[Lhavit] The Midwinter Festival

[Eshara Aravell]

Eshara smiled as children darted around their hips, some recognizing her as a matriarch of the Dusk Family and bowing or curtseying depending on gender. They offered her food, stuffing buns into her hands, as well as those of Haeli and Brig. Smiling at the children, she greeted some of them cheerily, waving to still others as the people swirled around them in a happy buzz of talk and laughter, obviously enjoying the beauty of the night and the snow. She smiled and ate a vegetable bun, savouring the test of the fresh vegetable in her mouth. Her smile froze on her mouth as an imposing figure in white strode out from the crowd. Dear Weisur Twilight had, as usual, not spared any expense on his robes. It shimmered in the light, rippling in the breezes and winds that were so common during wintertime. His hair hung around his face in curtains, and he was certainly an imposing figure. The crowd moved out of his way, recognizing the haughty patriarch. Unfortunately for Eshara, or so she thought, Weisur was looking right at her as he came forward. She had never liked most of the Twilight family. So haughty, so disdainful of the population that they governed, with no love for those of rank who were lower than they. Fortunately, Eshara was a respected member of the Dusk Family, and she knew that the Twilight family would not want to cause trouble with any member of the other families, so she inwardly gritted her teeth and smiled in a falsely warm way at his greeting. "This fine night is perfectly fine, thank you, Weisur." She said, rather coolly, her eyes, warm before, now holding a trace of steel in them. "I have not seen my brother for a while already. I think that he is in the midst of my family over yonder." She pointed to the gathering of the Dusk family which was in a side of the Surya square. She was completely taken by surprise when Weisur suddenly lunged for Haeli, grabbing the necklace around Haeli's neck. Eshara gasped. Weisur was younger than her, and strong too, right in the prime of his life. If he was not careful, he could throttle Haeli with the necklace he was scrutinizing. She also was aroused to battle at the way Weisur was glaring and shouting at Haeli, as though she had taken the necklace from him. "Weisur, ENOUGH!" Eshara snapped, her voice as hard as the knife, her eyes now aflame with anger. "You're going to throttle her, you idiot! Give her a chance to answer, and LET HER GO! NOW! I WARN YOU!"

[Haeli]

