A room without a view ~ Rakhash

[Ashari]

Samheen 20th

It was a room without a view, or atleast, not a beautiful vision such as Lianelle. Instead the young man was met with a desolate place that reminded him of the quiet solitude the room at Anurith's had originally represented before the princess made it a home for the two of them. A single bed, made for a single person, was pushed against the far wall beneath a small window with opaque glass hiding what was beyond.

A small lantern burned on the bedside table, but there were no scribbled drawings scattered about the surface of it. The floor was barren and devoid of the rare treasure the carpet had presented which Lianelle found. The thought of the carpet would easily remind Rakhash of the fact that he was indeed, right now, carrying a carpet, as he had been through the entirety of their conversations in Nadia's chambers. It was rolled up, and fairly thin, so it didn't present much of an obvious nature, for all they knew it could've been a rolled up cloak. No one had questioned in.

The sheets on the bed were soft linen, all white, made easier for the cleaning girls in the Simbahan. There was a basin on the right hand wall with a round mirror above so one could wash their face in the morning, or perhaps in the evening if the day had proven difficult as this one had. Aside from that there was a wooden chair tucked in the corner directly right of the door. Further inspection of the left hand side of the room displayed a finely woven tapestry denoting some great dead of Uphuron or the Rafao, it was sometimes hard to discern who the shaved-skulled hero was supposed to be.

All in all, it was an empty place and it didn't hold the emotional warmth either of his previous two places of residence had, though each of them had their particular reasons for being homey. This was just a resting spot, did it need to be comfortable?

[Guest]

OOC: Sorry it took me so long to reply, I had an extremely busy weekend, and when I was home I was really, really tired. Thank the strength of my convictions for my posting here today, too, because I'm not really less exhausted today than I was in the last three days

IC:

Rakhash sighed as he stepped into the room, running his gaze across the relatively bare environment. Thoughts of his room with Lianelle at the Golden Ram, and of his childhood home, came rushing forward to juxtapose themselves to his new place of residence, without the young man’s conscious assent. While the place seemed devoid of warmth on it’s own, it seemed even more so now, as darkness seems darker in the presence of nearby light. Casually brushing a hand through the short bristles of black hair on his scalp, Rakhash shook his head softly in resignation, and walked over to the small bed that occupied the far side of the room.

Sitting down, he slid off his shirt and dropped it on the floor, before setting down the carpet he was carrying beside it. The carpet was something of an enigma, but it was comforting to have such a tool at his disposal. Surely, given their precarious situation, a method of expeditious travel could only be considered beneficial. Lying down slowly, Rakhash stretched out his large frame, and gazed at the ceiling overhead, absently musing over his situation. So this is it…the first time I’ll actually sleep, by my own choice, in a place that I feel truly alone. Despite the calm that seemed to exude from this temple, he took no comfort in it, and instead, in the house of Amun Rah’s deities, he felt less at ease than he had in any place he had resided in, besides the Rafao’s dungeon.

Faith, and anything that could occur to shake that faith up, he presumed, would do that to a person. How could he feel safe in this place, knowing that what seemed like just flickers ago, he had wondered whether or not the beings that the was devoted to even cared about the people? The Rafao had gone from being revered, to being feared, to being hated, until finally coming to rest, being pitied as a victim in some conspiracy that had him controlled by foreign influences. It seemed unlikely that certainty or peace of mind could reign here for him now, when so many things seemed to be askew, without the permanency and absolute definition that he had come to accept only days ago.

But he had no other choice but to trust, and to act, to clear his name and protect his friend. He could not accept the benevolence of Nadia as selfless just yet, but he had to accept her assistance in order to progress past the obstacles that stood before him now. Placing his hands behind him, he propped himself up, and walked over to the basin that stood at one of the walls. Blowing hot air out from between his lips in exhaustion, he cupped water in his hands, and splashed it on his face, scrubbing at it vigorously with his hands as if attempting to clear away the worries that he felt about the situation. Slowly, after gazing at his face in the mirror for a flicker to ensure that it was clean enough, he turned to head back to bed.

As Rakhash set himself down, he didn’t even bother to pull the covers over himself. Silently, he pushed away a pang of worry over the well being of Lianelle in the room beside his that he assumed would present to her with the same feelings that his did to him. Surely, she would be having few of the regrets that he was having over finally being able to sleep alone in her own room. Still thinking of his beautiful friend, using her image as a defense against the ominous feelings that thoughts of the events of the next day brought to him, the sweet, comforting darkness of sleep overcame him, and he drifted into the world of dreams.

[Ashari]

OOC: Oh, I see how it is, real life is more important? ::sniffle::

IC:

The water that spilled from the tap was cold, it was being pulled from deep underground, from a spring. This same source fed several fountains and a man made pond in the Simbahan as well in addition to the numerous sinks and tubs in the private rooms.

Lianelle had a similar basin in her own room, and had washed her hands and dampened her hair so she could tame it back into a braid to sleep. Though she felt physically and emotionally tired, she also longed for Rakhash's companionship. Exhaustion was going to win this particular battle, however, as she laid down on her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. It took some time, but eventually like her neighbor she fell asleep.

Rakhash found himself in a dream of childhood. Not that it was something he had dreamt before of, when a child, but rather it was as if he were a child once again. He was in the street, his mother had sent him to fetch cinnamon from the Foreigner's Court. It was hard to tell how old he was at this point, as he was seeing through his own eyes. What was obvious was that he was a good deal shorter in this sequence then he was in everyday life. His eyes seemed to meet at the belt of the adults he was passing by.

It was strange how familiar this seemed, as if he were diving into his own memories. His mother was still standing at the door. It was the first time she had sent him to the market on his own. Was he six yahren then? Maybe seven? She was watching him carefully leaning against the doorframe and moved to take a step onto their small stone slab, but then stopped herself. This was the first of many things her little man would do on his own. Her eyes betrayed her sadness. She was so young! So much younger than Rakhash remembered her. This was before her age lines had really progressed at the corners of her eyes and along the side of her mouth. The woman's hair was tied back in a bun at the nape of her neck and the dress she wore was one she had worn many times.

There was an flash of memory: Rakhash had cut his knee, and she had scooped him up off of the street, and she had been wearing that same dress with the small faintest imprint of wheat stalks along it. She had soothed him and brought him close to her, the scent of her body was overwhelming, she smelled of spices in the kitchen, savory ones, and of cooking meat, she had been preparing dinner before rushing out of the kitchen to help him.

But then he had returned to the vision at hand, and it was of the street market. During his reverie of the skinned knee he had moved away from his home and was now immersed in the market place where people shuffled about looking to get their midday shopping done. Tradetide was busy, but most of the people who were actually buying things were actually just visiting. A fair skinned man with extremely pointed ears was shopping. He was wearing funny clothes, all in greens and tightly fitting. Hardly appropriate for the desert clime. He noted the small child and gave an indifferent nod before turning back to the merchant he was haggling with. "I dare say, that price is robbery!" His voice was almost feminine.

