[Riverside isle park] Happy trails. (Anda)

[Ximal]

29th spring 512AV

Hood down enjoying the breeze of the cool air for a change, Xi was glad he had decided to take a walk in the park. The sun shining lightly down filtering through the trees swaying branches the shadows casting down on Xi. His dark hair drinking the light and his eyes like bottomless pools of dark blue shine drinking the light as well. Still he enjoyed his time off of work, the blood pits were closed due to Bull wanting to do some work so Xi had a free day. thinking he heeded a small break he'd wound up in the river side park. Laying down in the grass alone in the shade he sat just watching the sky letting his thoughts roll at all the things that had happened to him over the past four weeks. Still as the soft cool breeze gently rolled by him he smiled, he was glad that he had this day to just, relax. Best of all his brother, want here to annoy him or make him look like an idiot. Let that jackass deal with his stuff his way and xi would deal with his problems in his manner. Still he wasn't here so Xi could just enjoy the beautiful sun sky plants and trees. Even the grass beneath him wsa great. But the air still had the rancid odour of sunberth so he couldn't relax as much as he wanted. Thinking of relaxing his mind flipped back to the time in the hot springs...why oh why did his mind have to go there now he couldn't get the images out of his head...

His huge size blotting out a large patch of the ground beneath him more so with the fact his cloak was laied out like a blanket, so he could lie in comfort. Still was there any way for a day like this to get any more perfect?

[Andalusia]

Today, her bow saw no action, and her arrows pierced no flesh. It was a terrible, wretched afternoon for Andalusia, having not even an emaciated squirrel to bring home to her camp. It was not sadness that overwhelmed her brain and crushed her spirits, but frustration and anger. Tightening and loosening her fists, she scowled twice as much as both she and her Luvanor, Dante, took defeated strides down the park.

"Couldn't it have been on another day?" she grumbled, eyeing the little pebbles that her boots would continually push to the side as she walked. Like the poor stones, she felt as if she was pushed aside and left with nothing. At least, just for the day. Not a single piece of good game, not even decent, none even poor. The forest was empty, and any animal oblivious to the apparent message that no creature must set foot near Andalusia today, was witty enough to scamper off into their homes, unseen. Dante looked just as downtrodden, his ears were a little limp, twitching here and there as he occasionally shot worried glances up at his master. Normally, a hunt without profit didn't hurt them as much, but she was short on coin, and she needed every penny. "There's a tomorrow," his sad eyes seemed to say as they took another look up at her. Andalusia sighed heavily as they both turned to make their way towards the trees.

The park had more people than the last time she'd visited it, and for once, a larger crowd was not a good thing. She gazed down at a certain figure lying on the grass, basking underneath the shade of one of the larger trees, the length of his hair falling around his face. "Not a time for making friends, Andal," she chastisised herself, turning away to frown at another tree, with no inhabitants below it, "go sulk over there, you unlucky hunter." She walked over to the tree and prepared to sit below it, Dante already running around the tree's large bark, his tail wagging happily. Despite the unfortunate morning, he was happy, as long as he had his master with him. That, might just be Andalusia's one and only source of comfort; her dog, and her horse.

[Ximal]

Pleasant days like this were rare for Xi, still he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. There were almost no people here, and than someone passed by, pale skin and jet black hair,Xi didn't get a good look at her eyes as she passed him by so quickly. Laying in the grass he watched her lean against and then sit beneath another tree, She carried a bow, and dagger, a good combination of weapons in sunberth. Still Xi didn't get a really good look at her but he could almost feel an air of disappointment about her. Although he couldn't quite place why Rising from the grass and pulling his cloak up after him he shoo it loose of all the grass that latched onto it, hooked it around his shoulders with a slight flourish and dropped the hood over his face. Then he made his way over too her his face shrouded in darkness as usual except for his dark almost black blue eyes. Xi stepped closer to her and crouched down intfront of her after al he was a lager man by even akalak standards. Crouching down her looked over her a little keeping around four paces back. He spoke softly as usual but with a tinge of warmt to try and help her lift her spirits his better nature was overtaking him. "Excuse me miss. is anything the matter ? You seem some what troubled, is there any way i can help ?" Xi wasn't a good hunter but he had his ways of attempting to help, as best he could at least. Normally his methods of helping involved attempting to cheer people up.

