Second Chances and First Impressions

[Bronwen]

20th Day
Spring 523

Bronwen hadn't known what to expect upon meeting one of the Founders of Syka, but the handsome, white-haired man strolling toward her in bare feet, wearing a billowy tunic, loose pants, and an easy smile was far from the uptight, robe-wearing, stoic figure her imagination had conjured. Still, as the man approached, Bron stood and gave an awkward half bow.

"Oh, now, none of that is necessary," he said, then gestured back to the large rock she had vacated, "Please, sit. I'm Mathias, one of three Founders of Syka, and you're Bronwen, correct?"

Bron lowered herself down on the rock and nodded, "Bronwen Druva," she replied, grasping the hand the Founder thrust toward her.

"Druva," he repeated, and Bron heard the hint of a question in his tone and knew the man had recognized her last name. Most people did.

"From Syliras, yes. My father is a Knight Commander in the Order."

The Founder nodded along with her words as if he'd known.

"You've drifted a bit off track," he laughed, and Bronwen immediately felt at ease with the man. "What brings the daughter of a Knight so far south? You were aboard the Iron Tiger, so I'm assuming your visit isn't a planned one."

Bronwen did squirm a little with that question, which really wasn't a question at all. She had a feeling that Mathias already knew the answers to any questions he had for her.

"No, not planned," she said, looking a bit sheepish, "ran into a bit of trouble in Sunberth and got myself captured, shackled, and stowed away for the slave markets."

"Ah, well, seems you ran ashore a bit short of the mark," Mathias smiled at her, and Bron couldn't help but smile back, "as you know by now, this is Syka, and you're welcome to call it home, or I can arrange for-"

"No!" Bron blurted, interrupting the man, then smiled an apology, "I'd like to stay if that's alright."

"Of course, and, in that case, if there's anything I can do to help you settle in, please let me know. I understand you're sharing a tent with Crylon, but there are other accommodations that can be found for you, if need be."

Bron nodded, "Thank you, it's fine, actually. I'm used to tent space, and Crylon is hardly there." Bron thought of Ves and the time spent living with her in the guard's tent but shoved the memory away.

"Well, I hear the fish calling my name. If there's nothing you need immediately, I'll.." he motioned down to his hand and only then did Bron notice the fishing pole he was leaning against.

"Thank you," Bron said, standing.

The man turned to leave, calling out to come to see him if she needed anything and where to find him before walking back the way he had come.

"Well, that was easier than I thought it would be," she muttered.

Casting her eyes skyward, Bron saw that Syna's rays were sinking into the West, and if she timed it right, she thought she might make it to the beach to watch the sunset and headed off in that direction.

For five days, the Syliran had been in Syka, and she still couldn't quite shake off the streets of Sunberth. She still felt uneasy, as if she needed to protect herself, and the fact that she had lost her staff only made her feel that much more exposed. Still, as the days wore on, Bron could feel her shoulders lowering along with her defenses, but she wasn't quite trusting to those around her not to jump her at any given tick, not yet. So, she still walked quickly, head on a swivel, giving anyone in her path a wide berth.

Once she reached the beach, Bron pulled the sandals from her feet and smiled as her toes sank into warm, soft sand instead of the cold, wet mud of Sunberth. She found a spot just short of the water running up onto the shore and sat, letting her fingers run divets into the silky sand beneath her, sighing contently. A girl could get used to this. That is until something darted out from behind a rock and attacked her hand.

Bronwen squealed and jerked her hand back, readying herself for fight or flight, when her would-be attacker...meowed innocently at her. Bron choked out a laugh as the big black cat backed up a little ways from her, planted its butt in the sand, and wrapped its tailed snuggly around its paws as its big blue eyes fixed on her.

"Gods, you nearly made my heart stop," Bron chastised but lowered her hand out toward the cat with a click of her tongue. For all the world, it looked like the cat gave her a disdainful sneer, but it stood and walked slowly to her hand. After a tick, she must have passed inspection because the cat was all rubs and purs.

