Narda listened, thoughtful, as he explained what effect, if any, this connection through their minds would have on her. He offered to give some sign that the connection had begun and reassured her again that it was safe. “I know I am not obligated, but I am nevertheless comforted that it would be you doing it.” She brushed his hand with her thumb. “I do feel flattered that my clumsy attempts at description are enough for you. But if you would like to see through my eyes, I will oblige.” Narda grinned. “If all I need to do is look and relax, I can manage that well enough.”

She turned towards the afternoon sun, already well on its way down from its zenith. “I may travel a lot, but I do love my home. The flowers are lovely, even in this time of year. I like how the afternoon sun glows warmly over everything, and the meadows for which my family’s lands are known look like they’re blushing with all the color. A different kind of sea. If we have the leisure of walking down among the flowers, you can smell them, too.”

--

The innkeeper set the two pints of ale in front of them. Kire murmured her thanks in Taakalon, then sipped from her mug. “I should. I don’t know why I always start off worrying about things as if I’m the sole bearer of these burdens when Ed and Jan have always shared it with me. Though this would be the first time they’d be asked to be more involved in something magic-related. Now that Etta’s got magic blossoming inside her, we really should make it a family effort.”

She absentmindedly tapped the sides of the mug, mulling something over. “Earlier, in the tent. You answered Daryll’s question about elves and when magic manifests in them.” She glanced at him, gauging his reaction to the topic. “I take it you didn’t fully intend to volunteer that information in front of the others?”

Envy grinned again, snaking his fingers with hers and gently squeezing. He positioned himself to sit comfortably beside her, relaxing his own great limbs as she did. Gently, he reached into her mind, deciding to announce himself with a caressing feeling of warm. He had considered using an aroma of tobacco, but he didn't want to blanket the smell of her garden.

He inhaled, seeing the view from her perspective; the layout of the garden, the culprits behind that particularly sweet scent in the air.
And the sky. Envy could only follow her gaze, but the stretch of slowly darkening sky above them was breathtaking. It really did look as though the meadows were blushing, the hue of soft orange and red creeping over the reaching faces of the flora.
"I could get used to a sight like this." Envy breathed, taking in as much as he could.

---

Ruli thanked the woman and dragged his ale closer, taking an experimental drink. It was slightly sour, no doubt they'd used some citrus fruit somewhere in the process. Liking the taste, he took a deeper drink, barely reacting when she asked about the slip he'd made. "Not even slightly." He said indifferently before immediately avoiding the topic further. "And what about you? You were chosen by the Seer, why, because you were powerful? I doubt it was your stubborn streak that called to them. So, if you take off the Ring, how do you feel? What powers will you generate on your own?"

Narda smiled fondly as she felt the pleasant warmth wash over her as he squeezed her hand. She breathed in the scents in the air that she loved so much as she drank in the sight. One day, she knew, she would hang up her travelling cloak, set down her weapons, let go of her wanderlust and be at peace here. It may be a ways off, but she didn't mind spending the remainder of her years someday like this.

"I will never tire of it, " she said, glad to hear his praise of the view. "And if you are serious about that, well, perhaps you should come by here more often." She grinned, caressing his hand with her free one.

--

Kire noted the way he quickly avoided elaborating on it and made no further comment, deciding to leave it be unless it bothered him again. His next question made her frown down at her Ring. She took another sip, set it down, then placed her hand flat on the table. "I've thought about it. That seems the most likely answer." She glanced about, then twisted the Ring off her finger, peering at it as she placed it on her palm.

"They said Their decisions are based on the threads of possibility in the future. A little prod here, a push there, without them directly interfering. Maybe because it needs to be mortals who have to move and make things happen. If that's the case, my theory is that they have seen something of me and my actions that would affect many of these threads. Without knowing what They know about these possible futures, though, this is just more guesswork."

She set the Ring down between them, folding her arms, her thumb rubbing the place where the Ring had been on her finger. "So far, I feel no different. But if I do manifest other powers, the Ring will amplify that. Hopefully it isn't too destructive, or else..." Kire frowned again.

