Trouble With The Undead

[Diegis]

Diegis was indeed headed back to Wistvale. The Harbormaster's reward had given him enough funds to hire a mount and for the past two weeks he had worked his way inland instead of sticking only to port towns. Fennen, Jezebel, Williamsburg; he had visited all three with no luck. Though, he had spoken to a merchant in Fennen who claimed to have seen a man of Dadas' description. It was very little to go on.

Nevertheless and for the first time in several weeks, Diegis was more optimistic than discouraged. He had often considered the possibility that his nephew never made land fall. His ocean crossing had been uneventful beyond a few wild squalls. But, there were dozens of reasons why a ship might not make it to port.

He could have remained in Fennen. If Dadas had been seen once, he theorized, he would be seen again. That theory, however, was terribly flawed. Dadas was not the type to put down roots. He came to Tangaia for the same reason as many a young man leaving home for the first time; adventure, riches and freedom from his family. Diegis did not doubt the merchant's words but his nephew would not stay in town.

And there was another reason he did not stay in Fennen.

The closer Diegis came to Wistvale the more his thoughts lingered on Enuyu instead. He missed her. The eyes he had likened to polished jade appeared often in his mind's eye. Her voice, her laughter and especially that infinitely appealing tiny smile ran through his dreams.

Diegis gave a wave to the Sentinel standing beside Wistvale's open gate. The last few miles had been uneventful. But here, this close to town there were too many people darting one way or another to allow his mind to wander far from his horse. He slid off the saddle after passing the gates and returned the animal to the stables. He gave her one last pat on the nose before leaving.

He probably needed a bath. He certainly needed something to eat. His eyes tracked the sun that had started to fall from it's zenith. The Tavern crowd might be picking up and he headed that way. Of course, he was hoping to find Enuyu, too.

(This thread is for Enuyu.)

[Enuyu Suhishi]

The walk alone seemed to be enough to lift Enuyu's spirits some, or at least lift her thoughts away from the mire of her lost family. Navigating Wistvale was not a task for the faint hearted and those unfamiliar with the town's layout. Fortunately for her, the last couple of weeks had provided ample opportunity to become, if not familiar, at least knowledgeable enough to keep from getting too lost. She made it to the street where the Menagerie Tavern sat, only to catch sight of a familiar silhouette. She couldn't be absolutely sure, but she was fairly positive the combination of those shoulders, the gait, and that hair belonged to Diegis.

She quickened her pace, and by the time she caught up to the figure she was sure; it was Diegis. She tugged on one of his sleeves from behind, and when he turned to see who was at his arm she caught him with a smile and warm greeting.

"Hey. It's been too long. How've you been?"

Friends. The best cure for feeling alone.

[Diegis]

Diegis spun halfway around with the tug on his arm. He was dusty, tired, and probably smelled like a horse. He smiled though, and caught her up in a quick hug.

"Hey, I was hoping to find you."

He had been hoping to see her. Probably a bit too much.

[Enuyu Suhishi]

Enuyu froze up for a solid heartbeat when Diegis wrapped his arms around her. The gesture caught her flat footed and completely off guard. It had been more than two years since she'd been hugged, and for a moment she almost did nothing. But then she relaxed, and returned the gesture with her own friendly affection, though she might have held on a little too much. Gods. She'd forgotten how much comfort a simple hug could be.

She looked up at him from inside the circle of his arms. Her brow wrinkled a little and so did her nose as she took in the state of him.

"I was hoping to see you too. But you need a bath, and a good night's sleep."

[Diegis]

Diegis laughed and let her go. He set her back down on the packed earth of the street a lot more gently than he would had she been his nephew, too.

"You are correct. I do need a bath and a bed."

It was true enough, not that any girl he had ever spent time with in Dacia would have mentioned it. Enuyu was, beyond any doubt, in a class of her own. His quick glance during the hug caught something else, too. Her eyes were red rimmed and puffy. Those jade orbs were swollen and sore.

Had she been crying? What had happened to her while he'd been gone? She had taken several painful blows during their encounter in the alleyway; blows that would have caused many other people, female or not, pain. She had not cried once. Should he asked her what was wrong? He had no desire to cause her more grief.

"You know what? How about I find a bath and meet you somewhere afterwards? You can tell me what has been going on since I left. Hm?"

[Enuyu Suhishi]

After her initial shock Enuyu actually found herself somewhat reluctant to let the hug end. It was entirely more pleasant than any contact she'd had in a very long time. Her reluctance probably showed too. Damn. Was she already turning clingy? What was next? Jealous harpy?

She gave him a smile and it was in her voice as well. "I don't know. The last time one of us wanted to just run a little errand there were street thugs involved. I should definitely accompany you. After, I can show you my new home."

'My home' It sounded strange to her ears even now, and she wondered if it was something she'd soon get used to. She also wondered what sort of reaction it would raise from Diegis. Part of her hoped he would want to stay the night. Maybe. Or maybe she shouldn't hope for that.

There was enough stew left in her little kettle to make a meal. She had a small stock of bread and cheese besides. There was a cask of wine and one of ale to wash it all down. It was about the full extent of her food supplies, but she thought it would do.

