Darkest Night (Van, closed)

[Khiara]

Khiara nodded as he spoke, knowing the older man's words made sense. It felt sometimes that she had been pushed to far, lost her faith. There had to be a reason for all the loss and the pain. Goddess, there had to be.

As he spoke, the drykas' gaze shifted over her face, and his hand lifted to brush away a stray hair. The vantha found herself captivated by those same rich warm eyes that had first drawn her in so many nights ago. Her heart rate quickened and Khiara found herself recalling their brief stolen moments of passion. Holding his gaze, she noticed the gold flecks caught by the moonlight. He was everything she wanted, needed so much...yet they could not be. It pleased her to know he needed her too, that she helped him.

Breaking his gaze as the golden man took her hand, Khiara nodded, thankful the low light hid the blush in her cheeks.

"Thankyou, Vanator." The brunette said softly, weary both emotionally and physically.. Sleep would be welcome, she hadn't had any for at least two days, and knowing Vanator would be there when she awoke made the thought of closing her eyes a little more bareable.

[Vanator]

Khiara's hand felt small in his calloused palm. Van simply smiled warmly as the Vanthan thanked him. Helping her to her feet, the Drykas did not let go, but entwined his fingers with the young woman's. She needed to know that she was not alone, and he felt content and, to be honest, thrilled to maintain contact with her. Vanator led her through the dimly lit streets toward the inn where he and Kashik had rented a room. He was not sure how his new wife would react to him showing up with Khiara in hand. Kashik had proven to be very understanding and supportive, encouraging him to find Khiara and help her, even as she knew the affections her husband and the Vanthan harbored for one another. But to bring Khiara to stay with them a little over a tenday since marrying was going to be a test of how strong the Drykas couple's love was. Regardless, Van would not leave Khiara, could not abandon her in her emotional state, and secretly delighted in having her around again. As they approached the inn, Vanator released her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist, pointing ahead with the other. "Its just up ahead Khi."

[Khiara]

Khiara took comfort in the feel of the drykas' hand. He encased Syna and all her glowing, golden warmth - a strong contrast to another man's hand she once held, cool and icy but still very much a welcome thing. Just closing her eyes, she could feel Eliac's presence, but she could never pretend Vanator was her now forever lost fiancée. It was not only wrong, but he was just to warm. It was somewhat of a blessing. The young vantha recalled meeting Orion, a man of her own kind. He had reminded her of Eliac, too much of him. In the shadows, it could have been him. The sight had shaken her.

Looking up as Vanator led her through the night city, Khiara noticed again the blue skinned men of Riverfall. They were frighteningly large, but not unfriendly. Perhaps a little too friendly at times. She'd heard of their plight, but the young vantha was not in a position to assist. Her virtue remained untouched until she was wed, and that day had not come to be. Stolen from her. The drykas wrapped his arm around her waist and pointed, guiding her shifting golden eyes towards an inn. It seemed much of a muchness to her. An inn. Inside, Kashik. What would she be thinking? Khiara frowned a little, but nodded and continued on with Vanator.

[Vanator]

Vanator lead the Vanthan into the inn's tavern, pushing aside the heavy wooden door. Everything in Riverfall seemed vaguely larger and heavier, constructed for a race that exceeded his human frame in size and strength. Taking Khiara's hand again, he lead her into the room, scanning the early evening crowd for Kashik. The couple had managed to work through their argument from the day before, the first serious fight of their marriage. It had been a bad day overall, and Vanator was more than happy to put it all behind them. The Drykas spotted Kashik at a corner table, glass in hand, earning the admiring gaze of nearby Akalaks. He was glad his wife's hair was pulled back, making the Chevas mark on her neck visible and declaring that she already possessed a mate. Seeing all those Akalak eying her unnerved him a bit. Perhaps the nature of the race's dilemma and the status of women in Riverfall gave him a skewed prejudice of the otherwise well-mannered blue males. With an encouraging grin to Khiara and a quick glance into her bright shifting eyes, Vanator lead her through the tavern room towards Kashik.

