New leaves (Kayiri)

[Dhanya]

Timestamp: 83rd Autumn, 510

If travel had given her anything more than callouses, it would have to have been access to information. What she had been unable to ask while pregnant was now offered, often without her asking. She still found the process difficult, often torn between thankfulness and annoyance, depending on how the assistance was given or pressed upon her. Women who would have once left her alone for the most part now seemed to consider her one of them, albeit one without a husband and thus of a slightly lower, sadder stock. This, she was used to. It was just slightly less avoidable than before.

The experience was strange, she often did not feel any different than before. The only thing that had changed was her number of relatives and the number of people she cared for. She had been told that motherhood was transformative but she still felt as foolish and stubborn as she had when her son and daughter had been but a twinkle in her eye. Some days she felt as if she were perhaps worse than she had been because that illuminating candle remained unlit and if she was unchanged, did that mean there was something wrong with her? Was she a bad mother, if she felt overwhelmed? She would have wished for a book on the subject, save the fact she could not read.

She would have dreaded her return to Endrykas, were it not for the fact that she knew people there. Well, that in itself was reason to worry. She was not worried about seeing her friends, at least. She longed to see Khiara again and hear her stories, she wanted to sing with Hel and Kayiri, if he had the time.

She let her legs dangle over the edge of the caravan she sat upon, knowing she was almost at Endrykas, finally. Travel was not so enjoyable with children, though admittedly, she was letting someone else's child ride her horse for practice. She was not sure Pon was going to forgive her for it anytime soon. He was not used to hooning around in the grass, even if he had enjoyed it for the first few days. Ever since meeting Mao, excitement had become anathema to him.

Dhanya closed her eyes, Ouin swaddled up safely and Katya at her breast, breathing in the scent of grass and horses. Though they had not enjoyed their first few days of travel, time among the grass seemed to calm them. Truly they were children of the Sea.

[Kayiri]

The two hours between his riding instruction and his sword tutoring was often-- no, always-- the most boring part of Kayiri's day. Nothing to do, nothing to see, no one to speak with! Everyone was busy with their daily tasks, in too much of a hurry to stop for more than a few seconds, and those short breaks were dedicated to catching their breaths and thinking. A shame, really. A waste of two hours of the day. That is, of course, unless something interesting happens. It was on days like this that he would wait at one of the border areas of Endrykas, watching the Pavilions enter and leave the migrating collection of tents, watching the foreign and familiar faces reenter the city.

He didn't expect to see the particular face he would see in just a few moments.

Look! A caravan, on the horizon! The Drykas rose up onto the yvas of his Strider, stroking her mane and her neck affectionately. Without the ever-faithful Serenity, he wasn't quite certain what he would do. A gentle squeezing of her flanks with his knees urged her forward, and together they set off to meet the caravan before it hit Endrykas.

"Ho, friends!" Kayiri shouted proudly, holding his hands up to show that he meant no harm. "I approach only to greet you and welcome you to Endrykas. No longer must you worry, you are safe from the perils the Sea around us possesses as long as you follow the laws of the Drykas and don't make foolish choices. Stay in your tents at night. It's not safe outside for foreigners, though I am sure your guide has already informed you" Kayiri spoke quickly but clearly when he finally made it to the caravan, his Pavi accent obvious in his Common. A nod was given to the man of obvious Drykas heritage that sat in front of the Caravan, speaking a brief greeting in Pavi. Then, he strode around the caravan once or twice atop his mount, examining it passively for mistreated horses, as he always did. It was on his third lap around the caravan that he saw her.

Serenity felt her rider tense up, stopping as well in mid-stride, lowering her raised hoof softly onto the ground. Kayiri, from his vantage point, looked the woman over once more, then twice more, then a thrice more. No, it couldn't be her... But it was. He simply couldn't mistake that face. That was the face of a close friend, and Kayiri did not forget the faces of close friends, not even over a lifetime.

"By the Gods, my eyes must be playing tricks on me," the Drykas declared simply and loudly, hopping quickly from Serenity's back. "She leaves a little less than two seasons ago and comes back with two children in her arms!" he then announced boisterously. His quick pace brought him up to the wagon she was stationed on, and powerful legs pushed him up onto it. "What'd you pick these two buggers up for, to keep me from picking you up like I used to?" the Drykas then said, his voice loud, carrying tones of false hurt to her ears (and most likely the ears of everyone nearby). Since the little children deprived him of a hug with their positioning, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tousled her hair lovingly. The same arm pulled her close. Obviously, time had not waned Kayiri's close bond with Pygmy.

