Private Tales A Long Way From Home

[Kailyn]

She gnawed on the inside of her cheek as she looked at the burn and how it marred flesh. She could almost see the outline of a spear. Head whipped up as she heard his beneath-breath confession. It was her turn for a twist in her chest. Strings along her heart crumpling.

"You're not alone," she repeated almost as quietly. As if what she said never happened at all. Her thumb brushed lightly along his wrist before she released him and turned, picking her way over that ledge and back to the camp she fled from.

The orc tried to shake sand out of one of its ears while the camel glowered at her. The other orc's body was buried. Kailyn pressed her lips thin. They were walking on top of bodies. Those of the fallen bandits, too.

Yet, there was no trace.

Even the bag of gold she'd conjured and her trap were gone. Walking to the camel, she found some of her own healing ointment and some clean cloth. Looking down at her arms, she saw some superficial scratches but Cilli had covered her well. They were nothing to worry about.

And her remaining guard was relieved to see her unhurt as well. Going back without her to the Emperor would probably mean execution. Pressing into the camel for a moment to steady herself, she finally turned and approached Cillian, holding out her supplies.

"May I?"

 

[Cillian]

Aye ye don't know how wrong ye are lass...

Cillian watched her go with an odd feeling in his chest and then turned to busy himself with helping the lads back to their feet. Jeremy had taken two nasty looking arrows to the shoulder but Jeriah had already fished out the remaining whisky and the pair seemed in the heightened state of shock that often came after something traumatising.

"The Bandits are getting so much worse," Jeriah shook his head grimly as Cillian came to stand by them. He nodded in agreement. He hadn't travelled the Silk Roads for nearly a year but even he could see the marked improvement. Those Bandits had had training. He was about to offer his two cents when Kailyn walked back over. The brothers threw him barely hidden smirks as he dutifully held out his hand.

In truth he was a little nervous about what she'd do to him if he said no. He wasn't used to women berating him like that.

"Ya know, arrow wounds should get more attention than burnt hands," Jeremy slurred, pointing to the two protruding from his shoulder. His brother rolled his eyes and yanked one arrow out causing a sharp babyish cry from the other man.

 

[Kailyn]

"You'll be next," honeyed-eyes flitted to Jeremy. But for now? Her whole attention was on Cilli. The man of mystery. The man who'd stubbornly saved her life. The one who'd open up to her only to shuffle to steps back.

She stepped in close. Taking out the cream, she gently applied it to marred flesh, carefully rubbing the glob across his skin. Taking out a bandage with one who may have done this for someone else in service many times, carefully wrapped it around his hand.

Her attention was on her work the entire time. And it didn't take long for her eyes to finally lift.

"There," Kailyn let her fingers linger before stepping back, attention shifting to the brother who was getting the second arrow yanked out.

"You might need more than salve. Like stitches." He seemed to fear that more than already being shot twice. She looked across the dunes, wishing the footsteps still remained. Wishing there was a way to track the bandits back to their camp. Because she agreed with Jeriah.

If she could find the camp, perhaps Gerra could do something about it.

What if there had been women and children traveling this route? Others who hadn't been as lucky as them? It made her fist clench at her side. She'd seen too many innocents fall before. Too many boys and girls turned into monsters due to circumstances.

How she hadn't turned into one herself?

Perhaps she'd had a bit of luck on her side all along as well. "So you gonna stitch him up or what?" The brother asked, interrupting Kailyn's thoughts and her stare at the mountains from whence the bandits came.

"Of course," she sounded distracted as she quickly got the right supplies and returned. The other orc knelt in the sand, saying a prayer for his fallen brother.

 

[Cillian]

It was odd having someone patch him up for once. Cillian weren't one to get into a fight unless he had to and when he did he often came off in a bad way. Not for any lack of skill but more due to the fact when he started fighting it was hard to ... stop. This time had been different because he had been worrying about her. And the brothers, but more so her. The lads had at least had weapons and not a death wish.

He watched her calmly with an odd mix of emotions vying for dominance across his face as she salved and bandaged up his hand. The lads whining wrung a smile out of him though and once he got his hand back, flexed it a little, he glanced over to them with a grin.

"Cannae help tha' the lass clearly has taste," Jeremy gave him a sour look but he looked relieved for the distraction as Kailyn readied her needles. Whilst he was being tended to Cilli went to go dig his own things out of the sand. After a quick check he was happy to find out his wares and his tools were all in tact if a little sandy. He could sort that out easily enough when they reached their destination.

