Flashback In the Dust (Ashe)

[Rayala]

15th of Spring, 507 A.V. 19th Bell Rayala had set out from the Tent City to the Dust Bed, mostly to sneak about the graveyard and see if it was haunted or to watch Jebediah. She had heard rumors about the man, the place, but she wanted to know if any of it was fact. Like most others, she was uncertain how to deal with the dead or magic, but she would risk it since she was sure she could outrun a dead person. She could also outrun someone with a bum leg. The seventeen year old stopped just as the Dust Bed came into sight. She was far enough from town that no one else was about, but not too far that she had to worry about anything trying to eat her. Other than the wolves, but she would be careful if she heard or saw anything to tell of them being near. She was dressed in a manner that she could escape quickly, yet still eye-catching. Her linen dress was black, sleeveless, with two long slits that went up to midthigh. With every other swish of her skirt, the swirling sun on her thigh was partially revealed. She hummed to herself as she wandered towards the gravesite, stopping once she reached the edge. The Dust Bed was spread out in front of her, random stones and nothing scattered about. A few graves did stand proudly, if haphazardly. "Guess it's good I didn't get Ma buried here," she murmured to herself. Even if she and her mother had had their disagreements, she didn't detest the woman enough to want her buried where...well, you could hardly tell anyone was buried. Unless you went out further, closer tot he ridge, where the ghosts were likely to be. More likely to be angry and alone. The burning was definitely the better idea. She sprinted over to a flat slab of rock, hopping up onto it and crouching. Raya's gaze scanned the area, searching for signs of wolves or the gravekeeper. Or, if this was actually haunted, ghosts. Two of those things would see her running the other way, while the third would have her stalking after. Jebediah was a curious man, so of course she wished to know as much as could. But with Syna's light slowly dissipating into pinks and oranges, signaling the beginning of Leth's and Akajia's reign, she knew the chance of anyone else living was slim. Yet she hoped that the man might prefer to bury the dead in the dark. With that hope in her heart, she stayed perfectly still, waiting.

[Ashe]

Young Ashe looked up into the sky amongst the haphazard layout of graves, It was becoming dark, and it was time to come home. Tears still flushed across her eyes and a small corpse of a frown on her face. She was banished from her home for the day after her parents discovered that the curious child was practicing fire reimancy in the house and was ordered to leave for the safer part of the Dust Bed. Ashe could easily remember the rant her parents gave to her as the child almost burned down the small cottage three times today through using Reimancy to light the hearth. The thought of the entire building bursting into flames gave a chill down the child's back and another thought of being led to the galleys made her flail her arms as if the child was pelting a mobster trying to hurt her. "Why is it that people don't like us because of what we know?" She asked herself as the child let her flailing arms fall to her sides. The child was wearing her usual dark colored pants and shirt along with the tattered leather shoes. She soon looked around at her surroundings to find a woman, dressed in a black, sleeveless linen dress, with two long slits that went up to the middle of her thighs. The more the child looked she more she couldn't find the the swirling sun on the woman's thigh partially hidden underneath the dress. Ashe was mesmerized by the woman's beauty.

[Rayala]

The woman stayed still, her gaze moving over the lonely space. She wasn't sure how long she had stayed there, waiting, watching. But nothing was showing up. She was a patient sort, she had to be, but the palce was so eeriely quiet and probably haunted. Patience was difficult in this case. Rayala cocked her head to the side, so far that it almost rested on her shoulder at the sound of a voice. Her back stiffened and she whipped around, staying in her crouched position as best she could. The voice was not a man's, no, but a young girl's. So, for all she knew, it was a ghost and she should be getting the petch out of there. She studied the girl in the fading light, her eyes moving over her, looking for anything that signaled 'dead'. The girl was young, no more than ten or eleven and she appeared...upset. Was Raya standing on her grave? At that thought, her eyes widened and she hopped off the stone, looking to it carefully before back to the girl. She was dressed in dark colors, much like how she herself dressed when she was young, really. A normal looking child, in other words. She was also staring. As little as Raya knew about ghosts, she was certain they didn't watch as much as make life difficult or take over people's bodies. Which meant the girl was a living human and probably lost. "You all right? Don't think many kids venture out here this late... What you up to? Lost or lookin' for ghosts?," she asked as she stood and walked closer, concern in her voice. While she had no idea what to do with children, she still didn't like to see them lost or upset.

