Studious (Seliam)

[Vala]

9th of Spring, 511 AV Tired, dead tired, was what Vala felt when her forehead hit the reception desk. Working extra hours so she could get a ‘day off’ to work with Feyra and Camriska was murder, actually, more like suicide. A light spring breeze blew across Vala’s cheek, rousing her from her catatonic state. She lifted her head just in time to catch an Endal walking in. He looked a little familiar, it was hard not to be familiar in a city of 2000, but she was sure she had never seen him in the Enclave before. “Eh,” She sighed, as he walked passed her, without even a glance in her direction, into the stacks. She rubbed her dulled sapphire eyes, trying to focus on her work. Kirna had assigned her to copying a simple yasi children’s book, but it was so dull that she could have dumped the ink bottle onto the paper and no one would probably care. Vala twirled her hair with her left finger, trying not to zone out completely. She picked up her quill, and got to work again. The original book was opened to her left; the new book was angled on her work station under her right hand. She dipped the quill into a black ink vial, getting too much ink into the nib, she sighed and wiped off the excess onto a nearby towel. She dipped it again, trying not to be as careless. The second time was a little better. The first copy of the book was simply written, sloppily copied from a different language. For the next copy, Kirna had asked Vala to pretty it up a little bit – she hadn’t expected too much, it was only a children’s book, but Vala was excited to practice her calligraphy for real. She picked up from where she left off, in the middle of the third page. She tried to keep her hand steady, but it was a little difficult when she was so tired. Following the proper calligraphy rules Vala made sure to keep her words all positioned perfectly on the guide lines, albeit with slightly sloppy strokes. When she finished with the page she gently blew on the page to make sure the ink was truly dry. She carefully dabbed the last letter with a towel, when it came back clean, and Vala was sure the page was dry, she turned the page and pulled out a straight stick to start drawing the proper writing guidelines. Using a stylus to indent, without making an ink mark, Vala lined everything up, with a couple lines a little askew. She picked up her quill again, to begin the next page. Vala rubbed her brows, desperately wishing for a distraction, anything at all, just for a few chimes or so.

[Seliam]

Seliam was lost.

He knew his way around Wind Reach now, certainly, could tell where and when he was by the muted sounds of activity, by the feel of different temperatures of air against his skin, or the texture of stone as it varied. And the mountains around them were becoming less forbidding, more fascinating, now that Kalith's wings carried him aloft. In time, he suspected he might be at home there -- as easily living in the wilderness as he might in the plush surroundings of the Eyrie.

But among these books, he was lost. Letters and numbers that meant nothing to him arrayed the spines, on carefully-written cards -- a language of scholars that was utterly foreign to him. They were arranged by subject, perhaps, but why then was a book on the tending of goshawks over here next to a book on herbs of the northern mountains here?

He shook his head, and offered up a quiet sigh, before channeling his irritation into the search. Movements of his fingers became lighter, swifter, and he continued along the shelves.

Oh, he could probably ask one of the Chiet or Avora that served among the stacks, but that just wouldn't do. For one thing, it would be an admission that he -- an Endal, not long bonded but still among the best they had to offer -- was a stranger here, as helpless as they might be facing down a rabid monster. And for another thing, the subject he sought was not one that he wanted spread around. True, there was no edict, formal or informal, against the practice of magic among the riders. True, more than a few Avora had gained great heights of prestige and favor with their use of reimancy to improve the lot of Wind Reach. But to reveal the extent of his dependence on magic -- on the edge it gave him...

Well, that would be to invite trouble. Possibly duels for position. He and Kalith needed another few seasons being in the top half of the charts before he could really feel secure in his new place.

So Seliam searched. Up and down the shelves for what seemed like half a bell, quiet steps carrying him from one to another. So many books -- he'd never dreamed there were this many! And on so many different matters! Part of him wondered if there was a point to retaining so much knowledge. How often would someone need to know about Plants Used in Blue Dyes: A Compendium? Or truly strange ones like The Allegory of the Single Cloud. Yet he was aware just how much of their existence depended on the combination of little secrets and tricks, how delicately suspended their--

"A-hah."

