[PRP] Hello there! (Mari, Saimmy)

[smolderingskies]

Saimwen watched his dad frown, then suck on the inside of his cheek. The man was clearly thinking, disappointed, or something. Was his father interested in hiring this thief? Why would he even be interested in someone who had clearly already shown no good moral standing? Then, his father surprised him even more. He straightened up, took a carved wooden bowl from beside the stew pot, ladled a bit of the steaming goodness into that bowl, and stood over Marinel. "You may travel with us if you wish, but not for free. You'll have to learn the start of some kind of craft and help with the Caravan. If you start dragging your feet, we'll leave you behind. You can consider this bowl of stew and the fruit you stole to be your first payment, if you agree. Do you agree?"

Saimwen was shocked. He'd never seen his father be so kind to a stranger, let alone a thief. Why was he acting like this? That kid said he was being accused of killing his mother! The little trader clenched and unclenched his fists, looking back and forth between Marinel and his father, trying to understand what was conspiring. But he'd been well-taught to not interject when his father was reasoning or bartering. Saimwen wasn't typically angry or confused on this level, but he just felt like everything he had been taught was being contradicted in that moment by his very teacher. Looking at Marinel, it wouldn't be hard to accept him as a friend. Maybe even a brother. Besides the whole stealing thing, he didn't seem that bad. But Marinel probably wouldn't stick around very long, if he left even his blood family.

 

[Thaliawen]

Marinel seemed to light up at the offer. His eyes became wide, and a shadow of a smile appeared on his lips. He nodded. "Yes sir, thank you!" He reached for the bowl. What craft could he learn? Anything, he supposed. They'd had a harper, but while he enjoyed listening to it, he didn't think making it would be very useful. Maybe weaving?

"Thank you," he said again. He'd never been so grateful for something warm, or somewhere to stay.

Saimwen didn't seem too enthusiastic about keeping him, though. He wondered why. He hadn't done anything wrong but take those red fruits, had he?  

[smolderingskies]

With that kid's face all lit up like that, taking the bowl of soup from his father, Saimwen couldn't help but feel a little bad about being so hesitant for his father to bring him on board. What did he think Marinel would even be good at? Because apparently stealing wasn't his thing, and neither was advocating for himself, so what could a kid who grew up in some cushy Hold do? Saimwen had been navigating and helping to take care of the trade business since he was four turns old. This boy wasn't much younger than him, and he couldn't do anything at all. Except for, maybe, kill his mother.

Angrily, a bit flustered, Saimwen ladled himself a bowl of the fish stew, trying to breath in the aromatic fumes to relax himself a bit. He went and took a seat next to one of his younger sisters, watching Marinel warily as he adjusted to having someone new in the Caravan. He'd probably leave soon anyway, Saimwen reminded himself. No reason to be this upset.

 

[smolderingskies]

TWO WEEKS LATER

Saimwen was trying so hard not to like Marinel. But really, he wasn't that bad of a kid. Just... something had lingered in the back of the trader boy's mind since they'd met. He'd been sleeping in his parents' tent, much to their chagrin, pretending occasionally to be sick or suffering from nightmares. He'd been intentionally spending more time with his mother, glaring at Marinel with unbridled hostility if the Hold brat tried to approach. And despite what Saimwen had tried to tell himself, Marinel still had not left the harsh life of the Caravan for somewhere a bit comfier.

They'd been tasked to do chores together. Saimwen guessed his father thought they'd be better friends if they shared work. So they now both carried out the task of cataloging the wares, and Saimwen was supposed to teach Marinel some nighttime navigation based on the stars after suppertime. Saimwen had yet to have a productive session - mostly thanks to his own fussing and fuming, he'd not taught Marinel a thing yet. It was like something was pent up between them, waiting to explode and make a mess all over the place.

It was one of those evenings where Saimwen was supposed to teach Marinel the basics of star charts and figuring out one's location, but he was procrastinating again. The boys were sitting in silence, on top of their sleeping packs, some short distance away from the camp while the rest of the Caravan was winding down in activities. Saimwen was picking at a scab on his calf, debating if he should really speak what was on his mind. But this whole ordeal had been pressing on his mood for two weeks, now. Maybe it was about time.

"So," Saimwen said, refusing to make eye contact with Marinel. "Was it like, really bloody? When you killed your mom, I mean."

 

[Thaliawen]

Marinel hadn't argued when Saimwen had failed to help him chart the Stars. Something about being out here, away from his twin brother, had him quieter. More observant.

