One Thing After Another (Aoren, Evora)

[Aoren]

6th Day of Fall 512 AV


"Damn it! Exucse me!" Aoren was dashing through the corridors and hallways of Syliras City as quickly as his legs could carry him. Suffice it to say, that was not a speedy process. With so many people crammed into the interior of the castle all bustling about in the arly morning hours it was no surprise that the corridors were clogged with a multitude of people. He was late for his first day on the job. He'd gone through all the trouble to go to the employment office, sit through an interview, speak with the shop mistress, and get employed at Stormhold Salves. Now here he was late. On the first day. So much for making a good first impression. Thus far Aoren had been prodded in the ribs, had his feet stepped on, bumped into roughly three people, made a man drop various items he was carrying in his arms and generally was not starting his day off altogether very well.

It was days like this that he hated people and all he wanted to do was either go back to his home and practice his studies or go to a quiet place and prove to himself he wasn't a failure as swordplay. Both of those ideas sounded heavenly. Both of them were unlikely to happen in the near future with so much work to be done. He only hoped that he wasn't fired right away. He dodged a disgruntled mother ushering her children along, apologized to a man he bumped into as a result and trudged onward through the masses. Until finally the humble apothecary's shop was in sight. Stormhold Salves. Owned and operated by Mistress Blackleaf. Aoren was just about to dart into the shop to start what would hopefully still be his first day of gainful employment when he darted right into someone. He toppled over landing flat on the ground with the thud.

"Oof!" He exclaimed slightly as the wind was knocked out of him. In a daze he lay there for a moment waiting for the dizziness to pass. One it did he got to his feet and turned to whomever it was he might have inadvertently plowed over in his attempt to mitigate his already waning mark on his new employer.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there. I'm just running a little late, that's all. Here, let me help you up." He extended a hand and offered a half-smile. People always made him feel so awkward. Perhaps a job of this like would help him get over it. Still, it was something he'd have to work on.

[Evora]

The morning was hot and stuffy inside the castle. Evora struggled to breath in the dark confines of the castle corridors and longed for the forest. Maybe taking Sora into the woods, or getting some hunting done. She had finished the rabbit she had shot earlier the week and she needed to make another sale to the butchery if she had any interest in living.

These thought all floated about her head as she made her way through the castle, distracting her from the problem on hand. That being that in the twisting maze of corridors she had managed to get lost. Perhaps it was her own fault for venturing into the castle. Curiosity killed the cat.

While trying to pretend she was in fact not lost, and troubling over financial issues, Evora was plowed over. She was thrown to the floor and landed with a thud on the cool concrete floor, hitting her head with a crack. Apologies were repeated and through the cloud of stars Evora could see a hand extended. She ignored the hand and stood up herself. She swayed on the spot and decided the best option would be to lean against the wall of the corridor. She looked up and studied the man who had run her over. He was tall and muscular and was chattering on about being late 'then be gone you fool' Evora thought closing her eyes and swallowing, trying to push away the intense nausea. She blinked up at the young man, an anger boiled within her.

[Aoren]

Aoren dropped his hand as the woman he'd knocked over picked herself up. He glanced over her to assure himself that there were no obvious scrapes or bruises.

"I'm...uhh...sorry about that. I should pay more attention to where I'm going." He frowned and stepped forward tentatively with hands outstretched as she swayed slightly. He watched her shake off what must have been a wave of dizziness and nausea with concern.

"Are you going to be alright? Maybe you should come to Stormhold Salves with me. It's where I work and unfortunately I'm running late. It's right over there." He pointed to the shop in question then dropped his hand again and shrugged. "We may have something that can help you if you're feeling sick after I uhh...after I knocked you over. Sorry. Again." He gave a light chuckle and a half-grin rubbing the back of his head.