A grin split his face. Here, treasure, lost among the chaff. Quickly he pulled a tome off the shelf, then another. Two books his old master had recommended as reading for the reimancer who wanted to grow beyond simple projections of fire or ice. He removed them in turn, taking care with the second one -- Of Matter and Its Interactions with True Substance -- which, in an ironic turn, had not held up very well. Or perhaps was just very old. Books in arm, he padded over to one of the tables nearer to the reception desk and took a seat.

A glance up and around showed no other souls nearby, save for the Yasi copying her lessons near the reception desk. She would likely be no bother. Seliam allowed a faint smile to play across his lips as he laid the books out in turn. Joining them on the table were two journals -- the first full, the second nearly empty -- knowledge hard-won about what he could and couldn't do with the fire from inside. He pulled the empty journal close and opened it up, then pulled back the cover of the first leather-bound tome.

Hunting for secrets, Seliam encouraged himself. Hunting for knowledge. Find it like the prey, see if it's useful, and if it is... take it down. His quill dipped lightly in the inkpot he'd borrowed from elsewhere in the library, and he poised it over the empty page. A light dot stained the blank vellum of the journal as he began to read.

[Vala]

A flourish here, a flourish there, and Vala was done with the second to last page. The girl rubbed her eyes, getting a smudge of ink on her left cheek. She sighed, putting down her quill, running her lithe fingers through her long hair. “I just have to push through, just a little more, and I’ll be done with this silly book.” Vala tried to motivate herself. She was grateful it had been short, only twenty pages to be exactly, but those nineteen pages had taken the girl almost a bell of unbroken concentration. The library was mostly empty, a few yasi here and there. The regular scholars who came to study were already ensconced in their preferred study tables near the back of the enclave. And the yasi weren’t due to come to the story teller well for at least another five bells. Not only was Vala mind numbingly bored, her hand was cramping. Kirna had come earlier to inspect her work. “You can take a break once you finish your work here.” She had said, Vala had only grunted, as respectfully as a grunt could be, in acknowledgement. By now Vala knew break meant wandering the library and ask the patrons if they needed help – Vala found it good practice on acting sweet. Using a dirty, raggity towel, Vala wiped her quill’s nib free of ink. The nib was getting dull and she really needed to sharpen it before messing up the entire book and having to do the entire thing over – there were no erasers for copying calligraphically… Taking the pen knife in her left hand, Vala firmly gripped the quill in her right, angled down. Using quick, and fairly practiced motions, Vala began to cut a steeper angle into the nib. cut, cut, cut, cut four tries and Vala was going nowhere. Her hand was still not use to the specific motion, nor were her strokes sharp enough to get a clean edge. She tried a few more times, before giving up and leaving it to the side for a more competent calligraphic scribe to sharpen. She picked up another quill from the communal pen holder; Vala tested the point with her finger. When she was sure it was sharp enough for the job she dipped it in the open ink vial and continued with her work. For a children’s story, Vala was surprised it was so wordy. She was sure she had copied at least 600 words and at least 5 bajilllion characters by now; she rubbed her eyes, which were getting strained in the dim light. She finished the second to last page with a simple flourish on the last character. A single drop, not the first by far, of ink fell from the quill onto the corner of the page, as she pulled back. “Oh no!” She squeaked. Quickly grabbing the towel, and pinching out a clean corner, Vala dabbed at the ink drop trying to get out as much as she could. No matter how much she dabbed, there was still a permanent faded stain – one of the dangers of calligraphy… Vala took out the straight stick, to measure out the guidelines for the next page. The last page wasn’t as bad, and the story actually wrapped up quite well. Vala finished in making guidelines with her stylus and inking out the words, in another ten chimes. “Done!” Vala spun around in her stool in triumph. She cleaned her quill, capped her ink pot, and blew on the last page before jumping out of her seat, away from the reception table. She noticed that the Endal that had come in earlier was now intently taking notes at a nearby table. Books lay scattered before him as his quill danced across his journal. Vala walked up to him without the normal downcast eyes of a lower caste member; she was comfortable in the library: she wasn’t just a lowly chiet there, she actually had some authority. When Seliam looked up from his notes, probably taking a break to think, Vala walked up to him and put up her professional Assistant Librarian façade. She brushed her hair back until it cascaded in a crimson river down her back. A coy, but not too flirty, friendly smile graced her lips. Her words came out modulated to simulate genuine curiosity and maintain an aura of benign helpfulness. “Excuse me sir, do you need any help, a fresh pot of ink, or a sharpened quill perhaps-“ Before she could continue with her perfect librarian routine, the words choked up in Vala’s throat. She noticeably gagged before finally regaining control – he was reading about Reimancy! The earlier, pink blush that adorned Vala’s rounded cheeks, faded, soon replaced by a ghastly paleness, as the blood drained from her face. “I-i-I’m sorry… for int-interupting. I’ll let you get back to- cough- work” Vala began to back track from the reimancer, back to the safety of her reception desk. OOC : Vala was 'raped' by a reimancer as a yasi. Thats why she reacted so violently.

