Meeting New Faces (Zandelia and Kalila)

[Sahashkalila]

TImestamp: 20 Spring 512AV

Kalila sat back in her chair inside Pig's Foot Tavern, holding her mug of tea close. The bar maid had finally taken pity on Kalila and ordered a pound of tea just for her and Kalila couldn't have been more grateful to her. In fact she had even offered to tend to her should the bar maid ever need it, but she politely refused, saying that a gift should not be repaid in kind. Kalila didn't press the issue after that, not wanting to insult the woman's honor in doing so. After that, Kalila made much more frequent visits here, enjoying watching the patrons who came in. In all honesty she missed interaction with people, and mainly came here to people watch, chuckling at a drunk here and there while enjoying a hot cup of tea. It was also a good place to meet someone new.

Today however, she was more troubled, her thoughts centered on what she had experienced in the past few day. She had gone to the training session for the Crimson Edge, a band of mercenaries that she was not sure she belonged with, and she had practiced with her weapon of choice, something that she didn't want to do but had to. She did not like having to fight, and only did it when absolutely necessary, and so the training had proved to be....difficult for her. She snorted in irritation, thinking that she was the only Dhani in the world that didn't like violence. Everyone else in her race seemed to thrive for it, and while she could admit to herself that she like the rush that fighting gave her, she did not like the mental guilt that she dealt with afterwards. She took another sip of her tea, watching a group of patrons play dice in a corner while another group listened to a story teller spin tales about the outside world, wondering what it was like to truly be human. SHe would never really know, she would outlive everyone in here, and in fact was older than everyone in the tavern.....and most likely the whole city. And yet, she still wanted to help them, even though they would die before she would and would treat her like dirt if they found out what she was. Such was the price for her way of life and she shouldn't complain, she had chosen what she wanted to do a long time ago, and she lived with that choice every day.

Boy, she was in a depressing mood today. She took another sip of her tea before she placed the mug back on the table, her golden eyes roaming around the room once again. Maybe someone would catch her eye soon.

[Zandelia]

Zandelia had been given news, news that not overly troubled her mind but was enough to pique her interests. It was a strange thing, her position within the Crimson Edge, one which she ruminated upon almost constantly. She was no sure that she fulfilled any specific role for the ragtag organization, not on any true level. She was not able, nor funded, enough to serve them as an intelligence gatherer – though she was trying t rectify that, her hopes falling with each passing day that came and went. She was not the most martial in her skill and neither was she a leader in any real sense of the word, though others did seem to come to her with advice and problems. She had been elected as a rudimentary monitor of deeds and effort, a police officer within a band of ruffians. The irony was far from lost on her. She was a failure, partially psychotic according to some, and far from a peaceful person.

I would be the last one to pick, the woman with a dingy past and little compunction to play by anyone’s rules she thought to herself as she trudged her way through the muddy and packed streets of the city.

“Soon as kill a troublemaker than reform them. Not a characteristic that is desirable when you want to keep recruits” she muttered as a man stepped into her path and she shouldered him aside, a minor merchant with a red face. He turned upon her and yelled into her face, his pink complexion only serving to further contrast his beady eyes, like two pins punched into a fat piece of dough.

She ignored him for the most part, though he followed for a few paces and kept at his ranting, as if it would make her change her mind about his insignificance. She was in a foul mood, her dark thoughts manipulating her world view, merely focusing her self-pity and anger into a highly sensitive format. After a number of paces and his persistence she merely stopped, turned her head and looked at him from the depths of her shadowy hood. She prided herself upon being able to choose her enemies well, however her current nemesis could have learnt much from her upon what enemies not to pick. He came to stand in front of her, effectively barring her way, drivelling his tirade upon her as though he was superior – that being the manner which finally broke her temper into miniscule shards. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and then rammed her fist into his solar plexus, her fingers curled only at the second knuckle and in the ‘axe’ style of combat.

