Ends of the Earth (open)

[Oleana]

Posted Summer, 10, 511 A.V.

The evening wind was warm and soothing on Oleana's bare skin. She stood overlooking the forest canopy below her that stretched out like a vast sea all the way to the horizon line. The Edge of the World was a cliff with a huge climbing wall normally used for celebrations or gatherings but today there was nothing going on.
The cliff's edge was the perfect place to watch the sun set. The sky was a deep blue and the clouds were dyed in vibrant and bold shades of oranges, pinks, and reds. It was an amazing sight.
The honored Endal on their huge Wind Eagles soared in to Wind Reach in formation, disapearing into the volcano's crater.
If only she were of the Endal Caste and had her own Wind Eagle, then she would be able to fly as far as she wanted. Oleana dreamed of seeing the world, being able to go anywhere and see everything. Just seeing a small spot she'd never been to excited her and the thoughts of new places and people caused her to lose sleep.
The huge smile on her face was just a partial reflection of the joy she felt in her soul. Her father had left Wind Reach three years ago, nearly to the day, and every time it got close to the anniversary of his departure she can't help but think of what adventures he could be on.
Oleana wanted more than anything to be out there climbing new mountains and swimming down rivers, seeing the rumored bustling streets of another city, facing the dangers and perils of traveling between cities. All the danger excited her and right now the view from the cliffs were calling to her.

"Father, how I wish I could be with you right now... I want to see the world with you, too..." She said aloud to herself.

[Tavaltia]

“You never left either? I’m sorry I just overheard you after… well.” He will gesture to the climbing wall leading up. “It’s beautiful isn’t it? I come up here whenever I need to think.” He will pant a little bit, tired from the climb, and loosen his climbing harness. He will walk over next to Oleana. “I’m sorry I’ve been rude, My name is Tavaltia.” He will extend his hand to her. He will look over at the sun. “Priskil be praised for lights like this. Sight’s like this are rare to see around here, at least for me. I spend a lot of time down in the mountain and when I do get out it’s nice to see sight’s like this one." He will look over at the climbing wall and start to wonder what the jump would feel like and how much rope he would need. And he will start fiddling with his empty unfinished dice bag. The symbol of Ovek visible in the stitching, he will look over at her. “So your father, what happened?” Tavaltia will sit down, and gesture for her to do the same. “It’s as good a time as any to talk and you know what you seem like an interesting person to talk to.” He will attempt to take off his harness sitting down and mess up and wiggle around a little on the floor before managing to take it off. After readjusting himself he will gesture for her to sit down again.

[Oleana]

Oleana was a bit surprised that someone was listening, and that she hadn't realized she said her thoughts aloud. Nasty habit, that.. she thought.
She smiled at the man named Tavaltia. He was Inarta, same as her, which was no surprise at all.
"So your father, what happened?" he asked, gesturing her to sit with him.
She did so, getting comfortable with her legs crossed and arms back.
"It’s as good a time as any to talk and you know what you seem like an interesting person to talk to." He said.
She blushed at the compliment. Flattery wasn't something she commonly received, but appreciated it.
"Thank you, I'd be glad to tell you about him." Oleana started "His name was Sephit. He was a hunter, too, and taught me everything I know about it. He was very charismatic, and spontaneous. He loved to be outdoors, I guess that's where I got it from. He used to talk about the rumors and stories he'd hear from passerby's around Wind Reach. He would tell me them as I fell asleep at night when I was just a little girl..."
Oleana's words drifted off as memories of her father flooded back into her mind. A soft smile was painted across her face and her eyes gleamed with nostalgia.
"...then one morning he left. He'd done it, he left Wind Reach and ventured off into the unknown leaving me all alone. That was three years ago, though. I'm just glad he didn't leave me as helpless as the Dek. He taught me how to hunt and left me a good bow, too."
Oleana looked out over the forest scape. She began to wonder what Tavaltia dreamed of, what he wanted to do with his life. She didn't want to ask right away, especially since she had just spent sometime answering his inquiry.
She looked back at Tavaltia and smiled.
"He's still out there I believe. No matter how dangerous they say the outskirts are, they could never defeat my father."

[Tavaltia]

“Well that’s the spirit, maybe one day he’ll come back and bring you with him.” Glancing over at her he starts to undo his braid letting the silk ribbon slide into his hand. He starts to put the braid back in, tighter than it was before, as he takes a glance over the edge and pulls the part of the braid he’s working on a little too tight, wincing. As he finishes his braid he stands up and extends his hand to her, gesturing over the forestscape, “I’ve never been out there. Never left Mt. Skyinarta. To be perfectly honest, I don’t need to. But that’s not the way it is for everyone. Like you it seems, you want to see what’s out there right?” with a small laugh he mutters to himself, “not like I’m any better though”

“Maybe you’ll just go out and find him some day, like father like daughter.” A glint appears in Tavaltia’s eye as he starts to speak next. “Well now I may not need to but who am I to decide where I go.” Taking out his dice bag he’ll laugh again “Let’s let luck be my guide huh. If you go with me I have a better chance as to seeing what it’s like out there. A guide perchance, if you go with I’ll toss this dice bag in the air, and if the side with the symbol lands up, we go out. Sound like a plan?”

