He raised an eyebrow, looking even more horrified at the idea of this thing having eggs inside of it. He pictured the kind with the hard shell and had no intention of biting into that unaware. Turning the skewer, he inspected it. "No." He said shortly. "It may not be my favourite but I'm not about to pass on food."

When his skewer was nothing but, he set it aside and went to work on his soup, stirring the broth to look for traces of eggs and, now, ink. Ruli only raised his gaze when she asked about the his princess complex, thinking it over. "You ask that like Ziad has a parade of them." He commented idly instead of answering directly. "You'll understand my annoyance when you meet her. She's ..." He sighed. "I preferred her brother."

"I've never heard of Amria, so it must be far." Ruli assumed, finding a chunk of squid in his soup and eating it. It did taste a little better in the broth, the mix of the different ingredients making it far more interesting. He went quiet, thinking not about her talk of her homeland and her own refugees, but of the mountains in which Envy's group had hidden. Maybe he could travel up and down the edge of the desert, looking for a body of water. Rain fell all the time on the edge of the desert, though never made it into the arid terrain. There had to be something along the ridge.

Rain. Ruli looked up suddenly, squinting at the cloudy horizon. Would it rain? He was cold enough already, experiencing rain for the first time, and likely freezing under it, would be the cherry on the pie that was today. Pursing his lips, he went back to eating.

“She sounds lovely,” Kire said with a snort. “I’ve had my fair share of meeting haughty noblewomen.” And I’m sure they felt the same about me. Kire’s mouth parted at his comments about Amria. Did Envy not tell him? She was about to explain, then stopped herself. Next time. This was the most conversation they’d had together ever since meeting, and bombarding him with that while surrounded by strangers listening in on the details might be too much for the moment. Like dealing with a skittish cat. She looked idly at the sky, the both of them sinking into thought.

She heard the rumble of distant thunder. “We may need to put the rest of the supply run on hold,” she commented, gesturing at the horizon. “No wonder it’s particularly cold today. Do you want to head home?” A part of her was itching to stay, see if she could conduct a search, but she wanted to be at full strength for that, in case things went sideways and she got more than she bargained for in her investigation. Besides, while she hadn’t been recognized as Akuma just yet, it was no guarantee that it would hold true for the rest of the city. They’d barely been here a day, after all.

Haughty noblewoman. That only got an arched eyebrow out of him as he ate. Just you wait. He thought to himself.

He considered he question about returning home, his attention shifting to eye the incoming clouds that would no doubt rain on the festivities here. His blue eyes darkened in response to the storm, reflecting its attitude. Like a part of her longed to remain here, so did a part of him, if only to get a chance to see the weather unfold. "If it rains, it'll put an end to the festival." He presumed. Indeed, people had begun to close their stalls at the first sound of the thunder. "Do you think that would make it more or less difficult to find a botanist willing to sell us seeds and chit chat with us about mountainous climate?" He wondered. In a hurry to finish his soup, he bent over the table, the crate creaking beneath him.

"We could come back tomorrow." He added in suggestion. It wasn't as if this was their only chance. Hell, they could return as many times as they needed, even after Kire left, he could bring others.

“Let’s go back,” Kire replied. “Festival would go on for several more days, seems like, from what I’ve heard earlier. Royal weddings and all that.” She paid for their meal, and walked with him back to their wagon. “Let’s take the coffee and tobacco back to the caves first before we return this thing.” By the time they had returned it to the warehouse and started their trek back, the dark weather was almost upon them, blown closer to the mainland by sea winds. Upon reaching the wall, a light shower had already begun, and Kire wrapped her arms around herself. “Should’ve dressed better next time,” she muttered.

It was late afternoon, going into twilight. After getting a little wet from the drizzle, the cool night air chilled her. “How thrilled will Envy be, eh?” Kire remarked, smiling. Despite the worry earlier, Kire was pleased at the outcome of the day. Maybe it really was just my paranoia. Already she could imagine how much of an improvement on the mood would be to smell freshly-brewed coffee in the morning, even if only temporarily. It had that effect on her during this past half-year’s more exhausting days. She glanced at Ruli before bending to pick up the sack of coffee beans to bring to the pantry and organize. “The way you looked earlier, when it started to rain—do you like rainy weather?”

Yep. He didn't like the rain.