Haeli was truthfully at a loss already with the crowd, the music, the food and indeed the company; they were things she wasn't used too. If it wasn't for Brig's presence giving her courage and soothing her in all the ways that mattered - for raccoons were wise to the world and to people because they lived side by side with them easily enough - the girl would have never lingered in such a crowd. Eshara's presence was another boon, for she seemed calm beyond calm and indeed to be enjoying the celebration in her own way by making the newcomers feel welcome. Haeli didn't even mind when the woman gently started combing her hair out in a causal yet disapproving manner. Haeli held in a grin as she glanced at Brig, wondering if the woman realized it was a monumental event when the swamp witch bothered to comb her hair let alone even try and put it to rights for a festival. It wasn't that she was ill kept. It was simply that she didn't know any better and never gave her hair any thought. It wasn't something that was going to keep her alive or something she depended on for life's little functionality. No. It was simply hair. Sometimes it got pulled out and sometimes it got captured by flora or fauna she passed by. It simply was. Before she even moved to the city, she hadn't realized women were required nae demanded to scrap the hair off their arms and legs and all the crevasse or else they were scorned. Haeli was lucky her's was fine and blond so the widow that gave her the lecture on body fur and its inappropriateness let her off easy with just a tongue lashing about decency rather than a whole campaign to change the witch's evil ways. It was a whole lot to remember. Haeli sighed, torn between wanting to ask the woman a thousand questions as she combed our her hair or escaping with Brig to dance as he'd promised her they could. But Eshara offered information freely so they both learned what the tokens were about and what and who Zintila, the Star Lady was. Haeli was fascinated. She glanced around, noting the oddness to the buildings - the crystal they were constructed from - and nodded finally understanding how it was that Lhavit came to be perched so high on the mountain tops like the city was. The thoughts spawned another dozen questions, and Haeli took a moment to decide which was more important and in what order she should ask them. It was by and large enough time to give Eshara the distinct impression that the girl was both overwhelmed, out of place, and completely unfamiliar not only with the city but with its people. New. New to society, new to humanity, and even new to the divine. Haeli was woefully out of place. But she didn't let it stop her. The swamp witch opened her mouth to ask the first of a whole string of questions she had for Eshara, when the big man stepped out of the crowd and began speaking. He had a forceful authoritarian presence to him, but she found his voice rich and commanding in a way that wasn't wholly unwelcome. Haeli, for most of her life, had ran wild and deep inside craved structure and authority. Something in her recognized this in him and was willing to stand before him and watch fascinated. Only, that's not what happened. The man turned, engaged her, and reached out to grab the necklace at her throat that was rarely off her neck. It had an odd twisted symbol on it. Haeli didn't realize what the man was intending - to question her. Instead, she saw an outright attack. Things didn't seize other things by the throat and choke them unless they meant to eat them. And so she reacted with a powerful self preserving instinct that came from living seventeen years running wild in a swamp that had alligators, snakes, poisonous spiders, and a few species of big cats that ate everything that wasn't big enough to eat them. Fang's form, the jaguar, had been one she'd been taking since she was a child in bits and pieces and later as a whole, so she didn't hesitate to use it now. The whole process of assuming a jaguar's complete form would take too long to save her own life. But Fang had things that Haeli could use even as a human. Fingernails hardened and elongated into jaguar claws in an instant almost at the same time as her jaw shape changed slightly to accommodate long sharp canines. Haeli could do such small things in the span of a heartbeat or a single breath. And she did so instinctually, without thought, or she might have realized he was only questioning her, not preparing to eat her. The swamp witch suddenly screamed and spit like a wild cat and slapped at his face with her nails, intending to rake open his cheeks with her claws. Then, instead of pulling backwards hoping he'd let go and she could escape, she lunged forward with a warning snarl knowing that if she caught him off guard his instinct would be to get away from her rather than immediately kill her. Predators were always surprised when their prey fought back instead of tried to run. If he was surprised, she might have half a chance to get away. Haeli wasn't a fighter, but she knew how to surprise. Surprise gave the weak a chance to escape more often than naught so if the man, Weisur, gave her half a chance, she'd be racing away in a heartbeat despite the blood that may or may not be on her hands. Brig could feel all this through his bondmate's emotions which were not exactly terrified, but in full fledged survival mode. Terrified creatures made mistakes and got eaten. Haeli wasn't one to frighten quickly. She had always had a level head and was somewhat tenacious in dealing with things that frightened her... or should have frightened her. He knew too that the necklace was with her when she was washed up on the beach where Ozantha had found her. Haeli had told him the story when they first met about the night of storms and the shipwreck with her baby self being the only survivor Ozantha could find.

[Tao]

To say that he had become accustomed to Lhavit as winter slowly moved in and the nights grew colder was not how he would describe it. Though the initial wonder and excitement of the new world at the end of his journey had long faded, it had not been replaced with comfort or an ease with his surroundings. Feeling out of place was not unusual for him, but it hurt to know that all of his efforts had dwindled out to little more than apathy. For the last long while, he had been doing little but existing, drifting between work and his tiny little home. He had feared that this would happen, though he had pushed away the thought again and again in favour of the boundless optimism that had always been more reminiscent of his father. Every now and again, that tiny sprig of optimism gave him a push and he took another chance, made another effort, weak as it was. He left his apartment and attended the Midwinter Festival. And though he would not admit it, he was curious. He wanted to see the festival, see how the people celebrated and danced and played. He wanted to see the Star Lady Zintila. A weakness for the heavens and all their mystery and beauty had gripped him since he was young. Very rarely did he get to see the open sky at night while living in Syliras; the few precious moments under the stars themselves were treasured memories. For the most part, though, he had read books, learned constellations and absorbed all the information he could get his hands on. It had been an impractical hobby that he had thought that nothing would ever come of. But then he had come to the City of Stars based on no more than a few storytales and a whimsy, and he had seen the stars up close in all their glory. Even when he lost interest in every other opportunity and story that came his way, the stars still had that same captivating beauty as they did when he was but a child. Tonight, the stars were more vibrant and alive than he had ever seen before. The moon was enormous in the sky, bathing the celebrations in silvery light. He stood far out of the way of all the dancing and the gatherings, not wanting to be swept up – or worse, to cause someone to break momentum and make himself a nuisance. He wished that he had known to wear something a little more festive. It certainly felt inadequate to be in his near threadbare day to day cloths, with no glittering white to catch the eye of the moon. Though that may be for the best. He added in his mind, his face not showing any of the cynicism. Standing not too far away was Zintila and Anchorite Hayani, surrounded by priests and priestesses in the same glowing white garb. It seemed as though they had been sown in such a way to catch and store the light from the sky. On the other hand, that could perhaps be the power of the Star Lady, to appear as a star herself. Who was he to understand the power of the gods? He had the strangest urge to approach her, though he had no clue what for or what he would do once he did so. Could one simply strike up a conversation with a goddess? He was fairly certain it didn't work that way, and even if she was privy to speaking to some random mortal, what exactly was he supposed to say? He was almost resigned to how the night would play out. He would watch, and wait, and curse himself a thousand times for not being someone with an iota of bravery in his heart. But at least he had seen her. That had to account for something.

