Glade 9, 123 - The day after viewtopic.php?t=4872
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The air was cool and damp in Drathera, season after season after season of an unnaturally long winter. But in one particular communal den in Drathera, a tavern and inn called the Hyena and Hawk, the air was warmer, humid, reminiscent of a time that was feeling so long ago by the Ecithians. A young woman was nestled in the arms of another, her forehead against the chest of a man far bigger than her, all resting comfortably. The elements seemed to be responding to the woman, who had shivered at the coldness of the damp caves earlier in the night. Norani wriggled a bit, a hand groggily pulling some of her raven hair out of her face, and the green, tattooed arm around her midsection held her firmly.
A voice was whispered sleepily in her ear, "Mmm, you're so warm."
The woman behind her, snuggled in closer, holding Norani tight. Norani was calmed, relaxed. She slowly opened her eyes as she tried to gain her bearings. She was early to rise it seemed, there were still many sounds of heavy, deep sleep breathing. Her mind was a little foggy, the after effects of the magic she'd done yesterday. The man in front of her scooted closer, draping his arm over her and the woman behind her, seeking out the Elementalist's deference protections.
And Norani just laid there, enjoying the feeling of being held, of having contact with people again. All that time that Yeva was gone, all of her time on Agst'rasera, she'd gone without another person's touch outside of a couple of times that Astrid was nursing her back to health. But then when Yeva was back, for a day, Norani was reminded of what she'd been missing. A small smile crept upon the Orkhan's face there in the dark, stone hewn room. Her skin was still ignited from where Yeva's lips journeyed up her neck, her fingers ached to touch her soft skin once more. Her hips squirmed a bit, and in response, the woman behind her pulled her even closer, their bodies spooning from ankles to shoulders.
Another sultry whisper, "And getting warmer."
A deep grunt from the man in front of her, sounding as though his sleep had been disturbed. The woman's arm that was tucked beneath Norani's side snaked down toward her hip, as Norani's throat tightened. As the hand started across her thigh, Norani's own gently grabbed it, bringing it back to her stomach. She could feel the woman smile, a whispered, "Okay."
A while later, after the first Orkhan began to wake, Norani untangled herself from the limbs, standing from the layered mats of hides and furs, grabbing her clothes from a shelf carved into the stone. She turned from the shelf, starting to dress, only to see the woman was on her elbows, staring up at her. She was reading Norani's tattoos, and Norani was doing the same to her. She was a dancer, born in Drathera, performed in Kalzasi, Sangen, Cathena. She had a child with a man in Zythura, but they both died to disease. And she recently returned to Drathera it seemed after many years abroad. After that brief moment that all Ecithians share the first time they meet, the woman spoke softly, "Hungry?"
Norani nodded, pulling on her breast wraps and tightening them, then tying her loincloth. The other woman stood up, grabbing a pair of linen pants and a breast wrap from her own shelf. She reached into the next shelf over, grabbing a bundle of clothes and tossing them at the big man that had been cuddling them both. "Wake up Jorgan."
The large Orkhan man groaned, "No, it's cold out there, Akha."
She snorted, "Get dressed, I'm hungry and so is she." She smirked, looking over at Norani, "And I think she's why it's so warm."
The man opened his an eye, peering up at Norani, reading her markings. "Ah, an Elementalist. We were lucky then." A smile crept through his beard as he pushed himself up from the mat. He stood nearly two full heads higher than Norani and was nothing but muscle and hair and his markings showed that he was a stoneworker, helped to build many parts of Drathera when the Commonwealth grew it from a dragon's nest into a city.
Jorgan pulled on a white linen shirt and beige linen pants and he was turning toward the door, when Norani finally managed to speak, a bit nervous. "Wait, I wasn't finished." The man stopped, turning back towards her, smiling softly. "Of course, I apologize for my rudeness, I'm not used to waiting on villagers." Norani cocked her head at this comment. The man undressed, and stood there, letting Norani finish reading his markings. His story was long, largely covering the growth of the family-around-him and his work on Drathera.
