Spirits of the Earth

(Really didn't know which thread I could get into so I just decided to make my own XD)

Adalade was oblivious to the whispers she heard, they were common enough that she didn't need to listen to know what was said. Instead, she busied herself with packing up her things...not that she had much anyway. Just a small cotton pack filled with supplies and her other clothes, her money purse was in her hand at the moment.

She was counting how much she had earned this time, less than the tribe before. It's not like she had an old routine and overused songs. She improvised off the village or town's own musicians, weaving songs together and interpreted those words into dance. Lately it seemed like they weren't as huge as a hit as before.

Sighing, the girl placed her money purse back in her pack and straightened out her dancer's wear. This outfit was new, and she loved it.

The silken top was a deep purple that was almost black with gold trimming. The expensive silk made a gold choker around her neck and left her shoulders bare. A dark see-through material started from her neck and stopped before her chest in a "V", there it met more gold silk that bordered the solid material covering her. Gold encircled her ribs as fair skin was revealed all the way down to her waist. A golden emblem was sewn onto the mesh.

A crimson bow lay above her tail as the rest of the silken fabric was the beginning of her red harem pants, the red was also see-through and bunched up at her ankles to give them the puffed out look. She wore dark purple shorts underneath the pants to keep from giving anyone an extra show.

She also didn't go out on accessories like many did: simple golden hoops in her ears, more of the dark mesh-material going from her elbows to her wrists (also edged in gold), a few golden bangles on the wrist to create a familiar "clank" when she spun around, and a few on the upper arm was it. Though the whole thing had cost her over half of her money purse.

"Oh well," she muttered as she slung the pack over her shoulder and headed back out for the sea of sand, "Maybe the next village will have more respect for a poor desert wolf."

He missed his horses.

Sure, he could have taken the horses into the desert, but they required more feeding, more water, and they would end up costing a lot more money than just the camels. Oh the camels were good creatures, but always a little more belligerent than horses were. Camels had that tired groan that just made him feel like he was pushing them too hard, but he never did. He always made sure his camels were well taken care of. So he had to leave his horses out of the desert, and take his camels into it. They seemed to love the desert more than the small place in the Sehra grasslands that he left them.

Still, he missed the horses.

Essyrn was a great place for him to go though, because of the money he could make. Things that were commonplace where he travelled fetched a very fair price down here. It was worth the trip, and then he could take things that were commonplace down here back up to Serendipity and Adela. It was the perfect little arrangement he had going. The camels weren't too impressed of course, because of...well...they always thought they would have a reprieve, taking an empty wagon back...but that was not the case. Sure, he gave them a two day rest and all, made sure they were quite watered and happy before he hooked them back up to the wagon.

The man in question, the fellow who was driving the wagon through the streets of Essyrn, was a chestnut brown haired young man. He was a man who could be called...normal...medium...he didn't look like he was completely out of the ordinary. He could have passed for just an ordinary person really. He had good posture though, a kind looking face with soft green eyes. He even had a cheery smile, one where just the right amount of teeth showed.

Right now he was looking at a very...interesting sight at the front gates to the great walled city of Essyrn. He wasn't sure what she was, but...well he wouldn't kick her out of bed for eating toast. Or something like that. He was sure that he could remember the expression later. He pulled on the reigns slightly slow his progress as he came up to beside the woman. "You look like you could use a bit of good luck Miss, I'm headed north, please tell me the Gods have blessed us both and sent you on the same path." The man asked the strange dancer with a pleasant smile upon his lips.

Adalade did not return the man's smile, "The gods do not make my path, I do. And I would not travel with anyone who hasn't the decency to introduce themselves before asking for my company."

She couldn't believe this, a stranger just decides that he's going to try and impose his company on her. Well, there was always a first for everything. He didn't even look native to the desert, maybe things were different where he came from.

Woah, that had been apparently the wrong thing to say, wasn't it? He thought he was being smooth and charming, apparently he had been a little...uh...well, apparently he had been anything but. He didn't expect a reaction like this though. "I meant no offence to you, I absolutely apologize for such rude behaviour." Okay, he could rectify this, yeah, he could fix this little hiccup. Carefully placing the reigns in front of him through a small loop to stop them from falling away and making him have to retrieve them while the camels were still walking.

He stood up and bowed to her, just as the true gentleman that he was. "I am Narak, Narak Inderemere. Please excuse my most undesirable action." Narak seemed genuinely apologetic to her. He really hadn't meant to offend her either, he thought he was just going to ah...be charming and offer her a lift.

Things could have gone a lot better, now couldn't they?

She glanced at the man warily. The feel of her daggers against her waist, hidden well underneath the crimson bow, made her feel slightly more comfortable, "Forgiven, I'm afraid that today has not been the best for me. You may call me Adalade if you wish."

The wolf smiled slightly as one of his camels bumped his head into the crook of her arm, she ran one hand over the coarse fur. "Where is it that your headed to exactly?" Maybe she could still get a ride, sure a wolf had endurance but she was in no mood to go traipsing around the dunes right now in the boiling sun.

Whew.

He managed to do alright there didn't he? Narak felt a whole lot better when she visibly appeared to relax. He almost thought that he had done something completely wrong and ruined a chance at what could be a nice friendship, maybe even a little bit of fun. Camels were nice enough creatures, but they didn't hold a conversation very well. He was sure if they could speak, it would be a lot of complaining.

"Myself? North eventually. I have to eventually get these to Ketra and Arca, but..." He chuckled to himself and shook his head. "I have the time, I can take a long route if that's the way you're heading." Narak told her as he picked up the reigns and gave them a small pull to stop the camels. He took a seat on the far end of the bench on the wagon and patted it. "I swear that I am a regular gentleman, and if you don't believe me, you can hold onto my sword the entire time." Narak's expression faltered for a moment as he thought about what he just said. "I didn't meant that any other way either, I use a rapier for fighting, and if it would calm your mind, you can have it on your side of the wagon." Okay, the heat was starting to get to him. He should have really thought about what he said, usually he did, but...uh...okay, he'd have to keep his head through all of this.

Adalade could see that he wasn't too comfortable with the thought of handing over his rapier, it showed more in his forest green eyes than the rest of his face. "You can keep it, I'm perfectly capable of defending myself should you try anything," she stated nonchalantly as she climbed in next to him.

"I also am not sure of where I'm headed next, I guess I'll try the next town," she sighed, with the way things were now if she didn't have bad luck then she wouldn't have any luck at all. She was begining to think that her time as a dancer had come to an end.

He was perfectly comfortable with the idea of giving over his rapier to her. However, he hadn't really been keen on the idea of having used what sounded like a sexual innuendo of some kind on her. He had already failed once with one compliment and perhaps flirtatious comment, he really didn't want to use any others. They apparently didn't work out very well with the girl. He just had to be..a gentleman. "That sounds like a plan to me." He would however, keep the rapier in the back, it had been stashed behind him, but she was in his spot so...well this worked out for the best.

"Next town? Well, there's a small oasis village, no more than two days from here. I can take you there if you wish." Really though...there wasn't too much out in the desert of Moraki. Essyrn was the place to be in the desert...but there were some villages that sprung up here and there. An oasis didn't do much of course out here, none were good enough to find an oasis as great as Essyrn had been founded around.

Still, he knew a few places!

"If it's not too out of your way, then yes," she didn't sound concerned at all about where he had to go, and she wasn't. Adalade pulled off her pack and set it down before her, probably needed another one soon. Hers had seen many years before her when it was used by her father.

She dug around through everything till she found a red scarf, she had to color coordinate, and pulled out the thin piece of leather that held up her hair. What to think about this Narak, he seemed nice...but she had learned before that kindness was often just a rouse. Two days with this stranger, she mentally kicked herself for the corner she had backed herself into as she wrapped the scarf around her hair.

"It would be a pleasure and an honour." He told her simply, smiling at her before taking the reigns up and giving them a light jostle, getting the camels to start moving again. Well, now things were getting better weren't they? Despite a little miscommunication earlier, he had managed to sway things back into his favour. He was glad to know that he could still defuse situations. Mostly with guards, but an angry woman was probably twice as dangerous in his opinion.

"So, as you can see, I'm a merchant from the north. If you don't mind me asking...what is your occupation?" He asked her as he turned his head to look at her, smiling warmly. "I believe that you are...I'm not really sure actually. It certainly is a rather...festive looking outfit." If they were in the north he'd...suggest something a little less uh...savoury. But down here she could be anything really!

A merchant? Well he didn't seem too dangerous, she would trust him...for now. Tying the leather cord securely around one of the pack's straps she replied with, "I'm an entertainer." With a slight blush she remebered that there were several ways to entertain someone, her clothes weren't too suggestive of the innocent ones.

"I mean I'm a dancer," she quickly put in while trying to sound unflustered, "I sing as well. I don't have any set routines, I enjoy improvising more." Adalade couldn't really say anything else, she was too embarresed. She couldn't even meet his eyes, what a way to try and appear unfaze-able.

Ooo, an entertainer?

The clothes definitely said entertainer.

She however, corrected herself, just as he had corrected himself with his rather...incorrect statement about weaponry. However, things were apparently messing up for the both of them. He could only chuckle slightly as he turned his attention forward, not wanting to embarrass the poor girl any more than she had done so already. She had been kind enough to overlook his mistake after all, why not repay her the kindness?

"Oh, a dancer and a singer, a double threat aren't you? Triple if you include being such a beautiful woman." Narak smiled pleasantly as he turned his attention to look at her, winking once at her. "Ahem. You must not make a lot of money down here in Essyrn...have you thought about going north? You might be a little colder up there, but you'd probably earn a lot more than dancing for tribes and Essyrn." After all, her design wasn't that uncommon here...but to a foreign nation, it would be a whole lot more. He knew that he didn't mind seeing a woman dressed like this...he even felt like giving her gold, as if he were guilty just looking at her.

She sighed in relief as he mentioned nothing about her earlier fumble, but wanted to glare at him for his flattery. He didn't mean it, they never did. "I'm not sure, I've thought of it...people aren't near as accepting in the north though," she replied as calmly as she could.

"What are you talking about? Adela might be a little wary here and there, and for mages Connlaoth is a death trap, but Serendipity is a haven for the different. I know quite a few strange creatures in Serendipity, much stranger than you Adalade." He told her with a firm nod. She was just a beautiful girl in somewhat skimpy clothes. As if they wouldn't accept her up there! "Heh, if you had the head for it, you could always go up there and train a little troupe of women! You could call yourselves the Dancing Desert Delights. Hey...that's not bad at all..." Narak mused with an impish expression on his face. A man could make a lot of money of a group of exotic dancing women from Essyrn.

Though, he wouldn't particularly care for the idea of people thinking him sleazy and lecherous.

But that was exactly what Adalade thought. Her violet eyes hardened and her voice took on an edge to it, "What kind of woman do you think I am Mr. Indermere? I do not dance for a man's delight, I dance because it's something I love and even my dances are appropriate enough for children. I will not create a troupe because men would think it was a group of whores rather than a tribute to music and the art of dance."

Her head snapped back to the desert before them, staring at that ridiculous grin for another moment and she would have back-handed him! "At least down here everyone knows differently."

He blinked at her sudden reaction. That...she was REALLY touchy wasn't she? Alright, he had gotten out of one little jam with her before...now he just had to get out of this jam now wouldn't he? Think think think. How to ah...how to reconcile this.

"I apologize, I'm a business man. My mind goes to business. I certainly did not mean to imply that your craft was not anything but a noble and upstanding tradition Adalade. However, if you wanted to truly give tribute to music, and to the art of dance...would it not be wise to spread it to others? Would you not want others to be able to enjoy and express the very core of human emotion with others, instead of keeping it to yourself. Music after all, can rarely be captured, it is always set free for all those near to hear." He tried to point out, hoping he didn't anger her too much.

"As for the money, it would cover expenses, after all, your dances may be unique, something that a person cannot copy without your assistance...if you die because of malnutrition, or say...got lost in the desert...your art would be lost forever...and that would be a shame for the cultured world." He wasn't even laying it on that thick! He really knew the importance of music, of song and dance, literature and even battle strategy. If a good dance died, the world lost a lot more than a person, it lost an expression of emotion.

The wolf sighed, "I'd sooner die from the incompetence of one human being rather than malnutrition. And I know these deserts fairly well if I do say so." She watched some of the sand blow past her, her mind stuck on his words like a fly in sweet honey. Passing on her art was her mother's biggest dream...but Adalade didn't have an affiliation for people like her mother.

"I'll think about it..." she muttered.

"Not if you were planning on heading to the nearest town on foot." Narak was prudent to keep that particular comment o his head. He really didn't need her snapping at him, and he honestly did not want to anger her anymore. She was just being snippish at him, and it made him feel a little...snippy in return. He wasn't really sure. He just...knew it would be better to keep his comments to himself, and be nice, a gentleman, just as he said he would be.

"It would be nice if you did." Narak told her in earnest. "I would hate to know that a possibly great dance left the world with no one to let others experience it. Then again, I haven't even seen you dance yet. Here I am already trying to encourage you. It must be a great dance if can affect me so."

She gave him something that was inbetween a smirk and indifference, "If you decided to stay at the next village then maybe I'll let you see one for free. After all, you were kind enough to give me a ride all the way through the desert. Who knows, maybe your opinion will change."

She didn't mean it in earnest, as a business man he probably needed to be on his way and didn't have time to dally. Yet...the thought that he actually seemed to care and seemed to be honestly interested made her feel as though she could do better than these small little communities. It was nice that someone showed interest.

"I don't think a girl in an outfit so laced with gold like yourself could dance badly." He told her with a chuckle. She did after all, have a lot of gold lacing and what not, he knew how expensive that could actually be, all things considered. He was a tailor after all, to some degree, he looked down at his own plain clothes. Just a simple pair of shoes, a pair of light beige pants with open cuffs and a slight billow to let the heat out, and a tunic with two wooden toggles at the front near the neck, which were most certainly not tied up right now. It was way too hot to even think of doing that.

"But, if I'm not entitled to a dance tonight while we make camp, then I would gladly stay a hundred years in such a village." He did have a silver tongue, that much was obvious, and he wasn't trying to be offensive...though he wouldn't deny he was a little bit of a flirt. How could he not be, the girl sitting beside him was dressed so...he didn't want to use the word erotic for it...it was sensual. Yes, that was a much better word for it. It was stirring, for the mind and the body. Ahem. Nothing bad, no never.

"It's cost me half a lifetime just to get this costume, and I finally had it custom made. Maybe I could do go for a couple minutes of practice tonight, see how the fabric works with my movements," she said toying with one of the bangles around her wrist. She was trying hard not to blush. Never had she met a man with such a fluid tongue.

"It wouldn't hurt now would it? After all, it would be terrible if such an expensive sounding garment were to rip or tear during one of your dances." She would not doubt be very embarrassed if her top ripped in half in front of an entire village. No doubt she'd be less mortified if it were just him, and he covered his eyes and looked away. That would probably be a little better...though, funny how she met him. A tailor and a merchant. There was definitely some luck in the air.

"If anything should happen, I am sure I can repair your garments however...though, I do believe that bag of yours has seen some better days." Narak commented as he looked to her travelling back, clicking his tongue as he shook his head. "I can repair it, but honestly I believe you should just replace it."

Adalade knew the garment wouldn't rip, her mother had a costume made of the same material, it was more durable than it looked. It was the mesh she wasn't sure about, she had never tried it before, but it made her costume more unique and gave her less the risk of overheating while in the middle of a performance.

She glanced down at her bag and gave a sad smile, "This bag has seen it all, from Serendipity to Connlaoth. My father was quite the traveler, after he met my mother he dumped out all of his belongings and put her silks and jewlery in here and carried it for her. He just rolled his clothes up in his bedroll. When I was born they put my belongings in here, I've had it ever since I was little."

If she was sure about it, then he just hoped she was right.

Really, nothing like giving the people a little more show than you desired to make you never live it down.

He smiled a she looked down the patchwork bag. It looked like it was on it's last legs...however, Narak was a thinker, and his mind was already working on it. "Sounds like my wagon. It's been everywhere, been to the smallest villages to the largest cities. Been through so many axles and wheels too." He chuckled and shook his head. The wagon had been very good to him, and he had been very good to it. He made sure not to let the thing get rotten and to make sure things didn't rust or fall apart on him. One had to be careful with the nails and the screws. Narak carefully looked at the bag again, reaching out and gingerly touching it, as if he were trying to carefully touch a newborn animal without startling or hurt it.

"I think...if you would allow me...I can save it. I can put a bag on the inside, sew it in there. The old bag will be on the outside, but on the inside, it will just have a new stomach...so to speak." He was actually rather proud of the idea. Her bag would still be her bag, but it would be able to survive a couple more generations.

She gave him a genuine smile, "Would you? I really would really appreciate it. I know it doesn't look like much but this bag is more precious to me than this costume, I'd be willing to pay any price you should ask for it...almost any."

Such a thing would be bad to say to anyone who wasn't a gentleman. Narak of course, was a gentleman. He didn't really want to take advantage of her anyway, it would be wrong after all. She was a little bit snippy at times, but she was overall a really nice person, she had her own way to her...and he could see that travelling, and to a great extent, dancing was very precious to her. "I would never ask for anything in return that I offer freely. Any price tag attached will be up front, that I always promise. Tonight after camp has been set up, I will make your bag as good as new. Though, you'll have to empty it, I wouldn't want to view anything private of yours." Narak told her impishly with a small teasing grin.

A huge grin split her face, "Thank you, and I feared it soon would be lost to me. Though it would be wrong of me not to do something in return. I think a fair exchange would be a dance or two while you mend it."

Finally he was on the right track. He wasn't that happy with the idea of having been so...uncouth before, and having upset her so much. However, he was now able to bring a smile upon her face...no, she was grinning, which was much better. "Well if you insist Adalade, one dance would surely do." He told her pleasantly. Now he wished that night would fall quicker. The camels were already on the right path, and he knew the perfect spot really to stop...if they kept this pace up, they'd find it no more than a few minutes before the sun fully disappeared beyond the horizon.

"That and when we reach the village you get to see a full performance for free," she held her head high and dared him to fight her on it. Feeling a bit childish, she changed the subject, her cheerful demeanor still remained, "So where are you from exactly, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Oh, I suppose that's true isn't it?" He hadn't forgotten about the performance she offered to let him see at the village, and he wondered how that was going to work out. Did people pay her when she got there and then they set up a place for her to dance for all those who paid...or did she leave a hat out? He was sure that she had some way of ensuring that everyone who watched at least contributed. "Serendipity...from the trading port of Cerenis in Whitesands, on the coast." Narak spoke proudly, his posture (If it could improve, he was not one to slouch) became a little more pronounce, puffing his chest out some. "My father is also quite the trader, and I'm told we share the same silver tongue." Of course, Narak wasn't really allowed to speak about who his father was. As a bastard son, it would perhaps be a little...devastating for both his father, and his father's wife, who was most certainly not his mother.

It was best to just not to reveal that sort of thing. However, she didn't seem like the kind who would pry after all. "And you? You mentioned both Serendipity and Connlaoth...and yet you seem very much like a native to Essyrn." He tried to figure it out, but it was really quite difficult.

"I've never seen the coast, I've heard it's beautiful though," her gaze wandered, trying to transform the ocean of sand into actual water, her canine sense of smell trying to pick up the salt that was supposed to hang heavy on the air. Her mother had often described it for her.

"I was born right here in the desert, right in the middle of it actually. My parents were trying to go back to Serendipity to see her parents when my mother started going into labor. I've spent most of my life here, exempting a few years spent on the Serha plains. It might not look it, I know," she chuckled.

"My mother was a pure blood Serenian and from a family with extrodinary amounts of fey blood, thus," she indicated her light skin and her facial features, "I gained her fair skin, figure, and even hair color. My father, though, gave me my wolf form and violet eyes. I'm assuming he was from here since he knew the desert better than the back of his hand."

"On the right day, or night, it can be a sight to behold." He agreed with her, nodding and smiling at just the thought. He had seen the ocean on some nights when things were so clear, and so calm that you could see for leagues, and you could just gaze over the waters on a full moon and feel at utter peace.

She did look more like she belonged a bit more north than the people from Essyrn. They had darker skin, and often had different features. He should have guessed as much. He was told he got more human, from his birth mother, than from his father. He did however, share certain traits with the man he called father. The hair for example...the height...the head for numbers and trading...those sorts of things.

He didn't know she was a full on shifter, he had heard of a few people with animal parts to them, even a merchant captain he had met in Cerenis had animal ears, tail, and that sort of thing. She however, must have been a full shifter then. "Wolf form...that must be something during the day. Does it only happen during a full moon, or are you able to control it? I...apologize if that is a personal question." He should have been a little more respectful with his question, but he hoped it was not something she would be upset with him about.

Adalade erupted into peals of laughter, "Shifting durning full moons is only a curse for werewolves, and I would never be able to get anything done if I was stuck as a wolf all day." She took a few moments for breath, looks like she had some clearing up to do.

"The great thing about being able to shift is that you can change forms whenever you please, there are no restrictions. And so nothing limiting to a one animal group; like a full moon for wolves. Another nice thing is that I have a wolf's hearing and sense of smell, though sometimes that can be more of a curse. The only thing I've never been able to do is make my ears and tail disappear, guess those are a package deal."

He wasn't an expert on it, no one could really blame him could they? Her laughter at least wasn't very mocking, it seemed more like she was just...amused by his particular questions. That was really good actually, all things considered! She wasn't insulted, she was just amused. He actually felt quite a lot better about it now. It was a load off, that was for sure.

"They don't look bad, if that's any consolation Adalade." He told her with a smile. "I hope that I don't smell bad though, I did take a bath before I left my inn." Water was a commodity here, so he had paid for it...now he was glad he did. He really didn't want to have her think he was some slob that just smelled terrible. "I can always start wearing perfume if it gets too bad though."

"Thank you, I would hope they don't because I'm stuck with them for the rest of my life. Don't worry, you smell just like soap," she said honestly. It had been so long since she had conversed with anyone like this. Her mind warned her about getting close to people, but for once she drowned it out with the sounds of the night. They must have been talking for a bit because the sun had completely disappeared beneath the horizon.

"Well, if you can't get rid of them, make them look stellar, always a good motto." He grinned, glad that he hadn't really offended her or anything like that. He noticed that it had become darker and darker, and couldn't help but think...they had missed the spot he wanted to set up camp. However, the camels had been going a bit slower, and with another grace of luck, were just coming up to the site. He directed them off the path and onto the desert sand, which for the most part was flat here. He had to direct them around a dune however, but anyone on the road wouldn't see them behind it. It was sheltered somewhat because of the surrounding dunes, and would serve an excellent spot to set up camp. It always had in the past.

Once there, he hopped off the wagon and unhooked the animals. They knew not to wander. He set up a portable trough for the camels and filled it with a bit of water before getting together a small site for a camp fire. He was definitely prepared for the entire trip it seemed. Once the fire was up and running, he retrieved his sewing kit and a leather bag, remembering to keep his promise about reinforcing her beloved bag. Though, he did get out some food things so they could also have a meal. Within twenty minutes, he had some shishkebabs over the fire, and a couple of water skins out for them, and even had a blanket for them set up to sit upon, though...he remembered she wanted to practice her dancing while he fixed her bag.

"If you empty your bag out, I can start the repairs on it, and then you can practise your dancing." He told Adalade with a gentle smile. The fire light was enough for him, hell, he'd sewn up a pair of trousers in the darkness of night! Did a damn fine job on it too.

Nodding, the girl emptied her pack and set all her belongings close to the wagon. Heading back toward the fire, she handed off the bag to him and picked up a water skin. After taking a few quick swallows, she went to the other side of the fire. "If my singing distracts you don't heistate to tell me," she commented before humming a few notes.

Within a few minutes her voice was cleared out and her body was properly stretched, even if she wasn't going to be going all out it was still important to keep up the practice of stretching. One torn muscle could be the end of a dancer's career.

First she started off with notes, a tune common in Essyrn. Her movements even started off slow, swaying with her simple overture, then picking up as the tune disolved into words. There was no story behind it, just a melody that came to her head. Her movements held enough finesse to keep it sensual for the elder audience, yet, at the same time, innocent enough for the children who sometimes joined her in a performance.

"I might be too entranced to say anything." He grinned at her before he set himself to the task at hand. The original bag was cotton it appeared, but he could easily affix it to the leather if he were careful. He began to sew, having gotten the thread finally through the needle's eye. That was the only thing that troubled him, and he soon had it done and out of the way. Whew. He tried to pay attention to both things that were happening, though he was able to get a head start as she stretched her muscles, and her voice. Though, he didn't stop himself from getting a few peaks at her while she did so.

When she actually started into the real song and dance, he would only glance down at his work. His hands knew what needed to be sewn, and he was rather good at doing something like this while he looked over his shoulder or was on the run. Yes, running from guards and hiding from dogs made this a cake walk really. He did notice how...interesting her dance was. To most children, it would seem nothing too risque, something that they could even do.

For the adults however, it was no doubt entirely different, and he found himself neglecting the sewing. However, a quick prick of his needle brought him back to earth, and he kept all his cursing and swearing to himself, not daring to interrupt her dancing and singing. He had been right though about something. If she didn't pass on this gift...pass on her dance knowledge, the world would truly be out of something grand.

The new fabric felt great against Adalade's skin, the smooth texture seemed to glide across her skin making her feel more free to move. She didn't even feel hot, warm yes, but the heat that normally plagued her performances was absent. She felt as though she could go on forever.

After awhile, Adalade was beginning to feel the effects of having little money. Her stomach was hurting with intense hunger. So she hit one last note before ending on her knees, head leaned back, and arms outstretched above her head. She could almost touch the sand.

Narak was a lot of things.

He was a master trader, a tailor, a thief, he was a gentleman, a bit of a scholar, and an overall great guy. He had the gift of gab, a charmer, a seductor of sorts, and very good at talking himself out of bad situations. He could wax poetic, he could strategize battle plans and formations, and even was a good dancer. When it was said that he was at a loss for words, that was saying a whole lot.