His fall hadn't been bad enough to make his dizzy or nauseous. He had a scrape on his elbow but that was about it. He had forgone his usual attire in favor of a plain linen shirt, cotton pants tucked into his boots, a sash belt around his waist and went without his normal grey cap exposing his short cropped hair to the world. It was obvious he felt terrible for possibly injuring her.

"I'm sure it won't take more than a minute or two. Mistress Blackleaf makes a variety of ointments, poultices, and salves for any number of aches and pains." He stepped back and gestured toward the shop as invitation for her to follow. People were going in and out of it at regular intervals. There was certainly no shortage of customers which was a mark of good craftsmanship.

[Evora]

Evora closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inspecting the back of her head with a careful hand. "Alright" was perhaps not the best way to describe her current situation, but she would live. She opened her eyes again and looked up at her attacker. He offered her assistance at his place of work and just as Evora wanted to decline a second wave of dizziness came over her.

"I'm sure it won't take more than a minute or two," he said and it sounded like he was talking to her through a door. She took a step forward, swayed again and grabbed a fist full of the strangers vest. Instead of a short and sharp reply characteristic of any Inartan, for all Evora, she found herself politely accepting his help. Or as politely as she could manage. "Take me then," she gasped, trying her utmost not to bring up the small amount of rabbit lying at the bottom of her stomach.

[Aoren]

Aoren caught the woman as she stumbled into him and held her up gently. He was a little startled to say the least. Physical contact with people was not a common occurrence for the young man. He wrapped an arm around her waist gently and ushered her toward the shop. It was only a short distance away so the walk there wasn't harrowing in the slightest. As they walked into the shop he opened the door carefully before guiding the disoriented woman to the nearest counter.

"Now just brace yourself on the counter for a moment while I go get a chair." There were no other customers at the moment, the majority of them having retrieved their daily salves or poultices from previous orders. Aoren quickly made his way toward the back of the shop where he found a chair and his boss. He spewed forth apologies and an explanation for his tardiness as well as why he was grabbing the chair. He was met with an instruction to get to work and to tend to the ailing woman at the front. Aoren was relieved. He wasn't fired. Which only meant he would work twice as hard.

Hurrying back to the front he brought the chair up behind the woman and bade her to sit down while he retrieved some water, an herb he knew the skilled apothecary often used to assist with upset stomachs and returned to her holding a glass and the herb.

"Here. It's not much but it might at least help with the nausea." He offered both to her then stepped back and watched attentively for a moment before he went to grab a broom and proceeded to sweep the store's floor.

"I'm nowhere near the skilled apothecary that Mistress Blackleaf is. I hope to change that some day though." He swept up some debris from the streets of Syliras and gathered all that he came across into a neat pile.

"Again, I'm sorry that I bumped into you. Uhh...what brings you to Syliras?" He glanced over her again briefly. "No offense but you don't look like you're from around here."

[Evora]

The man ordered her to lean against the front desk and she made no objection. He disappeared for a time and Evora took it to examine her surroundings. The shop hung with herbs and bottles with different coloured salves stood on the shelves. It smelt... herbal in the room. The smell known to any person who was familiar to injury. Evora briefly recalled her wounds being dressed in Wind Reach after hurting herself playing with the young boys.

The young man entered the room with a chair which Evora sat in gratefully. Her head had steadied but she was still breathing deeply to subside the nausea. The man offered her water and a leaf, which he promised would settle her stomach. Evora who would deny any food from a stranger, eagerly accepted the herb and stuffed it into her mouth. She drank deeply on the water while her attacker and savior went about sweeping the shop floor.

He showed an enthusiasm for healing and medicine and Evora was thankful for it. Another apology touched her ears and then he asked the all dreaded question. "What brings you to Syliras? No offense but you don't look like you're from around here." Evora hated revisiting her reasons as to why she left Wind Reach. Her previous anger at the man had died down and she wondered how to answer. "I'm still deciding what I'm doing in Syliras. Still deciding what I'm looking for a place to belong." She smiled a little at his observation. There was no denying she wasn't from the area. She sported traditional clothing of Wind Reach and her hair shone with tiny glass beads and feathers.