[Seliam]

It was a slow trudge at first. For such an interesting, dangerous and forbidden subject there was an awful lot of padding in the words of these mages. Diversions from the topic. Observations that couldn't possibly help anyone practical. Really, fire of different colors? Who would need that? Who cared? But slowly, a nugget at a time, Seliam extracted bits of knowledge and lore. A sheet filled in his empty journal, then another. As Vala approached unseen to the side, he had just flipped to a new page to continue to write.

that the shape of the envelope was important. Obvious in retrospect. Arrowheads have different shapes -- burning arrowheads should respect purpose, or create new, be intentional.

Aim of this shaping to maximize damage done to flesh, nearby joints. Not pierce, kill creature, but prevent it from running. Greater efficiency. Single arrow rarely drops large beast, pursuit follows. Can give pursuit significant edge.

Res should disperse on impact inside creature, burning. Perhaps spherical? Or teardrop. Largest mass of flame behind arrowhead? Must be careful, though. Setting arrow on fire no good. Creates mess, weakens shaft, may cause missed shot.

Seliam glanced up and pursed his lips thoughtfully. Perhaps he should sketch out his ideas, try to visualize them. That would help him later, when he was using some of his precious practice time. Having a set idea in mind had helped -- otherwise he ended up just playing with fire, ending up with a pounding headache and an empty-feeling stomach, and waking up to a sensation not unlike the hangover of his sixteenth birthday.

Before he could put quill back to paper, though, there was another presence there. He blinked. The yasi he'd seen, but no youth, given how readily she approached him to offer help... then, before he could even finish fully processing that tidbit, her demeanor changed in an instant. Seliam watched the color drain out of her face. An eyebrow quirked.

“I-i-I’m sorry… for int-interupting. I’ll let you get back to- cough- work”

As she retreated, Seliam struck hard against the sick feeling of guilt in his stomach. So what if she'd seen what he was reading? What did it matter if she was a little frightened? It was hardly forbidden, and she was hardly going to go around screaming 'horror, horror!' And if instead she had been snooping over the table at his journal, musings on more efficient ways to hunt and kill, that was clearly within his domain. Little slips of recently-Yasi girls like her depended on the meat brought in by hunters who were as good as possible at what they did. There was nothing at stake here, not even pride.

And yet...

He found himself closing the tome, then leaning over to blow on his journal page, to speed its drying.

He was curious. The sudden reversal in her tone, her posture, everything... It had been like seeing two seperate people in the space of two heartbeats. What could have reversed her demeanor so completely? It was a vexing question, and clouds above but Seliam wanted to know more.

The journal closed. He slipped it and the full one under his arm. The familiar leather cover pressed against his bare side as he rose, slid the chair back in... the books he left as they were; a librarian would reshelve them.

Seliam stalked towards the reception desk -- wait, no, not stalking. Not stalking. Casual. He didn't want to scare her off, not yet. With exaggerated ease, he leaned a hip against the desk, looking over in the direction she had fled.

