Disclaimer: I own Kamaria and Alain and Sitara and the rest of the charries
I make up and the plot. Otherwise, I don't own.
KRATHNAE! Get your butt in here!
*Krathnae enters looking very meek for a gryphon*
Fireblade: Tell the nice readers you're sorry!
Krathnae: I'm sorry I was away for so long...*droops head*
Fireblade: Good muse. I trust Scheherezade had something to say?
Krathnae: *wince*
Blade: Right. Onto the story!
Muse responsible: Krathnae! I may or may not forgive him in a few days.
It takes two or three days to get to Haven from the Chantrea estate Companion-back, and they're not hurrying...Kamaria and Alain are finally putting time and energy into their lifebond, and the Companions are strolling along slowly so it'll send its roots deep.
Oh, and the merchant-thing...I played off the Talia merchant-family guy. Alain's from one of them. I'm completely making it up, though...
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Kamaria sat atop Sitara, riding beside Alain in a companionable silence.
They had spent the night in a Waystation, and were now riding towards a town situated a bit off the Trade Road for provisions.
Sitara picked up her pace a bit. :I'm hungry!:
"As usual," said Kamaria, smiling down at her Companion.
:You know, dearling,: she continued in Mindspeech, :Do you think of anything besides food?:
:Well...I like butterflies. As a foal, I used to chase them around and around until I got so dizzy I'd fall over.:
Kamaria chuckled. :I've had my fill of butterflies, myself. You can have them.:
:With Amaya for a mother, who wouldn't get a bit tired of butterflies?: interjected Ramya.
Sitara turned her head and glared at Ramya for a moment. :Eavesdropper!:
:Kamaria forgot to shield again.:
Alain picked that bit up and nudged his lifebonded with his mind gently. Kamaria sheepishly brought her shields back up.
"Better," said Alain.
Kamaria turned back to Sitara. :I love to read, myself...:
:Really? I wish I could read...I see Trainees and Heralds all the time looking at books and laughing at what they say...: said Sitara wistfully.
:I'll let you know when I'm reading a book, and you can look through my eyes,: said Kamaria generously.
Sitara Sent a feeling of happiness and frolicked a few steps.
"What was that about?" asked Alain.
"Sitara wishes she had hands to turn pages," said Kamaria.
"Be a bit hard to be a horse with hands now, would it?" said Alain teasingly.
Ramya turned her head and playfully nipped at his leg. :We are not HORSES,: she said.
"I know, brighteyes, I know," replied Alain.
Just then, a trade-wagon rumbled towards them. "Heyla!" called the man perched on the seat.
"Going to Haven, are you? Didn't know they sent Trainees to escort Trainees nowadays," said the man as both stopped to make conversation.
Kamaria said, "Actually, Alain came to visit me for Harvestfest, and I got Chosen in the middle...it's a terrible muddle."
"You wouldn't be Kamaria Chantrea, would you, miss?" asked the merchant.
Kamaria coughed embarrassedly. "Well, I am, actually-"
"Then you're Alain?"
"Indeed I am."
The man bowed to them. "Your story's known by the merchant families all across Valdemar, thanks to Alain LaFiara here."
Alain said sharply, "How do you know about that?"
"Why, your sister Lirite in Bardic, of course. She was kind enough to visit me when I stopped in Haven...gave me the full story."
Alain nodded. "I see."
They dropped into an entirely different tongue-one Kamaria recognized vaguely as one some of the merchants who stopped at the Chantrea estate had spoken in. [Secretive folks, they are...]
:They're good people, though. We usually get a Trainee out of them every few years...and from Alain's family, we've had a Chosen, two Healers, and a Bardic. Not all in the same generation, but that's a lot for any family other than the Ashkevrons.: came Ramya's Mindvoice.
:I see.:
Alain switched back to Valdemaran and said, "Well, thanks for the news...may fair weather follow your wagons wherever you go."
The merchant chuckled and drove on.
"What was that all about?" asked Kamaria, feeling a bit lost.
Alain bit his lip. "It's basically all the news from the different families of us wandering merchants...there's LaFiara, that's my family, and then there's the LeRoesens, the DeSeopas...there are more. We have our own tongue that we use to exchange the information, and I like to be kept up to date, even if it isn't relevant to Valdemar. Also, since merchants are allowed everywhere, they're wonderful at gathering information which involves different countries. Normally, I wouldn't divulge the information, but if I need to, I will."
"Oh."
Alain's face softened at Kamaria's confused expression. "They're my people, but you're my lifebonded," he said, "Don't take it amiss...I'm just following our customs, and one custom is to never speak of the families unless it's in our tongue."
Reaching out, he caught Kamaria's fingers as the Companions continued to move.
They rode hand-in-hand towards the town, not speaking, but not needing words.
--------------------------------------------------------
Flufferness! Reviewerthanking!
Darkfyre: Nonono...don't kill him, I need him. You can use him in gryphon- fighting practice, though. Don't bruise him too much. I can make him create gryphon mage-images that'll act like gryphons...it'll be an exercise in discipline and NOT LEAVING IN THE MIDDLE OF A STORY!
Scheherezade: Try me.
Fireblade: No! Don't! I need you to keep the other muses in line!
Scheherezade: *raises sardonic eyebrow*
Fireblade: Amaya gives me a headache.
Cerulean Sky: You'll see...she needs training, first.
Kaelin: Yee! You're back! Actually, you're on elftown too...*is confused about connections for a moment* Have pie.
Kierseth: Buffets! Fun!