This wasn't the market stall that Rakhash was looking for though, his mother had sent him to find where spices were the wares for sale. Coins weighed heavily in his little change purse that his mother had made just for him to fit him appropriately. She had said that every little gentleman needed a way to carry his money. Now it was just a matter of finding the spices.

[Guest]

OOC: Aye, ma'am, I'm afraid that's the way it is. I hope you can come to accept that without too much emotional pain.

Anyways, again, sorry it took an unusually long response time. Again, I've been busy, and today I did some things that have me extremely tired and in alot of physical pain, but I came through, and got this written just the same. In addition, you should probably realize that I had actually written most of this post before it randomly disappeared and I had to start over on it again, and as such, cut me some slack on account of frustration for any major sucktitude that lies within it.

Thank you in advance

IC:

Rakhash glanced around anxiously. He knew somewhere, that what he was observing couldn’t possibly be real. Grasping futilely at emotions and thoughts he had had in the actual world only moments before, he tried to ground himself and analyze what he was seeing. He had done this before, or circumstance had worked so that he had experienced something like this before, he was sure. Something this familiar couldn’t be an entirely new experience. At the same time, it was new to him here, experiencing it as he had when he truly was a child. It was a gem, dulled by a layer of dust, a thought of such purity and clarity that it was impossible to tell from reality, except surrounded by the realization that this could not, in fact, be the way he really was now.

There was no reason to accomplish the task set out for him here. In a world that was little more than an extension of memories long since considered early history, it was illogical to think that there was any point to moving forward. Rakhash was driven though, by the desires he felt, the excited anticipation of the gratification that the dream could provide him with. In this place the world was still new, and he was provided with an opportunity to please his mother and grasp some of the independence that had so tantalized him then. There was a coat of sugar around the world that his modern cynicism could not accept, and things the man knew as truth gave way to a partial shroud of mystery that had existed when he was a child. Like most children, Rakhash had desperately wanted to grow up faster, to enter the exciting world of wisdom and freedom adults existed in, and that he existed in now.

No, here now was then. This place seemed more real, now, than the things he seemed to recall having done before. Was the tall, dark stranger that seemed to reside in his thoughts truly him, or a production of his wild imagination? Rakhash couldn’t really tell, it was lost in the sea of instances that barraged him.

Pulled forward by the very nature of the dream, the boy flew past memories of a scraped knee and thoughts of his mother, and accepted the wild glee and wide-eyed wonder that being in the market brought to him. He was becoming a man now, here, alone in a world that was ready for him to enter. He found himself now running a hand through his sweaty hair, and gazing up at the strangely dressed man. Spices, he had to find spices, to bring back to his mother and prove that he was capable of acting on his own. He considered asking the feminine man that stood before him, but truthfully, his strange dress and girlish voice frightened him slightly. Besides, he didn’t need help just to find a silly stall to buy spices from. Peering ahead slightly, he ventured forth, looking from side to side at the stalls as he wove between the milling people in order to notice the spice stall as he passed it.

[Ashari]

OOC: My own apologies to make, I've been tottering between busy and sick, so my time has been pressed. However, stop your sucktitude parade, beautiful post as usual!

IC:

His small stature helped immensly in moving through the throng of people who were shopping. It was slightly surreal to be so little all of a sudden, and he couldn't help but find himself ducking beneath things that he didn't need to duck beneath thanks to his size. Were he an adult, well, that was another matter entirely, but for now, he was little Rakhash, milling between stalls and slipping past the skirts of women.

It didn't take too long to find the spices. A large man stood behind the counter of his little tent and grinned broadly at the child who approached. "Hello there! Can I help you this tide?" He leaned downward, as was the practice when speaking to one smaller than oneself, and listened carefully, as he expected the words to come out of the kid's mouth being quiet and cautious as was the norm.

Rakahash felt himself speak, this was part memory after all, and the lines between what he controlled, and what was already set up, were blurry. "Cinnamon." The man echoed and then nodded and then turned around. When he faced the boy again he held a parcel, which he traded for the coins. His mother had given him more than he needed, had told him he could buy some sweets if he would like, and luckily the merchant didn't try to cheat the youngster as he handed back the proper change.

The sweet shop was not far from here, just another block closer to the docks, and it was wonderful place, on the corner of a set of buildings. The windows were glazed and one could see inside at the many different sugared fruits and other delights. Chocolate was rare in the hot clime, but this was one such place where it could be found, kept in a special cellar in the building, you had to ask for it special, it couldn't be just picked out of a glass case like the other candies. The man who owned it was a jolly fellow who loved giving deals to the kids, but usually overpriced adults, especially foreigners, for his little confections.

Every child yearned to go in, but few mothers would pass along the money. However, Rakhash was halfway between childhood and adulthood, so he had been given the responsibility of money and the carefree pleasure of doing whatever he wanted with it. There were a number of other places he could spend the money as well, and for some reason, even knowing that this was so closely based on reality, he felt as if he could go anywhere at all with his coinpurse and spend it where he liked.

[Guest]

OOC: Don't apologize for that, apologize for posting at all if you were/are sick or too busy. I'm aggrieved!

IC:

Rakhash let his memories guide the path he took, and watched from the outside looking in as he uttered words from long ago. Rapidly moving deeper into the recesses of his mind, becoming more and more strongly entrenched in the dream that had been borne out from the deep night, the young man felt overwhelming joy wash over him as he grasped the parcel the man handed to him. Whether it was simply a replayed memory or a conjuration of his imagination, it seemed as real as anything, a victory scored long ago brought back to the present in a tangible manner. His family had been everything to him then, and to live up to their expectations by achieving this all by himself was an event that seemed to label him, in his mind, as a young man and not just a child.

Knowing that he had money left over to spare, and the liberty that his mother had given to him in spending it, the young Rakhash found himself at the candy store in what seemed like an instant. As with all dreams, event seemed to slide into event, overlapping and blurring until one moment seemed almost indifferent from the last. The sights that arrayed before him from behind the glazed windows tantalized him, and it seemed as though he could almost taste the sweet delights just standing there, absently hefting his coin purse in an attempt to weigh out how much he had. Licking his dry lips and running a hand through his shaggy hair, Rakhash tried to imagine the things he would buy, given the freedom he had been granted.

Rather than moving forward into the shop, however, something came over him that made him pause. Even back then, Rakhash still a young child living in a bright world of wonders, a harsh realization of certain truths seemed to pervade throughout him. Memories seemed to come flashing up in his mind, bidden by a desire to understand the emotions he felt. His father coming home at night at times too sore to play with him or tell him a story or do anything except crawl into bed and sleep, and his mother’s worried eyes as she watched him walk by like a man nearing the grave seemed to fill his thoughts. Intently, he cast his eyes downward at the small purse.

Good things happen to good people, papa said. I’m not even really hungry right now anyway. Rakhash grasped the bag of money firmly in his small hand, turned, and started walking home. He was becoming a man there by doing the task his mother had asked him to do independently, and he didn’t need little treats to do something the family wanted him to do. He might not be carrying much at the moment, but every little bit counted, and his sweet tooth seemed to lose its sway over him by the moment. Regret over not being able to get candy slowly gave way to a feeling of pride, and an excitement at the prospect of surprising his parents by showing that he truly was growing up, trying to help his family like his father did. Smiling as events seemed to slide into others once more, something in the back of his mind, on the outside of the dream, smiled with him in approval.