He hesitated at Saimwen's question. That hurt. "I guess," he said. "My dad's always said it was my fault, ever since I could remember. He told me I shouldn't have been born, then she'd still be alive." He looked away, and up at the sky. "Dolly says it wasn't my fault. Babies can't help who they're born to. Do you think it was? Is that why you hate me so much?" His words weren't judge mental, merely curious. He was still looking up.  

[smolderingskies]

Saimwen was honestly so confused. None of what Marinel was saying seemed to answer his question - which, of course, was not really "was it bloody?" but instead, "did you actually kill your mother?" But he seemed to be hit with a barrage of riddles. Always with the father blaming him, but the denial. And the brother comforting him. Babies, birth... Then a vague possibility tugged at the corner of Saimwen's mind, something that might not have involved a cold-blooded murder at all.
Something that might have involved an infant and an accident.

"Marinel," Saimwen began, before stopping himself for a moment. His hands were suddenly trembling a little. "I don't know if I hate you. I don't even know you. But did you... do you think you actually killed your mother? Or did it just happen, and you were blamed on it?"

 

[Thaliawen]

"You look at me as if you do," Mari shrugged. His gaze hadn't left the stars. "When you look at me at all." He swallowed, and looked to Saimwen. "I don't know. Father's always said... I don't...." He shook his head. "It wasn't my fault. I just came, and she died. So. I guess it must have been bloody."

He wiped at his eyes with a fist and forced a smile. "My brother used to make it better. It got worse without him, so I left. I didn't want to listen to that anymore. And I hoped, maybe I could find my brother. But I don't know how to fish...It was stupid."  

[smolderingskies]

Saimwen opened his mouth to speak, to protest, then shut it again. Marinel was entirely correct. Saimwen hadn't even given him a chance, from the moment he was adopted into the caravan. He'd always been a thief and a murderer in his eyes... and technically, when he really thought about it, Saimwen had been the one to let him take and eat that fruit. And now, it seemed like he was wrong about the murder, too. He looked down, but this time, it was in shame.

But then he heard Marinel's sniffling, and he grimaced. Should he... hug him? What was appropriate? They hadn't exactly developed a friendship in the last two weeks. "I'm sorry, Marinel," he said, twisting his fingers. "I didn't know that... I didn't give you a chance. I'd like to start over if... if you're okay with it."

 

[Thaliawen]

Marinel hesitated. What? So Saimwen didn't believe he'd murdered his own mother? He wanted to try again? The twelve turn old let his gaze linger on the older boy. "You don't have to be my friend because you feel sorry for me," he said.

Plenty of the people there seemed to. Even if they were keen on learning a craft he was good at. "And you don't have to teach me the stars. I'll ask someone else to." Saimwen hadn't seemed particularly interested, after all.  

[smolderingskies]

"I- I don't feel sorry for you," Saimwen said, shame tinged with frustration rising up in his throat like bile. "I never gave you a fair chance in the first place. I feel ashamed of myself."

He looked up at the stars that his father had tasked him to teach Marinel, and a thought ran through his head. For what felt like the first time since they'd met, he looked directly at Marinel. "I think my father just wanted me to teach you so we could spend time together. I don't think we're going to get out of doing this." Saimwen offered a wobbling smile.

 

[Thaliawen]

Marinel paused for a long moment before nodding. Well, at least it wasn't pity causing Saimwen to change his mind. "Okay, we can start over," he said. "Hi, I'm Marinel!"

He hesitated, then, and nodded. So he'd still be learning the stars from Saimwen. "Alright," he agreed. "What's that one?" He pointed to the brightest star in the sky.  

[smolderingskies]

Saimwen's face grew warm as Marinel re-introduced himself. Just that easily, Marinel was able to forgive him? Saimwen couldn't forgive him for a simple, understandable mistake for weeks, but the strange hold-boy was so malleable, so willing to trust him for nothing. Perhaps Saimwen's face burned not from awe, but from shame. Shame that he couldn't bother to give this boy the same benefit of the doubt.

Saimwen hesitated at Marinel's question about the stars, before moving his head close to the boy's arm, peering up the length of his arm to see what pinprick of light he was pointing at. "That's the north star," he said softly, the words rolling off his tongue as if a reminder at how easy just teaching would have been this whole time. "If you're ever unsure of where you are, that's the most important star to find first." Then his gaze slid slightly to the west, to a constellation nearby. "And that constellation, you see that cluster of stars over there? We call that the Dragon's Clutch. It's in the west during summer." He flashed a tentative smile at Marinel, hoping he was picking up on it well. Then he retreated from his hovering position over the boy's shoulder and looked at his feet, kicking his toes together restlessly.

"I'll try to teach you a lot better from now on, okay? You can be just a good a navigator as me and Father."