Closed Amber Sunsets and a Handful of Clams (Sira, Kovac, Aidara)

[Iosha]

Time Stamp: 51th of Fall, 512AV Location: The Twin Lakes Feeling a cool down draft from the summit of the mountain on her bare shoulder, Iosha tosses her blouse over her back pack. Shivering, she crosses her arms across her breasts to try to stay warm, but nothing seemed to work for her, and to make matters worse. The material of her small clothes are doing nothing to keep her warm in the cool evening air. She figures the water will be much warmer than the air around her, so she quickly removes her her pants, and she tosses them on to the back pack. She quickens his pace to the fire in the center in her camp and tosses the a couple logs on the fire. After her magical exercises, she will definitely need the fire when she gets out of the water. She glances around one more time, and she sees no one on the beach accept for a mountain goat off in the distance. She smirks to herself and says out, “I guess Io. I am the only one crazy enough to go swimming in the fall.” Feeling another cool breeze, Iosha unties her bra and quickly slips off her panties and throws them onto her back pack. When she looks up from her pack, she is captivated by the amber sunset engulfing the sky over Thunder Bay. She takes a moment to watch this gift clearly given to the land of Wind Reach by the gods. Iosha crosses her arms around her stomach and basks in the glow of the setting sun. Suddenly feeling a small breeze touch the back of her legs, she shivers again and says out loud to the mountain, “Fine, Zulrav! You made your point. I am going!” She laughs to herself as she runs to the water. However in mid run, her mind starts to wonder how cold the water is in the lake, but by the time, she makes up her mind to stop. Her feet hit the water and instead of gracefully diving into the water. She stumbles head first into the cool water. Now on all fours and her butt freezing in the cool wind, she starts to stand up, but her foot lands on the slimy surface of a rock, and she falls backward into the water. Slowly gaining her footing, dripping wet, and swearing at herself in Kontinese. Iosha stands up in the knee high water. Covered in sand, Iosha runs both her hands through her hair and looks up at the setting sun. She smiles to herself says prayer to the setting sun in Kontinese, “Sweet dreams Syna. May Leth watch over your children while you sleep.” When the sun slips under the horizon, Iosha takes a deep breath and dives into the water. Iosha found peace in swimming as a children in Mura, her favorite way to relieve stress after a long day of studying magic or medicine is to go into ocean and explore the reefs and underwater caves of her island. She could spent hours out in the ocean exploring or just harassing the marine life. She would stay out in the ocean and play until her mother or grandmother comes and find their wayward daughter. She would be scolded by her grandmother when she stay out too late. Swimming in the ocean at night or swimming into the open ocean is dangerous, so being a good obedient and understanding daughter, she would tell her grandmother and mother where she would be located, so if she got into trouble, her grandmother or mother could find her. She never looked for trouble, but trouble often found her during the seal mating season. The sharks often come close to shore to catch a easy meal, and if she got to close to breeding grounds, the sharks would often mistake her for a seal. Luckily, she learned to hide in the reef or a sunken ship. It was a exciting time for young Iosha, but one day, her grandmother forbid her to go in the ocean in early fall, and she spent most of the fall sulking in her room staring at her ceiling. Swimming down to the bottom of the lake, Iosha blindly feels around the slimy rocky lake bottom. She was looking for something tasty to eat. She moves her hand to her left and her fingers touch a scaly surface. The scaly surface didn't stay long in her vicinity because soon after she touched it, the fish swam out of her reach. She smiles to herself when she feels the sudden movement in the water and bubbles start tickling her skin. She swims over the rocks, and she starts traces her fingers down side of stone. Suddenly, she finds the familiar feel of a flat surface of a clam shell. She picks the shell up puts it in her other hand. She continues foraging for a few more to make a small meal. Satisfied with four clams, she makes her way back to the surface of the water. Stopping for a moment, she looks up at the moon, and she smiles to herself that the whole crater is bathed in moonlight. Swimming to shore, Iosha walks out of the water and makes her way back to camp. Suddenly a wave of sadness washings over her, and she stops and stares at the clam shells. Moments turn into minutes and she wipes a tear from her eye as she traces a finger across the rough surface of shell.

[Sira]

”Working late, aren’t you? I think you’re the last one out,” commented the Avora who hoisted the large tuna that Sira had just dropped off onto the wagon for processing.

Marik was a friend of Sira’s, though he really only knew her as a wind eagle. He did know that she was a kelvic, of course, most people did once they learned her name. She was the only Sira in Wind Reach, as far as she knew, and most people had at least heard the story of the wind eagle kelvic. But Sira had never really spoken to Marik outside of her eagle form, and so he tended to show her the same reverence he did all of the wind eagles.