[Ashari]

It was to be the turning point in his life from childhood to adulthood, and would be one of many steps he took to reach maturity until the point that he would walk out of the door of the house he had known all his life into the adventure he would experience which would change him forever and allow him to meet a myriad of new people which he might not have if he hadn't stopped to check on the wimpering parcel that was pushed violently from a dark carriage by a man he would later know to be a kidnapper.

But for now a supreme innocence reigned in his mind, one where the simple decision to not go purchase sweets from the store of the jolly merchant was life altering and made him feel more the man that he was slowing progressing into being. He felt changed, and with the change he walked a little taller and was greeted with what seemed a different look from the men in the stalls. Perhaps it was his imagination, but them seemed to look at him the way they looked at his father, with the interest of a sale.

It was probably because of this distraction, and in reality the high, of his new freedom and maturity, that he didn't much pay attention to where he was going following leaving the corner where the candy store stood. Within a few burns of losing sight of the store, and after walking down an alley he swore he had used dozens of times before (without his mother's permission, since it was dark and posed a danger to her only son) he realized that he was lost. Or, at the very least, not where he had expected to be.

But, it was down in this alley that he was faced with a new and interesting thing. It was a girl, probably around his age, maybe a bit younger. For him it was difficult to tell, especially considering the fact that he had always been tall for his age. Either way, it was a child, looking much like any other Amunic child with tanned skin and dark hair. Hers was long and black, reaching down her little shoulder blades with bangs cut to cover her forhead. She was running, and quite breathless as she approached Rakhash. One of her pudgy hands, sweaty and warm, grabbed hold of his, and yanked him behind a lean-to of wood.

In a flicker she had pulled her finger to her lips in a motion of being quiet. Her little eyes, dark and black pleaded in an almost eerily familiar fashion forcing goosebumps to form uncomfortably on Rakhash's young skin. There was the sound of footsteps aproaching, much heavier footfalls. "Damnit girl! Your father is going to have a fit if you don't quit hiding!" It was a man, his voice deep and commanding, so much so that Rakhash might've felt compelled to listen (as children are prone to do) were it not for the fact that the little girl, about a head shorter than he, was holding tightly to his shirt. The man continued to stand there for another few moments before he sighed and then turned back and jogged out of the alley.

"Hehehehehehe! How was that? He didn't even see us!" The girl giggled. She had a way of speaking, similarly familiar as the persuasive look in her eyes just moments before that pulled at his psyche. "Wow. You're good. You stay quiet real well. Have you played this game before? Are you hiding from your big men too?"

[Guest]

Rakhash let his dream play out while he witnessed the results of his actions as a spectator and as the enactor. He felt the high that his mature actions had allowed him to feel as it overcame him, and allowed his pride to feed on it as he absently wandered into the unexpected and unknown. He passed stalls with merchants and vendors of all different types, each one helping to paint the picture in his mind of his fledgling independence, his sojourn on the verge of adulthood. Smiling absently, lost in imagination, Rakhash seemed to catch a glimpse of what it would feel like to truly be a grown-up.

Quickly, almost as soon as the young boy had made the choice to walk home with his money, rather than spend it on small treats, he found himself on the end of another blurred string of events, facing an alley that was strange and foreign to him. He was filled with a sense dread over being lost, but soon calmed himself with childlike curiosity and idle declarations to himself that he could, in fact, find his way home. Obviously, it was just a simple matter to turn around and find his way out of this place. It would probably be better for Rakhash to find out what he could about this place first, though.

The girl that came running through the alley shattered Rakhash’s little bout of exploration. He found himself staring wide-eyed and in wonder as the little girl ran towards him, breathless and sweaty as she moved her legs rapidly. Before he could react in any way other than attempt to take in the young girl before him, he was being pulled beneath a lean-to, and instructed silently to remain silent himself. He waited there, staring curiously at the little girl, until the man’s heavy footsteps were far enough away that his ears could no longer detect their sound.

There was something about this girl before Rakhash that seemed to prick at something in his memory. Did he know her? Had he met her before? Her movements, her expressions, her manner of speaking, all seemed as though they had a place in his life already. He was sure he had never met her before, at least in his memory, but she seemed so incredibly familiar that he couldn’t satiate his curiosity with lacking excuses of it being a mere coincidence. “Nope, I’ve never played this game before,” he replied, “And I’m not hiding from any big men. I wasn’t until you made me, anyway. I was just trying to get home. ” Quizzically, he looked over the strange girl before him for a flicker before remembering something his parents had told him about politeness and manners. “I’m Rakhash, and you?” said Rakhash, his questioning facial expression one that would have been startlingly familiar to anyone who knew him in the waking wold.

[Ashari]

"Oh, I play this all the time. They are supposed to be watching me, but they aren't very good. They don't pay attention." The girl giggled and then leaned in to whisper: "They are too busy looking at the pretty women." She smiled and straightened up, running her small pudgy hands down the front of her pink dress. The girl looked the perfect part of a very prissy girl, or atleast that she would turn out that way once she reached the age of knowing little girls weren't supposed to play in mud puddles. For now she was content with running around.

"Even though you haven't played you are very good. You do quiet well. You must spend a lot of time that way." She was full of childhood exuberance and it came across in how quickly he words spilled from her sweet little rose colored mouth.

"Oh, me? I'm Nelle." She gave a curtsy as she had been taught. "You live here?" Her bright eyes, though dark in color, flickered with interest. "Nearby? Where? I'd like to see it. We just have to be careful, otherwise they'll see me and drag me off." Nelle pouted. "Or.. we could go somewhere else! Want to play a game?" Her brows raised with playfulness.

Rubbing her small hands together she spoke again. "It would be like a game in a game, because we can still hide from the big men and play something else..." She trailed off and gave it some thought. "How old are you?" It was a seemingly random sort of question, but in the child's mind it made perfect sense to ask it right then.

"Bet you couldn't catch me. I'm really fast. Do you know how to play tag?" Smiling mischiviously she looked over to something behind Rakhash and then her visage changed to one of surprise. "Woah! What is that?!" She waited for him to turn around before she tapped him on the arm and then ran past him. "Catch me if you can!" She called as her small feet padded down the street in the original direction that the young boy had been coming from.

[Guest]

Rakhash continued to stare curiously as the little girl bounced around on the spot, exuding the kind of childish excitement he had been feeling inside. He laughed as she explained how she had evaded her captors, inside silently trying to fathom why the big men would be watching over the little girl. Even at that young age, Rakhash had been in inquisitive person, always wondering why things were the way they were. Naturally, his questions never delved as deep as they did in modern times, but they provided a foundation for one very large aspect of what he would become. The girl before him provided his mind with an ample number of questions.

