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Nodding slightly, Una offered the other woman a smile, "It'll be alright," after all, she'd been told before that there was power in belief and that half of it all was getting yourself to believe you can handle a job before tackling it. Optimism was just what they needed for the time being, as far as she was concerned; they'd had enough a dose of realism for the day. All they could do was seek out the Elders and hope for the best. After giving Daevan's arm one final squeeze, the healer retreated her hand and set it on her lap, "Well, I guess we should talk to the Elders?" she hesitated, tilting her head to one side, "How do we go about contacting the Elders?" she hadn't really ever even pondered that out, but something told her they were not people one could simply walk over and talk to. There had to be some sort procedure; thing was, Una was pretty laid back, spacey and bubbly. She hadn't really ever felt the need to worry about much except what happened in her immediate proximity.

"No, it wouldn't," she said softly, though there was no real guilt in her voice. Even despite the consequences, she was not about ready to feel bad at being discovered. Things were what they were and that was that, "What's really a wonder is that it's lasted so long, probably. No wonder I was getting weird glances," actually, a lot of the earlier week's events were beginning to make sense in Una's head. Turning her head to Leife she seemed to expect the other female to have an answer; she was, after all, the go-to person within the room, apparently. It was clear Una hoped she could contact the Elders or knew the way to do so.

As she watched Leife go, she couldn't help but smile again at the banter; it was something she could have gotten used to having around her. Something about it made her feel rather happy to be there, for it wasn't the type of arguing that one did out of bitterness, but rather, out of fondness and care, "I like her," she commented when the large male half apologised for his wife's overwhelming personality, "I like her a lot. She's very nice," in fact, she'd already gone as far as forgetting the resentment she'd felt against her the previous day, for Una had found the other female to be not only likable, but willing to help. How could anyone have blame Leife for that?

Now that they were alone, her eyes were, indeed, straying finally towards her surroundings. Their home was decorated quite a few trinkets and though it did not resemble her own, Una found she liked the change. As Daevan spoke, giving her permission to look around, the sheep like Ursari got up, "You don't mind?" if anything, it was quite obvious she did not mind being there, but actually very much liked it; just like a while him a while ago, she felt safe... protected and there was no arguing with that feeling. Taking her time, the small Djardi moved from side to side of the room, exploring the various corners and various trinkets it had to offer. Then, she paused and took a peek back at Daevan, almost as if pondering something. Her eyes moved from the trinkets, to Daevan and then back, making it somewhat clear she had something in mind.

Taking a few delicate chains in her hands, followed by a few dangly trinkets, she walked over to the sitting male and positioned herself beside him. Without so much as an ounce of shame or fear, she lifted her hands and began to decorate his horns rather colorfully with the various things she'd found laying around. The overall effect was almost that of a child decorating a Christmas tree, "I wonder when they will see us," she told him as she moved a small golden chain around his horns, tangling it around the various protruding points, "I wonder if they'll give Leife trouble for seeking them out."

In all truth, Una was not really aware of how it all worked, or even why. She was, however, aware that it did work, and that was all the answers she needed for the time being. The previous day's guilt had washed away and had left a gentle sort of tranquility at the pit of her stomach; she now had an actual excuse to have felt that mild jealousy and could no longer be entirely blamed on her being a brat. Happy to have discovered that much, the small healer was content to wait out the whole ordeal and see how it would arrange itself out.

Not only did she like Leife (even from such a brief, stormy encounter), but she felt horribly grateful to her. Later, if all this was sorted out, she would have to face Loman and tell him the facts, however, something at the back of her mind told her that the blunt, reclusive healer might have figured something or other out about what was going on, all by himself. He tended to be more crafty than she was and spent more time pondering than she ever did, for Una had always been pretty content to go with the flow unless it displeased her.

