Because I’m Happy // I’m Grateful Pt.2

[Kamilla]

Kamilla Circe Gordon

39th of Spring, 519AV

Sunshine, unbearable heat and a beautifully blue ocean, that was what the day was turning out to be, much like every other day in Syka, or at least that’s how it was beginning to seem to Kamilla. Since her arrival at the tropical settlement, the mage hadn’t experienced a single cloudy day, the sun just seemed to bare down from above almost perpetually. If she was being honest, Kamilla felt nothing but relief each day during sunset, even though it’s disappearance didn’t effect the heat in Syka too much.

It wasn’t that the heat, although currently unbearable to her, was the worst thing in Mizahar, but rather that she was unable to make herself comfortable when not in the shade due to personal reasons. Her scar. The hideous burn scar that made its way from the ankle of her left leg all the way to her knee, it kept her in high boots or stockings every day which was not ideal in Syka’s tropical weather. Unfortunately, there was no simple solution to the problem since she hated the scar and had never allowed anyone to see it. She wasn’t about to start now, no matter how flustered the boots made her.

Getting dressed, this day the mage opted for her usual short black skirt with lace tail and Scarlet, the animated scarf for her upper body.

Holding the long red scarf across her chest, Kamilla lowered her voice as far as possible, speaking in an annoyed manly voice as best she could. ”Scarlet... bust.” The need for the manly voice was due to an oversight during the animation process, while the annoyance was genuine.

Receiving its command, the red scarf came to life, one of its sides slithering around Kamilla’s bare back while the other wrapped itself around her body, overlapping itself, tightening and then finally reaching its resting state. While Kamilla knew the scarf was an animated golem, to anyone else it would simply seem like a well fastened item of clothing, wrapped several times around her chest.

Almost done with her attire for the day, Kamilla went to pull on her thigh high boots, pausing for a moment as she opted for her thigh high stockings and knee high boots instead, hoping the stockings would be a slightly cooler option. With that done, the mage painted her lips red, leaving the rest of her face undisturbed, brushed her mass of dark wavy hair and was finally ready to go.

On her way out, the mage grabbed her pack, containing one of her blank books, writing utensils, her sewing kit, a few precut pieces of cloth and last not certainly not least, her pet yowlwing Yennefer.

Having bought a leash for the winged feline the day before, Kamilla was eager to finally be able to take the cat out with her, without having to worry about it darting off into the jungle again. She shuddered a bit at the thought, remembering her ‘hunting trip’ with the savage Quzon and more recently, her ordeal with the Wanolo Baboons and the kelvic woman who’s name she’d never gotten.

With all the skin her outfit left uncovered, several of the quickly fading bruises from the incident were visible, along with the much more obvious bandage around her left thigh, which her short skirt failed to conceal. The bite was healing nicely, the akalak healer at The Panacea having done a great job, though it was still uncomfortable when she walked around too much. Syka’s abundance of sandy terrain did not help.

Finally stepping out onto the aforementioned sand in question, Kamilla turned around, leash in hand, as she awaited Yennefer’s reaction to being somewhat restrained and unable to wander freely. ”Come on, Yen. At least you’re not couped up inside anymore.” A few gentle tugs on the leash were added to encourage the stubborn feline to follow behind her owner. Yennefer, however, was having none of it.

Instead of following happily behind, like Kamilla had hoped, the yowlwing had chosen instead to stiffen completely, clearly uncomfortable with the sensation of being leashed. ”Yenn...” Another tug of encouragement, though this one had a bit more strength and duration to it. This time the feline stiffened her legs, paws sinking into the sand, at which point Kamilla’s patience, already worn thin, began to gently drag the cat along.

The mage took several steps backwards, still watching her pet as it was dragged along, creating a long track in the sand as she did her best to stop the movement, wings even flapping out to add more resistance to the motion. ”Honestly Yennefer. You’re ridiculous.” Kamilla had made it all of ten steps across the beach since the beginning of her battle with the small gray beast who continued to stare back defiantly, large green eyes focused on the warm brown orbs of their owner.

”Either you walk around with the leash on or you can stay locked up inside again.”

