Legend of Ransera

Norani listened aptly, always fascinated to hear about these strange and foreign lands. Part of her wanted to visit these places, while another part of her knew that she was truly lucky and privileged to have been born and raised in Ecith. She glanced over at Yeva, who was on a pilgrimage from her home, to seek the ways of the Seer in Ecith, on a divine invitation. That was magical. That was beautiful. She wondered if Yeva would want to move on soon, travel to another land like the adventurous woman Norani knew her to be. The thought of Yeva leaving was a sad one, no matter how much Norani tried to convince herself that she'd be happy for her friend living life and being bold.

Maybe Yeva would let Norani come with, she still had her own rite of travel to take, after all.

A smile drifted lazily back upon her face, "Mamma once tried to explain to me that tradition can be a powerful and dangerous tool for a culture. Sometimes it is hard to tell what is good or not in a tradition, or if there even is good in any tradition. She told me how us Orkhan used to have the tradition of when we entered adulthood, we would need to rally a small horde of our peers and pillage another village. You weren't considered an adult in the village unless you killed another Orkhan in battle. That... tradition... lasted a long time in our culture according to the stories."

Norani was a little sad at the thought. She wondered how much of her people had been lost in the name of such a tradition. "Still, many traditions are nice too. On a birthday, the family-around-you will all get together, each cooking up a dish themselves, to present to you, and then placed around a fire. The food is for all those who come as friends, with the last portion of each saved for the birthday beholder." She smiled brightly, "Papa always made the best berry stuffed catfish."

But at Yeva's mention of existing being taboo, Norani's own vision darkened. There was one tenant that Norani had always struggled with, being too young to see the relevance. "When I was real small, the Galerian Imperium invaded Ecith. I don't remember much about it, being so young. The fighting never came to this village, but I remember several of my parents going to war, alongside Chieftain Boraba. Many Orkhan and Ecithians died in that war, and many still carry the scars from those battles. Many still carry revenge in their hearts for the desecration of Ailos and Kythera." A sad sigh, "But one of the tenants I agreed to, that all citizens agree to, is to kill Imperial citizens, no matter who they are, where they are in the world. Ecith is no better than Zaichaer in that way. Imperials' existence is taboo also."

Then in a quiet whisper, "I don't think I can kill someone..."

Smiling lightly over at Yeva, "It sounds like Franky is a good man. Part of the family-around-you, no?" Smiling, "Is that what led you to the tavern that we met in? A reminder of him?"

Norani had never experienced a revolution or any major upheaval. Politics barely existed in the life of the village Ecithians. "Do you worry about him? If you would like, you can write to him. Our fliers take mail to Drathera, where it boards ships and finds those anywhere in the world. I'm sure he would like to hear from you."

Norani cast her gaze back out over the lake, "I'm glad that you found Ecith. You're strong for surviving in those places, and still becoming the good person that you are." She smiled broadly, "I hope when I travel, I can be as strong and as good as you."

Norani shared her knowledge of culture to Yeva, stories of tradition and Ecithean history. The practice of massacre and bloodshed between the orcs was not entirely uncommon to the Elven woman. The tales of Orkan prowess in battle was well known and she had seen images of such events in mosaics tucked along the corners of Drathera's stairway. Even in certain Elven circles, tales of Orkan practices were whispered about, although with a stronger emphasis on barbaric behaviors. As Norani explained birthday celebration and Yeva imagined those back at the village - even Norani's younger brother, eager and thoughtful of a visitor's happiness - she found herself wondering how a people who had been chosen as vessels of suffering could offer such warmth to everyone around them.

Hurt people, hurt people, or so the saying always went. Then the explanation of another tenet followed. Norani, and others in Ecith, had vowed to kill any Imperial citizen, for any reason. Yeva looked surprised for a moment, brows furrowing as she looked down at the water, "Really?" Anger for a desecration of their cities, the murder of their kin. Yeva had never seen war, and she did not know its scars. She had been called from Zaichaer before the shadows on the horizon had swept forward and the resistance could begin. But hadn't Franky been in the Imperial army? And Weston, he had served, although she could not remember where... In fact, many at the Gobbler had some sort of background in the forces, or ties to...