Bron ran her hand down the cat's back, fingers gliding over its soft, black fur, "Arent you a pretty girl," she cooed. The feline sauntered around, tail flicking, and Bron was obliged to amend her assessment, "Handsome boy, I mean."

The big, black tomcat was beautiful and, from what Bron could tell, well cared for. He regarded her with big blue eyes before helping himself to her lap, settling in with his paws slowly kneading against her thigh. Bron could swear the cat's eyes lifted toward the setting sun.

"Come here often to watch the sunset, do you? Like all the colors?" she asked, grinning down at the feline as she found the sweet spot behind his ear, eliciting a deep, appreciative pur from her new friend, "Yeah, me too."

Bron leaned back, resting her weight on her arms as a myriad of colors began to spread across the sky, causing the tips of the waves beneath to dance with a reddish glow as an alien peace settled within her chest.

Far from Sunberth, indeed.

[Shade]

“You like it here.” He said softly, stroking the pure white feathers of Opal’s breast as she perched on his arm. The raven had been out and about, enjoying her freedom since they’d come to the Settlement. There were other ravens in the jungle here… and smaller cousins – crows – but none of them had the full snowy white visage his pet had. Opal had been with him for years, since he’d made a bet he could climb a dangerous wall and steal a raven chick from the colony on the hillside by Nyka.

“Good place. Clean water. Much food.” The raven replied, fluffing her feathers and hopping from his forearm to his shoulder. Shade grinned.

“Juicy bugs are not food.” He replied, shaking his head thoughtfully and knowing just what the raven liked.

“Fish good too. Rocks have much fish and yums in them when water goes out.” Opal stated, fluffing her wings in irritation. She was probably hungry again and irritated that the tide was in and the waves rolled up on the beach to their highest point. Periodically along Syka’s wide sands, the tide would go out and reveal tidepools of coral and bare stone, wrecks of old ships, and even ruins out in the bay.

“Yums” was Opal’s favorite terms since they’d come to Syka. She used it in a unique way to describe the collective body of anything delicious she considered edible. That meant bugs, raw meat, fruit, insects, flowers, and all kinds of things. And while some ravens and crows could talk or had a few words in their vocalizations, Opal hadn’t been one of those creatures since she came into Shade’s possession. But since coming to Syka, there was something here that changed something about her and she could talk. It was astonishing to Shade, holding a conversation with her.

She had a vocabulary of a toddler… maybe a child of three or four. But she could be understood and he came to realize her intelligence was astonishing. And because he’d stolen her from her nest when she was just days old, the raven had no knowledge of his deception nor had the bird asked how she’d come to be with him or seemed to give it any thought. He was grateful for that. Shade didn’t know what he’d say to her, having thoughtlessly stolen an intelligent creature from her family. That was especially true because he had learned, in raising Opal, that the hatchlings in a nest would often stay with the parents for years in big family units, helping with younger chicks and assisting in raising the generations after them. That was, until they decided to mate for themselves and moved out of the unit to start their own.

Opal, however, had never moved out. She stuck to Shade like glue and for that he was grateful.

“Pretty woman.” She called to him from his shoulder, snapping her beak open and closed, and ruffing her feathers. “Shadow caught a stranger.” She announced, reaching over to nibble on his ear as Shade wandered down the beach. Opal had better eyesight than he did, for sure, and looking ahead instead of at the sand at his feet, he saw what she was seeing finally. There was a young woman sitting cross-legged on the sand, watching the sunset, and petting Shiress’ cat.

Shade had been wary of Shiress’ cat, if truth be told. Her child, after all, had a toy gifted directly to him from Rhysol, and that spooked Shade to no end after he’d picked up some direct knowledge about the deity himself. It was true though that since the Mistress of the school had brought a cat herself, then had been murdered… the cat had single handedly went about trying to populate the Settlement with cats. Half of them would have been feral if it hadn’t been for the orphans from the orphanage taking them in hand and taming them all down. The fact that Shadow was in the stranger’s lap was disturbing, but then again he’d never been a cat person to fully judge things.

