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 Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 8:18 pm
If it were suggested to the common citizen that a lone, blind traveler, heading deep into an expansive desert in search of a single location to which said traveler had never before been was on its face an inherently risky endeavor, the common citizen would all but assuredly agree. Ataya cared little for the commentary of the common citizen. He cared equally little for any suggestion that he couldn’t do precisely as he pleased, when it pleased him to do it, and while it did occur to him in passing, some week and a half or so out, that it might have been beneficial to enlist the services of someone who had actually been to the hybrid city at least once from the outset, he soon after dismissed the thought.
It was hassle enough to worry only about himself, his mount, and the possibility of outside attack. The last thing he needed was to concern himself with whether or not he was being betrayed by some stranger he kept in his immediate company. So it had gone.
He had fared, all things considered, fairly well. It was the first extensive trip he had ever embarked on on his own — having only ever travelled before to Taliuma previously, a trip innately familiar by now — and thus far he was alive, still stocked with enough travelling food to last him another week and a half without hunting, and several bags of coin and two hastars richer than he had been at the outset. Of course, the hastars and coin had initially come with unwelcome company, and their encounter with him had left him with a deep gouge in the side and a gash down his leg which did not feel particularly healthy.
But those could be tended to more properly, if absolutely necessary, when he reached civilization. For now, after re-arranging his newest stock and finally managing to successfully secure the unhatched khehora egg that had come with his (now “regrettably” deceased) attackers, his focus turned to ascertaining that he did reach said civilization. After a murmured spellword to activate the compass inked into his palm — magicked to allow him to tell direction by feel when called upon — he drew out the rolled parchment serving as his map and reaffirmed his position once more before tucking it away with a subdued wince.
“Come, Rannah…” he murmured, pulling the hood of his cloak back up to shield his face from the sun’s might as he nudged his hastar into a forward trot. A small pulse of aiskala magic, at least, nipped away at the most oppressive edge to the desert’s heat and made his loose robes cool despite all. “With any fortune on our side, we’ll be nearing the city’s edge before sundown…”
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 10:02 pm
Keona had left Tukyere a short time ago, everything in hand that she felt she was going to need for the current 'challenge' that she had been issued. Her best friend, as well as rival, Bisera had issued a hunting challenge. Whoever was able to gather up the most dragon orbs, as well as the best dragon orb in the next two days and bring them back to the place their group stayed in within the city would declared the winners. Being the 'nice guy' that he was he'd even allowed her to take Meir along with her. She knew why, of course, it would make it a bit more difficult to get anwyhere if the Aeduan Khehora was with her. He was at an age where he was so distractable! This was merely Bisera trying to cheat his way to a win! "Don't worry, Meir, we're going to show him. We are going to head North to the ocean and fish up a dozen Peisio to get orbs from!" She declared even though she'd never actually done that sort of thing before. The closest she'd been to dragon fishing was hearing stories about it when she was younger, stories told by Bisera's father, meaning that her friend might very well have a leg up if dragon fishign was in the genes. She supposed that they might be in hers too, not as if she knew exactly what her birth parents were like after all. Here was to hoping that they were adept fishers or something she thought to herself in an idle manner. "I think I am going to see exactly where we are, alright? So try to stay put, Meir." She told the Khehora next to her, patting him on the head, before launching herself up into the air with a bit of her Ayrala magic. While up in the air her wings fluttered like mad, as though able to keep her aloft on their own, before she set to looking around. From this height she could see the very distance glint of water to the North, meaning they had a bit more walking, as well as something rather interesting. There was something traveling with hastar... and instantly she found herself curous as to who the person was, where they were heading, what they were like, and various other things that had her so enthralled that she didn't notice that her spell was sputtering out. Giving a squeal of surprise the girl fell a good ten feet straight down toward the sandy ground before she was able to recast her spell, catching herself on a cushion of air, which saved her from any damage, "Ahahahaha, oops... best that I don't go spacing off again that far up, huh?" She said, one hand going to her thudding heart, "Alright, so I see which way we should be going... though I have to say, someone curious is out there. I wonder who it is." Glancing off in that direction, something that Meir did as well, mimic Keona, though seemed to be just as curious as to who or what what she'd seen. Giving a smile Keona said in a hushed tone, "If we happen to walk passed the person on our way to the ocean then perhaps we will have a chance to get a peek." It might shave time off of what she had in the challenge, but she wanted to at least get a closer peek at whoever she'd seen while she was up in the air! With that thought in mind she started forward to see if she could get another glimpse.
