Closed [Suren Cliffs] The Dive (Azira)

[Marrin]

67th of Autumn, 513 AV The Suren Cliffs were empty, save for a single blonde boy sitting on the edge of the cliffs, overlooking the two great lakes. It had been a long time since he’d come here, having enjoyed cliff diving in his time as a Yasi, and he’d not been here for several summers since his apprenticeship had officially began. It felt good to come back to this place, especially when it was so empty and calm. The breeze was high but not whipping, the lakes lapping but not tidal, and the general feeling of the place calm and peaceful. Marrin couldn’t say what had called him here today. He simply felt magnetized here, as if it was a place he needed to be today. So he’d made the walk here, kicking off his boots and setting them beside him as he dangled his legs off the edge, gazing off the edge of the world. It made him feel small, and that made him feel good, as if his troubles were nothing more than a blip, a speck of dust on the world stage that would soon be kicked away by the foot of some divine actor or actress. It was peaceful, knowing that you weren’t hurting anyone. He let out a small sigh, rolling his shoulders and neck, staring down into the deep blue waters. They’d be beyond frigid this time of year, but volcanic activity had been on the rise as of late and Marrin wasn’t sure the waters wouldn’t be good and warm for the fall. He wanted to jump, wanted to feel like a kid again as he fell from such a height down into the safe embrace of the lakes, the arms of Laviku. None the less, he stayed, sitting and staring out onto the lakes. It would be so easy just to toss himself off and fall, but what would be the point? He’d be miserable and cold and alone all the way back up. No, staying where he was was far more peaceful. It was better, at least for him. It meant something. It meant solace. It meant a haven, something incorruptible. Is this what it feels like to belong? To have a home? Nobody answered the call.

[Azira]

   

It had turned out to be a good day so far for Azira. She'd managed to catch a squirrel, something that had caused great excitement on her part. It was such a small thing but it was one more piece of meat to go in the winter stores so every little helped. It had taken her awhile to catch the creature but at least she'd caught something. That one simple kill had made her feel confident, cocky even, as if she'd somehow made the squirrel appear just where she needed it. The huntress had gotten it into her head that she could perhaps scout the twin lakes for signs of activity and catch something there.

The girl was taking the easy option. Instead of trekking down to the lakes, she'd decided that it was much handier to just look down on them for signs of life and decide what to do from there. The Suren Cliffs were the best option for that. They'd give her a good vantage point and hopefully she'd be able to spot something worth the trek. 

As she walked to the location, she wondered about it. She knew that it was used for cliff diving but it was a recreational activity that she hadn't tried. Although popular with the Yasi when Azira had been that age, she'd avoided them for fear of some sort of prank. She would never have put it past her fellow Yasi to chuck her off a cliff, it wouldn't have been some terrible act to them unless she'd died which didn't bear thinking about.

The colour caught her eye, pulling her from her thoughts as she tried to work out what it was. It wasn't until she was a little nearer that she realised that it was blonde hair. She was still far enough a way that she could just turn around but she didn't, instead standing rooted to the spot. The girl stared at the figure that she knew was Marrin and debated whether she ought to continue onwards or not. 

She hadn't seen the hunter since that incident with that Endal and that had been a few market days ago. They had yet again parted on bad terms but that hadn't been her intention. Perhaps an apology was in order. That would be difficult she knew. She wouldn't blame him if he decided to reject an apology, she'd done the same to him, but it was still worth a try, right?

Swallowing nervously, she walked quietly forward, crossing the distance between them in a chime or so. She hovered just a little behind him, unsure if he'd heard her approach. Her step was light, yes but she wasn't totally silent.

"Uh hi, Marrin. Fancy seeing you here," she murmured, breaking the silence.

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[Marrin]

Marrin hadn’t heard Azira’s approach, so when she came upon him and spoke quietly he was mildly startled. However, she had not jostled him and seemed to be making an attempt to be courteous, so he tried to relax. Every time they’d spoken, the two had ended on extremely poor terms, and Marrin couldn’t help but be pessimistic about this encounter as well. He didn’t want to fight anymore, and had come here seeking solace from stress. It was the god of irony that answered his call this day, as cruel as he was. ”Oh, hello,” he said, quietly and inoffensive. He didn’t want to appear as a threat. She was behind him and, if she wanted to, could shove him into the lake at any moment. Without proper preparation, he could get grievously injured and drown. She’d hurt him before, and he didn’t want to put it past her to attempt his assassination since leaving on such poor terms the last time. ”Did you come to sit with me? It’s a beautiful day, if a bit chilly.” Perhaps if he avoided controversial conversation all together the two of them wouldn’t start to fight. For the life of him he couldn’t remember what had caused the previous encounters to end so poorly, but reckoned it must have been something to do with a fundamental disagreement. Hopefully, by avoiding anything that required debate, he could make it through the day without being maimed or emotionally wounded. ”Why don’t you join me? The view is beautiful.”

[Azira]

   

He wasn't very enthusiastic about her being there, didn't even look around. She couldn't blame him for his behaviour considering how she'd been acting lately but the lifeless tone of his greeting made something twist inside her. His voice seemed to say oh-not-you-again. The huntress supposed that she deserved such treatment.