There was no bed though. One of the carpenters had suggested a western style bed, but it simply did not appeal to her. Problematically, every craftsman she had talked to looked at her as though she had three heads when she tried to describe tatami mats to them. There was about as much hope of obtaining a futon. Instead she had settled for two sets of quilted padding that could accept hay stuffing, a couple of blankets, and some cheap but warm furs. She told herself it was the memory of her mother keeping house that told her to be ready for a guest, even though she did not expect any. One should always be prepared to show proper hospitality to a needy traveler. Yes, that was it. It had nothing to do with the thought she might want to entertain closer company.

[Diegis]

Diegis swallowed hard. She wanted to accompany him. His brain painted the mental image of her in a bath, water pouring down her hair and spattering on her shoulders and chest. She was not suggesting they bathe together. He was sure of that. But, the image once created was damn hard to ignore. He swallowed again.

Find some safe conversation, fool. His thought processes were back to berating him for being an idiot.

"Home?"

He plucked out the one word she had spoken out that was free of danger; more so than the rest.

[Enuyu Suhishi]

Enuyu nodded enthusiastically. If she'd noticed his discomfort, she didn't say anything about it.

"Yes. My home. It still sounds strange to me. But, I want to live here. I'm putting down roots. It's small, but it's mine. I think it used to be a chapel."

[Diegis]

Home.

Diegis' brain was stripped clean of the image of Enuyu sharing his bath. Instead he was caught with memories of windswept plains, narrow gorges, rolling rivers and trees so ancient ten people hand to hand could not span the base of them. The pain of homesickness hit him and turned his slate blue eyes into a pale gray.

Diegis took a couple steps to the side to get out of the way of anyone else walking by. He shoved those now familiar thoughts into the back of his brain while doing so. Still, his voice was quieter and pensive when he spoke.

"I've never had any real roots. My people are wanderers. We do not stay in one place. Though, we return to favored ones."

[Enuyu Suhishi]

Enuyu didn't miss the change in his demeanor. Some thought was bothering him, something personal. She could ask, but no, it was his to keep or share.

It had always bothered her terribly when one of her siblings or her mother would pry and pry. All that ever resulted from that tactic was an exacerbation of her poor mood and angry words. It was her father who was always the quiet support, the one who let her know he was there with a hug. He was the one she would eventually turn to when she couldn't find her own way through her troubles, and he always made time to listen to her even if he was busy with the business of being governor.

She shook her head a bit to pull it away from the wool gathering that threatened to pull her back into the mire that had her crying earlier. There was no need to feel that way. Diegis was back in town.

"You know, when I was younger, I always thought being a nomad would be wonderful. Sure, your house is just a tent, and life is probably tough, but you'd have your family and friends with you all the time. And you'd get to travel wherever you'd like. Of course, where I come from they say the nomads are just uncivilized barbarians."

It only occurred to her a moment later how that could sound and she frantically tried to correct herself. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean... I don't believe that for a minute. It's just that's what it was like where I grew up. They said a lot of things that were wrong."

[Diegis]

Diegis burst into sudden and rollicking laughter. It was his turn to laugh so hard he had to put his hand on the wall of the building beside them to keep from falling over. Even then, his shoulders still shook wildly and his eyelashes were wet and stuck together when he turned his head around.

"You did not offend me Enuyu. I am an uncivilized barbarian and proud of it. My ancestors escaped slavery from a so-called civilized society. Personally, I don't think any society that keeps slaves is at all civilized."

The laughter that had so infused his voice at the beginning of his words was missing from the last one. Quite frankly, the last word was spoken in such a virulent tone that his opinions on civilized peoples or otherwise was remarkably clear.

Diegis had, more than once, battled to free others from anything that resembled slavery.

His breath evened out, he pushed away from the wall, and then glanced back down at his companion with a cheerful smile.

"How about you show me your new home? I can always take a bath later."

[Enuyu Suhishi]

Enuyu was instantly relieved when Diegis started laughing. It was a sound full of good humor. Even if his first words hadn't been reassurance she'd have known he wasn't angry with her, and she was very glad for that. She wasn't entirely sure what had made him laugh so hard, but it was good enough he was laughing and not looking offended.

The way his voice changed at the end of what he had to say bothered her though. Something about it said it was more than just an opinion; that he had hard experience with the subject. She wanted to ask him about it, but thought better of it. If his voice was any indication the subject was not something that would be easy to talk about. No. She preferred Diegis happy.

She smiled a little and nodded when he suggested they go to her home. "Sure."

With that she took up walking towards the little chapel that was now her abode; keeping herself at Diegis' side. Though now it had nothing to do with being worried about who had who's back. No, now it was because that's how people who were comfortable with each other walked; and she was certainly comfortable with his company.

Just don't think too hard about how long you'd like to keep his company.

[Diegis]

Diegis turned his head to watch his companion. He was not nearly as interested in Wistvale's shops or people as he was in her. She held herself with such competence and self assurance. The females he had known in his tribe were much the same. Though, such did not extend, as he found out, to the rest of the world.

