[Open, Kavala, Akela] Leaving Home

[Sorian]

Timestamp: 90th day of Winter The sky was cloudless around the grassy fields of Cyphrus which, by then were turning verdant again, with the mountains of Syliras bounding them majestically around their tips like lovers in a perpetual embrace. The Bluevein flowed ever regally, cutting across the land in a serpentine pattern from one end of the sundered peninsula to another. Birds flew overhead in return from their winter migrations, signaling the coming of a new season. The smell of spring was already apparent within his senses, and the wind no longer brought dabbing chills into his bones every time it passed him by. Nay, the time for nature's bountiful harvests to be reaped was no longer so far off, and it seemed that as the snow melted away inch by inch with the return of sunnier days he too healed more and more, no doubt aided the by sporadic but persistent care which his benefactor had lavished on him. He hinged his perfect chin over his right arm as it saddled into his right knee, in perfect contemplation and peace. The thick locks of his head fell down in cascades to the end of his neck, tied in a neat pony tail, and it swayed helplessly with every breeze that cavorted with it in its limp softness. A sigh flowed from his icy lips in the tranquil sadness that laced his memories, his solidly muscled chest heaving up to take a tiny grasp of his past life back. Sanctuary's resident Akalak sat by the damaged veranda he had nearly burned down a few weeks ago for the duration of an unknown span of time, looking across the distant grasslands which raked the landscape with gentle, searching eyes that spoke volumes about the happiness he had found running those rough stretches. On the back of his mind played the vivid images of the chances when he and his savior had traversed the snow or frolicked with the fine horses now nestled inside their stables. They seemed to have grown even bigger in the comparatively brief time he had spent there, especially the Seme stallion Sivak, who was really the only one big enough to carry him on its back without baling after a few minutes. Beyond the edges of the field was the great cliff fronting the Suvan sea, where Kavala had shown him his first view of that watery expanse in a capsule of hesitant romance and scary vituperations. It was there when he had first ridden with her, if for but a few precious minutes. The blue mass shook his head in amusement at a fond but frustrating black spot in his memories. Looking his left arm, which he wiggled above his eyes slowly, he traced the deep indention in his flesh. He couldn't remember how he did it, but his other side, Navis, had stabbed this arm with a large knife on the day of their arrival. The very next morning he woke up anticipating the worst upon seeing the blood, and kicked down Kavala's door in his panic. To put it briefly, she did not like the gesture one bit. He had been brought to Sanctuary as a very damaged and confused individual who, as the Konti healer herself had put it, seemed more animal than Akalak. The wild instincts which Navis had punished him with for the duration of ten decades were either starting to dull, or had all transferred over to his more feral side. In any case, he had been safe and warm inside the gentle wood and sturdy stones which made up the entirety of the place, a place which, for the brightest patch of light in his long and beleaguered life, he had learned to call his own home. As with every story worth telling or listening to, not everything had been roses and butterflies in his stay; the dark pockmarks which adorned his arms, chest and hands would testify much to the troubles he had caused around the place. The crack on the kitchen wall right to his side is also another piece of evidence of his sometimes clumsy, sometimes apathetic handiwork. But for that moment, his smile was serene, and his mind was at ease. It was another moment of clarity, and it was so clear to him then. It was time for him to leave home. He seriously did not know how to tell the two sister Konti of his intentions; he had contemplated simply vanishing from the place many times, but his newly-discovered graces had always prevented him from disappearing from the scene like some unwanted criminal. No, he owed them too much to do that, and while he felt that Akela would be just fine with his impending departure, he knew that Kavala would at least be slightly affected. Somehow, he hoped that it would be slight. Tucked on the side of his newly-repaired trousers is that broken Lakan of his, ever the symbol of his much-abused double personality. While he had seen it best to heave every blame for their troubles on Navis, he had grown matured enough to see that he too was partly to blame. And while he had not forgiven his other side yet for destroying the dreamy life with Karnelia which he could have savored instead of languishing in the wilderness which they had bitterly struggled against, he had learned to communicate with him to some extent. Like an aggrieved elder brother weighed down by a loathing kind of respect for the younger, stronger sibling. He waited there for either sister to come back, collecting every ounce of courage there was in his body for the revelation. Unbeknownst to him, his posture, his facial expression and, especially, his eyes could have given his thoughts away all the same.

