Ysaryn bared her teeth in a grumble, before shoving more meat in her mouth. "Come to me." She said, turning to grab the empty kettle to take to the stream for water. She was quiet along the way, her eyes shadowed with thought. When they reached the water, she crouched again, the toes of her leather boots dipped into the stream as she submerged the kettle.

"Cordon, if they catch elf, we are stolen. And sold." She said darkly without looking up. "To go back, with Zeck, I have to pretend. We both do." She shifted her shoulders, as if the mere thought of pretending to be a slave made her skin crawl. "Last trip," Ysaryn hesitated, before looking to Kire. Her expression gave away that she was struggling with the translation. "We are okay? He almost laughed when I make comment. And we are overheard." She looked away again. The kettle was full, but she didn't rise yet, her eyes on the water.

"Men came. Asked what he was laughing to. To keep up our pretend, he had to act roughly. I should have just left him there. Gone home, or back here. But for a moment, he looked afraid. So I stayed. I had to accept it."

Ysaryn finally stood, hauling the kettle from the water, the overflow pouring over her feet as she turned to face Kire. Her eyes were intense, almost glowing even in the sunlight. "I was stolen before I left for Ziad. Before I learned to magic escape." The elf shook her head. "I swore I would never let men do that again. I wanted to kill them all. Even Zeck. So, I am glad you are taking over."

Kire stayed quiet as Ysaryn explained, watching her fetch water for the kettle. She could only imagine the humiliation that came with pretending to be a slave, and owned by a man with as volatile a temper and condition as Zeke. She waited patiently while the elf struggled to gather her words, and sighed, lips pressed thin in a grim expression when Ysaryn explained what had happened during their last trip. Her eyes flashed for a brief moment in anger and horror when the elf told her about being stolen before. Bastards.

Not having the words in response to what Ysaryn had just told her, Kire looked into her eyes, glowing almost like gems in the sun, and raised a hand to gently touch her by the elbow, only briefly, before letting it fall to her side again. “One day, we’ll walk down the beach. Your kin living nearby. We’ll catch some fish. Or you will. I’m shit at fishing.” She smirked. “Let’s brew some tea.”

She was silent back in the kitchen, her mind getting a picture of the kind of men that populated Cordon. “I had asked Rulitus to enchant something for me, to change my face,” she remarked, watching the elf. “Had asked him to make me look much more boring than I already am. Are there not a lot of people with hair like mine around here?” she asked, remembering Ysaryn’s reaction to her appearance the first night they met.

Ysaryn's eyes narrowed as Kire touched her, her answer oddly ... comforting. To not focus on the past and instead on her goal was what helped drive her. A better life. Freedom.
That Kire was shit at fishing was somehow not surprising. Ysaryn could only picture her trying to stab fish with the sword she never let out of her sight.

Considering the amount of people who complained about the stench of her tea, Ysaryn only boiled the water in the pot, fishing into her pockets for a small satchel. She sprinkled a bit of the sour-smelling herbs into a clean cup and waited.
"You had ugly body when you came." Yaaryn said bluntly. "Ready to punch. Ready to bite. First goal in a tense meeting. Disarm the opponent." The elf grinned. "The compliment made you body relax. Yes, many men have your hair. But not many elf. Rare, for gold hair. Strange, as my hair is common."

She watched the kettle, enjoying the way the flames licked the sides of the metal, leaving whispers of char marks before they faded.
"You will not to help me find a home. You have much to do, Chieftess. It will be my job to find a home for my people." Her eyes went up to Kire's, her expression kind. "But you come visit. I will watch you stab fish."

Another one of her musical chuckles, then she frowned. "Tell me. I feel bad about Zeck. He is always ugly body. But in Cordon, almost, he was different. I fear now he is discouraged. I do not know why I care, but I do not know how to encourage, either."

Kire blinked. Ugly body? Her lips parted in surprise at Ysaryn’s description, she almost ignored the elf’s actual answer to her question. Before she could stop herself, she barked out a loud laugh. “You are very good at disarming your opponent,” she replied, shaking her head as she grinned. “Can’t believe I fell for that.” She gestured at Ysaryn’s hair. “Nobody has hair like that where I’m from. Rather boring.”

