Completed Beachcombing

[Eleret]

Fall 47, 512 AV mid-morning Gray water lapped against stone and sand, producing a rhythmic susurrus as intimately familiar to Eleret as the sound of her own breathing. Seabirds wheeled in the air and skittered across the sand, gulls voicing laughing cries and pipers as silent as the sands beneath their feet. Eleret paused to watch them, one hand raised to shield her eyes from the morning sun. As her gaze followed one gull gliding over the ocean, she wondered what it might be like to fly; of land, sea, and sky, the air was the one environment not readily open to Konti. But this was only idle musing. Eleret smiled as the gull splashed down into the water, then turned away from the ocean view. Instead, she looked down towards the white sand where it covered her bare toes, then on along the slowly curving line of the shore. She had a purpose today, beyond indulging her love of the sands and sea (which she did every day, anyway). Shaking her feet free of the fine white grains, Eleret walked forward, roughly following the line etched in the sand by successive high tides. The sand crumped softly beneath each of her steps, occasionally punctuated by the crackling sound of a strand of dried kelp pressed underfoot. She found a stone as she walked, a blue-veined white oblong nearly the width of her palm and about as thick, well-polished by grit and water. Eleret reached down to scoop it from the sand, brushing clingy grains away from its surface as she straightened. It was not perfect in symmetry, but protruded on one side, with a notch at the top worn shallow. Hefting it in her hand, the Konti thought that it might make a good accent in her sister's garden. She dropped it into a pocket, then continued on her way down the beach, keeping an eye out for anything else interesting.

[Sybel]

Sybel remembered the first time she ever looked upon the Suvan Sea; it’s great waves roaring fiercely against the coastline. It was as endless as Eyktolian Dunes and she had felt insignificant in comparison. But somehow, beyond all reason she wasn’t afraid. Just as in life, she’d removed her leather boots and joyfully ran toward into its tidal embrace, swept irrevocably into whatever laid ahead. It had been a wet ride afterward, but worth it. She couldn’t help but grin in recollection. That had been the very first time she realized her love for the ocean. Staying in Mura for the last few days had worked well. It was the vacation she’d never had and could barely afford, and yet it seemed like such a good idea. The Kontinese women were very hospitable and the scenery unreal. The evenings were borderline ethereal. It was so alien to a woman of the desert. In her idle wonderings she tried to empathize with the wisdom and longevity of the natives who dwelled there. What a life they must lead! These thoughts whirled about in her skull as she walked across the white sand, her toes digging into the moist grain. If there was anything Sybel loved, it was walking. Travel seethed in her nomadic blood, so being in motion had always been her preference. She’d spent most of her childhood sprinting through the hot streets. Being on a beach was second to being home. She wore a loose-fitting blouse, gathered at the waist. Her cotton breeches were rolled to the knee. She’d been scouring the water’s edge, admiring its pebbled shoreline, when suddenly there was movement in her peripheral vision. Dubiously she glanced up. A sweet-faced girl was doing much the same shortly ahead of her, picking up stones. The impulse to call out stuck in her throat. It would seem out of place, calling out to a stranger in the middle of the dewy morn. Yet something compelled her, some displaced magnetism in her heart. Perhaps these seers had an aura that drew people in. Putting two golden fingers to her lips, she whistled a melody. There was no rhyme or reason to it – she just somehow felt it was right. It was almost a bird call, but just out of place enough to be human. After a moment, she repeated the action. It would call attention to her without being intrusive. That was all she could hope for. Smiling hugely, her spirits on the wind, she waved.

