Setting Down the Ground Rules

[Lian Windrunner]

Time Stamp: 10 Fall 513 Lian quickened his pace a bit once he was certain his new captive was following him. He wanted to reach his tent quickly. His captive...Lea...needed to know the rules he expected her to follow. Explaining them was best done in the privacy of his home. There would be fewer distractions there. Likewise, there would be no prying eyes to judge him should he need to discipline the girl for giving him a hard time about any of the rules he set down. Lian wound his way through tents with a natural grace born to a native. But his pace was slowed by the need to check to see if his captive was still following him every few moments. It would be all too easy for a stranger to the city to get lost, and Lian didn't want to have to go looking for her. Once he reached his tent, Lian lifted the flap, and walked inside. He held it open for his new captive, gesturing abruptly that she should follow him inside. As he waited for her to do so, he looked around. It was a typical single man's tent. Although it wasn't horribly messy, it certainly wasn't as neat as it could be, either. His belongings were clearly well cared for. I suppose I'll have to buy her a bedroll at some point. But for now, the blanket will have to do. he mused. When Lian focused his attention on the girl once more, Lian's eyes were carefully neutral, betraying nothing of what he was thinking or feeling. "Do you speak Common?" he asked after a long moment. Lian's hands twitched at his sides as he spoke, wanting to make the familiar Pavi signs that would normally accompany his words. But he knew that the girl wouldn't understand them, and that they might well distract her, prolonging the conversation more than necessary. He hated speaking Common with a passion. It was a flat, harsh language that conveyed none of the delicate nuances that Pavi could. But it was incredibly unlikely that the girl...Lea knew any Pavi, so Lian was stuck with it. He just hoped that his words weren't mangled too badly by his heavy accent.

[Lea Deveraux]

OOCYou might want to change the date, since the auction was on the 10th of fall. Just something to point out.

Lea's head was down, her pace quick but clumsy as she followed her new master. Twice she almost lost him, having to break into a run to make sure she wouldn't be left behind. All these tents, and she had no clue how she was to identify his. Theirs. Was it to be theirs, now? Would he even consider her a sentient being?

The Syliran was brought back to reality by her captor actually holding open a flap to his tent. She hesitantly entered, and scoffed at the state of it. At least she could see the ground and she wouldn't trip over anything. Nate's old room was worse. And... Did she speak Common? Was he stupid!? Lea's rarely-seen temper flared a bit.

"Yes I speak Common. I'm not some illiterate barbarian, I can speak properly!" she snapped. His accent was thick when he spoke Common, but at least she could understand him.

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian's eyes narrowed slightly in irritation at the girl's obvious anger. But he forced himself to bite back the retort that quickly came to mind. How could the girl possibly speak properly when she didn't understand Pavi? Still, he simply shrugged. "I know some who do not." he said simply. "Some feel that it isn't worth the effort to learn a language they are unlikely to ever need to use." Admittedly the people in question were hunters who rarely ever came into civilization. And when they did, they tended to leave again as soon as they sold their goods, and restocked their supplies. As such, they rarely ever came into contact with anyone who didn't know Pavi. But it wasn't impossible that some of the captives spoke only the language native to the place they were born in. Lian studied the girl for a long moment. The signs of temper she was showing did not bode well for her taking to her new life easily. But he hadn't really expected that she would. Still, he hoped that she wouldn't be too much trouble. "You are here to bear children. My children since I bought you. There is no choice for you in this. Your choice is how your life here will be. Obey, and you will be treated well. Prove you can be trusted, and you will have freedom of Endrykas. Meet friends. Learn Pavi. Make new life here. Fight, and you will be punished. Treated like slave. Try to run, and you will be punished. Confined to tent. If I find you. Death comes swiftly on the Sea of Grass to those who do not know its ways. This is your choice."

[Lea Deveraux]

"Ugh. I'm not a filthy horseman, I'm from Syliras. That's the only language I've needed to learn and to speak. I didn't know you people were so uneducated. Can you even read?"

Lea crossed her arms uncomfortably, the Drykas man obviously looking her over. His next words silenced her and created a massive, empty hole in her chest. Bear... children? To him? Her next thought concerned Nate. How would he feel about this? Her brother would probably be mad.

"O-okay." Her voice was raspy, eyes widened. She would have to bear children. If she refused, she'd be punished. If she obeyed... She'd be pregnant. With his children. At least she wouldn't die, hopefully. She wanted to run, so badly, but she had no idea where she'd go. Even if she wasn't found, she would die, assuming what he said was true.

"What... What's your name?"

Might as well get started on familiarizing herself with him.

