An Otherwise Ordinary Day(Vala, Fenilen)

[Ronin]

An Otherwise Ordinary Day 40th of Spring AV 511 Today would have been like any other day, except for two factors. For one, it was market day, and although Ronin didn't usual attend, he would have to today to buy a new katinu. And second, he would get to see Vala today. Ronin was beginning to take a liking to this interesting, albeit awkward, girl. So when she had agreed to come with him to market day, he was quite keen on finding out more about her. Perhaps, inside the fortress that is Wind Reach, they would be able to enjoy each other company without the threat of being eaten. On that note, the wound on his shoulder was beginning to heal nicely. Four long scabs ran from the top of shoulder down across his chest. He would end up with an ugly scar, but maybe some girls like that. Ronin and Vala had agreed to when and where to meet ahead of time, but Ronin wanted to get there a little early. The halls were buzzing with people going to and from the market stalls, but Ronin wasn't focused on them. It seemed like something bad happened every time him and Vala were together, and today he just wanted some peaceful time with her. In fact, he realized that they had never seen each other without both sustaining injuries. This might have been a sign he should avoid her, but Ronin was about to consider such nonsense. Ronin had thought the halls were busy, but they were nothing compared the the stalls themselves. People were bustling about and the room was noisy and chaotic. It wasn't something Ronin enjoyed but at least he wasn't going to be here alone. He quickly found the stop they had agreed upon and stood there. His eyes were peeled looking for Vala, and Ronin's mind wandered back to a few days before. She had revealed her secret hate for being touched, and now, Ronin would have to try to make a conscious effort not to touch her. He wondered how Vala would fare in this busy crowd where people were bound to run into her. But all this was pushed from his mind when he saw Vala approaching.

[Vala]

Was she late? Why was she always late! It was almost as if she was cursed with a negative gnosis mark. “Do I have time to go to the baths? Do I even have time to meditate!?” Vala ran her fingers through her hair and pulled, she pulled hard. “GRAAARGH” She roared. “I CAN DO THIS!” Sure, Vala tried to maintain a daily routine of meditation - bath - breakfast, but she wasn’t use to hanging out with people. Work? Sure, she’d be there bright and early, but ‘chilling’ friends was not something that the socially stifled girl was normally motivated for, especially after they meant bear attacks, but she did like Ronin... and he knew about her secret! She had to keep a close eye on someone who had that much power over her. Vala held her arm up, and quickly sniffed herself. She bobbled her head a little. “Not too bad.” She coughed guiltily into her hand as she crossed off bath from her morning routine. “Ok, I’m sure I’m not too late... I can have a quick meditation and hopefully swipe a bit of food...” Vala tried to convince herself as she rolled out her blanket/ makeshift meditation mat. Too excited to sit cross legged, Vala tried calming down by meditating on her back. The ground was still hard, the thin blanket not much in way of cushioning. She took several deep breaths, counting to a hundred before getting up - it was a short meditation. “Rooonin!” Vala called out as she ran, stopping before Ronin. “Am I late?” She smiled brightly, a piece of green from the morning soup stuck in between her teeth. “How’s the shoulder doing? And are you ready to browse for a new katinu?” Her head spun to the side when someone brushed against her, she pulled her katinu tighter against her skin. She tried to keep her face icy and aloof, but allowed herself to relax when she caught Ronin’s eyes. “So ready to go?”

[Ronin]

Ronin smiled as Vala Approached him. "Vala! It is nice to see you." He was about to give her a hug when he suddenly caught himself. Ronin had never really thought about how much people touch each other. This was going to be harder than he expected. "You're not late, I just wanted to get here early." He felt a little guilty for making her feel late. He knew he hated being rushed, and he figured she felt the same. Her concern was much appreciated, but he thought he should be the one asking how she was, seeing as she was the one who couldn't walk. "Oh, I'm fine. I was worried about you though. How's the ankle? I see you can walk again." Ronin smiled widely. He was relieved that the other day was now just a memory of a grand adventure. Ronin was ready to get their shopping out of the way. Shopping was not something he enjoyed, as he tended to be a bit of a tightwad, but he was glad he wouldn't be doing it alone at least. Maybe if they got done quickly Vala would have time to do something more fun. Ronin thought to himself. "So, is there anything you need?" Ronin hoped it wasn't much so this would be short, but he also would feel bad if he dragged her out her just for him. He began to walk in the direction he though the tannery stalls were, and he instinctively reached for Vala's hand so they wouldn't get separated in the crowd. This time, he didn't catch himself before he touch her. He grasped her hand for just a moment before realizing what he had done. He jerked his hand away and turned to face her. "I am SO sorry.. I.. I.." Ronin stuttered trying to find the words. "Please forgive me." He finally came to rest on that small phrase. It may have been cliche but it was sincere. He wasn't going to explain his actions, though they had a rational cause, because it felt too much like making excuses. He simply hung his head and waited for her to chastise him.

