Open Meeting the sage?

[Coren]

oocI would like to ask to keep the amount of people in this thread to 4 total just to keep it manageble

6th of winter It was a mild day in avanthal, the sun ways shining through the cold winter air and the majorty of the vantha in avanthal took the opportunity of a snow free day and the lifted ban on leaving the city to stock up on food and other necessities in a case of emergency. And if he had to hazard a guess to celebrate the occasion with a good meal now that the first hunting parties where coming back with some game these few days. He however wasn't interested neither in food nor in celebrations, the only reasons he was out of his home today was because these conditions usually resulted in a big crowd, and a big crowd displaying a lot of emotions was one of the easiest ways to get some practice in with auristics without acting like a creeper. Coren had strategically chosen a spot out of the way of most of the crowd to reduce the chances some vagik would come up to him and break his concentration. While also having a great view of the mingling crowds from up close. Coren sat down on the snowy ground and took a deep breath before focusing on his djed deep in his soul and brought it up to his eyes, letting the world of aura come into view. He steadied his breathing and picked a single man out of the crowd, who was bartering with one of the salespeople for what seemed a piece of some kind of bird. It didn't matter anyway. Coren focused on the man's positively vibrant aura. Considering he had only seen a living beings aura a few times before he still was a bit knocked of center before he managed to focus on it once again, the more he focused the more pronounced the aura of the man became, bright colors flicked through it changing from the most vibrant reds to a deep green when the salesman was talking. The ease with which he saw the aura quite surprised him though, with objects it took a lot more effort to even achieve that. Now it was just the task of actually pulling valid information out of the aura of the man. The mans height easily came to him. But what actually the deep green and vibrant red colors meant.. those where still a mystery for him, but not a mystery he was going to give up on without breaking his teeth on it first!

[Miria]

Miria awaited the hunting parties as she stood at the end of the market with a feeling pure youthful exuberance. It was odd when there was nothing to do that she would feel absolutely amazing. Perhaps it was the weather or perhaps the warmth from the sun Miria wasn't sure. What she knew for sure was as the hunting parties came back she offered an easy smile to the handful hunters she knew as she guided them to an open stall in the market. Living alone she wouldn't need as much as the others but it was still the best time to get whatever she needed for a decent price. The gentle blowing of the wind directed her further away from the majority of the market as she looked for her favorite spot to keep to herself. Perhaps being happy was the only thing she needed right now as she swayed to and frow moving around the crowds with little resistance. However it looked like her plans had come into a few speed bumps. There were a few people already doting the area around her spot. Miria didn't mind this at all since there was still a good few spots for her to claim. The only problem was that the great sage from Skyglow hold was nearby. She recalled Laforte and his friends telling her about the great man that threw away all ties with his hold to pursue the great mysteries. The last part intriguing Miria to a great extent didn't notice the sideway glances given to her as she nodded in great appreciation of the tale they were weaving. Hmm...Laforte where did you disappear off to? Her momentary joy was dimmed somewhat as the wind whipped her hood back.

[Coren]

Coren hadn't noticed the woman who was nodding to herself, even with a few other vantha giving the woman weird glances, probably wondering if she had hit her head or something. His focus was completely on the aura of the man who was nearing the end of the negotiations. At least he thought so, while the colors of the mans aura still flickered all over the place to fast for him to really figure out what he was thinking, he was getting at least a decent gist of the mans very basic idea. The bright green was frustration. Or dissatisfaction , or some other emotion in that gist. Most of those ideas where extrapolated from seeing the reaction of the mans face with changes in the aura and using the strange feedback he got from his magical sense. When the man threw a few coins on the counter of the stall and walked off, vanishing in the crowd coren scowled underneath his mask. There went his subject, he broke of the vain attempt of trying to follow the man in the crowd, the mishmash of auras that fell in his view was just going to give him a headache. So he let his gaze sweep over the other people that weren't mushed in the crowd to much. There where some young teenagers sitting on a crate chatting about who knows what, some people over there talking about normal ordinary things and a woman with a thrown back hood, but they where to close and he didn't want to get caught staring at a person. Especially from up close, if they where a bit farther away so that what he did could be switched up for just staring of in space and thinking. Seems like people like that weren't avaible though, since even after a few moments of looking he didn't see any better candidates. So he just focused his minds eye on the woman, trying to keep his hood lowered over the majority of his eyes so it looked as if he was looking at the ground if one looked at him from a higher vantage point.