“No, I do not care that I jostled you. No, your spilled merchandise matters as little to me as to those who did not wish to buy second-rate goods,” she almost drawled in a honeyed voice spiked with nightshade, her left forearm coming down in front of his face as the spring blade concealed there snapped outwards, stopping a finger's width from his nose, “and no I will not stop for you. Now, whilst you collapse remember I could have killed you with a firmer hit, and pick your battle next time” she finished as she stepped over his crumpled form, felt the spring blade sneak back into place, and made the last score of steps to the door of the Pig’s Foot tavern, her moods much improved.

Stupid bastards, rats the lot of them. Useless for the most part and as much courage as a dung trench. Only rise up when they think they can win. This damned city needs a cleanout she mused as she made her way to the bar.

However, as she awaited her share of watered down ditch water, a common drink indeed, she came to the conclusion that it was perhaps more positive than that. If she was left to compete with only the truly skilled and spine-filled she would be in more trouble than she was presently. At least she could pretend, for the moment, that she was worth more than some – a viewpoint that was fast losing credence with each failed ambition and luckless investigation she took upon herself. No, it was better to be a goddess amongst insects than it was to be an insect amongst gods, that much was clear. Still, she had a particular mission this day and that was to meet a certain person – a Kalila, though the name meant nothing to her.

I’ve been told she needs counsel, perhaps, and I seem to be the only bloody one able to give it she grumbled as she scanned the interior, noting regular patrons and strangers. It was not hard to see the girl, the other patrons even seemingly wary around her. She sat alone as Zandelia made her way slowly to the table.

“So, I hear that things might not be as you want them to be?” she sat down, getting straight to the point as far as she had been told by the others. It was a guess, something she was not sure was even true if she were honest, however it was as good a starting point as any and would lead to more information if it were wrong.

And investigation is as much about failing and eliminating possibilities than anything else, that I have learnt most terribly indeed she thought as she casually sipped her drink and decided she could not be bothered to mince words much until she had figured what the situation was.

[Sahashkalila]

Kalila had noticed the woman as soon as she walked in, thinking that she seemed vaguely familiar, but Kalila couldn't be sure where she had seen her, if she had seen her at all. She was obviously a fighter from the way she moved about and the weapons that were strapped to her, and her hard exterior seemed to show that she did not care much about others. She was headed towards the bar and Kalila moved her attention away from the strange woman, instead choosing to listen to the story teller once again. However, the sound of footsteps getting closer to her table tugged at her awareness and she turned to see the strange woman coming to sit down with her.

Kalila tensed a bit at the stranger's words, her eyes narrowing at the woman's familiarity with her. Kalila did not know this woman or know what she was talking about, and she assumed that the woman had made a mistake in approaching her, thinking that she mistook her for someone else. She relaxed her grip on her mug, placing her palms on the wooden table before she spoke.

"I am ssorry, but perhapss you have misstaken me for ssomeone else.....becausse I do not know what you are talking about,"she said softly, her eyes never leaving the other woman's. "You sseem to know me, yet I do not know you."

[Zandelia]

Zandelia was not overly surprised by the other’s reaction towards her, caged caution being a definitive defense against most of the troubles found throughout Sunberth, riddled as if by cancer itself. She knew the price of accepting things at face value, of not questioning and seeking out that which was hidden. For all the other woman knew Zandelia was there to kill her, rob her and rape her – not necessarily in any given order. No, it was comforting to see some strength within her, something that was useful as much as it was rare. It merely made a small smile break out across her lips as she traced her finger around the rim of her rough clay cup, a thoughtful gesture as she contemplated the conversation ahead.

“Indeed no, you do not know me,” Zandelia began, slowly and precise in her tone, “and I do not know you either. However, it is hard to miss the cloud of mood around you, even for the half-blind” she continued as she pondered for a moment upon those words.

Would that I had both eyes I may even be able to see through the walls themselves she thought to herself as she picked up her beverage and took a sip.

“The name is Zandelia, about as rare as it comes in terms of a name, so I doubt you would need my second one. Besides, I have far more common and unflattering ones to choose from too” she half-joked to the one across the table.