When she gently but firmly told Kire that helping to find them a home was not her duty, Kire nodded solemnly. It was a good reminder, hearing it from somebody else that wasn’t herself or Jan. Besides, I am still a stranger here. If anybody would know best for her people, it would be Ysaryn. Her invitation to visit, and the subsequent comment about her fishing skills, made her laugh again. It wasn’t too far from the truth. “I will behead many fishes for you,” she said in mock solemnity.

She fell silent, thinking over her question about Zeke. Ugly body. Sounds about right. “He’s still hurting. Envy says he’s someone who doesn’t want to be useless. Cordon might’ve been good for him to feel that, and just to get away from the caves. Envy’s going to find something else for him to do while Rulitus and I take over.” Kire sighed. “I suppose he needs to be around people who don’t remind him of what happened to him. Make him feel like the man he was. But I think that goes for many of the people in here. Find that thing that makes you go from just living day to day to having purpose. Like what you told me before. Make things mean something again.”

While she had almost blushed at Kire's compliment on disarming, or at least her skin's version of a blush, Ysaryn nodded seriously to her remark on Zeke. He needed out. To feel useful. To be around people who didn't see the soldier who had fallen to the enemy without losing everything.

"I will speak to Envy, too, then." Ysaryn said. "See for ideas. It was nice to get out and have purpose, even if not ultimately for my people. It was helping his people." She grinned. "Maybe you take him to Cordon? Let him be free man. To drink and eat." Ysaryn suggested indifferently.
She went quiet for a moment, wondering what else Envy would have the man do that would keep him busy without keeping him here all the time. When the kettle whistled, she poured some of the steaming water into her cup. "You want? Maybe not mine. Other herbs for tea, maybe?" She offered.

"I need to get Bolym. He is very angry about bruises, and won't hesitate to take it out on Zeck." Ysaryn raised her foul-smelling teacup. "Enjoy you talk to Envy and Rulitus. Maybe I tell him how to make your new look?" She added teasingly before she shuffled away into the main chamber to hunt down her bodyguard

Kire nodded, considering the suggestion to take Zeke along, if only briefly. It would be good for him, but she wasn’t too sure how well they would work together, and definitely she couldn’t bring him when Ruli was coming along, too. She feared, too, what would happen if Ikegai or Akuma had somehow tracked them there, and she had to worry about his safety amidst a fight. Which is exactly what he doesn’t want from anybody. She thanked Ysaryn for her offer of tea, a little relieved the elf woman wasn’t offering the same kind she was drinking, and nodded in farewell when she went to look for Bolym, smirking at her teasing. One of these days, she should invite Ysaryn for a drink.

While she still had the space to herself, she stayed a while longer in the kitchen after finding some of the herbal teas she had brought back with her. The smell alone reminded her of Elva and the cold North. After finishing the piping hot cup, Kire sighed and got ready to leave to speak to Envy and Rulitus.

The two of them were in Envy's chamber, taking advantage of the privacy the sound ward offered. They both hushed as Kire walked through it, though only Ruli's head turned toward her. Envy furrowed his brow, smelling the tea on her first, before he realized it was not the pink-haired elf, but Kire.
"Good morning." He greeted.

Ruli only grunted at her in greeting.

"I have spoken to Ruli about my request of the two of you. He has agreed, though he'll need to accompany Ysaryn first, just to get a feel for where to go."
Nodding, Ruli decided to speak. "Once we're there, I intend to ask around for places to move the refugees. Sailors tend to know a lot of different cities. There's bound to be one that can accommodate everyone."
That everyone included Envy was the part of that that would cause trouble. The whole continent didn't fear Kartaians, but men as a whole had a tendency to be racist. He turned to speak to Kire. "Going with her to the city won't take long. I could be ready as early as lunchtime."
"We don't have much for coin, only what Zeke and Yasryn managed to obtain while out. So you won't be able to do much beside gather supplies, I'm afraid." He admitted apologetically.
"We'll manage, Envy." Ruli said tiredly.

Kire nodded once at Ruli to acknowledge him, then greeted Envy in turn. She let the two men explain first, noting the limitations they had, which she had been aware of. “I talked to Ysaryn; she’d given me an idea what Cordon would be like, and what she and Zeke would do on their supply runs. Speaking of coin, however, I know Ysaryn had mentioned ‘gold’ to me before, so I at least know that’s something valuable here.” She had brought the satchel with her, which patted twice as she spoke. “I brought coin with me, in case we’d need it. It’s not quite a gold mine, but if Rulitus here is a good haggler we could find quality goods, I surmise. It’s a port town, after all.”