As he drew closer, he allowed a smile to slip onto his face – an easy one – and shifted the mesh bag in his hand. He’d been wandering the tideline, letting the opal embedded in his left hand speak to him as he wandered from flotsam to flotsam picking up items he could use in his shop. It was one of the reasons Opal was with him. She loved collecting things as all ravens did. And she was really good at spotting things he’d miss with her sharp gaze. His fine mesh bag was filled with semi-precious stones, one raw ruby, and a whole bunch of sea glass. There were some interesting smaller pieces of wood for floral arrangements as well. And to top off the collection for today, he’d found some ammonite that was fossilized seashell that had quartzed out in the middle.

Shade paused in front of the newcomer, not blocking her view of the painted sky. “I often think the view of the sunset is better up by Swine Swells. We face east here, and all we ever get is painted sky and not the full effect of the sun sinking beneath the sea like they do in the west.” He said, offering her a momentary brighter smile. “I’m Shadekas. You must have come in on one of the recent boats.” He said, glancing around. “I’m the local jeweler and florist. Well, I’m a better jeweler than a florist, but I’m still learning. We needed someone in both places, so I’m trying to make it work.” He added. “We have others that provide food, drink, and shelter. I just wanted to add something to the Settlement… something important but just as necessary… beauty.” He said, smiling. Then he dipped into the mesh bag he had in his hand as the white raven on his shoulder took wing and landed in the sand just out of the strange woman’s reach.

Shade pulled something out of the bag and reached out with it in his hand, offering it to the stranger. “Here. It reminds me of the sky tonight, so now you can carry a piece of it with you from this moment on, if you'd like to.” He said thoughtfully, extending his hand and gifting her with the ammonite shell if she’d take it.

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[Bronwen]

The cat became aware he and Bron were no longer alone on the beach well before Bron, whose attention was entirely on the black cat who had suddenly scrambled off her lap and ran for cover. Bronwen had been so preoccupied with watching the fleeing feline that she missed the presence of another until she could feel the air shift as their muffled footsteps stopped by her side. The Syliran's body went rigid as her hand fumbled by her side for a quarterstaff that would have been there any other day. Her missing weapon, however, reminded Bronwen that she was no longer in Sunberth and, for all intents and purposes, no longer in imminent danger. Hopefully.

Bron's face lifted to the stranger, and, just as her Father had always taught her, she met the stranger's azure gaze with her grey.

'Fear and weakness are found in the eyes first,' Ser Matrim would say, 'let them see your eyes and your lack of fear in them.'

It had worked several times for her in Sunberth; the average thug or robber was often put off by eye contact, especially from a female, but Bron didn't think she had anything to worry about with this man. There was too much kindness in those bright blue eyes and a distinctive lack of malice. Had she doubted her first assessment, the genuine smile the man gave her alone would have put the guard at ease.

"Thank you, I'll remember that for tomorrow," Bron said, returning the smile, "though I will need directions to this Swine Swell. I can't imagine a prettier sunset, but I'll take your word for it. In the fortified Syliras, where I'm from, we don't get many sunsets," she paused, watching the large white bird flutter down into the sand nearby, her smile growing as she took in the beauty of the creature, "or birds, for that matter. Does he or she have a name?"

Bron's gaze returned to Shade as she introduced herself, "I'm Bronwen or just Bron, and yeah, I arrived on The Iron Tiger five days past. Had a bit of healing to do before I got out and about, but I was quick to find the beauty of the beaches here," Bron pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, listening as the man spoke. He had a familiar accent, though she couldn't place it, "A jeweler [i]and[\i] a florist? You must, indeed, have an eye for beauty. I imagine Syka gives you much to practice with if all the colorful flowers I spy beyond the treeline are anything to go by. Though, I lack the knowing of which would look pretty in a vase and which would kill you with a touch. So, I applaud your skill," she grinned, "have you been Syka's resident jeweler and florist for a while, or are you a recent addition yourself?"