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 10:29 pm
Ataya did not realize quite how thoroughly he had begun to doze — and rely on his hastar for support not only beneath him, but in front of him as he swayed forward — until a ripple of unnatural wind, and with it foreign magic, teased the edge of his hood and jerked him into full awareness. The abruptness with which he righted himself, however, sent a shot of pain needling through his gut and down his side, and he grit his teeth with a short hiss of frustration, his useless eyes narrowing in the direction of the gust. It had been distant, he noted — far enough off that when he sought out another wave of it, he found nothing but the empty, natural energy of the desert — but distinct enough that it could be nothing other than company of some variety in the relative vicinity. That, to Ataya, meant one of two things. Either he was nearing the city sooner than he expected and there were residents out and about practicing magic with enough abandon so as to make it noticeable even from a distance.
Or there was a fellow traveler on the desert, quite possibly with intentions as foul as those he had last encountered. With a terse frown, Ataya gathered his breath before steadying himself on his mount and slipping off of her to sands below. Once stable and over the brief dizzying sensation that accompanied the shift, he unfastened his mage staff, Eurielle, from her secured position and took her in hand. Blind eyes open, he tapped her to the sand, using her channel to push his magic further out than he nominally attempted to empty handed. With her, he first sent skittering shadows to dart across the dunes — small plumes of dark magic, seeking a potential foe, sweeping over the rolling sand like light over the peaks of ocean waves.
When they found nothing, he gathered the faintest frost that he could in the surrounding air. Tiny swirling particles that danced in the open spaces of sky for a half-sphere of space before and around him. Nominally, freezing portions of the air in fine quantities was how he ‘saw’, utilizing his magic to determine the location of the ice and from that, interpreting the ‘negative space’ taken up by objects in the air — such as a body or a tree or a building — in order to tell what he was dealing with. Here, however, the space was great and empty around him for a wide swath, and his magic could only stretch so far before he exhausted it, so Ataya opted to allow the spell to diminish back out.
Whoever it was, they would either encounter him or avoid him, and regardless of what they chose, he was ready. It did, admittedly, leave him a touch on edge to not know who or what to anticipate — how powerful they were, or even what direction, precisely, they were coming from — but he recognized his mother’s magic anywhere, eliminating one mystery: an ayrala, of some breed, shape, or form.
All other mysteries could wait for answers when their time came. For the moment, he settled with walking for a time — easier to fight quickly, if need be, when standing on his own — and made the most of Rannah’s support when his injuries complained of his rare choice to physically exert himself.
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 10:50 pm
As she walked along, her wings giving a flutter from time to time as she slipped in the said, she said to Meir, "I look forward to the day that either my wings are wing enough that I can fly around from place to place or you're big enough to be a gentleman and carry me around." A comment that got a huff from the orakoir as he walked along at Keona's side. He seemed to be having a bit of an easier time, likely because he had more feet and a tail to help keep him balanced in even the more slippery of sand. His huffing was eased as Keona gave him a scratch between the horns, something that almost drew a purr from him, or at least it would have had he got caught scent of their 'mystery person' on the wind. Meir lifted up on to his back legs, wings giving a bit of a flap, before he set to sniffing at the air in a curious manner, "Is near." He declared, not to most chatty of Khehora unless food was involved, but since the both of them were so interested in who they were attempting to cross paths with it was something worth talking about. "Are they now?" She asked, lifting up on her tip goes though it really did nothing for her. What she had to do was climb up the sand dune before them and she would guess that she would be able to see the hastar rider once more, "Come on, let's hurry! I want to see who we are dealing with." There was a voice in the back of her head, one that sounded very much like her father's voice, warning her that she had to be careful! Not everyone out there was nice, in fact most people weren't, especially when it came to those of mixed blood. She had to stay on guard, be prepared for anything, etc, etc. She knew he was just looking out for her, and knew she had to be careful, but she was also certain that whoever it was wouldn't appreciate her approaching with weapon in hand. Patting Meir on the head she said, "If push comes to shove we will kick up a sand storm and retreat, alright?" She warned the Aeduan before she hurried to get to the top of the sand dune. Once there she was able to get a better view of the one that they were approaching and the first thing that came to mind was, "Oh, what pretty hair!" So much of it, and not a giant bird's nest like her hair tended to become due to the magic Keona used. Giving a smile she looked to Meir and said, "Let's be on our best behavior, alright?" If they appeared friendly and peaceful then maybe them getting so close to the robed individuatl would go well. At least that was what she was hoping for.