[Kashik]

Kashik had, indeed, braided back most of her wild curls - though there were always a few that refused to be tamed - and for exactly the reason Vanator was happy to see it. She had been in Riverfall before, after all, and had been single then. She knew what advances the Akalak men were capable of. So she'd thought it better to be safe then sorry, and proudly displayed the Chevas mark for all to see.

If her eyes were just a bit bright when they turned back to Van, well, he had been gone a while, and there was nothing for her to do but enjoy the inn's fine selection of ales.

And if worry flashed across her face to find her husband with another woman's hand in his not a day after they'd fought (and only two weeks after their wedding), she forcibly shoved those feelings aside. She'd known what would happen when she sent her husband to comfort this other woman - foolish to feel a pang of uncertainty now that her own plans were bearing fruit, but Kavala's words had lodged a sliver of doubt in her heart. Even so, she hated that doubt as she hated the Konti witch, and so she quickly ignored it. Instead, a grin broke out as she slid out of her chair and bounced over to meet them.

"You found her!" she said with a bright laugh, her turquoise eyes skittering across Khiara's face as she took stock of the girl. She'd been crying, true, but she at least seemed in better shape that she'd been with Vsenri. So Kashik caught Khiara's other hand in both of hers and gave it a friendly squeeze. "I'm glad you came. I've had the innkeep set a room aside for you if you want to stay here instead of that stupid inn all the way across town, which of course you'll want to do. You will, won't you? Stay here with us, I mean. It's the only thing that makes sense, and I'll pout if you don't. Van will too," she said, eyes sparkling with laughter as she glanced over at her husband and threw a wink his way. "He's a champion pouter. Not as good as me, of course, but I've had older brothers to practice on all my life. Are you hungry? We can get some food," she offered, brows rising in question as she skipped from one thing to the next as quickly as she always did.

[Khiara]

Khiara followed the drykas as he led her into the inn. It was vastly superior to the one she'd shacked up in - but at the time it was the only one with a stable for Vsenri. Unconsciously, the young vantha moved closer to Vanator as akalak eyes turned on her. The feeling of being summed up as breeding stock made her skin crawl, and Vanator's hand around her waist was a welcoming comfort. Khiara was not only a stranger, fragile and broken from the events of her life - but she was untouched. Virtue intact. The blue skinned men made her feel nervous, almost frightened. Of course, they wouldn't just...take a woman. Surely. They seemed like the nicest people. And they had the white ladies.

Forcing her gaze from the floor, the vantha looked up to see Kashik looking their way. She caught the brief flash of worry, and felt a disgusting twist in her gut. Goddess, she shouldn't be here. They'd only just wed, and here she was in Kashik's husbands firm grasp. Swallowing hard, Khiara tore her eyes away from Kashik's exposed chevas mark, brow furrowed. It was like a dull thunk in her mind. Married. Taken. Her chest ached.

Khiara pushed away the sudden pain as Kashik took her hand, smiling and bubbling and gushing in general. Feebly, she nodded, glancing up at Vanator with golden eyes, the lavender hue she displayed for him now a cloud swirling off to nowhere. Looking back at Kashik, the young woman tried on a small smile.

"I'll stay, thank you. I...your brothers. Yes, I met one of your brothers. He's...oh no, no I'm not hungry." Her voice was soft, hesitant...and at the end slightly confused. Kashik was hard to keep up with. She felt awkward in Vanator's grasp with Kashik so close. It hurt the new wife, it had to. When she could, Khiara would tell Kashik he was faithful and kind and...

He loves us both.

Kashik's words from the other day repeated in her mind, and her eyes shifted, lavender again. Smiling apologetically, she looked back at Vanator again.

"Really, I don't know if I could stomach much of anything right now." Indeed, she didn't feel like eating. Vanator's offer to help - plea to help - was a start. But the vantha was tired, and emotionally drained. Food was not at the forefront of her thoughts.