She noted that her dizziness and nausea had left her. "Thank you, I feel much better." She said placing the glass on the counter. "Are you a local here..." Evora noticed she didn't even know the young mans name. "I apologies, I didn't get your name?" She said with an inquiring tone. She would like to know the name of the man who nursed her after cutting her down.

[Aoren]

Aoren ceased his sweeping and tidying up as she answered his question. She did seem out of place. That much was obvious with the beads in her hair, the attire that didn't quite fit into the Syliran fashion of plain and calloused.

"A friend of mine once said, "No matter our destination, the journey is always worthwhile", wherever and whatever it is that you are searching for I hope you find it. If you're looking for work the Employment Office always has a listing of jobs to do around the city. If you need a place to stay you could go to the Housing Authority or stay at one of the local inns. They usually have a room or two available. Though that might have changed in the wake of all those storms." He shrugged and went back to cleaning.

"You're welcome by the way, I don't know much yet but with time that may change." He cast a smile over his shoulder as he righted a few lop-sided vials of some soothing tincture. "And yes, I'm from around here. I have a home deeper in the castle like the rest of the residents. Courtesy of the Syliran Knights." He spoke with a hint of distaste and a slight shrug of his shoulders.

At the inquiry for his name he paused for a moment and stared her in the eyes. There was a puzzled expression on his face but it soon passed and he shook his head.

"You may call me Ren. And to whom do I owe my many apologies?" He ran a hand over his head. Perhaps it was a habit from when his hair was much longer. The short cropping of fuzz on his scalp hinted at dark mahogany tresses. As that hand ruffled over the fuzz a silvery marking glistened on the back of it. If Evora was familiar with the gods and goddesses she might recognize the shimmering lily for what it was.

"If you can't find a place to stay, come back to the shop in search of me and I suppose I could make room for you in my home. It's not much but it's the least I can do after nearly trampling you."

[Evora]

Eovra liked what he said and wondered if she would ever feel that way, that the journey was worthwhile. And she also hoped she found what she was looking for, whatever it was.

"No, I have employment already. I'm a hunter." She told the young man, "I've already been in Sylira for a while. Not a long while. Just long enough to settle in." She smiled, realizing she had spent almost an entire season there in Syliras. The time had passed so quickly. She felt like she had arrived only a few days ago.

"I hope you come far with your practices, I can see you have quiet a passion for healing," she watched him straighten the small vials on the shelves. She listened to him tell her about his life in Syliras and noted the common shared bitterness towards the Syliran Knights in his tone. She learnt his name was Ren and noted a faint silver marking on his hand and took an interest in it. She wanted to inquire what it was but he asked his own questions.

"My name is Evora," she said and blushed a deep shade of red at his next question. It was full of innocence, she knew, but still it wasn't an offer she was accustomed to, least of all from young men.
"Um, thank you, but I already have living arrangements. I'm staying outside the city in a tent. It's far nicer than the confines of the castle. Though, of course, I'm sure your home is more than lovely." She responded awkwardly. She shifted uncomfortable in the chair he had brought her and wondered if she had offended him or if she should perhaps leave.

"What is that on your hand?" She asked remembering her previous question hoping it would help her feel less awkward. She studied the marking and it seemed to depict something like a tattoo but she could not see from where she was sitting.

[Aoren]

Aoren nodded and picked up a dusty mortar and pestle. He grabbed a cloth and began polishing it. He reflected on the statement he'd made a moment ago. About worthwhile journeys and far off places. He wondered if he would ever leave Syliras to go somewhere a little less...confining. Those were thoughts for another time though.

"I will. It's just a matter of time and practice. Before you know it I'll be an accomplished wiz--" He cut himself off pausing in his polishing then cleared his throat. "..an accomplished apothecary. As much as I enjoy the healing arts though every man and woman in this world needs a way to defend themselves as well." He rubbed at a stubborn stain upon the mortar more rapidly. Casting a nonchalant glance at Evora he smirked.

