Closed Something On My Mind (Nai'a)

[Erekez]

"Yes." The sudden subject change was an obvious sign that the previous was getting too depressing. It was better to continue with the original conversation, only bringing up Nai'a and Valo again if the situation called for it. Now, it didn't. So the red-head from the ball is the father. He seemed like a decent person. I doubt Nai'a would have any troubles with him, but I've been wrong before. "A brother, almost two years younger than me." And built like a siege tower. "Although, I haven't seen him since I started travelling. We've exchanged letters when we got the chance, but that always required me to stay in one place for long enough. Unfortunately, that hasn't been as nearly as often as I would like." "We'd always use to spar when we were younger, if you could call it that." Erekez smiled at the memories. "More like fights with a mutual agreement to not aim for the head or between the legs. Everywhere else was fair. We were fairly evenly matched in skills, but he decided to become a swordsman and carpenter, whilst I became an archer and a writer. He prefers to use his hands, I use my head." Erekez and his brother were different in so many aspects, but similar in so many more. There had never been a time when he hadn't thought he'd be able to trust his brother, even after any massive arguments. Any bitterness towards each other was usually gone in half a bell. He missed him. "My brother's name is Ishtvan." Erekez held back immediately asking Nai'a the same question. He remembered that she had told him of her time as a slave, and any family she might've had before that either disappeared as she was taken, or suffered the same or worse fate. Erekez pursed his lips, considering asking the question anyway. He knew about her former bond mate, but not of her family. I don't want to risk upsetting her. Maybe another time, when the bond has strengthened, I'll ask. Unless she feels the need to get something off her chest again as with her pregnancy. Erekez decided to try and keep the conversation in a happy mood. He smiled at Nai'a. "How did a pink dolphin come to be marked by Rak'keli then?"

[Nai'a]

Nai’a smiled brightly as Erekez thought back to his time with his brother. It sounded as if he had a great child hood with him, that he missed him dearly. It seemed that his brother and he were very close, she was a little jealous at that. Having a sibling to grow up with, to love and be loved back, and to trust more than yourself. It sounded wonderful to her, something she missed out on being a slave.

”It sounds like you and your brother were so close. It must have been nice to have someone to rely on.” Nai’a looked up at Erekez with a bright smile on her face, ”Maybe you two can catch up on letters while you are here in Zeltiva.” Nai’a kept her voice soft when she spoke, trying to keep her opinion out of the letter writing ordeal. Family was something that should not be wasted. Life was too short.

Then the conversation took a turn to the mark of Rak’Keli, and how a pink dolphin like herself was able to receive a mark. Nai’a chuckled softly, ”I was marked at birth, I suppose Rak’Keli saw confidence and the need to help other’s when I was a small child.” Nai’a placed her hand under the cloak, stroking the sigils on her upper arms fondly, ”The slavers thought I was weird with pink hair and swirling sigils on my shoulders and arms. But the mark is what kept me going, kept me sane, and gave me hope. I knew I was meant for me than being a slave, and I fought through the pain every day because of it.” Nai’a kept her voice low, almost a whisper, as she spoke to Erekez. She shook her head softly from side to side, a small smile on her face.

[b]”You say you travel a lot. Will you be leaving me and Zeltiva soon? Or do you plan to stay for a while?” The healer’s voice came out a little sad at the thought of her bondmate leaving. She did not want him to go, she wanted to cling to him for as long as her short life would allow her. Though, if the road called him she would understand, but that did not mean she would like it very much.

[Erekez]

Well done! You ask a question to avoid the conversation delving back into slavery and that's exactly where you lead it. Erekez felt slightly guilty bringing up more of Nai'a's past as a slave. It wasn't a time that anyone would want to remember. Erekez respected Nai'a's former bond mate for getting her out of that lifestyle. The next question would require a little more consideration. He was hoping the answer wouldn't relate to slavery again. What Nai'a had said made sense. He had not originally intended to stay in Zeltiva for as long as he had done so already, but it already looked as though he was going to be staying for another season. Perhaps it would be time for a break from travelling. Four years is long enough, and there are plenty of things to explore in the Wild Lands. Erekez smiled once again. I should send a letter to my brother whilst I am here. It would be good to hear from him again. Erekez looked back at Nai'a's face as he realised his gaze misted over and started wandering again. "Thank you for telling me about you mark of Rak'keli, and sorry for unintentionally bringing up slavery again. Your hair and mark are by no means 'weird'. I consider them unique, and something to be proud of. I shall show you why I stand by my beliefs." His hands moved to meet in front of him. Grabbing the fingers of the glove on his right hand, Erekez pulled it off to reveal his own mark. "I have my eyes, as well as the mark of my own goddess, Eyris, and I am proud to have been blessed with both." He enjoyed the rush of air that brushed over his hand as he removed his glove, pulling the other off as well and putting them both away. "As for your question, I think I'm going to stay around or a while longer. I still haven't done what I originally came here to do and want to see that through to completion. Neither had I intended to become bonded. It doesn't feel right leaving so soon after finding my bond mate. You're stuck with me for a while longer." Erekez found himself winking at Nai'a, a mild form of teasing, but there nonetheless. "And you're right, I will write to my brother soon, and I'd like you to say 'hello' as well, if you don't mind." "My question again. Considering I lost our little match yesterday, what would you say if I offered to treat the victor to a meal? My treat." Erekez lowered his face to hers, not really intending to give Nai'a a choice in the matter. He knew what she liked, and he was going to pay his loss, one way or another.