Marik was right, however, Sira was working late. Syna was beginning to dip in the sky, and soon Leth would take her place, and Sira was only just now bringing in her last haul. In truth, she didn’t want to go home. Going home meant she would have to face Aidara, if the healer was even home, and things had been awkward between the two, especially since the incident at the Inclement Weather. And then there were the dreams. Though she had seen somebody to help her with those, Sira still worried that the nightmares might return. So far they hadn’t, which was a good thing, but her problems with Aidara still made it difficult for her to sleep. All in all, Sira was avoiding going home, but with night approaching she knew she had no choice. It was too dangerous to fly at night time, and Sira didn’t have any of her camping gear. Plus Natalie was probably missing her mother. Although the child could take care of herself for the most part, she was still a child and still needed her mother’s presence.

I know, Sira spoke into Marik’s mind. Even though he had spoken to many wind eagles, he still marveled at how they could communicate the way they did. I am on my way back now.

After saying her goodbyes to Marik for the day, Sira took to the air once more. She still had some distance to travel before she reached the mountain, and she was still in no hurry to get there. It was going to be dark before she arrived either way, so as Sira saw it, there was no sense rushing. The mountains would be just as dangerous to navigate one bell after dark as they would two, and Sira wanted to take her time. The eagle rose into the sky, easily riding the salty breeze coming off of Thunder Bay, and circled the settlement a few times as she watched its residents move about. She spotted Marik rolling his wagon down the docks and into the settlement. It was laden with tuna and other fish, many caught by Sira that very day. From there it would go to processing to be salted and preserved for the coming winter, or sent straight to the kitchens after it was gutted and cleaned for cooking. It felt good to know that she was contributing to the survival of her people every time she brought back a fish or some other animal. Many of the lower castes were resentful of the Endal, but without them, they would starve. It was a thankless job, but still they did it, and they didn’t complain.

Sira finally decided it was time to return, angling her flight toward the mountain city she called home. As much as she would have liked to stay out, she still had responsibilities and she needed to get back. Of course.. any suitable distraction she might have found would be more than enough to change her course, and when Sira spotted the campfire on the ground next to the Twin Lakes, her curiosity was piqued. It wasn’t so much that somebody was camping that sparked her curiosity, but it was more the fact that the campfire was left unattended. Sira didn’t see anybody in the water or near the fire, but it was burning as if fresh logs had just been added. Where were the campers?

Curiosity getting the better of her, Sira swooped down and landed next to the fire, shifting back into her human form as she did so. She was just walking up to check on the fire when the konti came out of the water, and whenever Iosha looked up from her clam shells and paid attention to her campsite, she would spot the bare backside of a Sira bending over to investigate the pile of clothing laying near the fire.

Clearly someone was here, Sira thought to herself, But wherever they are now, they are naked. Maybe a kelvic?

[Iosha]

Looking up from the shell, Iosha violet eyes fall upon a unexpected sight. Iosha smirks as she watches the young woman look over her backpack. Captivated by woman naked body, Iosha notices that her body is firmly tone, but not too tone that it takes anything away from her femininity. Looking at the young woman legs and back muscles, she come to the conclusion that this woman can defiantly handle anything physical. Self consciously, Iosha looks down at her body, and painfully realizes that she studied magic way to long. She pouts to herself pokes her soft stomach. Iosha looks back and realizes her is staring at the young naked Inartan. Suddenly she starts to blush and she thinks to herself, “OK Io.. you need to say something before she thinks you are creepy.” She runs a hand through wet hair, sighs to herself, and her mind races to think something to say to her, “I mean come on Io! What do you say to a beautiful naked woman? Who seemed to fall from the sky into your camp.” Watching the naked stranger examine her clothing, Iosha decides to tip toe to the closest rock. Trying to stay out of the light of fire. She figures her in Wind Reach. She is the “mysterious” Konti woman. The one white rose in a sea of red roses, so she should play the part of the exotic foreigner from the east. Traveling with the hunter band through Taldera, Iosha heard all the stereotypes of the mystical woman of Mura. Most of them wrong and revolving around Konti being witches that can see into the future and men's souls, or being captivating lovers in epic love stories or poems mostly written by rich lonely men or women from Sylira. When Iosha gets to the rock, she smiles to herself and bits her lip to stifle a giggle when she remembers her favorite trashy love story, Captain Saalo and the Silver Sword. The story had a silver sword, but Captain Saalo was way to busy “handling” the two konti stowaways he found on board his ship to ever uses the sword. Iosha slowly climbs on the large smooth rock next to her campsite. She stops and puts a finger on her lips to suppress a giggles when she remembered Captain Saalo did use the sword. With six strokes of his sliver sword both women lost all their clothing, and the book happily degraded from that point on in the novel. She pulls herself on top of the rock as quiet as she can muster. She works quickly to get herself into position. Once on the rock, Iosha tries to play the part of stereotypical konti in the story books. She decides to take on the persona of mysterious sexy konti witch. If she could get her cloak, it would be perfect accessory to her charade, but to her disappointment the crimson hair woman seems to be captivated by her underwear right now, so she figure it is best to not to disturb her while she prepares her introduction. Luckily the rock is long enough for her to lay on her side. She decides to prop her head up with her hand. She smiles impishly to herself, takes the clam shell in her hand, and covers her crotch with it. She decides to act out her best mysterious witch personality. Iosha looks at young red haired beauty and softy says to her, “You know my dear if your cold. You can always wear my cloak or coat...I don't mind.” Iosha was surprised at how confident and convincing it sounded; however, in the back of her mind, she wonders if this powerful woman will snap her like a twig when she realizes Iosha messing with her. Grandmother always told her not to poke a eel while it is sleeping; however, Iosha was only half listening at the time.