The gorgeous man didn't look to Bron like he was new to Syka; if the confidence in which he wore the usual garb, or lack thereof, she had seen others similarly wearing since arriving. Bron let her gaze flick across the man's bare chest and abdomen before diverting her eyes as a sudden sea breeze whipped her hair around. As she scraped dark curls from her face, a quiet fell between the two strangers. Shade's attention turned to his bag, so she turned hers back out over the water, hoping that she, too, could add something to such a beautiful community, but what that would be, Bron couldn't guess. She doubted her guard or staff fighter skill would be beneficial in such a peaceful place. Still, the Syliran felt she would eventually find her place in Syka. That is, if she could hold the ever-surfacing cravings at bay. Bron thought she could in a place such as this.

The jeweler pulled something from his bag and stepped closer before offering it to Bronwen. Bron stood and closed the space to Shade's proffered hand, noting the embedded stone in the top of the man's hand with a flick of a curious brow. She said nothing, though, and accepted the shell, her gaze falling to admire its beauty as she turned it this way and that in her hand. After failing to find words, Bron finally lifted her gaze and gave the man a smile that she hoped expressed her gratitude. Such a small thing, a gifted shell, but to Bronwen, it meant the world. So long it had been since anyone had given her anything, let alone something so pretty and so thoughtful a gift.

"I'll treasure it," she said and meant it, "it's beautiful, thank you," Bron admired the colorful shell a moment longer, then glanced around herself as if looking for some treasure hidden in the sand that she could return the favor with. "I feel like I should give you something now," she laughed, "but I'm afraid all I have to give is my thanks and companionship, for what it's worth, if you'll have it."

[Shade]

Shade shook his head. “I’ll gladly tell you where Swine Swells is, but go see it in the day and be back by dark. Even Syka proper isn’t all that safe after the sun sets. Big cats hunt. There are snakes and spiders that are poisonous. There are even worse things than that. By the Gods, even the monkeys are more aggressive at night. And honestly, stay away from the monkeys day and night. They throw their own feces.” He said, then proceeded to tell her where the Swells were, once he’d issued the warning.

It turned out that it was north on the Cobbled Pathway at a well-marked turn-off after about a bell of walking. The turn-off was an overgrown trail that ended up at a beachhead that had a view of the north and slightly west which made the sunsets better. It even had a sign posted there by the Rangers. Shade explained all this carefully, and thoroughly, and emphasized it being better once more to go in the daylight.

“Well met, Bron. Most people just call me Shade.” He said, granting her the use of his common name as she’d granted him the use of her own. Formalities didn’t hold well in Syka anyhow. “Her name is Opal. She’s a white raven from Nyka. They are somewhat known for their pale birds. Syka has granted her the ability to speak, and she tends to endlessly nag. All the birds here speak within the city limits, so don’t let it startle you. The gulls cuss endlessly too. I blame the Svefra that visit for that. They tend to have their accents.” He said with an affectionate grin towards the bird but made a gesture to encompass all birds everywhere in the area. Opal was busy stalking what appeared to be a crab tucked into a shell that was tangled in seaweed caught up in the flotsam line down closer to the water. “She’s notoriously greedy for good food… yums she calls them.” He added with a small laugh.

“I’ve only been here a few seasons, less than a year. It’s been… interesting in that whole time.” He added. “But it already feels like home.” Shade admitted, glancing around. “Syliras huh? This is about as opposite as the Fortress City as Settlements in Mizahar come. I’m originally from Nyka myself. Came here on a guard job and never left.” He added, looking thoughtful. “I was a Monk in Nyka… one of their security force, but also a jeweler. Seemed easier to me to do the same thing here, taking orders from myself, than from greedy officials than to return to Nyka and continue on my oppressive life of sanctioned thuggery.” He said, giving the woman a slight smile.

He rather thought she liked the ammonite and told her what it was. “It’s a semi-precious gemstone called ammonite. It was once a shell, Bron, a living thing. But over the ages, and being at the right place and right time immortalized it into a beautiful fossil that will last forever. We run into them once in a while in the Jewelcrafting trade. I like them a great deal, not because they are pretty, though they are that, but because they are a living creature that has found immortality.” He said simply.