Zandelia was studying her now, her gaze tracing over the outlines of her face, the color of her eyes and the body language that was being used. She seemed fairly normal, average perhaps but not overly terrible. Her clothing was not too disheveled and so brought the logical question of where she slept to look twice as tidy as most of the other patrons within the tavern. The clothing too seemed slightly strange, as if it did not belong in the muddy streets of a city, however Zandelia knew not what gave her that inclination, merely noted them as odd. Her eyes though, they intrigued her, piqued her interest. They seemed deeper than most humans, somber even, as if they had seen much. They reminded her of the aged ones she talked to sometimes, the ones who were old enough that surprises no longer existed for them. She did not seem overly threatening to Zandelia, however she was ready to pull a knife if required to – she knew all about surprises.

Her speech though, the way she rolls those words, extending the s….strange she thought, noting the quirk but not making any true connection for why it was possessed by the other woman.

“I would say you look like you’ve just lost all of your money, or something important, but then you seem nether poor, nor are you in tears. So, I can only assume that you are either disappointed, or perhaps that you received some worrying news” she pushed onwards, keeping her single eye to the other’s face and trying to read the movement there.

Zandelia knew she needed to ask the right questions to learn about her, truly learn that was – not to learn the things that others wanted her to know. She wished to know the real things about people, objects, everything. Such learning did not come easy, nor did it come without effort. She prayed to Akajia often enough for guidance that she knew she needed help along the way too, practice.

“Still, either way it is, or even if I am wrong, I think it better to drink in company than alone. Trust me, I know the difference. So, you know my name…you are?” she asked as her mind flashed through pictures of drunkenness, vomiting and looks of disgust – memories that were merely a week old in some cases.

[Sahashkalila]

The strange woman was studying Kalila intently even though her words seemed friendly enough, but Kalila was not one to trust blindly, especially to someone who oozed threat. She was not so much threatened by her obvious aura as a fighter, plenty of people in Sunberth were like that. No, it was the intensity in which the woman, this Zandelia, studied her and it put Kalila on edge. SHe was going to have to tread very carefully around this one.

Kalila studied her silently as Zandelia spoke, noting that one of her eyes was blind from its milky color and Kalila had the urge to ask how that had happened, but that would not be polite since she did not know this woman. She probably had many battle stories that would be interesting to listen to, but that could wait for another time....if there was another time. If things did not go well this woman might find an unwelcome guest in her bed later that night, Kalila reminded herself. She clasped her hands before her slowly, her eyes never leaving Zandelia's, a small smile on her face. "It iss a pleassure to meet you Zandelia, my name iss Kalila,"she said as she inclined her head in greeting, always remembering proper manners when greeting someone. "And while I am ssure you have earned a few other namess, you have given me no other reasson to call you by them yet, sso I will ssimply sstick with Zandelia." She chuckled a bit at that, wanting to remain as friendly as Zandelia was to her. "I apologize if my troubled thoughtsss have intruded upon you, I did not realize that I wass exuding them sso sstrongly.....but ssometimess one doessn't wissh to ssit in ssolitude with one'ss thoughtss."

She sat back in her chair and took another sit of her tea, her eyes still locked on the woman across the table from her. She did not want to let her own guard down, in case something did happen between the two women, aware that most of the patrons had given them a wide berth. Kalila could only assume that was because of the woman in front of her, and that did not sooth her mind. Zandelia did not seem the type to really care what anyone was feeling and there were plenty of others in the tavern who were just as troubled as Kalila, so why would this strange woman approach her? She could only assume that there was still another motive behind Zandelia coming over here, especially after her first words to Kalila. "You do not sseem to be the type to care whether one iss troubled or not Zandelia,"she said softly, her eyes narrowing at the other woman. "There are other patronss here with their own troubless, yet I do not ssee you sspeaking to them, insstead choossing to ssit with a sstrange woman who you sseem to know more about than you let on. That wass obviouss in your very firsst wordss ass you ssat down. Sso that bringss uss to another quesstion.....why are you here?"