[Vanator]

Vanator caught the moment of uncertainty in his new bride's eyes, and he wondered if bringing Khiara here was the wrong thing to do. Weel, he had to, he could not leave her alone, and he believed Kashik would understand. He grinned at the Drykas woman as she approached across the tavern floor, her face lit up like the noon day sun. She assaulted poor Khiara with questions and invitations, a flutter of words and expression and excitement. Van saw the shifts in the Vanthan eyes, worry when she saw Kashik at first, now, the girl just seemed overwhelmed by the zealous woman. The Drykas took both women by the hand and lead them back to the small table where Kashik had been sitting. Turning to the Vanthan, he spoke in a calm voice. "Maybe something light Khiara, or something to drink?" His gaze shifted to Kashik. "Kash, I will go back to her inn and get her things and meet you back here, I won't be long." Kashik had tolerated a lot for him in the last few days, and he was adding yet another test to her obedience and love. But he knew her well enough, she would rise to the occasion. Vanator bent over to kiss Kashik, his hand on her shoulder. Then he leaned towards Khiara. "Don't worry Ki, Kashik will stay with you, I will be right back with your things." His hand had rested around her shoulder, giving her a slight squeeze of assurance. With that, the Drykas slipped back out of the room and into the dim streets of Riverfall.

[Kashik]

Vanator's wife did, indeed, rise to the occasion as best she could - though her hand rose to cup his cheek when he kissed her, as if she needed that half-second touch to reassure herself. But she smiled and nodded as he made his intentions known. "Send one of the stable boys to your sister so they know where to send word of Khiara's steed," she said in Pavi, giving his hand a final squeeze before he headed out.

Then she simply flagged down a girl and ordered two bowls of hot rice soup and some fruit juice; the poor Vanthan didn't look as if she'd eaten in days. "I could do with a spot of food too," she said, more quietly as if she'd just realized that her particular brand of boisterous wasn't exactly helping things. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to overwhelm you," she said with a soft, heartfelt smile. "I'm just glad that he found you. You looked so lost when I sent you off to Sanctuary. I... well, I wish I could have gone with you, and I'm sorry I couldn't. But you're here with us now," she said, reaching out as if to take Khiara's hand, though she stopped just an inch or so away as if now worried that everything she did might overwhelm her. "You'll not be alone anymore, or so I imagine Van's already promised," she chuckled, knowing her husband well enough to make that call.

[Khiara]

Khiara nodded as she sat down at the table, eyes following the man as he left the inn. She really didn't want to intrude, and already she felt awful that Kashik was being abandoned - again - by her new husband. Glancing at the drykas, Khiara smiled unsurely again.

"No that's alright. I just...." Taking a deep breath, the vantha closed her eyes against the sting of tears and leaned back in her chair, shaking her head. She couldn't talk about Vsenri, not yet. There was an air of denial in the way she avoided it, but the brunette couldn't cope with the weight of her own aching heart. Opening them, she looked up at the ceiling, shadows under her eyes accented by the dull gold they had shifted to. The laceration above her eye hurt when she furrowed her brow, and the girl was tired.

"I don't think he gave me a choice." She said with a small sigh, sitting forward to face Kashik again. Khiara noticed the womans outstretched hand, and felt ashamed that she was so useless. The two drykas put themselves out for her, and she felt the self-loathing simmering in the back of her mind. Pathetic. Utterly useless.

"I appreciate it. I know it must be horrible to have some silly foreigner dogging your every step, or so it seems. I'm so sorry Kashik."

[Kashik]

"Fah," she scoffed easily, crinkling her nose a moment before laughing. "Stop apologizing. I'll have no more of that! My family would whip me blue if I turned out a friend in need, and so I make it a habit never to do so," she grinned.

The juice arrived, and she nudged one of the cups closer to Khiara. "Drink that," she said gently. "I know you don't feel like it, but the sugar will help. Your stomach will thank you for it if nothing else," she murmured. Dark brows drew together, and she lifted the rejected hand to touch her thumb just beneath the cut on Khiara's head, examining it. "Tch. Looks like that'll heal pretty clean. Likely won't even have a scar," she said with another smile as she smoothed the Vanthan's hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear.

So close, it was possible to see the scars on Kashik's hands, thin silver lines sliced in patterns across the palms of her hands. Evidence of her ability to manipulate magic, though not too many would recognize them. But then she let her hands fall back to the table before reaching for her own cup and taking a sip.