[Brig]

He didn’t know what it was exactly, but something about the man in the white and gold dress made Brig want to growl and posture. Something about his approach, the way he peered down his nose and the look in his eyes, the tension between him and the woman spoke ’rival’ to the kelvic’s wilder instincts. Or maybe it was a simple case of another dominant seeming male coming too close. But if he’d been in his coon form, his tail would have turned to a bottle brush and the hair would have risen along his spine. He decided right away he didn’t like the way this one smelled. He shifted closer to Haeli. She could feel it through their bond, the protectiveness, the tension, the sensitivity to having someone too close who’d managed to strike a nerve simply by coming too close. But otherwise he behaved himself. He didn’t want to shame her in front of all these other humans. But he was keeping his eye on that one. There was a measurement in Brig’s mind, used to decide just how close a stranger could come to her without provoking his territorial senses. Both newcomers had bent that measure. But the kelvic hadn’t minded the woman’s touch. She didn’t smell like the other one, she wasn't male, and Haeli didn’t seem fearful of her touch. Or even to mind it. The male though, was a different story. Something in Brig's posture alone, said Mine. Still, he contained his urge to spoil for a fight until several events at once conspired to provoke him. The other woman didn’t like this newcomer any more than Brig did. The kelvic didn’t like the look in his eyes or his tone, and before he’d even dared to come closer and touch her, Brig huffed a warning so low that it might not have been heard at all. He knew nothing of the man’s importance or rank, it wouldn’t have mattered if he did. The other woman’s words and warning gave him all the more reason to see the male as a very real threat to his bondmate. And as quick as the man reached out to grab hold of Haeli’s necklace, as quick as she also lashed back, it fed Brig’s natural impulses and his hand shot out to grab hold of the offending wrist. To grip hard, to give a calculated, punishing twist and make him let loose his hold on Haeli. To drive him relentlessly backwards, and with a good hard shove to put him off balance if he did let go. And the rest of him primed to leap into the fray if the warning wasn't enough to give her a chance to escape. ”You…No touching,” he snarled with sharpened canines openly bared. ”No hurting.” Mine, his narrowed glare seemed to say. Grabbing hold of Haeli, grabbing the necklace, there was no difference in Brig’s mind. He remembered it though, where it had come from, what she’d told him. He’d hardly seen her without it. ”Hers,” he said of the thing but it was hard to tell at first if he was talking about the necklace, or himself. ”Always hers. From being a baby, from the sea and its storm and a broken ship.” Now that he was feeling provoked, the kelvic’s wilder nature was doing no favors to his command of the spoken word. ”Hers. Not yours,” he warned anyway.