She paused, thinking over her earlier conversation with the elf, then continued, “We were also wondering how to help Zekiel, given that he might’ve been getting something out of these trips to Cordon. Ysaryn will speak with you about that, I think, but just wanted to let you know it’s something she’s been thinking about.”

Ruli arched an eyebrow before looking to Envy, who grinned at Kire. "Clever." He said, extending his hand to take the pouch from her, sliding his fingers inside to grab one. He felt the size, the faces, weighing it in his palm. "I think these will serve you nicely. I don't suggest taking the hole pouch, though." He put the coin back and returned it to Kire. "No more than a dozen should serve you well, and hide them well on your person. I have no doubt Cordon is full of thieves."

When she mentioned Zeke, and Ysaryn wanting to speak to him, Envy nodded once more. "Yes. I had considered that. Another reason I have asked for Ruli to accompany you was so he can learn of other cities to visit. Maybe Ysaryn and Zeke can continue traveling together in a city where their arrangement can be different."
"But they'll still want to kill one another, no?" Ruli asked.
The Kartaian shrugged. "Perhaps. But I think that, without the stress of their play-acting, they could get along. Ysaryn gets along with everyone else well enough. I think if she relaxed, so would he. So if you wouldn't mind keeping your mind open for me. For them."
Ruli nodded, but pressed his lips thin.

Kire smirked. “Not that different from any port city, then,” she said, putting the coin purse back in her satchel. “But duly noted. I’ll be careful.” She listened to them throw ideas about how best to handle their predicament with Zeke, and perhaps keeping Ysaryn involved with it. “Ysaryn had been the one to tell me about her concerns for him, despite the animosity,” she put in, “there’s potential for both of them to loosen up around one another. Just not in Cordon.”

She crossed her arms, thinking over their plans for the day. “Just let me know what it is we need on this supply run. I’ll be ready to go when you are,” she said, addressing Ruli. “Hopefully they wouldn’t mind me looking like this—I don't mean just my face, but armed. Would they question a lady walking around with a big old sword and armor? Or should I dress more like a lady?” Her mouth twitched into a smirk as she huffed at that suggestion.

"I had put consideration into that, as well." Envy said. Ruli nodded, as if to silently say 'of course you have'. "I think lumber and building supplies. Wood. Nails. Hammer. We could begin with making cots, more chairs, tables. And axe, even, or saw, and we could cut down a few trees here. Maybe when we find ourselves able to move one day, we could pull it all apart and rebuild where we wind up."

Ruli nodded again. "We can do that. There's bound to be a trader who will offer a bulk deal." He glanced toward Kire, when she mentioned how to dress, then quickly looked away. Like hell he was going to tell a woman how to dress.
Envy, however, tilted his head in thought. "Another question for Ysaryn, but I can't imagine you would do more than elicit challenges from any drunks."
"The heavier you are, the harder it will be to travel." Ruli decided to comment. "Especially with the supplies. Unless you travel on your own, and weight doesn't effect you. Then I just have to bare in mind how much I carry."
"There is that, yes." Envy agreed. "Its why Ysaryn and Zeke can only bring so much. She can't travel with much weight. And Zeke is not a small man."
Ruli was quiet, thinking. "I don't think dress or pants matters. But I don't see us arriving and jumping into combat. The sword alone should be fine." He pointed out, glancing sidelong at Kire. "Dress how you want. Ysaryn goes back and forth in leathers, from what I've seen."

Kire nodded. “Duly noted. I’ll bring the sword. I can carry a huge weight with me, though the number of return trips for a day will be much less than I would be able to do. I could do it for the first three or four trips, the rest perhaps Rulitus and I can split the load. Gathering old but serviceable furniture is still a good idea, would still help save some labor, and especially if you’re not planning to stay for too long here. You do have a lot of good wood outside, too,” she added, gesturing vaguely behind her. “If you plan on staying longer here, your people need to take better advantage of the land. I’d suggest you look into cultivating even a small farm, if you’re going to clear a bit of forest for the wood, anyway. That should be something to do for those who can’t hunt. When I was scouring the ruins back in Ziad, there seemed to be some remains or attempts at farmland near what used to be your walls, unless I was mistaken.”

