Noelani stretched out in front of her hut, enjoying the sun on her face. It was another beautiful day and she was watching a group of laughing children play, her own 6 year old son playing with them. The threads around children were always so bright, so full of potential.
In front of her were herbs that she was carefully bundling to dry, her fingers dancing across them, sorting them into piles. The new comer was still around the village, learning surfing from Koi. He puzzled her, with his strange ways and frightened her with the violence he brought with him. His sword and vengeance and rage.
His was a dark path, stained dark by the spirit and he seemed like he was planning on continuing to walk down that same path. So sad. Noelani shook her head, humming a song to herself as she worked.
Jailith had been wandering about the village, exploring the foreign land and culture. It was fascinating to him, exploring the unknown during this respite during his quest to try and find his enemy. It seemed the villagers were fascinated with him as well, since many of them had asked him many questions about himself and where he had been.
He now found himself walking towards Noelani. She was one of the first he had met in this strange land and so he felt more comfortable around her then most others, though not by much. Normally with a blind person Jailith would make sure to announce his presence by walking in a way to produce as much noise as possible. He had learned in the short amount of time he had been in the village that Noelani was no ordinary blind person. She was blind to normal sight yes, but she seemed to be gifted with the sight for other things that most others were blind to. So he didn't worry too much about surprising her. When he wasn't far away he finally spoke up.
"Hello Noelani." he said. "I not recognize herbs....are they for cooking or for medicine?"
Noelani smiled up at Jailith, not at all surprised by him, "Ah. Hello, welcome."
She gestured for him to take a seat, "There are many here. Some for cooking, some for healing, some for other things."
Jailith complied, sitting down next to Noelani. He looked amongst the herbs, only recognizing a few. He realized that his next question was probably a foolish one but he still felt the need to ask it.
"Any way I can help?" he offered. He wanted to repay the Noelani and Koi back for their kindness to him but knew not how. All he knew is that he wanted to help somehow.
Noelani shook her head, "No. This is not work for your hands. Besides, you are a guest. Relax. If you really want to help, you can help gather food later. But these are not for you."
"Alright then." said Jailith. "But later I help gather food like you said. I want to help." He really did, not just to repay the Yoreiq people for their kindness, but to keep himself from going crazy. He wasn't familiar with not doing anything.
He sat there, occasionally glancing here and there. He wasn't sure what to say to her, nor what to do at this point.
Noelani's fingers continued to sort and bind the herbs. She didn't mind the quite, she liked it, it was a comfortable one. Many of the other villagers liked to fill the air with talk, but she liked to listen. So much could be learned just by listening.
Jailith continued to look about, not knowing what to do. Eventually his gaze rested upon the playing children. His mind was occupied with them, thinking about the differences in their cultures. He also was still concerned with what he could do to repay the villagers' kindness to him. An idea struck him eventually, but he needed to check something first.
"Question if I may." he said calmly. "What sort of toys do children in this land play with?"
"Toys? Oh, shiny stones or shells." She gave a small shrug, "Sticks." Her people didn't have dolls or many personal possessions, most things were owned communally, "Sometimes we make them figures of animals to play with. But mostly, they play with the land and each other."
Jailith wanted to start right away with his idea but he figured that it would be best to ask for permission first. He was still quite unfamiliar with the Yoreiq culture and did not want to cause any offense.
"If alright," he began. "Can I make toys for children?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't it be?" Noelani gave Jailith a puzzled look, "I would not stop you."
"Just making sure." shrugged Jailith. "Not sure always, cultures so different." With that said he got up from his sitting position, looking about for a few good sized stones. Not seeing any on the surface he knelt down, placing both hands on the ground. Closing his eyes in concentration. he 'felt' with his mind for some adequate stones underground. Finding a good deal, he used his earth manipulation powers to bring them to the surface. Picking them up he went back over to where he was sitting before and placed the stones in a pile. He picked one up and held it in the palm of his hand, covering it with the other.
Again he closed his eyes, focusing his concentration fully on the task at hand. It required even greater focus in this case, since he was not merely changing the position of a stone. He was carving it, molding the solid rock as if it were clay. Even he was astounded sometimes by the power that resided within him. Carefully he molded the solid rock, each etch and carve changing the stone into a horse. He made sure that the edges were smoothed, he did not want the children to harm themselves. Eventually he was finished, bringing away the hand that was covering it to observe his work. It was not perfect, but one could tell what it was meant to be. It was then that he realized that maybe the children here didn't even know what a horse looked like.
The next few stones Jailith concentrated on making them into animals he himself had seen in Yoreiq. Some he didn't even know the names of, but he hoped the children would. Finally after around a half hour he had finished the carvings. Sweat now adorned his brow, the exertion from using such precise magic being quite draining. He hoped though that it would be worth it.
Gathering the stone animal carvings into his hands Jailith stood up and walked over to the children. He didn't know it but the one child he was first walking to was in fact Noelani's son. Kneeling down on the ground so that he was at eye-level with him, he held out his hands, the various stone animal carvings in his hands.
