As If By Fate (Part 2)

[Torin Kilvin]

The youngling's afternoon had gone long that day, it was the first time Torin had almost broken his master's command that he return to the house by full dark. They had made plans to meet the next day. He had hoped they had, and been gratified to see his friend again at the appointed place the next afternoon. Learning from each other, it seemed, was a fascination they shared. They spent every evening together for the few days before Destynreal's family moved on. When the apprentice came to understand, on the last day, that it would be their last he had come close to tears, impulsively embracing the other child when it had come time to part.

He'd thought about Destyn often in the years that followed, using their odd, brief connection as a template by which to judge the friendships he saw around him.

41 Searing, 121
Kalzasi

The Fae boy, man now, really, had still quietly for some moments and Torin had let him. Whatever had happened to bring his first friend into this place and state of duress he wouldn't press for it. A smile crossed his face when the question was asked with a much more familiar tone to the one used moments before to spit pain and anger between them came from Destyn.

"Cairde i gcónaí, do mo chuidse." His low voice spoke the words shyly but with a reasonable accent, even rolling his R's. Looking to the injured man as he always had, to see if he'd done well, been understood. Reverting to his own language he went on,
"Your common is very good. I can't say my Valasren is nearly as improved."

It felt like the continuation of a conversation they'd started as children and found again in adolescence being picked back up, as though the intervening years had happened but didn't matter for that particular conversation.

Moving with his characteristic slow deliberateness, broadcasting his intention and watching for signs that he was unwelcome, he moved to sit on the grass also. An arms-length between them; one of his own arms and an inch or two more. He didn't want Destynreal's instincts tensing thinking Torin might be able to reach out and grab him without warning. He had heard that cities in the south were less welcoming to people of different races, that Kalzasi was somewhat unique in its acceptance of every kind. Nearly every kind, he realized there were still some that would be shunned, or even attacked. Thinking about the people of a city rising to attack, to destroy, the Fae’ethalan tribe he had come to know, however briefly felt like thick, wet, sickness rising through him. The urge to comfort with touch, to offer his friend a set of arms he knew to hide in rose up and was suppressed again, with growing difficulty.

[Destyn]

As if by Fate

14 Searing, 121

Destyn smiled, albeit wanly and nodded. His tragedy at the hands of humans, had not wholly erased his fondness for the first human he ever called 'Friend'... Or at least, "Fuh-rend-uh" as it had taken him a while to learn Common pronunciation.

"Do you remember Ioliff?" Destyn wondered, looking Torin over and finally allowing himself to be struck by the journey that scrawny body had taken to reach this point. "The elder who dwelt amongst humans for a time?" Torin would have met him during Destyn's second circuit through his lands. Ioliff had still been working as a village healer East of Antiris during their first meeting, by he'd returned to the clan in the intervening years and been Destyn's primary instructor in the speaking of Common.

After meeting Torin, Destynrael had become fair obsessed with the notion of learning the widespread tongue of his friend. He'd learnt as much as he could from those in his tribe who dabbled, and upon Ioliff's return he'd insisted upon learning every nuance he could. There had been much time to learn, in the rambling life he'd once enjoyed.

"He continued to teach me well, after we last parted ways." He glanced down, and made a graceful and clearly mournful gesture with his hand in memory of his old teacher.

"You are... even bigger." Destyn noted, a bit wide-eyed as his gaze ran the course of Torin's physique. "I am bigger, too, but... Not so much." He was still quite light and slender, though significantly taller than he'd been as a younger teen.

As If By Fate

[Torin Kilvin]

The much larger man nodded, carefully, not sure if the reference to the old Fae'ethalan was going to be a painful one.

"I do, of course." The elder had done most of the translating between what Torin said to the tribe and how they answered back. Gods, the tribe. His memories of them were bright spots in his childhood. They had been so different from the villagers. Cautious perhaps but welcoming and kind once they accepted a strange boy into their midst. The type of family feeling the entire group had, how they helped each other without thought, cared for whoever needed it had seeded ideas into his adolescent mind. Of what a family should be like, of what he might want to build if he was ever to have one.