[Kelpie]

Eshara, Haeli, Brig The notorious patriarch had nearly laughed outright at Eshara, “You overreact, my dear, I do not wish to harm her. What good would that do me? The whole Council is here, watching, waiting. They’re always waiting for us. Such a nagging sensation. It grates at my thoughts constantly.” His hand was about to rip the necklace straight off of the Swamp Witch’s neck, but her reaction had thrown the master magician off guard. Feral, she had grown wild, right before his very eyes! It was almost a perfect mimic, how Weisur’s limb copied that of Haeli’s own: His hand and arm transformed and seemed to disfigure, made more muscular, larger, with claws that grew and hardened and deepened into a rich black akin to a great cats. This was a man not to be trifled with. It was almost instinctive to him to change as quick as he did, and indeed, his morphing was fluid, far quicker than Haeli’s, so much so that when she lashed out with her nails, he pushed her back with his strengthened, greatly empowered arm until it knocked her straight up and flat onto the ground. Clearly he had knocked Brig’s hand aside, his now deep golden eyes piercing into Haeli’s own, despite the raw cut that now marred his once immaculate cheek. The blood trickled down to his chin as he spoke. “Do not interfere.“ He hissed at the kelvic, “You.“ And he directed this to the swamp witch, with his left hand, still normal, holding the cane that pinned her down by her chest. There was a crowd now, soft murmurs and words of surprise. They did not expect such a commotion, and instead of watching Weisur in horror, they seemed to look upon Brig and Haeli with accusing looks. But Weisur held no animosity in his gaze. On the contrary, the patriarch was… utterly amazed. “You, girl, you are a morpher.” He said this matter-of-factly, as if she hadn‘t already been aware of it, “You hold a necklace that belongs to my family. That is the symbol of my people, and you… you hold it?” When Brig began to speak, Weisur had half the mind to ignore the lowly peasant, and yet, what he said next came as another relentless hit to master morpher . “A ship?” He murmured. “You came from a broken vessel?” Then the Lhavitian abruptly turned to Eshara, “Do you know these two, Eshara? Are they tricksters, thieves? Tell me why I should not rend them here and now, no matter if the Star Lady watches.” “Weisur.” The opalescent, shimmering hand of the Anchorite rested along Weisur’s shoulder, and just the mere touch of the Ethaefal seemed to radiate a calm that forced the patriarch to release his hold on the girl. He quickly stepped back, as if he had encountered a venomous snake instead of a girl, no effort was there to hide the mixture of shock and fury that so clawed at his features. “Revered Anchorite, I’m afraid this was not a proper time--” “I am aware of the situation, Lord Twilight.” A smile painted her lips, a kind one, that was mostly directed to Haeli. “Wouldn’t it be wise to be content in a time of contentment, and sustain your most renown nature for one night? I am sure this lovely young couple would greatly appreciate it.” “My lady, I meant no--” “That will be enough, Lord Twilight. Your wife calls, you should go to her.” There was hesitation in his eyes as Weisur was so blatantly dismissed, yet his morphed arm, that had nearly been monstrous in strength had reverted to its former structure. He passed a glance at Eshara, “Lady Eshara,” he said curtly with a slight bow of his head and promptly left. Anchorite Hayani , garbed in a long flowing dress just as magnificent as the Twilight patriarch’s, bowed to group, gesturing towards herself, “Greetings, dear ones. I am the Star Lady’s Anchorite, Hayani. I apologize for Weisur Twilight’s actions, he can be easily provoked, but he is not as cruel as so many seem to believe. Did he hurt you?” The question was aimed at all, “I hope such a confrontation has not ruined the rest of this night.” Tao Tao was not so much unnoticed as he was seen as a segment of a larger whole. He could easily be mistaken for a Lhavitian, and indeed, many believed him to be just as the rest. It was fine though, to be garbed in simple attire, even when, in reality, his lack of white cloth garnered much more attention than he probably deemed he would receive. There were fleeting glances, but most people simply bowed their heads at him in greeting, with the occasional nudge from a youngster offering food. Tao could clearly hear the musician’s crystal clear music as it wrapped itself around the Star Lady’s entourage and the Chandra who danced for her. She was undeniably beautiful, a rare gem in a sea of mountains and common flesh. She smiled, waved, spoke with several others not of her priestesses and priests; commoners it seemed, offering her gifts to show their respect. And from his position, Tao could only assume that she glowed ever slightly brighter with each wave of affection displayed to her person. A goddess that doted upon her people as much as they doted upon her. “She is a wonder, is she not?” It was an abrupt comment, one that was spoken by a man dressed in fine robes of black, with an outer sash of purest white. On his chest was a crest with the sun’s rays, with a peony at the center. The soft lights of the lanterns seemed to reflect off his completely shaven head, but his prominent beard spoke of his age far better than his posture and his tone. “I sense there is much on your mind,” he smiled, “Most of us do, I suppose. Odd isn’t it, how we can be so caught up with ourselves yet fail to hear what our hearts are telling us. There must be something you seek for your eyes to linger on our Lady for so long.” The man stood beside Tao now, his eyes settling on the goddess as if it was second nature, “My name is Atanu, and you are?”

