Home is where the heart is...|Haven, Ilyamen

[adris]

Adris finally arrived at the gates of Ilyamen, a welcome sight after this tough streach of travel. He wanted to rest, he went long periods without sleep before but this time was particularly arduous. His first thought was to find an inn, but the cold feel of the golden chain in his hand reminded him of what his true purpose was. He was to go to the City Hall and ask the record keeper to seek into the movements of Raina and Fauna. He walked through the crowds, which seemed unusually thin for Ilyamen, but that served his energy level just fine. Upon reaching the city center he looked for the markings pointing towards the hall of records and made his way inside. Upon there he strode up to the first important looking person he could find to ask his question.

"Where do I find information about the movement of peoples about the city? In particular two ladies by the name of Raina and Fauna. They are friends of mine and I have a gift to deliver."

A little longer and he would see her again, the thought injected a glee into his mind. Just the sight of her would make it so that he would have the energy of a day of sleep.

[Kender Bard]

The chronicler stroked his chin in thought and said, "Raina sounds familiar - she was a new merchant last year if I recall. Hmm..." For a long few moments, the chronicler just shuffled through papers, only to spend more time reading what he came across. After what felt like eternity, he finally said, "Ah, hmm. I believe she's purchased a, ah, well, a shack in the heart of town." He made some hand motions and gave Adris some rough directions, warning him to be careful as it was a seedier place to be - the dark part of Ilyamen one could say.

[adris]

Adris was taken aback, he forgot about the fact that sooner or later the profits from the strawberries would run dry. He had to get to her quickly.

"I thank you good sir, this information means much to me. If I had the ability to tip you I would. Take my gratitude at the very least."

He burst through the doors, for the most part he knew the part of town that the chronicler was talking about. Afterwards he had to follow the rough directions to get to the part of the downtown that was described. He looked about him frantically, he was looking for any evidence to pinpoint whichever shack belonged to Raina. In one hand was clutched heavy his gift, in the other his trident was primed... no precaution was too much in the den of honorless theives.

[Kender Bard]

A few people looked at Adris warily, somewhat curiously, though.. with an appraising eye of his strength and his worth. As luck would have it, Raina came out of her little shack to kneel in front of the only patch of color in the drab and dirty part of the city - a square no larger than a foot by foot that was holding as many flowers as it possibly could. Frowning in concentration, Raina worked on her daily nursing of her livelihood.

[adris]

Adris's heart jumped into his throat almost like the first day he had ever saw her when she came out of her cottage. He decided to be sneaky, well as sneaky as his size would let him as he approached her from behind, hoping she was concentrating as hard as she looked upon her garden. When he got close enough that he felt he could speak words soft enough to be private he finally reavealed himself.

"Never before did I think I would ever see beauty this great in a place this forsaken."

He smiled heartily, hoping he hadn't scared her with his sudden appearance. He had taken a moment during his slow walk to just observe her, and he remembered all over again why he cared so much.

[Kender Bard]

Raina's hand jerked and she gasped in surprise, reflexively flinching - a habit she'd picked up here, before just freezing and letting her shocked mind register the voice. Eyes wide, she stood and turned about in one swift movement, all but throwing her arms around Adris and exclaiming breathily, "Adris! By Lady Efil, I did not think I would ever see you again!"

[adris]

Adris held Raina for as long as she would allow, not intending to let go until she made motion to push away. It didn't matter if it was the slums of Ilyamen or the fields of Flora, as long as he was right here he was where he wanted to be.

"Raina, you don't know me well enough yet. As long as I draw breath our meeting again was destined... I had to check up on my favorite client."

He made sure that she couldn't feel the cold metal, she would know what he held soon enough, but he wasn't done surprising her just yet. Right now the smile he saw a moment ago was enough excitement for him at the moment.

[Kender Bard]

Raina looks at him with eyes that now hold a more adult sorrow in them. "I'm so glad you came. How long will you be staying? I could.. I could use a little help now." She hated to impose, but things were becoming desperate and she knew she could turn to Adris for help.

[adris]

Adris smiled and rested a hand on her shoulder. He didn't know if he could stop her tears but he couldn't stand so see them on her face. No matter what this forwarned 'haunting' was going to be this was far more important. He had priorities in life and that included Raina's life before his own.

"I will stay for as long as you let me, and whatever you ask I shall preform. You only need to speak Raina, allow me to hear your voice."