He had stopped sewing, caught up in the moment of her dance...and when she was done...he seemed to find clapping, having put the bag and sewing equipment down to do so. "I stand by what I said before." Having found his tongue, Narak spoke. "You should share such powerful creations with others so they may go on and teach others." Narak told her as he set aside the stuff on his lap to tend to dinner. Pulling off about a dozen large shishkebabs he set them on a platter and put it down beside him.

"Now, let's have some dinner shall we?" He picked up a shishkebab by the handle and began to eat. Meat and vegetables, though he had made a few with more meat, just in case that was her preference. She was a wolf after all. It made sense to him!

Adalade was flushed when she sat back down, not for the warmth but for his reaction. Not that villagers hadn't appluaded or shouted praise to her, but for some reason this was different, she couldn't fathom why.

Instead of "wolfing" down her food, Adalade went for her water skin again. Water only does so much when your starving though. And soon she found herself on her third shishkebab of the night.

He was really glad that he had decided to offer this young woman a lift. He was one to do so usually of course, but this was perhaps a little more motivated by other things. It wasn't every day you got to offer a life to a woman dressed quite like Adalade was. Narak would admit that he had perhaps been...a bit presumptuous in his first impression of her...he had been completely surprised, and he was not at all minding that.

He continued to eat however, but after his fourth kebab he wiped his hand on a cloth handkerchief, making sure to bring one for her just in case, and went back to sewing. "Good aren't they? Learned how to make them down here...perfect for out here. Handy too...meals right on sticks." Narak chuckled as he picked a water skin up, popping the cork out and taking a drink with one hand. "That really was an amazing performance, even if it was just you practising." He told her absently as he looked up from his sewing to her. She really did have a gift for dance and song, and it was at least good knowing that she was sharing it with people in some way.

"Everytime I tried to make these when I was younger they would burn," she said after finishing her fifth. She found herself flustered once more by his comments, "It was a bit rusty, I mean quite a few of the moves were off. Not that they were planned..." Gods, she had no clue what to say.

Adalade was used to walking through the desert, only staying long enough in one town to perform a few times and restock on supplies before heading back out. There was the occasional fights though, she knew there was at least one village that she wouldn't step foot into again.

"How's the sewing?" she finally managed to ask.

"I thought with such a good nose you'd be able to tell when they were burning." He pointed out, gently teasing her with a small grin. He was just being playful, he meant nothing bad by it of course. "That was what you would call rusty? I think I won't be able to sleep knowing what could await me in the village then." Another little compliment, but it was completely honest too. If she thought that was rusty, then he couldn't imagine what she would look like after practising a few times.

"Good good, almost have the bag completely sewn in there. I'm keeping the stitch lines to existing places on the outer bag, so it doesn't look like there was anything done to it." Narak explained as he pointed to a line of stitches he was working on now to secure the bottom of the bag to the inside. All in all, the bag didn't look that different. Perhaps just a little bit stiffer because of the leather inside, but really it looked like the same old bag.

"Don't be afraid to eat or drink, I have a good amount of supplies, and we can always restock at the village. It has a well, and they are usually quite good about sharing water." He always made sure to plan his route accordingly. Any oasis or village with a well was on his map, and he knew how to cook any local food here that he came across, from lizard to cactus. His route made sure he never starved, and never died of thirst either. He was a very careful man after all.

She rolled her eyes, "Didn't keep them from magically turning into charcoal. And it's not an extreme difference, I just feel like everything could have been more fluid." She pretended not to hear him as she started her sixth shishkebab, "So it appears as though you've traveled through here before."

"I wouldn't worry too much, first kebabs I cooked I actually managed to cook the sticks, everything fell apart and into the fire." He chuckled as he thought about it. He had almost starved that night if he hadn't remembered his emergency supplies. How fun that had been. Not. It didn't matter really though, he had survived.

"Oh yes, I've been here a few times. If you've got the resources and the wagon to bring things down and up, you can make a good profit. People in Essyrn love things from Serendipity, and vice versa. It's quite nice really. I don't mind the travelling anyway...it's what I do." He was a traveller through and through. It didn't hurt that he was also the occasional thief really...he had to travel.

"I guess I could be classified as a traveler, but the furthest I've been is to the plain's border and back. I've never really had a destination, I just keep going until I see another town. Sometimes I enjoy traveling, taking in the sights... but I can't really settle down. So I don't have a choice but to continue on my way," she said finally stuffed.

Idiot, you've let your tongue run off. It's none of his business why you travel or why you can't find a home for yourself. You've gotten too comfortable with him. Before Narak could ask any questions, Adalade stretched and let out a great yawn. "Thank you for the food and repairing my bag. I have a tendency to oversleep so wake me when you get up."

Worried that he would try something while she slept, Adalade shifted. She moved to the other side of the fire and curled up, who needed blankets when you had fur?

"I know that feels Adalade...I don't even have a house. No time for one." He didn't even have time for a family really...he barely saw his actual father....he didn't find that he needed to. His father occasionally left a letter for him in Cerenis for him to read. However, he never found himself needing a house. Sure...his little guild had a place in Ketra, but he didn't spend a lot of his time there. He was always on the move, always travelling, always exploring!

"I won't let you sleep any later than I." He was usually up at dawn, but he would have to be awake a little earlier than that. He would have to get the camels ready, and ensure they were on their way before the sun rose. Early head start, that sort of thing. His bedroll wasn't much, it was made of very light materials so he wouldn't overheat. With a pillow under his head, hands folded over his chest, he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Just as he had planned, he was awake before the sun had come up, but not by much. Mumbling something to himself about the desert, he stood up and stretched. "Adalade! Time to get up! I know it's early, but we have to get on the road before the sun gets up." Already the rays of light were starting to brighten the horizon, and he began to pack things up and hook the camels up to the wagon again.

The wolf cracked one eye open before standing. She gave one great wolf yawn and stretched each of her legs. Shifting, she still looked half asleep. "Anything I can do?" she asked groggily.

Narak smiled as he finished straightening and tightening the reigns on the camels. Perfect. They were all rested and watered, and so they were able to continue on. "Put your stuff back in your backpack and hop on up. After that things should be fine." Narak told her before he started to organize the bedroll, blanket, and platter that he had used yesterday. "I hope you don't mind if we skip a formal breakfast. I've got some dried meat that you can snack on if you're hungry though. It's just..." He stopped folding a blanket to point at the front of the wagon canvas, where they sat. "Just beside my sword, in a black bag." It should be enough for her, then they could stop for lunch and have a small meal before heading out again. They still had a whole day of travelling after all.

She shook her head, "I'm fine for now. I'll eat something later." She took the scarf out from around her hair and shook all the sand free from the silver locks, disadvantage to having long hair in the desert. When she was sure she got it all, she put everything back into her pack. "It looks nice, you did a great job on it," she said after climbing into the wagon, she would probably run a bit later to wake herself up. Adalade was not a morning person.

"I told you I was a good tailor. As if I would lie." He told her with an indignant sniff before breaking out into laughter. "Alright alright, I think we're ready then." He did one last check around the place before he hopped up onto the wagon beside Adalade, grabbing the reigns and giving it a small gesture to force them forward. He directed them back onto the road, and within a few minutes they were back at it once more, on the road, with the sun now rising over the horizon.

Adalade gave a tired grin, "No need to get touchy now. When will we reach the village?"

She certainly looked tired didn't she? He was used to waking up this early, getting very little rest and all that sort thing. Oh yes, it was very typical of him to be so active, he had to be after all. Profits waited for no person. "Tomorrow morning, if we get up early enough we'll get there just as the sun rises." Narak told her as he leaned back on the beck, his back against the bench back. At this point, it was just about making sure the camels didn't travel off the road...other than that...it was just waiting and lounging.

Adalade yawned again, "That's good. Gods, how can you stand being up before the sun rises? I could go back to sleep."

"You get used to it after years and years of the same old thing. I just tell myself that I have somewhere to be, that I have something I need to do, and then I feel more awake." Narak shrugged and smiled. He was a light sleeper as well, being an orphan and a thief made you such ways. "If you want to go back to sleep you can. There might be a little bit of room in the back..." With the reigns in one hand he pulled the canvas back, revealing all the sacks and boxes in the back of the wagon. However, he started pulling a few things from the front onto the bench. "There, if you want you can lay down right against the front of the wagon bed here...just use my bedroll as a pillow."

Adalade shook her head, "No, I'll be fine. As long as you keep me talking until the sun rises."

He blinked a few times as he looked over to her. Maybe she REALLY was tired. "It's already up...you sure you don't want to go back to sleep?" He asked her as he turned his attention to the sun for just a second, squinting. Oh yes, the sun was up. It was just over the horizon now, and would now soon be high in the sky. What joy. He never looked forward to that, at least, not in the desert, not when the sky had no clouds to cover it and stop it from being so...bright.

Adalade blinked a few times before realizing that her comment had been for naught, "Yeah, like I said, if you keep me talking I'll be fine. So you can ask away or tell me something interesting."

"Tell you something interesting...hmm..." He didn't want to pry into her life, last night he noticed that after she told him about being a traveller she suddenly became tired and went right to bed. It was best not to talk about that then. He could always tell her a little story. "There was a boy once...a long time ago. Nice little kid...tossed out into an orphanage by his parents who were afraid of people knowing who they were. Just a little baby left on the steps. He didn't like the place, not one bit either...he hated it actually. When he was old enough, he went to the streets." It was a strange little tale of course, fact or fiction? It was up to the listener to decide really.

"He learned about thieves and merchants...their struggle...and he became a thief. He loved the adventure and the excitement but...he saw how it did hurt people. After all, it wasn't a victimless crime. So he tried something else. Be a merchant, and a thief! It was a perfect idea...thieves wouldn't touch him because he was a thief like them...and merchants would not suspect him because he was one of them." Narak gave a small laugh. "Little did the boy know, his father was a powerful merchant, a man who built an empire on being a merchant. When he discovered...he tried to become better, because his father was so much more than him. He even got to meet his father, who apologized profusely to him. The boy forgive his father of course, but understood they could be nothing more than friends, than two merchants who occasionally dealt with each other. A heavy heart and a burden most great, the boy left, packing up his carts and wagons to make a name for himself."

Adalade was silent as she stared down at her hands, she wondered...wondered if the story could be true. He himself was a merchant and said his father was one as well, yet he didn't talk much about his father...as though he didn't know him too well. She didn't want to snap right out and accusing him of being a thief, he hadn't tried to label her as a entertainer so she shouldn't do the same.

"Wasn't the boy ever lonely?"

"Was he ever lonely? Of course, some nights he wondered why he kept fighting, why he kept going. It would have been so easy, a lost little boy, with no one to care for him, no one to even wonder where he went? He could have just disappeared. He didn't though. Life had given him a bad deal, it wanted him miserable and beaten, to accept his place in life as a nobody...but he wasn't going to let that happen. That's the thing...never give up hope, always hold onto something, always believe in just one thing...just one thing to keep you going. That's all anyone ever needs." He was smiling warmly after he had spoken, he seemed to be one of those people who just...kept smiling, and kept feeling good.

"But what if that something disappears? Or, if it's a goal, what if he completed it? What would he do then?" She had no idea what she could do if she lost her voice or the ability to dance, that would be the end for her. She would wander out into the middle of the desert and let death find her himself. After all, her own father was buried in the sand so why couldn't she?

"Then you set another goal and complete it...or...you find that one thing in life that when you've done it...or you've found it...life is complete and perfect and you won't need to set another goal. Because you'll be in that place where every day is something you want to wake up to greet." Narak knew what that was like. He wasn't there completely...when his little guild of merchants and thieves was officially set up...then he'd be happy. Still, he woke up and greeted each day when it came to him...because he had come so far. From the cold streets of Serendipity in winter, to the rugged forests of Adela...he was grateful for what he had become.

"Some people just can't do that," she said coldly, "I am sorry for what the boy went through but people are different. I knew a little girl that lost the two things that were dearest to her. She only has her talents to rely on, she can hardly trust people. She doesn't really have many goals, nothing to look forward to. If she lost her talents it would be the end for her, she'd have nothing left."

"You had those two things. The little boy never had anyone for the longest time, and he had nothing to go on but his own hands and the shirt on his back, no matter how dirty it got." He looked to her, with an eyebrow raised. "You need to set your goals Adalade. You need to be able to have that one dream...that one true thing that will make you jump up in the morning." Narak spoke with a very serious tone, there was no smile on his face, he was being absolutely serious. She had to find something made her fight. Something not impossible to achieve, but would be an absolute challenge.

She turned to glare at him, it frustrated her that he seemed to have the answer to everything, "I don't have anyone, I've told you, I only have my skills. How many people truly appreciate dance anymore? Even here it isn't as important. So explain to me how I'm supposed to pass on my skill then? What if a pupil becomes better then me? How am I supposed to make a living then? Am I supposed to live in the streets and become a thief like you?"

He gave a laugh, his expression not changing as she called him a thief. "My prices might seem high but they're fair." He shook his head at that. She was good wasn't she? "You already live on the streets? You go from place to place to dance for the people. And what if a pupil becomes better than you? Wouldn't that make you an excellent teacher? Personally I would be happy with the success of both myself, and my student, knowing I was able to pass on my gift so well." He shrugged his shoulders however, looking back out over the sand. "But that is just me. Like I said Adalade...find that thing."

"I don't need your advice," she snapped, "If this lifestyle has kept me alive so far then I have no reason to go changing it. So maybe I wander the desert, but I don't steal from people. Besides, I would have no patience as a teacher and possibly have no plans to become one."

Narak confused, and irritated, her. One moment he had her smiling and conversing as though she had never once been alone in her life. The next... he had her fuming. This is why you normally avoid men, they find ways into your mind and mess with your emotions. Best to just seperate when you get to the village, go on like this encounter had never occurred.

"But you aren't happy."

There it was wasn't it? She loved her dancing...but she was selfish with it. She could probably be a great teacher really, but she was still...young it seemed. And she was still hurting from her parents death it seemed. "If you can't accept what life has done to you, then you can't grow. It's like...a seed growing. It has to push past all the dirt to get to the sun above...and when it does, it becomes something beautiful." Narak smiled softly as he thought about that. It was a pretty good simile in his opinion! He hoped it helped her of course...he hoped that it helped her in some way. It may not work now but...she'd think about it.

She turned away from him, away from that stupid smile that affected her so. Adalade tried to make her voice firm but it just couldn't hold up. It even cracked some as she said, "Who cares? I go to towns, dance, play with some of the village children, and leave. In the end it's just me again and always will be."

"The god's don't care what scars they leave, they don't compensate for the pain they cause. Our lives are just things for them to toy around with, and when they break it apart and leave you with nothing they move on. No one in the plains, those who dared to call themselves loyal friends of my parents, turned up their noses when a young half-breed girl called upon them for help when she was alone."

"You care Adalade, and for someone who claims to be alone...that should be more than enough." She was forcing the life of solitude upon herself, just as Narak was enforcing one upon himself. However, he was happy...because despite being 'alone' in some sense, he was still able to meet so many people, and he got to make friends as well. He may not see them all right away, but he would eventually.

"No, because it's not the Gods that who do these things to you Adalade. People do these things to you. However...you survived didn't you? You lived. You lived, and you took the spirits of your parents and it survives through you. Not all is lost, and nothing ever will be as long as you remember and keep it all close to your heart." He kicked his feet up onto the front of the wagon and shook his head. "You're too young to have become so bitter. It is really a shame to see."

She sighed, "It isn't enough, wolves are naturally family bent animals. A wolf without a pack isn't much of a wolf, and, though I am part human, it is the same for shifters. My father even traveled with a human before he met my mother. It would mean a world of difference just to know I wasn't alone."

Sure he might have had a harder life than her, but somehow he just a peace about his situation that Adalade couldn't begin to grasp. "Gods or men, it makes no difference to me. Pain is pain, and the one to inflict the wound is the one to blame. Weren't you ever bitter? I have a hard time believing that you've been this calm your whole life."

She did make a good point. Wolves were pack animals. However, she wanted to be alone, that had been obvious. She had snapped at him when he had first met her after all. If she had really wanted a pack, really wanted some company...she would have acted otherwise. So maybe she just wasn't sure what she wanted...she truly was at odds with herself it seemed.

"Oh now, I was a very angry child, very mean, very bitter with my situation. I watched families in their houses, all together, so happy, so unaware that others were suffering around them. I started to realize something though...it wasn't their fault. They had done nothing to me. And I could fix it. I could have gone back to the orphanage, which I realized actually was there to care for me...I could have done a host of things...but I felt the only thing to do was to just blame other people, because it was so easy." He turned his head to look at her, no smile upon his face this time. It was a time to be serious.

"You can have a family Adalade. You can have friends and family, people to love and adore you, people to care about you, to worry for you. You can have that. But you don't want that. Because...I'm not sure. Maybe you're afraid you'll be hurt, or maybe you're afraid you'll lose them again like your parents."

He'd hit the nail on the head. She was completely terrified of losing someone close to her, to leave her alone again, so it had to be better to just stay solitary...right? It wasn't like she hadn't tried before to gain friends...the outcome was part of the reason she was this way.

Instead of showing how correct he was, she smirked, "Even if I were to try, no man in Essyrn would take me. I've had plenty of scraps with the sleezes that traips around villages and call themselves honorable hard working men, and I've beat it into them that I'm not one to be tamed into pleasing their desires. Many of the men who have seen me often fear the fact that I'm not afraid to get in their faces and yell back, or hit back."

For a moment, Narak almost felt like she might have been challenging him. As if she were daring him to say something about it, like he could be that one. He wasn't honestly sure...because what sort of life was one that involved being married to a thief and a merchant. They'd make a pair though, A Merchant Thief and a Singing Dancer. He almost laughed. Almost.

"Sounds like you're looking for the wrong men then. You should be looking for a man who loves you as you are, not for what they think you should be. I'm not saying you should find a man either...I don't think the genders are really always a compliment for each other in that way. Sometimes it works...sometimes it doesn't. But you do need a friend. You just have to find one that works with you." Narak spoke softly before looking at her. "This is the part where I would say that person would be  me...and that could honestly work. We could travel together, if you don't mind going all across this land. Who knows, you might end up like your father and find someone along the way." He grinned, almost teasingly at her. He was being serious of course, but he had to throw that in.

"More would see your art, would see you dance, hear your songs, the creative expression of your soul...and you'd never be alone." Maybe he'd be able to help her see, help her not feel so bitter anymore.

Adalade lost control of her bitter mask and looked upon him in shock, "Do you really mean that? I mean...are you sure you'd want to travel with someone like me? I don't think you've really seen how bad my rage gets, I could cause more trouble for you than you realize."

He truly wanted to take her with him? She couldn't help but wonder if it was out of pity. She was sure that even he could tell that a man who could love everything about her was a man of myth. Maybe he just wanted to keep her with him because he could gain a profit off her dances, improve his business in someway... She could worry about it when it happened, she was used to disappointment and sadness enough. Were he to betray her in anyway she would make him regret it and just come back to her life here, she wouldn't lose much...

He nodded, chuckling at her reaction. "I don't see the harm in it Adalade. If you can put up with me, I'm sure I can put up with you." Narak smiled a she looked to her. At least she didn't misconstrue his action, but he was sure there was some sort of doubt with her. Besides, he really didn't think she'd be an honest amount of trouble. No more than the usual trouble he got in.

"But you do have to dance still, and you have to sing. That's all I ask. Maybe you'll find your place up there, maybe you'll find people truly interested in the song and dance. Maybe you'll inspire people." She was an artist after all, and she could be a muse. Serendipity was filled with people who had a lot of talent, and a lot of creativity. She had just been stifled by the world down here, by the life down here. That would be fixed in the north. "So if you're up for it, you can come along with me to new things, new experiences, new worlds to explore."

She really was trying hard not to tackle him with a hug, they had just met after all. The sides of her mouth would certainly hurt later with the huge smile she couldn't hold back. "That wouldn't be a problem, there is no way I would ever willingly quit. And if you can put up with me then I see no problems ahead."

Well, this trip had turned out to be rather interesting now didn't it? He wouldn't admit that it wasn't hasty, but...sometimes you just had to jump head first into things. If she was willing to go with an almost total stranger, then who was he to argue? "I once travelled with a sailor for an entire month who cursed in every sentence he spoke, who was sour every day, and a violent drunk. You however, should be a mouse compared to him." Narak gave a laugh as he reached back into the wagon and began to dig out some dried meat, placing it on the bench. He took up a piece and tore off a small piece before chewing on it. This day was going a lot better than expected.

She chuckled, "You won't think that once you've seen me mad. I may not curse very often but I've delieved some nasty bruises on people." She picked up a piece of meat as well as took delicate bits out of it. "So where are you-..we heading to after this?"

"Well, I usually go from village to village, and oasis to oasis, at least the ones that are still around. The important part of a journey as a merchant, to ensure your camels stay alive, but you don't just fill your wagon full of water and feed." He usually found the perfect balance, so long as he could find an oasis once in a while. Villages and an oasis were a tad scarce, and some cactus plants were very bad to eat and drink from, but he knew the safe ones at least. "But in the end, we're going north. Back to my home country of Serendipity. We'll...probably stop in Ketra though." At least the Serha plains had some rivers that they could follow...and then again, he'd be trading the camels back to his friend on the plains. Then he could get his horses back...and things would be good!

"So I'll finally get to see my mother's home, and Adela as well," Adalade said pleasantly. She had always wanted glimpse the great forests of Adela, she found it hard to imagine an area brimming with so many trees. Then again, all she had known was the grasslands and the desert. "I can't wait."

"You will have to wait though Adalade, it will take a while. Maybe...a month or so?" It depended on the route, and the oasis that he found, as well as the villages. However, he didn't mind the travelling really. There was a purpose in the end for it after all. "Now I have better company than just camels to talk to." He mused out loud as he looked to his companion. "And I'll try not to smell too much, I promise."

She turned to smile at Narak, "Like I said earlier, you smell fine. And I certainly hope I can met the expectations to keep better company than camels."

"You won't be saying that after a few days of not bathing." Narak said sardonically with a smirk. He just hoped that he didn't drive her off with a bad smell. It was possible after all. Maybe he'd make it so a lot of smoke from the cooking fire blew onto him so he'd smell like food. Then again, if she was a wolf and got hungry, that could turn out to be...interesting. "Do you mind if I ask you something Adalade? Your ability...can it be passed on like the werewolves?"

She chuckled, she had been around worse. Some of the people she had seen around the villages she visited smelled putrid, it looked like they hadn't bathed in weeks. "Do you mean the shifting?" she cocked her head in confusion, she wouldn't really consider shifting an ability.

He nodded at her question. "Yes, the shifting. I know with Werewolves if you're bitten, sometimes even scratched they turn into a werewolf themselves so..." He just left that hanging as he shrugged. "I wondered if it was an ability passed on from parent to child, or if it could be...passed on like a cold. Not that I mean to say it is a disease or a virus."

She smiled, "You won't catch it, unless somehow you're reborn as the child of two shifters. The fact that I got my second form is a one-in-a-million miracle for someone of half-blood like I am. Some half-bloods rarely even get any animal characteristics."

Narak nodded, his worries put to rest by her words. It wasn't as if it would be terrible of course, but he really liked being just a pure human. It meant a lot of opportunities were abound for him, being able to travel through every country without any worry. "Well, I guess I have to worry if I make you too angry and you decide to bite me then. It'll just hurt really bad." He grinned at her before laughing quietly afterwards. They definitely had a good back and forth, things wouldn't be too bad travelling together. He was sure he was gonna like it.

She chuckled, "I've been told that my bite is even worse than my bark." Sure there were going to be ups and downs to this trip, but Narak had been the only one to bring her out of her shell. She liked being able to laugh and joke around, she prayed that the trust she was about to put in him wouldn't be betrayed.

He laughed as he put a hand to his arm and rubbed it. "I don't know about that, when we first met your bark was pretty painful." Narak teased playfully, grinning at her. He just had to watch what he said, but he was sure that he wouldn't upset her anymore. He didn't imagine that he would anytime soon, he had found her buttons for the most part. He just hoped that there weren't...phases with her when nothing he said was right and everything was wrong.

To this she burst out laughing, "I seem to have that affect on most men. I do apologize though, I hadn't gotten much money off my last performance and so I was more than a little irked. Lately I've been getting less, I mean I don't make people pay to watch me but normally I get enough to last me to the next town. I wasn't sure I had even made that much."

Narak only smiled. "It worked out in the end though didn't it? I didn't mind of course, I should have been a little more tact." It was over anyway, they were travelling companions now, probably two who would do quite well together even. It was Narak's hope at least. "I know that street performances can be difficult. I used to dabble in juggling to amuse people...I made enough to eat, but not to travel from one place to another."

She scoffed, "You juggled? That I can't believe. Then again, a merchant thief is something I've never quite heard of before."

"Merchant thief? Now where did you get an idea like that?" He asked her, his eyes sparkling as he looked at her with an amused smile on his face. "You didn't believe that little story was me, or that it was real did you?"

"You didn't quite deny it when I called you a thief earlier," she leaned back against the bench with her arms crossed, from there she raised one eyebrow and stared at him from under her long lashed, "Besides, who said that I was the little girl? I've met many children throughout my wandering profession."

"I did deny it a little bit." Narak pointed out with a smile. He had sort of denied it, but not enough that he it would seem like he protesting and getting flustered by it. He was able to keep a straight face about it. "I suppose this is true though. However, you confirmed it later on. But a merchant being a thief? That's a little far fetched don't you think? In an event, yes, I juggle."

"So what if I did, at least I said it didn't I? As I recall, you haven't yet. Besides, in this world I'd believe you were a merchant thief over a juggler," she said after taking another bite of dried meat.