[Tao]

Tao watched and he listened. The music and dancing was simply amazing, carrying with it the unspoken weight of hours upon hours of blistering training, and a devotion that was so strong that it seemed it made them weightless as they moved through the evening air. Another child paused by him, offering some kind of exotic fruit. He had accepted anything that they had brought to him that evening, trying to recite their names and properties in Lhavitian. This one he did not recognise, but it was dry and sweet, and felt smooth on his tongue. But these were all small distractions. He had come to the festival for a reason, and that reason continued to draw his attention like nothing else that the entire city could offer. He was not alone in watching the beautiful Star Lady, standing in the centre of the Plaza, among the Lhavitians like she was one of them and yet so far above them at the same time. Her smiles brought joy to people that approached her, clutching gifts of all shapes and sizes that she accepted with real, honest joy. It was like watching a mother with her children. He had never heard of a goddess who doted on her people to such an extent as Zintila and the Lhavitians. He was startled from his musings by an unexpected voice, and stifled a surprised sound as he turned to regard the elder man who had seemingly materialised by his side. His heart leapt into his throat for a moment as he thought that he must have done something wrong, but there was no anger in the man's voice or face. While some of the words still slipped from his grasp, Tao felt a little pleased that he could follow what the man - Atanu, that was his name – had said. A bit of dread returned when he realised that he had been noticed for his watching. No doubt his apprehension showed clearly on his face as he reasoned out what he hoped was the correct answer. “I'm Tao.” He replied, that sentence well worn in the native tongue. “I... The Star Lady is...” He trailed off again as he realised that one simple statement was already twisting his thoughts into an unintelligible mess. He did not know why he was here beyond gawking at the spectacle. Or maybe he did and he simply did not want to admit it. “I loved the stars as a child.” He said in Common, then realised his mistake and repeated what he said in Lhavitian. “I... wanted to see the one who gave me that joy and brought me here.” The statement was both the truth and a lie. He had wanted to see Zintila, and that curiosity had pushed him from his home. But he stayed for something more, a desperation of sorts, something that he had readily ignored for most of his life and didn't appreciate being faced with now. He glanced over at the old man (though his robes surely meant that he was a priest or someone of high standing), following his gaze back to the Star Lady. Just her presence seemed to command a serenity in Atanu's face. “... Why...” The word slipped out before he could control his lips, like a breath. A thousand different questions could have followed it. “Why does she make you so happy?” Why don't I feel the same?

[Eshara Aravell]

OOC: Sorry if Eshara's being a bit rude. I'm not feeling well right now. __________________________________________________________________ "I was just getting to know them before you butted in," Eshara said, her voice colder than the snow that was falling continuously from the sky. Her temper was under control, her anger, previously blazing like the sun at midsummer's day, had been shocked out of her by Haeli's sudden outburst of morphing and turned to a cold chill that struck fear in those that had guilty consciences. "Apparently they have just moved in. And you are implicating them of stealing a Twilight family heirloom, which begs the question: I'm interested in how they could have stolen one anyway. Are you trying to imply that security at your own tower is so lax? I know for a fact that you don't just let anyone in. Wouldn't you recognize her if she had been in your tower?" "And if you DO rend them here and now," Eshara said, her right hand shooting out and grabbing Weisur's arm, "you will regret it." A green gas burst out of her hand and enveloped the arm. "Do you want me to continue? I specialize in Fire reimancy, as I'm sure you know." she said, letting the implications of that sink in. There was a moment's pause, and then suddenly, the Anchorite's hand suddenly descended onto Weisur's shoulder. Eshara breathed a sigh of relief as the Anchorite dismissed Weisur, who had no choice but to leave, giving them one last furious glance and giving Eshara a barely civil word of farewell. Eshara nodded in return, then turned her attention to Haeli, Brig and Hayani. Eshara curtsied as best she could in the robes. "Easy for you to say, my Lady Anchorite." she said, shrugging. "Forgive me, my lady, I mean no offence, but Weisur is not so foolish as to pick a fight with those above him. I think we will be fine as long as he doesn't bother us again." Looking at Haeli and Brig, she smiled. "Our Anchorite is just below our beloved Star Lady. When the Star Lady leaves the city for short periods of time, this is who we answer to." Eshara gave Haeli a wry smile. "She can also answer your questions better than I too. She's lived far longer in this city than I."