With that he settled into the sand, cross-legged, and non-threatening. “Time is a valuable thing. But strangely enough, I find that I have a great deal of it here where I didn’t before this place.” He said, turning to smile at her. “Off the Iron Tiger, huh?” He said, glancing at her wrists and down to see if he could see anything of her ankles. Keen eyes studied her neck. “A slave then.” He said, noting the manacle marks on her wrists that matched the thinness of her face and the haunted look in her eyes she couldn’t quite hide.

“Syka is a new start for almost anyone. You can do anything you want here, including magic. There will be someone to teach you or someone to encourage you if you can’t find a mentor in whatever you want to do. We rarely talk about the past unless it's relevant. But we spend a great deal of time planning a better future. There’s a lot of talk of stability, family, and security here. And there are a lot of nice people. But don’t be fooled. Syka is dangerous too… the land will kill you. The creatures that inhabit it as well. And though no one told me this, it's something I’ve come to understand. You can’t fight Syka, Bron. You have to become like Syka, and one of the wild things that inhabit her. I’m not there yet… not by a long shot, but I see that clearly for my future. I have witnessed it in others though… and even in our stately Founders. They are not what they seem. Gods visit them, you know…. routinely you can drop by any night of the season and Mathias might be entertaining one on his deck while fishing and drinking… talking like old friends. It’s the … craziest thing I’ve ever seen. There is faith here… deep faith. And while you might not see it… it’s all around you.” He added, then turned and glanced at her, wondering if she’d settle down beside him or walk away.

“There’s a bar down the beach to the south of here… The Tidepool. You can grab a bite to eat there if you like. Can I treat you to a meal of some sort?” He asked, curious if she’d accept further gifts from a stranger or not.

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[Bronwen]

It wasn't the first time the Syliran had been warned of the dangers of Syka, but it was the first told to her with such detail and danger packed within the words that Shade had Bron's undivided attention. She absorbed every word with wide eyes.

"There are things worse than big cats and biting, killer spiders?" Bron shook her head, "Gods, I'll not set a toe outside my tent after sunset again. It will make it tricky getting back to the village before dark after the sun sets, though, if Swine Swells is such a far wall," she paused, thinking, "The only monkeys I've encountered are the small, cute ones that do tricks for you in The Outpost. But I'll not wander around."

Bron regarded Shade's companion as he gave her name and explained a bit about her species and where she was from. When the man admitted Opal could speak, she looked from Opal to Shade, then back to the bird, all while her eyebrows threatened to disappear into her hairline.

"You mean she can...that all the birds can..talk...talk? Like you and I talk?" she let out a huff of a laugh, "You say Syka has granted her the ability. Is this place...well, magical is the word that comes to my mind. I've never heard of such a thing." she admitted, watching Opal with wonderment dancing in her grey eyes, "yums," she repeated," grinning, "she's not wrong. Good food is yum." As Shade spoke on, Bron listened while she watched the white bird and tried to imagine conversing with her.

"Syliras and Syka are more than opposite if such a thing exists. I've heard of Nyka though I couldn't pinpoint it on a map or tell you anything about it."

Bron glanced at Shade, assessing him as he spoke of his home. She could see the guard in him, the protector, though the thug, she couldn't. Maybe that's why the man left. He all but said so.

"I'm glad that you have found a sort of peace for yourself here," she smiled at him, meaning it, "A life oppressed is no real life at all, in my mind. Though I am having difficulty placing Monk and thuggery in the same place. When I hear the word Monk, I think of peaceful caregivers, but my knowledge of such things is limited to a library and an informative book," Bron sighed, "but if I stayed here as long as you have been here, I may be too spoiled to return to life without sunlight and a fresh breeze," she chuckled, "even rain and be quite content never to set eyes on a book again."

Her eyes dropped to the colorful shell in her hand. Shade seemed to notice and redirected the conversation to explain what exactly his gift was. By the time the jeweler finished, Bron looked upon it with newfound appreciation.