[Sira]

Sira knelt next to the pile of clothes, rifling through them curiously. They were made of a different material and in a different style than what most Inarta tended to wear, which made Sira fairly certain that whoever they belonged to must be a foreigner. Sira didn't have a problem with foreigners on principle, they were technically good for the city, but people who weren't from the mountain couldn't be held with as much trust as those that were born and raised in Wind Reach. They didn't know how things worked, and they didn't always respect the Inartan's customs. The individual might be alright, but in general, it was best to treat foreigners with suspicion until they were able to prove themselves. When Sira held up the white cotton undergarments she smiled, realizing that whoever this person was, it was a woman. Sira couldn't help but find herself somewhat intrigued.

Of course she would need to have a word with this person, whoever they were. It was unsafe to leave a fire unattended like she had. Though it had not been a particularly dry season, forest fires weren't impossible and with the heat from the volcano, especially since Ivak's release, they were more of a threat than they had ever been before. It was okay to leave the fire for a moment or two, especially if they were only going a few feet away, but Sira had not seen a soul around it from the sky above. Part of her wondered if she had been taken by some animal, or even a Zith. Sira still hadn't forgotten the Zith that attacked Aidara and Aela a season ago, and she knew it was out there somewhere. On top of everything, the fire had recently been stoked with fresh wood and was burning high, and it was never a good idea to leave such a fire like that by itself.

All the clothes were white, save for the boots, which was another sign that the person was foreign. She rarely saw people in white, save for this one outfit that Addy had, but by and large she rarely saw Inarta in white. And usually it was in different materials, and there was a lot of glass woven into the clothing. There was no glass involved in this outfit. All this information had Sira prepared for the idea of meeting a foreigner, even if she didn't know what kind, though she was certain it was a woman and a petite one at that. What she wasn't expecting was for that woman to offer her a cloak and to by lying naked on a rock behind her, only a shell covering her most private of areas.

Sira spun around when she heard the voice and her eyes widened in surprise when she spotted the naked blonde woman sprawled out on the rock behind her. The glimmering of her scales in the firelight and the color of her hair not only confirmed that Sira had been right about the camper being a foreigner, but she was a Konti at that. Basically, it was like one of Sira's wildest fantasies. Sira had met very few Konti in her life, and not one of them had returned her advances, but she found them all incredibly attractive and desirable. They were beautiful, and exotic, and while Sira loved her Inartan women, she couldn't resist the allure of an attractive exotic foreigner. The suspicions were still there, of course, especially toward the men, but Sira could suspect someone and still want to bed them at the same time.

All that being said, sex was not initially what was on Sira's mind. While she could certainly appreciate the body before her, she was still in Endal mode and had questions for the beautiful woman. Still, Sira took a moment to take in every detail, enchanted by the hair and the shimmering scales. It was a shame she was covered, even so minutely, because Sira had never seen a Konti's body before and didn't want to miss a detail. Even so, it was still quite a view. Suddenly Sira realized she was still holding the woman's undergarments and dropped them, her face turning flush with embarrassment.

"Oh, um, sorry. I'm not cold, but thanks for the offer. Uh.. so.. what are you doing out here, anyway? Don't you know how danger the wilds are these days, especially without protection.. or clothing."

The fact that Sira was also naked didn't seem to dawn on the kelvic, but then Sira was naked a lot being a kelvic as she was, and never really thought much about her own clothing. She noticed that the Konti's hair was wet and quickly realized that the woman must have been swimming. She had heard tales that the Konti could breath beneath the water, and if this Konti had been submerged then explained why Sira had not spotted her from above.

"My name is Sira, by the way. I'm an Endal from Wind Reach. I saw your fire and wanted to make sure everything was alright. It's dangerous to leave a fire this big unattended, especially with the mountain the way it has been lately."

Sira wasn't sure what else she should say. She wasn't even sure if the Konti spoke her language, though she was speaking in Common just to be sure. Few people who weren't Inartans spoke Nari, it was a hard language to learn, and Sira always spoke in common when she met travelers. She hoped that she had pronounced everything correctly and not gotten any of the words mixed up. It had been some time since she last spoke the language, and Sira found herself a little rusty. Even so, she hoped the Konti understood. Once she was done with the formalities of finding out what the woman was up to, Sira fully intended on trying to get to know her more.