[Kavala]

. She had been aware of his restlessness for some time. But there was little Kavala could do about it. Her gifts were meant more towards animals - kevlics as well - and once Sorian had found his humanity again, there'd been little she could do. When he was a beast, he dwelled in her dominion, but as a man she was as clueless as the next person as to how to help him. Akela would have said 'He needs to help himself.' But Kavala knew that sometimes people changed or needed strength or a sense of purpose. Sorian was a warrior, a protector, and truly in Riverfall there was nothing to protect - at least not at Sanctuary. The healer had done her best to infuse the facility with peace, painting its walls and fences with a sense of serenity because she herself needed one. Kavala would never be an intrepid explorer, a fearless crusader, or anything of the sort. Her biggest ambition in life was making her facility work, completing it, and providing a refuge that hadn't existed before. Her grand plans for the spring involved taking sailing lessons and beginning to save for a boat of her own - perhaps even making one. She knew what she wanted - a catamaran that would sleep a few people comfortably overnight. And it was this thought that was on her mind as she slipped back through the gates of Sanctuary's courtyard, a large heavy basket of herbs and wildflowers in her arms. They were for tea, medicine, and just to cheer the place up. She'd even found lambs ear which would make a good balm for burns if something like happened to Sorian ever happened again. She should have been ready for a burn, but wasn't. It was an important lesson to her as a healer. Be ready for anything. And she knew she wasn't. Kavala also wasn't ready for Sorian to be sitting on the Veranda with a peculiar resigned look on his face. She tired to ignore the partially singed wood of the pergola and how the place looked slightly like a war had been waged beneath its sheltering overhang. She could fix it... like everything else in Sanctuary. It just took time. But she couldn't fix Sorian. And she knew it. The konti sat the basket down on the table Sorian was perched on and went to fetch her scissors and various glass vials and vases she needed to sort the items. She knew he wanted to talk, but for her it was better if her hands were busy when she was talking to him, so she carried the things she needed and sat them down on the table as well - including labels for the jars and a pen and ink to record contents. Then she started going through the basket, one item at a time, sorting, and dividing, pulling leaves off if they were the only useful part, and carefully labeling jars. After a few minutes she spoke without looking at him. Dread filled her even as resignation flooded her senses. There was change coming and she was koti enough to feel it. "What's on your mind, Sorian?" The healer said, her azure gaze looking up and catching his for an instant. There was uncertainty and wariness in her look, but not totally directed towards him. It was internal instability and Sorian well knew it. .

[Sorian]

With only the sound of running water and chirping birds serenading the open veranda, the unmoving giant's posture wavered little as that distinctively pearly figure started to The thoughts and memories of Kavala and Sanctuary had so filled his mind by that point that he had not noticed the lady of the abode descend beside him till she had actually spoken to him. A startled look momentarily disrupted the strange look on his face, though when recognition came seeping in just a few seconds later his face sank back into its lucid thoughts. "Kavala..." he began, a weak smile gracing his features beautifully against the shine of the sun. He kept his eyes away from her own brilliant sapphire orbs, afraid that she'd see the looming decisions that swirled within them. Somehow it seemed as if she had already perceived that he was going to say something that would sting for her, and it quickly dried the prepared words from his throat. "...i did not notice that you're home. Welcome back." he quipped, their eyes still unwilling to meet in anticipation for what he was supposed to say. Was it left-over awkwardness from something in the past? Oh, but the last truly eventful day which had come around for them seemed to be ages ago, and he couldn't remember anything but the beautiful parts of them. They had been out gazing at the sea, just like that second afternoon they had shared holding hands on the beach. Without actually thinking first, the tumultuous heart of the gentle Akalak reached out to the source of its light, piecing together a beautiful portrait for them to share, if just for the last time in a long time. "Kavala, do you remember that shell that I gave you on the beach?" he asked her, a poignantly sad smile tossing the earlier one aside. "I thought... the smile you smiled then was really pretty. I'd like to... Pick up more for you. I'll carry them home by the thousands, then shower them in front of you, like jewelry." he snorted a happy snort, then fell into silence for a while. Whatever it would have seemed to Kavala, he couldn't tell; the thought of him picking up shells from different beaches from all around the world for her made the miles which he was already traveling in his mind seem so much shorter. What he does know is that he will be carrying one thing with him wherever he will go. "I'd like to see you smile that smile again, someday, Kavala."