It seemed as though she was content to lead this situation, however. Rakhash pursed his lips and frowned slightly as Nelle accused him of being quiet often. He wasn’t a quiet boy, was he? It seemed as though she were slighting his masculinity with the comment. Men were supposed to be loud, strong, powerful. Quiet wasn’t a term that felt overly gratifying. Rather than objecting to the observation in a loud manner that may have thrown off the descriptive term, however, he remained characteristically silent and responded outwardly only by continuing to stare at her.

“I live nearby, yes,” Rakhash replied casually. Inside, he wasn’t so sure exactly where he was, or if his home really was near this strange new place. He reasoned that it couldn’t actually be that far away though, given the amount of time he had actually spent walking. “A game? I probably have time for a game…what sort of game should we play?” A small smile broke at the prospect of indulging in a little play after having been charged with so much responsibility.

Rakhash ran a small hand through his shaggy black hair, and raised his eyebrows in surprise as she asked his age suddenly. “I’m 7 yahren,” he replied cautiously, suddenly becoming more wary of the fact that he didn’t actually know this girl very well. His caution was swept away, however, by the look of surprise on Nelle’s face, forcing him to turn around and look at what had caught her so shocked.

There was no surprise waiting for him behind him He had expected one of the big men to be standing there, waiting to take Nelle back home. Instead, he felt a tap on his shoulder, heard the words come out of Nelle’s mouth, and became swept up in a game of epic proportions that only a child could find such grand fun in. As she scooted down the alley the way he had come, instinct kicked in, and competitive desire welled up within him. He pushed his feet against the ground, and flew after the young girl as fast as he could, hoping to catch her before she could go too far. He would win this, he was sure. There was no way such a girl would beat him in a race, even with the headstart.

[Ashari]

"Oh. I'm seven too." She said simply. "I thought you were older. You're tall." The girl shrugged. "Either that or I'm short." She couldn't help but stand up a bit straighter as if even this were a competition of some kind.

The real contest, however, was to be the race, and as the girl took off, the sound of her feet could barely be heard as the echoing of her giggles flew through the air and surrounded Rakhash's ears as if from bells. Peals of laughter bounced off the stone walls as they escaped from her round opened mouth. Her hair was lifted by the air that swept over her shoulders, causing the long locks to fly out in the air around her head and wiped her bangs from her forhead as she tore around the corner of the alley, taking a sharp left, in the opposite direction that the young boy had come from originally.

Nelle continued moving, her body already starting to sweat from the exertion. She wasn't used to being this physical, she was already being trained that girls played with tea cups and dolls. They didn't play chasing games.

Rakhash was at a similar disadvantage thanks to his constant studying, even at this age, though that was a more recent event. He used to run about with the other little boys, or atleast try to. As long as his mother didn't find out he was fine. She was slightly over protective. Even now, she was at home wishing her son were sitting in the parlor reading. The woman almost regretted sending him out, but she knew he was going to have to grow up eventually, and this was one of those things that needed to be done.

Around the running children, people milled and shopped. They were racing through the market, and Nelle had run into a group of women who were carrying baskets. She halted for a mere flicker and then bent under and scurried beneath the parcels. It gave Rakhash an advantage to make up for her head start. Her little face turned around to see how close he was, he was closing the gap between them, and his heart beat hard in his chest, her skin was pink and her eyes widened as she saw him. Maybe the proximatey has spurned her on, but she seemed to have hit her second wind as she charged onward through the busy streets tantalizingly close.

However, the next turn she took, a right into another narrow alley way, would be her undoing, as it proved to be a dead end. "Noooo!" She called out in mock dismay as she found she had cornered herself in her excitement. Pressing her sweaty palms against the cold stone of the building at the end of the small road, she awaited the inevitable return of her tag on Rakhash. He was only a few seconds behind her.

Breathlessly she turned and looked at her new friend, a big smile on her face. "You're fun!" She said. "No one plays with me usually. I don't know anyone my own age. Anasis must have known we needed a friend." Her words were somewhat broken as she quickly pulled in gasps of air. Wiping her hand over her forehead she matted her bangs aside with sticky sweat but she continued to smile radiantly. Her teeth were still growing in, and one of her front ones was a bit shorter than the other, it had fallen out a good while after the first. "Ok.. now what? I picked the first game, your turn." She leaned agains the cool bricks.

[Guest]

Events blurred yet again as the young Rakhash bounded down the street after his newly found friend. It had been some time since he had played with others his own age, or partaken in any of these childhood games. So often the majority of his time was taken up by reading and studying, he had almost forgotten how much fun it was to let loose at times and burn up some of the youthful energy he had inside. As his breathing became heavy, and sweat began to seep out of his pores, Rakhash grinned broadly and pushed himself harder, driven by his boyishly competitive nature and his sheer excitement at the at what he was doing.

People and places flew by rapidly as the young boy pushed himself further in pursuit of Nelle. She wove through the crowd, at times, with much more grace and speed than Rakhash, but he found himself discovering ways to get past or through the people just the same. It seemed as though he might never catch her, his legs beginning to burn with the extended exertion he was placing upon them. She got caught up in a group of women, and Rakhash saw his opportunity open up. He pushed harder, and attempted to gain more speed as he pressed to close the gap between them.

The girl turned the corner, somehow seeming to gain more speed as Rakhash gained on her, and left him hoping that the alleyway didn’t have anywhere for her to hide. He found her wailing in mock despair as she faced a dead end, and pressed up against the wall. Grinning, he ran forward and pressed his hand against her. “Got you!” he exclaimed wildly, his breathing heavy as he attempted to restore a proper flow of oxygen into his system. He heaved breathlessly, and bent over in an attempt to better alleviate the results of his forced exertion.

Straightening up, a grin still wide on his face, Rakhash glanced at Nelle as she too, attempted to catch her breath. As with before, she seemed fine with speaking more than he, compounding her conjecture that he truly was a quiet boy. “Maybe,” he mused as the girl brought up the possibility of their meeting being an act of kindness by Anasis, “I haven’t been out to play much recently.” Looking around, he tried to get his bearings, and determine where he had ended up now. A pang of worry began to arise within him that he really lost here. “Another game? I don’t know that many, and my mother might be starting to worry about me. I’ve been gone for a while…” He paused, weighing his options and the consequences that would go with each one.

“Well, maybe if it’s a quick one, but you should choose again, maybe you’ll know some that I haven’t played before,” he added. He did want to get home, but the opportunity to play with a new friend seemed to good to pass up at this point in time, and by his reasoning, he still had plenty of time to get home before people started worrying. Besides, even responsible men had to take a break and have some fun. Glancing at Nelle, Rakhash put on a quizzical expression, and awaited a response from her.

[Ashari]

"Yeah.. I don't get to play much either, unless I play by myself, or play games to get away from the big men." She shrugged and lifted her hand to straighten her bangs from their odd position sticking up off of her face to be plastered down once again. Her eyes crossed a bit as she did it checking to make sure she liked where her hair had ended up.