"We should get movin' before they come back."

 

[Kailyn]

Jeriah made a whimpering nose as she dipped the needle into his flesh after washing it with some of that leftover dragon's fire.

"You're fine," Kailyn tsked as she expertly finished up the stitches. She'd always had a steady hand. Perhaps that's why she fell into art so easily.

"Chris is not a happy camel right now," Kailyn mused as she finished up on the brother's wound. "I suppose I'll give him a break and walk with the rest of you." Kailyn packed the rest of her supplies in the camel's saddle bags.

"Cilli, do you have any stories of the stars where a young maiden tries to find a bandit's camp?" Voice was quiet as she asked him. If the other orc found out....she'd be in trouble for even such a thought.

 

[Cillian]

Cillian helped the lads with their belongings and once the camp was packed up, he took the reins of the camel and gently coaxed the big brute into walking. Like Kailyn said, he didn't look particularity happy until Cilli gave him a sugary treat and the great lump followed a little less begrudgingly. He couldn't say he blamed the camel; he hadn't enjoyed being shot at either. Nor the storm. He wanted nothing more than a warm bath right now.

The pair found themselves in the middle of the group with the Orc leading the way and the brothers bringing up the rear. Every now and then he glanced behind him to make sure they were both doing fine but they seemed content with their own company and that of the remaining whisky. The smile on his lips withered when he caught the question Kailyn asked and he turned his gaze towards her with a frown.

"I think tae stars would tell ye what I will lassie, t'aint a wise idea to go after 'em. Not alone," he frowned.

 

[Kailyn]

"No, it wouldn't be wise," she agreed and gnawed on the inside of her cheek. "But what happens when it's a family trying to make the same trek we did? Someone has to try and stop them."

Hands meant for painting clenched at her side as she looked away, out at the dunes and mountains on their right.

"You certainly know how to handle my camel though. He likes you. And he doesn't like many people." Kailyn was impressed and Cilli kept surprising her.

She continued on, voice still quiet and low.

"If I could just find the location of their camp. Perhaps the Emperor's troops could go and...," voice trailed off and her stomach twisted. It wasn't the outcome she desired. She never wanted to see bloodshed even for bandits. Fingers came up and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Sometimes I feel as if I never really belonged here. In this world; in this land. I never knew my parents; I was born a slave," she wasn't sure why she was sharing all this with Cilli. Perhaps he made her feel comfortable enough to share. "I wonder if they'd be proud of someone who was so adverse to violence or if they'd be disappointed that I wasn't braver."

 

[Cillian]

Cillian grimaced as her words painted in his mind a horrific image of what could have happened last night to the ordinary traveller. The group had been lucky that they had had two orcs and a couple of mages in their midst's, even if Kailyn probably didn't want to think of herself as one. There were plenty of families who did travel this road and made their trade doing it.

"Aw now lassie, don' think like tha'," he rubbed the back of his neck as she spoke about her parents and her dark past. He had noticed the brand upon her skin soon after they had first met but he hadn't wanted to say anything; clearly she had pulled herself out of the dark pit life had cast her into to become something important in the Empire. It was admirable. He gave a sigh and knew he was going to regret saying it but...

"Look, there's a... there's a place ye can go in the bazaar where if ya pay a sum they say ye won't be attacked on the Road. I could show ye, bu' I don't think ye should go wanderin' off into tae desert, alrigh'?"

 

[Kailyn]

Eyes flickered to the man.

A small shine of hope in her gaze as he made his offer. A determination set in her jaw. A quick, curt nod. "If you show me? Deal." She knew it would be foolish to wander off. Not just because of the bandits but because of the other dangers the desert held.

A tuck of highlighted brown hair beneath one ear.

"I never asked what you sold and traded in the markets. I'm curious now." She looked over to him as she reached out to run her hand across Chris' fur.

 

[Cillian]

Cillian didn't look as nearly hopeful as she felt. He rubbed a hand through his hair dispelling more sand like faerie dust and studied the dunes around them with distrustful eyes. He wouldn't feel comfortable until they were in the walls of the city.