[Miria]

That was a good memory, reminded of me the times when Laforte was still in Coolwater hold. I should perhaps revisit his friends to talk about the good times. Miria thought to herself as she deliberately fitted her hood back. A sudden urged welled up inside of her as she remembered about the wise man they were talking up. Concluding on conversing with the sage if not for their sake also her own Miria looked back only to see that the man disappeared! "Where could he have possibly run off to?" Looking around Miria exasperated slightly as she chided herself for not paying attention when Coren disappeared from sight. Sighing deeply she resigned herself to the area Coren was just at for a time. Trying to suppress her urges wasn't exactly her forte as she shifted restlessly unable to relax. Sigh* Maybe he's still around here? Just takes some initiative I suppose. Pushing herself off she started to briskly spur herself around the market place's immediate area. Of course without realizing it Miria passed Coren on two spare occasions without realizing as she started to slow her pace. She wiped her forehead from the random extertion as she chuckled at the silliness of her actions. The winds from the coast blew into the marketplace offering her some respite from the small trip around the marketplace. Thank you , Miria thought to nobody in particular. She couldn't explain it but when she was outside, especially when she was at the archery range, she just felt at home. Raising her hand to the air she could swear she could see the winds take form as it ran through her hands, her hair ...it just made her feel so at peace. Being done with her session of admiring the winds Miria moved suddenly as she went straight towards Coren. Glancing up slightly Miria nearly missed Coren once again until she perhaps out of reflex checked for the face behind the hood. Blinking twice her face erupted into a big smile as she finally found what she was looking for. "Ah! So that's where you've been hiding. Hi!" oocShe's not attuned toor magic/anything. Perhaps it was of her session in Wind Reach as a kid that she feels this way or perhaps it's something else. I want to see where this goes much later

[Coren]

Honestly, coren just wanted to study the womans aura. But seeing as she decided to walk all over the court, it didn't make it easier to keep an eye on her. Tough it seemed the woman was very focused on whatever she was doing. Which at least made it easier to read her aura, it didn't take long before coren began puzzling out at least some things as she was pacing. A feeling of exasperation was quite obviously present in her aura, whatever she was doing then wasn't really working out for her then. Still, nut much of a change in her general mood, so Coren tried to focus deeper on the aura, maybe he could pick up something else about her that wasn't so easy to pick up. Skill was forged in difficulty after all. When a small picked up and blew through the market place the woman suddenly had a serious change in mood. If he had to discribe the sensation it was as if peering at a bright blue spot, only for it to suddenly change into a bright green without any warning, quite startling. It took coren a few scant moments to recompose himself and give the womans aura another look over, trying to figure out what the heck made a simple wind change up a persons mood like that. People always surprised him with their strange responses to stimuli. And he studied magic so that was saying something! Coren had been quite busy trying to figure out what the emotion was. It was an emotion that she was focused on, which was why it featured so prominent in her aura. But it wasn't as strong an emotion as far as he could see, anger would be easily identified, just like curiosity and happiness. But this emotion, it seemed to be a mix of happiness mixed in with what to him didn't look like anything at all. What was an emotion that didn't seem like anything? A lack of something? No that would be a want. He was so deep in thought trying to figure out what had been going through the woman that he didn't even notice when she walked towards him and tried to take a glimpse underneath his cloak. Only when she addressed him he shook out of his stupor. “Me, Hiding?” Coren said in a dull tone. Focusing once more on the woman's aura, the strange emotion was gone, replaced by happiness. Had she been looking for him or something? “Have we met?” He certainly couldn't place the woman. Then again he didn't bother with remembering a lot of vantha, they usually where a bunch of idiots anyway.

[Miria]

Miria's eyes turned into a dull shade of green as she wondered why exactly she was seeking Coren out. Perhaps something willed it so? Maybe she was seeking him out just to relive a past that is long gone. Ashamed and confused Miria shrugged slightly in response to Coren. No that wouldn't be enough, this man deserved a better explanation. Shaking her head she gave him a glum smile as she answered, "Of course not. What would a simple woman like me do with you?" She paused for a response as she thought up a reason to be talking to the great sage. "I recalled a time ago a friend told me about someone who got kicked out of his hold. That he was in pursuit of understanding great mysteries that haven't been answered." Miria shared as looked curiously at the visage of a man. "I need help understand about myself when others wouldn't or couldn't explain." Blinking once in confusion she questioned if that was really what she wanted. Perhaps, I really thought about that on the spot. Maybe he could offer me some insight on some questions that haven't been asked. "My name is Miria. Of Coolwater. What can I call you?"

[Coren]

Coren gave the woman an even stare, the hood and mask covering his face made figuring out what was going on his mind. He tried to keep his attention on both the woman's aura and on what she was saying. He didn't speak up after her rather strange answer, that seemed to imply that she didn't need him for anything. Why did she walk up and bother him then? At her tale of him being a great sage coren couldn't help but raise his eyebrow, That was one way of looking at how he was thrown out of the hold. He should have seen that coming, vantha made a child falling over out to be some kind of interesting story, so it would be obvious somebody took his already interesting story and spun a completely exaggerated tale out of it. At her request he almost immediately wanted to tell the woman that no, he didn't study people, he studied magic and how the world worked. But something held him back, even though coren would never admit it do anybody, he was lonely, being hated by nearly everybody did make it hard to have any kind of social life. So why shouldn't he try to help her, sometimes all it took was an objective opinion to give that push to help people figure themselves out. “you can call me coren.” He said in a calm voice as he looked at her, he saw many things swirling around in her, only managing to place a single one, confusion. He guessed she really didn't get herself that well, or her confusion could come from something else, but with that question he doubted that. “Let me state it clearly first though, that nobody really gets him or herself without a lot of time and effort on his own part, just like many people don't get others without the same. So while I can give you pushes in the right direction, I doubt I can easily explain what is going on with you. Answers we want never come easy or without a cost.”