"No no, I'm just a merchant and an orphan boy from the streets." He reached into the back of the wagon, into his bag, and pulled out whatever he could get his hands on. In the end, he found a small ball of yarn, a small satchel that sounded like it was filled with bronze, and a small piece of obsidian. He had plans for the obsidian, he had got in Essyrn from a trader and thought he could find someone to make it into some nice jewellery. He stood up on the bench and began to juggle the three items. He actually seemed rather good at it...actually he seemed to be rather good considering they were moving while he was juggling. "It's all in the hips. And the wrist...hands...eyes...upper torso really..."

A great smile lit up her face and she clapped, "Well well, I stand corrected. Sounds like a pretty complicated art to me." Adalade truly was amazed, Narak seemed to just keep surprising her.

"Actually, a person can learn basic juggling in a day or so. Though, it takes a while to learn to juggle while on a carriage or a wagon...One day I might want to try it while dancing." Narak finished up juggling, catch the ball of yarn behind his back before sitting down and putting it all away. "You know...I could always play some music for you during your dancing and singing...to accompany you."

"You dance as well as play? There is more to you than I would have ever dreamed," she smirked, "You should play something for me tonight, so I can dance to it." She had never heard any other kind of music than the desert's songs. Would she be able to dance to it? Singing was no problem but dancing, she was particular with the beats. She often had to bite her tongue to keep from scolding some of the village's musicians, though she managed to make do before.

"Well, I don't dance yet, but I"m sure that I can learn. I just have to find the right dance as well, one that doesn't require me to have a partner, and doesn't require the use of my hands." He was sure that there was a dance out there like that, but he wasn't aware of it. For Narak, dancing hadn't been something he needed to learn that badly. "I would enjoy that, I play the fief mostly, it's like a little flute...but I can play the lute to some degree." He preferred the fief, because the music of his soul was a little...lonely sounding, and the fief was perfect for that. Oh he could play some haunting melodies on it.

"Why would you want to learn a dance like that? the dances of the desert don't require a partner but hands are something that are included in many dances. I've heard a lute, but never a fief before. I have to admit, you have me intrigued."

((I'm sorry! I meant a fife xDDD I'm not tired!))

"Well, if I want to juggle while dancing, I'll need my hands won't I?" He retorted with a smirk. "It's a small wooden flute...lemme...here, hold these. Don't jerk or tug the reigns and the camels will keep following the path their on." He handed the reigns to her before he started to look through wagon, well, through his packs. He came back with an ornate dark wooden flute. Well, almost a flute, it looked a little smaller. "This is a fife." He told her as he held it out to her to inspect, trading her for the reigns.

((XD It's fine, I was wondering though, I typed in "fife" then read over your post again and was like, "Wait...I was off two letters."))

Adalada inspected the instrument in her hands, she had only seen a flute once so she couldn't see the difference at first. She had seen many types of drums, though the doumbek was favored, she knew the sound of every string in an oud, and had heard the fluttering notes of the mizmar. But she couldn't quite guess how this tiny thing would sound. Again, she doubted she could dance to it.

((I feel so silly because I looked up the correct spelling FIRST as well, and then was like Fief. Yeah that's what it was right? Sure.))

"Usually these things have a bit of a high pitched sound to them, but the wood and design of this one has a slightly deeper sound to it. I like it personally, it's perfect for me." Narak took the fife back from her and put the reigns beside him for a second as he took up the fife and began to play it. The sound was actually quite pleasant, it wasn't a whistle or a piercing sound, it wasn't high pitched. It was actually pleasant sounding, but he didn't break into song, just ran through the different notes. "I think I'll be able to play something tonight that you can dance to...but I might stick to the lute for the time being. A bit easier to keep a beat."

((Sounds like something I've done...or would do XD))

Adalade looked over at him solemnly, "I know you haven't played any songs but...it almost sounds lonesome. Not that it isn't beautiful sounding, it just gives off that feel to me." She felt stupid, songs could sound sad, they could be happy...but an instrument itself being lonely was just idiotic and nonsensical.

((Aw it's terrible I do it all the time! If someone was watching my keylogs they'd probably say "Wait...did he just type in the same thing fifteen times? What is wrong with him?"))

A solemn smile crossed his face as he put the fife away and picked up the reigns. "Me? Lonesome? I suppose that in some way I do have a certain sorrow, but I am generally very happy. There are times when I just remember where I came from, and how my life has been...and how I must life it. A man can only be so many smiles after all." Narak spoke carefully, picked his words as it were. He wasn't an overall lonely guy, but there were times when it was nice to be around people...though he was always reminded that though he had a family, he mustn't contact them.

((Now I'm not that bad XD))

"I know this is going to sound quite hypocritical but...why deny yourself something that's keeping you from being happy? Don't let someone else's actions direct the course of your life. If something has caused you sorrow most of you life you should change that. Sure, sorrow is heath and part of life but not when you put up with it for years."

She looked down at the bench, "Like my parent's death, I never could get over the fact that my mother passed. Then when my father joined her it was worse. Normally I can look past it and keep on with life fairly unfazed but all scares have to heal...I'm just not sure how to come to terms with it."

He would probably think her to be a huge hypocrite after all that. Here she was preaching about being happy and to get rid of the sorrow, yet she herself couldn't let many a things go.

((I know, it's just terrible xD))

"I..." Narak stopped himself for a moment, closing his eyes to consider his words carefully. He laughed first and shook his head before looking to her. "I am a merchant first. In my blood...in my noble blood is gold...carried from generations. My father is a merchant...his father was a merchant...his father...my brothers, my sisters, my aunts, my uncles...in my blood I carry the merchant's life, as far back as I can even care to figure. My father was in a difficult position in his life...he was born a son out of wedlock...a stupid moment of passion directed not at my mother but at someone else. When I found him...and confronted him...I saw and understood. He loved my mother very dearly...and he loved me. I love them both...joining their ranks as their son would destroy them and their reputations, and it would destroy what my family had made for generations." Narak wanted her to understand, that he may have been lonely...but he knew something greater, of much greater importance.

"If I am to be happy Adalade...and go back to them. I ruin them. I ruin them and destroy them, because I was selfish. They are my family yes, and while they said they would welcome me in...I know the price they would pay for that. Besides...I am only half of their kin. I may not be happy all the time, and I may feel sorrow and sadness...but I am also happy knowing that my family continues onwards. What I do...I do for love. And that is something that makes my heart soar."

((Look at me, I just realized that I put "health" instead of "healthy" and "scares" instead of "scars". XD I'm not much better.))

The wolf started wringing her hands, she hadn't meant to pry and certainly hadn't meant to give him advice that, in truth, was no advice at all. Some compainion she was going to be... She had no idea what to say, so she stared out at the desert in silence.

((xDD Two peas in a pod then aren't we?))

"Remember that Adalade. I do it for love...and if I could go back and get another chance at it...I'd do it all the same again. I don't regret the decision. So don't you worry." It had been a serious moment hadn't it? She had gone a bit deep, asked quite a bit into his world...but he didn't mind at all. "But what I said...let's keep it between us. The world is not ready to know who I am yet." He told her with a chuckle. He had so many different names he used...so many aliases...sometimes he even forgot who he was. Narak Indermere. "So let's hear a bit about you now Adalade...what's your favourite food and drink? Favourite colour?"

((Indeed we are XD))

She didn't take her eyes off the desert as she said emotionlessly, "Lamb covered in a light gravy. Water. Crimson or violet."

((Though, usually pods have more peas, but we the better buds of all the peas.))

"Lamb and gravy...that is pretty good. But really? Just water? What about juices? Ales? Wines? Sweet drinks, sour drinks, that sort of thing...or have you never had the pleasure?" Narak asked her slyly as he looked over toward her. "Because if that is the case, I will have to change it."

((Haha, take that you jealous little peas XP. XD I think I'm a tad bit slap happy tonight.))

Adalade didn't turn her head as she looked at him. "I've never had them," she said nonchalantly.

((xDD Yeah! I bet they're green with envy. Get it? Cause they're peas! xDDD I know how you feel.))

"Oh then I will have to change that." Narak grinned at her. He had maybe said something wrong...she may not fully understand his plight and his...ways. However, if they travelled together, eventually they'd understand each other much better. "If only juice kept better in the desert...I promise that you'll taste some juice soon enough. Oh! What about milk? Camel milk? Cow milk? Goat milk? Ever had any of those?"

((XDD I get it I get it! Not the italics gave it away at all, haha. And I'm not alone!))

She sighed and rolled her eyes, "Yes, of course I've had them."

((No no, the italics were just there to accent, that's all! And nope, never alone in this place!))

"I apologize, I'm just trying...to move past things." He had really...upset her hadn't he? Well that wasn't good at all. He would have to rectify the situations somehow. Maybe he could make it up to her somehow? "I'm sorry Adalade. Is...there anything I can do to make it up to you? For what I did a few moments ago."

((Uh huh, sure, if you say so. *Great sigh of relief*))

"It's not you...," who brought it up. I'm just afraid that I can't say whether I agree with how you're handling things, "I never meant to pry. Here you've been so nice to me already and I'm digging into your past which is none of my business, it's me who should be making it up."

((I do say so, or else I wouldn't say so!))

"But I'm happy to share, so long as you promise not to share it with others. I don't...need people looking into my family for me. That would end in trouble...but I feel like I can really trust you. So you shouldn't worry Adalade." At least he now knew that he hadn't done anything wrong. Narak was glad for that, because he wouldn't know how to make it up to her.

((X.x I had to read that twice before I actually got it. I was like "What? What does that have to do with anythi-....oh..haha I get it." XD))

"You won't have anything to worry about, you're the only one I've really talked to," she gave him a sincere look. She was starting to think that the village couldn't come up fast enough. She didn't want to keep pushing herself into things she shouldn't, and she honestly didn't know what else they could possiblly talk about.

They were so different, yet strangely alike. This confused her. How could they be both? Adalade tried putting the whole thing out of mind, it only made her head hurt.

((Heh heh, I'm glad you finally got it! x3))

"I don't worry Adalade." She gave him such a sincere look, he could only smile at her, returning that particular look. She was a kind young woman, she wouldn't betray him. Not that he could really do much if she did but still...she seemed much too nice after all. "Alright...so you must have some dreams...something you'd like to see perhaps? Or a place you'd like to visit? Name it, and we'll go to it." Narak told her with a smile. There seemed like there was some tension between the two of them. She said it wasn't his fault but...he really wasn't sure about that.

((Me too! I would have embaressed myself greatly if I had asked like I was about to. Well I think I'm finally crashing so this is mostly likely the last one for me of the night...early early morning to be more exact XD))

"My parents used to tell me all sorts of stories, weaving entricate tales about the places they had been," Adalade closed her eyes, bringing back the memories, "I don't care which we see first but, the forests of Adela have always been something hard for me to picture."

She chuckled, "The thought of so many large trees all crowded together doesn't seem possible when you've lived out here all your life. Even talk of oceans is beyond me, the only large body of water I've seen is the oasis at the great city. But I want to see them, to experience the wonder my parents felt when they observed them. I would also like to see Serendipity more, my mother was so proud of her home and want to be able to carry that on for her."

((It's funny because I was about to say the same thing actually! I was going to say that I was going to make this the last one for the night xDD))

Narak listened patiently to her as she spoke about forests and oceans. He could certainly make that particular dream come true now couldn't he? Adelan forests, the Hivan Ocean...oh yes, he could do that easily. "The forests of Adela...the ocean by Serendipity...and I'll even through in mountains for free. It shouldn't really be a problem at all." Narak told her with a cheery little smile on his lips. If it would make her happy, then he would gladly do it. Not like it would really take him out of his way either. "You'll see the home of your mother then...and even...the home of my father."

((Haha I guess great minds really do think alike, well..and tired minds XD))

"Tell me about Serendipity," she gave a slight smile, "Or your favorite place that you've traveled through." She needed something to hold her till she got to see them for herself.

((We are great and tired minds! Cause we're two peas in a pod of jealous peas!))

"Serendipity is one of my favourite places....though I quite enjoyed the village of La'marri really. It's a very quiet little place...very peaceful as well. They are by no means defenceless of course, and do protect their village if there is any trouble. I like it there though...it's one of those lazy places you can just wander into and not worry about what is going on." Narak sighed happily as he thought about it. Actually...that might be a good place for her to visit. "It's right in the middle of a clearing in a forest, called Niahi Woods. Eventually we'll make it that way...but I'll take you to the grand city of Arca. That'll definitely be something for you." He really didn't want to spoil it all for her though...he really wanted it to be a surprise. Culture shock could be a problem to a degree, but she was strong, he didn't see it being a problem for her. It would just be a new adventure and experience for her.

((XDD yes, yes we are. And don't forget the fact that they are "green" with envy.))

"Until then I shall dream about them. I always figured I'd spend the rest of my life in the desert, I admit I'll probably miss it. Eventually," she raised one eyebrow as she stared out at the sands, "I won't miss the heat. Nor having to get sand out of my belongings every morning."

((We shall never forget that part! It's the most important usually!))

"I know how you feel about that last one...but you should never worry, if you stay around with me, we will return here." Narak assured her, smiling as he looked to her. "You should try living in Hyoite, that's the far north...everything freezes, there is snow...which is frozen water....which can drench you and then end up freezing you...really, you can't win with the extremes...unless you happen to be a camel down here, or a bear up there." He laughed as he thought about it for a moment. She was a wolf...that might actually be okay, all things considered. He'd hold off on a trip up there...it was never a very profitable ventures.

((Indeed!))

"Bears and frozen water? Doesn't sound like a very hospitable place to me," she said with a smirk, "And I have no where else to really go, so I'd be happy to stick around."

"Oh it really isn't. Not for most people...some do live up there of course, but it isn't a nation or anything like that really. Just villages and stuff like that." He didn't much care for it, they liked furs and all that up there, but they didn't have much to trade. No, he stuck more to the places where he could make some small profit on, or a big profit depending. "Well, glad to know you'll stick around then Adalade."

"Well, if they can find a way to live there and are unfazed by the conditions then why not?" The wolf winced as the wind picked up, blowing sand their direction, "Wonderful."

"This is very true." He of course, didn't see the point in living in a place that wouldn't accept a person living there. He liked the places that could provide for the people there. Essyrn wasn't like Hoyiote though, there was at least the oasis and what not to provide for the people. The north was just... a lot of coldness and what not. "Never travel unprepared" He reached behind him to find himself what he wanted. A desert wrap around the face with a veil between the eyes. He looked to Adalade and handed it to her with a smile. "Just slip this over your head, the veil between the eyes keeps the sand out of them."

She smirked, "Narak, I've lived in the desert most of my life. I know how to protect myself from the sands." Though she cursed as she searched through her pack, "I must have left my wrap at the last place...or maybe when we made camp and I took everything out." Reluctantly, she took the one he held out to her, "Thank you."

She was happy that the wrap he handed covered most of her face, her face was flush with embarrassment.

"I'm sure it just got packed up with the blankets and bed rolls." Narak was sure that's what it was. They had gone too far to just turn around and go get it. It was just a wrap after all. Of course, now he was left without one, but he could get by somehow. Mainly he just took up a thin sock and tied it around his eyes. It was made of silk, so it had enough fabric to keep the sand out, but was thin enough to see through. He was just thankful it was a knee high sock. "I'm glad I hadn't worth this yet." Narak grinned as he looked over at her. He must have looked silly, but he was, if anything, resourceful.

Adalade tried to bite back a snicker, he looked ridiculous with the sock around his eyes, "Can you even see? My scarf isn't much better but it wouldn't be a sock." She hoped it was just caught on the things they packed, if not then a new one wasn't too expensive. It was just the fact that an outsider was handing his wrap over to her, it should have been the other way around.

"I can see very clearly. It's a thin material, don't you worry. Besides, when the sand picks up from the wind, I won't be able to see very far anyway. I just have to see in front of the camels for a foot or so." They had their own protection, and as long as they stayed on the flat ground, they'd make it. That was the thing, and make sure they didn't get off the road. These little dust storms sometimes picked up, they were annoying, but they weren't as bad as the freak sandstorms he had heard about from some of the veterans in Essyrn. He couldn't imagine getting stuck in one of those.

"Well, the wind isn't very strong. Should blow over soon," she said looking at the road, not that it was much of a road, just dirt that was riddled with sand. Some how, they were never covered up by the sands. Not that she was complaining.

"Oh it shouldn't be too long, then I can stop wearing the sock around my face." Really, he didn't mind TOO much, but as an experienced merchant of the desert, he would look like quite the fool if his companion was wearing a wrap, while he had a silken sock around his eyes. It was going to be a little humiliating, but he was hoping the wind would blow over and things would go back to being...sockless.

Adalade couldn't help but laugh, he really did look ridiculous. "Wouldn't you say it's almost afternoon? It feels like it should be," she was really anxious to get to the next town, that and she wanted to hear how well Narak could play the lute.

"Yes, it's getting close to afternoon...well, I think it's almost noon for that matter." Narak agreed with a small nod of his head. "Do you want to stop for lunch Adalade, or should we continue on? I am fine for either really." He was of course, he could continue to snack on the dried meat after all. Narak didn't want to stop if she didn't have to after all, if she could continue to trek and snack on dried meat, then who was he to argue?

"I'm fine, I'm actually not hungry."

"Then onward we shall go!" He said, a tad dramatically as he whipped the reigns slightly to get the camels to continue at a slightly faster pace. The wind died after a little while, and Narak quickly removed the sock from his face and put it away. "Ah, it is good to get that off." He could finally see properly, and he didn't look like a ridiculous idiot anymore. "You know...if we keep this pace up, we'll probably reach the village by nightfall..." He wanted to take it leisurely really, but the camels could survive it easily, he just...treated them like horses.

Oh how he missed his horses.

In turn, Adalade removed her wrap, "Wonderful, I could hold my first show tonight instead of waiting one more day. That is, after I hear you play some more."

"Oh sure, make me go on stage first." Narak scowled playfully at her before grinning at her. "You'll hear me play soon enough Adalade, I hope you can wait till then." He could have played a little for her right now, but he'd have to go ahead and look for his damned lute. That could take a bit of time anyway.

She chuckled, "Oh it will do you good, if you're going to be accompaning me then the stage experience is a must. And I have outstanding patience." She raised herself with a look of pride, "One has to have patience in the desert."

"Why would I have stage experience, I'm a merchant." He sniffed as he dusted the sand from the front of his clothes. He didn't play in front of crowds usually, in fact, he usually only played for a few people, other merchants just...sitting around the campfire basically. Even then it had only been just...absently strumming the lute without any real purpose. Now he'd have to play it for people! "Oh isn't that the truth? Patience and hope in the desert. Patience that you'll get to your destination eventually...and hope that over the next dune is your destination."

"I thought merchants were supposed to be the "jacks of all trades"," she said in amusement, "At least, the merchants I've seen before all tried to act like they were." This often got many of them into trouble. "Besides, if you're horrible with the lute, you could always play the fief." She figured that even such a sad sounding instrument like that, when played right, could be just a great if not better than any lute.

"As for the dunes, unless we have a freak sandstorm, they can be memorized. Maps could be made, I mean around Essryn anyway. I don't think many of the dunes have changed much between my visits."

"I can sell merchandise, repair and sew up clothes, play the fief and the lute...after that, I really can't say that I do much more!" He wasn't a great carpenter, he wasn't a fighter, he wasn't a fine chef, he was...just Narak. He had skills sure, but he never claimed he could do anything. Being a street urchin did give him wits to do a lot of things, to pick things up quickly to fight for his life but...they never really stuck or anything like that! There was no need anymore.

"I don't know about that...last time I was, I'm pretty sure that dune was a lot smaller." He pointed to a random one before shrugging. Dunes were dunes to him, big piles of sand and they all looked the same to him. Sure, he had met guides before that probably knew ever cactus and dune by name...but he really couldn't see all the differences.

"More than what I can do," she stated nonchalantly. Shifting, dancing, and singing were all things that she loved to do, prided in them even. Picking fights was not... it was something that she was simply stuck with, so far she had done a good job of avoiding it. Things were going surprisingly well.

Adalade snickered as he pointed to the dune, "Are you sure you aren't confusing that one for another? Dunes share many characteristics amongst each other, appearance included."

"Well, you know what you have to so you can get by! Besides, your skills might me a lot more difficult than mine are. They probably are for that matter!" His were relatively easy after all, she had a lot of...dancing and signing to do, hard things to do, and at the same time none the less.

"No no, I'm sure that's the dune. It has...the same...sand." He just scowled and shook his head. "Okay, I don't know the dunes all that well. I just follow the road and that's really all I need to do. There aren't exactly distinguishing landmarks out here."

Her lips pursed, sometimes it was challenging sometimes it wasn't. It all came down to how she stretched and what skill she was performing. Singing was almost similiar but really there was little to no precautions.

"I wouldn't know how to sell anything though, what words to string together to get them to bend. I'd end up pricking myself if I tried sewing. As for instruments... all I'll say is that I've tried and I won't touch one ever again," she winced at the memory. She was surprised her parents could hear anything after that incident.

"I've just traveled through here often enough to know, besides you know which roads to take. That's better than many of the foreigners we get around here. Even after their tenth time visiting Essryn they can't even find their way around the market," she sighed.

"That's the thing about most merchandise though my dear, it sells itself. A good quality product that catches the eye of a person doesn't need a flash introduction or a description. It just needs to be a good product." That was his motto really. He didn't need to usually act like a merchant, his merchandise was good enough that it could sell it self. Of course, it always helped to tell them about it! But they really didn't need it after all. Ahem.

"Oh the market was no trouble, it wasn't that confusing for me. Then again, it's in my blood to be a merchant." And as a young orphan, he had to pick up quickly where everything was. He didn't like thinking about it, but having been abandoned as a child had probably been one of the best things to happen, and one of the worse...there was a lot that he picked up on, but at the same time there was a lot that he shouldn't have learned to do. Things he wouldn't learn if he had a family. Ah, how cruel life could be.

"It helps though that there is really only one road to take. At least, one right road to the north."

Adalade didn't do anymore commenting on the subject of skills or even his talented merchandise, she had to look away to stop the progressing flush before it took over her face. The last time anyone had called her "dear" was when her parents still had a pulse. She knew he probably didn't mean it in any endearing way, but the term was so unexpected that she had to pull up the cold facade she had worn when they first met to keep the color at bay.

In doing so she completely missed what he had said about the market... All she could think about was how stupid and weak she was for letting something so small affect her so much.

"Many travelers say the same thing," she said finally, not realizing that her tone was a bit icy.

((X.X *slaps self for letting character get...a little too out of character*))

He did notice the creeping flush on her face, but decided to not say anything about it. Funny that someone as independent and strong as her would get so worked up over...over...was it because he called her dear? Maybe it was just the heat. He wasn't actually sure, but it couldn't have been the heat, she was used to it after all. She lived here! If anything he should have the flushed face because of that.

"Because it's true, and I have a habit of pointing out the obvious." It felt like it had gotten a few degrees cooler around her. He didn't think he had said anything wrong but apparently he might have. Not a good thing really, but he would just have to...go with it.

"I think you might actually like a forest Adalade...there are points when the canopy of the forest is so thick that you can't even see the sun." There. Change the subject and everything would be alright. He could say for a fact that the sun was always out here, unless it were night. However, in a forest, it could be hidden. And there was also the whole...cloud and rain thing that went on.

"Yes, I suppose you do." Indeed, infact he had done that to her yesterday. It irked her how he seemed to be able to see things that others were oblivious to, and then point them out so nonchalantly.

"I've always wanted to see the forest, some merchants bring paintings of them through Essryn. I can't imagine what they'd really look like," she sighed, "That's all I can do for now though, just imagine."

"Well, paintings are usually a good way to imagine them, they don't often lie...sometimes exaggerate, but I can't imagine anyone exaggerating about a forest. It would seem silly." At least to Narak it would be silly. An exaggerated forest. That was something he couldn't begin to imagine. Unless they exaggerated the height of the threes but even then...he just decided to shrug it off. No point in wondering! Artists were strange people anyway.

The wolf merely shrugged, she didn't know many artists. She had heard that they were a bit touchy when it came to their work. "Have you seen many paintings? Do you ever sell them?"

The merchant gave a small laugh and shook his head. "I try not to deal in art. It's hard to really gauge the valley of paintings. Will the colours and paint run from the canvas? Is it a masterpiece or just the splashing of random colour. Art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Some people are willing to pay hundreds of pieces of gold for some art, while others will only pay a few pieces of copper. It's also hard to know how famous a person may get for their paintings, and then you've ended up selling a piece of art that could have been worth a fortune." Narak shook his head. He did NOT deal in art. It was way too...ambiguous to deal with. He didn't like the random fluctuations of the art market. Too unstable, and too scary to deal with.

"Sounds like an absolute nightmare for anyone," she agreed a bit more calmly, "I'm glad my occupation is a little more simple in earnings. I just glad I don't even have to come up with prices, I have enough things to worry about. Besides, it makes my system actually possible if I don't leave anything set." Her mother had actually introduced her to the method, it was efficient enough for her and so Adalade had tried it. Nothing needed changed in her eyes.

"Oh yes, for street performances you have a pretty good method. Could never happen with a merchant. Just leave a box out, no set prices, people just putting in a few coppers for an expensive shirt." Narak visibly shuddered at the very idea of it. All the lost money, all the lost business because he wasn't respected. He could never do anything like that, not for merchandise. It would be terrible, he'd be laughed at where ever he went. "But ahem. Dealing in art is much too difficult. Statues are somewhat alright, blocks of rock have a set price, sculptors usually have a set price, so in the end that's easy to sell. Too heavy though." He did know a sculptor or two he could call upon if the price was right. The price had to be really right though. "Your life sound so free though, it sounds really nice. Dancing, singing, moving from place to place...Not that I don't have...almost the same liberties."

"It is nice but..." she paused and let out a meloncholy sigh, "It's the same old rutine everytime. I've often found myself wondering if I've missed my true calling. I even dread the thought that I'm forced to live like this forever. I know it sounds selfish, at least it can come off that way, but I don't want to be surrounded by dunes when my time comes.  People who die out in the desert are quickly forgotten..."