[Vala]

Vala tried not to step back as she noticed Ronin’s arms about to breach her space with a welcoming but invasive hug. He stopped. There were some perks to telling people her secret. “Fine? You should have seen a healer instead of letting me just clean and bandage it...” Vala pouted, reaching out worriedly with her gloved hand, pulling back before she could touch him. “I uh,” She stuttered. “My ankle’s still a little woobly, but I can walk just fine, no running or bear killing for me anymore, though.” She giggled. “Can I check your gash again, maybe after we go shopping? I was reading up on some medical books at the Enclave and I found out how nasty infections can get - pretty scary stuff.” Vala chewed on her bottom lip. In a matter of moments, Vala’s facial expressions shifted fluidly from distress, to worry, to playfulness, to worry again; while her eyes remained a cool, yet friendly, azure. Thirty pinions jingled prettily in Vala’s pocket - twenty more than usual. Vala definitely didn’t want to be spending that much, but it was nice to be prepared. “Well I’ve been running a little low on ink and I feel bad for always mooching off the enclave, so maybe I can get some supplies while we’re at it.” She was happy he asked, she had almost forgotten about that. Slapping was below her while verbal berating was too much this early in the morning, Vala settled with a dirty look in Ronin’s direction. His apologies seemed genuine enough, so she let up after a few seconds. “Its fine. Don’t worry about it. Just uh-” Vala cleared her throat, trying to fight back tears of frustration. “I’m really trying to get over it... just give me time, ok?” Vala tried to change the subject. “Hey uh what color are you looking for? Or any specific fabric?” Since he had tried to lead her to the tanning stalls she figured probably something leathery. Something caught her eye. “Oooo, this one looks your size.” Vala skipped forward, almost forgetting that Ronin would have to weave through the crowd after her.

[Ronin]

Ronin was thankful that he had gotten off with just a harsh look. He knew he had made a mistake, one that had cost his hair before. Vala was obviously distraught over her words, and this made Ronin feel worse than the look had. It seemed that he had hit a nerve with Vala, and that was something he didn't want to do. Ronin never liked causing people undue pain, but especially Vala. She had become his friend in the recent weeks and had even saved his life once. Ronin decided that he had to say something comforting or make some kind gesture. "I've heard that the best way to get over a fear is to face it." He paused. "Just know, if there is anything I can do to help, all you need to do is ask." He gave a small, comforting, smile. Ronin had learned that the best was to get someone to forgive you is to go out of your way to be nice to them. He was beginning to become an expert at apologies. As Vala ran off, Ronin struggled to keep up with her. Fighting his way through the crowd, he eventually made it to the stall where she was standing. When he reached her she was holding up a leather katinu. It looked a little tight, but it might do if they didn't find anything else. "I like that one, but I think I might need one a little bigger." Ronin noticed another similar one which was bigger. "What about this one?" He looked at the stall keeper and ask to try them on. The man gave him a hurried nod before rushing to attend to his other customers. Ronin tried on the katinu he was holding and turned around slowly for Vala to see. "What do you think? It seems to fit pretty well, but I'm not sure about the color." This katinu had been made from a much darker hide than his last, and Ronin was unsure if the darker look suited him. Ronin tugged on the sleeves to make sure the were the right length and looked at himself with it both buttoned and unbuttoned. "If you don't like it, we can keep looking." He looked up at Vala and waited for her opinion, hoping she was better at choosing clothes than he was.

