[Flashback] In the wake of Murder [Syllke]

[Nanithel]

8 of Fall 510 AV

Relishing in the feel of the sun and a fresh cool breeze against her skin, not that much skin was visible as Nanithel was covered up with a fur rimmed cloak as even a mark from Morwen couldn't entirely keep the cold away. She was on her way back from the White Elk stables where she'd spent over three hours this morning taking care off Windy and Ita, her mostly tame weasel, had spent the time running over the mare's grey back and Windy had allowed him the way a mare would allow a foal to play. It had helped her to push away the memories from last night but when she couldn't find anymore reasons for her to stay longer than the hours she'd already been there Nan had reluctantly said goodbye to her horse and started on the snowy path to the Frostfawn hold.

Memories from last night were still strong in her mind and she didn't think she'd forget them anytime soon, if ever, let it be that Nayayik and herself hadn't been overly close but they were from the same hold, they were related in some distant complicated way, like were normal in the holds, and Nayayik was, had been, outspoken and positive, a girl who befriended everyone she met. Not for the first time did Nan ponder over what the girl had been doing all by herself out in the woods. With all the dangerous animals around Avanthal no one left by themselves in to the forest, especially not after dark, if not very skilled.

The news of Nayayik's gruesome death had shaken the entire Frostfawn hold the night before and turned what should've been a good meal with some people from the Skyglow hold to honour a dead Vantha and it had turned into a quiet dinner where no one uttered more than a few words at a time. The people who'd stayed at the murder scene hadn't come back for as long as Nan had been awake, if they'd come back at all, for all she knew they could still be out by the woods, though she doubted that as it was a rather cold day.

Nanithel trudged through the snow with Ita perched on her shoulder with his tail wrapped around her neck, his usually devious personality a bit sullen and he didn't even try to nibble on her ears as if smitten with Nan's own mood. She wondered what had happened with the members of the Skyglow hold, she had left for the stables so early that many had not yet awoken and so Nanithel had no idea if the visitors had left or not.

Syllke who'd been the one to first see the body and despite not knowing him more than briefly Nan had gained courage enough to stay at the murder scene because of his calm behaviour. She wondered if he and his hold members were still left, it would be nice to meet them before they headed back to their own hold as she guessed by knowing herself that she probably would be too shy to go to the Skyglow hold herself, sometimes she really hated her shyness and introverted side that probably came from her father.

Finally catching sight of the large house complex that made up the Frostfawn hold nicely framed by evergreen trees Nanithel started planning on what to do today, she wasn't allowed to go far from the hold as her mother had set her protection in overdrive after the murder. Though death was natural in an environment such as this Nan knew her mother was worried because it hadn't been a murder, still that didn't change that Nan thought her mother went a bit overboard.

[Syllke Skyglow]

The afternoon had been long, the dinner somber, and the night full of really bad dreams for Syllke. His powers of observation were in this case a negative, as the images of the young woman’s gruesomely brutalized body seemed to be etched in acid on his memory. For once, he had encountered something that he did not wish to recreate or explore through his art. Rising early, he was groggy and sullen – so extremely different from his usual sunny, chipper self. His mother thought he must be coming down with something, silly woman. His father was more understanding, and was willing to leave the boy to himself for a while. Syllke had sat for a bit, but feeling restless, he had grabbed a bite of breakfast, which he carried with him as he left, hitching up his team of dogs and heading in the opposite direction from where they had found Nayiyak. He had no morbid curiosity left about her remains. He wished now that he had never seen them. After several hours, he figured his parents would be ready to return to Avanthal proper. He circled his team about and made the long sweep back to the Frostfawn Hold. As he pulled up, he spotted a familiar face not too far away. “Nanithel!” He called, staking out the dogs and then making his way over to the girl. He had noted that she was different from other Vantha, but yesterday had not seemed an appropriate time for idle chit-chat and curious questions. He still refrained from being overly nosy, or rude, and he wasn’t going to come right out and ask her what was up with her skin. But still, for some weird reason, he felt some sort of odd connection to the girl. In a way, they had been through something together – something neither of them would probably forget, unfortunately. He felt closer to her than if nothing out of the ordinary had happened yesterday. “Nanithel,” he repeated less boisterously, now standing before her. “I’ve been out for a ride.” He explained, rather unnecessarily, looking back at the sled. “I was hoping to get to see you before we left. How are you? How was your night – your sleep?” The boy wondered if she too had tossed and turned, troubled by bad dreams.