"And you won't Adalade. You won't be forgotten. You won't die in the dunes. I'm here after all, and I'm taking you north. North for all those who would want...to..." He stopped for a moment and looked at her strangely before laughing. "Just a little while ago you wanted to not have anyone remember you, if you think about it. If you share your dance and your songs, the world will forever remember Adalade. I think we've just hit destiny Adalade. Maybe I was meant to take you to the north, so that people could learn from you, and in turn...you will never be forgotten." It was a strange and interesting turn of events, the thought process wasn't hard to follow, and in turn...it was actually an interesting one.

Though, what did she think?

Adalade almost jumped back past the edge of the bench, her tail twitched anxiously and her ears almost back against her silver tresses, her violet eyes wide in surprise. "Woah wait a minute!" she couldn't believe he was starting this back up again, "First off, I never said I didn't want to be remembered....I just didn't want to be out of a job. Second, I'm not sure I want to settle down long enough to take on protoges. I've already told you that I normally don't handle people well."

Still...he made it sound like a dream. The poor orphaned girl, making a living on her own with no name and few coins in her purse, offered a life time of fame by a dashing passerby without asking for anything in return. Wait...dashing? She shook her head to chase off the silly daydream. That didn't mean Narak was just going along for the ride for free....even though it was his wagon.

"But what would destiny offer you in return?" she muttered without thinking. "Look, right now seeing the world is more exciting than having the world finally see me. The idea is pleasant, but that's all it is right now, an idea."

Attack when they least expect it.

He waved his hand almost absently at her comment. It was really a small matter, but he just had to dismiss it at this time. "But these wouldn't be normal people anyway. They'd be people who are like you, who understand what a song and a dance can mean to the person singing or dancing." Besides, she looked like she actually liked the idea. Maybe just a little bit.

"What I do now was an idea...was a dream...now I have a bit of a big thing going on with merchants. It was just an idea, and now it's a reality. If the idea is close to what you want, to what your heart desires, you have the power to make it true." He chuckled lightly to himself before shaking his head. "As for what I get in return? I get to spend time with another person, and I get to help a person with their dreams, to realize their potential. It's a great feeling!"

"Yeah, well no matter how different they are they are still people. People and I normally don't accociate well," she pushed again. "Besides, I've already mentioned that I wasn't sure if I'm prepared for anything as permanant as taking on a student." He really wasn't getting the point that she wasn't a people-person.

The wolf closed her eyes, "I'm not worried I won't achieve it, I'm just not emotionally ready for it. I'm sure it was amazing when you finally became a merchant, the feeling that you finally accomplished such a goal. Maybe one day this dancing thing will be the same for me."

She glanced at the merchant and held her nose a little higher, "I hope you know that I never planned on riding along for free."

"I think you'll find that differently when you meet people with the same thing in their hearts as you." Narak explained to her. That was his belief anyway, he was sure that it would happen. This was just how things were in life after all. "You'll be prepared soon enough. I think after seeing a few things out of your element...forests...oceans...big cities...a thunderstorm rolling across a flat plain you'll change your outlook." Sometimes even the simplest things in life could help a person. Sometimes just...looking to nature could help them.

"I'm sure it will, it's in your blood after all." He pointed out honestly. Dancing was something that was part of her life, part of her blood...so for him he was sure that passing on her gift, her art and talent would be a good thing.

Narak gave a brief chuckle and a shake of his head. "You've already been paying your way. Plus you said you'd let me see some of your dances. I thought that was going to be your payment."

The wolf sighed, "We'll see. I think I'm looking forward to everything except the big city part. Hard to believe that I'm half Serenian, my own mother would rave for days about the cities. My father could never get her quiet." She giggled, it was always amusing to watch her father's attempts at silencing her mother fail miserably. "One of the things she loved most were the people. It's hard to believe that we're so alike and yet... dramatically different."

"Dancing is in my blood, yes, so is singing. Teaching," she grimaced, "I see it as calling on a calamity." It was true, she had little faith in herself as a teacher. She could see herself snapping at the tinist of mistakes and even threatening one of her pupils...that would be the end of that career.

Adalade smirked, "Consider it payment now until I actually have money. Besides, whatever you're seeing as payment obviously isn't very visible to me. And the dance was going to be taking me to the next town, you're going to be carting me everywhere with you now. That deserves genuine payment."

"I think it's one of those things that you have to experience for yourself. The greatest bard could spin you a tale that would make your mind foggy and could make you almost see the buildings and the people...but you have to live it, experience it for yourself...see the people, touch the buildings, smell the air, taste the water....you just have to experience it, trust me, it'll change your mind." Narak was sure of it really. After all, he had heard so many things about Essyrn, but he had to visit the city to finally understand it, to actually know it. It wasn't justified by what people said about it.

Narak smiled and shook his head. "You'll do fine. You just have keep in mind why you're doing it. Why are you, Adalade, teaching these kids? Is it for the money? Is it a job? Or is because you want to? Once you find the reason to teach, it'll come naturally. Just remember to stand up straight and project and aura of confidence. I hear children can sense uncomfortable people, then they get nervous, and someone ends up getting kicked in the head." Hopefully it wasn't anyone important, and it wasn't a very hard kick.

"What do you mean? The next town we go to, you will dance. Then the next town, you will dance. The town after that? You will dance. Everywhere we go, you will dance, and I shall either watch or play the fief or maybe the lute...so I always have my payment." He couldn't take her money either, he'd feel horrible. People have given him a lot of credit over the years, had done a lot of things for him without asking for money...so he just...had to return that favour.

"Then I'll be able to do that soon, I do hope it changes my mind," she admitted, "The cities themselves sound magnificent."

Adalade winced, "If it had been an adult, they would have been the one to get kicked. I could never hurt a kid though." They were too adorable, too young to be yelled at the way she did with anyone older than herself. "Who knows, maybe you'll keep at this enough that you'll leave nothing else for me to think about. So the only thing I'll be able to say is yes," she grinned at him.

"Of course I'll dance," a puzzled expression on her face, "I always do. And despite of how you view my dancing, whether great or amatuer, I plan on helping to buy the food that will be sharing my stomach and even rooms if we stop at inns. Otherwise I won't allow you to play for me, I always give a share of what I make to the musicians that play for me. If you won't accept my money then I can't allow you to accomany me."

"I meant they'd get kicked by accident." He'd never imply that she could hurt someone, at least, not a person that didn't deserve it. She didn't seem like the kind of person who would just start hitting people, or kicking children. "I hope that isn't too long from now Adalade, there's only so much I'm able to say to you after all before I just start repeating myself." He grinned right back at the woman. At least she wasn't too annoyed by him! That was always a bonus.

"This relationship is...a collaborative one Adalade. We each benefit and we each gain from it. The food is cheap, easy to procure, and we probably wont' stay in a lot of inns. I like sleeping outside." He loved sleeping outside actually. Mainly because...well...he had always slept outside it seemed. "You dance and sing, and I will handle everything else. Sometimes it's okay to accept the kindness of a stranger Adalade. I won't think any less of you."  Some people just had trouble accepting absolute kindness, or a handout. They just had too much pride. Narak didn't need any money she gave him, he had enough of course, but he liked to seem like money was somewhat tight. He didn't like to discuss personal finances after all.

Things would be...quite interesting.

She chuckled, "I don't know, if I just found someway to drown you out then it wouldn't be so bad. I just would just have to sacrifice my hearing is all." She didn't mean for it to be insulting, just joking around to make up for being cold earlier.

"Hmph!" she crossed her arms and gave an over exaggerated huff. "I'm not afraid to accept you kindess, otherwise I would still be wandering out in the desert. It's not right to simply leech off you. Dancing and singing, a lot of good that does to help you out."

She steamed it off for a couple of seconds before turning on him with one of the most charming smiles she could manage. "Narak, maybe you should put pride aside for awhile and just let me at least help bring in some income."

Narak was good humoured and knew she was just joking. He laughed along with her, smiling afterwards at her. "You'd have a hard time singing afterwards too. Best not to do any harm to your ear drums." He cautioned her with a teasing grin. If she wanted to poke, he'd poke back! It was all in good fun anyway.

"Hey, singing and dancing can do a lot for a person! Help to soothe a soul or calm the heart." Narak pointed out with a shrug. Dancing and singing could do a lot for a person after all, she was really underestimating the power of song and dance.

Narak almost choked on air as she said he should put away his pride. Not to mention the smile that she was giving him. It was rather silly, but she seemed rather intent on giving him money. He had no idea why...or...maybe he did. "You know Adalade...sometimes in life, there are people who just do things for others selflessly, without wanting or demanding anything in return. I like to think I'm one of those people."

Adalade chuckled, "I won't, I'll just stuff a lot of cotton in them or tie them back agaist my hair. Then when I perform it will be too loud to hear you. So I can avoid damage all together."

"I get your point but I don't see how it affects the people watching. When I'm dancing it's so invigorating and I lose myself in the song. All my troubles disappear and by the time I'm done I've never felt more alive or blissful. But I don't see how the audience would feel the same," the whole idea that it did the same for someone merely watching was almost blasphemy to her.

Noting the failure in her smile, Adalade scooted closer to him till they were almost hip-to-hip. She looked into his forest green eyes from under her dark lashes instead of just looking up, which she had to do anyway since he was taller, and she made her smile a little less charming a tad more sensual. Let's see him refuse that this time. "Oh but Narak, I'm one of those people who can't let a kindness go unpaid."

((Sorry it took so long Sinedra! I hope you saw my post about having to work the weekend and not get a chance to reply to posts! I did not forget about you! <333))

"Oh well that's a good way to do it then isn't it? But then...how will you hear the music that I play? Ah hah! I knew I'd find something wrong with your plan." Narak said smugly as he stuck his tongue out at her. He was certainly a sharp individual, or was trying his best to be.

"You just described what most people go through when listening to good music and dancing Adalade. Everyone can become affected by music and dancing. It can soothe the savage beast, express emotions that words could never do, and even mend a broken heart. Music is the food of the soul, of the heart, and the mind, so just keep playing." Narak explained with a smile across his lips. He liked music, and he liked to be able to play music and let others enjoy it as he did.

Though, he just wished he was better at it!

Narak just stared at her as she tried her best to convince him. She was so close to him, he could smell her, almost taste her lips from here, and so he decided to just look her right back in the eyes. Oh how she was trying to change his mind. He just reached up with one hand and placed it on her cheek. "And you are not, we're paying each other. Through kindness and support to each other." He let his hand fall away from her and winked. "And I'm not buying this little...act right here."

((=3 No worries Shizzy, I did see it. I believe my character now has internal conflict issues after this post.))

She couldn't help but laugh, "Damn, well scrap that plan. I'll just have to think up another one." He was hilarious and with the way he was acting now reminded her of many of a little kid. One genius little kid at that.

"You just explained it better than I did," she hung her head in mock misery, "And I thought I had picked my words so well." Giggling she looked back up at him, "I guess I felt that way watching my parents but that was a long time ago. I'm so used to being the performer that I guess I don't understand how much it affects the audience." She was actually looking forward to tonight, get in a real performance. Just talking about what music could do for a person made her soul hungry for some.

She thought she had done an excellent job of being a little seductive, she had actually gotten so wrapped up into putting womanly charm into her movements that she couldn't believe they were really that close. When his gaze found hers, she couldn't help but wonder if the trees in Adela were as green as his eyes. They were such a beautiful color. She was snapped out of this thought by a strange feeling on her cheek, it was his hand! The contact was something she had never felt before, it was nice, she found herself admiting to liking it. Being so absorbed in it she almost missed what he had said, when he called out her performance and dropped his hand she felt the most untimely of blushes flood her face. "What if it wasn't an act?" What are you saying?! Of course it was!

((As she should!))

"Well if you need help with it, just tell me your new plan and I can poke a few holes in it." He teased her with that grin of his again. It was really fun to have someone to talk to and to laugh with. Much better than camels and horses.

"I understand how that goes Adalade. As a merchant, I have to remember what it's like to be a customer. Being cheated or having to pay too much for too little is terrible. At least you realize that the audience has feelings as well, that they can become emotional because of your singing." Narak pointed out with a friendly smile. He was right of course, it was good that she remembered there was the audience there to hear her song, to be moved by her powers of song and dance.

Narak actually blinked and almost jumped in surprise as she posed a very...strange question. He raised an eyebrow quizzically at her words. Just what did she mean by that statement now? "If it wasn't an act, then what could it be? Developing feelings for the dashing merchant who offered you a lift? I suppose it can't be helped though, I might have to start turning down the charm a little." In essence he was a little...frightened by the prospect of her getting attached to him. Sure, he was going to take her all over the world and what not, show her so many different sights and sounds...but for them to become involved?

It was a scary thought.

((xD Of course, because no character is complete without a bit of insanity and something to drive them absolutely mad.))

Now he had her really laughing, she couldn't stop till she almost choked just to get air in her lungs. "I might as well stop making plans then, being a tailor and all you'd know the best place to make the hole so that everything would come falling apart at the sem."

"You've got me excited about going to the next town now," she looked off into the horizon, her eyes sparkling. "You have me realizing that part of the reason I keep traveling isn't because I'm petty and just seek money, but because of the fun I have watching others enjoy themselves while I'm around. Well during the performance, I don't think they would feel the same when it was all over of course."

For reasons she couldn't fathom, his statement about her falling for him infuriated her. "I see, does the joking never end with you?" of course her question had just been innocent speculation, nothing meant by it. Yet... his response bit into her skin. Standing, she picked up her pack and slung it over her shoulder. "Look, I'll just meet you at the village. I can make it there myself," with that said, she jumped off the bench and into the sand with grace that had come from a generation of dancers. Trying her hardest not to look back at him, Adalade started at a brisk pace in the direction they were headed.

((Exactly! It's always fun to have a bit of madness and insanity!))

"Oh come now, it wouldn't all come apart, I'd leave enough so you'd still have a bit of decency." He had very much liked to hear her laugh so much, it had been quite nice to hear. He didn't want to have her feel bad after all. She had a good laugh too, so that was also part of it.

Narak smiled pleasantly as she spoke about being excited for the next village. Well, town, whatever it was that they would run into. He was very pleased about that, he had finally gotten through to her. "I think the next village will be quite the performance." He agreed with a chuckle. "I just hope they like my music."

"Not if I can help it." He told her with a shrug and a smile, not really knowing that he had done something terrible. Oh he wasn't smart at all now. "Wait, what?" He pulled the reigns on the camels as she jumped off and started walking off. Now there was something he hadn't expected. Narak was a man who could figure things out and thought on his feet constantly, and he could see now that he had really should have kept his mouth shut. With the camels stopped he jumped off, patting the creatures as he went by them. Narak hoped that they wouldn't run off, they probably wouldn't but his life was on the wagon. Then Narak ran off after Adalade, catching up to her easily and getting in front of her to stop her. "What's the problem Adalade? We were having fun, laughing and enjoying each other's company, what happened?"

((Haha xD, nothing like sitting back with a bowl of popcorn watching someone lose their mind. By the way, sorry this one is so short, I just firgured it would be strange for her to continue with the other conversations since she's jump out of the wagon and all. At least, it seemed awkward when I reread it.))

She did her best not to glare at him, Narak had been so kind to her after all, but she was more than a little irked. "You're right...we were," she did her best to hold his gaze and keep her expression emotionless, "We just hit the wrong topic and I honestly feel like walking. You're used to a wagon, I'm not."

She wasn't sure if he would believe the last part or not, but she honestly had no answer for him on what had changed. She wasn't sure herself.

((Mm, popcorn does sound good. And it's okay! It makes sense to me!))

There were times when you just had to be smart about what you said. Narak hadn't been smart at that point, he obviously had said something he shouldn't have, but he wasn't exactly sure what. Hadn't they been over this before? Wasn't this supposed to be all done by now? ugh. "I don't think that's true at all. If I said something wrong, please tell me so I can...wait...we were talking about..." He thought for a split second, as if realizing some things.

"You're not used to the idea of falling for someone are you? For having feelings and being attracted to someone." He half accused as he put a hand on the back of his neck. Maybe she actually DID like him, or maybe she did but couldn't...figure those particular feelings out. This would have to be...handled very carefully wouldn't it?

((You've got me hungry now T.T. Phew, was worried it would seem too short.))

She sighed, of course he wouldn't believe her... he had proven to be too intelligent for her little white lies, but... could he truly not understand what she had been talking about? Waiting silently, Adalade almost held her breath as he thought it over.

"What?" her brain couldn't register his words at first but they slowly began to untangle themselves, her eyes grew wide as she finally could catch the meaning. Her ears pointed straight forward and her tail bristled as she took a step away from him, "NO! I've told you, I don't need those feelings! Besides we only just met, how could I feel that way for a stranger?!"

Don't yell at him...he's just trying to understand... After all, he presents and interesting theory. You're confused because you've never been close enough to man to actually allow these feelings to take birth-

SHUT UP! I haven't needed anyone and I will NEVER have to! He has no clue what words he's let fly. Heat often gets to foreigners... He's been here before though- That's not the point. He doesn't even know you, and you're just as oblivous about him. Nothing can be conceived from that......

Adalade tried to shake these thoughts away, it was all nonsense! "Look, I told you. It's nothing," her tone had gone down quite a few octaves. Her tail dropped and her ears lowered.

((You were the one who was talking about the popcorn, not me!))

It was much too obvious that he had done something to upset her, that he had said something to Adalade that had upset her. She was the kind of woman who was quite obvious with most of her intentions and emotions, they showed on her face and in her actions. Narak was at least smart enough to realize this, but perhaps not smart enough to prevent it.

"I don't know either, I'm not completely versed in the ways of the heart and the mind, but stranger things have happened." Dashing and handsome man rescues girl from a long walk in the desert, treats her nicely and unlike anything she knew...well...he could see how there might be some strange new feelings that she wasn't used to. However, maybe he should have just...kept his mouth shut and not have joked about it. Not that he could have helped it though. It was jut something that he did...maybe as a facade, a way to protect himself...a mask of sorts.

"That doesn't sound like nothing but..." He gently place a hand upon her shoulder. "Let's go back to the wagon. There's no need for you to walk. I apologize for...well, for maybe making you feel like a fool by dismissing your thoughts and joking about it. It's...just a defence mechanism." Narak told her quietly as he let his hand slide from her shoulder, looking back to the wagon. Yep. Still there. Whew.

((XP So? You're the one who said it sounded good and I hadn't eaten yet.))

He probably thought she was bipolar now. Snapping at him had taken things a bit overboard. Adalade didn't know how to repair this, he truly hadn't done anything, she was just too sensitive about things unknown to her.

She didn't say anything when he mentioned about not understanding it too well himself. It had to be impossible though, right? No one could just develop an infatuation over night. Besides, even if she had that didn't mean he felt the same. Better to let things die now if they even existed. She had just begun to trust him...she didn't want another reason for her heart to bleed.

"You don't need to apologize... this was all me," she tried her best to look indifferent, "I hope you won't take it personally if I tell you that I would prefer to walk for a bit. I guess I'm just more used to walking, that doesn't mean I can't walk beside the wagon though." The hand that held her pack tightened around the straps, nails creating half-moon incisions in her palms. She wanted to ask him why he would have need for a defence mechanism but... it wasn't her place and she was going to let this all blow over right?

((Well, I still think it's your fault. So there. Take that.))

He definitely thought that she was a touchy girl, that she was just a little...silly so to speak. Silly was probably a very kind word to use to describe her of course. She was just a little touchy...like a room full of dried wheat and wearing a suit made of flint and steel. One wrong move could end in tragedy.

He frowned as she spoke and nodded. "I would take it a little personally really." Narak told her as he rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't expect her to go this far, to just...want to start walking all of a sudden. "At least you're willing to compromise!" He said finally as he clapped his hands together and turned on his heel. He started walking back toward the wagon, but raised a hand. "I want you to know I am protesting it though, I'd rather you sit beside me again!" The merchant called over his shoulder as he pulled himself up onto the wagon once more and got the camels walking again. After a groan from the beasts, they started again and began their trotting on the road again.

It only took a moment for him to pull up beside her, and he grinned slightly. He was feeling...kind of cheeky again. "Hi there, Narak Indermere. You look like you could use a little bit of good luck. I hope the Gods have blessed us both and sent you North, the same way I'm headed." Just like his speech from before, but this time he remembered to introduce himself FIRST before trying to ah...pick her up. Again.

Just that defence mechanism of his.

((XP fine, be that way! Finally gave her last name as well, I know I didn't have to give her one but I guess it's an Ocd of my... and all my other characters have one xD.))

The wolf sighed, of course he would... She wasn't expecting the enthusiasm from her offering to walk beside the wagon. She stared after him as he started to walk back and groaned when he talked about protesting, the girl didn't think she would be able to sit next to him for awhile though.. not if she was going to try and make things they way they had been. They needed a little distance.

The slightest of smirks played across her lips, this was one thing that she hadn't been expecting. "Adalade Saoirse," she said in a more pleasant tone than the first time they had this conversation, "Yeah, I'd say I could use a lot of luck. How far north are you headed? I might be able to tell you if our pathes are the same."

She couldn't help but wonder why he was doing this...

((xDDD Well, it makes it good! Makes them complete! Most of mine that need last names have them!))

If he couldn't get his way, then he'd just have to grin and bear it. After all, this was nothing compared to the things that he had endured when younger. This was just a woman who was angry at him. He could handle that, if he acted right. Just had to be smart about it. Just had to be...kind and polite, as usual.

The distance wasn't what was needed...they needed a distraction.

"Well, I'm headed for Arca actually, far north from here....but I'm making a few stops along the way. There was this really nice girl that I was supposed to go with but...I think I ran her off by being a jerk." Narak told her as he leaned back on the bench of the wagon, smiling down at her. "You look like you're following the road...you know if you want you can hop on up here with me and I can take you a ways until our paths stop crossing. Promise I'll be on good behaviour."

((xD Well the one character that I had been using the most did not have one, see how much I care about her?))

"Arca, wow, that's quite the journey North. Can't say I even seen Serendipity before." While this was amusing, she didn't want to ride with him again just yet. Looks like she'd be doing some protesting herself. "She must not have been much of a girl to go running off and leaving you. You don't seem like you could be a jerk," Adalade felt horrible for trying to run off and, to be quite honest, was surprised he wanted to continue traveling with her. She hoped that she could resolve whatever had snapped in her and made her so enraged. "I would love to join but the next village isn't too far and I must admit that I'm quite used to walking."

Giving him an apologetic smile, she continued, "By the way, would you be interested in staying at the next village? Give you and your camels a chance to rest from the desert before you start your trek north. I'll also be giving a performance there. I don't mean to brag, but I've been told I'm an excellent dancer and have the voice of an angel."

((Hmmm, it does sort of say you just didn't love her at all! You terrible person you!))

"I thought she was an absolutely wonderful girl, I was just a bit careless, and she might have been a little touchy on some subjects." The merchant shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. This was actually sort of fun, she may not see the point in it, but it was all just a way to get things out in the open. This was his way of clearing the air basically, to try and help them get through their problems.

"But you're quite a ways from most villages and towns, surely you could use a little rest." He pointed out to her with a charming smile. He really just hoped that everything could go back to normal and that they could all just relax again.

"I don't think it should be a problem...I think it'd be worth the stop then! I might even have to join you, if that's alright. I play the fief and a bit of lute, I might be able to give you a nice tune to dance to even." He told her with a small grin forming on his lips. This was starting to be a little fun even!

((No! It's not like that! I swear! I just...didn't come up with one that I liked for her is all...))

"Touchy isn't good, bet she was a pain to travel with and you could never hold a decent conversation," well... at least she knew how he felt. She wouldn't call herself wonderful though. She tried to keep her mind off anything else but the conversation they were having now.

She scoffed at him then chuckled, "Believe me Mr. Indermere, I've been traipsing through the desert over half of my life. I can handle a few more miles." When she accompanied her parents, they had never had the luxury of horses or wagons. Besides, it had helped build up her wolf endurance. No, she hadn't been just born fast or have great stamina.

"I'd be honored if you did, been looking for something a little new to work with," she returned his grin.

((xD Ah well then that's okay! It makes more sense and makes you less of a monster!))

"Oh no, I found her quite a treat really. You don't often find a person who speaks their mind, it's good to have and to hear." He really hadn't minded her touchiness so to speak. She could have been nicer sure, but really, she wasn't bad as a companion. She was quite a bit of fun, she was quite a bit of life to have along side of him.

"Well, if you're completely sure about that. And please. Just Narak. Mr. Indermere is so...formal. Doesn't sound right either does it?" Narak smiled at her calmly, really unused to hearing Mr. Indermere. It just sounded so foreign and different really. He was more used to people just calling him Narak or...one of the many aliases that he had.

"Well then it's settled! I think it's going to be a bit of fun, I haven't ever played in front of a crowd before...I do hope I'll be able to keep up with you."

((Oh come now, monster is a little harsh isn't it? She's only been without one since...well from the creation of her profile to yesterday))

Frowning, she stared down at the sand beneath her feet, "I wouldn't be able to put up with her. It's not always good for someone to be like that, they never end up being very good with people." She really had no idea how he tolerated her, but if he could be so forgiving then maybe there was a chance she could improve her personality, well the touchiness anyhow.

"Then you have to call me Adalade or, if you would prefer the pet name my mother gave me, Ada works as well," it had been years since anyone called her Ada. The memory that came with it was pleasant though so she wasn't saddened at the thought.

"As long as you aren't afraid of crowds, you'll be fine," she smiled, "Just a warning, often times I have kids come up and dance with me. Wild little things they are when dancing, thought I'd let you know ahead of time."

((Yeah no, you're a monster. Sorry.))

"She really wasn't that bad. We just...were from different cultures. We both kinda forgot that. Both had different childhoods and such." It was so easy to forget how different another person could be. She had been raised differently than he had, and as such...they clashed sometimes. That wasn't very uncommon of course, but they did have to just...keep it in mind.

