[Flashback, Hunters' Gather] Chit-chat (Veldrys)

[Nisana Curare]

"Not all magic," Nisana chimed in at Veldrys' comment, "I know that much of it can be dangerous, but some that I have seen did not seem very dangerous at all," a fond smile touched her lips, "Like Animation."

Taking the offered juice Nisana took a small sip of it, letting the refreshing juice flow about her mouth for a moment, and then swallowed it with a refreshed sigh, "Ah. Now, how about we start at the beginning, with my first solo hunt?" without actually waiting for a reply Nisana leaned forward and started telling her story, "The sky outside was already dark when I left the cavern of Kalinor with my carapace armor and short bow. Any animal would do for a first hunt, but being the daughter of Valvessa Curare I could not just settle for the simplest I could find."

Sitting up straight Nisana brought her hands up to help illustrate her story as she told it, "So I traveled away from Kalinor and into the deeper forest. Winding my way through trees and bushes I finally spotted sign of good prey, the footprints of a large cat," she took another sip of the juice before continuing, "I knew that large cats could be dangerous, and so I carefully followed the tracks as they meandered about the forest floor. When I finally came upon the cat I didn't see it, but heard it. The softest of noises alerted me to its hiding place in a nearby tree right before it pounced!"

Leaning forward again, hands planted on the table, Nisana's voice picked up intensity, "I managed to dodge the cat's strike, but it was too close for me to get a good shot off with my bow. So I ran to put some distance between us, but of course the cat followed. I knew I couldn't outrun it long, and so I ran to a nearby tree, running a ways up its trunk before flipping off of it and landing to the creature's side."

Sitting tall once more, a triumphant smile on her face as she finished the story, "The first arrow struck it in the flank, distracting it and giving me a clear shot at its neck to bring it down finally. With little more than some scratches on my foot I had managed to bring down a worthy prey for my Web, and I returned triumphantly to Kalinor."

Sitting back Nisana took a slow drink of her juice, savoring the taste as she waited to hear Veldrys' reaction to her story.

[Veldrys]

„Animation?“ Veldrys repeated. „I once met an Animator. His art certainly didn’t seem to be that dangerous.“ The animator Velarian had been the one who had given him the idea to combine morphing and glyphing. Before he had met the animator, he hadn’t even considered that possibility, but struggled to use any magic at all. He wondered what the other man was doing now, whether he was still making those amazing little works of art – and whether he would ever be willing to sell one of them to him. Maybe he would pay him a visit later on and ask him about it ... As Nisana suggested starting with her first solo hunt, the healer nodded. Hearing about her first hunt would certainly be interesting. To his joy Nisana turned out to be a good storyteller. As she spoke of the dark sky outside and how she had travelled into the depper forest he almost felt as if he were there with her, looking for an animal that would impress her mother. As she told him how the cat had pounced, he held his breath, and then, as it turned out that she had been able to dodge its attack, he breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. „It sounds as if you are quite skilled with the bow“, he remarked as she had ended. From the look on his face Nisana could tell that he was quite impressed. He had completely forgotten about the Bruka in front of him over her story. It was slowly getting cold and turning into something a little less delicious. „I’m afraid I tend to be useless with anything but a knife or a scalpel in my hand. How did your mother react when you told her of your hunt? How big was the cat?“

[Nisana Curare]

Nisana gave a pleased smile at Veldrys' compliment. Even though she was sure of her own skill it was never unpleasant to have someone else notice. When Veldrys then started to downplay his own skill Nisana gave a small shake of her head, "There is nothing wrong with being skilled at healing Veldrys. I could do little more than draw blood with a knife or scalpel, and not with very much skill at that."

Taking a slow sip of her juice Nisana enjoyed the attention Veldrys was giving her. She hadn't enjoyed company like this since, well, since the day she met Velarian. Putting her cup back down she turned a warm, faintly contemplative look on Veldrys, "She was proud of course, and she gifted me her hunting bow, the same one that her Mother had given to her, in honor of my hunt. As for the cat," she paused to think back, "It was a good size. 75 or so pounds. Not the biggest prey I've ever brought down, but still respectable."

Her amethyst eyes lingered on Veldrys for a few silent moments before she spoke again, "You know Veldrys, if you wanted to learn how to use a bow I would be happy to give you some lessons," she smiled warmly, "It would most likely be useful to know for your trips to the surface."

[Veldrys]

„There is nothing wrong with being skilled as a healer“, Veldrys agreed. He hadn’t really been downplaying his own skill. He’d merely been stating a fact. He would never be able to hunt a cat and kill it as well, just as Nisana would likely never stand in the Purging and deal with disobedient surrogates that were about to give birth. But he felt like making an offer nevertheless, an offer that was made with a little smile, as if it were half in jest. „I could show you how to draw blood, if you are ever interested in that. It’s one of the easiest things to do as far as medicine is concerned. The worst that can happen if you make a mistake is a bruise.“ „Seventy-five pounds is quite respectable“, he remarked. „How did you get it home? Did you cut it into pieces? I don’t know if I would have been able to carry such a large weight all the way back to Kalinor.“ Cutting it into pieces and simply taking the parts that he wanted was what he would have done if he had been a hunter. He’d have made camp in the wilderness for a night and cleaned the fur, but then, what did he know about hunting? As Nisana offered to give him lessons in the use of the bow, the young man’s amethyst eyes widened, and he inclined his head. „That would be appreciated. It would be good to have a way to defend myself – or attack – from the distance should I ever find myself on the surface.“ He hadn’t known how to fight at all the last time he had been up there, when he had visited Lhavit, but fortunately nothing had happened, nothing but kisses and the warmth of another being, with only the stars to bear witness. „Knives require you to get close to your opponent, and there is always a risk in that.“

[Nisana Curare]

Veldrys' offer caused Nisana to tilt her head slightly, "Drawing blood? I confess I do not know much at all of the healing arts. What good would drawing blood do for someone?" she gave a little chuckle, "Perhaps, it would be best if you were to teach me some of the basics of treating wounds? Especially those that I might receive while on a hunt. That would be very useful."