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 11:08 pm
Voices.
Ataya heard the approach of his afore-noticed ‘company’ before he sensed them — for it did seem to be a ‘them’, upon re-inspection with his magic, given that he felt two distinct sources of magical energy — and he stilled, only just managing not to stagger on a step as he listened. The wind brought with it a female voice, chipper and enthusiastic, though he could not make out the words yet, given the distance, and he wondered at the identity of her companion. The magic was strange to him, there undeniably, but unusual in a way he had virtually zero experience with. An orderite, perhaps?
He kept Eurielle in hand, but made no immediate move to attack. If the pair was talking — and vibrantly, at that — it suggested that, at the very least, they were not attempting to catch him off guard. While this did not necessarily mean that they meant no harm — they could, after all, simply be incredibly overconfident in their ability to handle a lone hybrid with or without the element of surprise — but he thought that, chances be as they were, it was more likely that the pair was either inexperienced, or non-violent. He proceeded forward with caution.
Once in range of at least reaching her with his magic, Ataya paused, pushing a small trickle of frost outwards in order to pinpoint a few key areas of her shape, and the—
Khehora. It was a khehora at her side, he concluded. Though ‘seeing’ via negative space was vague at best, the large, low shape that came when he lightly frosted portions of scale, talon, and horns, suggested that the girl’s companion was undeniably not Magescian. A bonded, perhaps, though the raw strength of its magic suggested otherwise.
“Identify yourselves,” he drawled once within speaking distance. “I’ve little patience for violent strangers, but am happy to humor you nonetheless if combat is what you’re after…what brings a little girl this far out into the desert?”
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 11:36 pm
Violent strangers? Two words that had Keona looking at herself, then at Meir, trying to figure out what about them said 'violent' though she supposed that it might be the fact that she was carrying a bow and Meir was Meir? He was loaded with sharp teeth and claws after all, meaning he might give off a dangerous aura even though he was kind of little. Lifting her hands up in front of herself to show that they were empty she said, "My name is Keona Moana, and this is my friend Meir." She introduce herself and the orakoir before she said, "I can assure you that we aren't after combat."
Meir looked up at her and gave a little grunting sound, nudging against her with his shoulder when she said that they weren't after combat. Giving a shake of his head he said, "Are to."
That was a comment that had Keona tilting his head to one side in a thoughtful manner, trying to figure out what that meant. It clicked after a moment and she gave a snap of her fingers, "Alright, alright, I suppose Meir is right. We are on our way to go dragon fishing, so we are looking combat in a way, but not with you. Unless you're a peisio dragon in disguise?" A joke that was funny to her at least and had Keona laughing a bit, something that Meir joined in on, seeming as though the joke was amusing too him too. The one standing there before them didn't really look like a peisio dragon after all, so it was funny to the Khehora.
Lifting a hand to smother her laughing she said, "What about you? What brings you here to this giant sandbox?" She was a little curious, especially after inspecting the one before her. He looked pretty interesting, from his looks, his clothing, the weapon he wielded, and the beast he was riding. Everything about him was pretty interesting and made her quite curious about what he might be up to.
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Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 11:51 pm
Keona Moana.
A fairly young girl, from the sound of her voice, though perhaps as old as he was, if not even a touch older. He couldn’t tell precisely. She certainly sounded genuine, her easy laughter reminding Ataya — for a moment — of his own sister in her younger years before time dampened some of her cheer. But Ataya was well beyond trusting such a whimsical and unreliable notion as that at first blush. More importantly, she did nothing in her greeting to rouse his suspicions further than they were already, and he allowed his posture to relax a half touch, the frost he had conjured melting as he released his grip on that spell and turned his focus, for the moment, to the conversation at hand.
“I am no dragon yet,” Ataya said, “and if I were, I suspect I would sooner be diabi or aiskala than what you seek. The yellow sea of the desert dunes seems a strange place to go seeking flying water lizards, but that such as it is…I am Ataya, a native to Eowyn, coming from Taliuma and seeking the hybrid city, Tukyere.”