"Well, I like the sound of Ada. Though you sure you're okay with it being a pet name? I mean...the ears and tail and all..." He just didn't want people to assume things when he said her pet name was Ada. They might get the wrong impression about both of them! Him, some sort of slave owner? No no, that wouldn't do at all.

"I have some things that I can use to amuse the children if they become too unruly and wild. Not that I mind children though." He couldn't see them as being problematic, he'd just have to make sure he stayed away from them while they were dancing. He'd be fine really.

((....That's just low.))

"That might be part of it but you sure it wasn't just her?" She didn't see how the problems had to do with their upbringing, she saw them as her incapibility to deal well with human interactions.

To his comment about the pet name, she laughed, "I'm sure but if you don't like calling it a pet name then call it a nickname. Same thing, and I'm sure. I'm sure it must get tiring saying "Adalade" a lot, it did for my mother. If she ended up scolding me a lot she would just turn around and call me "Ada" so she'd have more energy to sentence me to my punishments." What she would have gived to have one more scolding from her parents...

"They're never that bad, I was just joking. I love children, they're the first ones I ask when I invite the audience to come up and dance with me. I might not be a people person, but if a child came up to me and asked for me to help them with something I'd drop anything to go and do it."

((Yes well, you must deal with it. Deaaaaal with iiiit.))

"I'm pretty sure that it was both of us, really I do. I'm sure that if she stuck around we would have been able to overcome our little quirks." It was quite interesting to talk to Adalade as if she was a complete stranger, but he wasn't sure he entirely disliked their conversation.

Narak grinned at her. "As long as you don't call me Nar. Just sounds odds don't it? Ahem. And I'll stick with Adalade I think, since I don't think I would have any reason to punish you." He almost wanted to flirt...and thought maybe it was...safe to do so? Test the waters. He was after all, that sort of man. "Unless you ask for it." He chuckled, trying to make sure she knew it was just him being...humorous. He even stopped himself from winking at her. That could have been disasterous.

"I'll keep a few sweet meats with me just in case. Children loves sweets after all, and a little sugar...hm, maybe sugar at night is a bad idea. I think I'll keep the treats to myself." It would have been a horrible idea. Giving them candied meats before bed time? Oh the parents would be furious! Sugar was never a good thing to give children before bed. "I usually do the same though, help those who are in need...sometimes they don't even have to ask, I just...take the initiative as it were."

((Aww Shizzy, you're cruel.))

"Maybe, some people just can't be reasoned with though. Still.. I guess anything is possible isn't it?" It was so weird to converse like this, she wondered if they would continue talking like this forever if this was more of a distraction.

Adalade could only stare at him, had she been dreaming or had he really said that to her? Smirking, she retorted with, "And what could I possibly do to ask for it? And what if I don't see it as much of a punishment?" She chuckled, "Does this mean that as a punishment I get to call you Nar?"

"I don't know, sometimes they're too wound up to even need sugar from what I've seen," it was true. The children seemed to feed off of the music. Well, more like the night time really, most of the villages she had been to the children hardly were allowed to stay up even that late. "I know," she looked up at him, "I've already seen you do so."

((Nu uh!))

"Isn't that the truth?" Narak chuckled and nodded in agreement. She was quite right, in this place anything could happen, anything was possible, it was quite fun in that way. Just like how their conversation was spontaneous, how it was something the two of them probably would never have seen coming.

He shook his head and grinned slightly at her. "Well, then I guess you'll enjoy it won't you? And no, you wouldn't get to call me Nar, that'd be punishing me, and there's no reason to do that now is there?" He asked her with an almost wide eyed sort of innocence. He was a very sneaky one wasn't he?

He smiled at her comment and nodded. "You sure you don't want to come back up here Adalade?" He asked her finally, dropping that whole facade of them being strangers. He wanted to test the waters after all, see if she was feeling better now, if she was up to riding along side him again.

((Are so!))

She could only smile and watch him laugh, she couldn't say that she didn't believe in that either. In all her life nothing good had happened while she had lived in the desert, it had stolen her parents and left her alone. Yet..she never really had imagined talking to someone like this every again. Maybe it was true?

"Yes I will enjoy it, that or you need to think of a more efficent way to punish me," noting the face he was giving her, Adalade shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Not yet, but don't be fooled into believing I'm very lenient or forgiving. So that means you can drop the face." There was never a dull moment with him was there?

That was the fifth time he had asked her that, might as well, she didn't know if she could handle being asked the same thing all the way to the village. Without giving him an answer, she merely grabbed a hold of the bench and pulled herself up. After all, no need to stop the wagon when she was quite capable of this. She kept toward the end of the bench and dropped her pack down at her feet.

((Nu uh double twice!))

Narak immediately stopped giving her the look, though it turned into a slight smirk. "Well, I hope that you'll have a good punishment in mind instead of just calling me Nar." The merchant said with that small grin on his face. He could be a little flirty if he so chose, he just hoped she didn't...take it too seriously.

"Welcome back Adalade. I met this rather interesting girl on the side of the road not so long ago. She reminded me of you." Narak told her jokingly before he looked forward to guide the camels for just a second. They had decided to start walking left for some reason. They sometimes wanted to go their own way. "I'm sorry Adalade. I'm just used to being...light hearted." Narak told her softly as he avoided looking toward her. He really wasn't sure that the idea of a relationship was a good idea. He wasn't sure he could handle such a thing...on the road all the time...being a merchant and...a love interest?

So he joked, he teased, he had his defense mechanisms to keep him distanced.

((Yuh huh infinity! Ha!))

"Maybe I will and maybe I won't. I'll let you fret it over until you give me cause to show you," maybe it was wrong for them to joke like this... The whole fact that they were traveling together and unmarried would raise a few brows, at least that she knew of in Essyrn. She had only seen joking like this with lovers and the infatuated, yet there was nothing between them.

"And I thought one of me was bad enough," she said with a giggle. Light hearted... could there be something else to go with that? Perhaps just another "defense mechanism" of his. Having absolutely nothing to say, she didn't. She placed her elbow on one of the bench arms and rested her cheek in her palm, just staring out at the sands on her side.

((Nu uh Higgs Boson! Take that!))

"Ouch, well I suppose I should be on good behaviour then shouldn't I?" Something that Adalade didn't realize, is that friends joked and teased like this as well. That might have been a problem though, because she probably didn't know that fact. It would have just been rude to tell her it though, he couldn't imagine having to say that sort of thing to her. Oh by the way, friends can joke like this too, not just lovers. Yeah, that would have gone over really well.

"Oh, I think it would be quite fun, two dancing girls and singing girls? Can't think of a better way to spend a day, or a night." He grinned before chuckling and looking back over the road, just as she was doing. Narak was quite liking this whole thing...despite the few rough patches that they were having. It wasn't immediately bad after all, the two of them could weather through any rough patches after all!

They'd have to if they wanted to make their friendship work.

((Yeah, yeah well...um...That doesn't count! So ha ha!))

A slight smirk split her face, "Indeed, wouldn't want to feel my wrath first hand now would you?" The girl was beginning to feel cramped in the wagon, why was this so hard now? It hadn't been yesterday, nor earlier when the day was younger. Yet now she found herself praying for the village to materialize over the next dune. To just get out! She would have jumped out again had it not been for the fact that she had just climbed back in and didn't want to insult him.

"We aren't all that much fun," she commented dryly. Her thoughts from earlier rusting up her humor. What was wrong with her?

((It so does and you know it so fail face on you! God particle always wins!))

"No I wouldn't Miss, I would like to keep your wrath at bay if possible." He really didn't mind this at all, she was really a good travelling companion once you melted the ice around her and just...was careful about what you said. And how you flirted. He was very careful with that because he really didn't want to have her get upset and start walking again. She was a nice girl after all, but she was just a little...well...someone who had been alone for too long.

"I beg to differ. You really are great fun. A singer, a dancer, a shifter, and a conversationalist." Really, Narak couldn't have hoped for a better companion. Plus, she was a bit of a looker. Sure, he was put off by the...ears and tail, but that's because it was animalistic and he wasn't...altogether used to that.

"Look, the sun's almost down...we should be getting close to the village." Narak said finally, hoping to take her mind off of anything that might make her a little touchy. "Let's hope they'll welcome us this late." Strangers at night, nothing that a village liked more. If they were in an opposite world. They were not of course, which was lucky.

((...Damn...This doesn't end here! I'll find a way to get you back! Long post time by the way.))

"Me too," she chuckled, "I don't like using it. Wrath preserved is the best there is." It made her feel like a horrible person after the fact, when she did get angry, she felt as though she would have been a stranger in her parents' eyes were they to look upon her now. A young girl turned angry, alone, mistrustful, and -in a way- bipolar. Being with Narak had broken a bit of each away, was it enough though?

"Thank you for everything but the last, I am no where near the skilled conversationalist that you are. It's not everyday a merchant can convince a stranger to start traveling with them," At least she never assumed it was possible.

Adalade was about to comment back when a small figured started running toward them, then a slightly bigger one. "Speaking of which, I'd say we made it." Children, one of young years and the other on the verge of entering the world of young adults.

The younger of the pair, a little boy with huge brown doe eyes and dimples, stopped to point to them, "Travelers!"

"Ven! Mama told you it wasn't nice to point," the boys sister was a stick thin creature with short hair almost the color of the sands. Her inky eyes almost made her sun-burdened skin look too dark. She seemed to want to run back to their home, "What brings you both out such a long way?"

Ven, the little brother Adalade assumed, tugged on the girl's cloth dress, "Vitiri! They have camels!" Adalade bit her lip, he had to be one of the cutest little boys she had ever seen.

The girl groaned, and was about to scold the kid when Adalade decided to spar him, "We were hoping to give a performance tonight or sometime tomorrow-"

"Are you magicians?" The kid's lighter sandly blond hair seemed to bounce with him. Vitiri tried to quiet him with a "shush" but there seemed to be nothing that could kill Ven's spirits, not even a scowling scolding older sister.

((Psh, I'll be waiting with a hat and bells and other various strange clothes on. And yay long posts!))

"Hah, isn't that true? Threats of wrath are usually more effective than actual wrath." He knew that one personally of course. While he was a gentle sort of soul, he did often make some...threats about ruining lives, about how much power he controlled, how many people he controlled, ears and eyes that were under his command...but that wasn't as Narak the Merchant of course. No...that was a different Narak. Nothing...really important that Adalade needed to know about.

"Oh that, well that I think was a lot of luck and polite bowing and scraping after my most foolish introduction." She hadn't appreciated the way he ah...flirted with her right away, and really, he was quite the silly person for having done so right away. He should have known better but...he just wasn't sure why he had decided to be so bold and upfront.

Must have been her outfit.

"Looks like it." Narak agreed as he noted children where running up to them. This should be interesting, if the children were still up, then really there shouldn't be too much trouble now should there? He smiled as the children ran up to them. Well, one of them ran up to them. He let Adalade handle this for the time being, she seemed to have it mostly under control. When the child asked what they were, it was time for him to perhaps step in.

"Actually, I'm a merchant, and she's a dancer and a singer. I'm the Merchant Damari, Damari Renneker." Narak introduced himself flawlessly as he bowed his head slightly, looking to Adalade and winking. He should have mentioned it, but he had several aliases, one he used in every country. He didn't want her to suddenly start calling him Narak here, so hopefully she understood what he was up to.

Hopefully.

((And how would that be of any use to you? I'll get you back reguardless.))

Both children looked upon Narak and Adalade with awe filled gazes. The wolf couldn't fathom why they found a merchant such a shock, nothing against the man of course, but maybe they had never really had been visited by one. Speaking of which, Damari? Why on earth would he be using an alias? She shot him a glare, he would not get out of explaining this to her later.

"Are...are you really a dancer?" Vitiri asked timidly. "I mean, can you truly be one? Wouldn't your tail get in the way, it looks like it."

Adalade gave the girl a soft smile, "Truly, the name is Adalade Saoirse. One would think so, my mother certainly did when she started teaching me, but it actually gives me more balance when I dance or even for the occasional flips."

Meanwhile, Ven ran up to the wagon on Narak's side, "Are you going to be staying here? You going to sell anything? Could I see what you have? I've been saving up my money but I want to spend it on something good. What about candy?!" The mention of such a sweet delicacy had the boy licking his lips.

"Stop pestering him Ven."

"Oh leave him, all boys need a little harrassing now and again," Adalade was pleased to have the girl laughing with her. "We do plan on staying the night at least, any chance your village would let Nar- Damari and I perform tonight for everyone?"

The girl became guarded again, "How much will it cost us?"

Trying to prove her pure intentions she said, "I'll explain before the performance how the payments work and we will perform before anyone pays a cent." She was grateful that Vitiri seemed almost pleased. She couldn't help but wonder if they had been conned before?

((Don't get me back,t hat's wrong! I don't need to get backed. Or something.))

Many people didn't get a chance to meet a merchant out here in the desert. Some villages didn't even get a merchant, they were too far out of the way. Honestly, this wasn't the exact route that Narak took anyway. He usually took a different route, stretched the camels a little bit but it was faster. This however, was more for Adalade benefit really. She wanted to earn money after all, so this would work out now wouldn't it?

"I've a few sweet meats kiddo, but we don't want you to spend your money on something like that. It won't last. If you've saved your money, you should spend it on something grand, maybe clothes, or even a small...dagger." The kid looked old enough to handle a small weapon, he'd of course want to check with the parents but...this was the desert.

It always a smart idea to have a weapon nearby.

"Well, let's pull close to the village Adalade, then you can talk to the elders or the adults or...who ever runs the village." Could be a group, a committee, one person, he didn't know the rules of the particular place they had come to. They'd find out in a few moments though no doubt. "Look out kids, gonna start moving again." With that, he got the camels moving again, heading toward the huts of the village. He'd stop just on the outskirts of the first hut, respecting the privacy of the people who lived there, and the village's boundaries.

((*Sigh* Take all the fun out of it =P))

When Narak got the wagon rolling again, both kids had raced back and quickly disappeared beyond her sight. Adalade wanted to interrogate Narak about the name he had given Ven and Vitiri, but before she could even open her mouth the village appeared right out of the horizon.

They had a welcoming party, well both kids and a man of many years. Ven almost burst with happiness when he saw them but his sister fidgeted like she wasn't sure to be happy or upset, "There they are!" The man nodded and approached them the moment the camels pulled to a halt.

"When I heard from the children that a dancer was coming I didn't believe them. Yet it was even harder to believe a merchant would come all the way out here," his hazel eyes took them in from under white lashes, "They often find this part of the desert too poor or too small to even bat an eye lash at." He paused to take them in, "Is it true that you both would like to give a performance tonight? Ven's so excited, I could hardly make out a word he uttered."

The wolf nodded, instead of giving the man the same smile she had given the children, her voice was soft from worry, a scowl splitting her face, "Yes sir, if it wouldn't be an inconvenience for you-"

"Nonsense, the last time this village had any excitement was the day I became elder. It was hardly worth the feast everyone threw," he grumbled, running knobbly long fingers through his short gray hair. "I'm sorry, I'm Ikar, village elder. We would love to see a performance from such an interesting pair."

"Thank you, is there a place large enough for everyone?"

"We lack a square, and no one bothered to build a meeting hall. Any open space near the village is fine. Just have a fire going and I'll inform everyone," his smile made her uneasy. Vitiri seemed to doubt them, for a young girl to have walls around strangers meant that she shouldn't be the only one. Perhaps this kindness and sincerity were bait to lure them into showing their true colors, if they hadn't already.

Adalade bowed her head in respect, "We shall do so. I thank you again in advanced."

((That's what I do to get out of being...gotten back!))

Narak figured he didn't need to explain everything to her right away, he could...ease her into his strange life slowly. Yeah, that would be the best plan, all things considered. It was also quite hard to explain just what he was, and just how he worked. Though, right now they could focus on...other things, like the village! Yes, that would be the right thing to do.

As they got closer, Narak pulled on the reigns to get the camels to pull to a stop. Once more, he didn't get a chance to say anything, because Adalade was handling everything...mostly perfectly. The scowl wasn't needed, this man had a grandfathery air to him and really, Narak kinda liked him. However he just smiled pleasantly and let the wolf work as she chose. After all, she was the main event to this whole thing. He just sort of...was there for moral support, and backup music.

Narak also felt a tad uneasy, but there couldn't be anything bad. He hadn't been told to avoid any villages when talking to any of his contacts. Then again, maybe they just didn't know, which was a scary thought on it's own. Still, he'd keep his rapier close to him just in case! No point in not being prepared for any eventuality right? Narak hopped off the wagon and stretched first. "Well, let's get everything set up." He unhooked the camels first, got their little water and feed trough ready, then began to set up a place for them to perform. Though, getting a fire set up might be a little difficult, though he had a bit of wood he could spare to use. Still, wrapped underneath his blanket that he would sit on was his rapier, just in case. He had his lute out though and was strumming it quietly, trying to tune it properly.

It was nothing completely exotic looking, rather simple but well built. He didn't play enough to just...have something expensive. If he ever got really good, he might consider it. Hey, he might even start doing this for a living then!

Ahem. Part time. On the side. Maybe.

((It's..clever in a very confusing way xD))

Adalade was too far into a performance air to worry about Narak's many...quirks. They would have to wait till the morning or later when the moon was not so young. Narak had gotten the fire started, good, one less thing to fret over. So, now she needed to fix her appearance and get stretched before everyone gathered. She didn't enjoy the many stares of impatience or the feel of male eyes assessing her while she did so, better to get it done and over with.

Grabbing her pack and waterskin, she approached the young flames. Adalade pulled out the scarf that had been weaved into her hair, uncapped her water skin and wetted down the length of her hair. Taking her damp tresses, she first tied it off into a ponytail before braiding the locks and used another leather thong to hold it. She replaced the scarf in her hair, wrapping it just behind her ears.

After a few moments of examining her hair, she was satisfied and pulled out all her bangles which she had removed the night before. The familiar jangle helped fire the adrenaline. Moving to her clothes, she puffed out the bottom of her pants, retied her bow, and adjusted her top. For the final touch, she grabbed a small container from the bottom of her pack, dipped her pinky into the container and rubbed the contents onto her mouth lightly, lip rouge.

"I'm going to be honest," she admitted while starting her stretch, "I'm nervous. The elder seemed... pleased, for lack of better words, that means that either one has never visited or it's been years since they have. This means the village has a high expectation for tonight. I'm nervous... what if I'm not what they wanted, not near as grand as they thought." She only gave the merchant a glance as she went down into the splits. Oh heavens, she really should stretches these out more often, she almost couldn't go all the way down.

((Ain't that the truth.))

Narak's eyes were one pair upon her watching her as she stretched and got prepared for the show. Of course, he was mostly bored just strumming and tuning his lute by ear, and really, he was actually watching to see if any of her clothes strained too much and perhaps started to rip. It wasn't actually a lie either, and he sort of wondered what was wrong with him. A woman stretching, her clothes showing every curve of her body, and all he could think about was if they really were a superior stitch and if he could do a better job of making them.

He was a merchant first apparently, and a male second. Though she'd probably appreciate that.

Narak was done with his tuning and clothe watching by the time she was finishing up her hair. Though, he did sneak a few peaks as she began to adjust her clothing. Once more, only to...nah, this time because he liked the way her body looked in it. She had some curves, body of a dancer as it were.

"I'd be nervous if they'd have had more dancers here. That means they would recognize a good or bad dance. But if they haven't had one in a while, so even if you do make a few mistakes, which I highly doubt you can, they won't know." Narak told her as he strummed out a few notes on his lute, keeping his eyes on her eyes, not looking anywhere that she might get mad at him for.

Narak winced when she suddenly did the splits. "Gods that looks uncomfortable. That is why I stick with traditional dances that don't require me to squish...uh...ahem. Anyway! Looks like a crowd is coming." If he didn't know better, they might have woken up everyone in the village. Granted, it couldn't have been more than a hundred people or so...still, it was a crowd for a village.

((Haha I guess))

"That has never fazed me, I've been to plenty of places as such and they find it a great relief to find someone who doesn't use the same old routine. Besides, I'm far more comfortable knowing who my competition has been not to mention the fact that said towns are used to dancers. Some of these small villages can get too excited and their men cocky. They believe "dancer" and "entertainer" are one in the same," she sighed, there had been more than enough instances to prove that.

The merchant's reaction made her laugh, she shifted to middle splits so that she could face him, "Years and years of practice make this tolerable, though it's kind of burning right now since I've neglected this for some time. You may not believe it but men can almost do the splits better than women, at least all the ones I've seen have gone straight into them in the amount of time it took me to blink."

He was right though, a glance over her shoulder confirmed the crowd that was almost upon their tiny camp. Standing, Adalade brushed the sand off her clothes and waited for people to get seated. She offered smiles whenever she could and gave a respectful nod to Ikar as he himself joined the incoming crowd. He was the last one to be seated, show time.

Maneuvering around the fire, she stood in front of the assembly and gave a fluid bow. "Thank you, everyone, for coming on such an evening. My name is Adalade, a traveling dancer and singer, who must admit that it is a great honor to be one of the few to perform for such an audience." Smiles, whispers of approval, so far so good.

"My partner, Damari-" she gave a great smile and turned to indicate Narak, "will be my accompanist this evening. If at anytime during the performance you want to come up and dance with me feel welcome to, I actually prefer it if people do. It makes the night more enjoyable. Now-"

"That's all wonderful but what will it cost us?" someone voiced.

Adalade gave the entire crowd an innocent smile, "Whatever you see fit." Murmurs arose and confusion hung heavy on the air. "I don't dance for my own profit, I do it for others and the mere love of doing so. To ask for a set price, especially should I not preform to my fullest, would be robbery. Instead you will enjoy the performance first, without any price or cost, afterward all I ask is that you pay what seems fair to you. If I don't meet with your expectations then you don't owe me a cent."

A middle-aged woman stood, "And what if you do well? Some of us are too poor to give much."

"Again, I ask for no set price. You can choice to pay or not, I'm not going to force anyone." Though it was part of the reason she never really had much money, in the end she couldn't complain though. "As for those brave enough to join me," she grinned, "They shall take a cut on the profit as well." She wasn't sure if the silence to follow was a good omen.

Deciding not to dwell on it for too long, she turned back to Narak, "Anything you'd like to say Damari?" She truly did hate his alias.

"Then we are at exact opposite ends of this spectrum aren't we? I'd rather have people who don't know a good dance...but, you'll be the one dancing, so I suppose you should be comfortable with whatever will make you less nervous right?" He smirked, just deciding not to mention the whole...dancer and entertainment thing. He wasn't going to talk about that because uh...well it really wasn't the best thing to get her going on. He wanted her to be calm and relaxed, not fired up and stressed out by such a topic.

He winced as she shifted toward him, and he could only grimace slightly. "I don't believe it all. Women have a better pain tolerance...and with the splits...we're right...yeah. There could be a terrible accident." Narak just shuddered at the very thought of it. Just the thought of it made him queasy. Crushing his boys like that to do the splits was a terrible idea! He eventually wanted to have kids after all, continue the Indermere name...couldn't happen if he broke something!

The slow approach of the elder gave him more time to tune his lute. Ah he hoped that this would be okay...he wasn't a professional after all. He just did this in his spare time! He was very good at covering his nervousness however. He just had to play a passionate song, something with a bit of fire to it, a beat that she could definitely dance to. Maybe sing to even...but he really didn't know any actual songs...at least not ones he could play.

Narak stayed quiet as she began to introduce herself and told the people how things worked. Really, it was a good way to ensure that people enjoyed it, and they didn't get robbed. Dancing was after all, a hard thing to put a price on. That's why he was glad he sold material goods and what not, you could easily put prices on them, not worry about whether someone was being ripped off or not. In any event, she had done this many times before so it seemed like she had done this many times before. And it did sound somewhat balanced in a way...a minimum donation might be an idea later in the future but...until something could be worked out, it would be fine.

"Hm? Oh, well..." Narak stood up and looked around to the crowd of people. "Tonight, you are all in for a special treat. They say that emotions are primal, that they're basic and something to overcome. That, is not true. Emotions are what makes a person I believe, their anger, their rage, their sorrow, their joy, every bit is important to be a person. Tonight we will rouse those emotions from you, we will bring them to the surface so that you might truly feel. Do not be afraid of your emotions, they are the key to being a person, they are the key to everything. Laugh, sing, dance, cry, whatever your emotions tell you to do, then you should do! Unless...that is to perhaps play "Grab the dancer" then I should warn you, she may bite." There was a ripple of laughter through the crowd and Narak turned to Adalade, winking at her before he began to strum the lute. "Now without any more stalling for time...let us begin!" He took a seat back onto his blanket and then he began to play.

It was a song with a good rhythm, it had a strong sort of way to it, somewhat of a faster tune, but he was really focused on plucking out the melody. It would be perfect music to dance to, it would have passion and a fierceness to it that would be perfect to dance to. At least, he hoped so anyway.

The wolf listened to his speech and found that she quite agreed with what the merchant had said conserning emotions. When he mentioned that "Grab the dancer" would result in a bite, she herself broke out into laughter. Mostly she found it humorous because it was so unexpected, he was right though, someone would end up suffering for deciding to test her tolerance.

The moment he started playing, she was already spinning and twirling her way back around to the other side of the fire. The sound of the lute was strange to hear when all she had truly danced to were the beats and stums of the desert's native instruments. This wasn't a bad thing though, in fact Narak gave her more to work with than she ever would have given him credit for.

Every note that Narak plucked, she interpreted through her movements. Every bit of the passion found it's way into her movements and finally, after a long moment of just dancing her heart away, it wove its way into words and into a song. A song about the hidden beauty of the desert, the way the stars sparkled and lit up the sand, and then she went on to a intricate tall of a pair of star-crossed lovers who met under the desert moon. The whole her body had never stopped moving.

It took her several moments to realize that the figure stepping around the fire was actually the first person to be joining her. It was Vitiri. She stopped singing long enough to offer the girl a great smile as she shyly approached the dancer. Adalade paused long enough to position herself beside the girl and indicate for her to start.

