Closed [Nettle District] It Wasn't You

[Sigrun Dominic]

60th of Spring, 513 AV The Nettle District At first it seemed like the perfect day to relax at the hot springs, but the humid air that surrounded the city walls and its people led Sigrun to change her mind. The young blonde was halfway to the Soothing Waters Bathhouse when she decided that the warmth of the steaming springs would only do her worse. Light-headedness began to invade the young girl's head as she struggled to find a place to rest somewhere nearby, but found herself going deeper and deeper into the crowd in the district instead. "Petching shykes," she muttered in exasperation. Two people nodded in approval at her, and a third belched and said, "you got that right." Sigrun grinned, eyeing the men who acknowledged her frustrated outburst. She focused her tired, burning eyes on the various different colors that clung to the sweaty bodies of those around her, sighing heavily. A flash of bright, blonde hair caused her eyes to dart over to the side. She stared to the left where the figure had ran off to, her eyes wide open. Whoever it was had appeared to have been smothered by the sheer size of the people surrounding him or her. Sigrun immediately attempted to search for the person. From time to time she could catch a glimpse of the small person, a pale child with a thin and frail body. But what was drawing Sigrun to the little boy was his blonde hair; it was a lot like Sigmund's. "Sigmund!" she shouted out of instinct, "Sigmund!" People began to stare at her bewilderingly, some even sneered at her. Sigrun frowned at them and continued to follow the small blonde boy as he maneuvered the crowd rather well, almost better than the she did. Slowly, she found herself coming closer and closer, having him completely under her field of vision, where she was now more than ever certain that it was Sigmund, her brother. "Sigmund," she panted, her hand reaching out to grab the boy, "hey." Her fingers managed to latch onto his wrist, spinning him around, her aquamarine eyes meeting with familiar blue ones. It was really him. Only, it wasn't. Her excited grin faded as quickly as she realized her mistake. The boy's hair and eyes may have been a stunning image of her Sigmund, but the rest of him was not. Sigrun looked positively crushed. "I-I'm sorry, I-" she cut herself off, her hand still loosely wrapped around the boy's wrist. "I thought you were my brother."

[Edrik]

Edrik wandered in the Nettle District, looking for something to do. It had been two or three days that he had not earned some money, and his light and silent purse reminded it him at every step. Feeling his stomac growling, the boy cringed. "Not yet" he ordered himself, wanting to spare some money. "Go and work if you wanna eat." But there was no work around here. He had already asked the baker, the herbalist, the blacksmith, even some stablelads. Noone wanted him to help. "You're too weak little bird" the blacksimth had said, laughing at Edrik's poor stature. So here he was, mumbling on the crowd, starving and getting bored stiff. "Sigmund! ... Sigmund!" Edrik did not turn his head, even if the shout came closer ; he did not know any Sigmund. But suddenly, a hand caught his wrist and an unknown face was looking at him with joy. It did not last long though. The girl who had caught him released his arm and apologied. She had obviously mistaken him for another boy. And she looked so sad... "Hey" Edrik answered gently, not angered at all "Are you the one looking for that Sigmund? Is he your brother? Do you want me to help you finding him? It should be easy for me, just like looking for a twin. Do you have a twin? I don't, but I have two little brothers, at home, I mean, not here. And it's a lot of work! But I've never lost them, I think... No offence, of course, I'm sure you didn't mean to loose your brother in this crowd." The boy suddenly stopped, what happened not so often. But looking at the woman's face, he felt he had to. Had he said something wrong?

[Sigrun Dominic]

OOCI'm very sorry for taking so long, I got sick and lost the drive to write!

"I..." Sigrun stared at the young boy, her fingers lingering as she slowly slid her grip off of his wrist, only to end up holding his hand. His hair, his eyes, they were all Sigmund. As she kept her gaze fixated on him he looked more and more like her brother and it killed her inside, devouring the pit of her stomach with a heavy warmth. She couldn't speak, she couldn't breathe. "Hey." The young girl wanted to cry. Even his voice sounded just like his. Her brows furrowed and her lips trembled, yet she managed not to let a tear drop from her eyes. "Are you the one looking for that Sigmund? Is he your brother? Do you want me to help you finding him? It should be easy for me, just like looking for a twin. Do you have a twin? I don't, but I have two little brothers, at home, I mean, not here. And it's a lot of work! But I've never lost them, I think... No offense, of course, I'm sure you didn't mean to loose your brother in this crowd." The young boy was rambling now, a trait that wasn't Sigmund's. Relief washed over Sigrun and the pressure in her chest loosened, releasing her from the iron grip of nostalgia. The more the boy spoke, the less the girl felt tense. She watched him intently, fondly, until he'd finished speaking. "No, no," she shielded the boy from the men and women who threatened to bump him as they moved up and down the street, "i-it's perfectly fine." She smiled at him sweetly, her hand holding his tightly as she pulled him over to the side where no one could bother them. "He's passed away." "A-A long time ago." A tear managed to escape the hold of her lashes. "And here I thought he'd managed to live again." Sigrun sniffled. She crouched down and held the other boy's hands, smiling up at him. "What is your name, boy, and where is your family?"