When a wave of dizziness hit afresh, Ataya’s grip on his staff tightened, but he steadied himself, unwilling to show weakness in the face of strangers whose status he had yet to fully determine. However innocent they appeared on their face, there was no telling how quickly a strange encounter could turn foul, particularly when facing off against someone — such as Ataya — who carried a number of valuables now with them. Whether or not he could remain fully upright, though — unfortunately — seemed to be a choice rapidly slipping from his grasp, and Ataya wondered passively if he had lost more blood than he thought.
A poor time to come to such a conclusion, regardless. How careless.
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 12:38 am
"No dragon yet, huh?" She found that to be a curious comment, especially since it was something that her father had interest in as well, turning into a dragon. She had seen that scroll of his, the one that could lead him toward more information on that ritual, though he hadn't gone to look into it quite yet. Giving a thoughtful sound she said, "I doubt I have enough Dovaa blood in me to turn into a dragon, but I bet my father will figure it out one day! That will sure be something." He needed a good nudge in that direction though, something she aught to see to!
Giving a bit of a laugh Keona said, "Yeah, it's highly unlikely that there will be any Peisos around here, we are heading North toward the ocean to reach them. We have two days to get to the ocean, do some dragon fishing, and get back home to Tukyere to turn in the orbs we get!" She declared, clapping her hands together. She meant to win this one, even if Bi was trying to cheat by having her take care of Meir as well as hunt. She'd show him! She'd get the most and the best orbs ever!
Meir cocked his head to one side, listening as the pair chatted, giving a slight yawn. A bit boring the orakoir thought to himself, about to say just that when a breeze went passed them, bring to him the scent of blood. Blinking a couple times he glanced toward the one sitting on the hastar and said, "He smells bloody." He found himself instantly on edge, wondering whose blood it was. Was it someone else's blood? Was he lulling Keona into a false sense of security before murdering her? Was it his own blood? Was he injured? Giving a grunt he said, "Bring to Junjie?" If he was injured, which was a big if, should they bring him to Keona's father?
Keona looked over at Meir, then to Ataya, giving him a thoughtful look before asking, "Are you hurt?" Upon hearing that the man before them 'smelled bloody' and Meir's mention of her father made her heart start to thud in her chest, worry filling her. While she knew Bi would see it as her coming up with excuses for losing she'd be more then willing to abandon the hunt if it meant getting him to her father for healing.
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 1:10 am
Ataya stiffened at the latter commentary.
On the one hand, he wanted no part in letting on weakness to a stranger. On the other, however, she seemed genuine enough that she might potentially know of a healer, particularly if she was a local. That she might be a native of Tukyere seemed especially likely, given her location, but since she had said nothing directly to that effect…
“The desert is dangerous,” Ataya said, avoiding outright assertions as to his health. “I might benefit from the attentions of a healer if I found one I trusted, but if not, I am sure I will survive as I tend to. You needn’t burden yourself with it if you are on your way to find water lizards as you say.” He paused, considering a moment before asking in spite of himself, “Are you a native to Tukyere?”
It lingered on the tip of his tongue to ask how close he was. How long it might be before he arrived. Where he might find a healer, once he got there. But he held those questions in check, not wanting to divulge too much information at once to a stranger and wary as it was. Something itched at him, though — a curious abnormality in her magical signature, familiar to him in the way that his sister’s was — and his mind lingered on it despite his efforts to shove the thought away, until it occurred to him.
Did she possess an imprinted weapon?
His initial impression of her, based purely on the vague sense of her location and shape provided to him by the prickle of frost he impressed on her, gave no specifics, other than that — as most others did — she carried things with her. Whether it be a bow or a blade or an axe, or a staff, he had not discerned. But the sense of something there, beyond a raw physical weapon, and possessing of the energy that came with one imprinted, made him wonder if she, like he, was hybrid.
Perhaps it made sense, if she was indeed from the ‘hybrid city.’ Ataya allowed himself to relax a half fraction more, his grip still firm on his staff, but mind curious, even as his sense of balance faltered. Then, something pivoted.
“Eurielle…”
The sand, interestingly enough, was very soft and forgiving, despite being unpleasantly hot.
