[Arrival] Nhara K'tari

[Nhara K'tari]

Nhara K’tari

Nhara pulled the dull gray cloak tightly around her shoulders and took a deep breath. She prepared herself for the blast of cold air that was coming as she ran her hands along the bronze door knob that led out of her small home. The metal was cool to the touch, just another reminder of the freezing winter air that was waiting for her on the outside.

“Here we go,” she whispered under her breath as she slowly pulled the door open with a low creak.

A cool gust of wind rushed in and small flakes of snow spiraled into the room in swirling white patterns. Nhara quickly stepped outside and yanked the door shut behind her before pulling a key from around her neck and quickly locking the door. She returned the key to her neck, quickly tucking it into her shirt and once again wrapped her cloak around her before heading out at a brisk pace.

She passed a few people as she moved easily along. A few Akalak guards roamed the streets, and a human passed her by without so much as a second glance. A few minutes later she rounded a corner and came to the Cliffside Grottot. The grotto gave a stunning view of the Bluevein falls, and was popular with a large amount of the younger cities inhabitants. Akalak who were also courting a woman would sometimes bring her here, to help with the wooing and the lovemaking process.

It was still early in the morning and no one was out, and Nhara guessed few would be here in the winter when it was so cold. Her breath hung in the air like a heavy fog before being hustled away by the wind. The snow crunched under her feet with every step, and her footprints stood alone in a field of white. Nhara moved slowly forward and closed her eyes as the soft roar of the falls filled her ears. She moved closer to the ledge, and leaned against the stone railing, glancing out at the magnificent falls.

“It’s been eight months,” she whispered softly to herself. Eight months since her father had been killed. He had been stabbed multiple times, and left in some alley way only to be found the next day. Since then she hadn’t done much. She worked on her magic a bit, and continued to practice her philtering skill, and mostly she mourned. She was a Konti by blood, but a human by upbringing. She had always felt alone, distant from those around her. She longed for that communion, that companionship and relationship that so many seemed to have. She had it with her father, but now that he was dead… what did she have? A house? Some furniture?

A small tear slowly slid from her eye and traced a frozen path down the side of her pale face. “Where do I start dad?” she whispered softly, “Where do I begin?”

She glanced out at the falls again as if they held the answer she sought, but no reply came. A small shiver wracked her body as cool air rushed by her. This had been one of her father’s favorite spots. He would often come here with her to write in his journal, or ponder some problem or puzzle he was trying to solve. In the summer they would sit and look at the flowers and watched the beautiful waterfall cascade down in different shades of blue. During the fall the leaves would change, and the sky would be filled with a myriad of dancing colors as they began to fall from the trees.

“I can’t just stay cooped up in my house anymore, I can’t just pretend like what I am doing is okay. Should I leave? Go to Mura like I always wanted to, discover the place my mother came from and see if I had any other family beside her.” Nhara bit her lip unconsciously, a sign she was nervous, or at least unnerved by the thought. “That seems too much, and I don’t know if I have enough money to get there anyways. I want to learn more about magic for sure,” she finally declared to the waterfall, “And dad taught me enough about philtering I should be able to get a job doing that. So that’s what I will do first, I will get a job, and we’ll see what happens from there.”

She turned and slowly began to walk away from the fall. "Thanks dad," she whispered, "I'll be fine on my own. I love you, but I need to move on now."