[Ashe]

The child was shaken from her fascination with the woman as she hopped off the stone and drew closer to ask 'You all right? Don't think many kids venture out here this late... What you up to? Lost or lookin' for ghosts?' To be brutally honest Ashe considered telling the woman the truth, she was practicing what she learned at the blacksmith's shop, and that earned her a spot outside the family cottage for the day. Now that the sun was coming down she couldn't remember where that entrance was and she paled at the thought of being lost at night. Even at her minuscule level of expertise at Reimancy she disliked being out at night where insidious beings can do mean things to her. "I'm lookin' for the gates...I was sent here because my parents wanted me there until the end of the day but I can't find th' gates...and if I don't hurry soon I'll be late for supper...will you help me?" Ashe asked of the woman in a worried tone of voice. It wasn't far a stretch from the truth, her family did have supper at the edge of daylight, and the child's favorite meal of the day was supper because of the fact that everyone in her immediate family was at the dinner table during the evening. Also the dried up tears were from when she realized that she was lost and without a family member close by when it could be dark soon.

[Rayala]

Rayala glanced around as she waited for the girl to answer, listening to the sounds of the day slowly transitioning into night time sounds. Thankfully, there were yet to be any howls; that probably wouldn't be until it was truly night. Even being relatively close to the city, she doubted either of them could really outrun wolves. When the girl finally answered, Raya nodded, rubbing the back of her neck. "Well, can't really say we'll find gates, but we'll find the way back into town...unless there are some gates some'ere I don't know about," she replied, glancing back over towards where the buildings could just be made out along the horizon, past some more rocky ground. No gates most likely, the city didn't really regulate traffic. "But why did your parents have you come out here for the day?" Her voice and look was filled with concern at that. She knew some people didn't watch their children too carefully, but in a town where murder wasn't exactly heavily prosecuted? Rayala always thought it was best to keep children under a close eye with that in mind. Though that didn't really apply to any orphans, since they tended to know how to take care of themselves and survive just fine. "Where d'ya live?," she added after some thought, "I can take you right home, if wanted." After another few ticks, she offered her hand to the girl, figuring that made the most sense. Most people held children's hands to lead them places so they wouldn't run off, right? At least she hoped the offer wouldn't be too far off. While she doubted the lost girl would run off, she could probably do with some comfort plus having a hold on her meant she could scoop her up quickly if they needed to run.

[Ashe]

The child looked up at the woman rubbing the back of her neck in confusion and listened to the uncertain voice saying "Well, can't really say we'll find gates, but we'll find the way back into town...unless there are some gates some'ere I don't know about. But why did your parents have you come out here for the day?" Which the question made the child stop to think about the big secret about magic 'Never let anyone know' and she didn't want to harm anyone who knew so for a moment she thought about the answer. It couldn't be for practicing magic let alone hunting but what could be the harm of gathering some flowers for Ma's birthday and young Ashe said to the woman. "I heard that beautiful flowers grew around 'ere and my Ma' wanted me to find my Gran' Ma's grave as part of a birthday gift" She answered barely thinking of the illusion she was trying to set. After a few ticks she heard the woman offered her hand after saying "Where d'ya live? I can take you right home, if wanted and young Ashe gently took the woman's hand. "I live in the Sunset Quarter, a couple streets away from the Tent city" Ashe added looking back up at the woman hoping for her to lead the way.

[Rayala]

She smiled to the girl as she took her hand, starting to lead her on, though her brows furrowed at her reply. "Whoever went and told you there were flowers here is full of shyke." She pursed her lips at that, looking down to the girl. It really seemed doubtful her parents would send her so far out for the day, let alone to look for flowers in a rater desolate, depressing place. So that left the question of what she was really doing out here. In theory, she could ask, but if it was something the girl would make up an excuse for... Well, she doubted she would tell a complete stranger. Motto of Sunberth was practically not to trust anyone, so there was no reason for her to tell. Part of her didn't mind, since she tried to stay out of business with children, but if it had something to do with her family and if that information could come in useful later... Her reply briefly took her musings away, replacing the contemplative look on her face with a smile. "Good, on my way even. Live in the Tent City m'self. Guess you're not at the orphanage, since you've got parents. So, cheap or apartments?" As they walked on further, she was trying to think of the quickest way to the Sunset Quarters, preferably without passing through any areas that were especially dangerous. Of course nothing was really safe, but some places were safer than others; Sunset Quarters for instance. Once the buildings of the city would be clearer, the sun dipping further behind the horizon by now but still making the buildings stand out against the colored sky. They were walking towards the setting sun so enough of the illumination was blocked by the city itself, but there was still enough to cause her to squint against it. Rayala stopped once they were close enough to see some streets, if you could call them that, between a few of the buildings. Not close enough yet to really make out any sounds of the city, only to have an idea on where they were going. Likely no one would see them yet unless they were looking for people coming from the Dust Bed. And that was a highly unlikely thing. "Think we'll have to go through the sailor's area. Stay close, all right?," she said, looking down to the girl, "Don't want any snatching you up and if one looks at ya funny, just tell me. I know how to scare 'em." She smiled reassuringly to the girl, giving her small hand a light squeeze in reassurance.