"Apology accepted," he spoke quietly. Endal or not, he knew quite well that one Kept Down Their Voice In The Archives. It was close to an inviolable rule. "But it was no interruption until you fled. Why so skittish? Something troubles you?" The last was barely a question, but Seliam kept his tone light. Casual. He wasn't interrogating, after all, whatever her caste... he was trying to uncover another nugget of useful knowledge.

[Vala]

She was safe! Well she thought she was when she reached the reception desk, sitting on a stool, hidden behind a slight wall at the front of the desk. She cleared her throat, shaking her head, trying to repress the memories, the pain of the past. It was working, her fingers boney white, as she gripped the edges of the stool with a death grip, the memory of the reimancer that had accosted her years ago was fading, fading to the recesses of her mind, to where her nightly terrors lurked. “Apology accepted.” Vala’s head snapped up at the sound. What apology? It was barely a whisper, but her attuned paranoia caught each of enunciated consonant; she was surprised she didn’t catch his footsteps in the first place. She squinted her eyes in distrust. He had the trappings of a higher caste member, and he was studying Reimancy, so she took him for an Avora. She scowled at his presence: Why had he followed her? She wanted him to leave her alone, to let her regain control in peace. She regretted ever going over, trying to be helpful, she wished she had to copy fifty more silly children’s books instead of having to face a reimancy mage. She felt queasy; her pale visage was transforming to a more greenish tinge. She needed to answer him. He was an Avora; she was a Chiet. She was inferior; he was superior. Vala turned her head away, using her icy fingers to physically morph her face from a disgruntled scowl, to a more passive, downcast guise. She turned back to him, trying not to make eye contact, glaring at his pale, very gaunt collar. “I’m fine sir. I’m sorry for interrupting your studies. Nothing is troubling me at all. Would you like me to fetch anything for you? Anything at all?” Vala’s deadpan voice, came out a little strained and hysterical. She tried to give it a friendlier lilt at the end, but wasn’t doing so well. She wished he would send her to fetch him a loaf of bread, just so that she could get out of the dim Enclave and get some fresh air to recompose herself. “Would you like anything to eat sir?” Vala offered, her lips curving to a pleasant, though forced smile.

[Seliam]

Would he like some food? Hah. Knowingly or unknowingly, the girl had struck the weak spot of nearly any practicing mage. His casual smile grew a degree more towards genuineness.

Of course, there was still something that... unsettled? Troubled? Worried? him about the girl's demeanor. It was difficult for him to tell if she was terrified, nervous, or perhaps just a little sick after so long cooped up inside copying pages. Poor thing. If fate had forced him down this path, he'd be looking for any excuse to get outside as well. Or perhaps she was still upset over what she'd read or seen on the desk ... No, unlikely. She worked with these books all shift, most likely. More and more curiosity.

And food. His stomach churned just a bit. He felt as though he hadn't eaten that whole day, though he'd just come from a meal before coming to study. The price for the big buck he'd hit with fire and bone earlier in the day, though rather mild all considered -- it had only been the one arrow, a clean kill. Still, if he was going to get in a bit of practice before the next dawn, more energy was always a good thing.

"I'd like that," he replied a heartbeat's pause after the end of her sentence. "Time must have slipped up on me while I was reading -- or perhaps while I was hunting books. And with Kalith slumbering like a sensible creature, any sort of intelligence in conversation is hard to come by." Seliam turned smoothly on his heel and padded over towards the door. "You look like you could use a bit of fresh ... well, fresher air, as it is. Come, walk with me." He shifted the journals a bit closer to his side, a more comfortable stance for carrying, as he moved towards the arches beyond the reception desk.

At the door, Seliam paused and glanced back, his gaze sharpening for just that little moment -- a bit of a trick he'd learned, a subtle signal that he was not quite making just a request. But the smile remained on his lips throughout.