[Iosha]

When the naked Inartan woman turns around, Iosha is amazed at how this woman embodies everything beautiful about the women of Wind Reach. Iosha couldn't help, but admire the woman long fiery red hair as it cascades down across her pale shoulders. Her eyes move down her body and she is can't help feel a little jealous about the woman well toned body. She could have been this physically fit, but her attentions were all on her magics and her medicine. This woman was physically perfect in every way, and she gathers this woman took a lot of time and effort shaping her body. Iosha can only sit in awe at the beauty of this human woman. However, the feature of the woman that her eyes return to is the woman's golden eyes. Starting to understand why her mother fell in love with golden eyes of her father. Iosha can't help but stare into them as they seem to be hold her captive. Mother says eyes are the window to the soul, and from Iosha can gather from staring at them. She can tell this woman is someone of authority among her people. She is a respected member of society among her friends and family, but the side of her she notices most is something more feral. This woman seems to have the eyes of a eagle, or a great bird of prey. Iosha can only hope by the way her eyes are looking at her that she is not her prey. Finding herself staring at the woman, Iosha is startled when the woman spoke to her in a commanding tone, and she had to catch herself from falling off the rock. She inwardly chastises herself for acting like a fool. She decides to drop the sexy witch act, and sits up on the rock. Feeling a cool breeze on her back, Iosha wraps her arms around her breasts, and starts to say something, but stops when the woman beats her to it. Even in the fire light, Iosha can notice the woman turning red as she quickly drops her underwear and quickly apologizes to her. Amused by the woman's bashfulness a characteristic she didn't expect from a woman like her, Iosha gives the woman a grin, shakes her head, and says to her softly, “No worries...” However, Iosha didn't know if she heard her because the woman nervously asks why she is out in the wilderness alone, and she quickly adds her concern for her safety. Silently, Iosha just sits on her rock listening to her. She introduces herself as Sira, a Endal from Wind Reach, and she voices her concern for leaving the fire unintended while she was swimming. Iosha eyes widen when she realizes she could have burned the whole forest down with her stupidity. She quickly jumps off the rock, and hoping she can hear the sincerity in her voice, “I am really sorry about the fire, Endal Sira. Please forgive I wasn't trying to burn down your mountain. Honestly, when I was making it, I wasn't even thinking about the ramifications of leaving it alone. I was more thinking just having a warm place to dry off after swimming. Sorry, I sometimes have a tendency to be scatter brained from time to time, so I am sorry for the fire. It won't happen again, Sira.” Iosha remember from her mothers telling of Wind Reach that the Endal have the ultimate authority in Wind Reach. Their word was law, and everybody listen and gave them the respect they deserved. Unless they wanted a severe punishment in return. Iosha wasn't stupid, and she is woman enough to admit when she was wrong. She bites her bottom lip thinking of something to say. She runs a hand through her wet hair and says to her, “I appreciate your concern for my safety, Sira. I don't know all the dangers plaguing the mountain since I only arrived in Wind Reach two weeks ago, but...you got to trust me. I can take care of myself, and yes I should probably put on some cloths because it's starting to get cold out here.” She trails off for moment, and she looks at the ground. Wondering if she should tell her about her magic, and how she can protect herself with it. Most people tendancy to act strangely around people who can use magic either calling them witches or monsters. She doesn't know if Sira ever encountered anyone with magic before, but she is a Endal, and she has the right to know. However, how could she tell someone she just meet that she is a wizard. Even uttering the word magic or wizard in the wrong town will get you quickly thrown out of it. She will decide to tell her later if or when she gets to know her. Blowing a dry piece of hair from her face, Iosha looks up at Sira again and says to her proudly, “My name is Avora Iosha Moonchaser, and I am a healer of Rak'Keli. I introduced myself to the other healers of Wind Reach a week and a half ago. Also I am volunteer at the hydroponic gardens when I am not needed at the clinic. You have to trust me. I mean no harm to the homeland of my father...” She finishes her introduction with looking into her beautiful golden eyes. Even if she new to Wind Reach, she is still a proud Konti at heart. Nothing is going to change that fact about her, and unlike the Deks who grovel before them. She will look an Endal in the eye like her mother did when she meet her father for the first time. Deciding to break the ice a little, Iosha tilts her head to the side and smiles playfully in her direction, “Sira, I have to ask one question. Why are you standing in the middle of no where naked? Are you here to swim too?” It was a simple question, but sometimes simple questions are the best way to spark a conversation and a friendship.

[Sira]

The cold breeze that caused the konti to shiver Sira barely noticed herself, aside from the fact that it blew a strand of hair into her eye and she had to brush it aside. It wasn't that Sira was immune to the cold or anything like that, but she had some advantages over the beautiful blonde. For one, she wasn't soaking wet, but also she was more used to the cold than the Konti most likely. At least, that was what Sira assumed. From what she understood, Konti women lived on a tropical island paradise. Sira had been born and raised on the mountain, and it would take more than a little breeze to make her uncomfortable.

"Here, take this," Sira said as she bent to retrieve Iosha's cloak from the ground.

Sira quickly closed the distance between herself and the konti, draping the cloak around her shoulders and reaching for one of her hands as she helped her down from the rock. Putting a hand on the small of her back, and still holding the konti's scaled hand with her other one, Sira led the woman over to the fire.

"Come warm yourself up before you get sick. And don't worry about the fire.. just remember not to leave it alone from now on. I might not be in the area to spot it next time."