Kamilla wasn’t certain if the yowlwing understood her, or if she’d just grown tired of resisting the constant pull of the leash, but Yennefer finally budged, trudging unhappily up to Kamilla’s feet and meowing cutely as she placed her paws on the woman’s boot. ”You want me to carry you?... Fine.” As if she could say no to the beautiful feline.

Plucking Yennefer from the ground and holding her against her chest, Kamilla finally made her way towards Syka. She had no commitments for the day and had decided to give some of her free time to practicing her own crafts. Either glyphing, sewing or drawing would be her endeavor for the day. Perhaps even a mixture of the three.

[Roulette]

The torture! Having to be still. For so long! It was an absolute nightmare! No running, no excessive shifting, no heavy lifting, or anything physically demanding... Be still they said! Roulette deeply hated having to do so. Even though a few days had already passed since the baboon incident, the Akalak healers, Jansen and Kalum Alvarth had told her to not do anything that could tear open the fresh stitches. And further aggravate the two broken ribs on one side. Okay yes, let's be totally honest, everything still hurt! But that didn't mean she couldn't get up anyway! Right? Right?!

She had to stay under the healer's care for an entire day just to be sure she was not bleeding internally. Thankfully she wasn't, but still! At the time of arrival, Roulette had been quick to find some form of clothing and drag it to the nearest bed. She had gotten up onto that bed and laid down on the article of clothing while eyeing the blue healers, along with a few whines. Thankfully they realized she didn't have the energy to shift when she promptly seemed to go to sleep though.

But she awoke chimes later because of a new pain against her neck and shoulder. Yelping in surprise and ready to fight all over again, only to calm down when she realized they were stitching up the wounds after cleaning them. How long had she been sleeping there? Either way, they gave her stern instructions not to overdo anything, and try not to move around too much or else her two broken ribs would not heal properly. After they released her from their care, she had been keen on returning to her temporary housing for the time being.

It hurt worse the next day. The bruises, the bones, the muscles...EVERYTHING! She actually did not feel up to moving much, but in the same breath, staying there was not something she was going to be happy with either. So before either of the healers could really protest, the kelvic willed her body to move. Limping or not, she did not stay and headed toward where the tent was set up just north of the Sawmill. Granted, it took a bell or two longer than it should have. As much as she did not want to show it...she really was in pain.

Well, being in dog form at the time kind of helped with the expression part at the very least. Ducking in and around thick tree roots, and other dense vegetation was a little painstaking, but worth it in the end as she got into the wide-carved paths that were often seen. Limping still, her movements had become a bit slower than when she had started the trek back. But at least from there, it was not going to be long. After several chimes of limping through, making sure to stay out of the way of the Sawmill's workers, she looked up in time to see Lars going inside hauling something metal.

But as curious as she felt, even she knew rest was needed. So instead of satisfying her curiosity, Roulette turned onto a small trail that led straight up toward where her home was being built. She couldn't thank Randal enough, even though it wasn't finished just yet. But she felt grateful all the same, and it brought a new surge - if not a little painful - of happiness flowing through from nose to tail tip! Her tail gave a small wag, then reached her tent where it had been set up closer to the beach.

After laying down against a shirt that she dragged out from her backpack, she laid down and went to sleep. By the time she awoke again, it was dark outside. Really dark! Though at least the moon was shining some on the dark surface of the ocean's water. Staring at the waves as they crashed, she just simply listened to the sound of it. The salt breeze was blowing a little bit too. It seemed the right thing to do, but she remained like that for a long while. Not really keep track of time. She wasn't sure what time of night it was, but that did not matter.

The ocean's water was absolutely gorgeous here, even at night. And she appreciated it's beauty. She wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep again, but by the time morning had seeped through the darkness to brighten everything up, she was back in human form. Roulette must have changed back in her sleep somehow. But that aside...she felt like she was starving! It hadn't registered right that second, but getting up quickly to go through her backpack in order to get something to eat...oh how she wished she had not moved as quickly as she had done!