[Edrik]

OOCDon't worry, I'm not that fast either, quite busy those days.

Edrik listened a part of this girl's story with lots of attention. And when it came to the "live again" part, his eyes turned bright. "You know, I've met a girl few days ago. She was a Vantha, but at the same time she was dead. I think she was a ghost. I've never met any other ghost, but maybe your brother managed to become a ghost too. He's maybe here, just by your side, but so transparent and so shy that you cannot see him. You know, they are shy because they scare people. I was affraid the first time I saw Kouri, but then I just tried to see beyond what I saw. And I finally just saw a girl, about my age, lonely and ashamed of what she had become." Edrik sighed, thought about twelve seconds and added. "Well, in fact, I think it's better if your brother did not become a ghost. He would certainly be unhappy" After that, in order not to put an embarassing silence between them, Edrik finally answered the real question she asked. "My name is Edrik, Madam, son of Kenan and Shae, farmers in a little village in Zeltiva's area." He would have added a clear "and you?" if ever it had not been so rude. A child does not question an adult. However, Edrik was eager to know. Meanwhile, he did not understand of the strangeness of his situation: a young boy, miles away from home, walking peacefully alone.

[Sigrun Dominic]

"You know, I've met a girl few days ago. She was a Vantha, but at the same time she was dead. I think she was a ghost. I've never met any other ghost, but maybe your brother managed to become a ghost too." Sigrun nodded and nodded, taking advantage of their locked hands as she led him further down the district. He was probably hungry and in need of some food, she assumed, and thought that the Rearing Stallion at this hour of the day would be quite appropriate. Her serene expression wilted, however, at the sound of him mentioning a ghost. "He's maybe here, just by your side, but so transparent and so shy that you cannot see him. You know, they are shy because they scare people." Sigrun cringed, her stomach turning at the thought of the undead surrounding them, surrounding her. Her gaze momentarily darted to her side as she felt a chill run down one forearm. She was quickly developing a disdain for ghosts. "I was afraid the first time I saw Kouri," the young boy began. Sigrun looked positively disgusted. She turned away and struggled to settle the rage and frustration that began to build up at the pit of her stomach; she did not have a very good experience with that little girl, but she said nothing about it. She simply continued to nod, her fingers intertwining with the boy's as they neared the tavern. From afar, she could see that i was moderately crowded, with most of the tables near the bar filled up with people enjoying a meal, possibly engaging in small talk. While the sun was up, the place was filled with their more placid customers, and that was what caused the girl to like it there so much. "But then I just tried to see beyond what I saw. And I finally just saw a girl, about my age, lonely and ashamed of what she had become." "Ashamed she should be," she muttered, soft enough for him not to hear. She just couldn't understand ghosts and how irrational they could be, and wished to herself that she'd never have to encounter one again, most especially not one that was her brother, or even her family member. "Well, in fact, I think it's better if your brother did not become a ghost. He would certainly be unhappy." "Agreed," she nodded vigorously. She wouldn't want to be a ghost either; she would never wish such a fate to anybody. "I hope you're hungry, boy," she stated, as they neared the entrance, "because I'm treating you to a meal. And your name is?" Normally she wasn't keen on acquainting herself with ramblers, but the boy resembled her brother so much that the girl didn't mind at all. There was no room in her heart to mind. She gazed down at the child with fondness as she awaited his response. "My name is Edrik, madam, son of Kenan and Shae, farmers in a little village in Zeltiva's area." "Hm, Zeltiva," she hummed softly, kneeling down so that their eyes met. She flashed him a sweet smile. "I've always wanted to go there." "I'm..." she trailed off, unable to decide on what to tell him. Would it be her first, or her last? "Sigrun," she smiled sweetly, patting the boy's shoulders and then his head. She stood up and led him into the tavern, where they sat near the entrance. "Call me Sigrun." Once they had settled down, the young blonde turned to the boy and resumed their conversation. "So, what are you doing all the way over here, Edrik?" she asked him. She uttered his name with reluctance, as if she'd wanted to call him something else. She so badly wanted to call him Sigmund, and for it to be true. "Syliras is a long ways from Zeltiva."