[Vala]

Kalith? Who on Kalea was Kalith? Then it dawned on her. He was an Endal! Kalith was probably his Eagle. Then why was he studying Reimancy? Very curious; most Endal didn’t bother with the double edged arts. He was of an even higher rank now… Vala realized any power or illusion thereof was lost; she was privy to any of his passing Endal whims. Vala tried not to gag, again. She didn’t need fresh air; well yes, yes she did, but what she needed was air not being contaminated by the blasted reimancer before her. “Come, walk with me.” He said, as he repositioned his journals in his arms, no, not said, ordered. That was how the Endal spoke to a chiet like her. They never asked, they just told. Vala scowled inside, outside was a perfectly calm porcelain doll, with wide crystal blue eyes, and a flawless countenance. If one looked closely, very closely, they could catch the slight, and periodic, twitch at the corner of Vala’s left eye; a sign of her slipping grip on textbook restraints. She tried not hiss, it was an laudable attempt. “Yessss, ssssir. Of courssse, sir. Just let me tell one of the other librariansss, ssir.” Vala stood up from her stool, bowing slightly, if not mechanically, before walking to another one of the assistant librarians behind the reception desk. She looked up at Vala, eyes a little glassy from their own copying work. “What do you need?” She asked, straight to the point. Vala replied in the same direct manner, “The Endal over there wants me to accompany him on his walk.” The girl put down her quill on a nearby towel. “Don’t you have work to do?” “I wish. I finished copying my book-“ “Already?” The girl asked incredulously. Vala raised an eyebrow at her tone. “Yes. Already. I’ve been practicing. Anyway, I’m supposed to be on break right now, and I can’t lie to him, he’s an Endal-“ “Obviously. So why are you telling me?” Vala wanted to punch the girl in the mouth; her fingers twitched. “I am telling you, just in case Kirna comes back and wonders where I am. Just tell her I’m assisting one of the patrons, ok?” The girl shrugged and went back to her work, reminding Vala why she liked to keep to herself. When she finished she saw that the Endal had already walked to the entrance. Even from the distance she managed to catch his sharp gaze, sending shivers down her spine. He was smiling, but there was more behind the curved lips; she did the same to those below her. Vala smiled back, even colder and poised than usual, before walking over to him. “Would you like me to carry your books for you, sir?” Vala asked, the epitome of genteel politeness.

[Seliam]

A smile quirked at the edge of Seliam's lips as he turned to walk along. His stride was slow, unhurried. There was, at the moment, no rush. "No, I am quite well as it is," he replied to her offer. A little seed of paranoia sprouted, but he crushed it. No, she was not being over-inquisitive. If she'd read anything in his journals, especially the early ones, and managed to understand it... well, he'd give her a commendation and a Pinion. His handwriting had, at one point, been such a scrawl that it was better than any code.

"I do realize," Seliam continued, "that we haven't been properly introduced. Endal Seliam (Kalith)." He used to wonder how the riders had slipped in those verbal parentheses when he was young -- now, the minute pause was second nature to him. If the yasi-lookalike was inclined to offer an answer, he simply answered it with a nod, and let the silence persist for a moment. The stone roughened just a little under his booted feet -- they were getting closer, though not terribly fast, to the central kitchens. At this time of day, the Dek shifts would all be through and there would probably be no line. ... Not that it was a matter for him, of course, but still.

After a few moments, glancing about and every now and again to the side, he continued. "You've still not answered, I note, what disturbed you. I'm certain that you weren't peeking over my shoulder... yes...?" A bit of a grin, there, offered to her, as he gauged her reaction. "And surely the sight of books does not disturb you so, or working in the library would be like a dip headfirst into the glass kilns."

