[temple of all gods] challenge. (jaelyn)

[Caelum]

The subdued smile he offered her was not intentionally mysterious, but it possessed mystery all the same. The past seasons of his life were not ones he had fully absorbed yet himself, having been spun and spun again like a coin across the cosmic table. "Was is enjoyable or just harrowing?" The words continued to come carefully, but she had managed to catch his interest. That was not always an easy thing to do. "The wilderness survival training. And I'm a healer," he offered, paused and added. "Not a very good one, but there's the best of what I've to offer by means of earning." A sigh left him turned partially around, in the direction of the temple doors, giving his back to the holy proper. "I could do with a guide. Thank you." He was trying awfully hard at kindness; but perhaps the ready hand at sword hilt had reminded him of all the hardships.

[Jaelyn Baroth]

Caelum's question brought a thoughtful look to Jaelyn's face as she contemplated how to answer his question, "I suppose I would have to say enjoyable. It was difficult, but it was very good training."

At the mention of being a healer, plus the acceptance of guiding, Jaelyn smiled warmly at Caelum, "Well, the Soothing Waters can always use more help with healing from what I have seen," motioning towards the door out of the Temple she took a couple steps towards it, as he seemed ready to leave, "Would you like me to show you straight there, or would you like to see some other places of Syliras first?"

She knew that she might not be able to erase her first impression with the man, but hopefully she could make amends for her rudeness by helping him out now.

[Caelum]

"I expect no real harm came to any of you." It was a question, indicated so by tone if not by word arrangement; and he turned his back on the Temple of All Gods to step out of the last bar of sunlight and in the direction of the door. General fatigue caused it to be easy to shorten his typically long strides to match Jaelyn's, hands still caught in jacket pockets. He did not bother to pull back up his hood, seeing it as pointless now. "You'll be patrolling outside of the city at times then? As a knight?" He continued, letting prickling curiosity take him. He possessed a terribly driven soul that some had called that of a scholar's before, though that had been some time. He smelled of horse and wind and that combined with those ragged riding leathers suggested stories having little to do with dusty libraries. "Soothing Waters," he nodded slowly. "Some of the city, if you're willing to put up with me. It might keep me from getting lost tomorrow, nyeh?" He could only hope. The stars had a bad habit of screwing with him. Stupid gods.

[Jaelyn Baroth]

"We had a more experienced Knight guiding us, so we call came back safe," Jaelyn replied with a small nod to Caelum's apparent question, "And I hope I will be patrolling outside the walls. It will depend on what Company I join, and the one I hope to become part of as a Knight spends most of their time out in the Bronze Woods."

Walking along beside Caelum, Jaelyn lead the way down the main thoroughfare between Jordan and Roshin districts, pointing out the few nearby landmarks of note; The Stone Gardens, Kova's Well, and the Welcome Home. Caelum's mention of putting up with him brought a faint flush to Jaelyn's cheeks, "It is the least I can do after giving you such a rude welcome to Syliras."

Searching for something of her own to ask, as they turned west and started along the thoroughfare between Jordan and Maiden districts, Jaelyn finally cleared her throat softly and asked, "What brings you to Syliras, if you do not mind me asking Caelum? Just the closest place for supplies, or something else?"

[Caelum]

Their surroundings were absorbed by hooded eyes as they walked. When she pointed, he looked; and then his regard lingered, maybe overlong, on Kova's Well. It was looked at strangely, eyes narrowing slightly as he recollected the giggling stories an butcher's daughter had told him of it years ago when last he had set foot in this walled city. "We're both going to have to get over that welcome, Jaelyn," he muttered quietly, tearing his eyes from the well to twitch a faint smile at her. A hand rose to dig into an interior pocket of his jacket, emerging a moment later in display of a pair of copper mizas. They were worn and grimy at their edges, but even resting against the fabric of his fingerless glove, they glowed all the brighter for the duller light that yet lived in his skin. "Go on," he invited her to take one with a cant of his chin in the direction of the well. Maybe it was a forgiveness. Maybe it was apology. "I'm hoping to find an old friend," he at last answered her question and then hesitated. "Two old friends. One's just going to be a lot harder to locate than the other." A thoughtful expression found his face. "Do you know if the knights maintain a registry of those who have come to the city?"

[Jaelyn Baroth]

Jaelyn returned Caelum's smile, a hint of apology in her own, and the smile took on a questioning tinge as he offered her a coin and nodded to Kova's Well, "You wish to cast coins into Kova's Well? I suppose it could not hurt to do so, but I doubt the mystical ghost will show herself to us to grant a wish."