[Eleret]

Eleret paused again in her walking, tipping her head and considering a shell she could just glimpse peeking out from the sand. She shifted her weight to one foot and wriggled the toes of the other into the sand beside it, working them deeper until she could lift the ivory-and-amber curve free. It was a fragment of a once-larger whole, an arc roughly the width of two of her fingers, edges rounded and surface pitted from exposure. Her consideration of this find was interrupted by a striking whistle, a bright and cheerful tune which she immediately thought suited the morning perfectly -- despite it being a strange sound to hear beside the surf. The Konti turned towards the sound's origin in time to see the woman wave. Dark of hair and dusky-skinned, the stranger was definitely not a native of the White Isle; that alone piqued Eleret's interest. Not too many others came here, and fewer still that she had opportunity to meet. Smiling in return, she waved back at the presumably human woman, then made a downward gesture to indicate she'd walk down towards the surf to join the other woman. First, Eleret paused to nudge the shell back into the hole it had been pried out of, brushing sand back over it with her foot. When it at least resembled the condition she had found it in, the Konti stepped back and turned to walk down towards the other woman. Eleret wore a simple green shirt and brown pants, both cotton; the ocean breeze tugged erratically at her pale hair, such that it sometimes veiled the scales on her forehead from view and other times left them to gleam in the sun. "Good morning," she offered in Common as she approached the stranger, uncertain if the other spoke Kontinese. She didn't imagine very many humans would. "I am surprised to have company. But pleased. It is a nice day for the beach." Cooler, with the season, but still lovely. Eleret smiled again, close-lipped but the expression nonetheless warm and amiable, the Konti clearly curious in a mannerly way. "I do not think I have met you before. I am Eleret," she offered, futilely attempting to push a few short strands of hair out of her face. The wind only pushed them right back. "Are you new to Mura?"

[Sybel]

As they reached one another, something clicked. Sybel felt like she’d done it right, completed some part of an unexplained whole. She had played her part. The feeling was largely disturbing. Trying to ignore it, she maintained her friendly smile. "Good morning," The girl began. "I am surprised to have company. But pleased. It is a nice day for the beach." Her common was good, but a tad stiff. That was to be expected. Most Konti were very kind but also very formal. Their culture seemed to revolve around discipline in some form or another. It would be a sight to see one come undone, she imagined. That nearly elicited a chuckle. "I do not think I have met you before. I am Eleret," the seer volunteered. "Are you new to Mura?" That was certainly out of courtesy. Sybel was quite aware of how foreign she looked. It seemed the farther you traveled, the more out of place you seemed. It was a logical progression. Still, Eleret seemed was offering more than just polite solicitation. “I am.” She responded. “My name is Sybel of the Tents of Alijah, Descendent of Malech of the Sons of Rapa.” It was over the top, but Sybel said it with a grin. The natives seemed to find long titles impressive. She personally found them ridiculous, but it saved the girl time in figuring out where she was from. Benshira had very specific family names, so all it took was a little bit of lore and her new friend would understand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Sybel tucked one errant wisp of hair behind her ear. “Eleret is a lovely name.” She spoke with sincerity. It was in part that Sybel was enamored with the culture, but the Kontinese women had such beautiful names. They were just as enduring as their very lives. It was the only sort of poetry she could stomach without becoming ill. “How about you?” She remarked. “Are you new to Mura?” It was meant to be comical. After all, Eleret clearly lived there. Sarcasm was on tap with her. It just flowed.

[Eleret]

Eleret's eyes widened a touch as the woman's name went on -- and on, and on -- okay, it wasn't that long. But longer by far than the names of Konti she had known. The woman's grin suggested a levity supported by what traces of scent her gift captured despite the breeze -- lavender and cinnamon, both readily identifiable even from a whiff. After a moment, Eleret grinned back at her, shaking her head slightly and offering a glint of humor in return. "It is much a mouthful. I will use Sybel. Else I will be all day getting your attention." She smiled at the compliment, pleased by it. Murans were long-familiar with her name, and if any had complimented it when she was little, Eleret had long since forgotten. The Konti then chuckled as Sybel continued, shaking her head decisively. "No, I have lived here all my life. My family is here also. I come to the beach to look for things." Eleret pulled the small, sandworn stone from her pocket and held it out for the woman to view. "I found this before. I am looking for wood, but I think my sister will like this for her garden." Putting the stone back away, she gestured towards the sweep of sand before them. "Maybe you will come with me?" Eleret invited. "I do not see many from outside the Isle. I would like to hear about where you travel." She smiled at Sybel, warmth and reassurance -- she didn't mean to get knowledge for nothing. She had a trade in mind. "And you have questions, maybe? About Mura?"