When she was done, she nodded, "Did you carve this inn?"
As he pulled his clothes on once more, he chuckled, "Yeah, it was my last project. Owner let's me stay here for free." His stomach grumbled loudly, "Let's go."
He led the way, and Akha stepped in close to Norani, an arm around her waist, resting on her hip, "Don't mind him, Dratherans are a bit impatient compared to villagers like yourself." Norani paused, looking up at her, puzzled. She smiled softly, "You read a bit slow is all." Norani's cheeks and ear tips darkened in her embarrassment, pulling away from Akha, "No no, it's fine, really. Villagers live a bit slower, things here tend to be a bit more rushed. A lot of people won't even read full markings, just take the highlights." She put her arm in Norani's, "It's cute, taking the time to care."
"Now let's go, I'm starving."
Jorgan had already descended the stone steps down to the mess hall, and Norani and Akha followed. It was already lively, a much larger space, more people ate here than slept here it seemed. There were nearly a hundred Orkhan in here, and it reminded Norani of the day she met Yeva, in a different in, here in this city.
They got in queue, and Norani was salivating, the smell of the cooking food carrying heavily through the warmth of a room with so many talking and moving bodies. She was excited to see what she would get today, "Stew again, it seems. It might be all we have for a long time, if this rain never breaks." Akha shook her head, "And the Senate seems to be doing nothing about it. No one seems to know anything. All those Seers and Truthseers and still, we're living in the dark."
The line moved, and Norani shuffled forward, "It's bigger than them, touching the whole world." She felt a bit of guilt, this eternal winter was still here because she hadn't finished her prophesied quest yet. Instead of working on it, she was here, waiting on food. It made her uncomfortable, ashamed, she was fidgeting, her eyes looking for the door out. Akha pressed her body against Norani's back, hands on her upper arms, "Breathe. What's got you spooked?"
Norani took in a deep breath. Then another. "I'm why the rainy season hasn't ended."
Akha let go of Norani and stepped around in front of her, looking down in her eyes, "Why do you say that?" Her gaze was fierce, studying, searching for deception at such a claim. And she found none, "Do you know about the emergency Senate meeting in two days?"
Akha shrugged and nodded, "Yeah, of course. It's the talk of the city, there hasn't been an emergency meeting since the Eclipse first started. Why?"
"I called the meeting. I... I can stop this."
Akha's eyes grew wide, still skeptical, with a hint of awe and hope, but without detecting any dishonesty in Norani, "You? Why?"
Norani was fidgeting under her gaze, "I know what is causing this, and I'm asking the Senate for help bringing an end to it."
Akha's skepticism disappeared into approval and excitement, she whooshed out in relief, "Finally. I can't wait to dance in the sun again. What is it you need from the Senate?"
"An army."
The color drained from Akha's face, her smile dropping, "Is the... are they coming back? Did they do this? The Imperium?"
Others in line were listening in now, and Norani was feeling small, she just wanted to run and hide or take to the skies. Be anywhere but here, now. She shook her head, "I don't think so. There's a terrible dark creature behind this."
And somehow that brought comfort to Akha, "Oh thank the skies and waters. You had me so worried there. A big monster I'm sure the Senate could handle. Lonelyblade could probably do it himself." She was all smiles again, and it was their turn for food, "Phew, I'm glad this will be sorted out soon then."
Norani wasn't so sure.
She stepped forward, grabbing a bowl carved from the bone of some creature, holding it out, as one of the cooks filled a large ladle with a meaty stew. "Do you have anything without meat?"
The cook glared at her as he plopped the ladle back down into the stew. He didn't have the kindness in his eyes like the cooks back in her village. He grabbed her bowl and stepped further back in the kitchen. He came back, a stew handed to her with little more than a grunt, and Norani followed after Akha toward a table to be shared with Jorgan and several others she did not know.
She hoped she would be enough for what was to come.