[Kavala]

. The healer listened quietly as Sorian spoke. It was so often that he said more than a few words at a time, let alone bothered to put together whole sentences. She paused in her activity, gave him a startled look, and then slowly laid down her scissors and the plant she was busy cutting up. "I went for a walk to gather herbs and pick the first blooms of spring. They are blooming as the snow retreats. It is the most unusual thing I've ever seen with all the brilliant green grass bordering the snows slow retreat." The konti said softly, her voice still quiet despite her concerns. She was worried about Sorian, though she wasn't sure exactly what worried her most. He was still so quiet, so withdrawn and at times completely unengaged. She'd had never him to do things around Sanctuary - only hold something occasionally for her when it was too heavy for her to lift and hold in place. He'd often find thing to do though, things she didn't know needed doing, and would be hard at work on them unasked. Kavala often thought she was taking advantage of his nature and didn't like it. For she was always glad to have him around, regardless of what his capacity was... all except for the growing restlessness in him. She had no idea how to cure that or if it even needed curing. But he broke her train of thought when he mentioned the seashell. Kavala nodded. "I remember it." Her hand went to her neck and slipped down into the collar of her shirt. There was a nondescript leather thong there, encircling her throat, that lead down into the depths of the boys tunic she wore. A tug had the item free and Sorian could clearly see the shell he'd found for her dangling from the white leather there, decorated only with a tiny silver bead. It looked like Kavala had made a small hole in the top of the shell to thread it through the necklace. It was small, plain, and somehow very suiting for jewelry for someone like her. And she cupped it in her hand as if it were a rare jewel. "I don't think I could handle having thousands. I do really like the one I have though. It makes me smile all the time." She confessed, and offered him a grin. It wasn't the smile he was looking for, but it was indeed a fair show of rare spirit. "You're sitting here looking so broody because you want to bring me more shells?" Her voice sounded skeptical, though the thought was so entirely sweet and unexpected, she didn't put much effort into the sarcasm. Instead, she sighed, sat down with her back to her work, and gave him her full attention. "Time. We just all need time, Sorian. Each day is a little bit better. you know that." She said quietly. "For you too I think." She added a little bit wistfully as if she could will it would be true. Then she waited, hoping he'd say more so she wouldn't have to guess. .

[Sorian]

