20th of Winter, 518AV
”Are you prepared?” Lani swung around to look at the man, eyes wide and eyebrows concerned. She was surprised she had understood the Nari so quickly, but the odd way he spoke and the fact that the redheaded man stared straight at her was concerning. She carried her Talon Sword on her, and her mind floated to the long ornate handle on her hip. She had been getting better with it, and it would hardly be an effort to pull it. But why did his words concern her enough to think of her sword?
The Inarta man laughed, pulling an ornate mask from his stand and stepping out to her slightly. Lani paused, not moving closer to the strange man, but not running away either. ”I see you may not know our traditions, and so I’m trying to help you. If you wish to take part in the Winter Revelry, you must purchase a mask.”
Lani listened to his explanations, still silent as she digested the foreign words. Was she to attend a party? In a mask? ”What do you speak of?” She asked, her words perhaps too formal for the situation, but clear. She had been practicing.
”The Winter Revelry, put on by Inclement Weather.” The mixed blood was prepared to dismiss the party, realizing what he was saying, but he must had read the expression on her face because he held up a finger, grabbing her attention back to him. ”It is no ordinary party.” He spoke slowly, aware that she needed the time and context to understand what he was trying to tell her. ”For someone like you, it is nearly necessary.”
”Someone like me?” Anger flared in her voice and then dissipated in a few ticks. The Avora seemed to ignore the outburst, continuing past her accusatory tone to continue to explain his purpose.
”Someone with eyes and hair like you,” He clarified, clearly not afraid of any offense he might have caused her. ”Because the Winter Revelry required masks, anonymity.”
”What does anonymity mean?” She was curious about the world. She hated to admit, but his explanation had worked. The foreigner had stepped out of the crowd and towards the man to hear him better. She liked the idea of anonymity, but she knew that a simply mask would not do it. In the season she had stayed in this forsaken city, she had not yet met another with long straight black locks like she. The mixed blood had heard of a Konti, although she had not met her yet, and she count on one hand how many Isur traders she had come across, but they had not stayed nearly as long as she did, and she had not seen any in the winter. There was supposedly a Svefra Pod that had visited last season as well, but again Lani had not emerged from her cave to meet them. She was the only one who looked like her in the entire city, a mask could not hide that.
The Inarta man laughed, pulling an ornate mask from his stand and stepping out to her slightly. Lani paused, not moving closer to the strange man, but not running away either. ”I see you may not know our traditions, and so I’m trying to help you. If you wish to take part in the Winter Revelry, you must purchase a mask.”
Lani listened to his explanations, still silent as she digested the foreign words. Was she to attend a party? In a mask? ”What do you speak of?” She asked, her words perhaps too formal for the situation, but clear. She had been practicing.
”The Winter Revelry, put on by Inclement Weather.” The mixed blood was prepared to dismiss the party, realizing what he was saying, but he must had read the expression on her face because he held up a finger, grabbing her attention back to him. ”It is no ordinary party.” He spoke slowly, aware that she needed the time and context to understand what he was trying to tell her. ”For someone like you, it is nearly necessary.”
”Someone like me?” Anger flared in her voice and then dissipated in a few ticks. The Avora seemed to ignore the outburst, continuing past her accusatory tone to continue to explain his purpose.
”Someone with eyes and hair like you,” He clarified, clearly not afraid of any offense he might have caused her. ”Because the Winter Revelry required masks, anonymity.”
”What does anonymity mean?” She was curious about the world. She hated to admit, but his explanation had worked. The foreigner had stepped out of the crowd and towards the man to hear him better. She liked the idea of anonymity, but she knew that a simply mask would not do it. In the season she had stayed in this forsaken city, she had not yet met another with long straight black locks like she. The mixed blood had heard of a Konti, although she had not met her yet, and she count on one hand how many Isur traders she had come across, but they had not stayed nearly as long as she did, and she had not seen any in the winter. There was supposedly a Svefra Pod that had visited last season as well, but again Lani had not emerged from her cave to meet them. She was the only one who looked like her in the entire city, a mask could not hide that.