Tisia had explained it to him once. She said that it was because Dacian women in general and Teurisci women in particular, were taught from birth to be self sufficient. They were the tree, the root, and the flowering vine. Unlike other societies where women were often second class citizens, chattel, or worse, Dacian females owned property; horses mostly, and were the head of the family as males were too often killed in battle.

Diegis gave a quiet sigh and scuffed a hand through his shaggy black hair. Tisia's death was almost impossible for him to bear. He gladly took up the task of finding his nephew. Diegis found himself unable to remain at home where everything reminded him of her. Now here he was walking beside a girl who, like Tisia, knew how to take care of herself.

Was he trying to punish himself by spending time with Enuyu?

No. That could not be true. It felt good to be beside her, better than he had felt in a good long while. He was loathe to abandon that emotion. He unexpectedly realized he had been staring at her. He coughed, scuffed at his face, and said the first thing that came to mind.

"Ahem. So. What has been going on with you besides your new home?"

What he really wanted to ask was if she had found someone to spend time with in said home.

[Enuyu Suhishi]

Enuyu tried not to think too hard about the man beside her. It didn't do her any good. He was the only thing really occupying her mind. She found herself going over every little detail of her home in her head and what he might think of it. Damn. Since when did she need anyone's approval? Especially in her own house? No. It wasn't that. It had nothing to do with approval. She wanted him to like her.

They'd been quiet so long on the walk to her little abode that his words seemed sudden, and she needed a moment to let her thoughts form.

"Not much. The work has taken up most of my time. When I wasn't busy there I was wandering around town, getting the lay of the land. There's more people here than you might think. But..." She had to pause again to order her thoughts. They were threatening to be a jumbled mess around him all the time. "I like it here. I'm putting down roots. But I'm not good with people. I don't know how to make friends. A couple of weeks and the only folks whos names I know are the workers who fixed the place up, two serving girls, and a tavern keeper."

And there was the rub. Something she was only just realizing about herself. Her whole life she'd been more isolated than she ever realized. When she was young, things had been okay. Even though she had refused to fit into the strict gender roles of her society much was forgiven to the precociousness of youth. But then there was the Heart's Day incident, and even her young friends drifted away from her. She threw herself into the training her father offered. The only people she really interacted with were her family and some of the house keeping staff. That was easy to do. And after... Well then it was two years of running on the road and not daring to be close to anyone.

It had left her socially stunted. She didn't know how to build relationships. There had been a tryst here and there. But she'd never been able to build anything that lasted; she thought mostly because of her status. On the other hand, now that she was somewhere free of that baggage, she wondered if part of that failure was hers. Did she treat people badly and just not know it?

Hmph. Give her a fight any day of the week. She knew what to do in those, and the aftermath always left her feeling oddly warm.

The whole thing was making her feel a bit melancholy again; which really felt a bit too much like self pity. So she forced herself to try and ignore it. She tried a little smile, and it didn't feel entirely right, but she went with it anyway. They were fairly close to the little chapel. Soon enough she'd have good reason to be a little melancholy or not.

"So, what about you? What's new?"

[Diegis]

Diegis walked easily beside Enuyu. The exhaustion that bothered him at the gates of the city was no longer evident. His step was light, and his gaze among the people they passed was less paranoid than earlier.

While he had not found anything definitive about Dadas, beyond a possible encounter with a merchant, he couldn't say the trip had been uneventful. Diegis had run into a pair of bandits about three hours back which had, up until now, kept his senses on high alert.

He glanced back at his companion when she began to talk. She had trouble making friends? That puzzled him. the tone underneath her voice more so. It was as if she blamed herself, which made no sense to him. Men, especially; or so he thought, would fall all over themselves to be friendly.

Then his brain smacked him upside his head. Not men idiot, maybe she meant women. They did always run around in packs back in Dacia. He spared a few minutes while she wasn't speaking to consider some facts. This was not her homeland. For all that she was putting down roots by purchasing a home and fixing it up, Wistvale was strange territory for her. She had no family here and no one to talk to when the work was done.

He was in the same boat. But, he went to the Tavern if he felt like being social. He met her in one. Still, Diegis had no idea if that was a common occurrence for her. Perhaps, just perhaps, in her country females did not approach strangers. It would definitely make it hard to find friends.

Diegis' slate blue eyes found her jade ones. Maybe if he gave her something of himself she would not be so downcast about her ability to make friends.

"Not new. Rather the reason I came to this side of the world and Wistvale..."

Diegis took a breath to try and calm his abruptly raw throat. He had not told anyone of Tisia's death or said the words out loud. He did not need to back home and he did not want to do so now. He had, up to this point, kept his heartache at bay by thinking of the better memories.

"...my sister died four months ago. Before her death my nephew Dadas; her son, decided he wanted to see some of the world. I came here to find him. To tell him of her death. So, he will not have to sing the death howl alone. Unfortunately, so far I have been stymied in my quest to locate him. I was hoping to find word of his passing in some of the other towns close by."