"Now that I have seen the gardens, I could technically arrive here whenever I choose, but I think I may still bother Ruli for help." Envy said, admiring the light. It didn't bother his eyes, make his skin crawl, it just looked ... beautiful.
"It occurs to me that I may have to ask Ruli to show me what you look like. Though appearances hardly matter, or you wouldn't look twice at my calico face." Envy grinned, wondering if Narda would look his way, and, if she did, if he would want to see his own image. He only knew what he looked like from Sid's ramblings as she cared for his burns, Ruli and Zeke had always been careful not to show him what he looked like.

"You are very fortunate to have such a lovely and safe home." Envy complimented.

---

Ruli studied the Ring as she removed it and held it, then he looked over her. He could see no sign of a fever immediately trying to show itself, no change in appearance no matter how miniscule. "Well, then you wouldn't have to worry about abdicating. You'd just be run out of town." Ruli teased lightly before leaning on his elbows. "If you do manifest anything, like Etta, you're not alone." He reassured. "For all we know, the Ring helps control it. Keeps it from growing too quickly and you from losing control. After aqll, you already know how to handle it. That boy does not."

“Heh. Well. If he’s going to be seeing Kire more often you might as well make him work for it,” Narda said, smirking. When he mentioned asking what she looked like, in turn joking about his own appearance, the giantess snorted. “I’m no beauty, myself. And I have been around warriors who have had various injuries. But, if you’d like, there is a mirror in my room. Hardly used, but most rooms have mirrors in my house.”

She sighed. “It is safe, for now. You are right about me being fortunate that it is. It hasn’t always been so. And its safety is, of course, a result of privilege. Though privilege hasn’t quite shielded the Wyverns from danger, I realize,” she commented, about to turn to him when she paused. “Have you seen your own face since…?” She paused again, glancing down at their intertwined hands and smiling fondly. “For what it’s worth, I always look forward to seeing you.”

--

Kire pouted playfully at his teasing, smirking afterwards before she listened to his reassurances. “Hm. Good point. That is possible. And the Ring hadn’t given me more than I could handle unless I forced it to when I first got it,” she murmured, picking up the Ring to look it over. “It would be rather appropriate to suddenly know how to generate fire. Only thing I’d be missing are wings and scales all over my body and I’d be a proper dragon,” she said with a chuckle. “And then I’d be run out of town.”

She slipped the Ring back onto her finger and continued to sip from her mug, quiet as she mulled over the events of the day. “And I was already looking forward to the waterfalls and the cheese wheels,” she said with a wry laugh after finishing it. “I’m bringing Ysaryn a drink, then will check up on Etta one more time. I’ll be up a while, you go ahead and rest.” She stood, touching his shoulder before going to speak to the innkeeper.

"There will be time, sure. For now, I would like to stay here." He said, still studying the fields that stretched forth, the clouds that stood out brightly in the darkening sky, their own structures illuminated by the setting sun. "To be honest, I'm not sure of my appearance prior to the burns." He answered her. "We had few mirrors where we lived. I know what my people look like. Aside from the missing ear, I'm not too different. Or at least I wasn't."
But he shook his head. "Since the burns, no. I haven't seen much since, and never bothered to ask. Somehow I feel like it would bother me."

---

"That's not all dragons are capable of doing." Ruli reminded her. "For all we know, you'll be flying tomorrow. Or have a desire to hoard treasure." He leaned in, grinning wickedly. "My skin is coloured like a metal. My hair like jewelry, one jeweled elf once said." He leaned back, then nodded as she mentioned she'd be going back for the elf. "The sightseeing can wait." He pointed out as she stood, watching her walk toward the innkeeper.
He waited for her to go before he downed his own ale, thanked the innkeeper, and stood, arching his back in a stretch. After a moment of deliberation, he wandered up the stairs to his room and lay himself on his back, waiting.