Smiling lightly he continued to glaze his eyes over her, taking in every detail about her, even how she was sat. Hundreds of hours at the pits had taught him how to see someone who was going to go for a weapon. And watching bull had taught him how to stop the weapon befor it left it's sheath. Still she probably wasn't going to attempt to kill him off the bat, after all he was only trying to help. But after all this was sunberth, and he still had his armour should he need it. A few strands of his black hair fell from his hood and his beard now a little longer than the chin wrap he had trimmed it too, though it still covered those four scars on his cheek. Then it came too him perhaps she could not speak common so he used what little knowledge he had of nari to speak to her. "Miss, are you alright?" That was all he could muster out in nari, after all he wasn't good at it, but it had helped him occasionally if he needed to hide the odd thought he couldn't hold off saying.

[Andalusia]

Dante's loud, boisterous barking was what lifted her out from her daze, as the man he had noticed laying in the grass beforehand had come to approach her. She glared daggers at his kind face as her dog immediately jumped in front of her, preventing him from coming any closer. The Luvanor growled threateningly, finding it utterly ridiculous that a stranger would worm its way towards his master just like that, as if Sunberth wasn't as shady enough. "I'm fine," she uttered her words slowly, in a low, unamused tone. She wasn't in the mood for pleasantries. "I need no help, th-thank you," she turned her scowling face away from the man. Dante remained in front of his master, at a readied stance in the event that the man may attack, or perhaps even flinch.

Andalusia's head snapped back to face the stranger when he began to speak Nari. She squinted her eyes at him, brows furrowing, unable to find an explanation in her head for his sudden outburst. Dante noticed his master's sudden movement, and immediately crouched down, as if prepared to pounce. "Did he say something insulting?" the canine wondered, as he bared his teeth and continued to growl at the stranger. "Why do you suddenly sp-speak to me in that language?" she glowered, with no longer daggers to her angry eyes, but longswords. This stranger, out of nowhere, had suddenly spoken Nari to her, as if he was aware of her being a fouth Inarta. No one would know that except for the people she's told, or those with so much experience with the race that they could see it in her features. But no, this man couldn't have been the latter, could he?

Without missing a beat, and through the aid of Dante acting as a shield, she made a grab for her assassin's dagger and rose from her seat by the tree bark. She took numerous steps backwards, her eyes locked onto the man as she held her dagger up high. Dante ran towards his master and stood in front of her, resuming his predatorial stance. "Wh-who are you?" she managed behind clenched teeth, thankful for the sudden recede in the amount of park visitors. If there were to be bloodshed for this possible assassin, then it was highly plausible.

[Ximal]

Without warning the dog let before him as she was up on her feet holding the dagger in-front of her. Please no, perhaps if he left? No he wanted to try and get her out of this mood. Lifting his weight slowly up from the ground, he towered over her, The enormity of his size he knew would let him over shoot the reach of her even with that dagger. He sighed as he could feel his normal courtesy starting to ice slightly, naked weapons did that around him. He stepped back and lifted his hands, speaking softly adn warmy back in common. "I'm sorry about that i didnt mean to spook you, if you wish me to leave i will. But i spoke nari too you as your eyes speak volumes about you. Again i'm sorry if i startled you, if you and your...pet, wish for me to leave i will i was only trying to help. You seemed some what depressed as you walked by." He was speaking normally as he could not see her face through his hood, and the blade she brandished set him on edge. That and the dog did not help either. * taking a step back, and pulling his hood back to reveal his face with one hand, he smiled softly under his beard. Those green eyes he met with his own, It was clear she was trying to intimidate him with that dagger and that stare but, honestly he was more intimidated by the dog, and the dog couldn't hurt him either. Not with a steel guard covering his arms.