[Zandelia]

Zandelia grinned, a small chuckle escaping her throat as she tilted her head to the side and surveyed her new ‘adversary’ with a sense of amused wariness. She was clearly no fool, her mind as content with observational sparring and teasing verbiage as Zandelia’s on was. She was proving to be of great intrigue to the would-be spy master and Zandelia began to wonder how she had not heard of the woman before now. She was attractive, as far as Zandelia could tell from what she could observe, had a sense of humour and a keen wit that could cut through most sets of armour. Kalila was reserved, that much was obvious to the least trained of the visual arts, however Zandelia was garnering a sense of threat – a miasma of menace hanging between the pair of them. Something in the way the woman was sat, the position of her shoulder and the tilt of her head, spoke of tensed danger.

The only question is whether it is because she is threatened by me, or is trying to threaten me herself. Still, she has shown no signs of aggression, so no sense in not pressing the opportunity she calculated shrewdly as she toyed with the rim of her clay cup..

“Kalila…a nice name for you. Exotic to match your looks” Zandelia returned, sensing it was considered polite to incline her own head as her conversational partner had also done – her gaze still very much upon the woman and ready to sense, and respond to, an assault.

“You not so much exude them, Kalila, as you do let them permeate the surrounding atmosphere,” she continued is response to the questions, “as those here sense and stay away from. Look at them, each one leading a troubled life. They need no others to add to their fill. Still, you snared one fish in your subconscious net” she took a small sip of her ale and called for another flagon to be brought to her to casually refill at her will.

“Still, you are interesting to me, to answer your last set of questions, and I make a point to learn of interesting people. You never know when you might require them, or knowledge of them, or even if you should avoid them. You, I think, are not one to be avoided, so I came to satiate my curiosity” she smiled once again, enigmatic to match her words – she told the other woman nothing more than she had already probably guessed, but dressed up in enough trappings so be enough for most people in Sunberth.

I wonder if she will find it enough? Tricky fish indeed she thought as she also considered the speech also, still over-pronouncing certain letters in a hiss-like sounding. It was not so much annoying to Zandelia as it was frustratingly unexplainable. She had met many races and creeds but not one matched to that pronunciation method.

“As to my purpose, well that depends upon what you want for yourself Kalila, truly it does. I could be a friend, someone to talk to about any problems, a drinking partner, a bedded woman and more” she winked at the last one to see if she could provoke any form of reaction, a counter-balance with which to pry open the knowledge she sought.

“What surprises me is how you do not appreciate the irony of asking me what I want when you have spent some time watching the other patrons with interest, ironic indeed. As to why you are interesting, well that is a list indeed! You sit in the noise but say nothing, you drink tea where ale is the prime medium of water, to sit alone in a crowd and you watch where others are having trouble even seeing” she laughed as she pointed her thumb to a man just as he hit the floor in a deadweight – passed out.

“So, I could tell you why I am here in specifics, however the real reason I wish to spend time only you can answer. Why are you the polar opposite of everyone in here? Why draw attention to yourself in a place that could break you…” she let her words trail off as she placed her arm across the back of her chair and regarded Kalila with a penetrating gaze, wondering if she would give anything away in their verbal ‘spar’.

[Sahashkalila]

If Kalila was ruffled by the other woman's forwardness she did not show it, only the slight raise of a delicate brow at the other woman's suggestion of a bedmate gave away her surprise. It seemed that Zandelia did whatever was needed at the time, and Kalila could understand now where some of those less than savory names probably came from. She sat her mug down slowly onto the table and traced her fingertips along the rim of the mug as Zandelia attempted to stare her down. Kalila was not intimidated by her, in fact she was more intrigued than anything else, for this was a verbal match. Each person trying to not reveal more than they had too.....Kalila reveled in it.

She looked down at the mug on the table and allowed a brief smile to grace her features, not that Zandelia could see, and she continued to traced the rim of the mug as she spoke. "You have much to ssay Zandelia, and while the persson you are sspeaking to may think you are being friendly....I am ssure that what you are really doing iss trying to determine whether that persson iss the prey.....or the predator,"she said softly as she looked up at the woman across the table, placing her palms against the cool wood of the table. "Ssometimes is is better to ssit and obsserve than to chatter with meaninglesss wordss." She pushed the cup away from her and folded her hands together in front of her on the table, her eyes locked on Zandelia. The woman was a tricky one, and Kalila wasn't exactly sure what to say to her. It was obvious that the woman wanted something from her, but Kalila did not know what it was yet, and so she had to tread carefully.