[Vala]

The katinu fit him perfectly. It was surprising since there was some unwritten rule in girl shopping that 'one cannot find the perfect outfit until at least five stalls had been browsed'. Vala scrunched her nose in a pang of jealousy. Vala fought the urge to mess with Ronin; from his passive take on shopping, Vala figured she could tell him that it made his butt look big and he would believe her. She stuck her fingers in her pockets and wrapped her fingers around a crumpled piece of paper with Priskil's name written on it, for strength. "It looks great, Ronin. The dark leather totally complements your paleness." She complimented him, with the first genuine words of praise in days.

When the shop keeper finished with the other customers, trying to appear confident, though she still felt nervous from inexperience Vala called out to catch his attention. In the past few days Vala had grown accustomed to selling her services in exchange for a discount on products. It was a win/win for the overachiever since it saved pinions and got her free experience, but today was about her and Ronin. Plus she knew that some guys got a little touchy when a girl offered to pay - Ronin seemed like one of those guys. "Excuse me sir," She asked the higher ranking Avora respectfully. "How much does this katinu cost?" She pointed at Ronin who was getting accustomed to the feel.

The weary stall keeper looked up at the pair. Like most Wind Reach Avora, the man was accustomed to working for the city, selling at a stall during Market Day was just a little side thing he did when his missus wanted a new Katinu - and want a new Katinu she did. “20 pinions” he said a little gruffly, wondering why his wife wasn’t the one here slaving for the masses when it was she who wanted to burn away his hard earned salary.

Almost gypped, many times before by wily stall keepers, Vala had made sure to keep her ears open for legitimate prices - they may be Chiet but they still deserved respect. “That sounds a little steep to me. Are you sure it isn’t just 10 pinons?” Her voice cracked. She coughed uncomfortably hoping to cover up her obvious nervousness.

The stall keeper smiled; he hadn’t expected a fight from the girl, she looked to sweet and wide eyed to bargain. Any experienced shopper worth her salt would have asked for a starter price at 5 pinions and then negotiated to a fair 12-15. He wanted to get some time to relax at the baths, so he would try to wrap this transaction quickly, he didn’t care if that meant taking advantage of the poor girl. “I’m sure. 20 pinions. Take it or leave it.” He looked her straight in the eyes, trying to break her down.

Vala tried to maintain the staring contest with the stall keeper, while angling her mouth to whisper to Ronin. “I think he’s trying to gyp us. I did a little research before hand” She asked her co workers at the Enclave, “And I think this kind of katinu is only like 15 pinions. What do you think?” Vala asked anxiously.

[Ronin]

Ronin was surprised by her praise. She didn't seem the type to give compliments lightly so he took it to be genuine. He watched nervously as Vala and the shop keeper talked. Ronin wasn't one to barter. If he didn't like a price he moved on or paid anyway. This had often ended in him paying too much or getting an inferior product, but at least it had kept him out of conflict with his superiors. So, when Vala engaged the man, Ronin wanted to disappear. He was visibly uncomfortable with the whole situation, but he couldn't find the words to stop it. But the old truth remains, actions speak louder than words. Ronin dug into his pocket and pulled out twenty pinions. Vala was right, it was an awful lot to pay, but Ronin like the katinu and he didn't want to be made any more uncomfortable. He noticed Vala whispering to him, but he wasn't going to continue this any further. Ronin walked over to the shop keeper and the man for a second thought he was being threatened. The man was older and much shorter than Ronin and he had developed quite a gut, so Ronin easily could have harmed him if that was his intention. However, he just wanted to pay him. Ronin grabbed the man's hand and thrust the pinions into it. "Here, take all twenty, I'm sure it is worth it. You seem like a fine craftsman." Ronin tried desperately to make up for the offence he perceived Vala had committed while avoiding ever making eye contact with the shop keeper. The only gaze he feared more than the man's was Vala's. Ronin din't even dare to look up at her. Instead, he kept his eyes glued to the floor and walked toward her. Ronin carefully weighted the pros and cons of dragging Vala away. The pros were, he would get out of the situation in the fastest possible way and she would have something to be more mad at him for than what he had just done. The cons were, he had no idea how Vala would react since she seemed to change completely at the drop of a hat, and this could result in her killing him, or worse. Ronin simply could not take the feeling of both Vala's and the shop keeper's eyes on him any longer. So, without regard to his own health, Ronin grabbed Vala and lifted her off the ground. He walked a good twenty paces before setting her back down, but he didn't stop there. He continued to drag her while babbling incoherently. "I'm sorry... I couldn't.. Don't barter... I know I shouldn't touch... Don't kill me." He said a lot more, but most of it was said too fast and too slurred together to make out. Finally, when they reached the edge of the room, Ronin stopped and faced Vala. He stared her straight in the eyes now and waited for the onslaught that would most likely ensue. He knew he deserved the punishment she would probably dish out and he would do little more than keep her from killing him. If her assault was verbal, there was nothing he could do to defend what he did. She had heard fear of touch, he had his of confronting someone of a high class than him. Now both of those fears had been violated.