Narda nodded. "Then let's stay here and admire the view. With everything that's happened, moments of peace might be hard to come by for the next several days." She looked back out, watching as the sun retreated and the colors grew more vibrant, bright oranges, even pinks. She told him now and then what the flowers were called in Taakalon.

"You're not cold, are you?" she asked after a few moments of silence. "The seaside is cool, but you might not be used to Amrian nights. I could fetch you a cloak. Or have something warm for you to drink."

--

Kire brought a mug out to Ysaryn at camp. "No fires yet?" She asked with a grin. "Your room at the inn is ready, go rest if you need to."

She went back home to watch her cousins, catching Ed in the middle of a game with them. Amused, she watched them for a while before interrupting, exchanging updates with Ed before chatting with Etta, doing her best not to look worried. For her part, Etta did her best not to notice.

It was a while before Kire came to Ruli's door, knocking softly. "Hey," she greeted, stepping in before pressing her lips to his in a soft kiss.

Envy fell silent, grateful for more than just her delightful company. It was wonderous to see. To experience. He had heard talks about how beautiful the seaside sunsets were, but this had to be his favourite. Nothing would ever top this.

And he chuckled as she asked about his comfort. "I'm alright." He promised. "As I don't get sunlight often, I'm accustomed to the cooler temperature. But," He tilted his head, pointing his face at her for a moment. "If you're feeling a little chilly, I should take the opportunity to wrap my arm around you. I hear it is called something of a 'move'?" He grinned, before shifting and raising his arm. Only mostly aware of where she was compated to his body, he gently rest her arm against the back of their seat, running his hand along her opposite arm.
He hummed. "I suppose I do feel like I have successfully made a move." The Kartaian chuckled.

---

"Many thanks." Ysaryn said, taking a deep drink of the ale she offered. Unlike Ruli, however, she found the taste to be a bit sharp, and wrinkled her nose. "Mmm." She mumbled, before taking another drink with a shrug. "I will make my way in a bit." She announced as Kire departed once more. No fires yet, no, and the leaves were doing their jobs and helping those with fevers, at least. She'd stay another few rounds, trying to get a better feel for the scents before she'd retreat to rest.

Ruli, despite his efforts, was hardly awake when Kire entered. He blinked heavily at her, without raising his head, then grinned when she kissed him. "Get in here." He beckoned, wrapping his fingers gently around her arm to urge her to lay beside him. "'Ssume Etta's fine." He said, shifting slightly to make room for her.

Narda chuckled when he made his joke about the move, gladly leaning closer as he draped his arm around her. " Executed properly, I'd say," she said. "And look at that? I'm perfectly warm already." She grinned, enjoying the feel of him as they watched the sunset. She shifted gently so she could lean her head against him.

"Would you like to share a cup of tea with me later? Perhaps in your room?" she asked after a while.

---

Kire smiled as she climbed into bed. "She is," she murmured, wrapping a blanket around both of them before nestling against him, draping an arm over him. She sighed, sinking into the warmth of him and of their sheets. She closed her eyes. There was something she wanted to say, but even now she stopped herself. Not yet. "Good night, Ruli."

Envy beamed, withdrawing his magic from her mind in order to enjoy the simplicity of her company, her warmth. He closed his eyes, listening to her voice, filling his lungs with her scent as it mingled with all the flora around them.
"I would gladly accept tea anywhere, if you're involved." He answered earnestly. "My room, your room, the roof. So long as you keep me from falling off." He mused, his fingers running gently up her arm. "Do you live here alone? I find I know little about your immediate family, save for you outgrew them quickly."

---

He grunted, opening his eyes a little more. While he'd waited, his mind had gone back to the tent, to the details he'd let slip. The wound he wanted to scar over again. Envy always insisted speaking helped them heal faster, hurt less often, but Ruli had always dismissed the idea.
Until he'd told her about what he'd been long ago. And the shame had dimmed, even if only slightly.

But this. No, it could wait. She had enough to face already without having to worry about his issues. The details of his broken life.
Rolling, Ruli draped his arm over her as well, tugging her closer.
And slept.