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 1:26 am
Keona gave a thoughtful sound at that comment, "I suppose that's true." The desert was dangerous, as were the various people and creatures that moved through it, meaning that he could have been injured by... well, just about anything, huh? He hadn't really said what it was that had harmed him so she wasn't really sure what sort of wounds he might have. A shame she wasn't a Ysali or a Peisio, she might be able to help, but healing wasn't really her forte. No, that was something that her father was good at, not her, meaning that she should try to get him to meet with him, huh?
Blinking a couple times she said, "Well, you can trust my father, he's a really good guy! He's a powerful healer, and helps out anyone who goes to him in need of patching up." If she talked up her father's skills would the man before her go and see him? Giving a rapid shake of her head she said, "No, no, it's no burden at all! My father says that we can't just leave people when they are in need! If I did that then it would come back and 'bite me in the backside' when I found myself in need of help." Or so she was taught. Karma wasn't something that she wanted to mess with, even if it meant dealing with Bi. She would just have to ask him to restart the challenge and offer him a handicap for the next challenge or something? Yeah, that should work to win her friend over.
"Huh? Oh, yeah! We've lived there for a while, since I was little and the Mara were skulking about in greater numbers." She only saw them in tiny groups, and rarely at that, anymore. Nothing like the old days when they were everywhere she thought to herself for a moment. Giving a little flap of her wings she turned to glance toward the direction she'd come from, then looked back when he heard an odd 'whump' sound that went along with something hitting the sand.
Meir gave a grunt, his tail swishing, before he said, "Man down." Seemed as though they weren't going hunting, were they? Oh well, that meant they were going to head home to where the food was. Seemed like a win to him.
Giving a squeal of surprise Keona rushed over to the fallen man, hovering over him, "Oh, geez! Are you alright? Can you get up? Here I can help you!" She said, squatting down next to him so that she could try to help the poor guy back to his feet.
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 2:06 am
Ataya’s vision — such as it were, black, white, light and dark, shapeless, unhelpful — prickled, sunspots of light as he stirred from an unready slumber. When it registered that there was a foreign voice, and foreign hands on him, he jerked, jolting sidelong and then wincing as he scowled and bristled, fingers tensing — much as they had energy to — into the sand as he exhaled.
“I am…well enough. A minor spell,” he said. He wasn’t that incompetent. Surely. Hopefully. He ran a hand through his hair, stifling another wince as his side throbbed. Too wet. Nothing should be that wet in the desert. Perhaps he did require the attention of a healer after all, however regrettably. “I do not tend towards trusting random healers without reference as to whether or not they attend properly to the needs of hybrids…but I suppose…”
His attention flicked back to the girl, sizing her up in more detail, now that she was close. Horns like a dovaa, he deduced as he let frost prickle out more and gather on her features. Wild hair, but a disposition about her that was different, and a magical energy that suggested she was otherwise from ordinary. The thought itched at him again as he pushed himself into an upright position despite his body’s general reluctance. The thought that she had something with her, an imprinted weapon or some other energy that differentiated her from the rest.
“You’re hybrid,” he murmured aloud, an observation as much as a question. Testing the waters, such as they were. “How far is your city? And how talented your father, I cannot promise I have the means to pay him but in goods if he proves not to be…uncooperative.”
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 2:28 am
Keona blinked a couple times, looking quite surprised when the fallen man came to and seemed to jerk away from her touch. It was a sudden and startling thing, something that caused her heart to skip a beat as he thought he might take a swing at her... but it didn't seem to come her way. That was a relief, the last thing she wanted was to risk a scuffle with someone who had open wounds she thought to herself, "I... don't know about that, I mean if you were 'well enough' you wouldn't have fallen down. Come on, let me at least help you up out of the sand?" She offered, not wanting to leave him down in the sand, especially if he was injured. No, she had to get him back home, though it might not be something easy to do it appeared.
Giving a bit of a smile she said, "He's able to tend well to Hybrids, he does a lot of healer work in Tukyere after all, aids a lot of people there. He's also a hybrid himself if that helps in anyway to sway your opinion toward a visit with him?" She titled her head as she felt the flickering of magic around her, that of... Aiskala magic? She looked from side to side for a moment, curious as to what sort of spell he was casting, before she turned back to him once more.
"Huh? Oh, yep! I am most certainly that." She said, she was a bit of everything other then Khehorian after all, though more of one then the other two she thought idly. Giving a happy sound she replied, "Not too terribly far, we should be able to get you there quickly enough so that he can look you over! How talented? I'd say 'very talented' and not because I am biased or anything, he's actually received the title of 'Master' recently so it's not just me building him up because his my father."