[Vala]

20 pinions. 20 pinions! That was twenty days’ worth of a chiet's measly pay. That was a 7th of a cheit's seasonal salary! Honestly, it wasn't the cost of the katinu that was setting off Vala; that wasn't a big deal; one would expect leather katinus to be expensive - it was the fact that Ronin was so willing to be gypped by the arrogant leatherworker, when she knew he, knew she, deserved better. She worked hard, danged hard, as an assistant librarian, maybe, probably, even harder than the heavy Avora before them. Too often had they looked down at her, judging her for not achieving a higher caste, when it wasn’t her fault, it was fate – and soon, she could feel fate turning in her direction, very soon she would rise to the position she deserved – as an Avora. Until then, she knew they would never treat her the way she knew she deserved, and she would have to earn, fight, for that right to be treated fairly: and Ronin was only getting in her way. She was an Inarta. She had pride like the rest of them; she wasn’t as blunt and outspoken but she made sure the get her own through more passive-aggressive means: Haggling was one of those ways. It wasn’t bad enough that he had paid the man, but he blatantly ignored her advice – she had researched prices for him! “You seem like a fine craftsman.” Vala gagged on rage, literally choking on the foam in her mouth. Fine craftsman her butt. The katinu was nice, sure, but for twenty pinions, Ronin could have gotten a velvet one, not that anyone in his right mind would wear a velvet katinu as a chiet. She kept quiet as he dragged her off; he had mumbled a weak sort of apology, which she caught with her sharp hearing, made hyper-sensitive by her rage. She kept that in mind as she planned her reaction. Touching was a big no no. A basic rule one would think a handful of hair ripped out would enforce. So when Ronin set Vala down, a ways off from the stall keeper, it wasn't a surprise to either of them when Vala violently wrenched herself away from Ronin, even accidentally brushing against another shopper, enraging her all the more. She felt nauseous from having been touched for such a prolonged time. Ronin's grip hadn't been tight enough to physically hurt Vala but it was tight enough to keep her from squirming away and even calmed her down a little, almost like a swaddled child. Her head hurt and her stomach turned, again, more from rage then actual tangible discomfort - Vala wasn't aware enough, or more like she was in denial of, her growing comfort level with Ronin. "Why-wha-bu" Vala huffed. Words refused to come leaving her sputtering. She stopped herself, removed her right glove, and promptly slapped Ronin across the face. The resounding thwak of leather on flesh, instantly brought back Vala's articulacy. "He is no better than me- us! You just let him walk all over me-us. Asking for twenty pinions was robbery and just plain wrong; he didn’t deserve my-your hard earned money.” Vala continued to stumble in her rage, saying me when she meant Ronin. “I-You worked hard for that money Ronin! You can’t just hand it over to them like some mindless animal. It isn’t fair. We are not their slaves! I am not a Dek!” Vala stomped her foot angrily, screaming the last few lines, in the middle of the Courtyard of the Sky no less; she was not really sure why she was so enraged; Vala lied to herself, trying to convince herself she was just angry from being touched and not the actual deep rooted feeling of caste insecurity that secretly dominated her fears.

[Fenilen]

Like everything withing Wind Reach, market days evoked a mixture of feelings from the redhead that had only been in his home for two days since his departure. Within this concoction was a feeling of complete confusion. Though Fenilen had attended many market days during his lifetime prior to his departure to Avanthal, the entire concept was simply something foreign to him now. He had become so used to the individual shops that were run within Avanthal. Nowhere was there a single gathering on a single day where all purchasing and selling was performed. Instead, people performed all of their purchasing whenever they pleased, entering into shops to do their business, places that offered a temporary respite from the biting cold of the permanent winter.