Narda smiled, enjoying the way he held her and caressed her arm as he spoke. “In this house, alone, yes. Though it is large, it is not quite as large as my father’s estate. Though my mother and father do not live too far from here. This house was rather recently finished, though the lands have belonged to our family for a long time. As you can imagine, my father does not approve of my, ah, adventuring. I left home years ago, met Kire, Myka, and the girls then, was estranged from the family for a little while. But now that I have been offering to take over as Countess, old as he is, he is also too stubborn to retire from his lordly duties.” Narda chuckled. “Quite unlike Kire, in that respect then.”

“But other than worrying about the life I lead, they live comfortably enough. I don’t have siblings, unless you count half-siblings that I don’t have much of a relationship with.” She snorted. “It gets easier to shut up my father’s criticisms by pointing out his own faults. Heh. That, and you can imagine at this point in time it would be hard to pick a fight with a daughter who towers over you.” She laughed then, looking at him. She brushed her fingers against his cheek, her eyes going over the scarred face, the mangled ear. “I would ask about your old life, but I know those tales would be filled with pain.”

Envy grinned softly. "He worries. Don't resent him for it. I still worry every time Ruli and Zeke run off." He pointed out. He didn't always approve of their actions, either. Like this relationship with Kire. But that, at least, seemed to be going well.

"I don't have much to tell." The Kartaian admitted. "I have a twin sister. She's crazy. Father is unknown. Mother died in some raid." He shifted his shoulder. "What would you like to know? I can't promise a long tale. I haven't lived among them for a very long time. The majority of my life has been with the family I chose."

Narda chuckled. "I know. I understand, believe me. I know someday when he is gone I will miss it immensely. Till then, our little spats will be part of our relationship. I am lucky to still have both of them, when my friends have lost their own parents already."

She listened to him that he didn't have much to tell, nodding.
“Mm. I suppose that is expected,” Narda said when he mentioned his parents, given what she knew of Kartaians from Envy. The twin sister though. “So. The sister is still alive?” She looked out at the meadows. “I suppose we’ve both spent more time with our chosen family.” She sighed. “But not as dramatic a turnaround from one way of life to another as you have. I do wonder how you have managed it.”

He chuckled again. "As far as I know, yes." He answered about his sister. "She is the reason that I only have one ear. And I have a scar on my torso from a poison-coated blade she shoved between my ribs. There is no love lost between us. I think she actual loathes me for surviving." Envy smirked.

"Violence is more than a skill, for the Kartaians. Its a way of life. If you don't smash a slaves head against the cavern floor until they stop breathing, or throw your fists against another Kartaian until he is ripped apart by onlookers, you're weak. Unworthy. After a while, I noticed that none of the others looked as ill as I felt after blood was shed. I realized I didn't have the same instinctual adoration for it. And, after that, I knew it was only a time before the others sensed it as well. Knowing how cruel they are in their lessons, I left. Stole away in the night. I was hunted for a time, but I had picked up a bit of knowledge in my days of avoiding conflict. I was able to make myself a shelter beneath the desert sunlight, and those who tried to follow were burned until they gave up. I think they figured I would die there."

Envy traced his fingers along the back of Narda's wrist, feeling the soft hairs on her forearm. "So, I suppose it wasn't so much a turnaround for me. Just, more of finding a place I didn't have to hide who I was. Shortly after reaching the city, I met Ruli, and helping to take care of him felt natural. When Zeke joined, it felt more like a family than I had ever known."

Narda listened as Envy told her about what his sister did. Her eyes went back to where his other ear would have been. She had always wondered what it would be like to have a sibling; to not only have a twin, but a twin who wanted her dead? What a twisted, tortuous life. Narda was no stranger to violence, but to have that become the be all and end all of her existence sent a shiver down her spine.

