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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2025 1:07 pm
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Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2025 8:50 pm
Swathed in the warmest clothing that she could get within the boarders of Zena, Aldara was enjoying herself. She had over come the awkwardness of riding Regale with Draven. In fact she strangely wouldn't want to travel any other way. Her Scorra, Soran, trotted beside them as they traveled around the area. Visiting sites of importance. They stopped here and there as they traveled up hills and mountains, watching the stars at night. It seemed to have been months since she left home to start her journey. Aldara found that she wondered why she never left home before, perhaps it was because she hated being alone? That she didn't have the right traveling companion?
"Look, there goes another one." Aldara said as she pointed towards a star that shot across the clear nights sky. "Did you make a wish?" She asked as she looked towards the man that she traveled with.
He was donned in clothing that was just as warm, his feathered cloak laid out beneath the both of them like a blanket. She was huddled close, not really for warmth, but the feeling of being connected. Tonight they were camped just outside a small cave where their gear was set up. A fire sputtered a few feet away and food cooked beneath the embers. Her attention was on the sky as the stars twinkled brightly sometimes streaks of color would wave across like ribbons of a far off dancer.
"I know what mine would be." Aldara smiled snuggling closer.
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Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2025 5:34 pm
Draven found that the night wasn't as cold as it normally was, perhaps it was because he was sharing it with someone now? It had been a long time of travel that brought him closer to Aldara. He would protect her the best he could and he was sure she would do the same. Stretched on his cape, his normal traveling blanket was laid over the two of them as they watched the sky. As Aldara pointed out a star that shot across the sky he grinned.
"I don't know, perhaps my wish has already been granted." He teased pulling her closer to him. "What more could I wish for?"
This was a thing he pondered as he looked back towards the sky. The fire nearby was burning low, he would have to add more wood to it before long. Rolling onto his side, he moved to get up and do so. He would hate for the fire to burn out before they were safely in the tent. Regale laid not far off with Soran nestled up against the Janarim.
"We should be able to reach the home where my grandmother resided tomorrow. But we should get some sleep." he said as he picked up a couple of small logs and placed them onto the flames. The fire taking to the wood quickly.
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Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2025 9:45 pm
Aldara rolled over as she watched Draven get up and start to put more wood on the fire. They would be sleeping in the wilderness once again. While this didn't bother her as much as it had when this journey first started out. She still liked having four solid walls around her and a bed to sleep within. Crawling off the cloak that they had been laying upon, she picked it up and folded it over her arm.
"I don't know, maybe there is something more?" She pressed a bit as she leaned on him as he bent over the fire. "Perhaps the thought of having small children running around under foot?"
They had spoken about having kids before, but never in great lengths. She had been too embarrassed from the last time to bring the topic up once more. They had indeed spent many nights tangled within each other's arms over the past few month. They journey had slowed so that he could show her the sights of Zena. Not that there had been that much to see, snow, trees, more snow, mountains and yes even MORE snow. Aldara figured that it was just all snow here, even if it was the winter season. And a large blizzard had passed through...
"Come on, tell me. You know you want to." Aldara said sweetly, this rising a chuckle from her soon to be husband. She also... Had a secret to share with him, she just wasn't sure how he would take the news..
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Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2025 4:48 pm
"I would like children" He laughed as she leaned against his back. "Eventually."
Having finished with the fire that now roared within its circle of stones. The flames leaping high for a few moments before burning low once again. The area was alight with the glow from said flames, Draven turned around to placed his face within its shadow. As he did, he took Aldara into his arms and kissed her.
"Now I think we should get some sleep before the dawn comes and we're sleeping in the saddle." He chuckled teasing at her side. "We can discuss this more after a nights sleep."
Standing up, he pulled Aldara with him towards the tent. It wasn't that he was really ready for bed, but it was getting late and he wanted to reach his Grandmother's villa before noon the next day. "If we plan wisely, we can be at the villa and sleep in a real bed tomorrow night."
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Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2025 7:33 pm
Aldara pouted as Draven seemed to dismiss what she was saying. Were they back to that? Or was it that he was also just tired of sleeping outside and wanted to get somewhere, where there was a bed. Still, there was going to be a time that he would start to notice that there was something wrong. That she was getting heavier and rounded in the middle. Not that it was a bad thing, having kids did put some added strain on the body and mood.
"Oh come now, roughing it seemed more your style, why the change?" She asked as she was pulled towards the tent where their gear was stowed and bedrolls set up. "Didn't you do this a lot when you traveled alone?"
She was poking at him with her words. They were in a teasing manner, just as he jabbed at her earlier. She would find another time to tell him. Perhaps it was still too soon? It was a little hard to say when was the best time, they had started this journey to find a Chiavi. One that Draven had said that was given to him by his grandmother?