[Sybel]

"It is much a mouthful. I will use Sybel. Else I will be all day getting your attention." Eleret seemed to sense her comic styling almost immediately. That was good – it would make interaction between them uncomplicated. Misunderstandings could be tiresome. Plus, her counterpart’s archaic speech was almost amusing in itself. It would make any joking on her behalf that much funnier. That was a silly thought. Then again, Sybel was riddled with silly thoughts. "No, I have lived here all my life. My family is here also. I come to the beach to look for things." she giggled a bit, which put her more at ease. Sarcasm was not lost on Eleret. Thus far their conversation was strangely effortless, and she credited herself internally for being so open. "I found this before. I am looking for wood, but I think my sister will like this for her garden." “Well that’s sweet.” She said gently. It must be nice to have a sister. Being an only child had been a lonely experience. It might have relieved some of the oppressive emptiness her Father’s death – to have someone to share the grief. "Maybe you will come with me?" The offer was unexpected. Not often did someone invite her along after just a few lines of dialogue. She almost twitched at the invitation. The allure of information was too strong – it was her weakness. If this girl was amenable, Sybel could learn a lot about the culture in a short period of time. Unable to resist, she nodded almost immediately. "I do not see many from outside the Isle. I would like to hear about where you travel." So it would be a trade? That was fair. She couldn’t expect something for nothing. "And you have questions, maybe? About Mura?" Well she did, that was true. It was natural to be curious about one another after such a meeting. “Yes,” she assented. “I would like that very much.” A grin spread across her cheeks. Like old friends she placed one hand on her hip, gesturing for them to link arms so they may walk together.

[Eleret]

Walking with the stranger would be a good way to get to know her, and to learn more about the world outside the Isle -- the world Eleret intended to travel herself. She was quite pleased when the woman agreed so quickly -- though surprised at the abrupt shift in her scent which accompanied that assent. Cinnamon, sharp and bold compared to before, and a clean earthy aroma, something like sun-warmed sand. She was almost certain the second wasn't coming from the beach around them -- it was still early, and a brisk autumn day besides. Both were good scents, describing a positive and interested mood, and Eleret smiled back at Sybel, nodding to the other woman. Their goals appeared to align, at least in part. Eleret linked her left arm through the other woman's without hesitation. As she did so, Sybel might note the teal marking on the back of that hand, considerably bolder than the Konti's twining scales. Eleret nodded in the direction she had earlier gestured down, then began walking along the surf, towards a somewhat distant rocky outcropping which reached nearly down to the water's current level. "There is a good place for... wood that the sea leaves. I do not know the word in Common, if one is. It is after the rocks." The Konti fell quiet a moment, putting her own questions in order. The woman seemed agreeable and interested, but didn't appear in a hurry to ask the very first question, so Eleret thought she would begin. "Your name, it is not from the Sylira region. Or I am wrong. You are from far away?"

[Sybel]

Sybel was pleased when Eleret took her arm without a second thought. The ease between them was surprising. Her eyes suddenly darted to the back of the woman’s scaled hand, noticing a marking that differed slightly from the rest of her gleaming flesh. That was interesting. Perhaps it was a gnosis mark? It was said almost all the residents of Mura had one… Well, the indigenous ones any way. It would be impolite to ask about it up front, so she filed the observation away. Eleret was leading, which was a welcome change. It absolved Sybel of having to think of where to next to wander. Instead she was free to drift along, enjoying the musical crash of the waves and the pleasant texture of the sand. It was all very relaxing. On the island, she didn’t have to constantly watch her back or be wary of strangers. The denizens that occupied it were much too serene for violence or melodrama. So it seemed to her, anyway. Her friend gestured ahead to a sloping part of the shore, distant and jagged. "There is a good place for...” Eleret hesitated, stumbling on the phrase. Wood that the sea leaves. I do not know the word in Common, if one is. It is after the rocks.” Sybel chuckled, a gentle lilting sound. The language barrier would be a fun obstacle. “It’s called driftwood.” She explained, motioning to the same area. “It drifts in off the sea, so coastal towns sort of coined the term.” Being able to explain something so basic made her feel almost helpful. It was the same thing with Alistair, the youth she’d befriended in Syliras. Perhaps one day she’d feel the same if she ever chose to have a family. It seemed for a short time that Eleret was musing to herself. Trying not to be intrusive, she allowed her friend to take her time. After a few moments she seemed more certain of herself and spoke quietly. Your name,” she inquired, ”it is not from the Sylira region. Or I am wrong. You are from far away?” “I am.” Sybel grinned. “More specifically from Yahebah in the region of Eyktol. I’m what you’d call a Benshira. You know – eyes like water in a desert.” It was a common saying in reference their race. “I’m an adventurer and merchant, currently on hiatus. You may ask me anything you like about where I’ve been, if you’re curious. People tend to be.” She winked mischeviously.

