Lot of catching up to do (Kavala)

[Bolden Denusk]

Bolden looked at Kavala and heard her gentle, but defensive tone. He knew better than to argue any point that brought it out in her. It was simply beyond him to fathom a life stuck inside four walls every day, every night. Who could live like that and stay sane? He couldn't imagine not traveling the migration route and seasonal pattern as all of his ancestors had. To go where the warmer weather and better grazing happened and then moving on again. It was the most natural Drykas thing in the world! We are a part of the seasons, the land, and the herds of Endrykas, to follow the migratory pattern since the beginning of time. It's the core of who we are and Kavala says she's fine with being permanently caged, trapped into stillness?! It sounded like a load of horse shyke to him but he let it go. Therein lay the beauty of their relationship.

He nodded yes and answered,
"I just recently found out. It takes some kinda idiot to not figure out a Konti isn't my natural mother. I'm disgusted with the whole thing. Van's son born under a Chevas Mark is his true and recognized heir. Not quite sure where that puts me in the family scheme of things other than, 'what the petch do we do with -him-?' "

When Kav's cup tilted to the side as she toasted him from her slurred and fervent speech, he smiled a little at her feeling her wine. Bold knew if he tried to stand right now, he'd probably fall over too. He raised a wobbly goblet and gave a lopsided grin back at her. He sipped for her toast and made his own impromptu toast.

"To a woman who always knows what to say and when to say it--even when she's drunk out of her mind!"

He laughed heartily at Kavala's wife suggestion. Both women had disappeared off the face of Cyphrus and his prospects were now nil. No money, no status, no friends, and a broken down lie of what was once a family unit. The young Drykas snorted contemptuously. He may be drunk, but not yet drunk enough to forget the shyke storm that rained on him.

"Kav, you know I love you, but both the women have disappeared, the family is a lie that needs to be reconstructed and I have no true place to call home. I'm thinking.." Bold paused to take a deep draught of the wine and continued,

"I'm thinking of traveling sometime in the future, maybe to try and find a place to belong. You understand that, don't you?" His normally clear amber eyes were half lidded and bloodshot, his words slurring and pausing in strange places. He was well and truly drunk now, with his legs splayed out and his body slid to the floor with only his shoulders and head on a pillow.

[Kavala]

At this point, Kavala was more than a little drunk. She frowned at Bolden’s admission and then looked incrediulous. “Really?” She couldn’t hardly believe it. “Did anyone tell you who your mother is? I mean Mother is always mother… it doesn’t matter that you aren’t Konti. She raised us and that’s all that matters. But there should be some background there. You need to know what blood you came from. What if you decide to marry and it turns out she’s your sister? I’ve heard stories like that Bolden. You need to find out.” Kavala said, insisting on it.

“Bolden, you are our brother… that’s all that matters. That puts you in the scheme of things that you are here and who you are. Vanator is a jackass if he doesn’t see that. He’s also a jackass if he makes a baby an heir over you. Kashik’s gilt leading this pavilion? Seriously? Wait until you meet her. You’ll know exactly what I mean, Bold… seriously. I’m super serious here… utterly serious. She’s a money grabbing rank demanding tramp. Nothing more nothing less. Her son won’t be any better… well maybe slightly better because its Vanators… well if it is Vanators. We’ll still have to wait and see. I love Van… I seriously do… but hes not the wisest of men at times. It’s a wonder Father has been around so long. He’s probably deathly afraid of leaving the clan in Kashik’s hands.. erh.. .. well Van’s hands.” Kavala claimed, then raised her glass to clink it against Boldens.

She listened to what he had to say and nodded. The Konti was very serious when she responded. “You can come live with me in Riverfall if you don’t mind seeing me raped daily by some Akalak brute or another until I’m too heavy with child to have fun with. Or Bolden, you can come and create your own Pavilion. It’s been done. I can loan you the money for cloth and help you sew it. Once you have it, nothing will stop you from gathering folks too you that need their own place and establishing one yourself. You have a share of the Denusk livestock. I have my share too. I can always help you be yourself. You couldn’t keep the name, but whats in a name? You can go on a quest to be anything you want to be… or find your mother and take hers. One of the holy men could read the knotwork and tell you who your mother is. Maybe her pavilion no longer exists and you can raise one in her name?” Kavala suggested, looking thoughtful.

[Bolden Denusk]

"Not a petchin syllable of who she is. Like a dirty secret that can't be mentioned." He nodded at Kavala's statements about Ay'vata. She may have been drunk out of her skull, but every word of it was solid truth. Bolden flinched hard and cringed at the last comment, and he took a deep draught of the rapidly depleting wine.

"I don't want to get married. I was stupid enough to fall for a woman twice and then she just up and vanishes on me. I'm -never- getting married." He stated with vehemence. It took him a few chimes to calm down and let her words sink in.

"It raises the question of staying or going doesn't it though? I mean, it's true that even though the baby is legitimate, I'm old enough to take over if needs be. I've never met this Kashik, but in the end, she's still just a female and simply not eligible as Ankal, even as regent. Ever. Our people depend on fath--Eachann as Ankal and an entire pavilion can't be left without a functioning, adult -male- heir. I hate politics; I'm too damn honest for it."

Bold winced like he'd been struck. How could she say such things so casually about rape? Drunk or not, it was an ugly and sobering fact that drained the color from his face.

"Is there -nothing- me or you can do about that? Do you need me to speak for you Kav? Because I would you know. I'd face down an army over those blue morons for you." His eyes darkened with intensity to the color of wild honey, and he frowned. Anger flared across his face, and Bold's expression turned mutinous.

"I'll write to the council or face them in person or something! They can't just keep you prisoner there! I don't know a lot about the big dumb blue brutes, but haven't you already paid your 'debt' to them with Tasi? They have no justification for keeping you there now."

Kavala kept talking over him, speaking volumes of sense that he couldn't fully take in right now. Finding his birth mother, starting a pavilion, and the realization of his own share of the horse stock at his finger tips--these were topics for a serious and sober mind. Something too far above him right now. They were subjects he'd push down and chew on them later when he had his faculties back.

"As usual you make it all about me Kav, when you're going through so much already." His tone turned maudlin as it always did in the last stages of hard drinking. He'd never made a habit of getting drunk, but this was a situation that called for it, no, screamed for it.

"How can we get you to a better place?" He reached out a hand to put over hers, his voice filled with concern.

"Maybe I could cash in my share of the livestock, especially the godforsaken, ugly arsed zibri and buy out your fake Aka-something contract? They only think of you as some brainless breeding machine for all males, so what if I stood up for you? Say the word and I'll run over there right this chime!"

Bolden had never spoken this mawkishly before, but alcohol always brought it out in full force.