Ruli watched her talk, listening to her plan out their strategy in a way that reminded him very much of the old Zeke. Planning out the day, preparing for fatigue, strategizing the best use of their efforts and what to grab and when. Something told Ruli that, in another life, she and Zeke would have been fast friends.

As she continued and mentioned the farmland outside of Ziad, he looked away from her. Envy, too, looked sad for a moment before he grinned. "You are not mistaken." He said gently.
"It is in the works. Little Ziad is clearing a bit of ground, but the issue has been getting seeds or keeping them from dying. Years of desert life has confused us on how to make plants grow in shade. We have a small supply of root vegetables, but not much more." He turned toward Ruli, who nodded, still not looking back toward Kire.
"I'll add 'seeds' to the list." He promised, and Envy looked back toward Kire, satisfied.
"Surprisingly, its been Bolym who has been most helpful with the garden." The Kartaian explained. "But he is uncomfortable near the tent city. And they're uncomfortable with him." The elf clicked his tongue.

"We've alot to do, and a long way to go." He acknowledged. "But, you're help is making it infinitely easier."

“Bolym? Hm. I’ll make a note of that. No other workers, farmers among you? Though I suppose them being outside the city walls meant they had been particularly vulnerable.” Kire was already distracted by imagining the work that would need to be done, not only to cultivate a farm from scratch successfully but to even get Bolym and the people of Little Ziad to cooperate with each other. She knew very well how near-insurmountable generations of bias could be, but she hoped that their need to survive and thrive should eventually win out over prejudices that should no longer matter. She wondered for a moment why Ruli looked much more dejected amid all this farming talk, but decided not to press. Not that she had much confidence that he would answer her even if she did.

“You’re welcome. Honestly, trying to help a community back on its feet isn’t all that different from what I’ve been doing these past few months.” She smiled, though only briefly. “We’re not done with the work. You have yours cut out for you, too. But the fact that you’ve managed to keep this community safe here, it’s a feat in itself.” She wished then that she didn’t have the hunt for Ikegai to worry about on top of helping the former residents of Ziad, alongside her own. A mountain of unfinished business. “The work never ends,” she murmured, half to herself, then, to the other two, “ Alright, I was up far too early today; I’ll go grab a few winks, conserve my energy for the supply run. You can wake me when we’re ready to go,” she said, addressing Rulitus this time before turning to go back to her room in the caverns. She lay on her ‘mattress’ for a little while longer, resting her head on her laced fingers as she waited to drift back to sleep.

Ruli blinked as she demanded he wake her when they were ready and departed. Bossy, that one. His eyes followed her as she left, only to be drawn back to Envy when the giant chuckled.
"What's so funny?" He asked.
"She is." Envy replied. "She's taking on the world out of guilt, because she had a small, unintentional hand in Ziad's destruction. Doesn't that sound familiar?"
"Envy." Ruli said, rubbing his face. "I didn't have a 'small, unintentional hand' in it. I opened the door and let it in."
"And you let Kire in, too." Envy pointed out, and Ruli hissed in disagreement. "You brought her here, somehow knowing she would help. Its time you began to work to put things right, as well. No more hiding in shadows."

Two hours later, Ruli stood over Kire in the chamber littered in chaotic piles of straw and blankets. He nudged her calf with his foot, his eyes on the sword she always kept close with caution. "Wake up." He insisted. "We're going."
Immediately, as she stirred, he stepped back. Years of living with the inevitably grumpy morning elf, he took no chances on a foreign woman with a sword.
He was wearing his same clothing, worn, earthy tones, but he'd managed to find a pair of boots that were clearly far too small for him. He stood on the leather heel, his own protruding and hanging over the edge. Once he saw she was honestly awake and not at risk for drifting off again, he turned and left the chamber, heading toward the cave entrance and beyond.

"I went back and forth a few times so I know where to go. It'll tkae a while for us to get there, though. Its a long way." He said over his shoulder.