[Edrik]

Edrik let himself lead through the crowd, too concentrated to notice they were going to an inn. Until the girl let him know. "I hope you're hungry, boy, because I'm treating you to a meal. And your name is?" Edrik answered gently but was really unconfortable with this situation. He was not used at all to be invited to a meal. Usually, he bought some food with the gold he had earned. He had in fact never eaten in an inn ; it was far too expensive. But his roaring stomach prevent him from telling anything but a shy "Thank you" They took plce near the entrance, where Sigrun - that was finally her name - told Edrik she had always wanted to visit Zeltiva. Edrik would have wanted to tell her more about the city, but, for once, his curiousity had been overtaken. "So, what are you doing all the way over here, Edrik?" Sigrun asked. "Syliras is a long ways from Zeltiva." Edrik crossed his feet under the table. It was going to be a long story to tell, so he wanted to feel as comfortable as possible. Then he opened his mouth, took a big inspiration, and began. "I'm here to watch and learn. When I was young, I was always asking questions, "who? where? why? how is it?", but my parents had less and less answers. Until that day, when my father took me by the shoulders and said that if I wanna know everything, I had now to discover it by myself. Few days after, I left home. I don't know if they really expected that, but they let me go. In exchange, I just promised to send letters regularly, and to come back some days. Edrik stopped for a minute. Saying that, he noticed he had not sent any letters for two or three month. Damn, I have to do it as soon as possible he thought. "So I began to travell here and there, meeting people, learning from them. I have never come back home from now. I miss them, of course, but there is still too much to learn outside. And I want to bring my mother something beautiful, something that I haven't found yet." He stopped. Not only because he had more or less finished, but more because someone was waiting behind him for them to ask for food. Edrik blushed, and looked at his hand under the table, like a shy boy. He waited for Sigrun to talk to the man. He was really not comfortable here.

[Sigrun Dominic]

"I'm here to watch and learn. When I was young, I was always asking questions, 'who? where? why? how is it?', but my parents had less and less answers. Until that day, when my father took me by the shoulders and said that if I wanna know everything, I had now to discover it by myself. Few days after, I left home. I don't know if they really expected that, but they let me go. In exchange, I just promised to send letters regularly, and to come back some days." Sigrun hummed, nodding with interest as she eyed the bar and raised her hand, a gesture that had a serving girl make her way over to their table. She folded her hands in front of her, furrowing her brows as she continued to listen to the boy. He looked awfully young to be out and about, having an adventure by himself. How did he manage to survive the trip to Syliras all alone? "So I began to travel here and there, meeting people, learning from them. I have never come back home from now. I miss them, of course, but there is still too much to learn outside. And I want to bring my mother something beautiful, something that I haven't found yet." "Something beautiful, hm?" she commented, as she turned to the approaching serving girl with a small smile, "hi there." "What do you have for us this morning?" she asked, briefly eyeing the other customers that sat farther away as they were enjoying their meal. The serving girl smoothed over her pale apron and returned her smile. "Baked Mallard with pickled cabbages and a side of strawberry tart." Sigrun licked her lips and turned to Edrik. "Sound delicious?" She eyed the boy carefully, easily taking notice of his uneasiness as he remained flushed-faced silent in his seat, gazing down at his hands as he folded them onto his lap. "Hm," she turned to the serving girl, "is it possible for you to fold the meal into some cloth so we could take it out instead?" The young woman's eyes widened. "I... I believe that may have some additional pay." "Doesn't matter," she shook her head, although the twitch in her eye indicated a bit of discomfort, "Two servings, please. I apologize as we're in a bit of a hurry." Biting her lips, the serving girl nodded and prepared to walk away. "Anything else, miss?" Sigrun shook her head. A small fib, but only for the sake of the boy. Sigrun gave the young one a pat on the shoulder and a raised eyebrow. If the place made him uneasy, they would be better off having the meal elsewhere, somewhere he'd feel much more comfortable talking. "Edrik," she began, the name still coming off foreign to her, "aren't you a little young to be traveling on your own?" With concern laced in her voice, her smile faltered. "How did you manage to travel to Syliras safely? And stay safe up until now?" Somehow, the young blonde doubted that he hadn't gotten into trouble somehow during his stay, as well as during his transition from Zeltiva to Syliras. It was an amazing journey, one that couldn't have possibly been completed by him without a caretaker of sorts.