"Perhapsss I jusst enjoy watching and obsserving more than I do participating, I do not feel ass alone here. And there iss no harm in drinking my chossen beverage....perhapss I ssimply do not care for the tasste of ale. Tea iss better for the body and mind, and from what I ssee of thiss vile city perhapss more people sshould conssider tassting it." She shrugged her small shoulders and leaned back in her chair, her eyes widening slightly at the woman's last comment before she chuckled. "You are highly misstaken if thiss city could break me, becausse I can asssure you....it won't."

[Zandelia]

Zandelia watched the other woman as she changed posture, crossing her arms across her body now and placing her hands together upon the surface of the table. Zandelia smiled at the woman as she noted the partially self-defensive posture change. Kalila obviously found Zandelia as intriguing as Zandelia found her to be, however there was a small insight into Kalila’s character in her new position – that of wariness and guarded thought. They were two qualities Zandelia both admired and found frustrating, it was hard to get information out of one who did not wish to give it after all. She found herself wishing that the woman were drinking ale. That way, at the very least, Zandelia could get her roaringly drunk to tease out what she wished to know. As it was she knew she had to resort to other methods, and the creation of the barrier by the other woman give her an idea or two.

An interesting match of wits indeed. I wonder if she is prepared for my tactics too? she wondered as she kept up her soft smile and filled her clay cup once again. It was only half-empty but often refreshing of the beverage might trick Kalila into thinking she was becoming increasingly inebriated, rouse up a sense of ease that could be used against the woman.

“Vile you say?” Zandelia opened with, “perhaps you are correct. However the fact that you are still here in the city proves that either you actually like it here, or that you have nowhere else to go? Or maybe you merely have more arrogance than you would like to think. To you it is vile, to others it is opportunity. Perhaps you just do not see it right?” Zandelia probed watching carefully to see if any of her constructed words exacted a reaction – slight as she was sure it would ever be.

“People can break in differing ways though, I’d say you should know that true enough. You seem to be possessed of a brain. Don’t knock it until it happens, it is a powerful force” she continued, letting her finger stroke at the side of her blind eye as if scratching it, attempting to seed some worry in the other woman.

She has obviously not been here long at all, to think that this city is not even more conniving than the people that dwell within it. It strikes in unexpected ways she told herself as she briefly recounted her own past, her gaze momentarily turning inwards.

She took a few moments then to take a few sips of watered down ale and observe Kalila for any subtle changes in her mannerisms. She fancied she could spot a few but was not so presumptuous as to think she could read them overly well – it was hard to read someone intent upon giving nothing away after all. She let her cup reach the table once again, tracing the rim a little in a mimic of Kalila, deciding that further, different, probing approaches would perhaps be required.

“Prey, predator, there is no real difference. They change intermittently for the most part. My real desire is what you just mentioned, observation. People are interesting, but some more than others. However, what really intrigues me are mannerisms. The flutter of an eyelash, the grimace of the lips, the tilting of the head. They each tell something or another to one willing to read them correctly,” she paused then for an orchestrated silence, “but what intrigues me about you perhaps goes beyond the metaphorical after all, now that I have had the chance to get a better look at your eyes” she grinned then, slowly and widely.

“Also, if you were enjoying your observations then you would not have attracted my attention either. Well, perhaps you would have done, but for different reasons indeed, hmmm?” she finished with, letting her fingers reach forwards to touch Kalila’s hands, almost stroking them in an attempt to either unsettle, or kindle interest. She coupled it with a gaze into the woman’s eyes and a small pout to enhance her lips.

Round and round we go, whether she can be made to fall I do not know! she all but sang to herself as she acted.