It was a shame she had to cover the beautiful woman like she did, but Sira didn't want her getting sick. She had mentioned introducing herself to the other healers, and Sira assumed that meant that she must have been a healer as well, which meant even if she did get sick she could probably just cure herself.. but Sira didn't want to risk it.

The fact that Iosha introduced herself as an Avora, plus the mention she made about the other healers in the city, and the volunteer work she mentioned, all meant that she had obviously been in the city long enough to meet the Valintar and be informed of how things worked. That was always a good sign, but it did beg the question why she chose to camp out in the wilderness rather than find herself a room in the commons. It was quite possible that she simply enjoyed the outdoors, and Sira could understand that, but she hoped that the woman knew there was housing for her in the city if she needed it. Before she could ask, however, Iosha asked a question of her own that made Sira grin.

All this time she had been concerned that Iosha was cold and wet and naked, and alone in the wilderness with nothing to defend herself with. Sira had never even considered what Iosha might be thinking about her. Finding a random naked lady in your camp was likely a surprising sight, and probably something that didn't happen often. At least it had never happened to Sira before, much to her disappointment.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't even think about the fact that I am naked too." Sira tried and failed to stifle the chuckle that escaped her lips before she continued on. "Sometimes I forget that when I shift I have to worry about clothing. See, I'm a kelvic.. so being naked is perfectly normal to me."

Even though it had been pointed out, Sira still wasn't remotely embarrassed by the fact that she was standing there completely exposed. Kelvics had very little modesty, if any, and Sira had less than most. As an Endal, she really could do whatever she wanted. Those kelvics that did concern themselves with clothing usually did so because their masters made them, but Sira had no master. Aidara was her bondmate, but neither of them thought of the other as master. That being said, Sira did wear clothes when she was in the city normally, but it was more because she liked the way they made her look, or that they kept her warm when it was cold. For her, clothes were completely practical, unlike some who covered up because they believed it improper to show themselves.

Sira took a moment to go back over everything that they had said to each other thus far. The konti had mentioned healing, and helping out at the infirmary. That was something Sira could talk about. She wasn't a healer herself, but she knew one intimately.

"So.. you mentioned you introduced yourself to the other healers. Does that mean you are marked as well? My bondmate is marked. You probably met her, Aidara. She runs things at the infirmary most of the time, though she's also my rider, and the mother of my child.. so, she has a pretty busy life. If you haven't met her already, I'm sure you will soon."

[Iosha]

Still sitting on the rock, Iosha sits and watches Sira grab her cloak, quickly brings it over to her, and drapes the soft warm cloth around her bare shoulders. Before leaving the rock, she grabs the four small clams; she found in the lake With the other hand, Iosha takes Sira's hand and allows her to helps her down from the rock. Feeling Sira hand on her back, she lets herself to be lead to the fire. During the walk to the fire, Sira mentions her concern for her health, and Iosha just smiles and says to her, “Yes, it would be my dumb luck if I got sick tonight from the cold. Being the only crazy person to go swimming in the fall.” Feeling like she is being pampered by her unexpected guest. Iosha figures she should extent her hospitality to the Endal woman. She gives the kind woman a warm smile and says to her softly, “Why thank you Sira, but there is a coat in my back pack if you need it. If your not going to wear it you can use it a blanket, so you don't have to sit on the ground, naked. We wouldn't want a stray stick to go into somewhere it wasn't wanted...” There she told her first joke of the night, and it won't be the first tonight. Iosha has a tendency to hide behind humor if she feels anxious or feeling awkward. Honestly anyone would be a little awkward in this situation. A beautiful naked woman appears out of nowhere in your camp rummaging through her things if she didn't introduce herself as a Endal. Iosha would of mistaken her for a crazy woman or a thief trying to steal some clothes. Figuring by the way she is acting, Sira is not crazy or a thief. Iosha sits on the ground cross legged by the fire, and her smile widens at her as she watches the woman get situated by the fire, thinks to herself, “Honestly, I don't mind if she stays the way she is right now...By Rak'keli, Iosha you're such a pig!” Looking at the red haired woman, she says to her softy, “If I knew I was having a guest tonight. I would of found more clams if your hungry. I can always get some more if you like. I don't mind. It just gives a excuse to go back into the water anyways.” When Sira realizes she is naked. Iosha can't help, but stifle a laugh. She likes Sira, and she enjoyed the fact she can laugh at herself. Iosha listens to her explain to her that she is a Kelvic, and she doesn't wear clothing just in case. She needs to switch back forth between forms quickly. She didn't say those things out loud, but Iosha figures that is logical reason for the woman lack of clothing. Unless she is a nudist, and by the way, she is acting nonchalantly to her lack of clothing. Iosha gathers this woman prefers being naked to wearing clothes. Regardless, she mention she was a Kelvic, and Iosha smiles up at her and says to her without thinking first, “Well being a Kelvic would definitely explain your unconcern for clothing. When I was in Ravok, I met a few Kelvics, and most of the time, they would be naked unless they were entertaining the Master's guests than they might be still naked...knowing him.” Iosha stop for a moment and her eyes darken for a moment as she looks at the fire. Inwardly scolding herself, she can't believe that she called that bastard, Master. She told herself she would never ever again call anyone master or mistress ever again. Looking up from fire, Sira mentions her bond-mate Aidara is a healer of Rak'Keli, and the little red hair healer is the mother of her child. Iosha face softens a bit thinking how adorable Sira baby must be, and she says to Sira, “Sira, you must be the luckiest woman in the world to have such a beautiful family... Yes, I met your bond-mate, Aidara. Actually, she was the first of the healers; I met at the Infirmary. I like her. She definitely has a good heart.” She sticks out her arm from under her cloak, and she revels her gnosis mark to the red hair Endal. She smirks and says, “I am also a healer of Rak'Keli like your Aidara.” She puts her arm back and gives her a big smile and says happily, “Well I guess we have something both in common now. We both know Aidara! Of course, you might know her better than me.” After telling the joke, she gives Sira a wink and a small giggle, but inwardly, she cringes at that last joke. Hopefully, the Kelvic woman doesn't get offended and decide to leave or punch her for it. Figuring she should do some damage control, Iosha runs a hand through her damp hair and says to Sira,“As you can tell, I am not the most stereotypical Konti woman. I would be considered one of the “unique” Konti who always held her emotions on her on her sleeve.” When she said unique, she sarcasticly puts her hands over her head and does air quotes, and she continues on with her explaination for herself, “I am very much like my Grandmother. Loud and outspoken always have a tendency to say what on my mind instead of thinking it or keeping it to myself like most of my other sisters do. Also I think I might have got my fire from my Inartan father, so having both these combination makes me the odd ball of my people.” She laughs to herself and says to the beautiful red hair woman, “So sorry if I crushed your hopes and dreams of meeting the ideal Konti. Because if your looking for perfect Konti, they are all over Mura doing whatever they do..” Iosha loves her Konti brethren, but sometimes it is hard for them to show any enthusiasm for anything other than the quiet laugh and a slight smile. It drove her nuts, and this might be the reason. She had problems making friends on the island. She looks at Sira and asks her softly, “So Sira what type of animal can you turn into? I am guessing either bird of prey, or maybe a large cat or a wolf. You seem to have the face of a hunter that why I picking those animals as my first guess.”