"Oh.. your mom would be worried..." Nelle agreed. "I don't have a mom to be worried about me, just my papa, and he's busy meeting with some Rarfo." Her dark eyes rolled. "Guess he's important." Her foot kicked at something on the ground. "Oh, look." She knelt down and picked up something that shined. It had been under a bit of dirt and garbage. Her little knees got dirtied from the dust and sand, causing her pretty dress to get smudges on it, but she didn't seem to notice, or if she did, she didn't care.

Nelle's eyes narrowed as she wiped some stuff off of it that had darkened it. "I think it's a coin.." She held it out for Rakhash to look at. Indeed it was a coin, one that he had never actually seen before, atleast not this close, because it was a whole crown. All the young man had ever had, up to this point in his life, were banners here and there, and had seen his mother and father use coronets and lances. But a crown was something different entirely. It was a lot of money, especially to find laying on the street.

"Do you know 'Who's got the button'?" She asked eagerly without noticing any reaction Rakhash was having to the newly found monetary unit. "You take something.. like a button, but I guess this coin will work, and you put it behind your back, and the other person has to guess what hand it's in!" She shoved the golden coin into his hand. "You go first and I'll guess. Sound good?" Her eyes glittered. "Oh.. and if I get it, then I get the coin, and you have to guess, but if I don't then you get to go again." She smiled.

OOC: Assuming he decides to play, I'm going to roll a die. 50/50 chance she gets it right, keepin it fair.

[Guest]

Rakhash smiled understandingly as the girl informed him of the lack of games for her to play, as well. They both seemed to share a lot in common in that regard, which was comforting, considering the other young boys he was acquainted with knew each other well and played games often. Rather than being faced with someone who would look at him oddly and think that he was a strange person for not knowing many games, he had found a kindred spirit, a person that he could associate with and relate to because of their similar lack of social activity.

He ran a hand across his forehead and scalp, producing a hand glistening with sweat, which he promptly rubbed against his shirt. Consternated, Rakhash began to consider the problem of finding his way home. It was a worry that he had pushed aside, buried beneath the excitement he was experiencing, but it was slowly climbing its way back to the forefront of his thoughts as he brought up the prospect of his mother being worried. Thoughtfully, he opened his mouth to speak, but stopped as Nelle mentioned “some Rarfo”. The title held some significance to him, and shook up the carefully ordered and logical thoughts he had been formulating in his mind. It was a familiar name, one that he seemed to associate with his father. He remembered his father speaking with a certain tone, one seeming to smack of respect, even reverence. If this girl’s father knew this Rarfo personally, then she had to be someone important herself. Rakhash’s gaze held Nelle in a slightly varied light than it had only moments ago.

That gaze morphed into something that clearly displayed the awe Rakhash felt inside as it rested on the golden coin that Nelle was holding. She explained the rules of the game, and shoved the coin into his hand as though it were nothing. “Nelle…” He said, quietly, “This coin is worth a lot, I think. Maybe we should give it to a grown-up.” He hefted it in the palm of his hand. It was probably worth more than he had in the purse on him, and something that his parents would surely frown on him for playing with. Still, his newly found friend seemed so eager and excited, and he felt a desperate need not to disappoint her. “If you want to though, I guess we can play this game,” he replied slowly, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

Gripping the coin tightly, he placed his hands behind his back, and exchanged it once, so that it rested firmly in his right hand. Rakhash bit the bottom of his lip, still feeling uneasy at playing with the valuable object. “Alright,” he continued, his voice purveying his uneasiness, “Go ahead and guess.” He attempted to smile, producing a nervous one. He knew that an adult wasn’t likely to come bowling around the corner and getting angry at him for playing with a coin that no one could prove wasn’t his, but he couldn’t help but feel as though it wasn’t right to just be playing around with it. Raising his eyebrows in anxiousness, he waited for Nelle to continue with the game.

[Ashari]

The crown was cold against his skin, and it nearly filled his small hand. It was a heavier coin than he had carried before, and thicker as well. Not even totally every banner his mother had ever given him would equal a single crown.

Nelle frowned as it seemed that Rakhash was going to cancel their game because the coin was more than just a trinket she had found on the ground. Quickly he came around, and so her frown dissipated and turned into a bright smile. A familiarly bright smile. Watching him carefully the young girl lifted a hand to her mouth and chewed on her thumb for a flicker as if in deep thought. "Hmmm... Left?" One of her brows raised.

That wasn't correct however, but she didn't care. "Alright, switch it around and tell me when you are ready." She waited for him to be satisfied in the placement of the coin. "Righ-..." Her eyes widened in a similar fashion as a few marks ago when she had fooled him to get a head start in their race.

"Uhm." Shifting uneasily Nelle bit her own bottom lip, but for an entirely different reason as a look of darkness fell over her face. No, it wasn't just a look of darkness, it was an actual shadow that passed over them as well. Like a cornered animal the child froze as the inky blackness fell over them. Pushing her feet from their position she tried to run, but her feet were soon kicking in the air as she was scooped up by the man who had been following her. "Nooooo! I don't want to go! I'm playing with a friend!"

Her voice cried out and echoed through the alleyway before she finally relented and stopped squirming. "Rakhash! I had fun!" A big smile came across her face and then she reached to her neck and tossed something in his direction. It landed on his shoe. It was a black cord necklace with a small spiral shell attached to it. "Bye! See you later!" One of her pudgy hands waved from over the shoulder of the man who carried her out of the alley way, leaving Rakhash alone again, but now even further from home.

He wouldn't have to deal with the process of finding home, though, because his shoulder was shaken. "Rakhash? I had a weird dream, can I sleep with you?" The blurry imagery of the dream floated on the surface of his mind and he vividly recalled his mother being shocked about the coin he had brought home after his first visit to the market. She thought he had stolen it at first, but she believed him once he explained.

Lianelle was sitting on the edge of Rakhash's bed looking down at him with the same big brown eyes as the ones he had just dreamed of. "I was a kid.. and I was running around.. It was weird." She shook her head.

[Guest]

Rakhash smiled at the realization that he had pleased his friend with his agreement, if reluctant, to continue on with her game. Gradually, the nervousness he had felt at playing with a thing of such value faded away, and he grinned broadly as Nelle selected the wrong hand, displaying the gold coin proudly. At her bidding, he switched the coin around behind his back, and waited for her to guess again, eager to continue on with their play session. So far it seemed to him as though he was winning overall, a fine testament to just how grown-up and powerful he had become.

As Nelle’s eyes widened as they had earlier, Rakhash hesitated to look behind him, wary of this being another attempt to trick him into something. Darkness fell over them, however, and forced the young boy to shiver as his imagination conjured images of what the being looming over them could possibly be. Turning quickly as Nelle rushed passed him, he watched in sorrow as the man who had been searching for her scooped the young girl up in his arms almost effortlessly. “Hey!” he cried, his voice charged by the thought of having his friend taken away against her will. As she resigned herself to her fate, however, Rakhash followed suit, and he waved back in a subdued manner. “Bye Nelle!”