The giantess looked sidelong at him. To have been born without that bloodlust and be forced to participate and pretend to survive, and then to escape it must have taken a great cunning and an iron will. "I've known many great warriors. You have their courage; theirs perhaps even pales in comparison to yours, given your odds." She placed a gentle hand on his chest. "More importantly, you have a good heart. One of a kind, considering your origins. I am glad that our paths have conspired to cross one another." She smiled fondly at him. "Would you mind terribly if I kissed you now?" she asked, grinning. "My turn to make a move."

Her words had their own magical effect on him as Envy felt a warmth of gratitude and pride course through him. Ruli, hating having to speak about his own past, never asked about Envy's. And Zeke, growing up with the ever tight-lipped Ruli, never bothered to wonder if Envy was less closed on such a topic. While he had never been ashamed of his past, it was nice to be complimented by the first person to ask about it.

However, when Envy opened his mouth to respond and found Narda asking about making a move, the elf froze. "Uh." Envy stammered, blinking pointlessly. His free hand rose to run through his loose hair. "Just .. I mean, yes. But so long as you're okay with being my .. first kiss." Envy could almost feel the heat run across his face. "Not exactly the foreplay type, my people. I've never practiced."

"Ohh." Narda grinned as he stammered through his explanation. "Well. You are full of surprises. But I suppose it makes sense, going from living with your kin to hiding underground to raise orphans." She touched his chin playfully, then brushed her thumb over his lips. "I'll be happy to help you practice then."

Softly, she pressed her lips against his in a polite kiss, holding it there for a brief moment before pulling away a little. She could feel. the warmth from his cheeks. "Is that alright? Would you like more?" she asked, her lips hovering over his as she murmured.

Full of surprises. Envy didn't quite comprehend that bit, as it was hardly surprising in his own world that no female ever looked at him in the way he would guess in the way Narda now looked at him. The smell of her skin told him of her nearness before she touched his chin, then his lips. Envy went still, not quite so used to such an intimate touch, nor the chill that swept along him afterward.

And then the kiss. Tender, cautious, like a small bite of a meal you're not sure will be delicious. But he found it to be very much so. "Is that it?" He asked, then blinked. "No! I mean," Envy put his fingers to his brow. "Sorry. Its only ... catching Zeke and Ruli with their women, looking as though they're trying to devour one another's tongues, I find this was far nicer than I was expecting." The elf explained. "I liked it. Yes. I would love to experience more. Just, please don't try to bite off my tongue."

Narda watched his reaction, amused. His expression told her he liked it, and she found that his fumbling afterward was rather endearing. But she refrained from saying so, afraid he would become too self-conscious, nervous as he was. "I suppose it does look rather like devouring," she said with a chuckle. "I promise I won't."

She leaned in again, still gentle as she kissed him, caressing his cheek as she did so. She lingered a little longer than earlier, one arm wrapping around him to hold him close.

"And this?" she asked in a whisper, breaking the kiss, her forehead pressed to his.

He smiled, peering at her as though he could see her face, lovely even if she claimed she wasn't. She promised not to eat his tongue, and he grinned wider, anticipating her movements this time, leaning gently against her. Her touch, the caress against his scarred cheek, the arm she wrapped around him in a gesture that was more than friendly, far more intimate.

When she broke back and spoke, he exhaled, unaware he'd been holding his breath. He could feel her warmth, smell her skin, and the soap she'd last bathed with. "I -" He began, trying to put words to it. "I think we should go inside for some tea. Or I might keep you here all night."

---

He woke to the sound of voices.

As if in a trance, Ruli sat upright, his eyes unfocused, his head turning. It was so quiet, but the singing. It was lovely. Outside his room. Maybe outside the inn. He couldn't tell. Listening to it made him feel... peaceful.
Slowly, he shifted, turning to put his feet on the floor. Don't get out of bed. Ruli felt his eyes blink more than he saw the world dim for a moment. Slow. Heavily. He wasn't sure who had spoken the words, but, unlike the voice, it made him uneasy. Cold.
Suppose the bed was warm. Maybe that was why he shouldn't get out. Stay in bed. With her. The fighter.

So Ruli remained, sitting upright, eyes open, yet unseeing, listening to the song.