"Perhaps the Chiavi will be there. It was the main reason we were out here. Not just to see the sights."
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Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2025 12:12 pm
"Rhyne is out there for sure. She may very well be at the villa. It was the one place I had seen her." To this Draven pondered a moment before looking back to Aldara. "Was she the only reason I found you so far from home?"
This had been a question he should have asked a long time ago. But it wasn't one that he could really pull himself to ask. It was a strange question and there was sure to be more along the way. He had been wondering of where to build a place to settle. Perhaps his traveling around should begin to slow down. He wasn't his prentice self anymore. He had nothing to prove to anyone anymore. He hadn't seen his father in so many seasons and his grandmother had passed. Perhaps it was time to slow and take things at an easier pace.
"While I do enjoy 'roughing it' most the time. But perhaps it is time to find a place to set down something of roots." He said as he settled down on his bedroll. "I had wondered if I should take over my Grandmother's villa. Stay here in Zena, what do you think?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2025 12:30 pm
Aldara entered the tent where the air was much warmer than the outside. The wind had picked up a little and rattled the fabric before it calmed ever so slightly. She looked at Draven, the man she had fallen for. She wasn't entirely sure as to how or why this happened, but perhaps it was because he had been the first kind person to her? She had met a few others, one being a very green boy who seemed to like camping outside. She didn't know what happened to him, she met him that once and then he vanished.
"The Chiavi was the first reason I came out here. I wanted to find it and learn more about it. Perhaps even find my own... I just didn't know where to look.." She said, turning a little to hide the blush that was coming up on her face. "Then there was to find you. The one guy who didn't seem to want anything from me when we first met. I had regrets on how I acted back then. I was young and stupid."
She carried on with her explanation before she was looked at Draven as he asked about staying in Zena. She tapped her chin as she thought. Zena was a wonderous place, but it was far too cold for her liking. Even with the thick clothing and mammu fur lined cloak. She still shivered as if the wind blew through everything.
"Perhaps somewhere warmer. While I enjoy visiting Zena, I think that is all I would like to do. Visit. I like my warmer climates, perhaps back to Tale? My parents live there, we could find a place close to them." She offered, settling down beside Draven.
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Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2025 1:10 pm
Draven listened to what Aldara had to say, it seemed that Rhyne had been the main reason. But there was the reason of looking for him? He wasn't sure how to feel about all this. He was getting on in his years, having been around a bit before he met Aldara. There was a connection between them, something that even he couldn't explain. Something that drew them together, perhaps it was something that came from a life before this one? Was there such a thing as lives after lives? These were thoughts he didn't want to think about, but was extremely curious about.
"we all have our own regrets. I know I have my own, but they are regrets I will have to live with." He shrugged laying back on his bedroll.
"Somewhere warmer? Tale has a nice climate. Not as hot as Oba, but can still be relentless. If you like Tale Climates, we can perhaps find a place near Matori. My adoptive mother lives there and I am sure she will want to be close to her grandkids as well." He had a bit of family here and there. relatives in Zena, his Father was still somewhere in Oba or Sauti. He wasn't sure anymore, he hadn't seen his father in way too long. His Adopted mother in Matori. "I still have yet to tell her about you, nor that we are planning to have children in the future." He still feared his mother's wrath with the news.
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Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2025 2:33 pm
Aldara listened as Draven spoke of regrets, some of which he would have to live with. She wondered just what regrets he had, was she one of them? She hoped that he would say something if there was ever a regret. Her own assumption was that these were regrets that were connected to the family member who had died.
"I am sorry that you have to live with these regrets. I hope in time you will tell me about them." She said reaching out to him as he laid back onto his bed roll. She followed, wanting to get closer to him. "One of my own is not knowing the first thing about surviving out here on my own. If I had known more, I wouldn't have needed to purchase so much stuff along the way." This had roused a laugh from Draven, but he said nothing.
"As for building near Maroti, would that be in Suati or Oba? I haven't explored either place really, never actually been to Oba. Though I heard if was a scorcher."
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Posted: Wed Feb 19, 2025 6:35 pm
Draven laughed at the mention of Oba being a scorcher. While she wasn't wrong, the sand and the blazing sun over head in a cloudless sky. It was the place he knew well from his childhood. His father and the caravan traveled to most the large cities throughout Oba. He had met a few people there, some that needed a guard while they ventured out into the markets. Another was really into racing long legged birds. It had been the place he had gotten Regale and where his father gifted him Nile.
"Oba is indeed a hot place, you wouldn't want so heavy a cloth there. Some women don't wear that much clothing. They are still decently clothed, but there is more skin showing." He thought back to the dancers he had guarded that one time. "But I think we'd set up a place near Matori in Sauti. There is a large cliff to their north side. Perhaps even somewhere around there. Once we get Rhyne, we can use her to fly down into Matori and back." It was a suggestion, not the greatest of ones, but all the same.