"Ah, you must share the story, Pygmy! One doesn't simply find two children abandoned on the side of the road and decide to claim them as their own! Who's children are they? What're their names? What was the desert like? Did they have Gods that granted them gifts to see their survival in the harsh world, like Semele did our Striders?" endless barrages of questions assailed the poor girl, who was probably lost and confused with how quickly the topic changed when the scarred, tanned man was involved in the conversation.

[Dhanya]

Dhanya was familiar with Kayiri's exuberance and did recognise that he was feeling the tendency more on that particular today, in response to two particular pieces of stimulus. Katya and Ouin were not and did not. Ouin, who had been asleep in the sarong Dhanya used to carry him, started crying. Already her children seemed to possess a strong bond, as Katya decided to follow suit as loudly as her brother.

Dhanya hated it when they cried. It was worse when she'd had no sleep, as had become customary since leaving Riverfall. When she had been there, one of the many people who lived in Sanctuary would sometimes offer to mind the pair for a time so she could get some rest when she was low. Not so while she was travelling, there was just too much to be done. It was not an ideal setting for Kayiri to meet them but she'd been told socialising was good for them and they'd have to get used to it eventually.

She did wonder how Kayiri could hope they belonged to anyone but her, when she was breastfeeding them in front of him. Hope was a powerful emotion. Dhanya knew she would have to get used to the scrutiny before people became used to her new circumstance. Kayiri was a preferable first audience.

"They're not like horses, Kayiri!" Dhanya said, laughing even though her children were bawling, pleased to see him.

She could not return his hug because her arms were full, though she did lean into him. It was clear she was happy to see him. She resisted the urge to ruffle his feathers over waking her son. She shushed them both, knowing that Ouin would not be quick to settle and Katya would find it difficult to do so until he did. She spoke to them softly, with the usual platitudes did not feel as if they were. They never did until after they were quiet again and she had time to wonder about how her voice changed when they were upset.

"They're mine, I left the desert early so I wouldn't have to give birth there. It was... An eventful trip."

She held up her hand and splayed her fingers so that Kayiri could see her gnosis mark.

"I found religion." She crowed.

They were almost at the gates of Endrykas.

[Kayiri]

A frown claimed Kayiri's face as the children began crying due to his affectionate greeting. Eyes danced over them awkwardly. The man was obviously inexperienced with newborns, which was logical, considering that he had never had any younger siblings himself... Or any younger cousins that he spent time with. Damn, his family was empty. He just sat there awkwardly, not knowing what to do as the two children bawled. His green eyes darted away from Pygmy, looking with an awkward sense of guilt at the ground. Finally, he spoke again when she responded to him.

"Bah, Striders are not horses, either!" the Drykas exclaimed, feigning a hurt look and tone. He laughed loudly at first, and then became quiet again, eyes glancing cautiously at the two children. Still crying. Great. He remained awkwardly silent as they sobbed and screamed, squirming in Pygmy's grasp. By the Gods, he cried like this when he was young? Then, dreaded words registered in the warrior's ears.

They're mine. The rest of the sentence fell upon deaf ears. Kayiri's eyes faded into an unfocused state as the brunt of the comment set in. They were her children. She had carried them. They had to have a father. Could it be... No, it couldn't be him. It just couldn't be. Well, it could be, yes, but he refused to believe it, and when the stubborn warrior refused to believe something, he didn't waver from that belief. Still, he couldn't help that the hand around her shoulders silently curled into a fist. If Vanator was the father...

The world around him returned into focus, picking up just barely her words. Eyes focused on her extended hand, more specifically, on the elaborate upside down triangle positioned on her hand. His free arm held her hand softly in his, to steady it as he examined the marking.

"It's a beautiful tattoo, Pygmy, but I haven't any idea what it means or symbolizes," Kayiri admitted simply. "You've finally submitted to Drykas culture, eh? A small tattoo on your hand? The next step is to get you a lovely one on your arm," he smiled and winked at her. After a short pause, he spoke again. "Do you remember the offer I made you before you left? When I told you that you were always welcome to stay in my Pavilion, no matter the circumstance? That offer still stands," he smiled at her again.

Once more he went silent, listening to the twins cry, if they were indeed still crying. Inside of him, something was gnawing at him. He should't ask who the father was, that was her business and her business alone. But he had to know. If the father was Vanator, then he had an oath to uphold, one he had made upon his honor, all that time ago. If it was some other man, then there was no harm done, was there? The question left his lips with a slight delay between a few of the words, as if he was hesitating or regretting his decision.