Torin blushed at the comment on his body, unsure why but embarrassed by it. It was normal for him to be embarrassed by being noticed at all. One would think he would have grown used to it with the shoulders he now had, but as he grew only larger the nature of the looks changed or intensified, and thus also did his discomfort. Not that he thought Destynreal was trying to make him so.

"Aye. The forge does that. I suppose it didn't make me tall but I had nothing to do with that either." In truth, he'd expected to remain small for his age as he'd been the first time they'd met. No one had been more surprised when he began to sprout up like a weed one summer, gaining half a foot in just the one season. That was the year he'd stopped being timid about eating too, for obvious reasons. It had been his thirteenth summer, the one before the year Destyn had popped back into his life. The tribe had spent longer in the area the second time, and he'd been able to meet them, learn as much as he could absorb of their language.

Feilds Near The Village
Searing 116, Steel

The boy was working at a piece of leather, awl in one hand, carefully making tiny, identical holes in the thick material so it could later be sewn. Now that he was a proper apprentice, fourteen this Searing, his master was teaching him enough of leatherworking to ensure he wouldn't have to go to someone else for any but fine or delicate work. There were lots of pieces of smithing work that needed a bit of leather, or a lot, as where armor was concerned. The work wasn't bad, but it wasn't the same as working with metal, and the smells were not ones he was used to.

The runesmith was having a conversation with a customer outside the forge area, and while his hands were occupied with the repetitive motion Torin's mind occupied itself with listening. It was a public conversation, he wasn't eavesdropping, only curious. They were mostly talking trade, striking a deal over some tools to be made, but once they'd shaken hands the conversation turned to gossip. It seemed a group of traveling Fae'ethalan had made their camp in the empty fields not far from the village. They were a peaceful folk and if they were close it was unlikely the groups of bandits that sometimes roved the land were. The two adult men moved on to talk of other things, the price of grain, the recent goings-on in Kalzasi and what laws seemed likely to be passed down soon, but Torin had stopped listening. Finishing his task as quickly as possible, while still ensuring it was done well, he slid off the wooden stool and went to tell his master he was done and ask if he was done for the day. The man gave him a curious look at the question, the boy was usually asking for more work, never wanting to be finished. Thus being the case he was inclined to grant his apprentice leave to go and did so, even if he watched him walk away, out toward the forest.

There was a shortcut out to the fields through the woodland, if you knew it. Torin did. There was no guarantee that the group was the same one that Destynreal, his friend, had belonged to. Several other tribes had come through in the seven years since they'd met, but they had always been friendly enough and interesting. When he reached the thinning of the trees and was able to see out into the open spaces of grass he realized he wouldn't know if it was the same tribe by looking.

He made his way with care, not to be quiet, the opposite, in fact. Sneaking up on folk you wished to speak to hadn't ever ended well for him. Even when he hadn't intended to sneak he was naturally quiet in his movements, so he'd learned to make noise when he wished to.

It didn't take much for the people beginning to set up for their evening meal to notice him, maybe they had seen him before he'd even left the treeline even. When an older male stood and appeached him he stopped to wait, letting the man come to him. The boy bit his lip. This might have been a bad idea. He still spoke only a handful or words in the Fae language. Hoping the name of his friend would be enough to at least know if these were his people or not he was surprised when the older man spoke to him in lightly accented common. He was asked what he wanted, not unkindly, and it gave him heard.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, sir," He hoped it was a man, " I was wondering if you have a child with you, about my age, Destynreal is their name."

[Destyn]

As if by Fate

14 Searing, 121

The elder's eyes widened slightly, as did his friendly smile.

"Destynrael?" He repeated, placing a slightly different emphasis on the third syllable, though not with the weight of a correction so much as a confirmation. He wished to be certain he'd heard correctly. At Torin's subsequent nod, he chuckled.

"You must be Torin." He noted, before stepping forward to draw the boy into a warm, welcoming embrace. "Please. Come out of the Searing sun and into the shade of our glade." Releasing Torin from his firm grip, Ioliff stepped backwards and gestured behind him.

"You may wait with us and... Perhaps you will partake of some of our provisions? These woods have proven most bountiful this year." He turned his back on Torin and strode toward the centre of their encampment, where an unlit firepit was surrounded by tree trunks upon which a few Fae lounged.