Shaking his head as she left him alone in the alley, the young boy glanced to the ground at the object Nelle had thrown at him. Bending down, he picked up the necklace, and examined the spiral shell closely. It was neat, that was for sure, and a fitting gift from his new friend. He ran his finger up and down the shell, wondering at where it came from and what significance it held. It didn’t matter, really, it would serve as a memento for the friend he had met, and so he shrugged and gripped it in his free hand as he walked down the alley determined to find his way home. When he found it, he did so twice, both being welcomed into his house as it was in the historical base of the dream, and into the waking world by a friend that seemed so strikingly familiar to one he had just said goodbye to.

Groggily, Rakhash, grown up once again, slid himself up on the bed. Blinking voraciously, he worked at clearing some of the residual fatigue he felt in his eyelids. Focussing on Lianelle sitting on the edge of his sleeping area, he simply stared at her for a moment. In his mind, images that were rapidly blurring juxtaposed with the image he was looking at now, bringing into comparison two characters that shared so many characteristics. He smiled as she spoke. “Of course you can, Lianelle,” he replied. Looking to the bed, he realized that he hadn’t even pulled the covers over him before drifting into sleep, so he hastily unfurled them to welcome the young woman before him in a more suitable manner.

At the mention of her dream, Lianelle sparked Rakhash’s thoughts back to his own unconscious world. “Running around as a kid…that’s funny.” He looked down in thought, biting his lip as he had in his dream, trying to mark the situation as one of mere coincidence. It didn’t add up, though. How could the child in his dream be so much like the person he knew today? Perhaps his imagination was more powerful than he was giving it credit for, but for the creation to be such an accurate-seeming piece of the beautiful woman’s history would be surprising in any case. “I had a dream too…I was really young, just a boy, and I was playing games with a pretty little girl. Dressed real nice, especially for running around Abu’Sahir. Kind of looked like the kind of girl that was being raised as a princess.” He displayed a broad grin, looking at his friend. “Say, Lianelle, what did you call yourself when you were a little girl? About seven yahren, maybe?” The thought crossed his mind that she had never told him before. If she had been called the same as the girl in his dreams, how would he be able to explain that? Raising an eyebrow, he peered closely at the young woman, hoping her answer would clarify the incident.

[Ashari]

"Thanks..." She murmered and quickly crawled under the covers as he adjusted them to cover the both. "Hmm. Actually." She looked over to the window, already light was starting to pour into their room. Such was the luck of those who went to sleep so early in the morning. Lianelle was still exhausted though, so she quickly got up and grabbed the curtains to draw them shut. "Ahh. That's better." She turned around and fumbled her way over to the bed in complete darkness until her eyes adjusted well enough to see in the limited light.

Rakhash too suffered a momentary blindness, but could feel the shift in the bed as she applied the pressure of her weight and then settled back under the blankets at his side, her body briefly bringing in a gust of cold night air with it before their combined body heat tempered it. As he questioned her, and brought up his own dream, Lianelle's heart raced just a bit faster. "You dreamt it too?" She sat upright and looked at him through the fog of the dark room, only able to see the faintest outline of his face, and the light off of his smile.

"We were kids. It was like a memory... I didn't remember it until now though, I never had thought I'd been to the city, but after walking around with you in the market place, I started recognizing things. I didn't say anything because I thought it was me just wishing to be home and seeing things here that reminded me of Nashreen, but that wasn't it at all, was it?" Her dark eyes met his. "I was Nelle then. When I was little, the maids called me that, they said Lianelle was too sophisticated for a girl who wasn't yet four feet tall." The princess laughed. "Back when I used to run away from the guards." She shook her head and then laid back down on the bed, her head resting on the pillow, but leaning against Rakhash's shoulder.

"How is that even possible?" Lianelle asked, awed. "Even if it didn't happen, how could we dream together like that?" She sighed and sought out his hand to hold. "Unless Anasis really did make sure we were together. My papa used to talk about how certain people were destined for great things, it was written in the stars. Maybe our greatness is joined somehow." Her tender skin rubbed against his as her soft hand entwined with his fingers. "Do you still have the necklace I gave you? That would seal the deal, we'd know..." She couldn't think of any other way that they would know for sure that they had met before.

[Guest]

Rakhash blinked in a vain attempt speed up the adjustment of his sight to the newly induced lack of light. Slowly, the near-impenetrable blanket of darkness began to fade away, revealing the beautiful visage of Lianelle as she climbed into bed. He smiled again at her as she moved beside him, silently thankful for the warmth and companionship she provided. Yawning from exhaustion, he nodded in confirmation as she spoke up in surprise at his admission about his own dreams.

Fatigue still clung to Rakhash as he mentally attempted to climb further and further from the depths of the subconscious that had held him captive for marks. Slowly, as he listened intently to Lianelle’s words, her feminine voice pulling at him, that faded as well. By the time the beautiful princess had finished answering his questions, he had managed to push away the desire to simply lie back down and go to sleep, and was as awake as he would have been after arising on an ordinary morning and donning his clothes. Considering her words thoughtfully, he opened his mouth to speak, but stopped in surprise at the sudden presence of her head on his shoulder. It amazed the young man that she could draw his attention with such a slight gesture, an idle touch.

Forcing himself to focus, Rakhash attempted to justify what had occurred in his own mind, even as she forded forward into speculation as to the nature of the dream. He felt some shock at what had occurred, the unique bond in the world of dreams they had shared, but much of what it could have been was dulled by the experience he had had in the Rafao’s dungeon. He had dreamt amazing things there, too, and he had heard a voice call out to him comfortingly when he most needed that comfort, seemingly from nowhere and everywhere at once. How could he be completely in awe of this, now? The dreams he had had seemed to serve a purpose, and to link him in the past and in the future to Lianelle. Divine guidance seemed to have merit as an explanation for this. “That makes as much sense as any other explanation, Lianelle,” he replied quietly.

“As for the necklace…” He frowned, trying to recall what he had done with it. The dream presented him with one possibility, one reasonable branch of the past, but it was hard to tell the dream from reality, or where the two crossed. “…If the dream was really history, then I’d still have it somewhere. I picked it up, I thought it would serve to remind me of the friend I had made. I kept it” A smile split across his face at the interesting parallel the situation drew between now and then. Both times, he had met Lianelle seemingly by chance. Both times, they had need enough for a friend that they bonded with one another rapidly. Divine guidance, indeed.

Settling back in the bed, Rakhash thought about the dream he had had in the dungeon, about how realistic and strange it seemed to him. Perhaps, while they were on the subject of dreams, he should bring it up. “I had another dream about you, actually, that seemed a little odd, right before you came and rescued me,” he said, breaking the silent that had enveloped the room. “It was in a village, or a city, or something, surrounded by vast fields of wheat, and a bright river. The houses in the village were arranged in the pattern of a wheel, and in the center was a large walled building. The guards let me through, and you were there, inside the walls, by a great fountain, as beautiful and illuminating as you always are.” The young man trailed off, suddenly realizing that he had just spoken his thoughts aloud in a manner that didn’t adhere to the strict cover of shyness that he held around himself. He was very conscious of her hand entwined with his, and he swallowed hard, before quickly gushing forward in an attempt to swarm over his words with more ideas for the young woman to take in.