Giving a half shrug she said, "It's alright, the payment thing I mean, he seems to rarely accept payment unless someone really insists it. He doesn't feel as though people should have to pay him for his services. He doesn't think someone in need should have to worry about money of all things when their life is on the line." It was something the other members of the hunting party seemed to scold him for a lot, but one of those issues he refused to budge on.
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 3:00 am
“I am well enough,” Ataya snapped, more out of spite and a need to be contrary than anything else. “I can help myself out of the sand…” The statement did little to stop her from helping do as she pleased, and in a moment, Ataya stood beside her, working fervently not to reach for his side or his leg as they ached. “He heals hybrids…” Ataya said, his voice softening to a curious pitch and taking in all the factors he had to work with: the girl was admittedly hybrid herself, the khehora had not attacked him, and the girl stated her father was and healed hybrids. He lowered a hand to his waist, layering his fingers over his own injury. “I would appreciate an escort, if that is what you are offering…”
The fact that she, purportedly, had a hybrid father boded well for her, but it left him with a number of open questions yet to be answered.
“My uncle recently attained the title of ‘master’, and he couldn’t ‘fix’ a number of things…” By a ‘number’, Ataya necessarily thought of his own sight, but it didn’t seem fair to elaborate. The man had a great number of other things figured out, clearly. It just didn’t seem fair that he could not solve one, simple, problem. “Regardless…” Ataya said, “I prefer to pay those who perform services. It keeps them from assuming I am indebted to them in some way. And I would ever so hate to be indebted to anyone…particularly those who might call on their debts at inopportune times…which way did you say your city was?”
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 3:20 am
Keona pursed her lips for a moment, listening as he tried to insist that he was well enough, not to mention that he could help himself out of the hand. She supposed that she couldn't very well force him to accept her help since it might cause him to fight her more, huh? The last thing she wanted was to cause him undo pain and stress because she was getting to handsy or something she thought to herself. Alright, she'd let him try to take care of himself she decided before saying, "Alright, if you insist." Though she kept close, just in case he looked as though he were going to tip over again.
"It will be alright, I am sure that he will take good care of you. He always devotes himself completely when he has a patient in need. I am sure that he will help you to feel better in no time... but before that happens we will have to get you to him." She gave the hastar that had been traveling with the injured man a glance before her gaze went back to him and asked, "Will your pets follow along after you? Or do they need to be lead? Meir can lead them if needed." That way she could look after the patient while Meir led the hastar, it should work out right? Here was to hoping at least.
Giving the orakoir he said, "If it's alright can you lead them for us, Meir? I will make sure to get you something sweet to eat when we get back." The best way to buy the orakoir off was with sweets, now seemed to be a good time to offer up such a bribe. Turning back to the patient she reached out, taking his hand in hers, "Come on, I will lead you to Tukyere. If you start to get tired let me know, I bet I could give you a piggy back ride, I'm stronger then I look!" She gave a flex of her free arm as though to prove that, before she gave a little tug on his hand, "Come on, let's get you to Tukyere and to my father."
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 2:34 pm
Ataya hummed, half an ear taking in the girl’s words — Keona, he reminded himself, slotting the name away for reference — and the rest of his attention dedicated to judging his relative stability and keeping himself upright. Dizzy still, he concluded, but workable. Enough energy, surely, to make it to civilization.
“Rannah may be lead,” he murmured, “and though I am sure your capacity for feats of strength is most impressive, you needn’t put that to the test. Carrying me will not be necessary.”
He would sooner re-mount his hastar than be toted about, after all, and saw no real feasible reason why her carrying him would be the soundest course of action. But that too, he supposed, mattered little so long as they made it into town. It was encouraging, if nothing else, to know that they were apparently within walking distance. So, with Eurielle in hand — serving a temporary dual-purpose as both a walking stick and her usual role of his weapon if the need of that arose — Ataya made to start in the direction the girl had come from.
Then, she took his hand.
Ataya blinked, stilling immediately and ‘glancing’ towards her on instinct, despite the uselessness of the gesture. After opening his mouth for a moment, however, and finding his tongue out of commission, he shut it again, a strange and unasked for heat crawling up towards his cheeks. Huffing, he let the hand stay.
“Very well, then, lead at will.”
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