"My name isIoliff." The elder stated over his shoulder, as they approached. Unabashed attention had been cast toward Torin as soon as he'd approached the outskirts of the camp, but now it was even more flagrant as many voices descanted their sing-song language whilst staring at the boy. Most looked inquisitive, some looked excited, and others wary. The excitement seemed to skew to the younger Fae, with the wariness skewing toward the older.

"An Torin an buachaill seo?" One Fae with purple petal eyebrows cocked them as Torin was led past her.

"A chara Destyn atá i gceist agat?" Another at her side with huge, prismatic, insectoid eyes wondered in response to the first.

The elder who'd identified himself as Ioliff seemed content to ignore the chittering as they passed, and gestured to an empty trunk for Torin to seat himself upon.

"Destyn took to the sky a few hours ago." The elder said, sounding somewhat apologetic, but also rather amused. "In search of you, I suspect. You're all he's been talking about since we got within thirty miles of here." He glanced over to the pair who'd been gaping at and gossiping about Torin, and voiced what sounded like a command:

"Tabhair caora leat, le do thoil!" He cracked a smile, adding: "Fág amach na feithidí - bíonn daoine scanrúil dóibh." And winked, before returning his attentions to Torin.

"Are you thirsty from your trek, as well?"

As If By Fate

[Torin Kilvin]

The repeated name, as a question, briefly felled Torin's crest but then his mind caught up with the subtle variation and realized the elder knew the name. With hope he nodded and was surprised when he was greeted in his own language.

"Oh." Was all he said at first and then flushed, embarrassed at his rudeness, "Yes, I am. Thank you."

As he drew closer, close enough to observe the Fae'ethalan as they, in turn, observed him, the variation startled him. The people truly were a mixture of human, animal, and plant, a perfect amalgamation of life on Ransera. He did not let himself stare but could not stop his eyes from being wide saucers. Nodding politely to anyone who offered him what he thought to be greetings of word or gesture was the best he could manage, his words trapped behind his throat. It was often the case when he found himself the center of attention, good or bad. So many new faces, and so strange to his eyes all peering at him eagerly, unabashedly was enough to overwhelm him and make him wish his growth had not hit him so strongly already. It had done so late for his people, the other boys near to his age, already bigger than him normally had begun to sprout up to varying degrees the year before. Now he overtopped most of them, which, though he had longed not to be so defenseless for most of his life, now brought him only additional unwanted attention.

The eyes of the Fae on him did not feel the same, felt more like the curiosity of the wood's creatures, who, in time, had come to know Torin and recognize that he meant them no harm. As the creatures, the elder ones were more wary of him, the younglings bolder. Thinking of it thus actually calmed his nerves enough that he was able to sit when instructed.

"I'm Torin." He said in response to the name the elder gave, then became flustered because the man already knew that. "Uhm, Kilvin, is my surname, if, if you want it. I belong to the runesmith in town. I'm not his son, just his apprentice."
Adults always seemed to want to know where he belonged, or who he belonged to, so he gave the information in an attempt to seem obedient. Adults were less likely to tell him to leave a place if he seemed obedient.

"Oh." He said again when informed that his friend, who he wasn't sure even remembered him, had come in search of him too. His flush was happier this time and he looked down at his hands to hide a helpless smile. "I am glad he remembered. " He nearly whispered, feeling uncomfortably close to tears. Learning to control his urges to cry had been important and come easier as he grew older. "May I wait here? I can go and wait somewhere else if you want."

As soon as the elder asked if he was thirsty he realized how thirsty he was. Usually, he went and drank after his work was done but he'd been to excited to remember that day.

"If it's not any trouble," He swallowed past his dry throat, thirst comically obvious, "Yes, please."