"You wouldn't happen to be a swordsmanship teacher would you?" He laughed lightly. "I could certainly use some improvement in that area." Shaking his head he put down the mortar with its stubborn spot and grabbed the pestle wiping it clean before moving on to other objects in need of cleansing.

"It's nice to meet you, Evora." At her hurried response to his inquiry of living arrangements he blushed and held up his hands in a placating gesture.

"Oh! I didn't mean to intrude. I just...it's just...well..." He rubbed the back of his head again flashing the silvery marking. "...no one should be without a place to stay. Sorry." The blush crept across his cheeks and he quickly turned back to his work.

"And no, my home is not lovely." He chuckled nervously but it was clear he was pushing past that awkward moment. "But it's home and that's all that matters."

Aoren was silent for a few minutes as he pondered the relevance of that statement. He quirked his head at the question of the marking on the back of his hand. He looked down at it. The silvery lily of Avalis. He watched it shimmer slightly as it reflected more than just the light coming in from the windows. He closed his fist and held it up in front of him showing it to Evora.

"It was a gift, at least that is what I am told. Growing up I had no clue what it meant though I bore the repercussions of this mark all the same. It wasn't until I was twelve that someone deemed me competent enough to understand where it was from and what it really meant. Though I'd figured it out by then. I just didn't want to believe it." He walked over to Evora and extended his hand allowing her to inspect it.

"It's a gift from Avalis, Goddess of Sight. I've had it for as long as I remember and for as long as I care not to remember as well." He spoke as if the mark were both a boon and a burden but there was no hint of resentment nor malice in his voice. Simply a melancholy attitude and a lining of grief. Once she was done inspecting the marking he dropped his hand and returned to his work.

One might say that Aoren used his work as an excuse to keep himself occupied with the here and now the way he focused so intently on what he was doing.

"All the same though, Evora, if you are ever in need of a place of refuge come find me. I don't have much but what I do you're more than welcome to. Like I said, I owe you that much."

[Evora]

Evora caught the stumble in his speech. It was too late. It would now be imprinted in her memory forever. Hopelessly inquisitive, perhaps not straight away, but Evora would learn what he meant to say when talking about his dreams to be an apothecary. He tried to brush past it asking her if she was a swordsmanship teacher. She would let it go for now. "No, no. I'm far better off with a bow. Maybe we could spar sometime though. One can learn a lot from another, even if they are not as skilled. It all has to do with being attentive."

Evora became a little annoyed with Ren. She was a deep shade of scarlet and she was not accustomed to it. She was used to being in control and knew herself as a dry person. Not a blushing maid. But the situation burnt her cheeks. "Perhaps, seeing as you are not fond of your home, if you get bored of the castle and desire some air you'll seek me outside the city."

He seemed ever the master of changing topics and red in the face, Evora was glad for it. She listened intently as he spoke about the silver marking of the god Avalis on his hand and he offered his hand for her inspection. She gently took it into her palm and turned it over and traced the lily she could now identify. She found the pattern quiet beautiful, careful like embroidery or glass work made in Wind Reach. She found it interesting and wanted to ask more but speaking about it seemed to make the man solemn and quiet. "Maybe one day when you have the heart you can tell me more about your god and this blessing." Evora said as he withdrew his hand and busied himself with cleaning again.

"You owe me nothing. I am feeling much better thank you Ren." Evora smiled, "but perhaps I will bother you some day. For a roof or a meal." She didn't really know where to go to from there and wondered if she should leave. He was after all at his place of work. "It was... pleasant being knocked over by you," and she meant it. This was another one of the more enjoyable conversations she had shared in Syliras. Syliras was different in that way that not everyone knew each other. It was far too big for that so these brief conversations were the sort that she held dear to her on days she spent alone.