Common

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian's hands betrayed the irritation that he refused to show in his expression. With a force of will, he stilled them. Then he took a deep breath before he spoke. "Uneducated? We are nothing of the sort. But I suspect that our education is very different that what you are used to." he said dryly. Read? Why would he know how to read? Of what use were words on a page to a people who saw little in the way of books or paper. For that matter, what use were books to a people whose history was passed down from father to son and mother to daughter in rich, vibrant stories that made the past come to life once more with each retelling? "I do not read books. I have no need for such things." Lian almost asked sarcastically if she knew how to do something that would be considered a common skill among his own people, but that someone raised in an overcrowed city wasn't likely to know. Like following a game trail through the tall grass. But he refrained, reigning in his growing irritation. His irritation quickly turned to surprise however, when his captive agreed to bear his children. To be honest, he had expected her to protest, or fight. His surprise was so complete that it took him a moment to realize that she had asked him a question. "Lian Windrunner." he replied. He was curious to see what else the girl...Lea might ask of him. Was she hoping to learn about him? To discover some weak spot that she might use to escape him? Or was she genuinely curious about the man whose children she was going to bear? Was it possible that they might work something out that would be acceptable to them both?

[Lea Deveraux]

What in the name of Zintila was he doing with his hands? The rest of the Drykas did that, too. Maybe it was part of their language. Why would you talk with your hands? It was strange to Lea, who was used to having her arms crossed or hands folded neatly in her lap.

He pointed out that perhaps their education was far different from hers. That was most likely true. Lea suddenly felt ashamed, and her head dropped down. They wouldn't need books, would they? Not when precious paper could be destroyed by wind and moisture. Of course. She let her anger and fear cloud her thoughts.

The Syliran glanced up, noting the surprise on his face from her 'okay.' It took him a good two ticks before he answered her question.

"Alright then, Lian. I apologize for snapping at you. It was not... my place, I guess. My brother's rubbed off on me." She smiled, although it was more of a grimace. Nate. Her Nate. Where was he, now? She hadn't seen him in what seemed like forever. "I suppose we got off on the wrong foot, no? Although you people might say hoof. I've heard stories of you, snippets from merchants and caravans. Is it true you have links to your horses? Can you speak to each other in your minds? Your horses don't seem very big, especially compared to some back h- ...Back in Syliras."

Lea choked on the word 'home,' knowing she'd probably never go back. Endrykas was going to be her home now. At least she had Nate and Kat, right?

Common

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian smiled a little at Lea's apology, his irritation a thing of the past. He would have to keep in mind that her education was as different to what he would consider normal as his was to her concept of normality, but he was confident that he could do that. Their differences were likely to cause similar misunderstandings in the future, but if both of them continued to try and understand the other, they just might find some common ground. Lea's comment about getting off on the wrong hoof amused him enough that he chuckled a bit. Her questions about Striders were so funny that he nearly laughed, but he bit back his reaction. Laughter might be taken the wrong way, and Lian didn't want to spoil the tentative truce they might be forming. His eyes did light up with amusement, however. "Yes. Perhaps we did get off on the wrong hoof." Lea's questions about Striders were good ones. Lian was well aware of the rumors that outsiders spread about the magnificant creatures due to their ignorance of the truth. These particular ones were actually fairly reasonable guesses, if completely untrue. Some of the other rumors...well. The less he thought about them, the better. Still, Lian had to be careful what he said. Some of a Strider's abilities were enhanced because of the web. And Lian wasn't prepared to tell his captive about the web's existence, never mind explain it to her. "Striders do not talk. There are no links. Such things are just rumors. But...a strider and its human...we understand each other." Lian's hands moved rapidly as he struggled first to find the right words, and then to translate them into common. "Words are not needed between a person and their strider. It's like...like a sibling that you are very close to. You know how your strider feels, and how they will respond to things...and they know the same about you. As for size..." Lian grinned. He remembered seeing the horses belonging to some of the outsiders he'd seen. Most of them were much bigger than the striders his people knew and loved. Very few of them had impressed him. "Striders may be small, but they are fast. Very fast. And smart. Size isn't everything." Lian hesitated for a moment. "You said you lived in Syliras. What is that like? And your family? You have a brother?" It wasn't that Lian was especially interested in anything outside his people, but if he were to be honest with himself, he was mildly curious. But his reason for asking was more than simple curiosity. Lian found that he wanted to get to know this captive of his. If he did, he might get a better idea of what Lea wanted out of life. Knowing that might mean that he could find something similar among hos own people to offer her. Lea was a captive. She had one purpose, and one purpose alone. Her happiness wasn't necessary for her to bear children for his people. And yet...if she could find happiness, or at least contentment among the Drykas, she might be less inclined to fight him constantly, or try to escape. The last thing Lian wanted was for his own life to turn into a battleground because he had to constantly force Lea to submit to her duty.