"Oooooooh... Oooooow... Oh, that hurts... Ow.." Voice muttered under her breath and she doubled over slowly with both arms wrapped around her torso gently. The pain shot everywhere. Namely from her broken ribs. The deep pain was so sharp she stayed there curled up almost into a fetal position with her head against her knees. Once the worse of the pain settled enough she could move again, she was keen to look around where she sat. If anything that was to ensure that no one was around to see her like this.

Some habits were harder to quit than others. She took a slow inhaling of breath. The salty air reminded her of last night's gorgeous view... Feeling a sense of happiness tingled all over and she smiled while trying not to laugh for the sake of her broken ribs. She then unwrapped both arms carefully from around her torso in order to go through her backpack. Pulling out some dried and salted meat, it wasn't much but hey she wasn't going to be picky either! It was food! It could give her some more energy to work with, and hopefully help with the healing over time thing. Red eyes looked around the backpack some more.

Before she had left home, she had placed bits of her rations in different little hiding spots in her backpack. This was to help keep her memory as sharp as possible. Finding one of the little hiding spots, her fingers grasped the bits of dried food ration to eagerly eat it. It was best to space things out though. She could work on her foraging skills by locating more food nearby or go work on her fishing skills. While thinking about what to do for the day, her red eyes landed silently on her most prized possession. The marble carving of a bear.

Thoughts went back toward home. The stories she'd heard countless times when she was younger. Treasured memories she did not intend to forget. Picking it up gingerly, turning the little figurine slowly in one hand, she knew then what she'd like to do. Since the healers had been stern in telling her what not to do with broken ribs, she smiled and thought to practice carving little wooden figurines while the bones needed time to heal. Hands moved aside more things within the backpack after the marble bear was set into her lap. She was looking for something. She would need a woodcarver's kit. And she knew it.

Grabbing a pouch containing all her mizas, she is keen to take out her pants as well. Since she was sitting on her shirt, it was already out. Easy! Getting dressed was a little harder than she originally thought, however. Because it hurt to move. But she got dressed and tucked away the pouch containing all of her funds. Maybe not the best idea, but she wanted to be sure she would have enough for the kit. It was likely going to cost quite a bit. She looked around before leaving out from underneath the shade of the tent. Another hot sunny day was ahead! Might as well make the most of it right?

With that in mind, she cast a glance at where her home was to be built and felt a sense of giddiness rush all over, from head to toes. She had to bite her lower lip though in an effort to stop herself from making a run excitedly toward the jungle where the settlement was located. Breathe! Stay calm or the bones won't heal! She began to walk to the small trail until it led down the wide-carved paths leading around the Sawmill. Sun shining, not a cloud in the vast lovely sky... And she could swear she heard birds singing to one another too. What wasn't there to love about this place? Roulette began humming faintly, more to herself. One of the Svefra songs she'd listened to during her three-day travel with them.

Even with how careful she moved, there was still a visible limping. Everywhere still hurt, but it wasn't going to stop her from living every moment to it's fullest. At least if she could help it! Never knew what life had planned. She moved along slowly, trying not to move too much if it wasn't necessary. But even then it hurt to move. The pain brought her mind back to Kamilla from a few days prior. She hadn't really seen her much if at all since the attack. But she felt encouraged to think positive. The woman seemed to be a strong person, from what she'd seen. At least that is what Roulette thought of her. Maybe she could find her and ask how she was doing while being out today? The thought brought a smile to Roulette's lips.

But first, finding the local shop here in the settlement was needed. Afterall... What good was woodcarving without a kit to use? She makes her way slowly into the settlement. Not tripping over things quite as much. Namely being as careful as possible just so she wouldn't be lectured by the healers! Roulette slowly makes her way. Poking in and out of buildings that seemed to be public, at least have the feeling that they were. Eventually, she makes her way toward the Syka Mercantile. But she becomes distracted first when a pair of men break out into song and dance for a chime or two before seeming to head off somewhere.

That's when she spots Kamilla just leaving the edge of her line of sight. What was that she was carrying? Roulette's head tilts to one side, then the other as if trying to listen to some noise a bit better. Then she took a few steps, looked back toward the shop and then back toward Kamilla. What should she do now?! A tiny whine actually bubbled up in her throat to escape her lips a little bit as she looked from the shop and toward where Kamilla vanished from her sight. The settlement was quite dense still with jungle. "Aaaaah... I need the kit... But I want to check on her too. Hm." There was no guarantee the kit was there but... She takes off after Kamilla. The kit could wait for the moment. She prayed there would be one when she returned though, simply because she wanted to practice the art of carving to get better.