[Sahashkalila]

Kalila scoffed at the woman's words, annoyed that she thought this city was good for profit. Of course it was good for profit and opportunity to mercenaries and thugs, and any other types of seedy fellows who used this city to do as they pleased. People preyed on the weak here and made profit from other people's suffering, and Kalila hated it. "Thiss city iss made for lawbreakerss and mercenariess that I ssee quite plainly enough. They profit on the ssick and poor, I do not sssee that ass opportunity,"she said a bit tightly, her anger starting to show from what she had seen with her own eyes and what the children that she treated told her. She watched as the Zandelia subtly scratched at her wounded eye, and she wondered once again what had caused the injury. There were many mysteries about her companion and Kalila was sure she wound't find out about a single one today...but she guessed that something tragic had happened to her to cause such an injury. Or perhaps the city struck her hard.

"You obsserve what you wissh to obsserve Zandelia. I wass left in thiss city to fend for mysself ass much ass anyone elsse here doess. But I do not hold cruelty in my heart. You do not obsserve the ssick that I care for when no one elsse doess. You do not obsserve the people who sstruggle to live honesst livess in tentss becausse they have no choice. You do not obsserve the children who are left alone that I care for ass well,"she said softly, her brows furrowing as she grew more agitated. This woman had invaded her space for a battle of wit for her own purposes and Kalila was getting impatient. She had enough troubles with worrying about what she was going to do with Crimson Edge and she did not wish to sit and continue to play games with a woman who had her own agenda.

She was also not amused with the way that Zandelia place her hand upon her own, an intimate suggestion that was too personal to her. She looked down at the hand that covered hers before she looked back up and raised a brow, slightly surprised at how bold the woman was being. She was not about to be anyone's bedmate. "Pouting doess not ssuit you Zandelia."

[Zandelia]

Zandelia withdrew her fingers with a rich chuckle, her rebuffing of physical contact most intriguing to her rather than hurtful. She knew she was not attractive to everyone, more so because of the fact that she was not a master in the art of seduction. That combined with her scarred visage meant that she often found less than success when it came to the intimate arts when practiced upon others. Still, she was learning as she attempted, this time learning that Kalila found little favor with closeness of the flesh – especially perhaps from strangers. Still, her coldness seemed a bit too excessive for it to be wholly natural and Zandelia wondered if the other woman contrived such walls to keep others at bay. She merely shrugged it off and sipped upon her beverage once more.

“I think so too Kalila dear, however some find it far more…appealing than most. It was interesting to try and see the reaction” she mused out loud, purposefully making it sound as if she could not control her tongue from wagging in a semi-sing song manner.

Though, no doubt she will not be fooled by it. Still, she used some perspective and perspectives I can work with she mulled around the thought in her skull, considering the next move to make in the verbal chess game.

“One could argue that many profit upon the sick and the poor, that I can agree with. On the other hand, however, one might argue that the sick and the poor also profit upon the mercenaries and thugs. It is hard to keep a large population in check and without self-destruction,” Zandelia formed her words slowly now, carefully, “and what these mercenaries that you hate so much do take care f keeping things in check. They held guard medicines, goods and keep the wealth in the city constantly shifting. They spend it on wine, women and food – money which invariably filters down to those whom are more needy and mundane” she continued softly.

“Perhaps, as you so aptly noted, you merely dislike their perspective. Perspectives are open to change and are brokered by events. If those at the bottom are not strong enough to force change then, in some ways, it is their own fault. They rely upon people like us to change things for them, but want to do nothing in terms of work for it” she shook her head then, her own perspective more akin to the other woman’s than she would say out loud, though with a different twist to them indeed.

“You are a healer you say? Interesting that you should judge so assiduously then when you yourself would be out of a job without anyone to care for. Life is hard, harder here than some places. Complaining does little to affect change, what is needed is action” she smiled now, finally deciding to see if the woman knew to what organization Zandelia belonged, had guessed after a fashion.

“You are useful to me and mine, to answer your overall question of why I am talking t yourself. I make a point to seek out, learn of and look after those whom help foster survival within my rough little family. The Crimson blood always flows after all” she teased the words out of her mouth, hoping that Kalila would grow a little less hostile to her now she knew she was not an immediate threat.