"So... who's the father?"

[Dhanya]

As Dhanya continued to mutter endearments at her children, they slowly calmed. It had been shock that had made them cry and it was not long before they realised that even if they'd heard shouting and seen someone new, nothing bad would come of it. Dhanya was incredibly relieved. When they'd first been born, there had been a few days where they just hadn't stopped crying at all, or it had felt that way. She'd been at the end of her rope.

"Well, it's a little more than a tattoo, I'll show you later." Dhanya replied.

She paused after Kayiri's subsequent question, biting her lip and looking out over the sea. Was he being purposely obtuse? She doubted Kayiri would do such a thing. She didn't want to tell him, yet, she still considered him her kindest audience. He'd been understanding before, she had no reason to doubt him. It was unfair of her to do so.

"I think you know who, Kayiri." She said, feeling a little cowardly.

[Kayiri]

A deathly silence fell over the pair as Pygmy answered his question curtly and cautiously. Then, signs of the rage that began boiling within him became apparent to his close friend. Muscles rippled and tensed, and his already tightened hand curled even tighter. His knuckles went white, and if he hadn't had the calloused hands of a warrior, his nails would have drawn blood from his palms. His breaths became more jagged and sharp, as he attempted to constrain his growing anger. When they were exhaled, they were exhaled with a certain shake and quiver to them, a quiver matched in his entire body. Teeth gritted silently in his mouth.

Calm, Kayiri. Anger would get him no where. Despite his best efforts, his anger bubbled over, and he exploded. He, thankfully had the self-control left to rise to his feet and take a few paces away from the caravan, so his fit would not cause injury to Pygmy or the children.

Finally, he snapped, spitting out a single sentence, every word punctuated by pure, unadulterated anger. "That FUCKING pig!" the Drykas went red in the face, nose flaring with every breath. "Just wait until I get my hands around his damned neck!" Furious, frantic pacing began. Back and forth and back and forth he walked, with enough speed that one wouldn't be surprised if a small trench formed under his feet.

"First, he knocks you up. Then, he plays with your emotions like their his toys, and then, he breaks your heart. When you leave, he leaves as well, and when he returns, he marries your best friend!" the Drykas let loose a long string of profanity and threats in Pavi. "The nerve! The sheer, insolent nerve! That arrogant bastard, when I get to him, he'll wish he never laid eyes upon you! I'll make him regret the moment he laid his hands on you!" More rambling ensued, becoming more and more nonsensical as he went on and on. Finally, after a full three minutes of this blather, he came to a stop.

The red hue in his face has faded, and his breathing returned to a steady state once more. He stood there in silence, watching Pygmy, trying to gauge her reaction to his total lack of control. A sad and embarrassed look claimed his face, and with good reason, too.

[Dhanya]

Even if Kay believed himself to be prone to anger, Dhanya had never seen it before. If she had not seen the way he tensed with her own eyes, she would never have believed he was anything but sanguine. She recoiled when she saw his clenched fists, though there wasn't far she could go back into the caravan. His change in demeanor did not go unnoticed, Dhanya could see other women from their procession watching.

Dhanya watched him with wide eyes, her arms curled around her children. She could hear Kayiri speak harshly but he was not loud enough or close enough to make the twins cry again. Had it not been so unexpected, it would have been heartening. She hadn't seen too many people be angry for her before. She was surprised that Kayiri cared so much, although that was only true because she was surprised that anyone would care for her so far as that. She felt confused, her heart twisting as he expressed anger at Vanator, rather than blame at herself. After all, he was an Ankal's son.

Her lips drew together and her expression grew pinched. Her throat was sore and she didn't want to cry in front of everyone.

"And when he returns, he marries your best friend! The nerve! The sheer, insolent nerve! That arrogant bastard, when I get to him, he'll wish he never laid eyes upon you! I'll make him regret the moment he laid his hands on you!"

She felt as if a knife had been slid between her ribs and into a lung.

"What did you say? He did what?" That couldn't have been true. "I was never friends with the woman he asked to marry him."

It was a slip of the tongue, surely. It had to be, because Khiara wouldn't have done that. Khiara would have told her if she'd loved him because Khiara trusted Dhanya.

Or perhaps it was not and Dhanya had just been a fool, not seeing what was truly there.