She got to the spot where she had seen the woman last. Her scent was easy enough to remember since they had spent a tiny bit of time together. At least it wasn't rancid fruit anymore and a more pleasant one instead. Roulette simply followed her nose, though moved once or twice a little too much. She could feel the stitches in her shoulder coming a tiny bit loose as pain flared like hot iron. A moment was taken to carefully look toward her shoulder. Yep. Sure enough, there were a few tiny spots of blood faintly seeping up into the bandage. Well, that stunk. Her nose is scrunched up slightly for a tick before her facial features resumed their normal facade of happy-go-lucky.

She really didn't want to be lectured again, but would have to go see the two healers again at some point either today or the next to have those stitches looked at. She inwardly groaned, really not wanting to be scolded! A soft sigh given, she returned to her search for Kamilla. Had she gotten her name? Roulette honestly couldn't remember. But at least the scent trail was getting steadily stronger until she caught sight of the woman again. Instantly feeling a small burst of excitement, she skipped a little bit toward the woman. Regretting it immediately as her broken ribs gave sharp protests of their own.

"Oow.." She gritted her teeth and cringed a bit. Oops... Hopefully, that wasn't seen... "Hello!" She forced her voice to be as normal-sounding as possible despite the pain she felt. "I hope your bite is healing. And sorry I couldn't shift back when everything was calm... I er... Hehe... Couldn't shift." She smiled at Kamilla, hoping to engage her in conversation. Preferably without startling her.

[Kamilla]

Kamilla Circe Gordon

After only a few steps over the sand, Kamilla was already beginning to reach the very familiar state of being ‘uncomfortably hot’, though it was entirely expected. Since her arrival in Syka, she hadn’t experienced even a single reasonably cool or even just warm day. Although she hadn’t given it much thought, Kamilla was beginning to worry that if spring was unbearable, summer would be the death of her. But, hopefully she’d have her own home by then, assuming she stayed. So far her time in Syka had been bitter/sweet.

Syka itself was a paradise, each day was warm and sunny, the sound of the waves were a constant background noise and there was far more space and privacy than she’d ever experienced in any of the other cities she’d lived in. Even most of the people that she’d met since her arrival had been reasonably pleasant.

Of course, the settlement had its fair share of flaws as well. Most notably, the jungle it was besides and the array of creatures that lived within, the dull pain in her leg would serve as a reminder for the next few days. In less than half a season, Kamilla had had two bad experiences in the Falyndar jungle and she was certain that no matter how hard she tried, there would always be a possibility of a third. While that may have been a big con in the mage’s mind, it certainly wasn’t the only undesirable aspect of Syka. She was also not excited about the idea of the small population and therefore lack of information and knowledge, especially of the magical variety. Staying in Syka would make it difficult to expand her understanding of magic because of its lack in resources.

All these things and more had run through Kamilla’s mind on a day to day basis as she tried to make a decision. Probably the biggest pro in Syka’s favor was the fact that she’d been offered land and a loan in order to get herself properly set up with home and business, something she knew she’d never receive in any other city. But while that sounded great, it would also mean that she’d be rooted to the settlement until she’d paid back all her debt. It was a difficult decision no matter which way she looked at it.

She was still walking across the almost white sands, that covered the majority of the Syka terrain, in search of somewhere to sit and get to work and, more importantly, take the load off of her injured leg which was beginning to feel as if a cramp were approaching. Eventually, Kamilla decided that she’d have to settle with one of the covered beds that dotted the beach. A smart idea, since it gave residents a shaded place to rest.

Having finally spotted and decided on one of the resting spots, in the process of making her way toward it, Kamilla was caught off guard by an unexpected and unfamiliar voice from behind. Had it just been the voice, the mage probably would have been fine, but it was Yen’s reaction that added to her being startled, the feline hissing aggressively from its place in Kamilla’s arms, grew wings attempting to flare out.

