I've spent more of the past year on the move than I have sitting still." She led him through to the barn, guiding the gildling to an open stall. Watching her work made him feel a bit helpless, but even after so long on the road Kavala knew what to do better than he. Plus he was so tired he'd probably just get in the way. She looked so at home here, so naturally a part of this place she may as well have been the stonework holding the walls together. And even after imagining this place his paradise, dreaming of his return, he felt so homeless.

Part of him knew he had dodged her question, avoiding talk of why he had gone, of what had happened when he reached his destination. He tried not to think of it himself, his lonely mind traitorously wandering there at night as he lay trying to sleep. But he owed her something, some explanation. "In Sunberth... well, it was just as I'd remembered it. I avoided my old house, it wouldn't be safe for me. I just wandered, collecting news and trying to reckon why I was there. It was my father who found me first, and..." The words seemed to catch in his mouth, dry stones that wouldn't force there way past his parched tongue. Swallowing, he changed his tune. "There's nothing for me back there now, I know that much."

That was enough vulnerability for one day. The young man sank into silence, forcing a smile that didn't reach his eyes as Kavala left to fetch food and water for the larger of the two tired animals. "It's good to be here," he said when she returned. "Feels safe again." Sat on an upturned bucket, his back against the stall and his long legs bent comfortably he'd almost fallen asleep right there. But he forced himself to rise again and help with brushing the dirt from the horse's coat. Some of the grime on his hands washed away and the skin beneath looked raw and burned by the sun. The water felt divine, and he restrained himself from digging into the horse's supply.

by **Kavala** on August 13th, 2014, 3:49 am

The Konti kept glancing at him as she worked, nodding to his words but not asking him any more questions. Men, especially humans, did things she often did not understand for reasons she suspected even they themselves were unsure of. Questioning them would be like asking the stars why they wheeled about the night sky endlessly, shifting only slightly season to season.

"You won't get an interrogation from me. I'm just glad you managed to go do what you needed to do and return in one piece. We could use the help here. And like I told you before, you are always welcome." Why? Kavala had no idea why she'd made the offer to the battered man more than a year ago. Perhaps walking his Chavi and knowing his past would tell her more. But so many of the people that had showed up at The Sanctuary had come like Roland had... mysteriously and drawn in ways they couldn't understand.

"I only ask that you stay long enough this time to get truly strong enough to go running off without half killing yourself and definitely your horse. This animal has no glow left in its coat. He should be shinning like Syna's light even in the darkest night." She said, leaving the lecture at that. Roland wasn't stupid. He knew what sort of condition he AND his horse were in. Bone thin, half starved... Kavala knew what that felt like. Only when she'd been ill, it hadn't been by her doing unless one counted her pregnancy as her fault. Which, in a way, it had been. But that it had half killed her had changed the way she viewed things, things being life in general.

She tended to lecture less, act more, and not waste time on things that had less importance than a single breath of fresh air. Chastising Roland was one of those things. He'd do what he wanted, regardless of what was right or not, and the only thing she could do is make sure he was fed up and healthy before the next wind blew him away.

Kavala stopped then, simply looked at him, and such a sadness shown in her eyes for just a brief moment before her naturally soft nurturing smile covered it up. People left her. So many did. And yet here she was, investing in yet another soul that was lost and needed a soft landing for a while. She told herself she didn't do it for the appreciation or for any sort of loyalty. Kavala helped out because it was the right thing to do. And yet she could count the friends that would do the same for her on one hand... with a few spare fingers to boot. Caelum. Alaia. The Twins. Aweston. The rest she didn't know well enough. Even Vanator had packed up and rode out. Was he even alive? The Konti had no idea where her brother had gone too and she hadn't heard from her sister in years.

And she was terrified to look.

But those thoughts lead to dark places, places Kavala would rather not be in. She ran a hand through her hair, tossed the brush aside, and picked up a hoof pick. She carefully lifted each hoof, cleaned it out, and then ran her hands over the geldings' body, soothing aches and pains, sore muscles, and easing a stiff knee that just needed a little of Rak'keli's touch.

Then she turned to the man. She offered him a smile, opened the stall door, and then held out a hand if he wanted to take it so she could help him off the bucket he was perched on leaning against the stall wall.

"He'll eat, sleep, and you should do the same. Your old quarters are still unused at the moment if you want to take them back. You know where the bath is if you want to have one tonight. Otherwise, I can see about getting some food going for you." Kavala said, leading him out of the barn.

She picked up his saddlebags, noting that they were lighter than a normal person's should be, and lead him along the walkway around the arena to The Within's double doors. She easily opened one, let him in, and then closed it behind her. The Konti lead him down the ramp to the first turnoff that lead to the Commons of The Within and gently nudged the door open. She dumped his saddlebags next to an overstuffed couch before the fire, and glanced at the kitchen.

"Or you can just relax here for a few while I make you something simple." She said, mentally going over what they had int he icebox and what could be cooked or used. Roland was definitely getting a simple meal... breakfast most likely.. with her level of cooking and what was in the kitchen left overs.

Kavala waited for Roland to decide, then headed over to the sink to wash up and get busy assembling her ingredients. He was going to get three eggs, pancakes, and a bit of bacon and some fresh fruit from Riverfall's Orchards. If he wanted more, she'd make more... but she suspected he'd be asleep before he got through the first round. "How about bacon, eggs, pancakes.... some juice and fruit?" She asked, then added. "And how do you like your eggs cooked? I scramble... scramble... and scramble..." She joked, knowing she could fry an egg hole, but trying to lighten the mood.

It felt good taking care of someone again, even if just for an evening.

by **Roland Eir** on August 13th, 2014, 6:34 am

"Thank you," Roland said, still struck by how willing this woman was to let him into her family. The words weren't enough. They were never enough, and he was sure one day he'd have a chance to justify her trust. "I promise, I won't go off on my own this time. Nowhere else to go." He nodded at her words about the horse, remembering the first time he'd lain eyes on the creature. Its mysterious glow had been why he'd picked it in the first place. It had been a long time since he'd seen anything past the dust and grime that they had cleaned away.

Weary, he sat again on the bucket and watched as she rubbed the horse down, easing its aches and if he wasn't mistaken, using a little of her gnosis to help. When she was satisfied and ready to leave Roland took the proffered hand and let her pick him up to his feet. Her strength always surprised him, and he remembered that she was as much a warrior as she was a healer. "My old quarters would be perfect," he murmured. The thought of that bed had him ready to collapse. And yet, when she led him inside and settled him in front of the fire he found it hard to think of sleep with the offer of food dangled before him.

The talk of eggs and bacon had him watering at the mouth, and he became painfully aware of the ache at his center. The steady gnaw of hunger had become such a constant over the past few weeks that he hardly noticed it anymore. Now he was reminded, and sat down before the fire to wait as patiently as he could. "Scrambled is perfect," he called softly. Everything was perfect. The warmth of the fire was perfect, and the cool air of The Within was perfect. The flames danced before his eyes, and his heavy lids drooped. It seemed his body could not make up its mind whether it needed sleep or food next.

Imagining the crisp crunch of bacon and the sweet juices of the fruit had him desperately struggling to stay awake, but even the sharp pangs of hunger could not help him elude the grasp of sleep. With his head tipped back against the seat and his legs splayed out toward the fire, his eyes blinked once or twice and then shut themselves against the light of consciousness. Soft snoring soon carried over from the couch, and it would take some rousing before he'd be eating anything.

by **Kavala** on October 30th, 2014, 4:56 pm

Closed [The Sanctuary] Homecoming