[Sira]

Sira didn't catch the joke Iosha told. It wasn't that she did not have, or didn't understand humor. Sira was just distracted by the beautiful woman before her, and didn't really pick up on the joke itself. She had been a lot more eagle like lately, as well, and her mind was of a more practical nature at that moment.

"Of course, a blanket. That would be bad.."

Sira retrieved the blanket she had seen earlier from Iosha's belongings, laying it out on the ground near the fire but not so close that it might burn, then settled down on top of it. The blanket was large enough that Iosha could have joined her if she wanted, but that would have put the two women rather close together and Sira figured it might be inappropriate to offer such a thing to a complete stranger. Except.. since when did Sira care about being appropriate?

"If you don't want to sit on the ground you can join me, as long as you don't mind getting a little close."

Sira would scoot over if Iosha decided to join her on the blanket, but if not Sira would sit down right in the center of the blanket. Sira didn't bother with the coat, Iosha didn't seem to mind her being naked, and with the fire nearby Sira didn't need the extra warmth. While the Konti spoke of Ravok and other things, Sira stared at her with her golden eyes. It was often unsettling to people when Sira did that, though she never meant for it to be. Her gaze always seemed fierce and penetrating, like she was looking into the very soul of whomever she beheld.. but in truth, that was just how Sira's eyes looked. Bird eyes always looked intense, and Sira's were no different.

"I have never heard of Ravok? Where is it? What's it like?"

Sira did not fail to notice the word master in there, but she felt it might be too soon to ask about something like that. If Iosha had been a slave before, it might not be the best topic to bring up in their very first conversation. Unless the konti was the one who brought it up herself, Sira wouldn't mention it. Iosha spoke of other things as well, claiming that she wasn't a stereotypical konti, and that she wore her emotions on her sleeve, and that she had an Inartan father.

"Well, to be fair. You are the first konti I have ever had a real conversation with, so I don't really know what a konti is normally like. Your island is a very long way from here, and we don't hear much about it. Wind Reach usually keeps to itself, most of the time."

To the comment about the only thing the two of them had in common Sira laughed and replied, "We have lots of things in common. We both know Addy, we look to be about the same height, we are both women, we are both beautiful, we both apparently like to turn up naked randomly in the woods at night, we're both half Inartan, and we both have gnosis marks." Sira held up her hand showing off her own mark, a lightly glowing vortex that, when she willed it too, could create light as bright as a torch and give others and herself courage and hope when there was little to be had. "A gift from Priskil.. different goddess, but they are both women, so that's another thing we have in common. See, there are lots of things."