Perplexed by the yowling’s reaction, Kamilla’s gaze met with the already talking stranger, who she’d known she’d seen somewhere before, but the woman was quick to remind her where. It was the black dog kelvic that had faced the baboon scourge with her. ”Oh, hello...” She began, interrupted by Yen who was still hissing, mouth open and claws digging uncomfortably into Kamilla’s forearm. ”Yen calm down, what’s with you?... Sorry about that.” She wondered if the yowlwing could tell the woman was a dog kelvic as well.

Smiling up at the woman again, while gripping Yennefer a bit tighter, Kamilla realised she should respond to the woman’s words. ”And yeah it is healing well, I guess. Still hurts a bit though.” She paused to look the woman over in search of her own injuries, wondering where they’d be located since she’d been in dog form when receiving them. ”I hope your injuries are healing well too... um, yeah I never got your name did I?”

Offering another smile, Kamilla decided it would probably be best to start by introducing herself, ”I’m Kamilla... and thank you again for your help. I’m pretty sure things would have turned out far worse if you hadn’t come to the rescue. How can I repay you?” While it did pain her to admit that she’d needed help, the mage wasn’t the type to discard a favor owed. Equal trade, she’d learned that from her time on Sahova. Oh how she missed the Undead Isle.

[Roulette]

Whoa, that creature was scary! Roulette froze literally in her tracks after she had attempted to speak with the woman from a few days prior. She leaned back slightly and even gave a whine at the...the...what was that thing?! Was she about to have to get into another fight so soon? Please no! The very thought of that only made her whine a little more audibly, with a pleading look in her red eyes as she stared at the creature that was with Kamilla. While the yowling hissed and seemed to flare its wings too, she only felt her stomach sink. If she had been in her dog form, the hackles on her shoulders would have risen up instinctively.

The woman seemed uncomfortable based on her expression. Those claws on the creature looked awfully sharp too. Kamilla's response though did little to settle her acute feeling of not wanting to be near the strange little thing. Granted, both women had fought three wild baboons that were larger! This was a different situation though. And Kamilla did not appear to be in any actual danger, aside from those claws in her arm. But as her earlier concerns about the woman's bite wound were answered, she gave her a slight smile.

Bright sunny, and hot day. The sound of waves all around, along with a nice clear sky above. The day was still beautiful. Even if this odd...creature...that she didn't know what was called, was hissing and growling still. At least until Kamilla seemed to hush it. Roulette gave her a smile that clearly spoke for her. I don't want to aggravate them! I'll stay over here! Kind of look. But she did feel genuine relief after being told that her leg wound was doing much better. Nodding, she did take notice of the woman's eyes that seemed to search her. It took a tick or two to actually realize the reason though. She gave her best and brightest smile.

If anything to hide the fact she was in a terrible amount of pain. Namely the broken ribs. The shirt covered up the worst of the heavy bruises to her chest. As well as the bandages wrapped around her torso in order to help keep her body as stiff as possible for her ribs. The stitched up wound to her shoulder was covered by the shirt, but there were tiny dots of blood that had seeped through. As for the stitches on the back of her neck, some of the bandages were visible over the top edges of the shirt. "I'm alright. Worse for wear, but they'll heal up. Syka has a very gifted healer!" Feeling a genuine sense of happiness flood her, she goes to straighten up a bit. Only to instantly regret it.

She closed her eyes briefly and forced a smile. But her in her red eyes told a different story. Something things couldn't be hidden. At least not completely. 'Ow! That really hurt!' She screamed in her mind and grinned a bit more in an attempt to hide the fact. Just grin and bear it. Just really grin and bear it! She did attempt to talk normally again though. But her pitch was just slightly higher. "Yep, everything will be just fine. Sorry, my name is Roulette." An arm came slightly up almost as if to hold the area where the ribs were. Realizing that, she was quick to look for a spot to be seated. Preferably in front of Kamilla, but at enough of a distance that strange creature of hers would settle down. And hopefully not claw the woman's arm in the process.