Aware that he was letting do as she pleased, the small healer did just that; it was comical to think many Ursari thought Daevan's horns to be scary. Una thought otherwise; and they made a wonderful... perch for various odds and ends, as she was expertly proving the world at that particular moment. Even if 'the world' simply consisted of the two of them, "Mmmm?" she leaned her head mildly over his shoulder to hear him better, and then blinked, "Oh! Right," leaving the trinkets on the floor, she reached for the jar and passed it to him over his shoulder before resuming her work on his horns. The homey feel of it all was not lost on her, however, it never occured to her that it might be quite a comical scene for someone to walk in on.

Needless to say, the lamb never really noticed Leife's approach; she was much too preoccupied with her current task, which was much more fun than it had any right to be. Thus so, the laughter surprised her. Una's her turned to gaze up just in time to see the other female choking with laughter, all in all looking as if she might fall to her knees any minute now. It took her a long moment to realise she was laughing at Daevan's horns, but as soon as she looked back at them, she had to admit they looked pretty damned hilarious. Especially when one remembered they were perched on top of the usually stoic Ba'al.

A small embarrassed smile was all that she could offer, "Ehehe... I think I might've gone a bit over board," despite her words, she admired the trinkets that hung off their new perch with interest before starting to strip them off tenderly, "I'll fix it," her ears perked as she worked, her brows knitting at the hint behind Leife's words. Did... that mean trouble? Would they be kicked out? Did that mean it was all over for them?

Oh god...

Swallowing the excess saliva, and feeling much more light headed and rattled than she'd felt only a few minutes before, she finished the task at hand, turning scared eyes up at the female Ba'al. She was starting to feel very much like the day she'd been sent to see Baba. The was, however, a difference this time. She realised as much when a hand was lifted in her general direction, open for her to take; she was not alone. Not anymore. Taking the hand in her own and after giving Leife one last look, the small healer allowed herself to be lead off to what could have metaphorically been the wolf's cavern. For all her insecurities though, the hand that held hers, firm and warm, gave her the courage to face what was up ahead.

The world hadn't ended. No one had been kicked out of the Caravan. All in all, things could have been much worse, Daevan thought while unpacking. True, his marriage had been dissolved. He and Leife had been sad, but understanding of the reasons. It wasn't as though they'd married for love. The Elders had reassured Daevan that he would remain a Ba'al in any case, a weight off his chest. But, as his new mate was not a Ba'al, he could no longer live in their camp.

It was hard to leave. His life before living there had not been easy. In fact, he would have preferred to forget he was ever from another Family at all. Even though he hadn't been in love with his wife, he had loved her, lived with her for the last decade or more. Habits had formed, routines arranged... Now, it was time for newlywed stage all over again. Not that he and Una were married just yet! But Una's possible-marriage had also been called off.

So now here they were, living together in their own caravan, in neither Ba'al nor Djardi camps. No camp at all, actually, more of a no-man's-land that belonged to no Family. Daevan had heard rumours that an Uni also lived here, unwelcome in a Family camp, but had yet to catch a glimpse of the infamous Ursari to confirm or deny it. The other soul mated couples that the Elders had referred to were also living here. Either they were all cross-Family pairings, or the Elders were worried about the constant glowing keeping others awake. Daevan snorted to himself in amusement, as though such a trivial matter (to the mind of an Elder) would count for anything.

"Apparently my horns are glowing even when you're not close by," he said while placing more cushions and pillows onto the large mattress in the private sleeping area. "Leife pointed it out when I went back for my final load. I wonder if this is permanent now?"

Did the horns build up a charge, he wondered, that would fade if he was away from Una for too long? Or was this a sign to all others from now on that he was soul mated to another, like warning off potentially interested partners?