"Ammonite," she repeated, "I've never heard of it," she shook her head, "a treasure, indeed. Is this another magical gift from Syka?" Bron's gaze traveled along the shoreline in the direction she thought what was left of the wreckage of the Iron Tiger remained. She thought of the many slaves, those she had gotten to know, and how most of their bodies still lay encased in stone. What Shade said reminded her of them, her newfound friends. Bron wondered if their hardened, stone bodies would also become immortalized into beautiful things over time and one day valued and appreciated. Bron really hoped so.

Returning her eyes to the ammonite, Bron smiled sadly down at it, "It's kind of bittersweet, isn't it, to hold something in your hands that was once living a life of its own," she said, " makes me feel as if it needs to be respected and cherished," she laughed softly, "I guess that's what you meant, isn't it. Well, I have to agree. Thank you again. I will cherish it."

Bron should have known better than to think this man would have missed the accidental mention of the name of the ship she had been on and that those knowing blue eyes of his would miss anything, especially after the time she had spent talking with Shade; the man missed nothing, she suspected. Her shoulders slumped, and she let out a low, self-deprecating chuckle.

"A slave, yes," she paused long enough to lower herself down beside Shade on the sand, then shook her head, gazing skyward, "I once used to see a slave and think they were filthy, used creatures with no education or morals that deserved to be owned and managed. Needless to say, I think much differently about them now. In Syliras, slavery isn't heard of, but when I left the fortified city and found myself in Sunberth, I fell victim along with everyone else to that evil place. I made mistakes, took myself down the wrong path, and trusted those I shouldn't have," she huffed out a laugh devoid of humor, "in the end, I owed a lot more coin than I could come up with. So, I was beaten, then sold to a slaver, and a few days later, found myself aboard The Iron Tiger chained and bound for...I'm not even sure where."

Bron snapped her mouth closed, realizing that she had just rambled off a lot of information that Shade probably wasn't expecting. Thankfully, she stopped herself from spilling everything about her time in Sunberth. Bron shifted her grey eyes and looked sidelong at the jeweler. "I'm not entirely sure why I just told you all that," she laughed, "I'm sorry for that unfortunate information overload, but yeah, I see Syka as a second chance, and if what you say about this place is true, and I believe it is, maybe a bit of divine intervention helped get me here. I just hope I can prove myself to Syka and her people and make myself something, you know," she grinned, "as long as I'm not still on that slave ship and all this is some fever dream, I aim to make it count. If, by what you've said, I manage to survive long enough."

Bron only hesitated a tick before accepting Shade's offer, surprised to find she had enjoyed the short time she had shared with the man. Shade was easy to talk to, though perhaps he was too easy to talk to. Bron was silent and thoughtful until they were on their way to the Tidepool when she remembered something the man had mentioned.

"You said the founders actually sit and talk to the Gods as if they were old friends," she said, "What Gods have you seen here? Do they speak to the people here, too?" Bron couldn't imagine actually bumping into an actual deity, let alone having a casual conversation with one. She couldn't help but shake her head bemusedly at the very thought. "I just can't wrap my brain around that!"

Where in Mizahar had she washed up? Bron was beginning to think she had found her own little slice of -dangerous- paradise.

[Shade]

Shadekas smiled at the woman’s question. He didn’t want to scare her but she had to be told, right? “We have snakes here that are heavier than I am and could swallow me whole without a problem. I’ve also seen these pythons climb a palm tree faster than a man can run the same length on flat ground.” He said, shaking his head. “Don’t let it keep you prisoner in your tent though. They want to avoid you, I suspect, as much as you want to avoid them. I think its all about mutual respect.” He said softly.

“Oh, and speaking of snakes, visit the local Innkeeper. She can teach you what’s poisonous and what isn’t. She breeds snakes that eat the vipers and deadly things…. its gone a long way to making the Settlement safer.” He said. “I didn’t particularly enjoy snakes myself until I decided I enjoyed the food there more than I minded the reptiles running around. There are these huge lizards, Ixam they call them, and they pass for Syka’s version of horses. They are all teeth and claws, but don’t let that fool you. They are friendly enough, and the young ones act like lapdogs." The ex-Monk explained.