"I carried it upon my back," Nisana brought up a hand to pat her shoulder, "Much like a pack. I folded its front legs over my chest," she crossed her long arms over her chest to provide a demonstration, "It was incredibly heavy, perhaps a bit foolhardy, but I refused to not bring back the whole trophy of my first hunt. When I returned to Kalinor I was so worn that I needed to use the Woven Gate to return to Kalinor," she gave a soft chuckle and shake of her head, "But it was a good first hunt."

Replacing her hands in her lap Nisana leaned forward and smiled warmly at Veldrys, "Well, it seems we have a deal then. You teach me about medicine, and I will instruct you in the bow. It would be best to do it soon if possible," she sat back again, "It is likely I will be called to leave on a harvest any day now."

[Veldrys]

„There are a few reasons for drawing blood“, Veldrys replied, noticing Nisana’s confusion. From the way he said this it would be obvious to the other Symenestra that he enjoyed talking about this. „Somebody who bears the mark of Viratas could likely find out what ails a person just by tasting their blood. Sometimes people have too much blood or too little blood which is especially common after a serious accident. Sometimes you can save a life by giving the patient somebody else’s blood – and sometimes the blood makes them sicker than they have been before. I don’t know why exactly that happens, but ...“ Veldrys shrugged his shoulders somewhat helplessly. „... you wanted to know what good drawing blood would do for someone.“ He smiled a little as as she proposed something else and nodded. „I agree that learning how to treat wounds would be more useful though. I can certainly do that. At least I can teach you the basics.“ Having said that, he proceeded to listen to Nisana’s explanation as to how she had gotten her prey back to Kalinor. „Impressive“, he remarked. „You did well on your first hunt. Without a doubt you will become just as famous as your mother in time.“ „If you are going to leave soon“, he began. „Why don’t you give me the first lesson in the use of the bow now? Or did you have something else planned for after your visit to the Hunter’s Gather?“ He looked at her questioningly, deciding that if she wanted to do something else, he wouldn’t keep her from it. He didn’t absolutely have to do it now.

[Nisana Curare]

Nisana nodded softly as Veldrys explained the reasons for drawing blood. It was interesting, but far above what she wanted to know of healing. It was a good art, but not one she wanted to focus in. As Veldrys finished his explanation she smiled warmly at him, "Well, thank you for answering me fully, I appreciate it."

Veldrys' compliments were certainly not lost on Nisana, and she perked up a bit, her smile growing wider and proud, "Thank you, I certainly try hard to uphold my Web's tradition of excellence," even her amethyst eyes held a new warmth as she gazed at Veldrys as she brought her juice up to finish the last of it.

Not since Velarian had she felt so paid attention to by a man, and that had been back when she was only a child. Perhaps it was time to finally move on from her thoughts of Velarian.

Softly placing her cup back upon the table Nisana smiled warmly once again at Veldrys, "I can think of little I would rather do than show you how to use a bow. Are you done with your Bruka? When you are ready let us go to the Sickle and Arrow. Then afterward you can show me a bit of healing, yes?"

[Veldrys]

„You are welcome“, Veldrys replied as she thanked him for her answer. It was good to have somebody who was willing to listen to the things he said and at least seemed to be interested. He realized that he had not thought about the unpleasant reasons that had brought him here for several minutes now, that he had been entirely focused on her. Despite her attitude regarding the Harvest she seemed to be a pleasant woman. Two pairs of amehtyst eyes met for a moment. There was the hint of a smile on his pale face again, and then he pushed the empty bowl away. „I’m done with my Bruka“, he told her and rose to his feet. „Let’s go to the Sickle and Arrow. You have to tell me what kind of bow I need though. I have very little idea as to what would be best for me. I barely know how to hold a bow correctly.“ He walked to the door of the tavern in front of her, but then he stepped aside, allowing her to exit the building first. If the ropes that made up the streets of Kalinor were wide enough, he would walk next to her.

[Nisana Curare]

Nisana waited a moment for Veldrys to rise, and then moved to follow after him to the exit of the Hunter's Gather. As they left the building and began on the path that would take them to the Sickle and Arrow she gave a pleasant smile to the man next to her, "It would probably be best for you to start with a short bow then. It requires less effort to use properly, but the basics translate well enough to the long bow."

After a little time of silence, enough to be considered polite but far short of being uncomfortable, Nisana spoke up again, "Tell me Veldrys, if you do not mind, why do you work as a healer? I have heard that many who work as healers do so out of a desire to help all they can. Is it the same for you?"

If she truly did intend to seek a form of relationship with Veldrys then it certainly wouldn't hurt to ply her skill with words on him. If nothing developed then at least it would be a bit of practice for when she did finally leave on her first Harvest.

[Veldrys]

„A short bow it is then“, Veldrys decided and returned the smile. As she asked him why he worked as a healer, he didn’t reply immediately. The question had inevitably made his thoughts return to the surrogates and the unfortunate situation of their people. „I do it both out of a desire to help and to understand“, he finally said. „I do not only want to treat wounds. I also want to understand why we are the way we are, the venom and how the other races are different from us. What do you think of that, Nisana?“ „Why do you do what you do?“ he then asked. The thought of a relationship with her didn’t occur to him, at least not yet, but he enjoyed talking to her. She seemed to be a genuinely interesting woman. „Why did you become a hunter? And what do you do besides that?“ „Surely you cannot spend the whole day in the forest, practicing your skills or preparing for your first Harvest.“