Ruli hunched over as it fell like ice on him, seeping in through his head cover and clothing. It was meant to keep the sun off of him, and keep him cool in the desert. It had nothing against cold rain and weather. Mood soiling, he kept quiet, following Kire back to the edge of the slums where they hid behind the wall and took themselves back to the mountains.

It was warmer, at least, but he was damp and annoyed. He didn't answer her question about Envy, figuring the woman knew he'd be happy. What giant, hermit elf with dozens of adopted orphans didn't like receiving a box of tobacco to smoke in a cave?
"That was my first experience." Ruli answered her. "I'm not a fan."

"You are back!" Ysaryn's voice sounded as she glided in, her fuschia gaze moving quickly to the coffee and tobacco. Her countenance lit up. "Oooh! Looks like you had fun!"
Ruli only grunted at her, suddenly very much wishing that he had extra, dry clothing to change into. Instead, he slipped his feet from the boots and sat by the hearth for warmth.
Ysaryn tilted her head, studying them both. "Storm?" She grinned wickedly. "I miss storm. It rained here one moon ago. Very loud." She purred, before crouching next to Ruli. She held out her hand, and he fished into his tunic and handed her the small satchel of coins. She weighed it before tucking it away and rising again.

Kire had to stifle a laugh at his response. He really was like a cat. “Rain can be rather annoying, I suppose, especially if you’re not used to the cold. Other times, it can be refreshing.” She turned her attention towards Ysaryn though the moment she heard the elf’s voice. Kire grinned. “It was an enlightening experience,” she replied, likewise sitting by the fire after Ysaryn had vacated the spot next to Ruli. “Yes, we were caught in a storm. Not too strong, actually. Cordon was in the middle of a festival, too, so lots of food. Heart festival? You might know it. The fish and squid were excellent.”

Not wanting to spoil Ysaryn’s mood, Kire left out her brief moment of panic as she recounted what they’d done for the day. “We’ve gotten lots of good lumber, though the best is for Lord Itallo ,” Kire added, taking on a mocking, pompous tone at the end. “Do you know anything about him? You mentioned something about a council of men ruling over the city. He seems to be on top, or quite near it.”

Ysaryn shook her head, going to make boil some water in order to make tea for them. "I know of Heart Festival, yes. Every end of winter. Sometimes good food. Mostly grabby drunks." She stated indifferently. "Next time, you bring squid back, yes?"

The mention of Lord Itallo's name, however, made the elf nearly drop the kettle into the flames. Ruli jolted, as he would have been caught in the ember's spattering, and looked up curiously. Ysaryn hissed, her expression dark. "I know of Lord Itallo." The elf answered. "He is a man with two faces. Neither is your friend, but one pretends to be."

Ruli turned his head to glance curiously at Kire, then cleared his throat. "I was thinking of exploring the edges of the mountains for water. Fish. A place to build."
Ysaryn turned her head and glared at him. She knew he was saying something to get her to unclench, pulling the conversation away from Itallo. But, after consideration, she took the bait. "I will go!" She declared. "Look for a place for my people, too."

Kire raised her eyebrows at Ysaryn’s outburst. From what the elf had told her about the suffering of elves in Cordon, she could guess that Lord Itallo had a big hand in it. It didn’t surprise Kire much to learn that a nobleman was a terrible man. She was glad for the distraction Ruli offered, and Kire stood with a huff. “I’m coming along.” She had been meaning to help with the constructions too, anyway, and after getting warmed by the fire she was raring for a walk. She walked in silence beside Ysaryn as they made their way outside, the night air still cool but not too chilly anymore.

The land around the mountains was lush and fertile, which Kire had already noted when she had explored the area while hunting for the refugees. She would point now and then at spots she thought would be a good place to build, or to set aside for farming. At one point, Kire nudged the elf gently with an elbow. “I’ll bring back as much squid as you want,” she said quietly, giving her a small smile, hoping the thought and the exploring had steered the elf’s mind away from thinking about Lord Itallo.

They both turned to look at her when she said she'd follow, each looking mildly surprised, though for different reasons. While Ruli sighed and rose to deliver the tobacco, Ysaryn grinned at Kire, swaggering after her as they left. "Someone stinks less, I think?" The elf purred teasingly.

