Carantathraiel

Wanderers

He couldn't help but grin at her coughing. "I warned you." He pointed out. A few of the Ziadi snickered; it had always been a delightful thing to see foreigners attempt to eat their exotic recipes.
Still, she gathered more, and Ruli grinned, glad she hadn't been deterred.

"Envy is pretty charming. The calming aura about him, despite his appearance." He said, continuing his work. He tossed the vegetables and spices in the new skillet, stirring and sniffing to see how it came along. Just as he was about to add the eggs, Kire apologized, and Ruli paused to glance up at her.

"You're hardly the only one." Ruli pointed out. "I think we're both a bit shit at it. Sorry. Sorry!" he added a second apology to the mother eating with her child, who whipped her head around to glare at him.
Clearing his throat, he continued. "Truth, I ... I know I'm impossible to really get along with. But I also don't really intend to change that. So, I don't know what you are looking for, but it's likely not me. Not, I mean, not that I am assuming that you're... ah, never mind." He sighed.

Wanderers

The other Ziadi, perhaps only six of them seated around the low tables, their arses settled on cushions or short stools, eyed the scarred woman curiously. Few recalled seeing her a few times around the city while having no idea who she was, or why she was often armed. They knew she wasn't one of their guards, but had often seen her speaking with Zeke, so in order to avoid any trouble, they decided to politely ignore her.
Save for the smallest of them, a young girl of about nine who pointed at Kire's sword. "That's pretty!"
Her mother quickly tugged on her arm, muttering low to scold her child.

"That." Ruli said, mildly amused. "Is a Ziadi recipe I picked up. Blend of cream, herbs, and spicy peppers. Often used on breakfast meal andd poultry dishes. Here." He tore off a bit of a piece of flatbread before him and dipped it into the sauce before holding it out for her. "Mind you, its hot."
He tore off a second piece of his bread and did the same, chewing on it without bother. He was used to the spices, from having lived in Ziad and eating them for so long. "The idea is to make sort of a pita dish with the bread, fill it with the egg and vegetables, and then add a little of the sauce. Here, try it. It'll fill your belly and keep your mind sharp." He offered her another flatbread, setting the mixture skillet aside to be served from while beginning on another. He sat more comfortably, bent to dive more vegetables and sausage. "Narda passed through here, earlier. I sent her to the otherside. Figured she wanted to try to woo Envy a little more."

Wanderers

The Ziadi on the cliffside city were still hard at work; at dawn they'd wake and burst into life, sweeping, washing, clearing debris, repainting shutters on their newly washed or replaced windows. Zeke was seen occasionally, freshly washed and redressed himself, wandering the stairs to help others, gathering his own crew of young men and a few women who weren't entirely sure what to do in regards to keeping busy. He set them to work, clearing the many flower beds along the cliffs to be replanted, mending furniture, carrying crates up or down.

By the time sunrise had come, the whole cliff side was illuminated in the golden light. Flavoured smoke rose from many of the homes, the largest from the messhalls, as people went to work on feeding their families and those without. On the southern side, where the Ziadi resided, Ruli was in charge of the cooking, busy and sweating as he bent over the low-burning flames. He juggled flatbread, scrambled eggs, a skillet of spices, vegetables, and crumbly sausage, and a small pot of some sort of orange-hued sauce. He didn't look up when Kire walked in, too preoccupied with making sure his eggs mixed right as he poured it into the vegetable skillet.

It wasn't until he caught her from the corner of his eye that he did glance up, pausing in his work. He stared for a minute, recalling the moment last night when, half asleep and cold, he'd rolled to seek her body warmth and felt what could have been disappointed to find his bed empty. "Morning." He said simply and safely. He gestured to his cooking. "Nearly done. They're cooking something else on the otherside. Something elven. So." Ruli shrugged, offering her a bit of the warm flatbread, which smelled deliciously of garlic and melted cheese.