Vitiri turned a crimson as dark as her bow, looking down, she seemed to hesitate. She was probably contemplating on how to get out of this, the wolf wouldn't give her the opportunity. She started singing again and did a few steps that the girl could easily master so she didn't feel foolish. Vitiri did immitate her and soon she had the girl joining her in moves far more complicated than before.

At least he was still good at public speaking!

One had to be if they wanted to be a good merchant. While he said the products sold themselves, you had to bring them in to see those products after all.

Narak played on, he didn't stop playing, and was really quite impressed by how she was able to become accustomed to the music so easily. She was able to even make a song from his random tune. She honestly had some talent, a quick thinking mind that he was going to have to be careful about. She could be a very tricky one it seemed. Narak made sure to pay attention to what his hands were doing, but really he was more interested in listening to her singing. She was a really good singer too, and her dancing was something that he envied.

Soon she even had a friend joining her!

It was nice to see someone coming to join her, he really would have if he wasn't busy playing the lute. Sure he could do some little two-step with just his feet, but he'd probably mess up the song. Though how hard was it to mess up a song that he was making up.

Still, it was best to just focus on playing the song. It was a little while later when Narak's song finally came to a conclusion. There was only so much that she could sing about after all, and despite a two minute silence and a very passionate and fiery section of the song, it was best to end it now. There was cheering and clapping from the crowd, and Narak stood to take a bow alongside of Adalade, Vitiri, and the few other people who were bold enough to join the dancers around the fire.

That was pretty fun!

Well, this had been quite a success. She felt as though this time was shorter than her previous performances... maybe it was the simple fact that she enjoyed this performance a little more. Whatever the reason she was sure to give Narak and the other dancers more credit by indicating each one and applauding along with the crowd.

When the cheering had ceased and people began to go back to their homes, Adalade moved toward the audience and tried to personally thank as many as she could and wish them a wonderful night. Many people already had money to give her, which she accepted, pulling out a small silk bag in which they could drop the coins.

"You know," she turned as Ikar came up to her, "I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It seemed a bit strange seeing a dance and merchant miraculously come out of the desert, claiming outright they wanted to give a performance that very night."

Adalade gave him a sad smile, "I'm afraid that I myself am not a very trusting person. I wouldn't have blamed you if you had threatened us, I'm actually surprised you hadn't."

"There was no need to blatantly accuse you both. No one here would have let you get very far had you scammed us, we may be a small run down village but we aren't passive about these things," the old man lifted his chin as he spoke with pride.

The wolf wanted to shudder, she dreaded to imagine what they would have gone through should they have messed up or acted suspiciously in the townsfolk's eyes. "I didn't figure you were."

"Enough of that though, you both were amazing. I hope that you will stay for awhile long, if not I would hope that you would both stop by again," he placed quite a few coins into her hand and gave her a gentle smile, "Good night."

She couldn't help but grin as the man sauntered off, well guess that meant they were in the clear. Adalade wouldn't mind coming back again, she wanted to get to get to know the village. Turning back to Vitiri and the other dancers, she emptied half of the little silk bag and then split it up between them all. "I'm happy you all decided to join, maybe the next time we return you'll all be giving your own performances." The glitter in Vitiri's eyes told the wolf that the girl would be the first to join, she had really enjoyed herself and broken down a few barriers in the process.

After bidding them all a goodnight, she picked up her pack and headed over toward the wagon, "You continue to confuse and amaze me. You're playing was excellent but it won't save you from giving me an explanation "Damari". You can explain while I change in the back of the wagon, and if you try to look then you'll get a consequence far worse than from "Grab the dancer", I guarantee it."

It wasn't as if it had been a very short performance. Really, he was paying attention to the time as best as one could. He was just lucky that it hadn't been a few short minutes. That would have been embarrassing. This was one of those times that the male wanted to last for quite a while. He smirked at that, finding the inner monologue to be rather humorous. He'd keep it to himself though, no need to have such...dirty talk here. Especially not with the young ones about.

Narak just waited, putting his lute down and stretching as she collected the money. He really should have tried dancing but he was far too busy to have done so. Maybe next time, when someone else is playing an instrument he might...MIGHT...try it out. He was just afraid of making a complete fool out of himself. Maybe next time she was practising her dancing he'd give it a go.

After lkar talked to her and she spread out the gold, she came to talk to him, and he could almost feel what she was going to ask them, now that they were alone. It was about the name, of course it was, and he winced when she said that there would be consequences if he peeked on her. As if he would! Not that she wasn't a pretty thing, but he was a gentleman after all. He picked up his lute and took a spot closer to her. "It's...one of those things of mine. I'm actually a rather unsavoury sort...and just in case I find myself in trouble...well, my reputation wouldn't be ruined elsewhere. Only Damari would be in trouble, while in Adela, Serendipity, La'marri, and Zantaric I would still be welcome. I should have mentioned that part earlier..." He felt a tad guilty but...this was just how it had to be really. If he stole anything, or got into trouble, Damari would be the name used...and he'd be in the clear.

"It's a long and complicated thing, and I wouldn't dare bore you with it Adalade...But Narak is my real name. I promise you of that. I don't know why I told you it...maybe after my terrible pick up line I felt like I should...be a little better?" Narak truly didn't understand himself, but at least he was trying right? "And what makes you think I would peek on you changing anyway?"

Adalade listened quietly as she climbed into the back of his wagon, a bit crowded with all his wares but it would do. "Indeed, you should have," she said rather calmly, "It would be a shame if we traveled together yet didn't share some kind of trust."

She made a "tsk" noise from inside the wagon, "You're quite wrong Narak, I'd be very interested in hearing this story. Understand your unsavory side a little more." Not a lie, she just wanted the truth, the wolf refused to travel with someone who couldn't trust her enough with his secrets. By traveling with him she would be sharing them after all. "Was it a pick up line? I honestly thought that it was bad Northern manners and that your little innuendo was the pick up line," Adalade teased.

Her lips pursed at his last question, "Well, your a man and I'm not exactly modest when it comes to my clothing. Besides this is your wagon, you might figure you have every right to look inside." Did he not want to? The thought that he was uninterested almost made her blood boil, she was tempted to throw one of her articles out of the wagon... Of course she wouldn't! She was tired from the day and that's why she was a little aggravated by it... and that was all.

"There's only so much that I like to trust people with Adalade...it's nothing against you. I have to get to know them, gauge how they act...this was...one of those times." She hadn't freaked out, she hadn't called him Narak, she had just gone along with Damari. That was really good of her, because it showed how much he would be able to trust her with other things. With bigger things that came along. While he wasn't that much of a thief anymore, he did sort of...help thieves in a way. He also helped merchants in a way as well, in a confusing dance that walked the lines of bizarre worlds.

"It's rather boring and complicated. It's...a tale best shown instead of explained. In the North, you will understand." It was much better to just...show her how it all worked instead of just...explaining it to her. Not that he didn't think she wouldn't understand, but it was easier to get the points across, and easier for her to see how everything worked. "Hey now, the innuendo was completely unintentional, the bad manners was the flirtation." As bad as both of them had been of course. "It would have sounded odd to say 'Greetings, my name is Narak Indermere, and it looks like we're going the same way so I hope to the Gods that you're going my way.' Not much of a flirtation." He shook his head and chuckled. No, that was not much of a flirtation at all.

"I never thought of it that way...I can't say I'm not tempted to look, but from the way you talked, the results would not be favourable for me." He could have tried to peek somehow, but he really didn't want to end up getting mauled by her. Not on his top priority.

"Completely understandable," it was after all, did she not have to test people's sincerity before she could open up to them? Despite how comfortable she had become with him, there were some things she simply would refuse to discuss with anyone. She might have a quiet honest living as a traveling dancer... but there were simply parts of her past that she didn't want to dwell on. After her parents died she almost had destroyed everything by simply not thinking.

The wolf didn't complain, at least he wasn't withholding anything from her. Her mind was taken off of it by his rather poor defense for the flirtations. She chuckled with him, "Indeed not, and I thought you had said you were born with a silver tongue. Seems to be a little tarnished as of late."

"Whatever chance you may have had you just lost anyway, but smart nonetheless." Adalade appeared from out of the wagon. Her silver tresses had a slight dampened wave to them as they rested against her  bare tanned shoulders.

A brown leather bustier covered her chest and stomach now, replacing the risqué dancer's top, but it left skin open right above her hips, leaving to the imagination. Beige fabric had been sewn onto the corset, two lines running vertical across each side of her chest and one more that stemmed from the top of the lines, weaving across her back until the ends kissed. The bustier was connected to a silver hoop that rested against the base of her neck which gave birth to leather straps that wrapped around her throat. Simple white threaded pants veiled all the skin of her legs up till the knees while brown sandals adorned her feet. Only an armlet and one or two bangles graced her arms.

((When it comes to outfit descritions, I need a LOT of work =.=))

((I think you do great!))

"I just...like to be careful. It's nothing against you, I assure you." Narak told her, hoping she didn't think it was her. It really was just him actually. He was a little...strange yes, and he had to be cautious because of his double life. If he just revealed everything to a person who had some...of her own little issues, then he might end up ruined. He wasn't prone to revenge, but he'd have to defame her...make sure people thought she was lying.

"It just needs a good polishing that's all. Uh...not that I mean anything by that." Narak said very quickly. That was just a little bit too much of a flirtation wasn't it? As if he meant that she could help him polish it. Ahem. He hadn't meant to say that at all. He should have kept his mouth shut of course but...he really couldn't help it sometimes. It just...slipped out.

"Well, a sharp mind can always be better than a sharp tongue right?" Narak asked with a small laugh. He looked at her as she came out and smiled pleasantly. She didn't really look that bad actually. She looked actually...really good to say the least. Not that he didn't like the dancer outfit of course.

"Hmm...this seems to leave more to the imagination...but since I've seen you in your dancer outfit, I've got a good imagination." Narak teased her as he stuck his tongue out. "You look great Adalade. What would you like for dinner now? You must be hungry after such a performance, I know that I am."

((Thanks, I honestly think they could use a little more work.))

"And how would you polish a tongue?" she asked trying to stiffle a giggle, "Obviously you can't use the same methods as polishing a sword. Besides, it would be hard to do it yourself, unless you had a mirror." In some ways she was countering his flirt with her own and the other was a mere innocent question.

She raised one eyebrow, "I can't say I agree, sometimes it's best to keep a sharp tongue. Sharp thoughts will get you nowhere while words at least will." She sat down cross-legged next to him.

A light blush spotted her face while she shot back with, "Yep, I see the rust on your tongue already. It's worse than I thought." As if cued, her stomach growled directly with his mention of food, "Yeah, I'm famished. I'm not too picky so whatever you feel up to making...and, umm...thanks."

((Much better than my descriptions!))

Narak actually coughed uncomfortably, his cheeks turning slightly pink as she spoke. Okay, that was unexpected. Sure, he could charm a woman like the best of them, but this was...unusually different. Adalade was something else, and he didn't want to take his flirting too far. Anything could happen. "Well, sometimes it requires help. After all, it's no fun alone."

"Yes, but at least sharp thoughts never got a person stabbed. Well maybe not stabbed as much as having a sharp tongue." He should know! Narak had a sharp tongue with a sharp wit, that definitely helped to keep him out of trouble, though it did get him into trouble once in a while.

Like with Adalade! Hah! Just like that. He seemed to be able to get into and out of trouble with her easily.

"Ouch, hopefully I can get rid of the rust soon." Narak chuckled lightly as he nodded and smiled. "It's not a problem Adalade." He stocked the fire a little bit, making sure it didn't go out before he began to retrieve some food. Bit of chicken it seemed, more vegetables, and some bread. Narak began to prepare the food, getting everything together for when it was ready. While it was cooking, he decided to try and...chat with Adalade again...but he wasn't exactly sure about what. "So...my music was okay?"

((Psh, as if!))

Suddenly feeling very forward and awkward, Adalade had to turn away from him. "Well, I hope you can find someone soon. After all, it would be a real shame if you lost your.. charm." Geez, what was with her? This should have been one of those times when she just kept her mouth zipped.

"And I'm assuming that you know this from your own experiences, correct?" who could tell with that man? One moment she was sure she had him figured and then the next second he did something else to prove her wrong.

Adalade had moved to lay down on her stomach, eyes locked on the flames watching the food cook, her head was craddled in her palms and her legs crossed each other in an "X" by the ankles. She felt like a child again. It took her awhile to pry her violet gaze from the flames to look at him. Giving the merchant a bright smile she said, "If it had simply been mediocre I wouldn't have let you have such a long intro. Really Narak your playing went passed my expectations, you're more than just "ok"."

((Psh! So if! Something.))

It was getting just a little awkward.

"Oh, I don't think I'll ever lose my charm, I can't imagine if I did." He had to quickly cover this, since he knew even she was a little...embarrassed by this sort of thing.  Even he was a little...red faced by it. It was just a little...ehm...strange. It felt...different really. It wasn't bad or anything...it was just new and different.

"Ahem, what can I say? I'm only human right?" What exactly were they talking about anymore? Eh, better not to think about it! Yeah. Really better not to think about it.

Narak smiled as he looked at her. "You're very kind Adalade, thank you. I'm glad that I'm able to keep up with you...mostly." She was a quick one, and she was probably the better dancer of the two. That wasn't his life though, he was a merchant after all! Still...maybe after dinner he'd...try his hand at dancing. If he was able to, maybe he could dance and play the lute. "And it's ready." Setting food out on the different plates he turned to her and shuffled over to her, holding out a plate to her. "I might have burned the chicken a little bit, but it's still good."

((Psh, right back for no reason.))

"If you say so, just don't be complaining to me when woman keep working instead of flaunting themselves to catch your eye," Adalade rolled over onto her back and glared angrily at the stars. Was she jealous? Thinking about other woman trying to get his favor just infuriated her... The female race annoyed her in that sense, though the looks that buried themselves in their pores when she danced were priceless. Still...

She rolled her eyes to his comment, but instead of being annoyed she was grinned. "I'm happy I'm not a full human. Being half is enough. Though I think I would be quite lonely if I didn't know what it was like to be one."

"I'm not being kind, I'm being honest. Don't let this go to your head but... there were a few times I had to keep up with you." It was true, he was completely ignorant to the fact that he made her trip during the performance because he had her feet flying. That thought made her smile, someone actually forced the dancer to change her pace. Flopping onto her stomach again, she took the plate from him and sat up, "There would be nothing left of dinner had I cooked it." Like the night before, she dug into the plate, dancing really burned a lot of her energy so she ate like pig after every performance. "Hungry like the wolf" had been based off of Adalade.

((You can't say that! YOU CAN'T SAY THAT THOSE ARE MY WORDS!))

"But you'll be the only one around to complain to." If...if he wasn't so observant, he'd almost say that she was suddenly a little miffed for some reason. Was she angry? Oh he wasn't...sure he wanted to even think about that. What the heck had he said now? This was all harmless fun, but now was she taking it too seriously? He wasn't some notorious flirt, who would try to woo every woman they came across. More so if she was going to be his travelling companion.

It would just be rude! And he wasn't...altogether looking anyway.

"You did not, you're just being nice." Narak was sure that she was just being nice. He wasn't professional at all, he just did that sort of thing in his spare time. Which really, didn't give him a lot of time to fiddle around with it. "Well, it's something I had to learn on the streets. Besides, I preferred cooked things than raw things when living on the streets. Though, there was few times I just went straight for raw items...not the smartest idea." He chuckled and shook his head, sitting down on the cloth and smiling at her. Though, his face faltered for a minute. "Oh! Water skins!" He set his food down and stood up, heading quickly to the wagon and retrieving some water skins. He came back with two of them, giving one to Adalade and keeping the other for himself.

Now he could he eat. Though, he didn't eat quite as fast as Adalade, he was quite hungry.

((HAHA!!))

"Then just don't complain," she said coldly. If he was going to get upset over a woman not noticing him then she certainly didn't want to know about it... in fact if he was going to whine at all then she would give him the exact kind of treatment, a cold shoulder. That would be the end of that problem should it ever arise... or just make it worse.

She snorted, "Then you and every other person I come across is being very nice to me. I guess that would mean I'm not much of a dancer." As if she would say that just to be nice. She was more the kind of person to point out your mistakes bluntly rather than give them a sugar-coated cover. When he mentioned eating some things raw she about spit her food out, "Ugh, how did you not die? I can't even touch raw meat without balking." At the thought Adalade shivered and took a sip out of the water skin.

((YOU DIDN'T GO THROUGH MY HARDSHIPS, I EARNED THE RIGHT TO USE THOSE WORDS!))

"I will certainly avoid that then." Bad, badder, and baddest things to say apparently. What caused her sudden scorn he'll never know. Then again with Adalade, he was always unsure of things. There were in a strange place with their...relationship. It was a friendship, but if he wasn't mistaken, there was something underneath that. Was it...desire? Lust? Had the two of them really been so far out of normal society then? There was something deeper to the two of them, and Narak wasn't sure exactly what.

Narak wasn't exactly sure how to figure out what was there either, without getting bitten by Adalade.

"Best dancer I've ever seen, or will probably ever see." Narak wasn't a stranger to dancers of course, in Essyrn there was a few of them, and in Ketra and Arca there was a multitude of them too. None of them could really compare to Adalade though, her dancing was so unique and different, it was rather entrancing and absolutely amazing. "As I said, it wasn't a smart choice." Now he cooked his food, or mostly cooked his food. Vegetables didn't have to be after all. Taking a drink from his water skin he sighed. "You know, I think I'll miss sleeping under the open sky. In the north, it either is much too cold, or it may be raining...though summer is approaching so..." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe I won't have to go without it then." That sort of cheered him up a little bit.

((O.o *stunned silence* WHAAAA! How was I supposed to know I couldn't use them?! T.T))

After listening to the music of the desert night and trying not to dwell on the silence, Adalade groaned, "Go ahead and ask, whatever it is just say it. I...I won't go biting your head off." She squeezed her eyes shut, at least she would try not to. Who knew, maybe one of his questions was one of the many she was pondering right now. She was nowhere near her monthly, there's one out of a million possibilities dismissed.

The wolf wondered if it was an easier being a man...

"Now I know you're being nice," she retorted, not to blow her own horn but she knew she was at least talented with dance... but she was no where near the best. "I can quite agree with it not being smart." Okay, she had to get off the topic of raw food before she lost her appetite. She smiled a little as she stared off into the flames, "I don't stay in towns long enough to sleep inside, I don't know what I'll do when we leave the desert. I think I might get a little homesick to be honest, I'd miss the desert stars the most. I always find myself wondering if they look the same in other countries." She might not have known their names, but Adalade used to fall asleep just watching the stars. It was as close to a home as she had.

(((You should have knoooooown! D8)))

"W-what? I don't...have any questions right now." He did of course, like what made her suddenly change...but that was rude and he was going to stop himself. He liked Adalade really, she was a nice young woman, despite her mood changes. He didn't understand women so he couldn't really say anything on it. Men and women probably weren't meant to understand each other...they were just supposed to love one another.

Hey that was pretty good.

"I'm being honest is what I'm being." Narak smiled as he looked over to her. He really was being honest, he had never seen a better dancer. He was slowly finishing his food, despite the topic of raw meat. It hadn't been a high point in his life, but it was better than starving right? "They do look a tad different, but not too much. And don't worry about the desert...I think I'll carry enough out in my shoes that I can make you a bed of sand to sleep on every night." He joked as he shook his foot slightly before laying back on the blanket, done with his food and looking up at the stars. "They are nice here though...really pretty."

((Psh, then make it one of the rules titled "Shizzy's list of words and phrases: DON'T TOUCH!"))

With a sigh that was somewhere between relief and aggravation, she let the topic drop and continued eating. It was strange, she was more than just exasperated when he didn't ask anything after all that and yet... calm about it. The wolf really had to work her emotions out before they drove her past insanity.

Giving the most serious look she could manage to force out, she countered with, "And so was I. I don't dish out my compliments so you should be happy with them." She wasn't going to believe him until he had believed her. Finally stuffed, Adalade took a sip from her water skin while listening to him. She hardly had enough time to swallow before she erupted into laughter, "I didn't say I liked the sand, I'll probably have enough stored some where in the bottom of my pack by now." With a soft smile she nodded, "Indeed they are." How she would miss the twinkle of the desert's midnight sky.

A minute later, Adalade was up on her feet. The night she didn't practice was the night she stopped breathing, slacking off was nowhere in her morals... and she had some things that she want to work out of her mind. Dancing was the only distraction she could think of. For example, now. While trying to toss her earlier mood change to the furthest place of her mind her body had unconsciously already started her stretch routine.

((Psh, I don't have time for something like that! And you're still using my word! D8<))

"Oh, then I am quite happy." It was much better now to just...not do anything stupid, agree with her and appease her, just in case. She was very unpredictable, and he didn't much like the idea of her deciding that she was going to...start walking to the next village right now. He'd probably never see her again, no matter how much he tried to find her. "It does tend to get everywhere you don't want it." He agreed with a small chuckle. Over his visits, he must have carried out at least ten pounds of the stuff accidentally. Not like it would be missed of course, the desert was massive.

There was only a moment's reprieve of silence until Adalade was on her feet again. She was going to start practising dancing then. Narak sat up and cleaned up the food stuffs, pointedly deciding NOT to watch her stretching session. He was in control of his emotions for the most part, and his desires, but there was no reason to tempt fate right? He almost thought about getting his lute out to strum her a tune but instead...he decided that he might join her. He came back around the wagon and grinned slightly.

"Want to teach me a few moves?"

((=P, Ha.))

Not grasping his words, she absently nodded. Two seconds later she did a double take, "You want me to teach you something?" Great gods above, what was she going to teach him...how was she going to teach him? Regaining her composure, she smirked, "I guess I could teach you a few things, don't expect me to go easy on you though. I also hate slow dances so try not to trip."

Her smile was a mask for the nervousness she was feeling.

Throwing him another grin, she began a short set of moves. Since she really had no knowledge of how well he could dance, she didn't do any that required her to move much out of her spot. Instead she did a slightly intermediate combination of arm movements and accurately placed steps ending it with one arm extended toward Narak, time to see how much he could handle.

((I believe I promised some retribution! B|))

"Well it would be nice, just in case some times I want to join you in dancing once in a while." After all, dancing could be fun, and a great way to relieve stress, and it was nice exercise. He wasn't used to trying a dance like this, as it was really different from what the people of the North did. However, he could pick up on a dance that she did, he was good at picking up things! Though, dancing might be a little. "I'll try to keep up as best I can." He told her simply. That was not the mindset of a teacher he was hearing, it sounded more like the mindset of a competitive person.

Narak focused on her dancing, and wondered just how hard it would actually be. The sand would be a factor for sure...though his shoes were usually good for not sinking all that much. He had to hope that would happen now. He watched ever so carefully, taking things in and trying to lock it into memory. When she was done, Narak closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He tried to focus and remember her moves, how her feet worked, what her arms had been doing...everything.

Exhaling and then taking another breath, Narak opened his eyes and began to dance. He thought he was doing quite well actually...there were few mistakes, but he wasn't altogether horrible. A few arm movements were messed up, but all in all when he extended his arm toward her and grin, he had done quite well for his first try.

((NO! I WON'T DO IT AGAIN! I SWEAR))

"Well, I would greatly enjoy the company," the wolf admitted, "Though warn me on when you plan on joining in, I'll have to find us some accompanists for the night." Adalade wished for her dancer's wear, it was different without the silk caressing her skin. Oh well, later, she didn't want the fabric to start coming apart so soon. To his comment about keeping up, she simply smirked.

Adalade studied his movements, much the same way he had done with her, and noted the quality of each individual set. Sure she wanted to wince when he twisted his arm the wrong way or stepped onto the wrong foot... but even she started off with as much grace as a rock. To be honest, he was quite talented for the first try.

She felt no need to throw praise his way, nor applaud, instead her approval was moving on to harder moves. Her lips twisted into a crooked smile as she backed-up a few more feet, her hips swaying with even this simple motion. Instead of fixing herself into a pose she was already off. Now she wasn't so cruel as to make things truly difficult, but it was more challenging than what he had just done. Not only were moves sped-up and spread-out, now she would drag them out or snap into them at the last minute. This time, she came to a halt kneeling toward him.

((YOU BETTER NOT! Also, I apologize for the liiiiittle godmoding I do in this post >_> It's minor and hilarious I swear!))

"Well if I didn't have to use my hands for any of the dances, I could probably play and dance at the same time." It'd be an absolute strain on his talents, and he was sure he'd almost be able to manage one of them looking or sounding like something normal, but sure, he could always try! Maybe he'd practise a few times so he could...get the rhythm and what not down pat, not trip over his feet and end up breaking the lute or landing in the fire. Both were pretty terrible things to have happen really.

It was his upbringing, his heritage, if you didn't learn, you died. He had to learn a lot of things over his life, this wouldn't be any different really! Of course, a lot of the stuff he had done was to survive...this was just to have fun. Maybe flirt somewhat with the pretty desert lady...but that was probably something to think about...a different time.

Yes.

It was time to watch her move into something different. This wasn't...okay this was perhaps just a little bit harder. He had to pay very close attention, and he sucked in every detail that was possible. This was a challenge that he wouldn't win, but he could still try his hardest damn it. Once more he had to close his eyes after she was done Okay Narak. You can do this. It's just like running but with a lot more style. And that's when he began. And that's when he failed, tripping almost right off the bat on the feet and the blanket, sending him..sprawling onto Adalade.

It wasn't graceful, but he bawled her over, pinning her somewhat beneath him. There was a painful sort of expression on his face. "Can...can we stick to the easy stuff?" He asked her as he looked down at her, staring into her face...well...more specifically her eyes.

((Oh I won't *cough, maybe, cough*. Haha it was funny and don't worry, I can stand that kind of godmodding.))

She gave a slight shake of her head and grinned at him through stray silver strands, "If you could manage both then you would put me out of business. Everyone would be gossiping about the merchant that could play and dance." It would be true, singing and dancing at once had been a trial in itself but playing an instrument was far more difficult than singing.