[Nanithel]

Almost at home Nanithel heard someone calling her name turning to look around she found the owner of the voice to be Syllke who approached her with his sled team, she was happy to have been able to meet him before he and his family left, no matter how supportive her family were they hadn't seen the body and they couldn't really imagine what it had been like seeing a girl you knew lie murdered in an almost unidentifiable heap. Syllke on the other hand had also been there yesterday, and had experienced the same horror as herself, and on top of that he had been alone with the body until help arrived, Nan didn't think she herself would've had the guts to stay with a dead body alone. She wondered who could possibly do this to another human being, and what if that person, or thing, were still close by just waiting for another human to wander to far away from the safety of Avanthal.

Snapping out of that depressing line of thoughts she realised that Syllke had already reached her and was asking about her night, and judging by how tired he looked he hadn't gotten that much sleep himself. Her first impulse was to just smile and say she was fine, a normal answer for her, but the fact that they had both been through that terrible, unforgettable incident she opted for the truth instead.

"Not that great, the times I managed to fall asleep I kept waking from nightmares." Pushing away the pictures that entered her mind as she thought back on her night Nan instead focused on Ita's comforting warmth against her skin. "I've been with Windy and Ita at the stables for hours, their presence make it easier. But I can't stay at the stables all the time, my mother would get frantic if I was gone for so long." By the mentioning of his name Ita stirred in his rest and he peaked out under a lock of Nan's dark hair, fixing his black eyes at Syllke.

[Syllke Skyglow]

Syllke gave a small smile and reached out his finger to the little animal, letting it sniff before he tried to stroke its head. His smile – not one of happiness but of shared compassion – switched to Nanithel herself. He could well believe that her night had not been a good one. “It’s good you have some little friends – and rather big ones.” He chuckled, trying to not be too dreary. “I’ve never ridden on a horse – I should try it one of these days.” His eyes slipped to the door leading into the large, rambling home. “I don’t want to keep you standing about – want to go in and get a cup of tea or something?” He placed a sympathetic hand on her sleeve. “I don’t know – do you want to talk – about . . . it.” In their limited conversation of the evening before, he had learned that Nanithel had known the dead girl. Their discovery must have been that much more disturbing for her. And he knew, already, that he himself had no desire to answer nosy questions posed by family and acquaintances. Maybe talking to someone who already knew the details – and shared the horror – would be easier. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget it, what we saw.” He added, quietly.

[Nanithel]

Nanithel smiled slightly as the weasel stretched out its body and sniffed Syllke's hand and gave him a suspicious look and a light nibble before allowing the boy to pet him. "Yeah, they actually help a lot though they don't talk, or maybe it is because of that," Nan said contemplating the aid animals gave by simply being near. "And I guarantee you that it is well worth learning to ride you know, it's really amazing as soon as you get over the sore part." Nan said, the feeling of working together with such a large animal that could easily throw you off was hard to describe really but when you formed a deep trust with a horse so you could almost use your body alone to basically speak with the animal then all the hard work and time was more than worth it. Nan felt that the trust of an animal, though sometimes hard gained, was so very valuable as they always stuck by your side no matter what and they would never betray or hurt you the way humans could, they could not entirely replace human companionship though.

"Some tea would be really nice actually," the smile that had never really reached her eyes left her lips entirely as she remembered the events from yesterday and Syllke's offer, her mother always said her greatest fault were that she closed up everything inside, maybe she should try and change that. Besides no one in her family really understood. "I would appreciate that," though having met the boy recently Nan felt that she could be herself with him without keeping up her normal facade, maybe it was because he had been there yesterday or maybe it was simply so that he was a person that was easy to get to know and trust. "Everyone I know tries to help and says they understand but I doubt they really do." Nanithel wondered if she sounded as stiff as she believed she did or if that was just her being critical again.

[Syllke Skyglow]

Syllke nodded and together they entered the Frostfawn Hold’s main living building. It was quite spacious, as most holds were, having to house many extended family members under one roof. They were able to avoid the larger common area, where it was likely they would only be accosted by both well meaning and nosy family or friends. Following Nanithel, they wound their way back to her own family’s living space, which was thankfully quite deserted. Here, with water already simmering at the back of the hearth, they made tea, taking a seat to let it steep before pouring it into the cups Nanithel fetched from a cupboard. Syllke let his eyes travel around the little common room, noting the doors that led off to individual sleeping rooms. It was warm and nicely decorated and comfortable – but he still felt unsettled, as he had since the day before. After a few minutes, the tea was poured and with the hot cup held carefully between his hands, he looked at Nanithel. Her face seemed pale, even given its odd hue. As they were alone, with no-one to be embarrassed about should she choose not to answer, Syllke said curiously, “You aren’t pure Vantha. Why is your skin that shade?”