[Miria]

Coren? Like the name of the Icewatch guarding the port? That name was easy enough. "Coren just like that nice man watching the docks." Miria smiled as she associated name with ...erm mask. The prospect of knowing a sage was exciting to Miria, knowing the answers to many questions came with a touch of mystery she noted. The feeling of reverence left as quickly as it came as she listened to Coren's warnings. ...Was he trying to extort money from her before she asked a single question? Unsure if this was the way that the man asked for a commission Miria just continued on. “I've been looking for an explanation for as long as I know. I just want your wisdom to give me an idea what I'm dealing with Coren.” Miria shifted slightly as she watched the person before her. “Always since I've remembered I felt a presence that never manifested itself. A benevolent one,” Miria added before she would other alarm her new acquaintance. “but unlike Morwen it seems I have no respite from it.” Thinking back to times where she found herself free from it's gaze Miria corrected her last sentence. “Perhaps when I'm home sleeping is the only time I am safe from it's influence." Miria's eyes dropped as she finished her question to Coren. If he had no idea what could possibly be at fault how she possibly figure out what this was on her own. Looking around the marketplace started to intensify. Loud braying from the animals and merchants alike made it so that Miria couldn't think straight shaking her head in annoyance before turning back to Coren. “You think we can get out of the way of these people? The air is starting to get stale.”

[Coren]

Coren simply listened to the woman as she began to explain what she felt to him. The first though that came to corens mind was that the woman was going insane. Feeling watched all the time while not knowing who or what, or if there was even something looking at you at all. He went through a few other options, stalkers, divine attention or just the woman plain lying to get some attention. But aside from the last one those options those didn't seem very likely in his opinion. Why would a god be interested in the woman, and seeing as she didn't seem to know about the god she wasn't marked by that divine being, didn't seem very godly to him. Why keep attention on something when you aren't going to use it? He was saved from telling her those two options to her face in public when the woman asked if they could find another place. Coren looked at the woman after she asked. Studying her aura a bit more. This wasn't the first time some dumb idiots had tried to lure him into a trap by using somebody who looked fragile or friendly and then jump him with a group. He didn't immediately see anything in the woman's aura that pointed towards such violent intent, just a blanket of cheer that was so easily noticed that it drowned out any other possible emotions. Now that that thought shot through his head, maybe that was why she was so easy to read, she might be wanting to muffle her emotions and intents by somehow masking them with another one. Coren's paranoid mind was working at a mile a minute once that thought had come. He narrowed his eyes slightly underneath his hood. “I rather stay here actually.” Coren started to say, his mind trying to get a decent excuse for why he didn't want to leave. “Have a little bit of trouble with my knees these days and walking for a while tires me out very quickly.” Coren said in an even tone, watching the woman for a reaction in her aura.

[Miria]

Miria huffed slightly at the man. Were all wise men so difficult? A mild damper on her mood but it wouldn't be enough for her to be annoyed. She had met harsher difficulties then this stranger presented. At least he was actually here to talk to.In addition he didn't seem too put off by what she was saying. Always look on the bright side, Miria reminded herself. Perhaps the nonstop chatter would grate on her nerves but maybe not, at least they were able to have a conversation here after the flash floods. It nearly happened almost a full year ago and yet the image was instilled into her memory. Her Avanthal in shambles. Iceglaze's mines was caved in with many still trapped inside, Coolwater enveloped underwater and criminals and wild animals threatening the safety of the holds. Ever since Ivak was freed the image of her old Avanthal seemed too far from grasp. However it wasn't all too bad Miria reminded herself. "Oh yea?" the Coolwater didn't sound too convinced as she took a spot next to him watching the marketplace before them. "Did that start hurting after they threw you out of the hold or before? I'm from Skyglow too you know." Pursing her lips in thought as she tried to guess who this Coren might have been. Perhaps he was like her who was not interested in the arts. Though unlike her he found independence differently. "Though I moved when I got married. Tell me. Have you ever married? I was once." Smiling at the memory Miria almost forgot she that Coren was there watching. A flush of embarrassment was seen on her face as Miria realized she was droning on. "Yea well anyways. What about you Coren? Here I am pouring my heart out and I don't know the first thing about you. What is with the mask?" An amused grin reached her lips waiting curiously for a change in his voice. "Afraid your too boyish to take seriously perhaps? Or maybe your really a fugitive still hiding in Avanthal."