Don't Climb Your Mountain, SPEAK To It [nephero]

[GoblinFae]

Segari slunk over sheepishly before choosing to sit on the edge of the bank. If he didn't look down then he couldn't see her legs under the water and could instead focus on her from the waist up. Her smile was infectious though and in no time he found himself smiling back, completely at ease.

"It must be a very old mountain to have become so hmm," he held his hand up straight before bending the fingers like a hunched crone. "I do not know the word for this. But the mountain is still mighty as it is wise no matter its statue. It still provides for your people and that is what matters."

[nephero]

   Ana cupped his free hand towards Segari, "It's almost like a bowl. Only instead of stew, the whole of it is just twisted rock and metal and crystal."

   Ana scooped up some of the river water, and took the opportunity to splash his face some, wiping away the excess and leaving his skin feeling much cooler and not quite so covered in sweat and oil. The remaining moisture he pushed back into his hairline, scooping up the mass of it and adjusting the bun it was in to keep his neck clear.

   "Aye, it provides. The closer to the mountain, the more dense the crystalwood gets, sharper and clearer and full of starlight." He looked over the water, watching the sun dance over the ripples in the river surface, his tone distant and far away. "Full of song. You can hear everything so clearly, even things that should not have a sound at all."

[GoblinFae]

He nodded but he was mesmerised more by the play of light and water against her skin. The way the droplets of water glistened and rand down her cheeks and neck to lower...

"It sounds beautiful the way you speak of it," he replied, clearing his throat. "My mountain is nothing as grand as yours but it has always been good to me....when I remember it.

"Do you have a name for it? This place of starsong?"

[nephero]

   "Ztelirut." Ana replied, looking back at Segari with a smile, shaken free from his own musings. "From the top of the mountain, to where the trees become wooden again is Ztelirut. The ground is soft, even without snow, and when the sky lights up, it all reflects back over and over again."

   Ana waded back towards the bank, and carefully sat down beside Segari, humming low at the sight of the sunshine on the river.

   "Tell me about your mountain. What is it called?"

[GoblinFae]

"Stellaroot? Zdellaroot?" Segari frowned deeply as he tried to work the strange word over his tongue. But no matter how many times he tried to say it, it never came out as easily or sweetly as when Ana said it. "Sorry," he mumbled staring down into his lap in shame.

"My mountain?" He hummed softly. "The humans call it the Kilanthro Mountains but, my people know it as Síðasti þögli vörður," he said slowly. "Our stories say we lived further north in the ice and snow a long, long time ago. We were uh pushed out by a warring people and the hmm arms of the mountain is where we made our home. It is...important to us. We starve? No, uh we...work to become like the mountain. No, not like....but to um respect it. It is home."

[nephero]

   Ana leaned in a bit, head tilted to better listen to Segari's words. He looked down at Segari's mouth, trying to track how he spoke but was sabotaged somewhat by the sheer volume of Segari's beard.

   "Si... no... Siithasti thur-gli ver-thoor..." Ana mumbled, slowly working over the words until the sounds became much more familiar. "Síðasti þögli vörður..."

   His accent was still strong, he knew it, but it felt much better than any of the other languages he'd had to learn in quick succession. Still leaning in, Ana pulled up his knees and rested his arms and chin atop them while listening to Segari speak, smiling more and more.

   "Arms of the mountain. I like the sound of that."

[GoblinFae]

He smiled as Ana muddle through it and nodded as she finally got it close enough to right. "You learn words quickly," he praised with a warm, encouraging smile. The faltered slightly as she shifted though and he found himself glancing at her legs tucked so perfectly in against her.

With a slight cough he turned to look back out across the water. "Errum, is arms of the mountain wrong? I mean the," he tried to motion with his arms but could not seem to bring to life the concept he meant and gave up with a sigh. "It homed us and guarded us."

[nephero]

   "It's your words, Segari." Ana smiled up at him and lifted one hand to touch his bicep and hopefully soothe his embarrassment.

   "That's what a home does, what the arms of your family does, is it not? I think it's a wonderful thing to call your mountain."

   Ana pulled his hand back, arms wrested against his knees so he could stretch his back with a little sigh.

   "You're excellent at meaning, as I said. And I truly enjoy that meaning. It feels... safe."

[GoblinFae]

"You are very kind....and sweet. Thank you," Segari replied, hoping to convey the warmth she had offered him back to her. Her touch and words genuinely put him at ease. It was bittersweet how much she reminded him of Runa. His wife had not been nearly so soft-spoken and delicate but she had been a woman of heart and Anastolyr seemed to be one as well, a woman who was grace and beauty and surety but above all else, kindness. And if there was anything that Segari wished for more of in the world it would be that.

"How are you feeling, Ana?"

[nephero]

   "Much, much better, thank you." Ana smiled a bit sheepishly. "I admit I am not... good... at drinking the beers that are so popular here. Between that, and the heat, I suppose I should be much more careful."

   Before Segari had a chance to feel poorly about this, Ana raised a hand with a warm smile.

   "Not your fault, mind you. It's something I've known well enough by now but still chose to be foolish about. I'd hate for someone so kind as you to blame himself for my own bad choices."

   Ana rose to his feet then, shaking each leg to get the last bits of water and sand off of them. He let his robes fall back down, though did not bother to put his trouser legs back into place or put his shoes back on, instead holding them in one hand.

   "Would you like to head back?"

[GoblinFae]

The giant smiled and nodded. "It is an acquaintanced taste. I am glad you are feeling better though. I would feel um guilty if you were still un--" his words trailed off watching her parade her bare legs around beside him before he was able to catch himself and stand as well, "--well.