[Nai'a]

Nai’a nodded at his apology, gesturing it away with a wave of her hand. It was in the past, nothing that could be done about it now. Life was hard, but everyone’s past is hard in some way or another, some worse than others, it was something she was slowly accepting.

Then her eyes laid upon the mark on his right hand with an excited smile, listening to his words. It was the mark of Eyris, someone she had never really heard of before. ”Wow, that is wonderful. We are both unique. A perfect match.” Nai’a punched his upper arm playfully, giving him a bright smile. It was indeed true that they were a perfect match to be bonded. They were both unique, in their own ways, they both stood out in the crowd. Or that is how Nai’a saw it anyways.

Nai’a was happy to hear that he was going to stay a little longer, though she wished he would stay forever she was happy to hear he had no plans on leaving just yet, and the excitement bubbled over into a quick tight hug, ”I am so happy I am stuck with you, and you stuck with me! I don’t want you to ever leave me… EVER!” Nai’a’s voice rose in excitement and protectiveness. Something a little new to her, and she could not help but blush and step out of the hug, rubbing the back of her head. ”Sorry, but … I would hate for you to go. But I am happy to hear that you will be writing your brother, and I would love to say hello to him as well.” Nai’a gave him a bright smile.

When it came for his question, the question slightly shocked her. He was offering to buy her some food, since she won their little spar with one another. Nai’a chuckled lightly and nodded her head, she was a little hungry, ”I would love for some food. I am starving!” Nai’a did not bother in even attempting to reject his offer, she could see the serious look on his face that said he meant it and no was not going to an answer.

[Erekez]

The hug was sudden and her reaction was unexpected, but Erekez could only smile at Nai'a. It was good to know that she didn't want him to leave her, but there was the possibility that it would happen. Exactly when was a different matter that Erekez didn't feel the need to sort out just yet. For now, he just enjoyed being with Nai'a and would stay with her as long as he could. She stepped out of the hug before Erekez had a chance to return it, her face a little red from what appeared to be embarrassment. It seemed that Nai'a wasn't entirely sure what would be considered acceptable with her new bond mate just yet. Perhaps over time, she would learn that he did not mind what she did. But you still need to figure out what is acceptable to her before you start doing anything stupid. "It's appreciated that you will say hello to him. I think that he deserves to know what I've been doing in my time away, considering the length of time it has been. And of all things, I don't think I could leave you out of the conversation." Erekez smiled back down at Nai'a, indicating for her to walk alongside him as he turned. "Now, what is it that my superior would like to eat?" His voice returned to his usual teasing of Nai'a. Erekez already had an idea of what she would choose, but Nai'a had proven to be unpredictable at times, so it was safe to ask. As he turned towards the market, there was one more question Erekez wanted to ask, hoping to keep the conversation going as they left. "You have met my lady Moonraker, are there any special companions you have that I should be seeking approval from?" Hopefully there was a place or two still open so late in the day that they could get something to eat.

[Nai'a]

Nai’a walked alongside her bondmate, happy that all was well, and everything had turned out okay. After the up and downs that had occurred throughout the rest of the Winter season, it was nice that something was actually going right for once.

Erekez teasing comment about her being superior and asking what she would like to eat made her chuckle a little. There was one thing that she had become obsessed with as of late, ”Superior huh? Well, you just remember who is the superior one in this relationship.” Nai’a gave him a playful wink and then continued,”I personally would love some grilled fish, but I would be happy with anything really.” Nai’a gave Erekez a bright smile, lacing her arm through his as they continued on their way towards the market.