“Wander around. I recommend it. There’s beauty in everything around here, and wonder to be had in every vantage. Appreciating it is amazing. Just be cautious too. The people here won’t hurt you. It’s just the jungle and the creatures that will.” Shade said thoughtfully, watching the young woman.

She was pretty, in a classical way. Well-bred maybe? But then why was she out here all alone? Her story made sense… and didn’t ring false or made up. He grinned as Opal stalked up to her, jumped on her shoulder, and snapped her beak open and shut multiple times. “Yes. We talk.” She pipped up, and began carefully playing with Bron’s hair. She lifted first one lock, shook it gently, then released it…. teasing the woman.

“Opal, she isn’t going to give you yums. We’re going to figure out something for dinner later.” Shade told the bird who cawed in agreement and gave up toying with Bron’s hair. She set off down Bron’s left arm and hopped over to Shade’s shoulder.

“Very smart. Right much. Right more than Shade.” She said, nodding in agreement to Bron’s words about her ideas of yums.

Shade only shook his head, a grin crossing his features for a moment.

“I hope you do stay. We need more settlers and if you can learn to survive this place… if I can learn to survive this place… we’ll never want to go back. There’s food literally everywhere here Bron. I’ve never seen anything like it. This abundance… it’s crazy.” He said, then glanced at the stone as she mentioned its name again.

“I’m something of a rock hound. That’s half of what I do here… wander around picking up stones and turning them into beautiful things. I never see them as dead and gone. I see them as remembered forever. We have a lot of amber around here as well. It’s fossilized tree sap mostly and it has all kinds of life inside. I once found a nice piece that had the most gorgeous butterfly locked in it. I’m fairly sure it was no kind that was alive today… and I felt privileged to see it … probably the first living human to actually see one you know? So I agree... it is special and respected.” He said, knowing he sold that piece quickly and for a reason. It had fetched a price that had fed him and Lynk for most of the season.

Shade thought a moment and lifted his head at Bron’s question. “Syka’s gift? You know… I don’t think …. “ Then he chuckled and gestured around him. “Syka’s true gift is life. It’s everywhere.” He said and then listened to her talk about her past. He was attentive, and curious, but didn’t interrupt or offer an opinion. All that was personal, so much so, that he was surprised she shared but glad she had.

“I’ve never seen slavery here. I don’t think it exists. And as for coin, much of our trade is barter, so that might work well for you.” He said, hoping to be reassuring. He spoke as they walked, heading towards the Tidepool Bar. It wasn’t exactly on the beach like one might expect. Instead, it was accessible from the beach down a dock that lead out to a trio of overwater ranchos. Shade paused at the dock, gestured, and pointed out which was which. “Stu’s home, his kitchen/distillery, and the actual bar.” He said, heading for the latter rather than the former. They walked out on a long walkway, turned to the third rancho, and led her to the bar, an overwater building with a half dozen docks off the front and a cluster of benches and picnic tables off the back. There was a place for musicians and while there were no walls, the building itself was completely covered.

Opal took off from Shade’s shoulder then, and perched on the long expanse of the bar. Stu, who was busy wiping down the wood, looked up and grinned at her.

“Looking for a yums, sweetling?” He said, turning to rummage around behind him and beneath the bar. He pulled out a bowl and filled it with what looked like freshly fried chips. Opal dug in, eating as if she were a person he was serving as if Opal was an actual person. Shade sat at the bar and patted a stool beside him, joining Opal with her bowl of chips. “How about a cold one, Stu and what's on the menu tonight?” He asked, then as if he remembered his manners, he gestured at Bron. “Stu, this is Bron. Bron, Stu.” He made introductions as Stu.

Stu grinned. “I have skewers of roasted chicken. I’ll make you both up a platter of them with some fruit and veggies if you’d like.” He offered, already fetching whatever drink Bron wanted and getting Shade one of his latest home brews for the ex-Monk to judge.