"Me?" The man blinked, her question pulling him out of his dark tunnel of thoughts about Bandits and bloodshed. "Oh," the worried expression was replaced with an impish grin. Cilli was proud of his craftsmanship and it was a subject he was far more comfortable discussing than adventures into the desert sands. "I'm a shoemaker Lassie," he shifted the bag on his back and then pulled out one delicate sandal decorated in blue damask silk with impossibly delicate embroidery that depicted a slender golden dragon in the Eastern style. He passed it to her for her inspection.

 

[Kailyn]

A gasp left her throat, artist's eye immediately recognizing the skill and craftsmanship from a master in a different medium. Fingers held it like it was precious stone but that didn't stop her from inspecting it closely.

"Cilli. This is amazing," a whispered exclamation as her voice bubbled from her throat. "I've never seen," she turned the shoe this way and that, trying to soak in all the details. "Anything like it," she finished, index finger gently carving a path along the shoe's material. She loved textures. Loved it when she painted, too.

As her finger traveled across the dragon, she thought it gave a little wiggle.

Hard to tell, though, with the glaring glint of the afternoon desert sun. And if it was from her magic, she didn't want to draw attention to it.

"Lovely," she handed the sandal back to the man. "I bet your stall is in high demand." Her old masters would've killed for something like that. That beauty and quality.

 

[Cillian]

Cilli was brimming with pride as she gasped and praised his work. It had taken centuries of learning and honing to be able to do the things he did with fabrics and embellishments. His grin was so large it almost split his face in two as he took the sandal back and carefully tucked it away in his bag with its twin.

"Thank ye lassie, 'tis a real passion o' mine," he smiled. "I only make a certain amoun' - when they're gone they're gone. 'Tis more of a hobby than a profession really, tae money isn't really why I do it," he had given away his work for practically nothing before to people deserving. He had a selection of shoes with him in fact that were simple but comfortable things to hand out to the homeless or beggars who were in the most need.

"As I showed ye mine, do I get to see some o' your work now?" In truth he was curious about her artistic skills not just the fact she could then bring her creations to life. Art was a love of his and had been for many moons.

 

[Kailyn]

She dipped her head shyly and gnawed on the inside of her mouth lightly. Painting had always been an escape for her. She'd never afforded or been granted many supplies but she'd always found a way to scrounge up some of her own or just draw in the sand.

She admired Cilli for how he spoke about his work. She could see the passion in his eyes, like a kindling fire. Head lifted and she moved to the side of Chris.

"I suppose it's only fair. These are just small pieces I've worked on for myself. Some of it's practice so, don't judge me too harshly." A timid smile. Hand dipped into one of the saddle bags and she held out a sketchbook with a collection of small paintings. Some started with small charcoal outlines, then were filled in with vibrant colors. They held landscapes of the desert, half-finished faces she'd seen in the markets, and some darker scenes of a grey and dark-blue island in the sea showing a small girl and boy in the streets.

 

[Cillian]

Cillian took the sketchpad like it was a revered or sacred text and held it tenderly in his hands. His steps slowed right down as he walked and flipped through the pages. His eyes lingered on every page giving it the attention is deserved before moving on to the next one. He made odd comments here and there about what he liked about the bold outline or the splash of colour. When he got to the images of the scenes of street life he stopped and pressed his lips into a thin line.

"Is this Cerak?" he had only been to the island once and that had been purely by mistake. He had gotten rather drunk and ended up on the wrong ship. Instead of a merchant one to Elbion he'd ended up on a pirate one to the forsaken isle. Still, the images would haunt him for the rest of his days. Nobody should ever be a slave. "I saw tae marks on ye wrists lassie and dinnae wanna pry but..." he passed the sketchbook back. "You have a talent lass, you should try sellin' a few of them. Or sometimes in the bazaar you get street artists who do sketches for ye as you walk buy, can earn a pretty coin or two."

 

[Kailyn]

"Thank you," she blushed and took the pad back. Her flattered smile thinned out. She carefully tucked the notepad back into the saddlebags, giving Chris a nice pat. "It was Cerak. I think drawing out some of my memories...helps me to move on. You know what I mean?"

Sandal-clad feet stepped lightly across the sand. She gave a glance behind them, just to make sure they weren't being followed by the bandits. She didn't see anything.

"And sometimes I think about selling my work. Traveling away from here. But...I'm not sure the emperor would be so quick to let me go." It wasn't anything she'd openly admitted to anyone before. And even as she said it, she lowered her voice enough so the remaining guard wouldn't hear.

