Closed Who's That? (Zaylunao)

[Snowdrop Snowsong]

Timestamp: 7th, Spring, 514AV

Snowdrop almost was practically skipping down the snowy street. She had just come back from dropping off her brother with his friend. Morwen has come back and the air was filled with joy and happiness. At least that was it to her. She walked down the street and smiled at all the people that passed by. She felt upbeat and happy. Bruce was at home so he couldn’t stick to her like glue. The cold wind bit at her lips as she licked them. It didn’t dampen her mood at all. Everything was perfect that was before she noticed someone that didn’t seem to belong in the crowd.

There was a woman with reddish hair and it caught the young Vantha’s attention. Snowdrop always had a fascination with colors. They were just something that always inspired her to do more and entertained her thoughts. Choosing to know this woman a little more, she decided to follow the woman. I really need to stop being a stalker the Vantha thought.
OOCSorry that it's so short

[Zaylunao Skyglow]

A breath of hot air lifted from the Vantha's lips and was stolen by the bitter chill of the wind. Zaylunao, patches of snow clinging to her coat, made her way further and further into Avanthal with determination fueling the fire in her eyes. The winter wind could do nothing to extinguish the flame raging deep in her core. Even the heavy burden of her gear couldn't slow her approach. She moved with purpose. With passion. Like the ever-turning gears of a clocktower, Zaylunao continued onwards.

For years she had considered Taldera her home, though in those same years she had not found a single place where she could feel at ease. A haunting visage seemed to follow her across the tundras, the memory of her father stained into her thoughts. That is, if those memories were real to begin with. Real or not, she had convinced herself that the answer would not lie in a single city. The truth was scattered and broken, hidden in the dark recesses of the world. For nearly a decade, Zaylunao had made her journey settlement to settlement with the intent on finding the truth.

And it was here, in the Snowsong hold, that Zaylunao made her last stop in Avanthal. This was to be the last time she would find herself within the borders of Taldera. She would do her best to relish the time she would spend here.

The aging doors of the hold's mess hall creaked open and Zaylunao disappeared inside.

[Snowdrop Snowsong]

She watched with pink eyes as the woman walk into the Snowsong Hold. The Vantha’s mind started to think up all of all the possible scenarios. What if the person was here to murder? Maybe she’s a spy? What if the lady was not a lady but something her to kill us all? OMM that would totally be cool, but oh so very bad.

Before Snowdrop’s mind could think, a poke to the back of the head made her lose all focus. Shylir looked at her a huge smile on her face. “Whatcha doing,” the Icewatch chirped put. The younger Vantha didn’t pay the solider a mind and continued to look at the Hold with eyes that were practically lighted up with excitement.

Taking a step or two forward, Snowdrop tried to follow the person before the Icewatch grabbed the back of her cloak. “I’m stalking her,” she pointed to the woman that just entered the double doors. A sigh escaped her chapped lips. “You do realize that weird, right,” Shylir said with a goofy smile on her face. “Ugh, leave me alone right now,” Snowdrop propelled her forward and ran in after the person she was following. Her hair swung left then right before seeing the figure again, Dashing without much sound as possible, she watched the person go into the mess hall.

“Now then how to figure her out,” Snowdrop said playfully. She dropped to her knees and crawled under one of the many tables, startling many men who were eating there. One man looked no older than in his early 20’s looked under the table and looked back up at his friends. “What is it,” one man said out with a deep throaty voice. The man who looked only chuckled, “it just Snowdrop.” After that comment, the group of men joined into the laughter. They all knew how strange the child was.

[Zaylunao Skyglow]

Exhaustion was finally allowed into Zaylunao's body as her arms slumped, the rucksack sliding off her back and onto the floor. The stuffed sack fell back and rested against the leg of an ornate pine table. With little regard to any sort of grace, she let her rear fall into a vacant seat. The chair held firm, and Zaylunao let out a long sigh. Her hair, now splayed accross her face, hid most of her features. What was visible through the veil of bronze hair was a pair of pink lips whose color had been stolen by the cold. Her cheeks, pale as snow, were slowly drawing in strength from the warmth of the hold.

After several moments of motionless rest, Zaylunao straightened her posture and cleared the strands from her face. Her eyes, now a burning orange, seemed to go in and out of focus. Her gaze for the time being was locked on the texture of the table, studying the grains of wood that ran up and down its length. She was fighting to stay out of a trance lest the strangers around her think her weak.

Through sheer determination, the Vantha beat out her weariness. Her slender fingers reached into her pack to recover a scrap of paper that had aged well past its date. She did not open it, instead keeping it secured between her thumb and pointer finger. There was something very unnerrving about it, though. Perhaps it was the way the red ink bled through. The very ink that looked suspiciously like blood. And the tears along the edge of the paper were not smooth. Instead it was as if it were torn from a journal in a fit of rage. Whatever it was, the Vantha had a fondness for it, and no intention of letting it out of her grasp.

"Coffee," she spoke, directing her request at the server who had approached her. Her voice was firm yet feminine, like a duchess commanding her servants. But much less condescending. There was authority in her, from her form, to her voice, to her overall disposition. And beyond that, an air of mystery. She folded her arms and turned her gaze away from her belongings and to the fire in the corner of the room.