"It would be my honor to walk you home." Segari offered her his arm with a smile. "Did you get your shoes wet after all?"

[nephero]

   "I'd love the company." Ana took his arm without hesitation, letting Segari lead him back up the bank and onto the road proper. He wiggled his toes against the warm stonework of the city street, feeling the heat but not quite so closed-in and stifling as he'd felt before.

   "Wet? No, no." Ana smiled up at him. "I'm much more used to going without footwear, is all."

   They slowly made their way away from the river, Ana swinging his shoes idly in one hand as they went.

   "I understand it's... polite? I think would be the proper word. I understand it's polite to wear something on your feet, but it just ends up feeling like a bag on my legs and I'm constantly thinking I'll trip."

[GoblinFae]

He tilted his head at her in complete and utter disbelief. "You do not wear footwear in the snow? But you have all your toes!" Segari was completely dumbfounded. Later perhaps he would kick himself for acknowledging that he had indeed stared at her feet enough to know how they matched the rest of the perfection that was her beauty but for now he could not help but stare at her in slack-jawed incredulity.

[nephero]

   Ana laughed, unable to help himself at the shocked look on his companion's face. He patted the giant's arm a bit to soothe him.

   "You are absolutely correct, I still possess all my toes. Is that what happens to you? Have you lost toes? I could see that being a possibility if the terrain were particularly sharp, which... I guess ice is sharp, isn't it?"

[GoblinFae]

His expression did not change at all despite the reassurances. Instead he spoke slowly as if trying to make sure he did not mix any words up and could get his meaning across. "I have all my toes...because I wear shoes. We uh...when it is cold and you walk in the snow without protection you can die or frost creeps in and um turns you black. Many lose fingers and toes in the north without proper care. This...does not happen for you? You do not get cold or black and blue?"

[nephero]

   Ana wiggled his fingers to demonstrate that they all were in fact, as pale and pearly as the rest of him and not suddenly painted like an Archernar or Horizon.

   "We can get cold if we go completely naked into the snow. But if our hearts are well cared for, then the rest of ourselves are cared for. I've never seen someone suddenly turn... well. Other colors, just for the weather."

   Ana looked up into Segari's face, at his nose and cheeks and the fiery-red of his beard. He tried to imagine what would cause such warm colors to go so dark, or become so horrific as to mean pieces of him would suddenly go missing.

[GoblinFae]

"Ah," he sounded quietly as if such an explanation solved everything for him. It in fact, did not. But for what it was worth, Segari believed her and let the matter settle. After all, Runa had been far more susceptible to the cold than he had. It was more than possible that Ana and her kind were just far more capable of handling it than he and his kind were.

"Apologies then. I did not mean to upend you. I...did not know."

Segari resumed leading her back into the far less busier marketplace as vendors had already long begun to pack up their stalls for the evening in order to head home to their families. He stopped once he reached the point where they had first met mere hours earlier in the day and gave her a warm smile and gentle head nod. Unbeknownst to him a woman was making her rapid way up towards the pair from behind him.

"Um, thank you for your uh time and kindness, today. It was err nice to meet and make appends with uh, fellow stranger here in um Adela. Thank you for your company, Lady Rael."

[nephero]

   Ana looked up at him once they arrived at the same crabapple cart from earlier in the day. He hesitated, and opened his mouth slowly as if still wondering how to go about correcting Segari without making the gentle giant even more embarrassed.

   Unfortunately, Ana wasn't able to find the right words, as a very flustered woman chose that exact moment to call to him very loudly once she was within presumed earshot.

   "Mister Anastolyr!"

   Ana turned his attention to the woman, brows knit in confusion before recognizing her as one of the maids from the castle. The fact that she had run all the way out here, plus the look of exasperation on her face, was all Ana needed to know to know this was not going to be pleasant.

   "Mister Anastolyr, you are..." the poor thing sucked in a large breath, before barreling on, apparently not able to take the time to recover from her trip. "You are needed at the castle. Your... the..."

   She gestured, marking a space in the air above her head but still around Ana's own height, though that did little to get across what she was trying to say.

   "The angry white one, like you, sir! He's making a mess of things and your yellow ones are still out of the city!"

   Ana's eyes closed as if to shield himself from the horror. Or shield the poor maid from the fact that all Ana wanted to do at that exact moment was scream. Swallowing his own impulse to start raving and cussing Zhirai's name to the stars themselves, Ana instead opened his eyes and gave Segari an apologetic smile.

   "I'm so sorry, I have to go handle this. I had a lovely time, and would very much enjoy seeing you again, Master Segari. Perhaps another river walk?" Ana asked, already beginning to retreat towards the maid who was trying her hardest to maintain her own decorum and not just start dragging the elf away.

   "Day after tomorrow, perhaps?"

[GoblinFae]

Segari's usual ruddy complexion went completely ashen in a matter of seconds despite the warm summer day. Mister Anastolyr? The name was too rare and new to him for Segari to assume anyone else other than Ana was being addressed. The fact the woman was hopping in the elf's face only solidified the truth.

And Segari had just called her--him, Lady.

Mountain roots swallow him whole and bury him alive! He could not have made more of a fool of himself if he had been actively trying. Yet, the ground did nothing of the kind and instead he was forced to endure his shame quietly, as if made of stone himself.

Looking back on the moment, Segari would not remember exactly what it was he said or did beyond  nodding his head wordlessly and offering a grimace of a smile in return. His stomach was deep within his boots even as the fair woman--man was all but dragged away to tend to far more important things than a stupid, bumbling, fool of a man.

The day after tomorrow then....Segari would make things right.

He had to.