 

[Cillian]

That made Cillian frown. She had seemed to enjoy her job but now he wondered if it was a job more out of necessity than anything else. For a while he was quiet as they walked. The only sounds were the two lads up ahead who were complaining in good spirits. The orc ploughed the way ahead up front and had an angry set to his shoulders as he canvassed the surrounding area. Cilli's eyes narrowed a fraction as he considered how hard it would be to kill him so Kailyn could run.

"Do ye wanna leave, lassie? I can 'elp, all ye gotta do is make a wish," he winked, making the statement playful but in reality if she did make it it would grant him the abilities to make it come true. If she wanted to be on the other side of the world and unhuntable she would be.

 

[Kailyn]

She smiled at the man. Arms wrapped around herself despite the heat of the day. A breath she hadn't realized she was holding released and her shoulders sank.

Did she want to leave?

"I don't know. I'm scared about what it means. I'd be...alone. Here, I have some friends, at least, I think I do." Thoughts drifted to Nym and Lani. "And maybe some new ones." Amber eyes flickered to his own. "Maybe one day I'd feel ready to try."

Would she? Could she?

"And make a wish?" Head shook as another ripple crossed her lips. "If only it was that easy."

It was clear she didn't believe in wishes.

Arms unwrapped from around herself and he'd find a light touch of her hand along his wrist. "But I appreciate your offer to help me. I really do. It means...a lot."

 

[Cillian]

A ghost of a smile flirted with Cillian's face as she spoke of wishes as if they were things reserved only for children. Centuries of hard work had gone into ensuring people thought just that but at times he did wish that people like Kailyn did believe in them; they were the people his magic would benefit the most and he wanted to help. He said no more on the subject of fairytales though and instead focused on her words of thanks. Warm friendly eyes turned towards her stammering and shy words, seeking to chase any awkwardness or nerves away from her.

"Nothin' tae thank me for lassie," he noted the touch against his wrist and found for the first time in many years his heart being somewhat moved. "'ere," he rummaged in his bag for a bit and then took out a small little penny with a four leaf clover on the front. It matched the one around his throat. "When ye get desperate enough to get tae wishin' again, use this. Back where I come from - where that coin comes from - a lotta people believed in the powers of wishes. Pehaps it'll mean your wish has more chance o' workin' eh?"

 

[Kailyn]

She looked from the coin and back to Cilli. A half smile on her lips. She'd seen too much to believe in a simple wish. To believe that something like that could have so much power. How many times had she made a wish on the dark, wet, cold streets of Cerak only to wake up with the aching hunger in her belly the next morning? Same toil and trouble.

Still, as she went to accept the penny, she felt a flash of heat move through her palm.

That feeling of magic.

"Perhaps," she slipped the penny into her pocket. "Remind me where you come from again?" Shoulder bumped lightly against his own.

 

[Cillian]

"I dinnae say Lassie," Cillian chuckled as she bumped her shoulder against his in the playful manner of someone who wanted to change the subject. He couldn't say he really blamed her if she was thinking about Cerak, but that didn't mean he wanted the subject changed to his own place of birth. He rubbed the back of his neck where the sun was tickling his skin and thought how best to answer her question.

"I'm from a group of Isles way over on tae other side o' tae world. 'Tis not really a known place and t'aint one people often leave. My people like tae keep tae themselves ye see. Private peoples," he gave her a playful sidelong smirk before letting his hand drop to settle back into his pocket. The city walls were drawing nearer, it wouldn't be long now until they reached the bustling bazaar.

"Very different tae the places you've probably seen - lotta hills, green grass, wild meadows," his eyes whilst focused ahead were seeing something entirely different. "There's a lovely great lake too - I think ye'd like it lassie. Tis a place o' freedom."

 

[Kailyn]

Gaze turned far away as if she could see past the similar pastels of the desert. Past the gates of the looming city. It was hard for her to imagine something she'd never seen. She'd gone from the greys and glooms of Cerak to the reds, yellows, and rusts of the desert.

So much green?

Water that wasn't so hostile and salty?

"It sounds like a fairytale," a soft smile toward the mysterious Cilli.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

It didn't take long for the group to arrive at the city. Kailyn assured her remaining bodyguard that he could go and secure them a room to stay for the next few nights. She wandered the markets, just happy to see the folks thriving. Ginger, curry, pepper, and other spices tinged the air. Brightly colored flags and tents dotted the streets. She walked alongside cilli, hands clasped behind her back.