When he commented on the day, Azira found herself staring at the back of his blonde head. Why was he commenting on the weather? Why did that matter to anybody? His invitation to sit down confused her still further. He acted as if he disliked her being present and then asked for her company? The hunter was beyond confusing.

"Is everything beautiful to you? Is it your favourite word or something? Only you said..." That I was beautiful too, she finished silently. She'd shut up in time but the teen had no idea where that thought had come from. It had hit her like a bolt from the blue, no warning, no prior thoughts, it just suddenly came out of her mouth. 

Feeling her cheeks begin to warm, the Avora busied herself by removing her gear, placing pack, bow and quiver a short distance from the edge so that it wouldn't fall off. She rolled her shoulders to loosen her muscles, trying to buy time for her embarrassment to fade. Not sure whether her aim had been achieved, Azira sat down carefully, allowing her legs to dangle over the edge. It wasn't a position that she particularly enjoyed, or was comfortable with even but he wanted her to so that was that.

"So not hunting today then?" the huntress asked, trying to sound casual. Her attempt at small talk was poor she knew but if Marrin could state the obvious then so could she. Azira had noticed his lack of gear and how relaxed he was with his shoes sitting beside him but then she could tell that the day was beautiful if a bit chilly. It was good to have an excuse to state the obvious, especially as it usually gave away her nervousness. No chance of that now.

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[Marrin]

He wasn’t sure what to make of her tone when she spoke, but he decided that she meant unpleasentness towards him. It was a mix between snapping at him and her cool, coldly cruel voice she used when she was just as angry but more in control of herself than when she was shouting. He wondered if she knew how to talk any other way, but it was beside the point. She’d asked him a question. He shrugged, noncommittal. ”It’s a word, it’s meant to be used. And I mean it when I say it. The day is beautiful, the view is beautiful. Caiyha’s gifts to us are beyond compare.” His tone remained quiet and passive, trying his best not to get much louder than close quarters speech. If he spoke too loudly or too suddenly, she may take it the wrong way and snap at him. She was as volatile as the volcano they sat upon. When she asked about his hunting he couldn’t help but smile a little. He had taken the day off to relax, having done quite a bit of hunting throughout the previous tenday without the much needed release of downtime. It was something he needed every once in a while, and today was such an event. ”If you kill the things around you too often there’s nothing left to enjoy when you’re all done. I have to take occasional breaks from hunting to simply enjoy nature in all her splendor. I don’t want to be the reason she’s forgotten.”

[Azira]

   

The huntress sighed quietly at his passive tone. He was talking to her as if he was trying to prevent her from becoming angry. That's what he was doing, trying to prevent one of her outbursts. She felt a twinge of annoyance that he'd think like that but she was more sad that he thought her so easily riled.

His words made her uneasy though. Sure it was good that he hadn't picked up on how her sentence would have ended but she hadn't realised that she was one of those... god people. Personally, Azira had little interest in the gods but the interest in others in them made her feel uneasy. As he continued on about his reason for not hunting, the girl had to stifle the urge to roll her eyes at his Caiyha references. She didn't want to offend him but she couldn't keep her mouth shut either.

"I can't really say that I have much faith in Caiyha or any other god or goddess. I know they exist, oh yes but I don't worship any. The only thing that I can say for certain is that they can be extremely nasty. Everyone sees Caiyha as benevolent but she isn't, is she? We're surrounded by animals that would happily rip us to pieces if we cross their paths," she told him, her hand unconsciously stroking the scarred tissue on her right thigh through her bryda. She knew full well how dangerous Caiyha's creatures could be, especially bears.

"Sorry I shouldn't have said that. I'm not trying to offend or anything but...that's how I think," she apologised, knowing full well how close she'd come to ranting.

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[Marrin]

Marrin couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle as she excused her tangent, amusement flowing to his face and momentarily wiping away the lifeless guise he’d put up to protect himself from her, and to protect her from him. She thought simply because he’d mentioned a goddess that he worshiped them. On the contrary, he recognized their existence but mentioned them casually only for lack of reverence for them. If he did worship them he’d be much more economical with mentioning their names. Then they’d be something to him. The only god or goddess that struck anything similar to that inside him was Priskil, and she wasn’t the topic of conversation. ”I can’t say I worship any gods either, though I recognize them. Two sides of a Miza, every one of them. Caiyha has her pleasant moments, providing Wind Reach with food and allowing us to hunt, but she has no qualms concerning killing us. We can just as easily become prey to her hunters as we are hunters of our prey.” He shook his head, leaning back to rest his hands on the cool cliff flagstone. He wondered what life would be like if he did worship the gods. Maybe they would grant him the purpose he felt he lacked. Maybe if he worked for something or someone greater than himself he would find himself as part of the whole he desired. He wanted to be important, wanted to help. ”What brings you to the cliffs?” he asked, picking up a small pebble and rolling it over in his hands. It was round on one side and jagged on the other, as if one side had been beaten into shape while the other still held its true form. It made him smile a little before he threw it out, watching as it sailed through the air before finally colliding with the lake. It gave him an odd sort of satisfaction, having done something to make a mark. That pebble would likely never see the top of this cliff again, and he had been the one to move it. Whether that was for good or for ill, he was not sure.