[Snowdrop Snowsong]

Snowdrop was about to space out of reality from the woman’s voice. She was so used to the gruff voice of men and her mother that she never really heard one that sounded what’s the word, elegant like to her. A soft nudge brought her from her thoughts. “Snowdrop if you’re so interested in that woman, why don’t you just go talk to the lass,” one of the older men said encouragingly. He knew that Snowdrop was a shy thing that never really opened up to people much, especially to people who are out of her hold.

The young Vantha’s face started to flush red from his statement. How did he know she was spying on that particular woman? It could have been anyone in the mess hall, anyone at all. A groan left her mouth from the embarrassment of being caught. Crawling out from underneath the table, she dusted herself off. She looked down at the older man and pleadingly asked him to go over there with her. All the man howled with laughter at her expense. Her blushed turned a shade darker, this is so embarrassing. “Just go. I’m pretty sure she don’t bite,” a soft smile started to form on Snowdrop’s face, “ much,” the man finished with a hearty laugh. She bit back a growl and walked towards the stranger.

She walked to the other side of the table and sat down. Her ponytail fell over her shoulder as she looked at her lap. Her thin fingers started to twiddle with each other. “Hi,” she said almost a whisper.

[Zaylunao Skyglow]

The woman met eyes with Snowdrop. She did not expect to be approached by anyone besides the waiter, and her reaction confirmed this. Her body flinched at the girl's voice, and the paper was crumpled further into a fist as her whole body twitched. Bolts of tension rode up her arms and made the muscles spasm and bulge and a breath caught in her throat. She had to cover her mouth to keep from coughting. The fright was brief, though, and Zaylunao recovered quickly. Fresh, warm air entered her lungs and calmed her panicked heart.

She tried again, regarding Snowdrop with a bit more apprehension this time. She studied the girl from top to bottom, the orange sheen of her eyes darting around to draw in different details. There was nothing intimidating about her form, at the very least. She held the build of most Vanthas, which already struck a chord of familiarity. She couldn't see her face very well behind the long ponytail, but from what the traveler could see it was rather friendly. She relaxed, the violent hues of her eyes melting into a gentle hazel.

A warm smile spread across her lips and a giggle slipped through. "You startled me." She spoke with Vantha words, attempting to coax the girl out of her shy state. "You're brave to approach a stranger. Or crazy. Either way, I admire your courage," she teased, Miza passing between her and the server before the cup of dark roast was set down next to her. "Do you want something to drink as well, miss... ?" she asked, hoping to draw out the young woman's name.

[Snowdrop Snowsong]

Snowdrop smiled at the comment about being brave and crazy she most probably both. Her head shot up at the offer. Now that she heard the word drink her mouth went dry. The teenager felt thirsty all of a sudden, but didn’t want to seem like someone who automatically takes anything someone would give her. Thought in reality she was that type of person, but Snowdrop didn’t know the person all that well and was still wary of the woman.

So she shook her head and smiled up at the lady. Her eyes turned to a mixture of red and a light blue. She was still very much interested in the stranger. Her orange red head interested her the most. The teenager has always been interested in colors. Rather they were bright or dark; they were always something that caught her attention. “Um not to be rude but who are you,” the teenager said rather bluntly at the lady. It was rather annoying to Snowdrop. She mostly knew anyone in the Hold, but she never seen this person. Maybe form another Hold or―. The Vantha stopped her thought process before it went too far in an area she did not want to get into. Last time she did that her head started to pound. Blinking her eyes owlishly, she realized that she sounded rude. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to sound mean,” the teenager apologized quickly.

[Zaylunao Skyglow]

Zaylunao took a long drink, letting the intense heat spread to each end of her body. The cold that had lingered in her toes and fingers was now vanquished. A feeling of renewal took hold. Before speaking again, the Vantha let out another sigh of content. "If you insist," she said in response to the girl's refusal. Her mind did not linger on the thought much. After all, she was smart not to take favors from a stranger. Though if there was one thing she found noteworthy was the very... curious nature of the girl. There was a sparkle in her eyes that screamed of childhood innocence and an unyielding desire to fill her mind with knowledge.

The next thing Snowdrop said took Zaylunao by surprise. The blunt and straightforward question was stark contrast to the many others she had received during her travels. Almost refreshingly so. Tired she was of the sweet-speaking merchants and vague townsfolk. There was no need to burden ones self with extra words. Quick, and to the point. That is how she operated. And exactly how she answered.

"There is no need to feel ashamed." She grinned, using her fingernail to scratch at a piece of loose chip of material on the cup before turning back to Snowdrop."My name is Zaylunao Skyglow. A pleasure to meet you. And your name?"

[Snowdrop Snowsong]

She let out a sigh of relief as the stranger assured of her response. Hopefully her mother wouldn’t catch wind of her attitude; the Vantha can only hope that her mother will have mercy on her. An involuntary shiver went down her back as an image of her mother’s glare. That was something that she would want to avoid at all costs. Slowly, the teenager’s attention started to wonder away from the person in front of her to something going on about two tables away. There were two men who seemed to be having a fiery argument.

The young Vantha’s head swirled back around to look at the person across from her. She blinked a couple times before registering what the woman had said. “Oh my name is Snowdrop. Snowdrop Snowsong at your service,” she said rather silly. A grin spread across her light brown face. She put her hand out to Zaylunao, “Nice to meet you Zay-Zayulano,” she struggled out to say. “Can I call you Zay for short,” Snowdrop tilted her head in curiosity.