Today you get pie...any kind.
~Fireblade K'Chona
KRATHNAE! Get your butt in here!
*Krathnae enters looking very meek for a gryphon*
Fireblade: Tell the nice readers you're sorry!
Krathnae: I'm sorry I was away for so long...*droops head*
Fireblade: Good muse. I trust Scheherezade had something to say?
Krathnae: *wince*
Blade: Right. Onto the story!
Muse responsible: Krathnae! I may or may not forgive him in a few days.
It takes two or three days to get to Haven from the Chantrea estate Companion-back, and they're not hurrying...Kamaria and Alain are finally putting time and energy into their lifebond, and the Companions are strolling along slowly so it'll send its roots deep.
Oh, and the merchant-thing...I played off the Talia merchant-family guy. Alain's from one of them. I'm completely making it up, though...
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Kamaria sat atop Sitara, riding beside Alain in a companionable silence.
They had spent the night in a Waystation, and were now riding towards a town situated a bit off the Trade Road for provisions.
Sitara picked up her pace a bit. :I'm hungry!:
"As usual," said Kamaria, smiling down at her Companion.
:You know, dearling,: she continued in Mindspeech, :Do you think of anything besides food?:
:Well...I like butterflies. As a foal, I used to chase them around and around until I got so dizzy I'd fall over.:
Kamaria chuckled. :I've had my fill of butterflies, myself. You can have them.:
:With Amaya for a mother, who wouldn't get a bit tired of butterflies?: interjected Ramya.
Sitara turned her head and glared at Ramya for a moment. :Eavesdropper!:
:Kamaria forgot to shield again.:
Alain picked that bit up and nudged his lifebonded with his mind gently. Kamaria sheepishly brought her shields back up.
"Better," said Alain.
Kamaria turned back to Sitara. :I love to read, myself...:
:Really? I wish I could read...I see Trainees and Heralds all the time looking at books and laughing at what they say...: said Sitara wistfully.
:I'll let you know when I'm reading a book, and you can look through my eyes,: said Kamaria generously.
Sitara Sent a feeling of happiness and frolicked a few steps.
"What was that about?" asked Alain.
"Sitara wishes she had hands to turn pages," said Kamaria.
"Be a bit hard to be a horse with hands now, would it?" said Alain teasingly.
Ramya turned her head and playfully nipped at his leg. :We are not HORSES,: she said.
"I know, brighteyes, I know," replied Alain.
Just then, a trade-wagon rumbled towards them. "Heyla!" called the man perched on the seat.
"Going to Haven, are you? Didn't know they sent Trainees to escort Trainees nowadays," said the man as both stopped to make conversation.
Kamaria said, "Actually, Alain came to visit me for Harvestfest, and I got Chosen in the middle...it's a terrible muddle."
"You wouldn't be Kamaria Chantrea, would you, miss?" asked the merchant.
Kamaria coughed embarrassedly. "Well, I am, actually-"
"Then you're Alain?"
"Indeed I am."
The man bowed to them. "Your story's known by the merchant families all across Valdemar, thanks to Alain LaFiara here."
Alain said sharply, "How do you know about that?"
"Why, your sister Lirite in Bardic, of course. She was kind enough to visit me when I stopped in Haven...gave me the full story."
Alain nodded. "I see."
They dropped into an entirely different tongue-one Kamaria recognized vaguely as one some of the merchants who stopped at the Chantrea estate had spoken in. [Secretive folks, they are...]
:They're good people, though. We usually get a Trainee out of them every few years...and from Alain's family, we've had a Chosen, two Healers, and a Bardic. Not all in the same generation, but that's a lot for any family other than the Ashkevrons.: came Ramya's Mindvoice.
:I see.:
Alain switched back to Valdemaran and said, "Well, thanks for the news...may fair weather follow your wagons wherever you go."
The merchant chuckled and drove on.
"What was that all about?" asked Kamaria, feeling a bit lost.
Alain bit his lip. "It's basically all the news from the different families of us wandering merchants...there's LaFiara, that's my family, and then there's the LeRoesens, the DeSeopas...there are more. We have our own tongue that we use to exchange the information, and I like to be kept up to date, even if it isn't relevant to Valdemar. Also, since merchants are allowed everywhere, they're wonderful at gathering information which involves different countries. Normally, I wouldn't divulge the information, but if I need to, I will."
"Oh."
Alain's face softened at Kamaria's confused expression. "They're my people, but you're my lifebonded," he said, "Don't take it amiss...I'm just following our customs, and one custom is to never speak of the families unless it's in our tongue."
Reaching out, he caught Kamaria's fingers as the Companions continued to move.
They rode hand-in-hand towards the town, not speaking, but not needing words.
--------------------------------------------------------
Flufferness! Reviewerthanking!
Darkfyre: Nonono...don't kill him, I need him. You can use him in gryphon- fighting practice, though. Don't bruise him too much. I can make him create gryphon mage-images that'll act like gryphons...it'll be an exercise in discipline and NOT LEAVING IN THE MIDDLE OF A STORY!
Scheherezade: Try me.
Fireblade: No! Don't! I need you to keep the other muses in line!
Scheherezade: *raises sardonic eyebrow*
Fireblade: Amaya gives me a headache.
Cerulean Sky: You'll see...she needs training, first.
Kaelin: Yee! You're back! Actually, you're on elftown too...*is confused about connections for a moment* Have pie.
Kierseth: Buffets! Fun!
Today you get pie...any kind.
~Fireblade K'Chona