Wanderers

Aera listened with the same stillness, her eyes dark despite the glow of the many fires. She knew Kire had a point, had reasons to enjoy spending time and forming relationships with those with far shorter lives. And Aera had her own fondness for it. She remembered the passion her late husband had expressed, the urgency in the way he needed to express it. Watching the others in the tunnels of Ziad grow so quickly, age so fast.
Some things she would never witness again, here. It was a small, dark ache that she always ignored. It was safer to be stranded here, where nothing ever happened that was unintentional or unexpected. At least to her. After everything that had happened.
Judging by the scar that marred the empress's face, and the stories and knowledge of these horrible monstrosities beneath their fires, Kire had her own horrors. We’ve lived under different circumstances.
"Yes. We have." Aera agreed.

She meandered away again, supervising her people. Ruli wandered back, silent but thoughtful looking. Ysaryn sidled up to him, her arms folded over her chest, and they watched the elves and the fires. When at last the embers died down, devoured by the moist earth and starved for things to continue destroying, their goodbyes were said.
"I am sure you are eager for proper accommodation and meals." Aera replied without the least bit of sarcasm. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Empress Akire, and I am glad we could be of help to you. However, do not take this the wrong way when I say that I hope we do not cross paths for a while. After all you and your family has endured, I hope you find some reprieve." She bent in turn to Narda, Zeke, and even Ysaryn, who mockingly copied the princess. But Ruli, Aera glanced to for a moment, never meeting his gaze. Instead, her eyes fell on his left shoulder.

The moment they were back in the dark and chilly caves of New-Ziad, Ysaryn raised her arms as if in victory. "Oh, not me. I will still eat a whole shark." She announced, running her fingers through her short hair.
"Not too loud, you'll wake the elf." Zeke warned, and Ysaryn clamped her hands over her mouth.
"Oh." She whispered, wide-eyed. "Will he want some of the shark?"
"Go to bed."
Chuckling, the elf waved. "See you in morning." She threatened before she vanished out of one of the many underground paths.
"Likewise." Zeke said, raising his hand. "I hope you're expecting some rest before you return to your world? If not, then farewell, and I'm kind of with Aera. I wouldn't mind not seeing you for a while."

Even Ruli wasn't sure if he was joking or not. The blond watched his former friend disappear before he realized he was now alone with Kire and Narda. Suddenly very aware of how he was standing and sure it wasn't normal, he cleared his throat. "Good night, then." he said, staring for his house.

Wanderers

Aera seemed to shiver at the mention of blood magic, her thin shoulders twitching almost imperceptibly. "Do pass along my regards to Envy, then." She requested. "I do miss him. I'm sure he knows that, but tell him for me anyway, my only request."

As Kire continued, Aera's violet eyes flit back to the Empress, her patient but guarded expression returning. "We are far less steeped in magic than most of our kin, but it does have its hold in our culture. As Envy can do with enchantments and potions, so can we, but we do not have active magics that manifest." Save for her, of course, though she'd always been so suppressant of her powers she avoided mentioning them when possible. "Our halls were made from it, so yes, it runs through our mountain like a slow-beating heart."

"You mean mortals? Men?" She asked, glancing toward Zeke, who still covered his face, his eyes red and irritated. The elf considered the question for a time.

"They make everything more precious, don't they? So fleeting are their lives that they find joy in the oddest of things. Animal companions. Drink. Knitting." Aera said thoughtfully. "I miss my own precious pieces of it, in truth. But-" She hesitated, her expression hardening again. Then it cracked, the corners of her lips pulling down for just a moment. "No. I do not believe I would return if offered the choice. I prefer, I think, to be isolated with my own people. Sure, you'd prefer your own, rather than immerse yourself in the far more temporary life of those here?" Aera asked, glancing toward Kire once more.

Wanderers

It went well once they began, the elves following Aera's short worded orders to move, to ignite, which flames to mind, when to take a bucket of water. The reek filled the air, and Zeke gagged a little, using his sleeve to protect his face.
Ysaryn, like Narda and Kire, waited, watching, focused. Her eyes glowed in the flames, becoming a brilliant bright topaz as she hunted.

Ruli, standing across the clearing, watched with mild horror, the smell churning his insides. When Kire mumbled to him, he crossed his arms, feeling a chill. "Thanks." He said back, not entire sure what to reply with, only sure that he should reply.