Honestly, she had figured on him picking up this next set fairly well. After all, he had already exceeded her earlier expectations. It was after he had already fallen onto her that she finally registered what had happened. At first she was more than a bit irked...but her anger didn't last long.

Adalade was going to scold Narak, she had warned him about tripping earlier, but when she stared up at him and met his evergreen eyes all the words got caught in her throat. Heat rose to her face as she gave a simple nod in response to his question, the only thing she could manage. She didn't want to move.

((I heard that! B| Ahem. Glad that you don't mind! I was worried cause I couldn't remember your limits xDD So I put in a note in and was all "Please don't hate me! D8"))

"And therein lies another problem, any alias would be useless if I began to dance and play an instrument. Or maybe I'd get a whole bunch of people telling me they heard of another merchant in a different country that could do the same...Nah, waaay too much publicity. Better stick to just dancing." Though that would earn a lot of publicity too, he wouldn't do it very often...it's probably for the best. He'd just not...tell her that. Though she'd probably figure that all out for herself.

Really. He had expected to do better than this but...he wasn't used to DANCING on sand, and she wanted him to do some very complicated moves. Not to mention the blanket had been in the way and all that sort of thing.

Now they were in a really interesting position weren't they?

Narak stared down at Adalade, their bodies pressed together despite him trying to support himself above her. This was...incredibly awkward wasn't it? She was blushing furiously, and even he had a light colour in his cheeks as he kept his gaze in her eyes. "I...guess that I should...get off you now." Narak spoke, somewhat cheekily to her as he tried his best not to laugh or grin like an idiot.

Hoo boy.

((^_^; Heard what? I didn't say anything... xD And don't worry about it, for a recap I'm fairly lenient on godmodding. That is as long as the person doesn't start controlling my character then it's all good.))

Adalade exhaled quite abruptly, too fast for a sigh, "The whole alias matter continues to confuse me to no end. Well if you see it that way." Only traveled together for two days and already the secrets had begun to worm their way under her skin. Still... two days was fast to become companions and confide even the smallest matters with the other. The wolf would just have to wait.

Her face simply got hotter and hotter. True she had never been intimate with a man before but she had expected herself to handle it in a maturer manner. Instead here she was just laying there blushing like an idiot. To top everything off, she didn't mind. The closeness of their bodies had her whole being blazing, despite the cold of the night, she had to fight the urge to wrap one of her legs around his own or place her arms around his neck. Adalade wanted to do things that she never would dare think about.

"You don't have to," came out before her lips could form the word "yes". Idiot, you fool! Fix this, quick! She opened her mouth again but no words would sound, instead she was stuttering like a drunken buffoon. UGH! Just close your mouth! Biting her lip to stop the babbling, she quickly turned her crimson face away so she could avoid his gaze.

Wonderful...

((xDD Sure you didn't. I'm onto you! B| xDDD Okay, I'll keep that in mind from now on then! Mwahaha!)))

"You'll get used to my little quirks and little...secrets eventually." While he knew that he could probably trust her, he still had a while to go before he told her a whole bunch of things about his life. It was hard to open up to someone about this sort of thing. After all, it had only been two days...it was hardly enough time to really get that close to someone, at least in his books. This was a beautiful weaving, their friendship, and there were loose threads on his end that could unravel everything if she decided to tug on them. So he would have to be very...very careful.

A lot more careful than he was with his dancing apparently.

The two of them were so close now, and perhaps it was the proximity that was getting to them. They were only people after all, they were human with very human emotions, and very complex...problems. Now though...it was just the two of them, him laying on top of her while she just blushed furiously. The right thing to do would have been to just roll off and help her up and never speak of this again...but she wasn't protesting this particular situation. In fact...when she spoke...

It seemed the complete opposite. "...Really now?" That made him grin ever so slightly. So she was okay with this then was she? Well that was certainly something he didn't expect to hear her say. He could do any number of things now...and perhaps if he wasn't such a...relaxed and calm person...he might actually try something. Like kissing her...perhaps on her neck or her lips...gently nibbling even...

But no. They had just met. While he couldn't deny they couldn't have feeling for each other, deep lustful feelings...this was probably a very bad time to go exploring them. Out in the open, close to the village? "If only if only." He said softly before he began to move, rolling off her and standing up, offering her a hand to help her up. "We...we should just stick to dancing for now."

For now. Maybe down the road they could explore more but...for now...they'd just have to settle with dancing.

((>.> I-I didn't...! o.o I don't think evil laugh is a good sign. And payback with a little godmodding of my own, more like Adalade's incapability to function after a situation like that.))

"Naturally," I hope... If she couldn't deal with secrets over a course of two days how could she manage a couple weeks? Months? Deciding to travel with him took trust, obviously he trusts me a little in turn. Best not to push it past its limits for now. Adalade would hate to lose him as a friend because she pried too far too soon.

Though...their current situation went beyond a two-day trust.

His response to her little hiccup shocked her silent. The wolf couldn't turn her head for fear that his expression would not be a pleasing one, but her tail twitched nervously beneath her in anticipation. What would it be like? Would things change between them afterward? She needed to worry less about those trivial matters and start worrying more about why she was so excited. Lust had never been a problem for her...mostly because she disliked the male race largely enough. Could it be the wolf side? No, likely not. The wolf in her would be searching for a mate not a partner for cold nights. However, her thoughts fell silent at the sound of his voice.

Yes he was right, if only-.... What did he mean by "If only"? Before she began to probe the matter, weight disappeared from above her... he got up. All the color drained from her face and soon a disheartened disappointed expression replaced her flustered one. "Yeah... of course," she met his eyes and took his hand more as to play off her sudden change in mood. Best to play this off as though it never happened.

Dancing didn't seem to be in either of their stars tonight though.

Upon taking his hand and hauling herself up, Adalade's feet got caught on the other and sent her sprawling into Narak. Since she wasn't falling backward, and simply being lighter than the merchant, the wolf couldn't plow him over like he had her. Yet it was just enough to send her back against him. Was it coincidence that her face had been tilted up toward his when this happened? Who knows, but this small detail had her lips collide with his. The action was light and only lasted a second before the wolf gained her bearings and practically jumped away from him.

Spinning on her heels, she quickly threw out, "Right well...Easier correct?" Adalade tried to focus on the moves... yet they were too simple to require much thought. Now she was free to dread over the past several minutes. Narak's fall, her embarrassing confession that she didn't mind their position, his well covered-up rejection, and the trip that caused her to steal a kiss from him. The latest had brought heat back to her face. The connection had been soft and sweet not to mention being her first- Dance! Concentrate!

What a night.

((Bwahahaha, that's a good little thing to have happen now isn't it? xDDD Poor Narak and Adalade))

Sometimes his tongue was a little bit quicker than his brain, and sometimes it said things that he would have liked kept to himself. Like saying things he might regret, such as the interest in her not minding their situation. She hadn't wanted him to move...but then...what else could they have done? They were adults after all, not children with a libido problem. It could have just gone into some harmless...perhaps passionate kissing, but he wouldn't think that it could go too far. Though he kept thinking about her going into some sort of heat because of the wolf side.

This was a very awkward situation and time in his head.

He said nothing as he helped her up, she seemed...well they both appeared to not want to talk about it. Narak wasn't sure there was anything TO say at this point. It had been such a strange thing...and now...now there was more happening. "Th-" Narak didn't get the chance to say anything intelligent as suddenly she was pressed against him, having tripped, their lips suddenly meeting. There was great surprise, though he leaned slightly into it, as if wanting it. Parting was such sweet sorrow though, as their lips no longer touched and she leaped away from him. He couldn't particularly blame her, a hand went to his lips to let his finger tips dance across them. Had...had that...really happened?

There was no time to really think on the matter...as she was suddenly...into dancing again. Narak said nothing as he just rubbed the back of his head, trying to clear his mind of what had happened. Okay. That was pretty awkward, and he wasn't exactly sure if either of them would be willing to explore what just happened. It was probably better not to really...think on it.

"Y-yes. Easier. I don't think I'm...ready for the advanced things." It was probably just best to let things go back to the way they were. Oh this was turning out to be a very ridiculous sort of thing wasn't it? "Though uh...maybe we could take a little break. I'm starting to feel the heat...care for some water?" He asked as he quickly got a wine skin full of water and took a deep gulp from it. Okay...this was all just ill fate...nothing to worry about.

((Haha, sure. And I know xDD, I think I'm going to torment Adalade a little more.))

"D-don't worry, it's not too hard to pick up." Feeling foolish, the wolf stopped. Water....of course. She could have thought of that before she leaped back into dancing... "S-sure, water sounds great," there was the stuttering again. Would it never end?

Walking hastily over to her pack, Adalade grabbed her own water skin. He must hate her now for sure... At least she would hate her if she obviously didn't want anything to happen between them and she stole a kiss.... Not really knowing where Narak was, the wolf sat down next to her pack and let the desert breeze cool her blazing face. Unconsciously, her own fingers lifted off her water skin to caress her lips. It had all been so abrupt..what had his lips felt like again? What was the sensation that caused her to blush like a chaste maiden? (Even though she already was one.)

The weight from these thoughts was enough for her to close her eyes as to recall the situation. If one tiny skin-to-skin contact could pull such a reaction out of her, what would a passionate kiss summon? The very image her mind had conjured had her mouth dry.

Seemed like that night's horrors were not over for the young dancer though. Just as she raised the skin to her parched mouth it slipped from her hands. That's right, just fell right out. With a loud gasp and a stifled scream, she was on her feet glancing down at her soaked clothes... Could anything else possibly go wrong?

((Oh that is delicious evil.))

"Good, we should keep ourselves hydrated." It was a good way to just get away from all this awkwardness. He wanted to learn a few dance moves but instead he...well he wasn't going to really think about that anymore. It really wasn't very proper of him now was it? After all, he was the charming and kind rogue, not the perverted lecher. Still, even such a brief kiss it was sorta nice...though, it's not as if any of them had a chance to prepare for it. Their lips just sorta...bumped together awkwardly.

Still. It had been a nice bumping.

Ahem.

Narak was finding himself increasingly lost in his own thoughts though...just what should they do? Should they talk about it? Would that lead to the desire to explore these strange feelings deeper. For a man who usually had all the answers, and usually was able to think his way out of these things...he wasn't getting very far with it. Everything was becoming cyclical with him...leading in one big circle.

The only thing to cut his attention was a covered scream from Adalade, fearing the worst he quickly cut around the wagon only to find her...absolutely sopping wet. Narak could only stop, an amused smirk across his face as he put one arm over his chest, the other had its elbow resting in the palm of his hand, allowing him to place his hand in front of his mouth as he eyed her critically. "I must say...the wet dog look doesn't become you..." He noted carefully as he tried not to laugh.

"But I must say, I suppose it's good the water isn't cold and you aren't wearing white or I might just get an eyeful."

((Heehee, it doesn't end there.))

She didn't know what led her to believe she would escape before Narak found her like... that... Whatever it was it no longer existed as she stood there in mute horror. The wolf might have simply let his little joke slide by had it been any other night... but if he had wanted a show he could have had it... Better yet, she'd give it to him.

While her pants were white, the material was too thick to show anything but where the water had assaulted the fabric. "Nice to know, considering I'm not a dog," she stated bitterly, "As for your eyeful, that can be fixed." Was she slightly bitter for him not commenting on their kiss? Yes. Upset that every time they started into an intimate situation he made it short-lived? More than slightly.

With rationality dissolved and anger taking over, a different Adalade seemed to emerge. Giving him one more glare from her violet eyes, she started to strip. Right there. At first it was subtle, her sandals and bangles fell to the sand next to her pack. Next she let her now heavy white pants pool around her ankles. Lastly, she loosened the strings around her neck and untied the ties at the back of the leather corset. Once undone, she threw it over with the bangles and kicked her pants to pile on top of the rest.

Now she was anything but naked...though she came quite close. Her white undergarments covered her chest and sex well enough but they left more to the imagination than anything she had donned. Still quite indignant, Adalade rose her nose up in the air and walked past him and into the back of the wagon to look for her previously discarded dancer's clothing.

((Oh you are just plain evil and cruel.))

"It wasn't meant as an insult Adalade, but wolf was a little difficult to use." He explained quickly, really hoping he hadn't...oh yeah, he had gotten on her bad side. Narak was almost completely sure that the air around them had gotten considerably colder, and ice might start forming on her. That'd be a pretty bad look wouldn't it? He tried not to think of it but then...but then something VERY odd was happening in front of him.

She started to strip.

Well, actually she removed her bangles and sandals, and prepared for the worse. A flying tackle from Adalade accompanied by a savage beating. He even braced himself somewhat, expecting that there would be some pain coming his way. Boy could he have been more wrong. Incredibly wrong. The scene before him was the exact opposite...perhaps meant to inspire...well he wasn't even sure. She was taking off her clothes! She was really just stripping off her clothes right in front of him. He didn't say anything, but his mouth hung open in shock and surprise.

She didn't strip out of everything but...she was very close to it. Everything was left to his imagination...and his imagination was working overtime. Finally...finally Narak realized what had just happened, and with cheeks red from both anger and embarrassment, chased after the dancer. He was quick, and bolted in front of her to impede her path. "What the hell is with the temper tantrum? I'm sorry if I teased you but I couldn't think of anything else to say! Suddenly you become the Ice Queen of the desert though?"

Maybe he wished he had picked up that nice Adalade from the side of the road in the desert. Apparently he had found the other one that had jumped out.

((Haha, don't deny the fact that you're enjoying it.))

Narak was fast wasn't he? Oops, appears that her little show had accomplished its goal and more. Well according to his flushed face and tone of voice. Adlalade tried her best to keep her voice even as she locked eyes with him, "Tantrum? Well, maybe I'm tired of being teased everytime I turn around. I guess I didn't realize how much you enjoy playing with a girl's feelings, being the "dashing and charming stranger" and all."

"As for something to say, what about something to dry off with? Offering to give me space to change? I would have gone for anything but laughing after all the little incidents we've had tonight," she stopped for a breath before she went right at it again. "Besides, you seemed slightly disappointed at not getting to see anything so I thought I might indulge you."

((Oh I am don't you worry!))

He didn't want to snap at her, but a man could only take so many damned mood changes before he had to say something. Narak had to speak up about it because damned if he couldn't take much more of this. It was confusing the hell out of him and while he could try his best to keep his mouth shut and not say anything...but this felt like a great opportunity, better than any really. "Because I'm not used to getting close to someone! I keep people at a distance so things don't end up like this! You could have said something too! I didn't know that I was playing with your feelings, it was hard to figure it out when you were always changing your attitude every second!" Oh this was actually really nice...the two of them probably REALLY needed this.

An outlet.

"So what if I was disappointed?! Could you blame me?! You're a damned tease, unintentional maybe, but still one none the less! It's hard to be a man, and trying to keep someone at bay when she flounces her beauty and assets about!" Narak didn't care if it didn't make too much sense but damn it...he found it really hard when she was dressed so little all the time, and dancing, showing off her body and flaunting it while maintaining some form of innocence. It was slightly aggravating...but it could just be that the heat was finally getting to him?

He didn't even know, but it felt good to vent.

((Haha, exactly.))

Narak's outburst had the wolf stunned. Sure she had expected him of being angry, counted on it even, but it was strange to hear him yell. After all, Narak had been the calm smooth type. "I'm not either! I normally can't stand people so I rarely even bother with them! What did you want me to say?! 'Oh Narak, hey can you please tone the joking down a little? I need time for my feelings to become clear'. And for your information that's me, "Adalade the crazy bipolar dancer"! Sorry if you couldn't figure it out before but you know now!" Fabulous, now her mouth had taken over. She didn't want to yell back but she had no control of her tongue now, Adalade could only pray that it didn't cause more problems.

Hopefully.

She was affecting him from merely dancing? Sure she had curves but there were girls out there with more. Besides, not every man found the slight muscles that came with a dancer's build attractive. "I didn't realize that I was teasing you so," she tried to keep her voice guarded, "Maybe you should have mentioned that it was becoming a problem. If you like I can go and slip into something much more modest, or would you rather I stay here so you see these "assets" while it isn't unintentional?"

"Yes! That would have been nice! It would have been great to hear that! Then I might have known instead of having to play mind reader with you!" If there was one thing, oddly enough, that Narak didn't like to deal with was people who weren't upfront. He liked it better when people were honest with him funnily enough. It was weird but...then things would turn out like this. A rather heated yelling and screaming argument. Well at least they hadn't devolved into hitting each other.

Yet.

"What was I supposed to say? Tell you to stop dancing, tell you to stop doing what you love? I would hate someone if they told me to stop selling things to people! And I'd rather if you just..." Narak took a deep breath and closed his eyes. What the hell was he supposed to say? It was great to have a woman half naked? He put a hand up to the bridge of his nose. Gods if he could only go back in time and just...behave. Narak was a man who could control himself right? So what was going on. "Go...and do as you wish Adalade. I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." He said finally, his eyes opening as he tried to put a smile on his face. "Everything is just...this is all new and different for me...it's well outside what I'm used to...so I apologize. It will take a little time for me to adjust to it I think."

"Well, forgive me if I find it a tad bit challenging to open up to people, that I'd just met, fully! Especially when they don't do the same! I haven't complained though!" Of all the gull he had, trying to make her feel guilty for not confiding in him when he had shared so little with her. Ugh, the nerve!

Even if he had commanded her to cease dancing she never would have. If he dared, she would have just relieved him of her presence and continued to share her trait elsewhere. Maybe her feelings wouldn't be so damned confusing anymore... The wolf waited patiently for him to continue, the last thing she needed was to be scolded for interrupting his thoughts. She dearly wished he would hurry and make up his mind though, just because it was the middle of the desert didn't mean that it was still sweltering.

Upon hearing his apology, a look of shame masked Adalade's face. She had fully taken part in the yelling and, in a way, started this whole mess. "No... I'm sorry. I guess I took some of my frustration out on you and I shouldn't have. If you want me gone then I understand." With eyes downcast, she walked past him and collected her dancing attire. There she slipped the articles on, until her other clothes dried, this time she tied the ribbon around her exposed stomach like bandages...more elegant bandages with a slightly smaller bow in back to keep from "teasing" him. Nothing she could do about the top...

"You think it's easy for me? It's incredibly hard to tell people about me since I've been lying to most people over my life to survive." It was incredibly difficult for him, and he had told her his REAL name! He even told her what his life was like when he was young. It was very hard for him to tell her anything that was a complete lie...and then he wanted her to accompany him! He actually felt comfortable enough to bring her along with him, into his world...all the goods and the bads.

That took...a lot for him to do, but he saw potential in it, he saw that he could do some good...that he could improve a life, perhaps many lives with this. She'd see all the good and the bad.

It terrified him in a way!

"I don't want you gone Adalade...we just...are a very odd pair of people." He didn't want to say couple, he didn't want to say friends cause...he had no idea just what they were at this point. They could have been anything really...after the...few incidents together there was no telling just what they were. Narak fetched her wet clothes and began to lay them out on the bench of the wagon, knowing they'd dry faster there. When he was done he went back to his blanket by the fire and took a seat on it.

This was going to be awkward wasn't it?

Now this had Adalade feeling guilty again, "Your right, I'm sure it was anything but simple..." Her life might not have been as quiet as many, but she never had to worry about hiding her name. When compared to the merchant, the wolf's life must have been next to normal and dull.

And of course, he was right again. They were a strange pair indeed. There was no telling where things would go or what would possibly happen next. "Thank you, you didn't have to do that," her lips formed a slight smile, he didn't have to help with her clothes. It should have been her making amends. But without knowing what else to say, she took a seat next to her pack and stared out at the horizon of sand.

Stress...

That's all it must have been. Just some stress wasn't it? They just had some stress building up that they needed to release. Of course, there were many ways for them to relieve stress, and who knows, a few minutes ago when they were...enjoying their closeness, they could have relieved a whole lot of pent up stress and frustration. That would have certainly been...interesting to say the least now wouldn't it? Of course, Narak had managed to...dissuade those sorts of things from happening, as best he could. Then it needed a new outlet and yelling at each other was what came to mind.

"Well, didn't want them to stay wet after all...thought you might appreciate it too." Then they could be a little more relaxed then couldn't they? Try and put it all behind them and stop themselves from feeling a little silly...they'd just have to...move on.

Move on as best they can.

Now there was silence...and they were sitting in the darkness, well...moderate darkness, the fire was turning to embers...and things were becoming a little...awkward perhaps. Narak was still unsure if he should actually say anything though...for fear of what he might say. It could be anything really...

"I-..I do appreciate it. Thank you..again." Trying not to let her awkwardness show, Adalade busied herself with reorganizing her pack. Gently moving things around and even adding her bangles to the bunch. What to do? She truly wasn't tired... not after all that yelling.

But the silence was deafening her, if he didn't say something soon she would be forced to use sleep as an excuse for escaping it.

"It's...it's not problem Adalade." Narak told her softly, trying to make up for mistakes. He had been a bit of a...jerk perhaps, they both had been kind of...mean to each other, said some heated words they no doubt regretted but...at least now they could make up for things couldn't they?

"...I worry about a lot of things Adalade. I worry that I'll be caught and hung....I worry that I'll leave a lover with child and she'll have to abandon it...I worry that I'll make powerful enemies who will make me and anyone I care about suffer...I worry that my parents...my real parents...could get hurt, that they'd lose what they had built, what my family had built...and...so I'm scared Adalade. Scared of relationships...scared of...getting too close to anyone." Narak said finally as he looked over to her, a contemplative expression crossing his face. "But I'm only human...and I'm only a man. I succumb to things just like any other man...no matter how much I smile and try to say that I am a professional...some things are just...bred into me." Narak spoke quietly to her. It was his duty to pass on the Indermere name, and who knows, the child might be accepted into the family better than he might...

But he was still nervous...still worried...still...just a man.

It might not have been, yet she felt like after all that he had no obligation to do so. She should be the one assisting him not the other way around... As long as they didn't have anymore screaming outbursts things would improve.

Adalade was quiet as he spoke, listing off his fears. What could she say in response to such a statement? She never worried about being killed, even the skirmishes she had been in never haunted her. With her parents dead, there was nothing left of theirs to destroy but herself. As for lovers... the thought had never come up until recently. She was only able to meet his gaze once, make it clear she hadn't ignored him. Though with nothing to say, she could only let her eyes fall back to the glowing embers.

Despite looking at him, it would have been nice had she said...well anything. It was a little frustrating to put that all out in the open like that and the only thing the other person could muster was to just look at him. He didn't say anything though. If that's how she was going to be then that's how she was going to be. Narak stood up and shook his head...heading to the back of the wagon and getting two bedrolls out. He put one down beside Adalade, and then took his and started heading to the other side of the wagon. "I'll wake you up in the morning when breakfast is ready." And with that, he set up his bedroll, stripped out of everything but his leggings and crawled into the light cloth of the roll and shook his head.

He couldn't wait for this day to be just over.

Oh by the sands had she blown it. Normally people can't get you to shut up and stop from shouting your opinions... The one time you needed to say something you ignore it... She would be sure to talk to Narak in the morning, apologize for not getting it out tonight.

Crawling into her own bedroll, she tried to will sleep. It evaded her. The wolf had only managed to doze a few times before the dark sky started to to turn a bright crimson. Morning... Well, she couldn't make things any worse today.

Narak's sleep wasn't any better, he had been quite bothered by how things had turned out, though he managed to find slumber, he tossed and turned tirelessly until the sun broke from the darkness and began to illuminate the world. He slowly woke up, getting a drink from his water skin before he put together a small fire...on his side of the wagon. Of course, he had chosen the side where the sun wouldn't touch just yet, so they wouldn't be blinded while eating breakfast.

Narak began to put some food on for the two of them, a bit of bacon, some bread, and some eggs...something light that wouldn't be too bad. Then, while it cooked, Narak walked around the side of the wagon, still only wearing just his pants, to retrieve Adalade. And there she was in her bedroll. "Adalade." He spoke softly as he knelt by the bedroll and put a hand gently on her shoulder. "Breakfast is almost ready."

If the slowly growing onslaught of light hadn't made morning painstakingly clear then the smell of cooking food was, her stomach wouldn't allow her to forget. She was so exhausted that she almost didn't hear Narak walk up behind her. Rolling over, she was shocked to find him shirtless; fatigue was a hard driver though and kept a blush at bay. "Alright." With a yawn she got out of her bedroll and stretched. A nap was a necessity for later.

Ugh, since I was up the entire night I should have thought of some things to say... If I don't say them now then I'll be out of time to say them later. "Narak..." Adalade tried her hardest to lock eyes with him and not the grains of sand below, "It's unforgivable that I was silent last night... True, I'm not good with these things, but there is no excuse for it. You trusted me enough to say something and I just sat there."

"I understand that you have every right to be afraid and would have a hard time trusting people because of it. I'm glad that you have been honest with me, took the risk. I won't ever betray you or sell you out, I'll help you if I can. You're a good man, one your father should be swelling with pride over despite the circumstances, I don't see how you could destroy what your parents have. Don't worry about enemies because I'll make them all and keep them out of your hair and out of your families, I have a few already so I'm an expert. As for a lover, if she's great enough to catch your eye and your love then she'd fight to keep your child," perhaps it was just the lack of sleep, but she wasn't worried about him angering over what she said. It was all just flowing out now. She'd fret about consequences later.

Her violet eyes were soft as she continued, "If you didn't have desires, weaknesses, or fears to fight then you wouldn't be human. I would have been very concerned if you were always as happy as you seemed while I continued the bipolar act. But if there's anything I can do to help any of these then please let me know. If I can ease a little of the worry then I would gladly do it." Shoo, that had to be the most passionate little speech she had ever made.

The smell of eggs and bacon made her stomach growl viciously, Adalade couldn't help but blush, "Sorry, I may have just caused the eggs to burn."

Narak was standing up and about to turn about to leave when she spoke his name. Her eyes locked with his and he kept her gaze. "I don't mind it...was something I just needed to say." Better to play it off as that then to act like a wounded dog with his tail between his legs right? He didn't...he didn't care all that much, don't get him wrong though, it would have been nice to have her say something instead of just look at him. He wasn't going to get caught up on that sort of stuff though.

