The exploits of a would-be hero... (Alkor/Kashik)

[Alkor Korinado]

With a thoughtful look, he shrugged.

I do work sometimes. Whenever I get a chance. I just didn't belong. Here, there or anywhere else. I was born, raised, and I moved on. It's hard to comprehend, even for me, but I've always been alone.

With a grimace, he realized he was still talking. Of course by now he had turned away from her and his face wasn't visible, but he shivered and cracked his knuckles to hide it. The things he was saying were things that didn't concern her. He needed to eat, drink, maybe sleep and then get out of there.

Alkor was one of the few people who "knew" there was more trouble to be had in the company of others than in that of lions. At least, that was his new mantra. Without help, in reality, he might have been dead right now. But to Alkor, this was a fate worse than death.

He crouched down, picking up some dirt and sifting it between his fingers, letting it spread over the flame and crackle, kicking up tiny shards of glass that glistened magnificently in the dying sunlight. With a look up at her and a tilt of his head, he decided to try to explain it to her his way.

You grew up in a world with a family that loved you and taught you, right? In this warm environment with others who know the dangers of the land and a knowledge of how to live in it; where I'm from, its so cold that most people die quickly without guides just because of the temperatures. Sure, common sense will keep you alive here, but even that's a toss up back home. I had a family, though the more they tried to teach me and built up ridiculous expectations, the more I disappointed them. Until finally I wasn't anything they wanted. It got to the point where I wasn't to be seen in public with my family because I was an embarrassment. I didn't mind, I guess, but I just don't trust people. It's different from what you know, but it's not stupid.

Idly, he sighed and shook his head, looking at the last vestiges of sunlight as they trickled away and the stars twinkled into existence above.

I must be tired, telling someone this stuff. Dang it...

[Kashik]

She watched him grouse and fumble, and then listened to him try to explain, and all the while a look of confusion and curiosity remained on her delicate features. "It is stupid," she said when he was finished, snorting a little huff of air. "Your family is supposed to be there for you, to love you and support you and help you become as strong as you can be. If you've come from some land where that's not true, well then your land is cold and stupid, and your people are stupid, and you're better off finding another." As if it were that simple, just go find another and be happier with them. So sayeth the Drykas. "Now eat before you get even more delirious," she said with a flash of smile, tugging him by the sleeve and pointing at the food she'd laid out for him.

[Alkor Korinado]

Well, my family wasn't. So I guess I'm just strange.

Alkor disliked the idea that he was different because of the conditions in which he grew up; it meant it would be difficult to adapt and survive in the culture, and that they were closely knit. Integrating would be neigh impossible, and even if he succeeded, he would be a virtual outcast. He didn't even plan on staying that long anyway.

This just meant that there was little to no work for him, and it meant that this place wasn't much of a meal ticket. But that was beside the point. She was feeding him!

He noticed the food when she encouraged him to eat it, and he gladly scooped it up, not sure what to make of it until he tasted it, his eyes shifting into a neon yellow color for all of a moment as he found himself fascinated by the flavor, almost childlike in his awe.

Mmmm! It's good! Thanks!

His rough exterior disappeared in the blink of an eye as he took the food in without wasting time on words. Of course, he knew it was a bad idea, considering that if he had to run again, he'd cramp up... but then, he didn't figure he'd need to run. Would he?

With a thoughtful glance at her, he finally remembered what little he knew of common courtesy and nodded his head respectfully.

I'm Alkor, by the way. They used to call me Alky back home, but you can do whatever you like.

[Kashik]

"Alkor," she repeated, tasting it on her tongue, and finally nodded as if satisfied. "Well met, Alkor. I am Kashik of the Brightsmile Pavillion, of the Diamond Clan. And you are safe tonight," she chuckled, smile turning wry as she noted his hesitancy and the play of emotions over his face. "I am not nearly so territorial as some of my people. Besides, I'm heading off the Sea for the season anyway, so it behooves me to be kind to strangers as I'll soon be considered one," she said with a laugh, winking impishly.

[Alkor Korinado]

She spoke with the fascinating overtones of someone he didn't understand; Alkor was used to it, what with being so far from home, but he still never completely immersed himself in it. Distance was a virtue, after all. If you never get close, you can never get hurt.