“I don’t know if, uh, the village or city sounds like your home or not, but the dream seemed as though it warranted special attention, and it was like no place I’d ever visited.” He paused, silently deciding to leave out the part about the voice that had spoken to him. He had trouble enough believing it himself, even now, without bothering Lia with it. “Either way, if you think there’s something greater than chance linking us, maybe that means something to you.” Rakhash shrugged, as if not putting too much weight on it. The thought of having actually known her when they were younger, and indeed, of being somehow destined to be with Lianelle, was truly overwhelming, and when coupled with the prospect of what was going to occur tomorrow, Rakhash doubted he was going to get back to sleep before Uphuron gazed down from high in the sky.

[Ashari]

Indeed, the token, the necklace, had been something that Rakhash had treasured for a good long time. He hadn't ever shown it to anyone, but he had held onto it, and pulled it out when he was feeling particularly lonely when shut into the small house in the poor section of town while he was supposed to be studying his math or reading. In the last few yahren, however, the item had disappeared into obscurity, and it was probably still in his room.

"Another dream?" Lianelle asked with curiosity filling her voice, but then she quieted to listen to his words. The princess couldn't help but blush as he commented on her beauty. He was usually so silent, so contemplative. The same way he was as a child, when she came up with the games, and she asked the questions. But then he continued on, giving her no chance to thank him. In her minds eye she thought of what he said, the vision of the wheat fields and the distant village swarming her head as if they were bees buzzing about in busy patterns, creating the imagery that was almost painful to recall.

"That's Nashreen." She finally said. "And that was my home with the fountain, but how could you know that? You've never been there, and I never told you about the city, atleast not really, just some little things." Lia sucked on her bottom lip, biting it gently as she thought. "I used to play in the fountain when I was little. I used to pretend that there were other kids splashing in the water. My papa hated it. He said it wasn't ladylike." She smiled. "I really miss him... It's funny, after a lifetime of running away and escaping the guards, though rarely getting far, here I am, wishing I were back there."

"I think either it's incredible luck that I should find you, not once, but twice or Anasis had her hand in this one for a specific purpose. Maybe because of what's happened with the Rafao... maybe because of the evil magick that the bodyguard is using, or maybe just to make sure that Nashreen and the other villages stay safe." She shrugged. "I'm thankful to do my part, especially knowing that I'm with the only friend I ever had, and yeah, I guess that does mean something to me. I think there is a plan for everyone, some people just have more important parts."

Lianelle turned her face upwards to look at Rakhash. "You are playing a very important role, in history, and in my life." Her eyes flicked back and forth between his. "And thank you for calling me beautiful. That's very sweet." She smiled, her white teeth catching what little light there was and illuminating her fresh soft lips.

"Rakhash... when you bring me back to Nashreen are you going to leave and come back here to the city? Or do you think you might stay a while?" That question had come up several times in her mind during the past few days, usually right after him promising to get her home. She didn't want to be home if it meant losing him. Lia would almost prefer staying here in Abu`Sahir to stay at his side.

[Guest]

Rakhash silently mused at the whereabouts of the necklace, mentally tearing his room apart in an effort to remember its location. Certainly, it had to be somewhere in there, and despite the fact that he couldn’t remember its exact location, he made up his mind to get it and give it back to Lianelle the next time he visited his childhood home. Interestingly enough, with the revelations that had occurred about their respective childhoods, and about the necklace itself, it seemed as though she had been a friend, a person and an idea, to comfort him and allay his loneliness even before he had met her again a few days earlier. Rakhash had already drummed up the idea that he owed the princess something for being his friend when no one else was as willing to, and it seemed now as though he owed her more than he had originally conceded.

A grin split across the young man’s face, breaking up his analysis of the situation, as his friend confirmed that the locale he was describing really was her home. Slowly, that grin faded, and a somber expression overtook him. The thought of Lianelle having to pretend to be playing with other kids, of her being forcefully removed from her home, was enough to make any man’s smile fade. People like that shouldn’t be without friends, shouldn’t be forced from their homes and turned into pawns for some game. It isn’t right. Frowning slightly as she continued to speak, he maintained his silence, and allowed her to sound her ideas out.

Nodding slightly at her words as the beautiful woman turned to look at him, Rakhash offered her a small smile. As she told him that he played an important role in history, and in her life, he felt a certain sense of pride at meaning that much to someone. Quickly, her words added an aggravating crimson hue to his face, as she brought up the issue of his compliment that he had assumed was already buried beneath a mountain of other information. Looking at the sheets of the bed, he shrugged slightly, once again feeling harshly inadequate under her clear scrutiny. As ‘sweet’ as his words were, they couldn’t have been entirely original or new to her, nor make any kind of real impact. It made her gratitude seem bittersweet.

Rakhash blinked in surprise as the young woman asked if he would stay with her in Nashreen once they arrived. It seemed to him as though the matter had already been covered. “Lianelle,” he said softly, “I promised you before to stay with you and protect you for as long as you wanted. If you want me to stay with you in Nashreen, if you feel as though you’re still going to have trouble finding more appropriate friends, then I’ll stay there.” He smiled slightly, as he gazed straight into her absorbing eyes. “Besides, I doubt that too much of this city will miss me anyway.” The young man chuckled slightly. “That is, if you really want me to stay…you needn’t ask out of courtesy, or because you think you owe me something,” he amended, quickly.

[Ashari]

"Why do you do that?" Lianelle asked him suddenly, and looked at him hard. She moved from the position she had been in, and retracted her hand from his so she could prop herself up on it, pointing her arm at a ninety-degree angle and resting her head upon her hand. Her hair fell down around her shoulders and cascaded onto his shoulder as well. Soft silken locks washing over his muscles in the darkness filling his nostrils with the scent of her, so beautiful and clean and unlike the other girls in the city.

"You act like you are nothing, that you mean nothing, that you aren't someone amazing and spectacular and that you aren't the best person I know." Her voice faltered a bit at the end, trailing off into obscurity and insecurity. There was a flame in her eyes, though, as she looked at him, a passion that had not been there, one that was almost awash as her eyes seemed more liquid than before, deeper and darker and neverending. "I'd have died a lifetime ago, as a child, were it not for you, from lacking in friendship. I would have died of fear in the market place if you hadn't been there to save me."

She looked away for a flicker, as if collecting her thoughts, or trying to control her feelings, or find the words for things that either she couldn't or wouldn't express to him. "Why do you look away when I look at you? All I want is for you to look at me the way you do when you think I'm not looking." Pointedly Lianelle returned her black irises to meet his. "All I want is for you to say the things you are thinking of saying, but don't, because of whatever you are afraid of. I'm no better than you, I'm no princess here, I'm just a girl, I'm just a girl that is looking at the man that she's been in love with since he helped her up off the street, and I'm just waiting for you to look at me, and tell me that you love me back, and -- and--" Her words had sped up to the point that now she was reeling, unsure of how to continue, and unable to go back, she took a deep breath.