[Eleret]

"Driftwood," Eleret echoed, mentally repeating the word a few more times to fix it in her memory. She smiled gratefully at Sybel, also noting that the woman didn't seem to mind supplying the word. A very good person to practice her Common with, if that remained true. But as a traveler, she was probably used to encountering language barriers -- unlike Mura, where practically everyone spoke Kontinese. Eyktol, the far-southern deserts, where water was surely as rare as -- well, as Benshira on the White Isle. "I have never been far from the ocean," she remarked. "It must be very different, away." Not exactly a question, but a comment which invited elaboration, if the traveler wanted to volunteer some. Invited to ask questions, Eleret continued to do so -- though she was not so unmannerly as to bombard Sybel with her curiosity all at once. "What is your favorite place? Place that is not Mura," she amended. While it might be interesting to know the visitor's perspective of her home city, Eleret really wanted to hear about other places now. OOCFeel free to ask some questions yourself -- unless Sybel is saving them all up for a deluge later!

[Sybel]

”Driftwood,” Eleret mirrored. She seemed pleased with the sound of it and smiled at her gratifyingly. It was a simple pleasure to teach. Shiber had been her first language, but she spoke common far more the past nine years. It had been through practice with perfect strangers such as herself, so she was more than happy to oblige. I have never been far from the ocean. It must be very different, away.” Her light eyes were lost in the water. Sybel decided to expand, hoping to lend some frame of reference to her. “It’s like the beach only without water. The landscape is just endless sand, darker and hotter than what you’re used to. Our heat has no moisture either – it’s dry, which can be misleading. It is always much hotter than it feels, so you can dehydrate if you’re not aware. We require lots of water.” It wasn’t much, but she’d managed to paint a picture. That way her friend would at least have some background on the region. “I do have wonderings of my own…” She began, trying an understated approach. “Tell me, are all Konti seers? Or just some?” There was so little she knew about them in relation to djed. In fact, Sybel knew very little of magic altogether. Religious lore was one thing – she was Konti were considered the children of Avalis and Laviku, but that was the extent of it. It would be interesting to learn something of their unique abilities. “Can you all harness djed?” ”What is your favorite place? Place that is not Mura.” Well there was interesting question. Eleret had taken her first option off the table. As far as aesthetics went, Mura had taken that category hands-down. As far as places she enjoyed otherwise, that required a little more thought. She was best suited for Zeltiva as far as disposition inclined her, however Endrykas had an undeniable flavor to it. The concept of a wandering city struck her as brilliant. Both brief visitations had their own entertainments. Reticent, she puzzled it over. “I’d say it is a tie between Endrykas and Zeltiva. Endrykas is a nomadic city of tents in the Cyphrus region. The Drykas that live there are a passionate people attached to traveling clans. It is always somewhere in the Sea of Grass and not too hard to find if you know what to look for. Their heated nature keeps things interesting, especially in the ale tents.” They were a rowdy bunch, especially when plied with liquor. It was rare to have a peaceful night in the company of a drunken Drykas. “Zeltiva is a great city too though, the settlement there permanent. It’s a port city as well as a great center of learning. It’s always bustling. The University classes can be expensive, but they’re worthwhile if you have the discipline.” It had always enticed her, the idea of becoming enrolled. But being a traveling merchant brought a meager salary, and it just wasn’t realistic. Still if she ever had the opportunity, she would try. A broader background could help Sybel tremendously in her endeavors. “I might go there next…” She thought to herself out loud.