"So where is this vendor who might have a lead on where the bandit's camp is?" Voice was hushed and lowered as she turned to him.

 

[Cillian]

Cillian was clearly a familiar face at the market and a welcome one too. As they walked down the rows of market stalls and bumped shoulder to shoulder with other shoppers who were eager to find the latest deals, stallholders called out to him and waved as they went by in a multitude of languages. The humble shoemaker replied every time in whatever language was thrown at him, shared a joke here and there before they were moving on through the crowds. He looked at home here.

"Ah," he had almost forgotten his promise to her and he rubbed the back of his neck then cast his eyes around. After a moment he brushed his hand against the small of her back and cut a path across the river of people. "Alrigh' but just... just try tae act less..." he waved his hands vaguely at her. "Cute and vulnerable, they'll eat ye alive," he wasn't convinced they still wouldn't but he had promised. So he led them through this archway and that until they entered a canopy walkway. They stopped in front of an unassuming jewellery store.

"Cilli!" The large man behind the stall spread his arms open wide and his grin spread even further. He had a rugged beard and several missing teeth.

"Jamar," Cilli smiled and held out a hand which the fat man enveloped with two of his and shook. Ringers glittered over every finger.

"You visit so little now, you make me sad! Come, come, what can Jamar do for his favourite poker player now?"

"Well actually, we were makin' our way 'ere and we were attacked by those Bandits and I 'eard on tae grapevine ye knew a way tae make sure that... didn't happen on the way back?"

Jamar straightened the collars of his jacket and looked to Kailyn now, a coy smile on his face like he knew the answer but wanted to drag it out.

"And who's this?"

 

[Kailyn]

A slow blink at Cilli just before they met Jamar.

"Oh, so you think I'm cute?" Followed by an indignant sniff at his comment on her innocence. "I've handled drunken nobles who had far more nefarious intentions."

The quip was dry and quick but there was no malice behind her tone. A strong stubbornness perhaps.

"I'm Kailyn. A friend of Cilli's." She offered the large man her hand and he might be surprised that she had quite a grip. "Your rings are quite grand and they remind me of the kind the Emperor himself likes to wear."

A coy smile of her own.

"And Cilli didn't tell me he was a man of the cards. Have you two known each other long?"

 

[Cillian]

If Jamar was surprised there was only the barest of flickers before he bent to brush his plump lips over her knuckles.

"This man has luck of the devil, never seen someone play so well. I thought he was cheating at one point and had to have him shook down but nothing, I apologise again my friend," Jamar grinned, eyes flickering between then two of them. He returned her hand then played his own through his beard. Cilli merely shrugged and it was forgotten again, as was the way with men.

"I've known Jamar now for oh fuck, twenty odd years?" the other man nodded as Cilli ran a hand through his hair and tried to recall precisely when it had occurred. It was a lot harder to remember considering he'd been drunk. And drunk again many times since. "He always knows tae righ' people and tae wrong ones, don' ye?" Jamar spread his hands like he was accepting a round of applause and praise before fiddling with something on his stall.

"Jamar likes to know these things, my friend, my friend," he grinned, showing more than a few gold teeth. "As for your question I do indeed know who you need to see about getting such projections but it is going to set you back two pieces of gold," a steep price for any trader but probably worth it if they chanced losing all of their things in the desert. Cilli held out the two coins and Jamar made them vanish before they could more than glint in the sun.

"Such hard times, hard hard times," he sighed sadly. "I will barter your passage for you my friends, these are not men you would want to deal with yourselves."

 

[Kailyn]

"He is rather lucky, isn't he?" Honeyed-ambers gave Cilli a thoughtful look.

Then the offered gold.

A brief protest rested on her tongue as Cilli held the gold up. He'd done so much already and Kailyn hated feeling like she was in debt to others. Lips pressed down, holding her tongue. She did offer Cilli a slight look of confusion with a small flash of disapproval.

Then her gaze snapped to Jamar.

"Oh?" Brows rose innocently on her face. "I like a challenge, though, and I've been told I've been very good with people. I'd like to meet these men you barter these deals with, Jamar. And perhaps our friendship could last as long as the one you have with Cilli. And perhaps a new ring could land on your finger for it."

An innocent shrug.