He tried to be as calm as possible. Even venturing to move his hand to her cheek so he could help wipe away her tears with his thumb. He allowed the baubel on the chain rest in plain view around his wrist now. It was a golden loop ingrained with a flawless Jade in the middle flanked by equal quality stones of Amazonite and Emerald.

[Kender Bard]

Raina gasped softly, mesmerized by the jewelry. "That's beautiful, Adris," she couldn't help but breathe in wonderment. She smiled a little as her tears were brushed away, and brought her hand up to rest against his.

[adris]

Adris blushed a little, and as he looked at her react the color on his cheeks only got brighter no matter how much he protested in his mind. Looks like he might as well do this now, all the times he had practiced exactally what he was going to say went out the window at that very moment and what came out was a stuttering mess.

"Wh- why thank you, I mean, it was... p-payment for my last assignment. I, uh, it is a gift for you Lady Raina, I asked for it to give it to you. The... arrange- ermm- arrangement of the stones is supposed to represent the, uh, binding of two hearts, two souls."

He looked away for a moment in embarassment and mocked clearing his throat. After taking a moment to collect himself he finished.

"Ever since I first met you Raina I never wanted to leave. I would be honored if you would accept this gift, and all of its meanings, and in return allow me to walk beside you during this journey known as life. Will you accept it my lady?"

He looked at her as earnestly as his heart meant the words he said. Ever since he left Humontis he thought he would wander the world until he was too old to walk. Nothing had ever made him wish he could just stop for once then that fateful meeting when she interrupted him in the meditation circle. It was almost as if the Earth mother was slapping him in the face, showing him where his future lie.

[Kender Bard]

Raina blinked rapidly, trying to hold back a fresh wave of tears - happier ones - as she delicately took the chain from him, running her fingers over the stones. "Yes, Adris. After much thought and consideration from the last time we met... I decided that I would be very pleased to share my life with you." Smiling, pratically trembling with the storm of emotions raging in her heart, she hugs him again. "I'm so glad you came back, came home."

[adris]

Adris took her into his arms yet again. He rubbed her back softly and took on a smile he didn't think his exhaused body could feel quite yet. He allowed his fingers to trace a trail through her hair a couple times and thought to himself.

I've accomplished a lot of things in my time. From simple transport to war duties. Nothing tops this moment right now... I would forsake the world to not have to let go of her right now.

"Raina, I hereby promise to do my best for you. Whatever is within my power to do I will and whatever is beyond my power to do I will get others to help me do it for you. I swear that if you didn't like where Humontis is on the map I would move it stone by stone. You are a gift from the Earth mother herself."

Home... yes this is home. This is where he belongs. He realizes right now that this theif infested slum of Ilyamen feels more comfortable with him then any day he was ever at Humontis. Home is where those you love are, where you do make a difference.

[Kender Bard]

Raina snuggles into his arms, savoring the first real feelings of safety and security she'd experienced in a long time. Eventually, though, she knew she had to tell him the state of things. Pulling back a little she said, "Adris, things are really bad right now. I've no money other than what I can get selling flowers. Fauna is sick, and so we haven't been able to get any food except what could be found, or donated. I just don't know what to do."

[adris]

Adris thought about this for a moment. He had to think of a way to pull them up. He wanted them to be independant like they are, he is proud how they have advanced so much by themselves he would hate to take that away. Now how to make things better for them is another story.

"all right, let me think. Fauna being sick is the biggest of the problems because it is the one most likely to go terrible if not dealt with. I am going to play twenty questions with you for a while if you don't mind Raina but I need to understand the situation."

He thought about how he could make money while he spoke, he needed either a winfall or a lot of easy jobs to get an inflow constant enough to support them living.

"As far as Fauna's condition, has she been treated by a doctor? And if so have you been supplementing the treatment with some herbs? If neither of those is true do those immediately, I will discuss payment options with the doctor. I will advertise myself and see if I can't get a job where they pay up front for my services, that should be able to get you enough to feed yourself until Fauna is back to hunting form. In the meantime I need you to seriously consider how much you want to stay within the walls of Ilyamen. I'm not considering taking you back to Humontis don't worry. But, you have an ability within a single sign that I am hard pressed to find in anyone else, and if we could get some land outside the walls for more space..."

His mind drifted off as option after option ran through his head. Perhaps he was getting too far ahead of himself. And he still needs to rest, plus he dosn't want to leave Raina after just having found her arms again. But she needed a fix, and he promised moving mountains.

"And most of all Raina," he says as he steals a kiss, "You needent hide things like this from me, I want to help and I understand life has it's hardships."