He had completely forsook the talk of his regrets. He would someday come out about them, when things were right at least. For the time being, he was happy just letting them fade into the background as he moved forward with Aldara, the woman that he was drawn towards.
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Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2025 4:07 pm
Aldara noticed the avoidance of the topic of regrets. She felt that he would tell her when he was ready. They had only been together for a few months and there was still a lot of things that they didn't know about each other. She had her secrets and he had his own. The laughter that came from him caused her to look up as he spoke of Oba. She wanted to know more of his background. His story.
"Sauti sounds like a wonderful place to raise a family. Though I am not sure of close to this cliff edge would be ideal for the prospect of children." She worried about her children being daredevils and doing something that would land them seriously injured or worse. "Maybe we can even build a place in Matori. It's still be a journey to visit my parents, but to keep the kids safe."
As she sat up a little to speak to him more directly she noticed that Draven had fallen asleep. She chuckled to herself, she never knew how this man could fall asleep just about anywhere. Shaking her head she moved a few strands of dark colored hair from his face before kissing his forehead.
"We'll talk about this in the morning." She conceded laying back down beside Draven and drifted off to sleep herself.
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Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2025 4:51 pm
Draven hadn't noticed that he had fallen asleep beside Aldara until the songs of the morning birds started outside their tent. As well as a large crimson head peeked through the flaps as Regale seemed to be looking for something to eat. Giving a rumble the Janarim pulled at the blankets that covered the pair before Draven sat up.
"Alright, alright. I'm up." Draven said in a hushed tone as he looked at Aldara who was still sleeping. He pulled the blankets away from Regale and placed them back over her. "Come on, lets let her sleep some more. I will get you something to eat before I get something myself." He pushed Regale out of the tent before exiting as well.
The air was cold against the dawn. Rubbing his bare arms against the cold, he wondered why he didn't invest in warmer clothing a bit. He had been on Aldara about it, but he was wearing much what he always did. "Chilly this morning." He chuckled as he walked over to a tree and pulled down their supplies. He opened one of his packs and pulled out some meat for Regale who happily took it. He watched the beast head back over to where the scorra was resting and started eating.
Shaking his head, Draven set to work getting the fire restarted and their own breakfasts going. Today they would travel to his Grandma's villa. There he hoped that they would find the wandering Chiavi.
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Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2025 6:35 pm
The crackle of the fire roused Aldara from sleep as the birds were indeed chirping outside the tent. She woke up to find herself alone in the tent. Glancing around she smelt the cooking of meat from outside. Wrapping up in one of the blankets, she peeked outside the tent towards Draven who was cooking breakfast.
"Smells good out there, I'll join you in a few minutes." Aldara called before she changed into some clean clothing. Stuffing the dirty clothing into her pack. They would be moving again and she was looking forward to washing her clothing when they reached the villa.
"Hey, I was saying last night before you fell asleep." Aldara began as she exited the tent and to the opposing side of the fire. "Living atop the cliff doesn't sound the safest, not with a child. I would worry that they would get into trouble and fall." She stared at the flames that flickered low under the pan of cooking food. "Perhaps we could find a place within Matori. It will be a bit of a longer trip to see my parents, but it's safest."
She still had to tell him, tell him that they were going to be expecting those little feet faster than he expected. Closing her eyes a moment she looked towards Draven. "You're going to be a father faster than you think." She smiled.
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Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2025 6:50 pm
The stirring in the tent had caught Draven's attention as Aldara had called out to him. He grinned to himself as he cracked a couple of eggs into the pan he was cooking with. "Breakfast should be finished soon. So take your time." He called back, but it seemed that she was quick in the change and was sitting opposite him.
"Are you sure you want that big journey to see your parents?" he asked, though if he thought about it. If she used Rhyne the trip would be a lot shorter than traveling by foot. "We can start at Matori and work our way from there. My mother would enjoy if I stay close to her. My sister has moved to another region and I think she's feeling lonely." He remembered the Alk coming all the way to Zena. That was a experience he didn't wish to repeat any time soon.
The news of being a father reached his ears that made him pause. What did she just say? Draven had to just stare at Aldara for a moment, giving her a very hard look over. He hadn't exactly noticed anything different about her... Yet... Sitting back on his heels, Draven started laughing. It wasn't the news that he was laughing at, it was the trouble that is was going to be within.
"I am such a dead man." He laughed before looking back to Aldara. "On that note, we're having a child this soon, we'll spend a few months at the villa." He nodded, not wanting to endanger a child after its birth.
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