[Haeli]

Haeli was simply at a loss for words or thoughts. As the big man knocked her back on her rump and pinned her down with his cane in the center of her breastbone, she froze. The fact that he morphed his arm so easily into that of a jaguar shocked her. Then he fired questions at her that she couldn't answer. Haeli wanted to run but the man held her by his eyes. All she managed to say was "It's mine. It's always been mine since the shipwreck." Then wild eyes darted at Brig, then back to the man. He was as dangerous as dangerous got. Older, stronger, fully human with far more ability than she had. Haeli got scared. She stayed scared too in that compromising position. She'd never felt the reality of someone being better than her at Morphing. From the moment Ozantha had taught her a smattering of it, the girl had far out surpassed her mentor. It had come easily to her, as easily as breathing and walking and singing. Ozantha struggled to teach her herbs and how to be a good Dhani and how to survive in the wild. All those lessons had come hard. But Morphing was as easy for Haeli as breathing. And here was another. And he was claiming the necklace belonged to him and his family. She had no claim to such things; family, traditions, symbols. Ozantha had told her the necklace was tied around her neck as a baby, the only thing found with the child who was washed up with other flotsam. Ozantha had marveled that she'd survived, but gave the credit to the light cradle that had floated easily and carried the child safely to the shore. Ozantha had found it tangled in a mess of sail and broken mast. It hadn't protected Haeli from a wicked sunburn as an infant nor had it fixed her almost constant colic her first year. Haeli had survived the shipwreck, and a childhood fraught with unremembered dangers, but she wasn't certain she as going to survive Lhavit. The moment the cane released her, Haeli scrambled to her feet and darted behind Brig. It was a cowardly thing to do, but she was truly scared. Never before had someone effected her so much that her teeth chattered and she trembled in a way that might have lead her to believe she was cold though she was not. It was hard to control the trembling. It was harder still to control the shaking. She wanted to run but Brig and the voice of the Star Lady’s Anchorite, Hayani stopped her. "Noo.. no. It.. did.. didn't. It didn't. I'm ss.. sorry." Haeli agreed, wanting nothing more than to run away from the crowd, to be free of the entire celebration. Her hand felt sticky and she looked down, seeing blood on the jaguar claws. Slowly, the claws blended away and turned to normal human fingernails. She put a hand on Brig's back, one that wasn't bloody, and seemingly used the physical contact with him to study herself. She still needed to decide what to do, but her mind was leaning more and more on a slow methodical retreat unless the Anchorite spoke again.

[Brig]