Taking another step back he lowered his arms again. And spoke again in common softly. "Please would you put that dagger away? I'm not fond of weapons and snarling animals, even at the best of times. And i can tell you dont know how to used that dagger, please sheath it. All i want to do is talk, and if you donot wish to tlak and want me to leave i will peacefully." Now he began thinking of why she was like this, then it became clear, she was a pretty woman in sunberth, this place corrupted even the most innocent. He meant no harm but if he had to defend himself, he would. But he would do so without hurting her.

[Andalusia]

"How can these people tell by just my eyes?" she asked herself, her mind searching for the answers, wandering into an intellectual reverie as she continued to stare the man down in silence. "First, Lyalya, and now this... man. He must be a traveler like her, or else it would be impossible," she straightened her back and took three more steps behind him, gently lowering her dagger, but refusing to sheathe it. Dante followed suit, taking a more defensive stance as he continued to defend his master. "My eyes may be different, and it may give my heritage away to the experienced, but he doesn't look like it at all..."

"I-I don't believe you," she replied, watching as he moved his hands towards her as a way to protect himself. She was too far to be able make a move with her dagger that he wouldn't be able to evade, but despite keeping it lowered, she held it tightly, a surge of heat rushing towards her fingers. "What have my eyes told you, that you would decide to speak to me in Nari?" she looked the man over, unperturbed by his size as she was armed, "who are you, how would you... How would you know that I could understand Nari by just looking into my eyes!?" Without meaning to, her voice rose up as she spoke the last of her statement. He seemed kind, with good intentions, but some of the greatest criminals were pleasant, and even charming. This applied to the delinquents both in and out of Sunberth.

[Ximal]

XI sighed as he dropped his hands, he didn't want to fight and he wanted to show it as best he could. Speaking slowly he said bluntly plainly and warmly. "The reason i know your part inarta is because i grew up with an inarta girl who happened to teach me the language, that and i work at the blood pits. I see enough types of people a day for me to knwo who or what they are just by looking at them." He took another step back and sat on the floor level witht he dog. His dark blue eyes looking up at her slightly. Sitting down was his best chance at offence should he need it as well as defence but it showed he did not want to fight either. He asked again politely noticing the fleck of fear in her last words. "Please would you put the dagger away, i mean you no harm. If i wanted to i could, and that knife and the dog wouldn't stop me. But all i want to do is talk. I'm not an evil person."

Looking over her he could see what she didn't, the shakes in her arms, as she held that dagger proclaimed she was a novice. But she knew how to use it. Showing his hands again he spoke softly. "You may think you have the upper hand being armed and with fido here. But my weapons are my hands, and my bracers here, are made of solid steel. I could stop the dog bite and disarm you at the same time. Oh and if i was going to attack you which i'm not, i wouldn't have told you what i would use nor how i would use it. So please as long as you see my hands you have nothing to fear." Inter-lacing his fingers, he placed them on his lap in front of him. Slowly looking out at her and hoping she'd put that knife away, and she'd call off her pet. After all this was his day off he didn't want a fight. Looking her green eyes dead straight so she could see he was sincere through the black depths of his deep blue eyes. He meant her no harm, and even if she attacked him he would pacify her, annd the dog without hurting either of them.

[Andalusia]

She watched him intently, her hands following his very movements, from the way his hands lowered gently towards his sides, to the manner that he'd plopped onto the ground to sit down. "He said part Inarta," she thought, her mind racing once more to piece things together, to analyze and to explain. "You're a fourth Inarta, Andal, he's no criminal. He doesn't know a thing about you, like you assumed." Finding solace in his explanation, she breathed a relieved sigh, returning her assassin's dagger into the knife holster strapped around her right thigh. With a soft, chirping whistle from his master, Dante's tense muscles relaxed, his ears twitching as he patted his paws lightly along the grass, turning around to face Andalusia as if he was expecting her to give him an order. The man refused to tell her his name, and that alone she found a little suspicious. Nonetheless, she'd already called off her dog, and he sat defenseless. Her eyes softened at the sight, her scowl slowly leaving her pained expression as her fists loosened.