Ruli joined them at the entrance, leaving his keffiyeh bunched around his neck as they stepped out into the open air. He glanced upward, inspecting the sky to see if there were any dark clouds here. Ysaryn smiled sweetly. "I like to stuff and grill them." She declared, willingly accepting the conversation about choice food. "Mince crab, root vegetables, mmm." She hummed, smiling wistfully. Ruli was quiet, looking at the areas that Kire indicated to as potential plots for farming. He glanced up, looking to see how much sunlight would get through, and how much rain, when it came, would wash down to water the land.

Ysaryn asked if they'd found seeds, and when they mentioned they had not, she wandered and pointed here and there, gesturing to areas that would help in the growing of certain plants she knew. Ruli chimed in now and then with plants that they were able to grew in Ziad. Then they moved on to trees that would provide good lumber if cut. The trees here were straight and tall, ideal for use in building.

Falling behind, Ruli looked across to the west, to the stretch of desert sand that spread out to his right. Somewhere out there was Ziad, the home he'd claimed and grown in. Beyond it, the mountains in which others hid. The other race of elves, victimized by the Kartaiains. They had had no word from them after Ziad fell. Ysaryn's people had heard, and a small amount had come to aid, but no one else. It should be easy to presume them wiped out, as well.

Kire smiled when Ysaryn described the kind of cooking she liked, letting her go on. She liked how Ysaryn was so carefree in moments like this, despite what had happened to her. Kire liked being around that. She glanced at Ruli as he and Ysaryn conversed about farming, listening in as they talked about how best to use the wood from the trees around them. He was the exact opposite of the elf woman, a cloud following him wherever he went, bearing the weight of past sins. She remembered how Ysaryn had warned her about him, and Kire sighed. Within herself were these two, and it seemed a constant battle to waver between their two attitudes, between light and dark, between looking forward and trapped in the past.

She hadn’t immediately noticed Ruli falling behind, swamped in her own brooding, until a few more moments later. “It’s getting late,” she said, wondering if it was his tiredness or something else. “I’ll go wander off for a bit longer by myself if you don’t mind, the coffee’s hitting me harder than I thought.” She smiled at them both. “Thank you for all your help today.” She paused, hearing herself, and almost laughed at her own remark; Kire made it sound like she had been the one who asked for their help to go to Cordon. Cordon…who are you hiding in there?

When she walked away from them, though, her mirth had died, the frown returning to her features, deepening as her mind went to her strange encounter earlier at the port city. Gemini. Bastards. The more she thought about that aura, brief yet unmistakable, the more her rage grew. It didn’t help that it might have been a brief trick of the mind. Her hands curled into fists. Kire twisted off her Ring, secured it in her pocket, and threw a punch at a nearby tree. Pain jolted up her arm, but she didn’t care; if anything, it fueled her fury. If I get my hands on any Gemini bastards here…

Next morning, there would be one whole tree’s worth of wood added to the pile of lumber they had already brought back. Kire was asleep in her room in the caverns, her hands red and slightly swollen.

Ysaryn and Ruli stopped when she said she'd return to the caves, both glancing at her in matching curiosity. "Right." Ruli said in response to her thanks, watching her walk away.
"What did you do to her!?" Ysaryn hissed at him.
He whirled to leer at her. "Me? I didn't do a damn thing Don't assume." He snapped back, and Ysaryn growled at him and turned to keep walking. He jogged after her, kicking a pinecone with his bare toe, hissing. "Don't accuse me of something and walk away." He chased after her, ignoring the argument she slung toward him as they made their way along the foot of the mountains.

They were gone for the majority of the afternoon, returning after dinner. They ate their portion of dinner in a treaty-like silence, before retiring to their own sleeping pads without a word.

In the morning, Ruli spotted Kire's injured hands and frowned, crouching beside her. Did she not mention she could use her energy to speed up healing? He leaned, inspecting her hands the best he could without touching her. It looked painful. A familiar scent of the pink-haired elf found him. "Think you could make a poultice?" Ruli asked without looking over his shoulder.
Ysaryn only hummed in response as she sauntered out, and Ruli tore his eyes away from the unconscious woman on the ground to watch her walk away.

As Ysaryn went to work on the poultice, and Ruli helped Sid in the 'kitchen' to make breakfast, Envy woke and roamed the caves, enjoying the first cigarette he'd had in months. It would be the only one he'd have this week, if he could control himself, to keep the need to restock them minimal. Zeke found him in the main chamber, asking about the massive amount of lumber outside. "We'll be building." Envy declared happily. "Real beds and furniture. And, as soon as we're able, we're going to look for a place to build outward. Real buildings."
"So, we're not going back to Ziad?" Zeke asked. A few heads turned, curious.
"I don't intend to." Envy explained honestly. "But that doesn't mean we will abandon it. But I think building a home here could be good. At least for me."
Zeke frowned at him, but decided not to argue at the moment. Instea,d he went back outside to inspect the supplies. Envy exhaled, glad for his silence.