Lianelle's smooth skin, browned from her ancestor's working in the sun, not for her own labour, and her lips, full and pink, and more aflame than usual, was all that Rakhash could see in the dim light. Her cheeks had taken on a simlar flush, because of the situation, and if he were to look at her close enough, he might even see the finest bit of perspiration clinging to the soft peach-like hairs on her face especially at her brow.

"--And for you to kiss me, not because it might be the last time you think you'll ever see me, but because you are seeing me for the first time." Lianelle concluded with a small outward sigh, and now her brown eyes were downcast and completely lacking the brave security she had when in the dungeon when faced with the guards prepared to turn Rakhash to death. She was not prideful or conceited, and her body trembled, just slightly, from the rush of adrenaline that passed through her veins as she spoke the words that she had been thinking with the propriety that a princess was expected to keep. She was lacking the coolness, and the collected calm that she had been taught from an early age.

[Guest]

Rakhash frowned as she questioned the motives behind his actions. Why did he do what? For all he tried, he couldn’t grasp what had brought about the beautiful princess’s outburst. He had tried to be courteous, and certainly he attempted to avoid offending her in any manner. What reason did she have to suddenly feel so aggravated by his behaviour? A pang of fear welled up inside of him as he considered what it would be like to deal with a Lianelle that was truly angry with him.

Even as she moved and acted in a manner that seemed to fully express her frustration with him, however, Lianelle was captivating. The feel of her dark locks against his skin, her clean and enthralling scent, and the warmth of her presence were all to much for him to ignore as attributes even though she moved to make a negative point. Words sped through his mind, and he grasped at them, but without the amount of speed he would have required to question the princess before she hurtled forward into her passionate criticism of his personality. As she trailed off slightly, Rakhash could only describe his feelings as those of overwhelming confusion. He didn’t know whether to feel embarrassed at the compliments she had offered, or worried over the anger she felt for him not recognizing it within himself. Regardless of what he was supposed to feel, he found himself lacking words to respond to the woman.

If anything, the passion he found reigning in Lianelle’s eyes further compounded his inability to speak in response to here questions. She seemed so intense, so devoted to getting her point through to him and ending the frustration she felt, that all he could do was let the torrent of words and emotions sweep him away. How could Rakhash explain to her why he couldn’t bear gazing at her when she looked at him? How could he ever make her understand why he felt the way he did about himself? She was a princess, and next to her he was worth precisely what he figured himself to be worth.

It seemed as though the princess herself disagreed, however. With the next words she spoke, she shattered the world that existed around Rakhash, she cast aside any doubts and left him to fill the void with the things she had said. As Lianelle paused, and attempted to collect herself after letting out so much, Rakhash felt choked. He couldn’t find words to say, and he wanted to scream. Everything he had ever felt about the girl before him came rushing back, every idle emotion or thought that had lain dormant in his memory flooded to the surface. She had asked him to tell her how he really felt, and he knew how to describe it even if he hadn’t consciously named it yet, but it was so difficult to speak.

The next words that came out of Lianelle’s mouth washed away the doubts that still clung to his thoughts, and offered him the solution for his lack of words. He stared at the woman, unafraid of her observing just how he did gaze at her when he thought she wasn’t looking. Everything about her was perfect, and anything placed in the same scene as a creature like her could not help but be humbled. Her full lips, her perfectly smooth and tanned skin, and the curves of her figure all seemed to announce how amazing she was in a manner more audible than any musical artist could create. Rakhash knew even as he examined her that that beauty extended beyond what he could gaze at in the physical world. She had a soul and a heart that was every bit as beautiful. It seemed as though he could hear the pounding of his pulse, as he watched Lianelle tremble. Slowly, he placed his hands on Lianelle’s shoulders, and drew her forward to place his lips against hers. There was no attempt to hide the passion or the emotion that he felt as he indulged in that sweet embrace, and he allowed the kiss to drag on for what seemed like a longer span of time than the few fleeting flickers it actually was.

Drawing back as slowly as he had brought her forward, Rakhash kept his hands placed on the young woman’s shoulders, gripping her firmly but gently. He had no trouble staring straight into Lianelle’s eyes, affection more than clear in the way he looked at her. Suddenly, the trouble that the young man had experienced in speaking dissipated. He had gone too far to draw back into a private state, refusing to let Lianelle in. “I love you too, Lianelle,” he said finally, his voice so soft it was almost a whisper. There wasn’t any doubt in his voice as he said the words that would have terrified him before then. “And I’ll make a conscious effort to ensure that you know it, often, I promise.” He gave her a smile that seemed to reiterate his feelings in a silent manner, and continued to gaze into her eyes, hoping that his response was exactly what she had wanted it to be.

[Ashari]

Lianelle really had no idea how Rakhash was going to react to her torrent of information, to her raging rapid of emotion, and to her demanding that he meet some expectation that she had of him, some thing she saw in him that made him different from every other person she had ever known in her entire life. As she sought the blanket that covered their bodies for some kind of answer, or some sort of way of fixing or taking back everything she had said, of changing all the things she felt, she realized that it wasn't tension that was gripping her, but Rakhash's strong hands.

The princess lifted her face and her eyes looked between his as he drew her closer until finally they met, and her dark eyes closed, but saw so much more beyond them, including the emotions he felt for her, so that it was barely necessary for him to finally voice his love, and yet, the solidarity with which he made the statement made her realize he had felt it for a long time, and for some reason that was comforting and she nodded. Inwardly, however, her entire body was buzzing and it felt like the moon moths were fluttering about in her belly, and in her chest as her heart skipped a beat or two, while she tried to catch her breath and put herself in check.

There was a pang of guilt in the back of her mind, however, as if she had forced him to say these things, but that was fleeting at best. It would've been a matter of time before he finally allowed himself to voice what he felt, and she figured the sooner the better, especially the way things had been going so far, because it was nearly impossible to tell what would happen next in their crazy lives.

"We're going to be OK. We'll go to that Marketplace tomorrow night, or, actually, tonight, and make sure that the army doesn't leave, and then the Rafao will be better from the magick, and then we can go back to my village, and fix everything." She nodded. These words were more for her benefit than his, trying to reassure herself that her home would still be there when she returned.

Lianelle laid her head down on the pillow, facing Rakhash and smiled. "And then you can meet my papa." She grinned. "Oh.. yes.. that ought to be a rather interesting situation." The girl yawned, and lifted her hand to cover her mouth. "I'm sure he will like you." She flashed through her memory at the peacocks that her father had brought to her that he wished for her to marry. Rakhash wasn't exactly one of them. Ok, so he isn't at all... But, he had saved her life, so that should be worth something. "We should get some rest before tonight." The princess murmered and nestled her face into the young man's neck.

In the comfort of his closeness, it didn't take the young woman long to fall asleep.

OOC:
Go ahead and post in the Gravetide Market thread. Assume Lianelle is with you and I'll post after.

[Ashari]

Skills:

Instil Tranquility[mindcraft]: basic

Rak won't really understand this skill/know he has it, as it hasn't been taught to him, but he will find that he can more easily calm people down. This is more like an extension of his natural ability with Lianelle.

Skilled -- May 25 05