It was even stranger, Fenilen felt, to be back amongst his own people. He had become so accustomed to the sea of black and brown hair that came with living in Avanthal, so used to the shock of sparkling, ever-changing eyes and streaks of bright colors. In Wind Reach, however, people seemed so much more uniform. Everyone with any sort of position bore hair of crimson read. He was just one of the crowd here, no longer an outsider. His style of dress now blended in perfectly. He was one of them to the letter... except for in his behavior. One woman was proving that now. A curious eye managed to follow her outburst, but his ears could not quite catch the words that were flung furiously forth from her lips. While his mind told him such things were normal amongst a people who spoke their mind as quickly as the Inarta, he was not one that would stand idly by as people screamed and made a scene in the center of the market. That was something that his time in Avanthal had taught him. Social attention of that sort was the sort of thing one wanted to avoid.

Finally, he decided upon a course of action. A sharp turn changed his direction, bringing him towards the pair. Soon, he was at their sides, a firm hand grasping around the woman's wrist. "Follow me," he said simply. That was all he offered to them. Keeping his head down, he guided, or if he had to, pulled, them through the crowd, taking the path of least resistance. While he felt the woman's wrist within his grasp, he did not care enough to look back to see if the man was still on their tails. He would find them sooner or later, he supposed. After but a brief minute, the pair or trio found their way to a relatively empty and quiet location, where Fenilen separated his hand from the girl's wrist, shaking his own limb once or twice.

"Apologies to you and your friend for the suddenness," he chirped out in the unfamiliar language. Though the tongue was native to him, and he had used it a few times before speaking to them, Nari still felt foreign to him when he used it in conversations. He was used to the northern tongue of Vani, or the widespread language of Common. He had spoken both more in the past two seasons than he had in the entirety of his lifetime before that, and the only Nari he has spoken during those long months had been in horrible, annotated sentences to himself, so needless to say, the other languages were still spiraling around in his head. "One might suggest that public is not the best location for outbursts. What was the matter? Perhaps outside opinions are of the best aid. I am Fenilen."

[Ronin]

Ronin knew he deserved every bit of the slap. He knew Vala's secret, and because of this, he held himself every bit responsible for what Vala did to him in return. The crowd around them had parted a bit, not interested in getting caught in the middle of any sort of physical confrontation. Ronin was about to apologize further and attempt to calm Vala down, when a stranger rushed in and took her. He took her from right in from of Ronin without even a word. Ronin was astounded that someone would be so rude as to jump into a situation such as that and drag off one of the participants. However, the dumbfounded look that was left on his face was quickly cleared away and replaced with one of sheer rage. How could someone just drag someone off like that? The irony of his though had not yet hit him. What bothered him more that being slapped in the face, or than being rudely interrupted, was that the man was touching Vala. Perhaps it was a natural instinct of Ronin's or maybe it was due to the strange set of circumstances, but Ronin felt fiercely protective of Vala. He cared for her much more than he did others he knew, even his friends. However, he would never admit such a fondness for her, at least, not yet. After all, they still didn't know each other that well. Sure, they had some life changing experiences together, and Vala had shared her secret with Ronin, but this was only the fourth time they had spent time together. Ronin followed hot on the heels of the pair, as they made their way out of the crowd. His face was bright red and the longer they walked, the more he fumed. He got caught up once or twice in the crowd, which caused him to fall behind, but he always kept an eye on them to make sure he was still following. Ronin finally escaped the crowd and made it back to his friend and the stranger in time to hear him say his name. In his fit of anger, he almost took a swing at the man. Instead, he resorted to simply shoving him away from Vala, so he could stand between the two. His voice thundered out at the man. "How dare you drag her away! What business is it of yours, Mr. Fenilen?!" He tone his voice down a bit, so that he was no longer yelling. "I deserved exactly what I got, and there is no need for your presence in this situation." Ronin was again feeling the urge to hit the stranger, but he refrained. The least he could do was hear him out before turning his face to pulp. Of course, Ronin was not that skill of a fighter. In fact, he had no real training in fighting someone hand to hand. Regardless, he was ready to fight the man if it meant keeping him away from Vala.