The brilliant smile and cheery disposition which Kavala showed him during that instance tugged at his heartstrings so mightily; somehow there was now something inside him that was begging him to reconsider his long excursion away from Sanctuary. Certainly not Navis--he'd relish the thought--but an even smaller fragment of him, now bent on its weak-willed knees and screaming at him to change his mind. No matter what the pain, no matter what the troubling concerns which it thrust him deeper into, however, Sorian's resolve was made. Miraculously, in the short time he had spent there he grew not only some intelligence and some skills, but also the ability to harden his consciousness into something far less tangible. Bit by bit he silenced the tiny critic inside his head, and at long last he looked at his one and only mistress from the support of his hand. He looked at the treasured trinket that hung around her neck; he had never seen her wearing it that way before. Perhaps she only wore it when she went out of town? He was often so busy with carpentry and taking care of the horses to be able to spend time with the likewise busy Kavala. And during the rare instances that they did get time together, there wasn't really anything to talk about, for both of them were so guarded. Their personalities, while supposed to be clashing in friction, were left without much to ponder together. In his heart of hearts, he knew that neither of them were ready for 'that' too. "I know that, Kavala." he responded. It was only then that he realized that he spoke so clearly, without any effort at all. What was the phenomena, he wondered. The answers were still lost to him. "I am better, far better than anything I had been for a hundred years. And it's all thanks to you..." His voice trailed off into a more distant solitude. The emotions were getting to him, and there was no moving from his chair without the accumulating moisture in his eyes falling over. Quick;y he caught them with a quick reflexive move of his hands, pretending to have gotten something in them. The big Akalak then got out from where he was sitting, moving a few inches closer behind Sanctuary's mistress. His two massive arms began to curl around her in a very loose embrace. "Dear Kavala, I have never gotten to thank you for everything you have done for me. Thank you... For saving me. Us." Another tear fell too quickly from his left eye at last, landing on Kavala's shoulder, though the emotional big fellow was too much at ease to even care, as if he was savoring the last vestiges of peace he'd have for a very long time to come. Sorian's settled arms then retracted back slowly to his sides, pressing into the knobs of the chair. "I think I'll go take a nap." he said, turning away without another word towards his quarters in the adjacent building. Once he had reached his room, Sorian looked around at the tranquil place which she had given him. A warm bed, soft pillows, the scent of fragrant flowers... everything will be gone from his sights soon. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the touch of the afternoon's rays upon the room, nothing could be found stirring. The innards were silent, and it seemed as if it hadn't been touched for so long. The familiar figure of the great Akalak was nowhere to be seen, for he had taken to the stretches of the sea of grass, traversing the beckoning tundras towards the direction of human civilization in Syliras. Nothing was left, only the broken, yet still gleaming and beautiful Lakan he had held onto all his life, left there on his bed as a memento to the woman who had cherished him, who had cared for him and--despite the lack of actual declarations--loved him. And how he loved her in turn. But there was still so much to seek beyond the walls of Sanctuary.

[Akela]

. Akela was doing chores around the house like any self-respecting slave when Sorian and Kavala had their conversation. She never jumped into it, or even made herself known, firstly because Sorian's business with her sister was their own alone, and secondly because it sounded like something so soppy and gooey that she feared feeling sick halfway through the ordeal. Akela had never been one for sugar and honey; in fact, her snarky and occasionally borderline cynical remarks had become legendary around the pavilion. She almost always delivered them with a smile, too. And this time, she was afraid she'd really spoil the moment with one of her memorable lines. She still caught the overall significance of the exchange and, while she thought it quite strange, she did not dwell on it for too long. The floor was not going to get itself mopped, after all. It was not until several hours later, when she knocked on the door of his room... "Cleaning service, Sorian. I have taken pity on your bed. Get out and let me give it some first aid." No answer. Hmm. Akela opened the door and found the room empty, empty save for the broken Lakan that the Akalak held so dear. She looked out the window and caught the fading remains of his desire to leave. She knew she'd been correct to pick her sister over him as a master. The guy wasn't as reliable as she might have wanted. And so, Akela returned to her sister with the Lakan in hand. "I'm pretty sure your big boy is off to parts unknown, and this is his simplistic male way to tell you he'll be back at some point." She was slightly annoyed, truth be told, and she tried to hide it though it probably wouldn't escape her sister's notice. Akela may be a slave, but it didn't mean she expected to be treated like a ghost, something transparent or a part of the scenery. A word or two before leaving would have been nice. "I wonder what he's running from this time. Bah. I just hope he can regrow his stuff by the time he gets back." She muttered something along the lines of 'gonna need it' before resuming the housework. .

[Kavala]