Iosha's comment that she had a face of a hunter was the first time that night that she realized she might be coming off as a bit intimidating. Aidara had told her in the past that her stare and her predator side could be scary, even when she wasn't trying to be, and Sira sometimes felt bad when people noticed it. She tried not to look like a hunter all the time.. preferably only when she was hunting. But it wasn't something she could really help or control without really thinking hard about it. Iosha didn't seem frightened by it or anything like that, but the fact that she noticed must have meant Sira was giving her the eagle eye stare. Forcing a smile onto her lips to break the look wasn't difficult, Sira was genuinely enjoying Iosha's company, and she was more than happy to answer her question.

"I am a wind eagle kelvic, the only one in Wind Reach." That second part wasn't entirely true, Sira did know of one other wind eagle kelvic, but that secret was not hers to give, and until Tiaue'a wanted herself revealed, Sira would keep her secret safe. "That's why I mentioned earlier that Aidara was also my rider. She is an Endal, just like me, but when we go out on hunts I am the eagle, and she is the rider. ..usually."

[Iosha]

When Sira offered Iosha to sit by her on the blanket, Iosha was a little surprised by the offer, but she heard from foriegners that they don't think much of personal space. Honestly, she was really surprised when she just arrived in Wind Reach. How passionate Inartans were towards each other in public. Iosha didn't mind and kind of intrigued at the closeness her father's people were. It just took her awile to get used to it since she grew up in a quiet and peaceful environment with little to no confrontation. Iosha stands up, wraps her cloak around her, and takes a seat by Sira on the blanket. She tilts her head towards her and says with a smirks, “I got to warn you. I am a terrible blanket hog, so don't be alarmed if I knock you off it eventually.” Feeling slightly embarrassed by her consent lack of being serious, she looks to the ground, finds a twig, and tosses it into the fire. She says with out looking at her, “Honestly since your a woman I don't mind as much being close to you. If you were a man, I might be a little hesitant to take up your offer.” She laughs to herself and says with a smirk, “Honestly, I don't mind men. They are very pretty to look at..sometimes, but if you grew up on a island primarily of women, men seem sort of exotic and kind of mysterious. You never know what to expect from them.” She looks at her and says impishly, “Plus who can resist sitting on a blanket with a beautiful red head.” Iosha looks back to the fire and remembers she asked about Ravok. Iosha never enjoyed talking about her experiences in Ravok, but Sira did ask about the city. Iosha says to her softly, “I going to warn you that since I have history in Ravok. My opinions of the city are sort of jaded...Ravok is a city of amazing architectural beauty and achievement since it is built in the middle of a large lake in eastern Sylira. The best way to describe the city is it sort of like a coral reef. Seeing the reef for the first time is a breath taking experience. You can see all sorts of colorful fish and strange creatures on the reef, but you must be careful of all the sharks swimming around you because you'll never know when or where they will strike. Ravok is the home of Rhysol and most of the citizens are followers of the dark god.” She stops not wanting to tell more, but she does give Sira a warning, “I suggest you avoid Ravok. Being a wind eagle kelvic you would be quite a prize in the slave markets of the city.” Feeling her mood darken with talk of Ravok, Iosha brings her knees to her chin, and she decides to rest her head on her knees. Eventually the memories of Ravok fade away after a few moments, and she remembered what Sira said about the things they have in common. Iosha turns to her and says with a giggle, “You know when you arrived in my camp. I was surprised to see a beautiful and very naked woman appear out of nowhere. I thought you dropped from sky earlier, and I guess since your a wind eagle my initial conclusion was right!” She smirks and runs a hand through her blond hair, and continues, “You know on the top of my head. I can probably think of four different songs or epic stories about a Inartan hunters falling in love with his or her Wind Eagle companion, and later he or she finds out the Wind Eagle can turn into a human.” Iosha smile widens as she looks at her, “You realize Sira that future generations of little ginger children could be singing songs about you.” She stop talking, stares straight into her golden eyes, and says in a jovial manner, “You know Sira. I might be sitting next to a living legend right now..wait..let... me just soak in your greatness...” She just closes her eyes and takes a exaggerated deep breath. She opens her violet eyes and give the poor kelvic woman a wink hoping she doesn't get offended by her teasing. Throwing another stick into the fire, Iosha say to her with out looking at her, “You know it must be amazing seeing the world from the air. I think flying would just be a amazing experience, Sira. I could write books on the things I saw swimming in my Grandmother's lagoon and the reefs outside the island of Mura.” She looks at her and asks softy, “Sira if I may ask, what was your childhood like growing up as a Kelvic in Wind Reach? Were you treated differently since you were a wind eagle? If you don't want to tell me, I completely understand.”

[Sira]

Sira chuckled at Iosha’s comments about the blanket and men. It was true, in their current situation, if a man had found Iosha rather than a woman, things might have gone differently. Inartan men, and women for that matter, were passionate creatures and an Endal or Avora might have thought it his right to do what he pleased with Iosha. In truth, depending on what caste she had been assigned, many of them actually could do whatever they wanted to her and get away with it. It was perhaps a bit unfair to foreigners who did not fully understand Inartan law, but it was the way of things. Technically, Sira could do the same things if she wanted to.. but Sira was not a man. She did not force herself on random victims just because it was her right. ..Sira preferred more subtle routes to get what she wanted.