[Nanithel]

The smell of the tea instantly soothed Nanithel as it always did and she took a sip of the hot drink even as it was a bit too hot yet and almost chocked at Syllke's question. She was used to it by now though, being different that is, she was not the only mixed breed after all but it was something Nan wished was different, she didn't now her father and so she felt no regret wanting to be a true Vantha. In the warm glow from the fire Nanithel looked at her hands wrapped around the cup of tea, they had a vague shade of blue against a background of what would have been olive skin and she knew that if the light was increased white lines would be visible, her eyes shifted to the steam rising from the tea, taking some interesting shapes before slowly thinning out and rising out of sight.

"You're right," Nan finally said, deciding that the boy was honestly curious. "My father is an Isur, though I have never met him or even know his name. My mother don't wish to speak of him very much, I think it is much because I'm much like him in her eyes." Nan looked up from her hands to see how Syllke would react while taking another sip of the tea savouring it's rich taste of forest berries and herbs.

[Syllke Skyglow]

Syllke watched the girl as she spoke quietly, seeing her discomfort. Well, life was what it was – and in the end there was no-one to please, really, except oneself – at least that’s how he looked at it. He didn’t turn away politely or change the awkward subject. Looking at Nanithel, he said simply, “So, you are a bit of this and a bit of that, but in the end who you are is really up to you, not your parents. I like to create things – to draw and paint and carve – and often people tell me they don’t understand how I could look at something and then create another thing that is so different. Sometimes they say my art is ugly, or weird, or bizarre." He chuckled. "But I don’t let it bother me. If my work isn’t what I want it to be, I try again, start over. Sometimes I trash the whole thing. But if I’m happy with it, then that’s what I care about.” His eyes went to the little animal still snuggled up to the girl. “Your friends will always love you for exactly who you are. That’s enough.” He looked at Nanithel again. “I like your coloring – it’s very unique. At least – I haven’t seen anyone like you before. I’d like to do a painting of you – if I could mix that color.” He rose and moved to sit next to her. Setting his cup down he stuck his hand out. “Can I see your hand?”

[Nanithel]

Nanithel had to agree with him, to ignore what others thought as long as you yourself were satisfied but she just couldn't help take things to personal and that was the reason for her taking a distance to other people. One reason that animals were such great companions, in Nanithel's opinion, was that no matter who you were, what you did or said an animal stood by you without any other reason other than loyalty and love, of course she knew other humans had those qualities too but for her trusting animals were easier and less painful. She knew it was something she needed to improve on but Nan always found some reason to avoid opening up to others. "You're right about that I guess, others opinion shouldn't, in the end, matter as long as you yourself are content." She said, giving a genuine smile.

His next question took Nan surprise, she knew the reputation of the Skyglow hold and except a picture her youngest cousin had made of her Nanithel had not had her picture drawn. "Well, if you want to, go ahead," she said, not certain how to answer really, new situations and Nan did not always mix well. Nanithel stretched out her hand, taking the almost empty cup in left hand, disrupting Ita's rest causing him to shake his head in annoyance before chewing slightly on her fur rimmed hood.

[Syllke Skyglow]

Syllke took the proffered hand, and held it with both of his, examining first the back and then turning it over gently to look at the palm. He ran his middle two fingers lightly over her skin, and then flipped her hand back around. His fingers slid from hers as he set her hand gently back on her knee. His eyes went to hers, and he saw without really noticing the common color shifting irises of their shared race. His own danced with flecks of red, always an indication that he was excited about something. “Your skin is amazing – those white lines – like when the ice cracks under your feet. And I thought you might feel cool, but you’re as warm as I am.” He grinned. “Or maybe that’s from holding the tea.” Leaning back, he kept his eyes on hers and slowly he lifted his hand to brush his fingertips over her cheek. “No, it’s not the tea. Warm and soft – like every other girl.” His voice was musing, his eyes thoughtful. Letting his fingers drop from her cheek, he picked up his cup and took a sip. “Poor Nayayik. Alive one day and gone the next. It happens, all the time, I know. But . . . “ Syllke’s gaze went to the floor, and then back to Nanithel’s face, quickly. “I guess I never really thought about it so much. But seeing her, like that . . . “ He shrugged and frowned. “It makes me think that life is fragile – fleeting. It’s kind of scary. I don’t feel . . . as safe as before.” His eyes held a question – maybe a request. For confirmation. For reassurance. Some sign or word that regardless of what they had seen and experienced, that somehow life was still good and navigable – despite the risks. It seemed so odd though, to be sitting drinking tea while Nayayik's remains waited to be disposed of, her spirit having flown from her body to go . . . where exactly? Would it hover about the hold, not understanding what had happened to her? Or did she know, and would she haunt the one who had killed and . . . apparently eaten her? "Do you believe in ghosts, Nan?" Syllke asked quietly.