But as he spoke once more, her fingers tightened once more and her eyes narrowed. Dante had already resumed a calm, mellow stance next to his master, oblivious to the anger that had resurfaced within Andalusia. "You may think you have the upper hand being armed and with fido here, but my weapons are my hands, and my bracers here, are made of gold steel," the stranger spoke casually, but she found his words to be pompous and insulting. "Who does he think I am?" she thought angrily, gritting her teeth as she glowered at him once more, "are there even bracers made of solid steel? Isn't that heavy!? Ridiculous!" The man continued to speak, unfazed by her reddening cheeks, for the time being. "I could stop the dog bite and disarm you at the same time. Oh, and if i was going to attack you, which i'm not, I wouldn't have told you what I would use nor how i would use it. So please, as long as you see my hands, you have nothing to fear." he added, intertwining his fingers together as he took a long look at Dante, who stared back innocently. Andalusia had her dagger sheathed now, and if she wanted to, she could simply walk off. "He won't expect you to move," she thought, breathing deeply. The redness receded, and she appeared completely calm. "Aren't you humble," she muttered in response. With a blink of an eye, she slapped him square on the cheek, with so much force that his face turned towards the side, just as her anger flooded throughout her face. In a flourish, she turned around and walked briskly away, Dante trotting alongside of her.

[Ximal]

He sat still waiting for a response, and he got one, he saw it coming but after what he'd said he sat there and took it like a man making no attempt to dodge. The slap stung, but the words stung more. He he was being an ass but when threatened by a weapon he did act like more of an ass-hole than usually. Still if she wanted to leave there wasn't much he could do. Standing slowly he watched her. his face now showing the slaps marking bright red with a hand print. He was a jack ass with his statement and he knew it. Rising slowly he stood eyes trailing after her. It was clear his intent with talking to her combined with the way he said things had made him seem like more of an ass than he wanted. Still he looked at the floor and spoke just as softly before turning to face the other way. "I deserved that, and i'm sorry for coming across like an asshole, unsheathed weapons have that effect on me. All i wanted to do was try and raise your spirits a little, you seemed a little depressed as you walked past me. And my better nature told me i had to do something. But i'm sorry i waisted your time." Flicking his hood up with both hands he headed in the opposite direction, hands at his sides beneath his cloak.

The slap hurt, in the last three weeks he'd been slapped four times, this one though hurt more because of the insult that coupled it. Looking at the ground he headed the other way. He knew he'd screwed up. He knew he'd failed big time. Still he was hopeing he'd left some kind of indent with his final words to her then tha might bring her back to speak to him again, but that would just his hope. After all he hated seeing people suffer, when he knew he could help. But if she wouldn't allow him to help her, he couldn't help her. Returning to the light of the sun, he sat back where he was originally and stared at the sky again. something about the open sky helped hi control his emotions and his way of acting around people. Though he didn't have a single clue as to why.

[Andalusia]

She stopped dead in her tracks as he spoke once more, his words sounding much more sincere that she had expected. Dante turned around to observe the stranger as he dejectedly moved back to his place underneath one of the trees.

"I deserved that, and i'm sorry for coming across like an asshole, unsheathed weapons have that effect on me. All i wanted to do was try and raise your spirits a little, you seemed a little depressed as you walked past me. And my better nature told me i had to do something. But i'm sorry i wasted your time."

Andalusia sighed, dipping her chin as she weighed her options. "Leave, or stay? You need a pick-me-up, and this is one opportunity that you may not want to miss," she told herself with a small nod. She may have been a little too harsh, but that comes as no surprise, as she was living in a lawless city. "You didn't waste my time," she stated softly, as she slowly turned around to view the man. He was a burly giant, and no other words could describe him as precisely as those two. "I've had a b-bad day, yes, I-I suppose I wasn't i-in the mood," she ruffled her hair as she took slow strides towards him, "I b-become a little different, a-a little more crass, b-brave? Defensive, w-when I'm upset." She turned her gaze over to Dante, who refused to approach. The man's unnatural height intimidated the dog. He sat near the other tree instead.

Andalusia's stutter was returning, as she found herself relaxing. He previous outburst seemed enough to rid the tension in her body that had accumulated from her failed hunting trip. Gingerly, she sat down alongside of the man and stared at the grass. "I-I'm Andalusia," she said simply, hoping to start things over with an introduction, "I-I, I'm not very good at s-starting or maintaining c-conversations..."