[Destyn]

As if by Fate

14 Searing, 121

As they settled into their seats and Ioliff regarded Torin with a warm, easy smile that might be described as avuncular, the human would note that this elder was the most human-presenting of the Fae present. This was a metamorphosis he'd undergone in advance of his sabbatical, to prepare himself to live amongst humans and work alongside them. By human standards, he looked to be about forty years of age with mostly dark hair that seemed to be turning a deep, mossy green at the temples where a human's might go grey with advancing years. His eyebrows were that same verdant hue, as were the entirety of his eyeballs which had no distinct iris or pupil. Other than that, he might have been one of Torin's neighbours for how human he presented.

"A noble calling." Ioliff said of Torin's apprenticeship, "I worked closely with a runesmith East of here, where I aided a village as their healer until such time as I could ready an apprentice of my own to take over tending the town." He glanced up as the two Fae he'd addressed moments earlier, returned with a bowl of fruit.

"Of course, of course." He replied to Torin's request, "I called for a bit of fruit to tide you over. I know it was a bit of a hike for you to get here." The Clann na Feithidí Uisce did not make a habit of taking up camp particularly close to human settlements and Torin didn't have Destyn's advantage of flight.

"I don't expect Destyn will be long. He's been gone a while." He said as he reached out to take the fruit bowl from the younglings with a grateful nod, and pass it over to Torin.

"Oh, he more than remembered. He's been fair obsessed with learning Common ever since meeting you, apparently. When I rejoined the clan he peppered me with question. It will be a relief to have you around for a bit to take some of the pressure off of me as his language teacher." He chuckled, "Always better to learn from a native speaker, don't you think?" He cocked a mossy eyebrow and looked Torin over for a moment, before his ears perked.

"Ah. Your friend approaches." And, sure enough, after a few moments the humming of rapidly beating wings emerged and began to grow louder until a smallish figure could be seen obscuring the sun above in silhouette.

As If By Fate

[Torin Kilvin]

Not staring at the disparate forms of the many Fae surrounding, and indeed staring unabashedly at him, was hard. Torin decided that looking at Ioliff, who was speaking to him, was the polite thing to do. While his mind harshly admonished him against the rudeness of looking overlong at any of the oddities of the tribe it accepted their stares as mere curiosity and didn't think for a moment that they were being impolite. He kept his eyes mostly down, on his hands, tangled in his lap, or the ground.

"Healing is a more noble thing than making weapons." He stated, too overwhelmed to think about his words and how they might be perceived until he heard them, then adding, "I think, anyway. Sir."

Contradicting adults was a quick way to get cuffed about the ears in his experience. Though he'd been less often on the receiving end of such annoyance-based attacks since his shoulders had started to widen. Taking the bowl of fruit when it was offered he clutched it as though it might protect him.

"It wasn't bad," He deflected, "I like to walk."

Forgetting himself enough to look up and meet the elder's solid green eyes at the mention of Destyn he said,

"I've been trying to learn your language but not many folk as know it come through the village. I've picked up a few things but it's hard. There aren't any books." It felt like he should prove the friendship based on so short an acquaintance hadn't been one-sided, that he too was willing to work for it. "I'm glad he had you."

The frustration of wanting to learn something that simply wasn't available had been new to the country boy who typically only came to know of things he might learn by observing them being done. The idea of being able to take over the burden of speaking Common with Destynreal for a time made Torin wonder how long the tribe might be staying in the area and he asked, as politely as he knew how but still with the obvious eagerness of a puppy reuniting with his siblings.

When the elder's ears informed him, and then he informed Torin, of Destyn's arrival the human leapt up, having to quickly grab for the bowl to keep the fruit was spilling out onto the ground. Taking the moment's time to set it carefully down on the log bench was an effort. As the child he had know, grown some but not nearly as much as Torin himself had, came to a landing it was all Torin could do not to hug him. The tension of keeping himself from sharing the sort of casually affectionate touch they'd passed between them as young children was obvious in the lines of his frame.

"I waited for, I, uhm, hello." He said, hesitant but grinning helplessly down at his diminutive friend.

[Destyn]

As if by Fate

14 Searing, 121

Ioliff's pursuant smile was wan, but warm.

"If you think so, then focus your artistry on the healing arts rather than the martial." It seemed so matter-of-fact, coming from the elder Fae, and it was. Having spent time in the midst of humans, he'd found their cultural priorities tended to make them unhappier than was necessary. It was a rather alien notion to most Fae, but Ioliff had put enough time in to better understand the Ranseran way.