Then he mentioned about her meeting Moonraker, and if there was someone that he needed approval from. Nai’a could not suppress the small chuckle at that. Her little friend Meka would definitely have to meet Erekez. She was sure he would love him though. ”Well yes there is actually. Meka, the ferocious monkey. No worries, I am sure he will adore you like I do though!” Nai’a laughed brightly. Meka was not very ferocious really, he was a tiny thing, but he liked to think he was big stuff whenever there was another male around Nai’a. They shared a connection, Nai’a supposed that it was because they were both animals, she was not sure though. Either way, Meka was her best friend. There all those nights that tears decided to fall.

[Erekez]

"So I have to compete with a monkey now for your attention?" The closest Erekez had ever come to interacting with a monkey was a few Jamoura. Even then, they weren't monkeys, they were more gorilla. Erekez would consider it an insult to refer to the Jamoura as monkeys anyhow, they were people in their own rights, and the few he had met had taught him a bit about surviving outside cities. Twilight was beginning to fade. The wind held a more noticeable chill that it had earlier as Leth began to take his place in the sky, allowing Syna to rest. The lights of many buildings began to flicker out into the streets, giving the stone a gentle glow of oranges and yellows, as a fireplace would. It had always been relaxing, sitting in front of an open fire. Erekez always let his mind wander or focus, depending on the situation. There was something about the light and heat together that helped. "Does your ferocious warrior have any weaknesses that I can use to my advantage? Or will I be powerless before him without your aid?" When was the last time you created such scenarios that you played around in? You're considering confrontation with a monkey. It's amazing what you come up with when you don't have your guard up. Erekez quickened his place slightly. Any stalls were probably closing up for the night, going home to their own families. It had been luck that he managed to catch one such storekeeper before he had finished closing up. He was an elderly man whose beard and hair were as grey as steel. Though he was visibly old, he had aged well, still keeping healthy. He was apologetic that he could only offer uncooked fish, as any cooking equipment had already been turned off for a while now and would take time to heat up again. Erekez didn't mind as much, buying two pounds of fresh fish from the elderly man. Erekez struggled to get the four gold mizas to pay from his pocket with Nai'a holding his arm, but managed to do so without too much trouble. That's a loss paid for. He smiled to himself. The spar had been fun, but now that he knew Nai'a was pregnant, he had second thoughts about another any time soon. Perhaps another time he'd be able to get Nai'a back. Bidding a good night to the fish seller, Erekez now considered what they were going to do with the fresh fish now. He had an idea. "Nai'a, know any place that we could find or make a fire without getting in trouble?".

[Nai'a]

Nai’a laughed at Erekez comment about competing with a monkey, ”Yes I suppose you do Kezzy.” Nai’a said in between laughs. Her laughter calmed down as Leth began to make his way up to the sky, Syna going back down to rest. Good to see you again Leth. Nai’a thought, as she looked up at the bright moon slowly traveling to his throne in the sky.

Nai’a brought her attention back to Erekez, a broad smile displayed on her face at his words, and another laugh echoing out into the night, once the laughter died down to a point she could talk, her voice came out between little laughs, ”You have no idea how ferocious my little Meka can really be. But I suppose one advantage would be food. He loves food, any food really. He is such a fatty at times. But like I said, he is going to love you.” Nai’a patted Erekez’s arm, as they continued to walk forth.

They came to a stall that was still opened, but closing up for the night. Erekez bought some fish, and turned to Nai’a asking where they could make a fire, ”Well we could always go to a secluded spot on the beach and make a fire, no one would mind I don’t think.” Nai’a gave Erekez a smile, and grabbed his arm, leading him now to a spot on the beach where they could make a fire.

Once they came to the spot, she opened her arms displaying the slightly secluded area, ”This should do just fine I think. Though I have no idea how to start a fire… Do you?” Nai’a was dumb when it came to such wilderness skills, she only knew enough to maybe get her by, but probably not enough to keep her alive. Unless it was swimming, if she traveled by swimming then she would do just fine, but walking on land was a whole different story.

She was pretty sure Erekez would know how to start a fire though, he mentioned he traveled a lot, so he would have to. Nai’a’s attention went back to the moon, to the God Leth, the God of reflection. Nai’a had so much to reflect on that had transpired this Winter, she really needed some time with the God, time to pray and do a devotion. But now was not the time, right now it was her and Kezzy’s time. She brought her attention back on her bondmate. She finally had a bondmate, one that felt different then her former bondmate. Nai’a wondered if that was normally, if all bonds were different. She was not for sure, but she knew she felt different with Kezzy then she did with the mage.