[Vala]

He introduced himself, and his Eagle. It would have been a nice gesture if it hadn’t been so haughty. Not that the Endal would know he was being so, it was almost expected of them to have that sort of bearing. Vala found it slightly disconcerting as they walked through the halls. It was strange to have the throngs of Avora, Chiet, Dek, and Yasi part for them; Vala was not use to such treatment. She preferred to stick close to the walls and avoid undue contact with strangers. Only a few bothered to look at the pair; Vala knew what they were thinking. There was, usually, only one reason a male Endal would pass their time with a pretty female chiet; Vala pulled on her skin, feeling dirty beneath the passing glances. Mentioning the glass kilns - he had tried to make a joke, he even smiled. Vala could tell he was watching her; his eyes, while crinkled in a friendly manner, bore down on her with a piercing blue fire. Vala threw up her guards, she felt uncomfortable being so casually interrogated. He was trying to disarm her, trying to figure something out. She wouldn’t let him get what he wanted; she would fight him - with smiles. She tilted her head down and to the side, to accentuate her slight, girly frame; she forced herself to tear a little, until her sapphire eyes, glistened with childish light. “I do apologize for eavesdropping so.” Her voice whispered with an innocent lisp. “I didn’t see anything I swear.” That wasn’t the answer he was looking for, he was still staring at her, searching. She looked up at him, lips formed into a perfect, practiced pout; she tried to read him right back. “...I-...” She stopped, thinking some more before attempting again. This time she brought her hand up to her head, mock gesturing feeling for her temperature. She scrunched her nose, trying to appear a little ditzy... no one ever expects ditzy people to have ulterior motives...”How silly of me. I must have not drunk enough water and am coming down with a minor sniffles, oh dear.” She cupped her mouth, lightly sneezing, sounding more like a squeak. The smell of fresh cooked food wafted temptingly in the air.

[Vala]

Miracles did happen. Luckily for Vala one butted in just in time. “Seliam! Seliam!” Another Endal called on the other side of the courtyard. Seliam’s head snapped up to find who had called him. A playful smile twisted , upon his lips when he recognized who it was. The two men nearly ran up to each other, grasping one another in a brotherly embrace. They broke after many animated pats on the back. The other began to talk animatedly, something about a hunt. It only took a second for Seliam to forget the Chiet he had in tow, giving her the perfect opportunity to escape. Vala was not one to let such gifts slip away. Doing her best to act as inconspicuous as possible, choosing not to run, and forcing herself to observe first. He may have been engaged in his conversation friend, but she knew how keen Endal eyes were, especially when watching their prey; she still wanted to make sure to be careful, she never knew when another opportunity would so eagerly present itself. It was impossible for her to keep up with their fast paced conversation, even if it was very loud and boisterous, attracting attention from passing citizens. Vala instead chose to keep their body stances in her peripheral – if they looked like they were about to break then she knew her time was closing in. For now they seemed thoroughly engaged, giving her time and confidence to bide her time. The hallway was not crowded. The intoxicating smell of fresh cooked food wafted in the air distractingly. Vala squinted her eyes trying to focus on passing groups. Another pair of Endals were about to walk by, but that wouldn’t be helpful for a chiet who would look impertinent if she tried to walk in step with them. It was hard for her though, to not focus on the brightly adorned Endals, bedecked with the master crafted beads and jewelry that only their caste could afford. Vala forced herself to find groups of Dek instead; their innate ability to blend into the shadows was exactly what she needed right now. Unluckily for Vala it seemed fortune was being miserly and was now holding back. Vala gritted her teeth in frustration. Her bright eyes darted from citizen to citizen, mostly looking for larger groups. The few couples that did pass were higher class – where were the Drudge when you needed them! Finally, after a couple chimes, Vala caught sight of a set of three Dek carrying a large crate each. Vala sized them up: plain faces, shoeless, and absolutely, perfectly average. Even when she was looking her hardest, Vala had trouble noticing them. They did not take up as much space as Vala wanted; there was a risk they wouldn’t A few seconds before they were about to pass, Vala turned to look directly at Seliam who seemed to be wrapping up his conversation. Before he could turn to notice her, Vala timed her first step so that she walked perfectly in step with the raggedy trio. They smelled absolutely horrid, but at least they were serving her purpose for them. Not wanting to deal with the odor much longer, Vala was grateful when they made a turn into another warren on her way to the Enclave. It barely took Vala five chimes to be safely ensconced in her precious dusty bubble, yet again. Vala breathed a sigh of relief – free from the whims of the Reimancing Endal.