"Well." Ioliff considered, "I'm sure we could part with a few books in Vallasren, if you're keen to learn, but I do not know how helpful that will be without someone to help translate. We do not have a Common-to-Vallasren dictionary, or anything of the sort..."

Ioliff chuckled, as Torin hopped up from his seat at the arrival of his friend.

As Destyn descended from the firmament, the din of his wings grew more thunderous and the accompanying wind whipped at the grass and sent up a cloud of ash from the unlit firepit. As his feet alighted on the ground and he found himself looking up at Torin, he blinked in confusion.

"So big!" Destyn exclaimed, "What you are having eat?!"

Ioliff cleared his throat and calmly corrected:

"I believe you mean to say: 'What have you been eating?'"

"Ahhh..." Destyn wrinkled his nose, annoyed at having made an error as soon as he opened his mouth and attempted Common with a native speaker. "What haff you bin eaten?"

Ioliff clucked his tongue, and looked to Torin with a shrug that seemed to say: 'Close enough'.

As If By Fate

[Torin Kilvin]

The idea that he could, even perhaps should, change professions hit the human boy like a brick to the face. He had been set onto his current path almost as soon as he was able to walk on his own and the concept that he could choose another rose up to overwhelm him. Luckily the arrival of his friend brushed the idea away before it could sweep him under.

"Not Fae'ethalan, I promise." He teased gently in answer to the question. It had taken him almost a whole year before he'd found someone who could translate the question about his diet but he'd laughed when he'd been told. "I just... grow." He shrugged one shoulder, as though he had nothing to do with it and was a little embarrassed by it.

"Oh, umh," He took a moment and concentrated before slowly saying, "Beannachdan, tha mi an dòchas gu bheil thu gu math." With over-exaggerated pronunciation. He grinned after, looking between the elder and the child to see if he'd done it right or made some error. Being corrected didn't upset him, it was a sign of care in his world. The concept was emphasized by Ioliff doing it for Destyn. He was unaware that the phrases he'd learned had been in a different dialect than the one this tribe used, in the same way that he was only barely aware that other dialects of Common existed.

"I got a trader to teach me that in exchange for fixing a harness buckle that had worn down." He said this proudly, though whether the pride was for his negotiation skills, his blacksmithing, or his learning the language was up for interpretation.

"What do you eat? Other than berries." He glanced back at the bowl and fruit he'd left on the log bench, "And other fruit?" It was partly a question, just because Fae ate something didn't mean Destyn did. "What do you not like?"

[Destyn]

As if by Fate

14 Searing, 121

Destyn's eyes widened, and then he laughed hard at the joke. Although he remembered posing the question all those years ago, he assumed it was just a coincidence that Torin was making a similar jest now. It seemed inconceivable that he'd have remembered enough of a phrase in a foreign tongue to get it translated later.

"You grow much." Destyn nodded. Ioliff chuckled and patted Destyn on the head, and then Torin on the shoulder, as he stepped away to leave the children to their reacquaintance. As Torin launched into his Vallasren greeting, the two Fae who'd been gaping openly at him, now did so with wider eyes. Ioliff collected them on his path away from the fire pit, and led them off as well.

"You meeted a trader who is Vallasren speaks? They were also of Fae'ethalan?" His thick, round accent was as prominent as his numerous grammatical errors. He didn't catch all of Torin's words, either. 'Harness' and 'buckle' hadn't been added to his vocabulary quite yet, but the question about food was well within his comprehension.

"I eating fruit and also buggies." He made a gesture with his hand, using his little fingers to emulate the legs of an insect or spider which he set to crawling on Torin's arm. Then he grabbed the fake bug with the other hand and pulled to to his mouth, pretending to munch it down and then rub his belly and lick his lips.

"Yum buggies!" He said, beaming. "Human eat more thing, I think, but maybe not so much buggies." He nodded, sagely and took a seat on one of the logs.

"I does not like meat, and vegetable. They make me sad for animal and plant that hurt and die. Except buggies. Much of buggies hurt plant, so I help keep buggies few."

As If By Fate