When the howling started, Ysaryn drew her blades, one of her own, thankfully returned to her by Zeke, and the other the Amrian blade, and she pounced with the Amrians when the wolves began to make their escape. Her bloodlust was short lived, however, when she noticed the Raielwen moving in on the abominations, as well, and she quickly put distance between them and herself. Instead, she stood next to Ruli, almost vibrating with forced restraint.
"This'll be over soon." He said, repeating Kire's words to him.
Judging by the swear that came from her lips, it wasn't nearly as assuring to her as it was to him.

When Kire and Narda retreated, Ysaryn was bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Its a good look on you ladies." Ruli commented as he took in their soot and dirt stained clothing.

The Raielwen circled the clearing, using hooked rods to pull wood apart as it burned and drag it to other piles, stoking flames, dousing the soil. Even covered in soot and dirt, same as the Amrians, they were entirely kept together, not a hair out of place. Ysaryn's desire to shove one in the mud circled like an animal.
Ruli took of walking without warning after perhaps an hour of watching them work, circling the fires. Not quite coincidentally, Aera approached Kire from the other side. "It appears to be going quite smoothly." She pointed out, gesturing to the flames. "I had anticipated a little worse than the mutated animals. Never before have I been so pleased to be overprepared." Her dark eyes turned toward Kire, another pleasant but small smile on her lips. "Will you and your party be accompanying us back once the fires have died down?"

Wanderers

Aera listened, still as stone, as Kire mentioned her ideas and suggestions, and asked for what the elves would be able to provide. "Axes, ropes, and buckets of water, as well as quite a group of volunteers who want to see this dead knot eradicated from our close proximity." Aera answered, smiling subtly at Kire.
Ruli, still sitting near their little fire, didn't turn around, but his annoyance surged. He could earily put magic around the thicket, prevent the fire from spreading, but Aera would never ask. He doubted entirely that she would accept if offered.
Indeed, when Ysaryn asked aloud, "Would Rulitus not be able to make ward around? Like the gate?" Aera stiffened, until Ruli had to quickly shake his head.
"It won't work for a natural element." He lied quickly. He had to shoot Ysaryn a glare to keep her from arguing, as she clearly didn't believe him. She kept quiet, but looked deeply confused.

"The supplies will be brought. If you've need of anything else, Zekiel, please come to inform us." Don't send the elf or him, her tone said. With a polite bend, she turned and strolled back toward the borders, and Ruli exhaled audbibly.
"What was that!?" Ysaryn rounded on him, gesturing.
"She won't accept anything from me, so drop it." Ruli mumbled. "Trying will only lose us their assistance."
"We don't need it!"
"We do. Stop acting selfish." He snapped, passing her by. Ysaryn snarled at him.

A gathering of nearly forty elves arrived, mostly male, each with a barely-contained look of unbridled violence in their eyes. Whatever they feared about these woods settled deep, their desire to be rid of it causing their emotionless facade to break. Aera led them, still wrapped in fine silks, but they were far more closely trimmed, her gloves made of leather. Still, none of the other elves allowed her to so much as tie a knot in any of the rope, and she was force to stand aside and supervise.
She only looked disappointed with Zeke, Ysaryn, and Ruli arrived, the lattermost and the princess doing all they could to put themselves as far apart as possible. The elves went to working hauling the broken pieces of wood into small individual piles that were kept as neatly away from the living and unscathed trees as possible. The rest went to help break down the trees that had yet to be cut down. Ten of them were on standby to run back and forth to their well to refill buckets of water, as much of the soil beneath them was soaked to prevent unintentional spread.

"Empress." Aera said from where she stood on dry floor some feet away. "With your permission, we will begin burning."

Wanderers

Ruli's slitted eyes followed Kire as she walked away, tempted out of instinct to offer to follow, but Narda beat him to the offer. Bot that he thought Kire would even accept his offer.
When they were gone, he moved to the fire, taking Narda's place.

"You slept with her, didn't you?" Zeke asked bluntly. Ysaryn cackled beside him, which was answer enough.
"Mmmhm." Ruli answered anyway.
Zeke shook his head, finishing the last of his own meat before he sat back, folding his legs. "Are you going to do it again?"
Even Ysaryn glanced up, curious.
"I don't know." Ruli shrugged, thinking about it. "Maybe."
Ysaryn chuckled again before she got to her feet. "I sleep." She informed them before disappearing into the tent.
"For having just got laid for the first time in years, I'd have thought you'd be more upbeat." Zeke commented idly. The sound of chuckling came from the tent.
Ruli inhaled and sighed. "Want to spar?"
Amusement covered Zeke's face for a moment, before he shrugged. "Sure."