They certainly looked sharp! Sitting slowly onto a nearby cushioned swing, she very slowly moved. One side was favored over the other, however, as she half sat, half laid down. The pain was clearly written in her red eyes and her expression. Albeit she did try hard to hide this. After she got settled, she listened to the woman speaking. So her name was Kamilla? The name held a nice ring to it. "It's great to meet you, Kamilla. No need to thank me though.. You were in trouble. I'm just happy you're safe." At the mention of repayment though, she shook her head. "You don't owe me anything. Besides, I think being able to walk out of that nightmare with both our lives is enough." She meant every word of it.

She didn't feel the need to see this as a favor. But instead really was happy the both of them were alive and well. Maybe bruised with broken ribs but still! They were alive, and honestly, that was really all Roulette wanted. To be alive to see another day. Granted death would come some day. She was thankful it wasn't then. If it was an equal trade that Kamilla was looking for, then simply being alive to live another day or more was payment enough in Roulette's mind. It was intentional, but she changed the subject. More out of the hope that Kamilla might not press the subject instead. "S-so what is um... Yen did you call it? What is it? Yen looks like a cat, with wings." She didn't dare to get any closer.

Clearly keeping her distance as she eyed the feisty little creature with a healthy respect at keeping well out of its reach! Her eyes then looked around Kamilla's arms in an attempt to find another topic to go on just in case the last one fell through a bit. She wasn't entirely sure how to go about a particularly long conversation, but she certainly would try! Besides, it would be nice to know someone aside from Randal, and Lars.

[Kamilla]

Kamilla Circe Gordon

The moment Yen had begun her aggressive hissing, the kelvic woman had begun to look rather unsettled, nervously eyeing the yowlwing from a safe distance. While Kamilla wouldn’t be very surprised if the woman had never seen a yowlwing, she had not expected a dog kelvic to be so cautious when faced with one. After all, Yen was basically a normal grey house cat, the only real difference being that she had a small pair of matching wings.

The kelvic, who introduced herself as Roulette, a very pretty name in Kamilla’s opinion, claimed to be doing well since their encounter with the Baboons, but even if she was doing well, she certainly wasn’t looking it. That wasn’t to say that she was looking bad, only that hints of her injuries were visible everywhere, bits of blood seeping through her clothes, a painful wince in her eyes, but Kamilla was well aware that the woman had sustained far more injuries than she had, having been in the front of the fight.

Kamilla’s smile grew slightly wider as she moved her arm out from under Yen’s claws, scratching behind her ears to calm her down. It worked, the feline closing her mouth and relaxing somewhat, though her light green eyes stayed focused on Roulette as if on guard, though she relaxed further as the woman settled onto the swing.

”Well, it’s nice to officially meet you, Roulette... and regardless of whether you think you did anything special, I really am grateful.” The kelvic may have been being humble, or not, but Kamilla knew that Roulette hadn’t been obligated to rush to her aid and had done it anyway, receiving some serious injuries in the process. No matter what the kelvic said, Kamilla felt indebted, the Sahova part of her unwillingly to simply let the debt go.

Changing the subject, Kamilla took a seat on a nearby shaded bed while she listened to Roulette’s question, smiling in response as she released her pet from her grasp, allowing the feline to prance around the bed before settling down, all of a sudden unbothered by the kelvic’s existence. ”Her name is Yennefer, yes... and she’s a yowlwing, a cat with wings is just about all she is.” As she spokeC Kamilla cast a brown gaze in the cat’s direction, noticing how Yen’s ears perked up at the mention of her name before returning to her nap. Kamilla was sure to keep a tight hold on the leash, not wanting a repeat of the yowlwing’s jungle dash, especially after the baboon encounter.

There was a brief pause of what should have been an awkward silence if Kamilla hadn’t been so unbothered by the idea of not keeping the conversation going, though it lasted only as long as it took for her to grow curious about the kelvic’s presence in Syka.

”So, Roulette, how long have you been in Syka? And what do you do here?” As she spoke, Kamilla tried to aim a subtle scratch at her thigh, the bandage causing a slight itch. ”I only arrived here this season... and it’s been quite an experience so far... as I’m sure you know.” Her voice trailed off with a hint of amusement, finding their encounter together less serious now that both were safe and out of the jungle.