Lightly taking the coin from Caelum's hand Jaelyn slowly approached Kova's well, bringing up her empty hand to touch her lips thoughtfully at her companion's question, "I do not believe that such a registry is kept, but if your friend stayed long in the city there might be record of them at Traveler's Row or the Housing Authority. Maybe even at the Employment Office if they held a job here," she dropped her hand as she gave an encouraging smile to Caelum, "I can show you where they are on our way to the Soothing Waters."

Pausing at the edge of Kova's Well Jaelyn took a moment to look down into the inky darkness it contained. Even having spent her whole life in Syliras she had never cast a coin into Kova's Well before. It seemed silly, even a bit rude, to cast coins into a well in the hopes of summoning some poor woman's spirit in the hopes she could grant a wish. Still, it would be rude to simply take Caelum's coin and not use it as intentioned. With a little flick of her wrist she cast the coin into the well and quietly listened to hear the splash.

[Caelum]

"There's a ghost?" Surprise reflected itself on the ethaefal's striking features as he followed Jaelyn the last few feet to the well. "Eh," a wry twist caught his mouth as he leaned far enough over to peer along with his companion down into the watery depths. "Here's for hoping this doesn't bother her then." He was the last person to wish disturbance of a person's peace -- or what peace a soul could find if it had been slipped free of the cycle of life and death but not kept amongst the heavens. He knew all too well what they were missing out on. The copper miza was snapped into the well as he stepped back, considering it more of an offering to the very gods whom he had been metaphorically glaring at at the Temple of All Gods than the purchase of a wish he could not imagine he had a right to impose upon the lingering dead. "No knight kept registry then?" Disappointment drew the edges of his mouth back down, but it was familiar on him. "I'm familiar with Traveler's Row. Stayed there before, a long while back. That's a good idea, to check with such places. I will."

[Jaelyn Baroth]

"That is what people say," Jaelyn said softly, and let out a faintly held breath as the sound of the two coins landing in the water reached her ears, "They also say the stones come from Suva at the time of the Valterrian, but I am not sure how much truth is in either rumor."

Stepping back from the well Jaelyn turned a soft smile back to Caelum, nodding at his response to her suggestion, "The Housing Authority is on our way to the Soothing Waters, if you would like to stop there now, or I can just point it out to you so you can visit it later. Is there anything else you're specifically looking for?" she paused for a moment thinking, "You said you were looking for supplies, right? Do you know about the Great Bazaar already?" as she spoke she started to walk again, leading the way down the thoroughfare between Roshin and Jordan districts.

Whatever Caelum had meant the offering of coin as, apology or forgiveness, Jaelyn was feeling better about their initial meeting now. She still intended to show the interesting man around, as she had said, but now she felt at least that she had made some form of amends for her actions.

[Caelum]

"I have been to the Bazaar before," Caelum admitted while falling back into step with Jaelyn. It was with an amble to his stride, hands finding the pockets of his jacket again. He cast a longer, lingering glance back at Kova's Well when she mentioned the age of the stones. Something akin to humor quirked his mouth as he looked back at his companion. "Almost as old as me then, if so. Are there any other curious legends of this city, Squire Jaelyn?" In possession of a scholar's hungry heart and having made the decision to be as friendly as he was capable, the questions continued. If they were murmured quietly, phrased carefully, well, he had been awhile away from people who cared to have actual conversations with him. "I'll go by the Housing Authority later myself. It might take awhile, my errand there."

[Jaelyn Baroth]

Caelum's comment about his age drew a quirked eyebrow from Jaelyn, but she pushed aside her curiousity for a moment to answer his question first, "Well, there is the story of the Windoak. When Sylir gave up his life to protect humanity his blood fell from the sky and upon the rocks by the sea. From that stain rose a great silvery Oak, twisted and heavy with age, and it was at the location of that tree where the Dyres brothers founds Syliras, in honor of Sylir's sacrifice," as Jaelyn relayed the tale her voice was heavy with respect, and a hint of sadness.

As she continued to lead the way along the thoroughfare Jaelyn pointed out the Illythian and Maiden districts, both residential, and then followed the branch of the thoroughfare that headed west, between Maiden and Jordon.

After a time Jaelyn's curiousity continued to prick at her, and she finally asked, "What you said earlier, about the stones of Kova's Well being almost as old as you are, does that mean you are older than the Valterrian?" after a short breath she hastened to add, "If you do not mind talking of it."