Sun Fest Gathering|Naurorod

[Darastrix]

"Thanks, Ann," he says gratefully, taking his waterskin back to enjoy a long drink. The Wind sighs in contentment and caps the bottle. "Right now, that's the best thing I've ever tasted."

Zack chuckles a bit at her question. "Actually, I didn't have any kind of plan other than coming here, and I came on a whim. Well, since this is a gathering of revelry, I may just sing for my supper and lodging," he says with a grin, undoing the tie holding his hair back to attempt to pull it back a bit more neatly.

"My dad was from Clan Fira. I got his colouring and my mom's signs," Zack says, pausing in his hair-tying to display the Wind sign on his palm; his other sign is plainly visible on his opposite cheek. "Makes me stand out back home, but in my line of work, that's an avantage."

[Northen Light36]

Ann grins. "I've got two signs too," she tells Zack, showing the fire sign on each palm. "My mummy came from Fira, but my daddy came from Ilyamen. Have you ever been to Ilyamen?"

[Darastrix]

"I passed through on my way here," Zack says, nodding. "It's such a diverse city, I'd like to go back and stay longer sometime, meet the people, visit their bardic college, play in the taverns. Ilyamen's kind of familiar, in a way. Now, this," he makes a sweeping gesture with one hand, "is completely new. Dad told me a bit about the desert and his clan, but hearing about something and seeing it yourself are two different things."

[Northen Light36]

"I guess," Ann agrees. "I've only ever seen Talen'sul and Maelstrom and they're very different to here. Oh. And I went on a boat across the sea. That was strange. Uncle Damien didn't like it though, but I thought it was fun." She looks up at Zack. "You play music?"

[Darastrix]

Zack smiles and nods. "Yep, violin," he says, patting his pack, which contained, among other things, a well-loved instrument. "I sing a bit better than I play, but I'm still rather good, if I do say so myself. Think they'd let me entertain a bit while I'm here?"

[Northen Light36]

Ann nods. "They will," she replies, giggling. "I give you permission." There's more then a hint of mischief in the girl's expression as she annouces that.

[Darastrix]

Hey, I'm an outsider, so how am I to know that she can't actually give me permission for something? Zack grins at that. It's as good an excuse as any, though he doubts he'd actually get in trouble for a little music-making, with or without permission.

"You'll protect me if anyone begs to differ, won't you?" he asks, still grinning. "Though how anyone could dare to argue the decision of such a pretty young lady is beyond me," he adds.

[Northen Light36]

As soon as Zack calls her pretty, Ann blushes brightly and looks a little flustered, but happy. "N-No one will argue," she promises, managing to sound only slightly tongue tied as she stares down at her feet.

[Darastrix]

"Well, that's good to know," Zack says, smiling at the blushing girl. "So, what does one generally do at this gathering?" he asks, hoping whatever it is at this point in the day involves sitting and shade more than anything. Wind walking and flight allowed him good time, but the trip was still damn hot, and the slight tightness he can feel in the skin between his wings almost certainly means he'll be feeling the sting of the sun later.

[Northen Light36]

"Well things are still just starting up," Ann says shyly. "It's a little bit hot to be doing anything now, so it's all just getting to know people and seeing old friends from other clans. Most of the real activities start in the evening. But some people are playing music and the kids games are fun to watch," she adds, trying to sound adult rather then young enough to be playing those games.

[Darastrix]

"I definitely agree about the heat. Z would die out here," Zack says, thinking of his friend back home. His eyes twinkle in amusement; kids always seem to want to be adults the world over. "Ah, music and games--two of my favourite things. Maybe I'll give a game or two a go as well. I'd make a big kid, but fun is fun no matter how old you are."

[Northen Light36]

"Really?" Ann asks. "If you want to play, I can show you where they're playing. It's fun, really." She looks up at Zack hopefully. She does want to play, but she doesn't want to leave Zack either.

[Darastrix]

"Lead on, then," Zack says with a grin. Far be it for him to deny someone a good time. He does like to play games of all kinds, and he's a bit curious to see if any of the games he learned as a child might be some of the same ones played here.

[Northen Light36]

Ann leads the way out to where the other children are playing with a carved wooden ball. Just watching the game it appears there isn't any rules to this game, and in reality, there aren't many. Those who know the clans though would see that the two teams are split between the children of Fira and those of Char, currently.

"You have to join a team and then your team tries to keep the ball away from the other team. Eventually one team'll give up and the other team wins," Ann tells her new friend as the children pause to look curiously at the Heir and her companion.

"Who's that, Heir Ann?" one of the Fira children ask.

"A guest. His father was from Fira though," Ann replies. "He wants to play with us." Both teams instantly beginning to argue over who should get Zack. The adult's size would give his team an advantage. "ENOUGH!" Ann calls, mimicing Damien's tone in similar situations. Both groups of children quieten instantly. "Zack can join Fira's team because they're smaller. I'll join Char's team." The two teams seem satisfied with this, and besides, to the children, Ann is their leader.

[Darastrix]

Heir, huh? Heh, she wasn't kidding when she said nobody would argue, Zack thinks to himself as he smiles brightly at his new teammates.

"Guess I should stay on the ground," the Wind says, folding his wings. That would give the team a little too much of an edge for it to be fun for anybody, and he doesn't want to accidentally knock a child down with the large appendages.