Open A Lone Konti & New Company

[Ma'adele]

(Any takers are welcome to make the first post. I'm thinking about having either of your characters meeting mine by the stables, maybe one of her paintings have caught your attention and you decided to have a little chit chat with the artist herself.)

[Kanri]

27th of Summer, 512 AV
Skyhigh Stables

It was late afternoon and Kanri was on one of her usual restless wanderings around the city of Wind Reach. After another bout of cleaning out the bird cages of the currently masterless bird cages, she was just bored. She didn't really have the skill or the "way" with the beautiful feathered beings to keep a bird herself yet she still saw value in practice. However, after a few hard pecks that morning, it was hard to tell if it would be worth it someday. Maybe someday... Kanri whispered to herself.

She found herself wander into the Skyhigh Stables. Perhaps a new traveler had entered the city, like the foreigner she had met a week ago. After that confrontation with a foreigner, she felt a little more self confidence with strangers. She found the still stone stalls mostly empty, as usually. What should she expect? Wind Reach was hard to enter without one of the precious Wind Eagles... And hard to exit. She felt even more restless, now that she had no access to informationfrom the outside world. She felt so out-of-it lately...

Then, she saw her. A woman who was clearly not a Inarta. Her hair was a striking white and piercing green eyes. Kanri felt a surge of excitement rush through her. Then caution. Her encounter with a rare foreigner around Wind Reach a week ago had gone quite well. That didn't mean EVERY foreigner would be friendly. Supressing her surge of excitement, Kanri slowly approached the tall white haired woman.

"Welcome to Wind Reach... Ma'am," Kanri greeted her in her best common, remembering she ought to try to be polite a moment too late. "This city is a magnificent place so if you have any questions... Well, don't hesitate to ask. Just don't ask me, unless it's just directions."

Kanri loved her city but didn't recall the lessons on its history very well. It hadn't seemed too relevant to her. She wasn't the best one to sign herself up for a tour guide or welcome committee. However, she smiled at the white haired lady for now, instead of worrying the "little" details...

[Ma'adele]

Ma'adele looked up from her many water color paints of a wind eagle. She was surprised someone found her in her private hiding place of solitutde and actually said something to her. She was a bit causious, hoping she wouldn't be kicked out of her "home". But she still greeted the stranger with a warm smile. "Hello, I am Ma'adele." She stood up and offered her hand to the other female. "It's nice to meet you." She said while the smile and welcoming behavior stayed in place.

[Kanri]

"My name is Kanri. It's nice to meet you too," Kanri replied to the white haired woman called Ma'adele. "That's a very good painting you have there. You seem pretty experienced. Did you come to Wind Reach to paint eagles? Is that one a specific eagle or just one you are imagining?"

The watercolor painting burst with realism. Perhaps you were staring at the bird through still water or foggy glass, which led to the slighly blurred image that came with the medium. Kanri was impressed with the skill but even with the careful attention to details put into the painting, she still felt like maybe it lacked the heart of the eagle. But this woman Ma'adele probably had not been in Wind Reach long enough to truly know the heart of the Eagles. Kanri wondered if she understood them at times as well...

Even after the terrible storm that was still affecting Wind Reach, artist still made the journey here. Kanri had to be impressed with her determination.

[Ma'adele]

"I am just imaging. But this drawing is the common wind eagle. I also do oil canvas paintings. I can paint and lightly draw anything. I am here to find a mate that's not the norm for kontis. Maybe an Inarta or a loyal kelvic might do. What about you?"

[Kanri]

"What about me? You mean, why am I here? Wind Reach is my home."

I smiled. Wind Reach truly is my home. It had been a while since I thought of it simply as "home", instead of my usual metaphor of "cage". I loved Wind Reach.

"So, where are you from? What's it like in your home?" I asked eagerly.

[Ma'adele]

"Can we go to a rest place that's more comfortible first?" She asked as she gathered up her belongings. Her watercolor paint had dried out during the beginning of their conversation, so it was ready to be stored back into her backpack by now. She slung her strap over her shoulder and was ready to leave the Skyhigh stables.

[Kanri]

"Oh, I'm sorry. Absolutely!" Kanri agreed hurriedly. "Where would you like to go? There aren't a lot of places that are good for just sitting and talking. The Inartans aren't usually into that sort of thing. We could always just go to my room but it isn't too fancy..."

[Ma'adele]

"That sounds nice. Sure. Lead the way." Ma'adele walked beside Kanri on their way back to her room. "To begin, I am a konti. My race hails from Mura or the white isle. There is a matriarch. But we also have the mother's circle, which determine the day to day doings of my race. Then there is the grandmother's circle which make the final vote on what we do. Like I had to ask the grandmothers to leave the isle or once your mature they come to you with the option. But I stayed because I had to weave containers for our goods and fish for my family. I also had to pass on my fishing knowledge to a few of the younger konties, so they could be helpful in my absence."

[Kanri]

Kanri lead the Konti into her simple, little common room. She let Ma'adele sit in the chair while Kanri pulled over her wooden chest and sat on that.

"It sounds like there are a lot of strong women in your society. Do they have to be strong to survive? Is Mura difficult to live on? How is Mura different from this place? Is there a lot more water around? Does that lead to a lot of rain? Does it have four distinct seasons or is there a dominant season there? And, uh... never mind. I'll just let you answer those," Kanri trailed off, realizing she was blabbering.