Shade glanced at Bron. “That’d be amazing… chicken sounds fantastic.”

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[Bronwen]

Huge man-eating, tree-climbing snakes, talking birds, and horse-sized lizards, or Ixam, as Shade called them, wove in and out of Bron's thoughts, her imagination running rampant, but she still couldn't wipe the goofy grin from her face as she watched the white raven flitter about. When the giant bird had landed on her shoulder, Bron had braced for pain, Opal's talons were impressive, but the bird was surprisingly gentle, even when she teased Bron's hair. Who knew that a bird could have so much personality?

"An innkeeper," Bron asked, surprised, "with so few people about, I'm surprised there's a need for an inn. I'm guessing there are visitors to Syka, then?"

So far, the Syliran's amazement for Syka and her people saw no bounds. The small village's inhabitants all seemed to be united together to survive the danger that stalked Syka's border, all while allied in helping each other prosper. Such a thing was unheard of in Sunberth, quite the opposite, let alone an abundance of food. People in Sunberth were starving. Even in Syliras, the Order didn't concern themselves with the needs and wants of others. Rules, laws, and a lot of armor, swords, and manhandling ruled Syliras, not kinship. Syka was almost too good to be true.

"I hope that I can be of use to the community," she said, looking thoughtful, "All I really have to offer is staff fighting skill," glancing at Shade, she added, "You mentioned you were a guard? I was a guard in Sunberth for a time, though bouncer might be a better description as I was the only one guarding the place with a quarterstaff. May I ask what you were guarding? Maybe I could see about a job, too."

Could a place where a warrior monk can find peace in crafting jewelry and gathering wildflowers be a place where an addict and rebellious rogue can find redemption and meaning? Bronwen didn't know.

"I'd love to see that," she said, smiling, "seems like nature's way of snatching up the beauty of a butterfly and preserving it as her own gift to man," Bron's smile widened, "you must be pretty special having come by such a gift. Syka seems to think so."

As they left the sand of the beach for the wooden planks of a dock, Bron followed Shade's gesture to the homes that were built over the water and, again, was amazed at the architecture and beauty of Syka. People actually lived on the water and, apparently, ran their businesses from them, too.

"You can sit down for dinner and watch the fish play all at the same time, " she said, following Shade down the pathway, pausing here and there to peer over the side into the water. Bron couldn't help but laugh at the barkeeper's familiarity with Opal as they reached the bar. The bird was finally pleased to be served her yums as she saddled up to the bar and made herself home.

Bron nodded her head at Stu, giving the man a slight smile at the introduction. Then promptly froze tongue-tied when she realized that the place was a full bar, with alcohol, like a tavern, and the bartender was waiting on her drink order. What she had been expecting, she hadn't a clue. Bron managed to stop herself from ordering her usual, a double whiskey, remembering her father's words about how, if she wanted to keep the cravings at bay, she had to forfeit anything that gave her body any high. Alcohol definitely was included in that.

But, gods, it had been an awfully long time since she had had a decent drink, and what would one hurt, especially if it wasn't liquor? So, Bron did what any good addict would do.

"I'll have what he's having," Bron said, waiting for Stu to walk away before leaning over so just Shade could hear her, "What's a skewer?"

A moment later, the mug placed on the bar in front of her successfully stole all of Bron's attention. She stared at the mug and its contents for a long moment before lifting it to her mouth for a long swig and promptly fell into a coughing fit.

"Stronger than I thought it'd be," she croaked, cheeks coloring, but it didn't deter her from following up that first taste with a couple more, the Sunberthian coming out in her. Opal chose that moment to flutter over and land on her shoulder, offering her advice. "Easy. Easy. Worse coming back up. Chunks on my feathers." Bron wasn't sure, but she could have sworn Opal gave Shade a significant look with those beady little eyes squinting just a little. Bron turned an amused look on Shade, "Is there a story there?"

Opal flew from Bron's shoulder and skipped along the bar until she was in front of her owner and gave the man the bird equivalent of an icy glare that had Bron laughing. "I think there's a story there."