"She also gave us this." He carried a large basket back out into the main area. The lid was removed, revealing a 'welcome basket' of trinkets. Daevan pulled out several knives - some decorative, some functional... and possibly pre-used... was that dried blood? Following it was a fantastically curved horn that had been used on a previously visited world to signal the start and end of a hunt. (Hunting other people, of course - Daevan had done some fantastic business there for them, all the Ba'al very in demand.) A patchwork quilt lay at the bottom, which had Daevan relaxing. Until it was pulled out, revealing the symbolic retelling of a great battle sewn into it.

Crouched down on his haunches to inspect Leife's gift, Daevan rubbed wearily at the bridge of his nose. "Sorry. I don't think she realises this isn't a Ba'al-only home."

Daevan grunted, head lowering. He wasn't the most observant Ursari, even for a Ba'al, but he'd noticed a fair share of strange looks tossed in his direction when he'd entered his old camp. Of course, he'd quickly been distracted by the group of young bucks whisking him away for another challenge of horn-butting. Over his shoulder, he said to Una, "The people worth knowing will still think that you are worth knowing. That's how you know you are friends."

Or so a thirteen year old Leife had told him. It had yet to proven wrong, though, so maybe Leife was almost as big a know-it-all as she thought.

He frowned at the suggestion that admitting their bond was what made their horns glow all the time. So if a couple tried to fight the bond, their horns would remain at the first stage of only glowing when in each others' presence? Though why anyone would fight a soul mate bond, Daevan didn't know. He shrugged to himself. It was always much easier to accept what came your way.

Knees cracked as Daevan stood up and stretched out his legs. He moved to inspect Una's care package from her sisters. Stealing a thin chain with tiny bells hanging off it, he draped it over and around the looping hunting horn. With a small smile, he placed it in the middle of a table, then looked at Una to see if it reminded her of anything...

There was an easy way to make this house 'theirs', after all.

"Don't tell Leife," Daevan instructed Una. All the rumour mill needed was fodder about Daevan's ex-wife beating up people picking on his soul mate. Rumours would have them involved in a torrid threesome before Una could blink. And besides... "You should tell me."

He looked away, once more glad that he wasn't the type to blush. If he was, his face would be bright red. But still, it was a husband's job to defend his wife... or soul mate, as the case may be. Just the thought of other Ursari picking on Una made his eyes narrow and teeth clench. Love may be something that needed time to grow, but the urge to use his face and reputation to their full ability had kicked in automatically.

He held still as Una decorated his horns once again. Apart from the move, they'd been spending a lot of time indoors together, and his antlers seemed to be Una's new hobby. When she stepped back, he tilted his head and listened to the chimes. Repeating the movement, he flicked the metal rings on his pants. Daevan was no musician, but to his ears, they formed a nice harmony. Rather like Una and himself, he thought.

"It does look like our home," he agreed. Visitors would certainly be able to tell who lived here upon entering. "It's very balanced." Which possibly also meant 'messy' or 'cluttered', but it looked and felt like them. A bit of a mish-mash, but settling into something that looked right together.

It was just like Una to try and make sure he didn't actually go after anyone. He raised an eyebrow. "No promises," he said coolly, though with a teasing smile. If she took it as a jest, all the better.

They had both noticed, moving in, that there was more than just one other pair of soul mates stuck out here with them. When the Elders had referred to Daevan and Una as 'another pair', apparently they weren't just a second set of soul mates. A small handful of caravans rested in this mini-camp. Remembering the fact that many soul mates meant many (often bad) changes, he wondered what this meant for the Caravan as a whole.

"Glow at night...?" Daevan repeated, brows drawn down, before understanding crossed his face. "Oh. Uh, maybe. I guess some of them might be at that point. Maybe they've been bonded longer, or their bond feels different..."

Sure, he and Una were going to be sharing the same sleeping area, the same mattress. But that didn't mean Daevan had intended to jump straight to sex. They'd only known each other a week, and Una was so innocent... and maybe Daevan need time, too, not used to rolling into bed with people he'd barely met.

"Was it... brighter than us?" he asked. Their own dim glow surely wouldn't have been noticeable through caravan blinds at night.