[Lea Deveraux]

There he was again, talking with his hands. At least he managed to explain it well enough. Understanding each other, that made some sense. More sense than the hand motions. A smile came unbidden to Lea's face at the mention of siblings that one was very close to. Sometimes, it felt as though she experienced the same emotions as Kat. Maybe it was like that.

Small and fast. Smart, size wasn't everything. Perhaps he was right? The horses she saw were bred for stamina and strength, not speed. His horses... 'striders', as he called them, were probably like hawks and falcons. Built for speed.

"You said you lived in Syliras. What is that like? And your family? You have a brother?"

Lea chewed on her lip for a moment, trying to figure out what to say.

"Yeah. A brother and a twin sister." When she mentioned a twin, people usually thought of another fiery-haired girl with sapphire eyes. "She doesn't look anything like me, though. She actually looks more like our brother. Her name is Katerina, and his is Nathaniel. They're both here, I think. Nate's got dark brown eyes and hair. Kat's the same. I'm the black sheep, in a way." The Syliran smiled almost sadly. She just... She wanted her family back.

"Syliras is basically a really big fortress. There are four tiers, I think. I'm only familiar with the bottom two. There's the Great Bazaar, which is a giant market. I found a book there, once. It's on astronomy. I have it with me, actually." She patted herself down, shyly pulling out the book bound in worn leather. Its pages were thoroughly thumbed, the ink slightly faded, but definitely readable. Lea blushed, holding it up almost like a shield. He didn't need to read. He'd probably laugh at such a silly item. But the book was important to her.

Her lips seemed to seal themselves as soon as she lifted the old thing, refusing to reopen and form words. There was nothing else to say.

Common

[Lian Windrunner]

Lian listened quietly as Lea talked about her family. He didn't understand what a black sheep had to do with anything, but he did get the sense that she was very close to them. When Lea told him that her brother and sister had been captured as well, he was glad, though he was very careful not to show it in any way. Having family living among the Drykas might give the girl some incentive to behave. After all, by doing so, she would be able to see her siblings almost whenever she wished as long as their owners allowed it. "It is good that your siblings are here. Not good they were captured." he added quickly, so the girl hopefully wouldn't get upset, thinking he was glad they had been captured. Even though he was...sort of. "Good that they are here so you can see them. Family is important. Very important. It is good that you have family close. It is not good to be alone." Lian's words were a bit wistful as he thought about his own family. He had been very close to his parents, and even more so to his older brother and younger sister. Losing them had devastated him. It was a loss that he would never recover from fully. And in part, it fueled the reason he wanted children. Part of it was duty to his people. But a part of him wanted someone else to love in his life. If Lea were to give him a daughter, the child could never replace his baby sister. Nor would a son replace his overprotective older brother. Still, a child might help to fill the hole their deaths had torn in his heart, at least just a little. Lea's brief description of Syliras was as confusing as it was brief. Tiers? What were those? A fortress, Lian could sort of picture in his mind. He couldn't imagine living closed up, locked away behind stone walls, though. It would drive him mad not to have the freedom to come and go as he pleased. Lian looked at the book Lea showed him with mild interest. It looked somewhat worn, but still useable to him, though he admittedly knew nothing about books. He couldn't even remember seeing one before today. If he had, he had quickly dismissed it from his thoughts. But still...Lian could tell that the book was quite important to Lea from the way she held it. "It looks like a nice book." he said politely. There really wasn't anything else he could say about the book. "Do you have any questions for me?" he asked after a moment.

[Lea Deveraux]

Day XX, Season --, -- AV

Annoyance pricked Lea, and she shot a glare at Lian for his words. Good that they were there!? She drew herself up to her full height -- which wasn't much -- and prepared a fierce retort. However, what he said next calmed the fiery-haired young woman enough so that she wouldn't earn herself a beating.

Of course it was good that she could see them. He knew family was important, at the very least. The Syliran gave him a tiny smile, listening to the broken sentences. His eyes revealed that her captor was far away in his thoughts, sadness trying to hide behind the crumbling walls of his strength.

When she held up the book, she could tell that Lian didn't really care. At least he was being polite. There wasn't much to say about it, and the leather-bound pages were returned to her pockets.

She proceeded to bombard him with questions.

"Do you have any family? What's living in Endrykas like? Do the women hunt? Do you farm at all? What are the different levels of authority? Who's in charge?"

Lea had no clue where the sudden curiosity came from, but it burst from her lips to engulf the silence that was once there. She wanted to know. She couldn't stand not knowing. The young woman wanted to drink up the knowledge, like she did with the astronomy in her precious book.

Common