A dark look passed across Yeva's face, grim and still. She did not say anything, and the air shifted, becoming heavy among them. Pensive, careful.

Yeva scratched at her arm, at the mosquito bite from earlier.

"I don't think I could kill someone."

Yeva looked up, to Norani who lifted her face to smile at her. Yeva's shoulders relaxed and she smiled back. I could, she thought, flashes of a darker time playing in her mind. Of rough hands and a knife tip pressed against her face. Her throat. If I had to. She swept away the thought, splashing water over her face. Her chest. She shuddered at the chill, sunlight soaked skin cooled quickly, and was wiping away droplets when Norani lifted the mood.

"It sounds like Franky is a good man. Part of the family-around-you, no?" The weight lessened and Norani was her usual, curious and talkative self. All smiles, like the first day they had met, "Is that what led you to the tavern that we met in? A reminder of him?"

"He was always good to me," she explained, continuing the conversation in Common. Her thoughts were easier to put together, "Respectful, honest. He..." Yeva inhaled deeply, more comfortable now and unaware how her chest rose and fell with the great breath, "He found me, I think. Saw me on the street and invited me to breakfast. He sent a boy - or man, I think. An orc, actually, named... Uh..." After a pause, she grimaced apologetically, "Oh, I don't remember his name. But he came over and said that Mr. Franky was inviting me for a meal And... I don't know. I can be skittish, you know, but I thought... I would at least find out what he wanted. We sat down," Yeva's eyes looked out across the water, distant as if stuck in a memory. A slow smiled pulled at her lips, "We played cards and drank tea."

"Our paths just continued to cross. Franky and those around him... they always treated me like an equal. Maybe more so. They always listened when I spoke. They always... honored me."

Yeva smiled, but it was soft, melancholic. "I think I sought the tavern because I was tired, and maybe I hoped to find kinship again. And, I did." She nudged Norani, brightening.

"Do you worry about him? If you would like, you can write to him. Our fliers take mail to Drathera, where it boards ships and finds those anywhere in the world. I'm sure he would like to hear from you."

Yeva tilted her head. Did she worry? "Hmm... I-" Franky had more life experience and was smart, resourceful. He had a charm and wits, and had garnered the dedication and loyalty of his crew to a great extent. She had seen him as a father figure, and as such, an untouchable hero, "I didn't," she answered, "Now, I do not know. Franky, he... he had plans to change things when I left, and had asked if I would join him, but I said no. I... Actually, I felt I was being called for a different purpose. Our paths were diverging. Even still, he supported me."

"I worry about his happiness. He is ambitious, but... restless. There is something in him that does not calm." Yeva had witnessed it once, on a walk to her next apartment. It had been dark, but fleeting. An internal storm she dare not ask about, "I actually sent him a gift before we left Drathera."

Norani was looking out at the lake, but Yeva was watching her.

"I'm glad that you found Ecith. You're strong for surviving in those places, and still becoming the good person that you are. I hope when I travel, I can be as strong and as good as you."

Yeva felt the familiar warmth of a blush returning to her cheeks, "I am glad that I found you. Ecith would be a very different place to me if I had not." She eyed the shore, where she had been so eager to rush off to before Norani had calmed her and hidden her away. The redhead spotted the basket of clothing she had claimed she would be washing, still near the reeds. It was not good to be alone in Ecith, "If you travel... I hope it is not very soon. I still need you with me..." she smiled, tilting her head back to let the sunshine fall upon her face, "A little longer, please."

Yeva Bleu

Lores: 11 Skill Lores

Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A

Points: 10 Exp

Comments: Yeva, a perfection of beauty and grace as always.


Norani
Lores: 11 Skill Lores

Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A

Points: 10 Exp

Comments: Norani was, in fact, there.