[Erekez]

Whilst Erekez had enough experience to get a fire going, that was when he was surrounded by numerous trees, branches, sticks, leaves and anything else that could be considered useful burning material when making a fire. On a beach, however, he was very much limited to driftwood and anything else that might've washed up on shore. It was even worse if it was damp. "I've got a flint and steel in my pack, however, we might have trouble trying to find some dry wood. The problem is if it has any kind of water in it, it becomes increasingly difficult to light." That had been a frustrating lesson to learn after it had been raining in the wilderness. Erekez had had to plan a head, finding some form of shelter to cover any materials, and the fire itself. If he couldn't, he ended up in his tent underneath a blanket. "A few stones would help as well, to keep the fire within an area. Fancy helping me do a bit of searching?" He smiled at her. Two people would have more luck than one, especially in the low light that the moon gave. Regardless, Erekez needed to find something to use before it got any darker. Walking up the beach, Erekez had managed to find numerous pieces of driftwood, ranging from mildly damp to completely soaked. He'd taken them anyway. They'd help for if a fire had been able to get going. The flames would dry out any moisture from the wet wood he had collected, but he needed something to feed the fire. Getting his foot caught on something sticking out of the ground, Erekez stumbled forward, causing him to drop some of the wood he had been carrying. He looked down at the culprit to see another piece of wood protruding upwards. Erekez needed to check it at the very least. It was dry. Erekez smiled, it was a start, but when he tried to pull it up, it refused to move. Confused, Erekez began shovelling material away from around the wood, finding that it went deeper than he had thought. No wonder it didn't budge when I kicked it. Grabbing one of the other pieces of wood, Erekez started digging out the wood, smiling as he dug deeper. Eventually, he managed to pull out what appeared to be a wooden post. Must be from the pier after the storm. It didn't matter, it was dry and would probably be enough to get a fire going. That was provided he could break it down into smaller kindling and blocks first. Erekez picked up the other wood and returned to where Nai'a had brought him. He'd just need a few rocks now.

[Nai'a]

Nai’a looked at Erekez a little dumbfounded. She did not know much about the whole fire thing. Land was not her expertise. But she just nodded, agreeing to help him search for some wood, although her eyesight was not that great in the daylight, and she was nearly blind during the night time. ”Alright, you look that way and I will look this way and we will see what we can find.” Nai’a gave him a small smile, her white teeth gleaming in the moonlight, as they went their separate ways.

Nai’a did not find much on her journey for some driftwood, she only found a few pieces. Two of which were damp from the spray of the sea, the other was somewhat dry, but still retained moisture from being so close to the water. Either way, she collected them, hoping it would work, Erekez would know if it would or not, she was sure.

Nai’a looked around in the dim light of Leth, almost as blind as a bat. Nai’a stumbled around in the dark, tripping a few times and landing on her knees, due to her poor eye sight. Finally she came upon what she was looking for, beach grass. She was not sure what the proper name was for the stuff, but she knew it was dry and brittle, and possible set fire quickly. With that hope in mind, and the hope to please Erekez and not look completely dumb about fires, she started pulling up the dry beach weed grass.

It was not as simple as she hoped it would be, or maybe it was simple and she just had poor arms strength. Either way it took her a few chimes to get some pulled up. She had to brace both of her feet on the powdery sands of the shore, and pull backwards with all her strength. She was a little glad that Erekez and she went searching for fire starter things in different directions, because she fell backwards on her rump a few times from pulling the stubborn grass. After about fifteen chimes she had collected a decent bundle of the brown grass though, and held the medium sized bundle in her arms.

Nai’a did not want to become lost and not find her way back to where Erekez was, but she could not see that great in the dark, so she used her nose instead, smelling the air for his particular scent. Once the smell of ink, paper, and sweat caught her senses, she knew it was him and she followed it.

It took her about five chimes to find the original place they had decided to make a fire, but at least she found him. Nai’a deposited the grass and wood where he deposited his things, and they both went looking for rocks. Nai’a decided to stay nearby, not wanting to get lost in the dark again. She managed to find two decent size rocks, hoping her bondmate had better luck than she did; she brought them back to where they would start a fire.

She was a little out of breath and if it was possible for her glands to sweat, she probably would have been glistening with it. A pink sweat shiny female sitting under the moonlight, that was not a pretty picture. Nai’a sighed and sat down on the sand of the beach, waiting patiently for her bondmate to return so they could devour some delicious fish. Nai’a knew she could of ate it raw personally, but she doubted Erekez would be down for that, nor would he want to watch her eat it raw she doubted.

The healer sat on the powder sand of the beach, gazing up at Leth with a small smile on her face, sending a quick prayer to the God of the Moon, thanking him for watching over her and Erekez this night.