"These for all of you." said Jailith, doing his best to have a smile on his face.
While she couldn't see what he was doing, Noelani could tell he was weaving magic. It felt different than her own and the magics she was used to seeing. Her hands still sorting her herbs, her cloudy eyes on his hands.
She kept quiet as he worked, not wanting to bother him.
Kekoa lifted his head from where he had been drawing in the dirt. He studied the toys with large amber eyes, then beamed, picking the horse up, "What's this? It's like a big pig."
"It animal from where I come from." said Jailith, smiling a little as he saw the expression on the boy's face. "It called 'Horse'" Jailith made sure to pronounce the name of the animal clearly so the boy had a chance to take it in. "People from where I come ride on backs of horses. It helps make travel lots faster." He looked again at the boy, his face starting to grow much less cold, no room for it since a smile was now growing larger and larger on his face.
The boy turned it around in his hands, studying it, "Hose." He laughed, his small fingers memorizing the shape of the animal, "What's it like? It has such long legs! It must run like the wind does."
"It does fast run." confirmed Jailith with a nod. "It also used to help carry things too, and helps on farms, areas crops grow. Some of my people also race horses, see which fastest."
"Carry things? How big is it?" Kekoa stared wide eyed at the horse, impressed at everything the animal was able to do, "I want to see a horses race! I'm really fast too. I'm the fastest boy in the village. My mom says the spirit of wind touched me when I was in her."
"Well, horses really big, they about....15 hands big from ground to here." On the figurine of the horse he pointed to the highest point of the withers, where the neck meets the back. When Kekoa boasted about his speed Jailith couldn't help but chuckle a little. "I'm sure you very fast. Your mom sound like interesting woman. It would be honor to meet her sometime."
Kekoa gave the man a puzzled look, "What do you mean? You were talking to her."
"I was?" replied Jailith, equally puzzled. "Wait, is that woman, Noelani your mom?" he pointed back at her, surprise slowly creeping it's way onto his face.
"Yes." The boy gave him a puzzled look, confused as to why the man looked so surprised.
"Really?..." said Jailith. "I did not know... Anyways, take toys and share with rest of children, okay?" He stood up, giving the boy one last smile then casually walked back towards Noelani. He sat down next to her, stretching a little.
"I not realize you had child." he mentioned to her.
The children quickly split up the toys and began to play, rapidly talking in excited voices. Noelani nodded her head, staring off in the distance, "I have three. They are my heart."
"Hm...Not sure, guess I just never thought of the possibility of you being mother..." He had to admit though that with the truth brought to light it made quite a bit of sense, she did seem to have a caring and nurturing nature that fit a mother quite well. It made Jailith think of his own mother, a subject that was very sorrowful to the man. His face and whole spirit seemed to be depressed from it's earlier relaxed and peaceful state it had been when interacting with the children.
"So you love your children huh...." the words were barely above a whisper, more to himself then to her.
"Of course. I love all my children." She gestured to the group of them, "We all do here." She cocked her head, slightly puzzled, "Is your homeland different?"
"For loving children?" asked Jailith. "No, it not different. I wonder though if my mother would still love me though...." Again his whole countenance grew heavy with sorrow and grief.
"I'm sure she does. You have chosen a life of violence and vengeance, but I doubt that makes her love for you any less." Noelani would never stop loving her children, all of them, those she bore and those she helped raise. She might be disappointed, but she would never stop loving them.
Jailith scoffed inwardly. He wished he had the confidence that she bore. He couldn't though, he knew what he had done and the consequences that followed those actions.
"I wish so sure I could be." he sighed. "I don't think I can...Not with what I know..."
"You are tricked by a spirit. It happens, we all make mistakes. But a mother loves her child and helps him move past it. Sometimes we must be stern, to teach our children right from wrong, but that doesn't make the love less." Noelani reached over and patted Jailith on his hand, "You blind yourself to love with your hatred. That is all."
"I just..." Jailith stopped for a moment, unsure what to say. "Well, let me ask this, would you forgive one of your children if they killed you, if they responsible for your death?" Jailith knew it was a heavy question, but it was something that preyed upon his mind, he couldn't help asking it.
"Yes. Because I know that would be an accident. Or they had a good reason. They are my heart, they would never hurt me knowingly. No one here would." She smiled and shrugged, "It is sad. That you have such...walls around you. That hide your heart from others until you can't see the love."
A heavy sigh escaped from Jailith's lips, unable to be held back. "I suppose..." he said, voice a very solemn tone. "But if I not to keep up walls I-" his voice stopped, not wanting to say those words. Yet he thought them in his mind 'Or I may end up killing you and anyone else who gets close.' Not knowing what else to say Jailith's gaze turned downwards to the ground, arms resting on his knees as his mouth remained closed for that time.
Noelani gave a small shrug, "You worry too much. When you are ready, you will find love."