”Better be careful,” Sira added with a laugh, ”I can be just as bad, maybe worse, than a man if I want to and you might not even realize it’s happening. I do find it ever so hard to resist a beautiful woman.”

In truth, Sira was not really looking for that sort of pleasure at the moment. She would not shy away from it, certainly not, if Iosha offered. But Sira was genuinely enjoying her conversation with the woman, and was curious to learn more about her and her people. The opportunity to converse with outsiders was a rare thing in Wind Reach, where they had so few visitors to the city, save for the few merchant ships that passed through Thunder Bay. It was always a rare treat when she could spend time with a friendly one, especially one as good looking as Iosha, and hear about the rest of the world.

Sira listened quietly, rapt with attention, as Iosha began to tell her of the city of Ravok, a place Sira had never even heard of before. How did one build a city on a lake? Wouldn’t it sink, or did they all live on boats? And it was a city that worshipped Rhysol? Sira only knew of Rhysol from stories, and occasionally whispers from the Wind Eagles. Rhysol was a dark god, one of the worst, but in Wind Reach her attentions had always been on Ivak when it came to divine beings. He was the most immediate threat to the city, and Rhysol was virtually unheard of. Of course, nobody had known about Ivak either save for the wind eagles themselves, Sira included. But Rhysol was not one of their concerns, for the most part. When Iosha made her final comment, the part about Sira becoming a slave, she laughed out loud.

”I feel sorry for anyone who tries to enslave me. I’d make a terrible slave!”

Sira wasn’t offended at all by Iosha’s jibes regarding her potential fame. In fact, Sira was rather famous in Wind Reach. Not everyone knew of her name, but most people knew of the wind eagle kelvic, and most people regarded her with either a sense of awe or envy, depending on the particular person in question. The idea that stories might one day be told about her had a ring of truth to it as well. Sira and Aidara had already done many things that few endal ever dreamed of doing, though most of her adventures were unknown to the wider population of Wind Reach. She had battled wizards, ancient beings from a forgotten time high above the world, and fiery creatures beneath the mountains. She had seen the crater of Denval, survived the djed storm and aided in the battle against a god. Yes, Sira had done many things that could one day become stories of legend.. but that was not something she had ever really thought about. It was actually really strange to consider her deeds in that light. She was merely doing what had to be done to survive, and to protect her people. Sira did not consider herself a hero, she was just doing what an endal was supposed to do. If she had it her way, she would have lived a rather uneventful life with her lover Aidara and her daughter, just being a regular endal hunting and providing for the city. Sira did not want the hero’s life, though few truly did, and would have been perfectly content if none of it had ever happened.

Sira’s thoughts were interrupted, however, when Iosha began to talk about flying and asked her about her childhood. Flying was a very important part of who she was, and sharing it with Aidara was one of the most intimate things she could experience. She hated allowing others to join them on their flights, though sometimes she had no choice, but she had no problem at all talking about it to other people. Perhaps it was a bit cruel, since most of them would never get to experience flight themselves, but Sira never really thought about that.

”Well.. I could never write any books, I think, but flying is one of the greatest things I have ever known. When I’m up there I am free. Nothing can touch me, and nothing can hurt me. I can look down at the world and remember that if my troubles ever become too much to handle, I can always fly away. It’s beautiful, and it is the ultimate escape. When I’m down here I am vulnerable, but up there I am invincible.”

She paused for a moment. Her childhood was not something she normally talked about, even with Aidara, but it was mostly because usually people did not ask her about it. While it was indeed a sore topic for her, Sira was still willing to talk about it if asked. It was in the past, and while some people might have a problem with their pasts, Sira’s kelvic mind saw such things as pointless. She had a bad past, but her present was wonderful, so the past did not really matter in the long run.

”It was.. hard. My mother was a chiet, so I didn’t have all the benefits that my own daughter has. The other children were jealous of me, I think, and so they were usually mean to me. I grew up very fast, but I still had the mind of a child. In my studies I was put with other yasi who were much older than me, but physically looked the same, and so I was expected to learn things that were.. harder than what I should have been learning at that age. I was great at hunting and fighting and things like that, but anything involving books I had no interest in. So.. I wasn’t as smart as the other kids, and they used it against me. Especially the boys. But I kept fighting and eventually became an Endal. I’m still not all that smart with books and stuff, but I’m strong enough to defend myself, and as an endal nobody can bother me anyway. And Aidara has taught me a lot of things I didn’t know. We’re trying to give my daughter a better life than I had growing up. I hope that she doesn’t go through the same things I did. It wasn’t a very fun childhood.”

Sira paused, thinking back over her life. It had indeed been hard growing up, and she was even denied the endal rank at first. It was only because the other eagles demanded it that she was given her promotion, and that was after proving herself to them. Sira didn’t want Natalie to struggle like she had. The girl could grow up at her own pace, and she would have a good life. Sighing, Sira decided to change the subject.

”So.. what about you? What was your childhood like?”