Kire woke with a start at Ruli’s nudging, a frown already creasing her features. It took a few blinks for her to slowly realize that she had asked him to wake her. Still frowning, she squinted at him, looked him up and down, and declared, still woozy with sleep, “We’re buying you boots. No buts. You look like an overgrown child in those.” With a nod, as if in agreement with herself, she stood, strapping on her sword belt, slung the waterskin over her shoulder, and double-checked to make sure she had the allotted coin with her. She was about to say she was ready when she saw he had already turned away. Frowning again, she walked briskly to catch up.

“Alright.” She already shuddered, thinking about the cold of the shadows they were about to walk into. “So, is it just this ‘shadow-walking’ that your magic can do?”

Ruli turned to glance at her over his shoulder, his brow furrowed. "Why are you asking?" he wondered. "Is traveling and your super strength all you can do?" He asked in return.
They left the cave and stepped into the bright forest, the sun high above them. It was nearly midday. Ruli directed them into the thicket of trees, where their shadows cast long blankets on the ground. "Bit of a personal question. But no, its not all I can do. However, don't get your knickers in a bunch. I don't do anything else. Haven't in a long time."

He stopped beneath a particularly tall pine tree, glancing down at his feet. He hated wearing shoes. These boots were uncomfortable and obviously ill-fitting, but he saw no point in purchasing a new pair. It would be wasted coin. But that argument could be saved for later. Straightening, he held out his hand. "Ready?"

Kire shrugged at his retort. “I’ve learned to hold my liquor much better. But I suppose that’s not what you meant,” she said, raising a brow. “And you’ve seen what I can do already.” Technically that was true, and technically he hadn’t asked how she was doing these things. She followed him in silence after that, though, pondering at what he meant by not doing anything else anymore. Trusting his word on an ability he didn’t wish to disclose? Kire smirked. Keeps his cards close to his chest, as usual. For now, it was enough to get his admission that there was something else he was capable of, even if he wasn’t specific about it.

When, later, he held out his hand to her as they stood beneath the tree, Kire hesitated for a moment, her hand hovering over his. With a huff, she instead wrapped her fingers around his forearm, where his sleeve covered his skin. “Ready.”

Having already anticipated how the cold dark would feel, Kire did her best to steady her nerves, even as, just as he had warned, they were taking longer than it did when he had pulled her through the last time. It took concentration for her not to hold onto him tighter out of instinct. When, finally, they stepped out into the light, Kire let out a breath she had been holding. That smell. Immediately, she recognized the salt tang in the air, but she also was familiar with the smells and odors that accompanied the poorer quarters of a port city.

He couldn't help but frown when she grabbed his forearm instead of his hand. He wasn't entirely surprised, but it still annoyed him. Silent, he pulled his arm toward him to encourage her to take a step as he did.

Nearly a minute later, they emerged where he and Ysaryn had been earlier. The air reeked of salt and wood rot, the stagnant water pooling in the uneven ground around them. Sideways shacks, huts, and crates were scattered around them, barren and barely upright.
It was deserted. Exactly why Ysaryn chose this location.
To their right was a stone wall that, from this side, was propped up in a few places by beams of wood as the earth sunk beneath it and the wall tilted. On the other side was the sound of a city; voices, horses, children at play, and vendors calling wares.

Ruli dropped his arm, pulling it from Kire's grasp.

Kire stood still for a few more moments, taking stock of their surroundings. Slums. And there weren’t people about, at least on this side of the rather dilapidated wall. She could recognize a ghetto when she saw one. She could hear the hustle and bustle of the rest of Cordon on the other side. “Alright then. Supplies and tools for building, seeds, old furniture, any other essential items we could get for the coin that’s left afterwards.” She glanced at his boots again before they moved forward.

Cordon reminded her of many a port city she had seen back in Amria: a melting pot of different people, from different walks of life. It was almost familiar. She could see why Ysaryn suggested she would have a good time there. Too bad about their nasty streak towards elves. “Ysaryn said they were ‘shadow-elves’, and they’re somehow related to Kartaians. Are there other kinds of elves elsewhere? Can they all move through shadow the way shadow elves do?” she asked, glancing around her. They passed by a group of sailors who eyed her and made teasing remarks. Kire knew better than to dignify them with a response, imagining instead her seafaring friends and what they’d have done to the men had they been with Kire at the moment. Particularly Narda. “Where’s our first stop?”