By the time Kire and Narda returned, both men were sweating from the effort. Zeke took a swig from his water skin before wiping his brow and nearing the women. "How'd it go?" He asked about the thicket.
Ruli, having no water skin, and not wanting to invade their space, listened from afar before Kire went back to nap. Ysaryn lay awake on her bed roll, apparently kept up by the noise the males were making.

Ruli wandered on his own after a short while later, heading north, though cautiously. He knew the Kartaian territory was to the north, but never knew how far north. When he returned, Narda and Ysaryn were hunting, and returning to the tent revealed Kire and Zeke asleep in the tent. With little else to do, he stoked their fire and lay on his back on the roll across from Kire's.

After their dinner, which considered of another hare and a pheasant, Ysaryn turned her head sharply. "Incoming." She warned.
Within minutes, Aera and two elven escorts appeared, the latter two looking quite uncomfortable outside of their territory. "Good afternoon." She greeted, her eyes sweeping the group, skipped over Ruli, to land on the tent. "I hope the tent has been satisfactory?"
"You're up and about early." Zeke grinned.
She smirked in return. "I couldn't sleep. I came to announce we are gathering supplies to approach the thicket within a few hours."
"So early?" Ysaryn asked with a slight teasing tone.
Aera's smile didn't change. "Do you have any preference to how it should be done, Empress?"

Wanderers

Ysaryn began to reach for Kire's share the moment she heard Kire wasn't hungry, and pursed her lips when Narda claimed it first. A quick scan of Narda's large disposition made Ysaryn decide against arguing for it.
But when Kire emerged shortly after and demanded hers, the elf chuckled, sitting back on her heels to eat comfortably. "Did stuffy elf bring us wine?" She wondered, craning her neck to peer into the tent before she rose to wander inside, intentionally passing by Ruli in order to unintentionally (surely) kick his foot as she passed.
She returned empty handed, muttering what was no doubt some complaint in elvish.

"It was very strange to see." Ysaryn commented to Kire's portal grab. "She is to open a portal near someone and -" She made a quick slurp sound. "suddenly they are in her front. Wetting themself." She grinned, finishing the last of her meal before licking her fingers.
"Talk to Envy." Ruli tiredly suggested from behind them. Ysaryn's kick jarring him from sleep once more, so that he'd given up on obtaining more. He still remained behind and away from the others, though. "Might have some idea of how to help."
Ysaryn eyed him with feline focus from over her shoulder. "Can you do that?" She asked. "Pull through Shadow without going in?"
Ruli's left shoulder twitched. "Never tried."

Wanderers

Ruli met Narda's gaze without reservation, his expression guarded as usual. Even Ysaryn, crouched beside the fire with her hands busy, glanced up at him, her curious gaze following him. With the three of them crowded around the small fire, Ruli stopped nearby and landed against the tree.
As Kire mentioned wanting a nap, Ysaryn looked between them, but was mercifully quiet. She almost looked concerned as her eyes fell again on Ruli and he pointedly picked at the bandages on his arm.

"We could have gone back to the cliffs, too." Ruli pointed out after a moment. "Come back tonight."
"And let the Raielwen take all the fun? No." Ysaryn insisted. "They are uneasy with us here. Good."
Ruli only grunted in response. He also felt tired after the time spent awake last night, but now no longer dared make his way into the tent. So, instead, he sat where he was and leaned back, folding his arms over his chest. Ysaryn raised her eyebrow, her cheeky grin making a reappearance. "Inside the tent is for resting, you know." She teased.
"I'm fine."
She chuckled at him.

When the hares were cooked, Ysaryn prodded Ruli, who insisted that he wasn't hungry before he dozed off again. Shrugging, Ysaryn claimed his share guiltlessly, as Narda wandered in to wake Kire. Zeke, chewing on his own portion, sighed. "I have no idea how a whole clan can not eat meat."