Kire sat up with a string of curses in the Amrian and common tongue. She had been up late, expending her anger and frustration in the forest, knowing she was going to regret it the next morning. And regret it she had. She had put the Ring back on late, and now she woke to feel her hands still healing from the damage she had inflicted upon them last night. Kire moved them experimentally, then cursed again, glad none of her cousins were around to add to the scolding she was already giving herself.

Still, with the Ring helping along, she would probably be ready to help with the heavy labor by afternoon. Yawning, she walked towards the main chamber and passed Zekiel. Not quite sure what kind of mood he was in today, she stood aside to let him pass and gave a short greeting before going on towards the main chamber, smelling tobacco. Given this, and his general demeanor, the ‘flavor’ of Envy’s magic made sense to Kire now. “Good—morning? It’s morning, right?” Kire smiled. “Enjoying Ruli’s souvenir for you, I see. Not sure if you’ve been told, but we brought back coffee, too.”

She gently moved her fingers as she spoke, her Ring throbbing with a dim blue light. “Might be a few hours before I could throw myself back into work, but we’ve made a good start with the supplies yesterday.” She glanced about, wondering where Rulitus or Ysaryn were. “Rulitus mentioned there was a former princess here? She’s not making any sort of important decisions about the refugees, is she?”

Zeke only glanced toward Kire in passing, otherwise ignoring her presence completely. Envy grinned when he heard her voice, nodding slowly. "Yes, its morning. Late, but still an hour or so until noon." It was always hard to tell underground. "Judging by the aroma of Ruli and Sid's cooking, they've finished breakfast an hour ago."

When she mentioned the cigarette, he grinned wider. "I am. Sparingly, and challenging my self control, but I appreciate it greatly. Thank you. And for the coffee, though I have left that to those who need that more." He inhaled through his cigarette, visibly enjoying himself. "Zeke and I were just discussing the supplies. Ruli mentioned you were scouting for land yesterday, as well. Did you find anything of interest?"

And then she mentioned the princess, and Envy's grin withered slightly. "Mm, I'm afraid not. Which I feel is a good thing. Risa is, uh. She was never properly prepped for the task of leading. She had been leaning on the guidance of Zeke, who has been leaning on his instincts and mine." He shook his head. 'Leaning' was a strong word.
"Why do you ask?"

Kire grinned, seeing how much the Kartaian enjoyed the treat of a cigarette. She could imagine him getting along with Elva and smoking the day away. “From what we could tell, the lands around this mountain are very conducive for farming and supporting a new community. My hunting excursions usually yielded satisfactory results, there’s steady water, and the mountain helps shield you both from excessive heat and, I imagine, other weather extremes. Just a matter of managing the land properly while learning how to not drain it of resources.” She gave him a summary of the conversations they’d had last night, as well as an account of their journey around Cordon.

Seeing Envy’s expression at the mention of the princess, Kire remembered Ruli’s own distaste for the woman. “Just worried, I suppose. For now, I’m glad to know she isn’t taking too active a role, if she isn’t up to the task in the first place. You probably don’t need me to tell you to watch out for her, should she suddenly throw her royal weight around.” She looked down at her hands, already looking a little less swollen than they were when she woke up. Kire frowned down at them, shaking her head slightly. No, she wouldn’t bring up what she felt at Cordon until she had a second chance to look around and be sure. “Did Aeron like the sweets? My cousins usually do, and frankly so do I. That back would’ve been much fuller had I not been picking at it before giving it to you.”

"I should like to go out and take a look with you and Ysaryn." Envy said. "When the sun isn't out, of course." He added. He only grinned at her comments on the princess, knowing Kire had reason to suggest such a thing. Risa, fortunately, was not a problem, but if she did decide to take over as reigning power, it wouldn't meld well with the system they currently had going.
For now, she was content to let everyone else do the heavy lifting.