[Azira]

   

He laughed and she stared at him. It was a surprise considering his lifelessness only ticks before. She wasn't even sure if she'd heard him laugh before. Strange thing was that she hadn't said anything funny so Marrin must have been laughing at her. Great. Her cheeks took on a slight flush, which she hoped could be explained away as a product of the chill, and looked away from him.

The hunter explained that he didn't worship the gods but only acknowledged them and Azira realised her mistake. She'd assumed that his little Caiyha speech meant that he worshipped her. No wonder he'd laughed, she'd said something stupid. She was surprised by his casual use of the name though. Just because you didn't worship a god didn't mean that you could just say their name, at least do she thought.

The huntress zoned back in as he finished his question and assumed that he'd asked her why she was there. "I'm supposed to be hunting actually," she murmured. For some reason voicing that to him made her feel guilty as if she expected him to snap at her for being lazy. "I just came back from Wind Reach after dropping some stuff off and I figured that I'd try the lakes next. There was no point climbing down when I have such a good view from up here," she explained. The girl shrugged.

"Some people get to relax though," she muttered.

x

[Marrin]

Azira seemed to end the conversation regarding the gods, neglecting to respond to his explanation and instead moving on to answer his question of what had brought her to the cliffs today. He thought it odd that she chose to hunt here, it was rather close to the city and she likely wouldn’t find much more than rodents and maybe some fish in the lakes… but, as he came to think of it Marrin realized that he hadn’t really paid attention to the wildlife that came around the twin lakes. He peered down onto the lakes, trying to spot any animals that may be good for hunting. However, before he could spend much time focusing, he heard her mutter something under her breath. ”Some people get to relax, though.” It was a quiet jab at him calling him lazy for not being on the hunt at the same time she was. She’d phrased it in such a way that if he retorted, he’d be seen as the aggressor, yet still retained the sting as if she’d come right out and said it. It annoyed him to no end, how she couldn’t manage to speak to him for more than a chime without insulting him. He had to remind himself that he’d given up, surrendered to her in order to keep himself from snapping back at her and looking like an idiot. He took in a deep breath, through his nose and out his mouth, trying to make it seem like he was simply enjoying the outdoors rather than regaining his self control. Just then, the ground shook. It was nothing great, noticeable to him only because he was focusing on calming his body. The ground quaked slightly, sending small pebbles down the side of the cliffs, bouncing off the rocks and into the water. At the height they were at, the sound was barely noticeable, the tiny stones making small splashes in the lakes below. Marrin wasn’t sure what to think of it. The recent quakes had all happened when he was out hunting, and he wasn’t sure what to do about the situation. Were the cliffs safe? They’d survived far harsher treatment and still managed to stand, and he was in the middle of a conversation. It would be rude to just up and leave because of a suspicion, and he didn’t want to offend Azira more than his mere presence seemed to. ”What are you looking to hunt?” he asked, avoiding her derisive comment about his work ethic and instead further asking about what puzzled him earlier. ”I mean, have you hunted the lakes before? What sort of wildlife comes up here?”

[Azira]

   

Marrin was quiet for a few moments and she wondered if she should say something. Idle conversation was not something she was good at and the girl didn't actually need any information from him so she was at a loss of what she could possibly say. If she tried to talk she'd probably only say something that sounded stupid or offensive and she wanted neither. The hunter had already formed a dislike for her she was sure although it was to be expected considering the way she'd treated him.

The silence seemed to stretch onwards, an awkward silence that left her feeling uncomfortable. She wanted to say something but words still wouldn't come to her. The young woman could feel her cheeks begin to warm slightly and wanted to kick herself for feeling embarrassed about this. How stupid was she being? The problem though was that the more embarrassed she felt, the more words would fail her and begin the whole cycle again.

The teen shifted about on the cliff edge, the slight tremor hardly registering in her brain as she was too preoccupied with what to say. When the hunter finally broke the silence, she felt immense relief. She hoped that he'd just been thinking and hadn't noticed just how quiet she'd been or for so long. His questions didn't sound like they were asked to break the silence but rather out of curiosity. It made her sigh quietly to herself. He didn't sound awkward because he wasn't troubled with the same problem as she was. Contact with her didn't shut down his brain as his presence did to hers; it wasn't fair.

"I'll hunt whatever I can find really. It can't be anything too big because I usually can't bring it down or carry it if I do. The water tends to be on the dodgy side as a drinking source but that doesn't stop animals from coming to check. Plus some of them swim," she explained. "It'd be nice to find a boar or something but I'm still not properly prepared to catch one. I'm lucky that I caught that one yesterday. I could quite easily have had my legs ripped to shreds by tusks... But yes anyway, if I find a sign of anything then I can set a trap and wait and see."

Her words sounded like babbling to her. She couldn't manage to talk in a clear, linear way when she was around him. She hoped that he'd provide her with another question before silence reigned over them again.

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