[Ashe]

Ashe looked ahead when the woman didn't believe her white lie, probably wasn't a good one anyway, and she listened to woman respond "Whoever went and told you there were flowers here is full of shyke. The child wanted to give off the impression that she was still looking for that odd flower miraculously blooming on top of the stone graves so she continued to swivel her head around and darted her eyes vaguely around the dying sunlight. The woman appeared to be contemplating on something when Ashe replied and she looked up to the woman whom began to smile. "Good, on my way even. Live in the Tent City m'self. Guess you're not at the orphanage, since you've got parents. So, cheap or apartments?" The woman added and for another moment Ashe was quiet, also thinking carefully about her words. "A house" The child said walking with the woman closer to the city in the direction of the setting sun, the sun was so bright, the child could barely see the buildings that made up the city. Soon enough the two stopped when Ashe could barely see some streets and hardly could distinguish the sounds of the anarchic city she came to know as home. But alas she heard the woman add, looking down at her "Think we'll have to go through the sailor's area. Stay close, all right?" Ashe made a brief nod "Don't want any snatching you up and if one looks at ya funny, just tell me. I know how to scare 'em." The woman smiled reassuringly to the girl, giving her small hand a light squeeze in reassurance. For a moment, Ashe felt a little screamish noticing her hand almost covered in res. 'Uh oh...keep calm... No transmuting...deep breath' Young Ashe thought to herself and took a deep breath/

[Rayala]

A smile toyed on her lips as she watched the girl look around. If she was lying, she was doing well, but if she was telling the truth, well... She really hoped she would learn not to trust all she heard. "What's your name, hm?," she asked, looking to her curiously, though didn't push for an answer. She knew some people liked to guard their names closely, some even going so far as to come with another name to give some people. She blinked at the girl's reply to where she lived, only nodding. A house...right... she thought to herself, letting out a puff of air. Well, what mattered most was at least getting her to the Sunset Quarters. There she would be at least mostly safe since gangs tended to leave it alone. The random mugger was another story, but since she likely wasn't new to Sunberth, she could probably take care of herself. Rayala was caught up in her musings too much to really notice the Res coming from the child's hand, instead she only kept walking closer tot he city. Though it didn't take long for her notice something was off. Raya stopped, blinking over to the city. She scanned the horizon for a few moments, then around the immediate area. There weren't any wolves she could see, no one hiding behind anything and waiting for them...so what was it? Her brows knitted together and she looked down to her hand that was wrapped around the girl's, rolling her shoulders and tilting her head from one side to the other. The movement seeming as if she was making a circle with her shoulders and another with her head. "Are you...bleedin' or soemthing?," she asked, taking her hand away to look at his, blinking at the fluid on her palm. The young woman had no idea what to make of it. She had no idea that what was on her hand was something used in magic. For all she knew, it could be something natural or maybe the girl had weird blood. Maybe she was of some race she hadn't heard of that bled...clear, weird stuff. After a few ticks of staring at her hand, she looked to the girl, holding her hand out, palm up. "You touch a tree? Or...what is this?" Her brows were still knitted together as she knelt down near the girl, searching her face for an answer.

[Ashe]

The child had little problem with sharing her name, mostly because there could be more than one person with her exact name, and she replied to the woman's question. "My name is Ashe how about you?" The child inquired, she was slightly surprised at the fact that the woman didn't notice what was on her hands. At least until the edge of the city, Where the woman noticed that the child was nervous and that one of her hands were covered in res. The child was dumbstruck when the woman asked "Are you...bleedin' or soemthing?" and opening the child's hand to look at the clear, ethereal, residue that is commonly used in Reimancy. "I don't think so..." Ashe said to the woman looking at her other hand, it had a layer of dust on her fingertips, and a small ritualized scar on the top of her hand. She then looked at her other hand to follow the woman's gaze to find the res coating the other hand. The woman soon asked "You touch a tree? Or...what is this?" She wasn't sure what answer to give for res and a few moments pass to a point where the child said "I don't know..."