"He did, yes." Envy grinned again. "He shared them with a few others, sparingly, as they would have gobbled them up." He mused. "The amount you brought us is perfect, really, anything you help with or deliver is more than we could have asked for, so even if you'd only brought a half dozen, we'd have been grateful." Envy smiled warmly.
"Kirai." Ysaryn's voice came, her tongue far too heavy to properly pronounce the blonde's name. She held up a tiny container of poultice, which was really hardly larger than an acorn cap. "I have this for you hands. Oh." She tilted her head, peering at Kire's knuckles.
"Whats the matter with your hands?" Envy asked, looking concerned.

"Of course. Just say the word. We could go tonight," Kire replied. At his answer about Aeron, she smiled, glad she was able to cheer the lad up. She could only imagine how children might feel having to flee their home and be cooped up here. She turned when Ysaryn called her, spotted the tiny container in her hands. She was about to ask when the elf said what it was for, and Kire immediately tried to put a finger to her lips to silence her.

"Uhh." Kire didn't want to explain to Envy, not wanting to add worry over her on top of their many concerns, especially if it would make him anxious about asking for her help. "I was being foolish last night and overexerted myself cutting down lumber. Coffee kept me awake very late." Not particularly a lie, given that she did cut down the tree she had been taking her frustration out on. "I'll be fine, Ysaryn," she said gently, smiling. "It'll heal within the day. I am hungry, though. Have you eaten? I'm going to have breakfast. Could you excuse us, Envy?"

She nudged her head towards the kitchen, beckoning Ysaryn to follow. "Who told you about my hands?" she asked, amused. "Did someone check on me while I was asleep?"

Ysaryn, seeing the finger Kire put to her lips, when still with a frown. She listened, with cautious curiosity as Kire explained to Envy. He frowned as well, flexing one of his hand as if remembering what it was like to cut lumber, and what injuries came from the task.
"Well." He said. "Put something on it if you have splinters. Infections aren't ideal. Enjoy yourselves. I'll let you know about tonight."

Ysaryn moved when they were excused, falling into step beside Kire as they walked to the kitchen. "Rulitus." The elf answered when they were out of earshot. "He saw you hand, and asked of me to make. Is not hard to see, we all sleep in same area." She pointed out, holding out the small container again. "For next late night."

As they skipped into the kitchen, which was empty. Remnants of a breakfast of venison, and herbed potatoes were still warming on the skillet. Ysaryn swept aside to let Kire help herself. "What did you do? There is much more wood out. And you left very fast during our explore." She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, watching Kire carefully. "You are upset? Angry mind?"

Kire took the container and smiled. "Thank you. Just that I didn't think anyone would notice or bother to check closely, least of all Rulitus." She shrugged, then went inside the kitchen after her, making straight for the venison and potatoes. She took some of it and pondered her response to Ysaryn first. She sighed after a few bites.

"Angry. Upset. Back in Cordon, I thought I felt my enemy, or kin of my enemy, nearby. But I couldn't be sure. And knowing my face might be used by my enemy, I don't want to risk poking around too much until I can be much more discreet." She looked up at the elf. "I hate the feeling. Like they're so close but far away, and I can't make a move just yet."

Ysaryn listened, chewing on the inside of her cheek. She looked thoughtful as Kire explained how she was feeling, how infuriating it was to feel so close but unable to make a move.
"But you are aware." She said in offering. "Finding a scent is good, especially if you prey is not aware, no? You watch. You learn. And when you can, you attack. Like hunter." Her wicked grin appeared. "You not hunting alone, Kirai. More eyes. More learning."

Taking a step away from the wall, Ysaryn crouched and took a potato off Kire's plate and popped it into her mouth. "How long until you face is new?" She wondered, studying Kire's current one, her gaze lingering on her scar. "I hear Rulitus and Envy speak. I know what you will look like." She twitched her eyebrows upward suggestively. "Very lovely."

Kire smiled at Ysaryn's words as she continued eating. It was true, at least. More eyes meant her hunt would, hopefully, be a little easier. She looked up from her plate in time to see Ysaryn studying her features closely. She felt her cheeks grow warm; she had been used to attention as Empress, but this was the first time in a long time anybody seemed genuinely curious about her in this way. She noticed how the elf eyed her scar and made a note to tell her about it later.

"A few days, I'm not sure, " Kire responded. "I imagine it is a complicated procedure, and more difficult given the lack of access to material." She blushed again when Ysaryn teased her about her appearance. "What do you mean? What will I look like? I mean, I'm sure it's going to be good work," she said, then stopping herself before she rambled on.