. Kavala thought it said something about Sorian's nature that he would not face her to give her something so simple as a hug. The konti enjoyed the physical contact, for all that it was rare between them. Kavala wasn't certain if it was that he didn't trust himself or if somehow he did indeed see her as soiled though would not admit it. In her experience, the Akalak weren't so judgmental, but in truth Sorian was as far from typical as an Akalak normally got so she simply could not tell. In addition, she didn't know if he was embarrassed to say thank you or whether he did not wish to show her his emotions. She felt the tears on her shoulder but said nothing, for her own tears had long dried. She'd shed some over Akela, but now that her sister had been around part of the season, the konti knew they were wasted in that department as well. Kavala didn't know how she felt about Sorian. He was emotional, dangerous, and self destructive. He could be potently sweet one moment, and savage the next. And it made her cautious because she never quite knew which one she was speaking too and how they would react to what she'd say. The Konti healer had learned to temper her normally unfettered tongue and make sure nothing she said would overly upset Sorian, especially if it was at her own expense. Kavala was used to feeling frustration for not being strong enough, tall enough, or knowledgeable enough to actually complete some of the tasks she set out for herself. Carpentry was much needed around Sanctuary, but it was something she was having to learn on her own and painfully slowly. The Konti shook her head at Sorians words. "There is no thanks necessary. i am compelled to help, Sorian. It is the way of those that follow Rak'keli. Though truthfully, after having gotten to know you, I was grateful for the compulsion. You are a good friend." She said softly, not turning around, not willing to break the barrier the Akalak had somehow placed between them. It was his will and his wish, she abided by it. Nor was she surprised when he retreated. Such was their friendship. Kavala went back to work. At Sanctuary, there was always work. The Konti rarely took time for herself nor paused to appreciate the fruits of her labor (and now others) because the sheer amount of what was left too do was so overwhelming. This time she was tackling the philtering lab, a place she'd soon have to get intimate with. There would be no great medicine making without great philtering. When Akela came back in later, a thinly veiled annoyed look on her face, Kavala cracked a smile. "What is it now?" The sister asked half concerned half amused. When the explanation, along with the Lakan was produced, Kavala simply nodded. "He is not one to stay anywhere long, I suspect. Especially not with someone like me or with you for that matter. These Akalak, Akela, are restless sorts. " She paused, nodded, and gestured to the mantle above the hearth. "Might as well leave it there. That way if he decides he needs it without saying hello to either of us, he can retrieve it and be gone without bothering to do so." Kavala's words were slightly harsh, almost angry, as she shook her head. "A word of goodbye would have been nice." She sighed and shook her head. She wasn't upset about Sorian leaving. She knew he would eventually. Just sneaking away like that was spineless and uncharitable. If she saw him again, she'd be sure to let him know that if it ever came up. "He showed up earlier and gave me a hug from behind, thanked me for my help, and said he was going to take a nap. I have no idea what hes running from, Akela, but its certainly not either of us. And he doesn't need to bother regrowing anything. He wont need it. At least not with me. I'll pick one of them one of these days, but it will be one I don't have any ties too or care about. Do you know how often Sorian said he'd protect me or make sure nothing happened to me?" Kavala gave a soft little laugh. "Hard to do when your not around, isn't it? You know, if Vanator said something like that to a woman, he'd mean it, Akela. Whenever she looked over her shoulder, he'd be there. Tamar could have attested to that. If he'd been there with her when.... well lets just say it wouldn't have ever happened. If he'd been there with you, same thing. But dammit.... making promises then slipping out to leave without a word? It's ... its... I can't even say what it is." She said, glaring into the distant wall, as if the object of her irritation was standing right there. It was bad. Very bad. Then she laughed. Abruptly. "Do men even know the meaning of trustworthy? Do they even understand what a vow means? Akela, if we give our word at something, we stand by it completely. Utterly. Is that because we are Drykas? Or Konti? No. It's because we really MEAN A VOW when we make one." She said abruptly then shook her head with disgust. "Is it too much to ask we ask the same of people around us?" She demanded, turning to glare at her sister. Then she reached up, slipped the leather thong with a simple seashell attached to it off her neck, and laid it up on the mantle to join the Lakan, assuming her sister had deposited it there. It wasn't Sorian's fault for leaving, and she didn't blame him for going. But she did blame him for being willing to make promises he couldn't keep and then placing no value in those promises. It was a quality of character that the man lacked, and truthfully suddenly Kavala wondered if that's what her sister meant by hoping he'd regrow his stuff before he returned. If he returned. The man was likely to get himself killed before winding up back at Sanctuary.

[Cayenne]

Sorian Observation: 1 XP Philosophy: 1 XP Rhetoric: 1 XP Kavala Herbalism: 1 XP Rhetoric: 2 XP Lore: Moodiness and Restlessness in Akalaks Akela Housekeeping: 1 XP Lore: Moodiness and Restlessness in Akalaka