[Oleana]

Oleana jumped forward with glee, would he really come with her? The smile started to fade as the memories came back to her.
When her father left there was an uproar. He was hunted for days by the Endal on their eagles and labeled a traitor. No less, she'd be cast as the same. So would Tavaltia. Returning to Wind Reach would be impossible unless the Endal aloud them to leave, if they were given reason to leave Wind Reach and return.
"You do know... that we wouldn't be aloud to come back, right? If we just leave... we'd be cast out as traitors. Wind Reach depends on its people, especially someone like me who feeds out brothers and sisters..." Oleana sighed "If the Endal let us leave, however, if they need someone to leave Wind Reach for some reason..."
What were the odds? What were the chances that the Endal or higher needed one of us to leave Wind Reach and go get something or do something?
I agree to go if the dice bag says so, but... promise me one thing. Let us try and leave without getting killed or ridiculed." Oleana said.
She didn't want to be cast out like her father, she wanted to be able to come back with many a-tale to tell to her friends, possibly even clear her fathers name if the chance arose. After all, she loved Wind Reach, it was truly home to her.

[Tavaltia]

“Well, I have two ideas. One is that we go as merchants, go to see another city, maybe two. We come back, rich and give as much as we need to too the city. Help Skyinarta and see the world.” Smiling as he thinks of the idea. “Second idea is we go on an extended hunting trip, you go as the hunter, and I go to keep your tent and supplies in working order. We can venture farther than the Endals though we can’t travel nearly as fast. We go out hunting, see the world, See what there is too see. We may even find another mountain, with other eagles.” Turning to her he will laugh. “crazy idea huh, another mountain, where we could all live with another set of giant eagles, and we would be the ones to find it.” He holds up the dice bag, first displaying the symbol to her then displaying it to himself he raises it to the sky and say’s “Ovek guide me” Then he tosses it in the air.

It lands tails. He looks up and waits for her to respond.

[Oleana]

Traveling merchants? An extended hunting trip? The two ideas spun around in her head.
Merchants was a plausible idea, Inarta made wondrous glassworks that sold for a high price. The problem was that money meant little to the community. If they could buy or trade with the money to get what they needed then perhaps it would work out. That is if Wind Reach even needs anything from the outside world.
An extended Hunting trip was also plausible. She was a hunter. The problem was that if she was gone for too long they'd go looking for her, if she came back with worldly possessions then she'd be seen to be a runaway and therefore a traitor, like her father.
The ideas would work, but regardless they needed permission from the Valintar to leave without issue, or at least without being chase. Getting back into the city would take even more from the two of them.
Oleana was deep in her thoughts, but something caught her eye.
Tavaltia had tossed the dice bag already...
she watched, her heart stopping, as the dice bag tumbled top over bottom. Her fate, sealed in a promise, was now spinning above the two of them. She was filled to the brim with excitement and fear.
What would she do if the dice bag decides that it is her fate to leave Wind Reach with this man?

Tails...

The dice bag lands tails, symbol facing down...

Was fate testing her? Surely this was some kind of joke...
her thoughts stopped.

...it made sense suddenly. Of course it would land tails. It wasn't fate for the dice to make her go, it was fate to force her to decide to go, to leave Wind Reach.

"I still want to travel, let's still go and leave Wind Reach. Let's stick out plan, traveling merchants sounds the best. We should ask the Valintar if merchants are needed to sell Glasswork in other places of the world. If we exposed the world to the glasswork of our people, surely more people would come here and trade with us. We would gain access to more thing, new things!" Oleana exclaimed "Let us propose this idea to the Valintar..."

[Tavaltia]

Tavaltia starts laughing uproariously, “See luck was on our side. I called heads and you called tails. I believe that’s called making your own luck. So we go as merchants then right. Now here’s the real question how are we going to convince the Valintar. I’m not a skilled glassblower. I’m a leatherworker. That’s why this harness won’t break.” He says patting his climbing harness. “I believe we need a third, someone who knows their way around glass, as you know your way around bows, and I may way around leather. Someone who can judge the quality and set the price appropriately. We also could use someone who knows their way around numbers, and how to keep track. So we know how much of anything we have, and what we acquired and what profit we made. We need to find out what kind of goods we will need from other locations as well, perhaps a plant that grows well in darkness, and provides a more… appetizing nourishment than what we currently have.” Walking over to pick up his dice bag he say. “Sometimes I suppose we just have to make our own luck.


“So, what are we waiting for, the Endal have just come in, I bet the Valintar is still there. We could go now and convince them. Let’s go see what the world has to offer.” Strapping on his climbing harness, he looks at her and says, “If you had told me this morning that by the fading of the light that I would be planning to leave Mt Skyinarta to go sell the wares of our people in foreign lands I would have laughed and called you crazy, but here I am” Laughing again. He looks down the cliff, “I suppose that will have to wait.”

[Oleana]

Oleana smiled. She was more than grateful for all his help and support. It was going to be dangerous from the get go but two people working together was far better than her traveling alone. She was surely as good as dead without him.
Tavaltia was right, though. Neither of them were glassworkers or professional merchants, or even had the know-how to learn how to better at it. She was a hunter and he was a leather worker. They needed to find, and convince, a glassworker and a merchant. It would even better if they could find and convince one person who was both handy with glasswork and mercantile ways and knowledge.
"Thank you so much for your help, Tavlatia. I'll come find you if and when I find someone." Oleana said optimistically.
She stood up and smiled at him. He was truly going to be a good asset to the team. Sure, it seemed as though he gamble too much with luck, but it made her laugh. He still seemed like a level-headed fellow who just follows his whims.
She had little time to waste, she had to start searching out a glassworker and a merchant, then gain an audience with the Valintar.
She waved to Tavaltia as ran walked off towards the city. Surely she could find someone who was willing to go with them. After all, luck seemed to be on her side.

[Tavaltia]

As he watched her walk away he laughed a bit to himself. “I wonder if she’ll actually find someone.” Then after a quick realization “WAIT I NEVER CAUGHT YOUR NAME!!!.” as he starts to run after her back to the city, even though there is no way that he could catch up.