.
Kelski didn’t honestly know what to think of Zukai. The woman wasn’t friendly. Darvin, who had so many issues the Kelvic had lost count, treated her at least halfway like a person. Zukai treated her like a problem or a puzzle to keep at arm’s length. The woman even looked at her as if she were something of a burden or a problem, which Kelski disliked. She’d spent a lot of time taking care of herself and really didn’t understand why all these people had to now take care of her. The Kelvic remained quiet around the raider, refusing stubbornly perhaps to form an opinion of her.
Zukai’s comment on her profession left Kelski with zero desire to answer the carmel skinned woman. Disdain colored the guards features and made Kelski wonder what made the guard any better than the whores. They were all just doing the jobs they chose to do right? She’d already told the woman too much and remained quiet afterwards. Zukai’s comments that might have been construed as questions were rhetorical anyhow since she never paused long enough for Kelski to remotely decide to answer.
Thorne though. Kelski smiled softly at her new friend. She liked Thorne. There was an honesty about the woman, whom the Kelvic suspected was less than straightforward, that suggested a more down to earth view on the world. Thorne wasn’t better than anyone else. Thorne wasn’t more privileged. Thorne was even willing to talk to her and acknowledge her like she really had an interest in what Kelski said. More importantly, Thorne knew things. And those things she knew were outside of Kelski’s scope of understanding. They were outside of the rank and file of Sun Birth’s existence which involved things Kelski didn’t want to contemplate.
Zukai brought her out of her train of thought as she barked something about the water getting higher and everyone moving. So they started moving. Then they weren’t allowed to talk. Then Zukai was jumping at shadows… leading them places they best not go.
Though a Kelvic, Kelski wasn’t stupid. She knew being out in the open was safest… not fleeing slowly rising water that one could outpace at a crawl even though the ground was pure mud. She felt no safer with Zukai than she felt on her own. It wasn’t the first time Kelski wondered why Jaren made her go out with a guard. There was little she could do though… and asking for someone not as prickly as Zukai would not go over well.
The Kelvic was in a tough spot all around. Slavery was not her forte. Nor was getting along with guards or even protecting herself. Jaren made it impossible. Not for the first time she wished she’d trained at something while she was in Lhavit. All her time had been taken up in Li’s shop, and she’d loved the work. But something… anything… was better than this vulnerability in Sunberth.
The attack by the boy proved that. Zukai took him on even as another one attacked Thorne. Kelski simply didn’t know what to do. She backed up, glancing around, and looking for a way to defend herself or the people she was with. The Kelvic had no weapons, no access to talons or claws, and no training. She sidestepped and tried to get out of the way, making sure her back wasn’t in a corner or she wasn’t between a weapon and someone who was attacking someone else. It made her feel cowardly and weak, a sensation that was new and unwelcome to her. Zukai had a sword or long blade of some sort and Thorne had a long thin blade that looked equally menacing.
She paid more attention to Thorne’s battle than to Zukai’s because Zukai’s attacker looked younger. She didn’t understand why both Thorne and the man dropped their weapons and grappled each other, with Thorne getting pinned against the wall. Kelski darted in, picked up a chunk of rock from the debris littered street and slammed it into the back of the man’s head that was pinning Thorne. She could think of nothing else to do. She only hoped she was strong enough to hurt him enough to let Thorne go. If she did, she’d attempt to kick his weapon out of reach before he could retrieve it again.
Throwing weapons away…. down…. Just seemed insane to her.
Kelski didn’t honestly know what to think of Zukai. The woman wasn’t friendly. Darvin, who had so many issues the Kelvic had lost count, treated her at least halfway like a person. Zukai treated her like a problem or a puzzle to keep at arm’s length. The woman even looked at her as if she were something of a burden or a problem, which Kelski disliked. She’d spent a lot of time taking care of herself and really didn’t understand why all these people had to now take care of her. The Kelvic remained quiet around the raider, refusing stubbornly perhaps to form an opinion of her.
Zukai’s comment on her profession left Kelski with zero desire to answer the carmel skinned woman. Disdain colored the guards features and made Kelski wonder what made the guard any better than the whores. They were all just doing the jobs they chose to do right? She’d already told the woman too much and remained quiet afterwards. Zukai’s comments that might have been construed as questions were rhetorical anyhow since she never paused long enough for Kelski to remotely decide to answer.
Thorne though. Kelski smiled softly at her new friend. She liked Thorne. There was an honesty about the woman, whom the Kelvic suspected was less than straightforward, that suggested a more down to earth view on the world. Thorne wasn’t better than anyone else. Thorne wasn’t more privileged. Thorne was even willing to talk to her and acknowledge her like she really had an interest in what Kelski said. More importantly, Thorne knew things. And those things she knew were outside of Kelski’s scope of understanding. They were outside of the rank and file of Sun Birth’s existence which involved things Kelski didn’t want to contemplate.
Zukai brought her out of her train of thought as she barked something about the water getting higher and everyone moving. So they started moving. Then they weren’t allowed to talk. Then Zukai was jumping at shadows… leading them places they best not go.
Though a Kelvic, Kelski wasn’t stupid. She knew being out in the open was safest… not fleeing slowly rising water that one could outpace at a crawl even though the ground was pure mud. She felt no safer with Zukai than she felt on her own. It wasn’t the first time Kelski wondered why Jaren made her go out with a guard. There was little she could do though… and asking for someone not as prickly as Zukai would not go over well.
The Kelvic was in a tough spot all around. Slavery was not her forte. Nor was getting along with guards or even protecting herself. Jaren made it impossible. Not for the first time she wished she’d trained at something while she was in Lhavit. All her time had been taken up in Li’s shop, and she’d loved the work. But something… anything… was better than this vulnerability in Sunberth.
The attack by the boy proved that. Zukai took him on even as another one attacked Thorne. Kelski simply didn’t know what to do. She backed up, glancing around, and looking for a way to defend herself or the people she was with. The Kelvic had no weapons, no access to talons or claws, and no training. She sidestepped and tried to get out of the way, making sure her back wasn’t in a corner or she wasn’t between a weapon and someone who was attacking someone else. It made her feel cowardly and weak, a sensation that was new and unwelcome to her. Zukai had a sword or long blade of some sort and Thorne had a long thin blade that looked equally menacing.
She paid more attention to Thorne’s battle than to Zukai’s because Zukai’s attacker looked younger. She didn’t understand why both Thorne and the man dropped their weapons and grappled each other, with Thorne getting pinned against the wall. Kelski darted in, picked up a chunk of rock from the debris littered street and slammed it into the back of the man’s head that was pinning Thorne. She could think of nothing else to do. She only hoped she was strong enough to hurt him enough to let Thorne go. If she did, she’d attempt to kick his weapon out of reach before he could retrieve it again.
Throwing weapons away…. down…. Just seemed insane to her.