The other male was older, stronger and faster. It was a lesson the kelvic learned quick. But still the only thing that kept Brig from leaping straight for his throat was the cane that pinned Haeli to the ground. That man could hurt her or worse, before Brig could hurt him. He was young and not as experienced yet. He could have shifted in an instant. It would probably have been the end of him either way. But he’d have done it anyway, if it would have given her just a few seconds more to escape. Instead he was forced to wait for an opening, and settle for posturing and a menacing snarl. And all those angry faces surrounding them as if they’d done something wrong. The wilds weren’t as dangerous, the kelvic decided. Animals were more predictable. Even a viper or croc was more agreeable than the man who even ignored the other woman’s efforts to stop him. Only the arrival of another one did. If Brig hadn’t been busy trying to defend Haeli he’d have marveled at how the Anchorite glowed and seemed to calm the surroundings with a word and a touch. If Haeli hadn’t darted behind him, he’d have leapt in front of her. Between her and the man even if he was gone, and between her and the crowd that was watching. They'd been friendly before, and suddenly they didn't seem it at all. He wanted to growl and lunge at them, and warn them away. He wanted to shift and pursue the man and make sure he kept going, and stayed gone. She could feel it through their bond and touch. His flesh twitched beneath the palm of her hand. He’d promised to protect her. And while she could sense his resolve and determination, she could also feel a building sense of shame through their connection that he’d failed to do it this time. He’d have to work and get stronger so that next time…so that there wouldn’t be a next time. And so that someone else wouldn’t have to step in to stop her coming to harm. He didn’t know what an Anchorite was, it didn’t matter, he was only grateful that she’d come and chased the man away. She must be important though. She nearly glowed like the Star Lady did, and the crowd kept their distance. ”Thank you for chasing him away,” he said, but he remained determined to keep Haeli behind him. ”She didn’t steal it,” he told the Anchorite. ”It was always hers. We’re not thieves.”

[Kelpie]

Haeli, Eshara, Brig “Of course he is not foolish enough, Lady Eshara, ‘tis why he left.” The Anchorite said calmly with a trace of a smile. The silver gaze of Zintila’s high priestess fell over the kelvic and his guarded companion. Where Weisur might have been annoyed, even disgusted at the pair, Hayani looked upon them with only a mother’s gaze. She did not need to observe the swamp witch to know that she had been deathly frightened by the confrontation with the patriarch, and despite Brig’s defending stance in front of the girl, the Anchorite approached. Even as she moved, another figure circled the group. A man who looked just as any other Lhavitian, but his hair was pure white, his eyes a beautiful crisp shade of blue. He may have appeared hostile to Brig, with a look that dripped venom, but there was a certain familiarity in his movements and the aura he radiated. Feral. Wild. Untamed. He was a shadow that stood in the wake of the Anchorite’s steps as her opalescent hand reached out and gently stroked Haeli’s cheek. It was the whispers on the breath that spoke of calm, her actions only emphasized it. “There is nothing to fear now, you are safe, child.” She smiled as Eshara explained her position to the couple, “Ah yes, and some say wisdom coincides with age. Perhaps, in this case, this is correct.” Her gaze then fell on Brig, whom the white-haired man had loomed over not moments before, “No, I do not believe this child has stolen anything. She is too young, too honest for such things. Her actions alone speak for themselves. She has a right to defend herself.” She paused, “Lord Twilight is most likely mistaken, I will have a meeting with him to settle this matter, and will let you know the outcome should you wish. If any of you should require my assistance further on this matter, seek me out at the Koten Temple. Lady Eshara,” She turned toward the Dusk matriarch, “I will leave you to guide these young ones through our city. I will hope that they will not believe all of us to be akin to the notorious patriarch.” The Ethaefal had turned to leave, with the white-haired man in tow, it was the final moment for any of them to speak to her should they wish. Tao Atanu gave a stifled chuckle toward Tao, “Greetings young Tao,” he offered a small bow with his hands clasped together. “Many of us who call ourselves Lhavitians acknowledge the stars as an extended part of Lady Zintila, herself.” He paused as his gaze wandered the crowds and the beauty that was his revered lady. “I can sense much confusion in you, child, and you’re not alone. No one is alone in a world so full of turmoil and hatred. We celebrate what we can, with the gift the Lady has so graciously given us, and we do not waste it.” He paused for a moment, “There are possibly thousands of reasons I can reveal as to why the Star Lady makes not only me, but all of us content. She was our savior in times of turmoil and strife, she has given us this city, our unique mounts, the safety of a home, a power that could be used to protect ourselves and our loved ones, and she has given us the stars, that guide us when all seems lost. She is our Mother, our Queen, and it is ingrained in us in birth.” He glanced over at Tao and gave him a warm smile, despite the cold winds, “But such a question could only sprout from a mind that does not know what he wants or needs. No direction to this phenomenon we call life. Perhaps I should ask what it is you seek from our Star Lady. You gaze at her so intently I can only assume you have a burning desire on your tongue to speak with her. What do you intend to find if I may be so bold? What is your purpose for being here?”