[Kayiri]

The anger was replaced by pangs of crippling sadness as Pygmy stared him down, with eyes and expressions that pleaded for him to be incorrect, pleaded that he be lying, that this be some sort of cruel joke. She didn't know. Of course she didn't, she'd been gone... A frown played across Kayiri's face, and it was with a solemn expression that he approached Pygmy, eyes and head hung in shame. He hopped onto the edge of the cart in front of her, balancing awkwardly. Silently, he bent his knees, bringing himself down to eye level with her. A beefy set of fingers found itself on her knee as he collected himself for what was to come. His eyes never left hers.

"He..." Kayiri trailed off, only beginning again after affording her a reassuring squeeze to the knee. "He married two women, Pygmy, as is the Drykas way. One was the wife you are referring to. Kashik, a Drykas, the wife he proposed to in the Summer. The other..." he trailed off once more, squeezing her knee yet again. "She was... Khiara. Your friend. I was there when the vows were made. They are wed, as husband and wife," he finally sat down next to her on the cart, wrapping his protective arm around her again.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, holding back his own tears as he held his sobbing friend in his own. "I'm so sorry," Without thinking, yet another set of words left his lips, these ones carrying certainty and meaning behind them.

"He'll pay," the single pair of words rang quietly yet ominously through the cart. "I swear to all the Gods above, he'll pay. I'll make sure of it." A single tear finally rolled down his cheek.

[Dhanya]

Sound did not carry terribly well across the grass, though it carried well enough for most within the caravan to hear Dhanya crying softly. She placed the children down on the mat next to her, where they wouldn't be shifted about and buried her face into her hands. She usually waited until she was alone to let herself weep. She felt uncomfortable and hurt, as if the axis of the world had shifted and everyone had known about it but her. It was a selfish hurt and she could see it as one, though once she would not have even realised.

Much could change in two seasons. Much more than she had expected.

She hadn't been invited to Khiara's wedding. Not that she would have wanted to go, except that it was Khiara and now it was entirely possible that she wouldn't even have the option of sharing her time. Maybe Khiara wouldn't want her around.

Vanator had taken her away as well and she hated him for that. She wasn't sure it was fair but the resentment flowed as strongly as a flood. Her heart had been broken once, that had been enough. Khiara had been her friend, she didn't want to share her. Especially not with him.

Speaking with him was going to be even more difficult than she imagined.

"He'll pay, I swear to all the Gods above, he'll pay. I'll make sure of it." A single tear finally rolled down his cheek.

Dhanya looked up at Kayiri, eyes red and overflowing. She sniffled loudly.

"Kayiri... No." She replied, looking shocked. "He's their father, you can't kill him! I don't..."

What Kayiri meant and what she thought he meant were disjoint. His sincerity and fierceness led her to believe he had far darker plans in mind.

[Kayiri]

The Drykas shook his head as he held the smaller woman comfortingly, muscular arms draped around her shoulders. Kayiri guided her head gently to his shoulder, allowing her to rest it as she sobbed. Quiet shushes passed through his lips, in a fashion quite similar to the shushing he had performed in the Summer, when she had cried. Odd, that was the last time he had seen her, too. If he were not so obsessed with comforting his friend, he likely would have found some interest in the fact that her departure and arrival had been with sorrow. At this moment, however, he was simply focused on comforting his friend.

"I'm so sorry," the proud warrior choked out, crying a little himself now. The one tear turned into two, and those two doubled into four. Those four followed suit, and I think you know what happened from there. "I wish there was something I could do, but there's nothing! Nothing at all!" his meaty, calloused hand balled into a fist. His head shook violently, and his ponytail swung from side to side. What could he do? The damage was done, and one of his best friends was hurt by another. He was torn. He was torn by his promises and by his emotions.

The vigorous shaking of his head only intensified as Pygmy declared that he couldn't kill him. "No! Not kill him, I can't kill him... I owe the bastard too much! I don't know! I just know that he'll pay, and he'll regret his actions!" he barked in clarification and response. Finally, a little bit of his anger and emotional turmoil began to simmer off, leaving a simple, stern response, without much room for her to argue or wiggle herself out of. He was quite hellbent on getting her to stay with him. "Come on, you need a place to stay and people to care for your kids. I'm certain you don't want to watch over them all of the time, and I'm certain you can't afford someone to watch your kids and pay for a room. Stay with me for a while, stay with my Pavilion. Please, it's the least I can do."

Kayiri's green eyes locked with hers. Even though his voice was stern, his eyes still pleaded, and judging by how well they pleaded, one would have to guess Kay was secretly a beggar in his past life.