The thing that fascinated him most was the personification of the land. He understood the concept, they did it in the frozen north too, considering that the tundra was a cold-hearted woman.

Though that it spoke to her was an unfamiliar concept. He couldn't conceive that the world itself communicated with it's people. At least not people who weren't trained in talking to it. Shaking his head to rid himself of the plethora of thought, he smiled to himself and cracked his knuckles idly.

It's nice to meet you, too.

He knew he'd have a hard time with her name, given that the syllables were in fierce contrast to what he was used to, but he decided not to worry about it too much. Better to play it off than to risk offending her.

[Kashik]

The girl stared at him a moment, as if waiting for something else, and finally she laughed. "Well?" she said, teal-green eyes glittering in the firelight. "Do you ever talk or do you just grunt answers to questions? I mean, I talk all the time, so I can fill the silence, but you're the one doesn't fit here and I'm damnably curious. For one, why in the name of all the gods and monsters did you wander away from you campsite?"

[Alkor Korinado]

Well no, to be honest, I don't talk much. Not anymore.

He didn't actually speak to people unless he had to; it was a habit he'd picked up when he was younger, though he never actually told anyone why. His light blue eyes seemed a few shades deeper as he reflected for a moment, then decided to speak up again.

I don't know why I wandered off. Its just what I do, seeing new things, doing what I can to get by in a harsh world, and I guess helping people when they really need it. Though the latter is a rarity.

He was honest again. This baffled his mind, why he would stay in a conversation with one person for so long after...

It wasn't important. Alkor closed off his mind to the thought that had been nagging at him and forced a gentle smile in her direction, tilting his head slightly, deciding to change the subject.

You said you were trying to get out of this place, right? Why's that?

[Kashik]

She chuckled, shoving the rest of the berries towards him to encourage him to eat. Once he finished those, she pulled out a package of dried beef and offered him as much as he wanted of that as well, taking a piece and chewing it slowly as she shifted to fold her legs beneath her. "Oh it's not so much that I'm trying to get out," she laughed merrily. "That makes it sound like I don't like it here. No, I love the Sea. But I need some better weapons training, and I've heard that the Akalak have some amazing ones. Besides, my family's set to spend the summer at the War Pavilion, so it's better that I get in all the practice I can before then." She peered at him curiously, chewing her way through another slice of jerky. "Are you a fighter?" she asked, eyes roaming over his body. "I didn't see any weapons with your pack."

[Alkor Korinado]

Well, I am and I'm not. See, I don't like fighting for no reason, there's no logic in it. People get hurt and wars wage, and because of that there's no peace in the world. I guess you can call me "pragmatic," but I'm not exactly interested in picking sides in a conflict.

The answer was more dodgy than it was specific, mostly because Alkor had suddenly become easy when she started talking about war. Her intentions seemed to become shrouded in fog the instant that topic was thrust upon him, and that made him uneasy.

He accepted the food, eating it slowly, his body feeling more nourished but no less tired and weak. If she intended to fight him, she was going to make a mess of things in short order. At least, he hoped, that nothing like that was going to happen. She seemed sensible enough to know that someone in his current state was no kind of challenge.

I was taught by my uncle to defend myself, and I don't need weapons to defend myself. Martial arts aren't about diplomacy or being better than anyone else, they're about discipline and staying neutral. I have the problem of being far too empathetic, and it makes my life a living hell if I get too close to people. So... I'm like a loose cannon, but not so much a "fighter."

What he neglected to mention was that he probably needed a few hours of sleep and to tend his wounds before he accepted any challenge or fought off any enemies, but the best bet for anyone in the realm of self-defense was to stay aloof, and not showing weakness was part of his survival tactic.

[Kashik]

A snort of a laugh answered his comments on war and the wagers of it. "Well, it's not as if there's really been a war lately," she laughed, shrugging. "And besides, it's not as if I'm training so I can go out and defeat a person just to say I did it. As you may have noticed, the Sea of Grass is not a place for the weak," she murmured, jewel-dark eyes traveling out to the shadows beyond their campfire. "My family must be protected - my people must protected - from all the dangers that lay in wait. So I learn to fight, so when a pack of grasslions chase down my little brother," she said, returning her gaze to his with an impish grin, "he does not need to run any further than to me."