Until she started to talk again.

He stopped smiling and looked a lot more...thoughtful...almost sad. He had trusted her...and took the risk to tell her these things. It had been scary to say the least. Pouring his heart out to someone was not something he could do lightly. Not in his line of work, which was a cross between the mild pleasantries of a merchant and the excruciating danger of a thief and a sometimes spy. The things he knew about people were out of necessity usually, they could be used for when he needed to get out of a dungeon, or to help someone out of a sticky situation.

At least he had a friend by his side, Adalade would be there to help him then. That was always nice to know. She was wrong about destroying his family's fortune, their reputation, but he wouldn't let her know that. It didn't matter at this point. He was going to continue as he was now, selling things as a travelling merchant. That was his life now...that's how it always was going to be. He was fine with it...after all, with how old he was now, he'd be all moved out and on his own now...so what would be the point of trying to reconcile with his father?

It was all okay by him though.

He smiled at what she said though. "Thank you Adalade...that is something that I definitely needed to hear to put my fears to bed." And just before he was able to reach out to her and pull her into a hug...her stomach decided to intervene. He winced ever so slightly at the bad timing, but was also thankful for the reprieve. "I think we'll be fine with a bit of burnt egg. Let's go eat shall we?" And then a charming smile to go with it before Narak headed back to the other side of the wagon. Indeed, the Eggs were starting to become a little overcooked, but Narak quickly got them off the pan and onto some plates before any serious harm could come to them. Whew. Almost, but not quite now!

"Almost ready...bacon is taking a little bit, you should grab us a couple of water skins." Narak told her as he took the toast off as well before it burnt, looking to her with a smile.

Adalade offered the merchant a smile in return, it made her feel like she had atoned for her actions the previous night. Was that a wince though? Had the noise truly been so loud? It had been to her. "Yes, I'm starving." The strangest of thoughts came to her head as a light blush retreated; nothing unusual as of late. She was always so hungry and ate like there was no tomorrow, if she ever had children how would she be able to tell the difference? Appetite would certainly be crossed out.

She had just rounded the side of the wagon when he asked for the skins, returning his smile once more, she nodded, "No problem. I'll be right back." First, Adalade wanted to change. Maneuvering back around the wagon, she collected her clothes from the bench and quickly changed. It was a relief to find no dampness trapped within the thread. Her white pants and sleeveless corset were going to be a huge relief during the hotter hours.

"Here we are," she wasn't quite sure how long it taken her to get changed and pack up her dancer silks but she figured she had made good time. At least this was the delusion she had as she passed one of the skins to him.

"Well, we did burn a lot of energy yelling at each other didn't we?" Narak chuckled lightly, trying to make light of the whole thing now. He was actually quite hungry himself, and they'd need a lot of energy for today no doubt. That of course depended on where they were going, if they were going at least. She might want to stay another day after all, earning a bit more money.

It took her a little while to get back, and he wondered what had been taking her until he saw that she had changed into her other clothes once more. That made a little bit of sense. He almost wished he had peeked in on her but it was probably best not to go down that road again wasn't it? He smiled and nodded as he took one of the skins from her. "Thank you very much. Here you are." He told her as he passed her a plate in return.

Narak popped open the water skin and took a drink from it before he began to dig into his plate of food. Ah this was going to be a rather good meal wasn't it? Now everything had passed between the two of them and well...it wasn't altogether bad now was it? Though it was already starting to get warm, it was the desert, he had to expect that now didn't he? He couldn't wait for when he could get up in the morning and it would be cool for a while.

((Sorry in advanced for short posts the next few days.))

Yes they had, it hadn't been the way she had wanted to spend that energy though... Sigh, the past was the past and that's where it needed to stay. "Thanks." After taking the plate she had about collapsed back into the sand. Adalade didn't waste time admiring food she simply dug in. Burnt or no, the eggs were still great. At least her stomach hadn't complained any.

After eating enough to appease her stomach, the wolf spoke up, "So, are we staying here or moving on?" She might not be acting like it, but she was ready to see something other than sand. If it wasn't for the lack of sleep she might actually have been jumping everywhere with excitment.

((Ahh s'all good!))

If he had been hungry, it seemed like Adalade was simply starving. She was...without a doubt...wolfing down her food. Narak smiled to himself at that thought, but didn't dare say it out loud. Saying something like that apparently was NOT a very good thing to do, and he couldn't really blame her either. It was inaccurate, and it was derogatory to her. Still...she seemed REALLY hungry.

"Well, we could go, I don't think there will be much money made after last night's performance." Narak told her as he put his plate down and took up his water skin, idly sipping from it. "I usually like to keep moving until the big cities, the small places are good for at least a day." He knew from experience that it was usually better to just keep moving until you hit a big city. It was nothing against the people, but they usually had better things to spend their money on.

((Work, don't you just love it?))

"Sounds fine to me, I'm ready to move on." She smiled cheerfully as she set down her plate and took a much more delicate and controlled sip from her water skin. "All the money surprised me though. Normally I don't leave with more than a few coins but last night was different. Don't go thinking me stingy, I had a great night."

The bad to accompany it didn't rise to mind. Adalade could only think about how much fun she had dancing and seeing a girl break out of her shell and enjoy herself.

((No not really! xDD))

"Then after breakfast we shall pack up our things and head on our way." Yeah, like it was going to take much to get Narak to want to move on. Wanderlust was born into his body after all, as was being a merchant of the road. That meant keep moving, and keep moving until you looped around the world over and over again. And he would do that, and she would be with him, wouldn't she? Interesting thought to say the least.

Narak was finished and he began to get everything organized...cleaning his plate with a wet cloth and then putting it away. He also put out the fire, though it didn't matter too much...it was just a courtesy after all. "I'm glad you enjoyed it...you even taught that girl well...I knew you'd be a good teacher."

((Haha, it can't be that bad. *Sits and thinks about it* On second thought... it is.))

Adalade grinned, "Then tell me what to do and I'll help." Oh to see the world! To hear about them was one thing, it was another to take it all in with your own eyes was another. She was nervous about how her dancing would be precieved in other countries... The last thing the dancer wanted to do was to give the desert art a bad name.

The wolf merely blushed but kept her head over folding her dancer clothes nicely and tucking them saftly into her pack. "It wasn't me, she caught on too quickly for it to have been my doing. No, she was born with the talent. I'm for certain that if we ever return I'll be put out of business in this tiny corner of the desert." Indeed indeed.

((Yes, yes it is! Sorry this took so long!))

"Well, we have to pack away the blankets and bedrolls, cover the fire pit, put away the trough for the camels, and hook the camels back up." Narak told her as he shrugged his shoulders. "If you want to do any of those, I wouldn't mind." He would have to hook the camels back up of course, but he didn't mind if she rolled up the blankets and bedrolls really.

"Oh, I don't think that anyone could dance better than you. If she was born with the natural talent, then it was you who awoken that talent. And just cause she has the talent, doesn't mean she knows how to use it, she will need a teacher." Narak commented as he finished cleaning up and began to go hook up the camels to the cart. They wouldn't be particularly happy but they had enough rest for now. He didn't want to return them with a lazy attitude.

((You're fine, you don't have to keep apologizing about it ^-^))

The instant he had started the list she was already about...after cleaning her own plate of course. Deciding to first take care of the fire while she was there, she got what she believed to be the easiest task of them all out of the way. Next she made her way to his bedroll and started to gather the blankets. Now she felt like she was helping.

Narak sure knew how to make a woman blush didn't he? "Really, I'm not the best. You should have seen my mother, all she had to do was walk and heads turned," smiling, the wolf reminisced about her mother's charm as she continued to contently fold the blankets. "Besides, any dancer could have awoken her talent. Even a talented musician. Perchance it was your playing that got her to come up instead of me?" Adalade knew she was exceptional... just hearing it from him affected her so. "As for teaching, she will just have to teach herself. I'm ready to see the world and for once get all the sand out of my pack."

((You can't stop me!))

While he wouldn't require her to help him with the chores, it made things a LOT faster to do. They would be able to get themselves ready and organized quicker than if he did it all by himself. Narak could definitely be thankful that she knew what she was doing, so it wasn't a disaster or that he wouldn't have to do it all himself. Though, if he thought about it, he'd probably just teach her, making it easier on all of them.

"I don't think your father would have appreciated me watching his wife. There might be some misunderstandings...more so if I told him his daughter said I should." Despite how terrible it all might have been, he would have to admit that would be a hilarious situation to find yourself in. He was sure it would end with him getting attacked, but it would be one of those stories you could tell at a tavern for some good laughs! "You're giving me too much credit, and you not enough. I don't think you quite realize just what you managed to do last night. In time however I think you will." He told her sweetly, grinning as he poked his head around the side of the wagon. "The sand is never quite gone, I could be up north for months and still find little piles of it in my clothes or wares."

((No one ever said I couldn't try!))

Adalade was used to dealing with blankets and bedrolls, seeing as her parents had carried them around. She was a bit out of practice as she never had weighed herself down with one. The process was still a fast one as she got them all loaded up and moved on to the camel trough.

It was a good thing that she hadn't been touching the trough or she would have broken it. The wolf laughed so hard that she actually fell to her knees clutching her stomach. Oh it would have been a sight indeed. Her father probably would have lunged for the merchant, roughed him a quite a bit, then stand up laughing as though nothing had fazed him. "My father got really defensive over my mother, you might not still be alive after he was through with you," she finally said while standing, her eyes wet from laughing so hard. "My mother would have just stood off to the side trying to pretend she was concered but truly trying not to laugh."

((True, but you won't succeed, so we should just go for tea!))

The rather hearty laughter that he got out of Adalade spoke volumes didn't it? He was glad that he could get her to laugh so, she did have a very nice laugh. It was good to have someone around, someone to talk to. It was...always nice to have someone to talk to. The two of them wouldn't probably admit that out loud but they really did seem to enjoy talking to each other. The two of them may not have been the perfect couple, but they clicked and butted heads in just the right way that it was okay.

"Which is why I usually make it a point not to flirt with married women." Narak told her as he strode from around the wagon, finished with the camels. He went over and grinned at her though. "Now, let's finish getting packed up so we can get on the road. A new world awaits you Adalade, we don't want you to have to wait do we?" He asked her simply as he started on the trough, getting it taken it apart. He'd have to be careful with what he said...he was actually glad that the comments and conversation about her parents had elicited some sadness. No, it was definitely good that she laughed and remembered them fondly.

((Sigh, if I must... I don't much care for tea.))

Catching her breath, finally, Adalade stood. She felt guilty for making him take care of the trough when she could have done it. Though the wolf didn't regret the laughing, it had been too long since she had her stomach hurt because of it and she would enjoy ever minute it happened. "Oh leave me be," she said grinning at the merchant, "If I wish to squander my time with laughing then let me. I've waited many years to see places beyond Essyrn and I so I can wait a little longer."

Picking up anything else left laying around, the wolf depositted them into the back of the wagon and climbed in. She was fidgety, not because of the wait but from lack of sleep and last night's events reacquainting themselves with her. Hopefully they didn't have many more little outbursts like last night.

((Oh no, you can have hot chocolate if you want, I don't mind!))

"Hey, I'm okay with you laughing, but when it's about me getting beat up by your father, that's when I think time can be used a little more wisely!" Narak told her as he stuck his tongue out at her. Sure she was really just laughing at him in some way, but it was just playful after all so he wasn't actually hurt. Still, it had sounded like she had been really...really laughing. Of course, she wasn't the one getting beat up by someone's dad in a fictional idea!

Getting onto the wagon beside her, he set the camels off in motion.

When they were back onto the road, Narak set the reigns down and sighed, shaking his head. Things were kind of nice now...more relaxed...good pace really! "You're going to like the ocean Adalade. And we'll be going to the Tuor sea too...which is a really good way to go." Last night he remembered a village near the ocean's edge that they could stop at. He really wished that he had a messenger hawk or something to get a message to his friend with the horses. No matter though, they'd meet up with his friend, grab the horses, head west and she could see the vast ocean before her.

He wondered if she'd have culture shock.

((YAY! It's been so long since I've had hot chocolate and it's starting to get cold here.))

Adalade stuck her tounge right back out at him, two could act slightly immature, "I would laugh the same way had it been me on your end... maybe not. Anywho the point is that time spent laughing is time much more smartly spent than worrying." And she wished she had spent more of her time doing just that over the years instead of being alone and solitary.

Finally they were moving. "The sea," she said with a dreamy sigh, "Is it true that the water is filled with salt? Can one swim in salt water? Is the sand there anything like desert sand?" The wolf had many more questions but feared she would overwhelm Narak before she got any decent answers.

((I know, I haven't had some in forever and it is delicious.))

She stuck her tongue out at him! How dare she! He had half a mind to kick some sand at her and call her a stupid head. Well...no he had maybe a tiny portion of a mind to do that. It'd be really immature after all. "Well, isn't that the truth? Much better time spent really. Laughing always is though." He liked her little outlook on laughing, it was actually a very nice little saying. He'd have to keep that in mind for future reference. Use it sometime when he needed to.

"Slow down Adalade, before I can't remember the questions. Yes, the sea is filled with salt, and you can swim in it. I'm told people actually swim better in oceans than freshwater, that they float better or something along those lines...and the sand isn't exactly like the desert sand...it's a little less dry, but it's not too different really." She definitely had a lot of questions didn't she? Not that he minded of course, it gave them something to talk about after all.

((Indeed indeed))

"I wish I could have learned to take my own advice before now. Maybe I could have spared you and many others from a few harsher words." The past was in the past though. She would worry about future skirmishes or... accidents later. For now the excitement from traveling was already getting to her.

Adalade blushed when he pointed out her over-enthusiasm. Hearing about the ocean was worth the slight embarrassment though but it only kindled the curiosity. "How long will it take us to reach there? Will we have a chance to stop at the ocean for a day?"

"Sometimes we don't see the forest for the trees. Uh...sometimes we don't see the night sky for the stars?" It was hard to use a saying that only applied to people who knew what it was he was talking about. She hadn't BEEN to a forest, she hadn't seen trees before, at least, not on the scale that he was talking about. Still, he could always put it into application some other way.

"I think we should be able to stop there for a day if you want. I've no problem with it really." He'd be able to stop by a few rivers on the way there and replenish their supply of water for the animals, and for themselves of course. That would definitely allow them time to rest at the ocean's edge. "I just realized that I'll probably have to teach you how to swim." Of course, Adalade had wolf in her, and those were usually good swimmers. They knew the doggy paddle, the most basic and useful of swims for new beginners.

It'd also mean she'd have to wear little clothes. A side thought of course, but he was still a man deep down inside. It'd be worth the trouble after all, something to help alleviate any problems that may arise. Ahem. Now he was just thinking dirty.

Giving the merchant a soft chuckle she said, "I do believe you have once again proven to be a man of many skills. How many quotes and sayings do you have crammed in that already talented head of yours?" Little he did shocked her now, she was becoming used to his new little quirks arising from the thin desert air.

A blush crept onto her excited features. "There are quite a few oases, swimming is common for a child living in the desert... but the bottom isn't hard to reach when you start growing..." With a flustered sigh she continued, "Yes... you will have to teach me..." There was nothing more embarrassing than admitting that she couldn't remember how to keep herself aloft in water and ever worse to picture how close they were going to get.

A scary thought after their few little experiences there, close and scantily clothed didn't seem to be the best scenario for the pair. Though she would be lying if she didn't say she couldn't...wait to see how it went... Swimming, after all, is something she should know!

"Sometimes I think that I have maybe a few too many. You know, I could probably stand to lose a few so I can fill my head with something else, something a bit more useful, like carpentry." He did always want to learn how to build things, and it was a noble profession really. Still, he'd rather be a merchant, there was at least a lot less work than a carpenter.

"I feel an admission coming..." She was blushing, and the end of her sentence had a very...continuing quality to it. She wasn't done...and after her flustered sigh he chuckled. "Everyone has to learn Adalade. Remember, the person teaching you had to learn as well. No one is born with lots of skills. Suckle, breathe, uh...make bad smells in a cloth diaper...very basic things. The more complex things though, people have to learn. I had to learn...and let me tell you, it's a lot harder to learn when your teacher is two men with a knife and a sword sword chasing you." Luckily they had to deal with holding into weapons, and wearing chainmail. He was very fortunate to have survived that...and the two men had also been fortunate. Too many people forgot how heavy things like that could be.

"But you'll be fine. No one chasing you there, though, I might if I can find a crab." Hey...she didn't know about those would she? Well, she might know about salted crabs probably...but she'd probably never have seen a real live crab before. That would be fun too! "Oh you are in for some treats. You've probably never seen some wild ocean life before. Heh heh heh heh." It was a nefarious laugh sure, but he was going to enjoy their little ocean stop. He was also going to make damn sure she'd get touched by a piece of seaweed.

It was going to be fun.

"Carpentry?" one of the wolf's light eyebrows rose, "I'm sorry but I can't see you working wood. Seems too calm and solitary for you." Nope, she just couldn't see it in his future... She wasn't a fortune teller though.

With her face still hot, she listened to him trying to ease her embarrassment. Oh it might have worked... had he been a woman. Narak wasn't though. With a woman she wouldn't care if she was half dressed and it would have been easy to admit the skills she was lacking. Adalade was shocked to find out how he learned. She probably would have drowned.

"Crab?" Her blush faded as curiosity arose. She sent some silver strands to fall across her shoulders as she shook her head. Adalade knew little about ocean life, she had heard tales of some sea creatures but knew little about them. Fish were about the only thing she knew about. That laugh... she imagined some mischief was behind it but payed it little mind.

"It was just a example really, I could do some other things with my hands besides sewing." Not that he didn't like sewing of course, it really was good! But she was right about carpentry being solitary. "While it's solitary, what's wrong with being calm?" He asked her as he looked at her with a slight grin on his face. He could so be a carpenter! Ahem, he wasn't actually sure that he wanted to be one though...

She still seemed to be blushing from his earlier comment! It was sort of nice. He didn't know why she cared, her dancer's outfit was probably a little more...ah...revealing than just her undergarments. Not that he'd know since he'd never seen them before in his life!

"Yes they're these little...creatures with six legs and two large uh...pincers." He held up his hands like they were pincers and snipped them a few times to show her. "They're for...grabbing things mostly. Ahem. You'll...you'll see when we get there." He dropped his hands and coughed uncomfortably. Little awkward to pretend he was a crab but...ahem.

"Hmm, what about swimming instructions for dancing lessons? Give you something else a little more exciting to pride over and me.. well I believe it's fair enough," she turned her head to try and hide another rush of blood to her face. "Calm just doesn't seem to fit with you very well. I have yet to see a moment like that will accompanying you."

Adalade shivered at his description and her ears went back in distaste, "They sound so... so ugly. Pincers? Six legs? Sounds like an aquatic deformed spider to me. I'm not sure I want to see one." Sure she was much larger than spiders, and as a wolf she was much more formidable than the little eight legged creeps, but after seeing a little boy from the plains with one as a pet she hated them... The boy was lucky she was too busy screaming to squish the stupid thing after it climbed on her.

"Hmm, it sounds like a good trade off. Just don't expect me to be the best of course. Both as a swimming teacher or a dancing student." Of course, as a thief he was proficient with his feet and with hand eye coordination, but dancing wasn't...dancing was just...it was something a merchant or a thief really needed to use. Of course, if he was going to help Adalade get over her fear of being a teacher, well he'd have to be a good student. "Calm fits me perfectly well, I can't believe you'd think otherwise, tch!" He liked to think he was a pretty calm person, but Adalade apparently thought differently. "Unless by calm you mean boring."

"They're actually kinda cute Adalade. Not like a spider at all. They can only move sideways, they're literally incapable of moving forward or backward, so they have to run left or right and go from there. It's very cute really. They can get pretty big in the deep ocean I hear, bigger than a fist, but on beaches they're usually quite small, usually able to fit on the palm of your hand with plenty of room." Narak assured her, trying not to scare her too much. She didn't seem very...happy with the idea of crabs, and really he couldn't understand why. They were adorable in their own special way. Hah, kinda like she was.

"Fair enough, considering I won't be a very good teacher nor the best student myself." Naturally swimming had been years ago for her and she had proven last night that she moved way too fast for him...had she known he would have tripped she wouldn't have tried something a bit more advanced. "No! Calm to me means sane opposed to boring. Any sane person wouldn't have picked up a wandering wolf off the side of the road and they would have left after our...arguement last night."

The dancer's back was stiff trying to hold back another shiver. Alright, so it was an aquatically deformned side-ways walking spider that didn't spin webs... she saw nothing cute about that. Spiders that were the size of your hand weren't cute so why should crabs? Pincers didn't sound very cute either. Guess she would just have to wait and see...

"Two people...bad students, bad teachers, this is going to be veeeery interesting." That was a good way to put it really. Though, Narak was sure that the both of them would do well in teaching each other. Something that he noticed, and quickly just...pushed away was that in both teaching and learning experiences, she'd be either wearing very little, or her dancers outfit...which was little as well. If he were a weaker man he might take advantage of that, or enjoy it altogether too much. "Hey now, calling me crazy is not the best use of words. I saw a person who might need a ride, and it wasn't like it could inconvenience me considering I could take any route I wanted." Plus she was in a dancer's outfit.

Only a fool would pass that up, and he did not play a lute and wear a bad hat.

Narak noticed her particular distress at the thought of them and smirked a little at her. "It almost sounds like you're afraid of them. They're not poisonous and they can't bite...yet you're kinda scared. Oh this is going to be interesting for sure." He was going to leave out other things about crabs, seeing as how she'd probably not want to do anything if she knew more about them. Wouldn't want to have her get scared after all.

"Indeed, but if you let me drown I'll make sure you don't end up a good dancer. Ever." Of course she wasn't serious...unless he did let her die in the ocean. She would rather roast out in the desert than be forced to remain in the water... not that either sounded like such a great fate. "I... I'm glad you did stop. I know it sounds stupid, but I never would have thought of leaving if you hadn't come riding up with that stupid grin and rather untimely innuendos," she retorted with a giggle.

No need to mention her little mistake as well.

"I'm not afraid!" She was horrified at the thought that he might actually be right. Adalade was afraid of spiders but crabs, hmph, not likely... Right? "Me, a wolf, afraid of a pathetic little sea creature?! Like I could be." No one ever said she had to admit anything...

"Well, that won't matter much since you know, you'll be dead. It's not a very good threat, though I suppose I will be a terrible dancer if I have no teacher." Still, he could find another person to teach him how to dance. Not that they would probably be as good as she was, but they'd be...decent. No substitute for the proper thing though! "Be nice now. My grin was charming and it wasn't innuendo, it was a pick up line. I was flirting thank you very much." Of course it had been a more...wordy and lengthy flirtatious line but it was still flirting!

"And...I'm glad I stopped as well Adalade." He told her with a charming smile. Just for kicks.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were when you almost bristled up like a cornered wolf...musta just been the wind." Narak said with a small teasing grin. He was just trying to have a little fun, and he hoped that she saw that. He really didn't want them to have another fight. "But I promise I won't let any of the sea creatures get you."

"Ah, I see. You would probably be happy to have me out of your hair wouldn't you? Though I do have a point, you'd have to find some other way to woo the ladies I'm afraid." At his quick defense to his charms, she chuckled. "What ever you say. To me it came out as an innuendo and your "grin" was more of something between a smirk and a sneer," Adalade teased.

Once again that day, she blushed. Her tail twitched as her heart started to pound within the confines of her chest.

The wolf was a little ticked at first. Why would you take someone's fear and chide it? Yet... she couldn't act mad. After all, she had said that she wasn't afraid. Instead she smiled at him from underneath her eyelashes and hopped down off the wagon bench. Ignoring him, she started humming and dancing on along beside the wagon.

"Oh you're right about that, with terrible dancing skills I will never impress the ladies." Narak agreed cheekily, trying not to say anything about what he could do to impress members of the opposite sex. He had his charms and his ways after all, but she wouldn't want to hear of those. It'd be rude and impolite anyway. "Smirk and a sneer? Now I just know you're being mean. It was most assuredly a knee weakening grin. It just doesn't work on ladies of such refinement and intelligence unfortunately." There, that should do a bit to help with things shouldn't it? She was a woman of intelligence really, so it wasn't lying or anything.

Narak watched as she hopped off the wagon, but said nothing. He knew what THAT meant. Despite her humming and her dancing alongside the wagon, it was clearly she was a little ticked at him. He hadn't meant anything by it really, people got scared, and were scared of different things. He had just been doing a little teasing, poking a bit of fun at her. "Keep dancing like this and we might be able to get a whole troupe to follow and dance with you." Narak said with a pleasant grin, actually wondering how that would look. A wagon coming down a road with a bunch of people dancing around it.

"That actually sounds kinda neat..."

The wolf shook her head with a grin as he admitted, for once, that she was right. Though Adalade knew he had other ways, he might not have known it...but she was beginning to feel the affects of some of them. Another chuckle broke from her, "Of course it was knee weakening, I almost couldn't keep a straight face or stay standing. You sure know how to make a girl laugh." Naturally, she was teasing him again. Payback for the other times. "Refinement? Intelligence? Ha! Girls of refinement don't get into fights with men, or snarl, or turn into a wolf. As for intelligence, no more than the average person. Never went to school but my parents taught me enough to survive."

"Maybe I'll keep it up, make you feel important with a whole bunch of pretty women dancing around your humble wagon," she smirked. The dancer wasn't mad any longer, it was hard to be when you couldn't find a reason for it any longer. The only thing keeping her from getting back in the wagon was the fact that she couldn't sit for that long. Being used to walking and all.

"Ohhhh, that hurts Adalade." Narak said as he put on a hand on his chest, pretending to have been hurt by her. He knew that she was just really joking around him, and that was okay really. It was good for them both to just joke and tease each other, it would take tension and pressure off of them. "I believe some of the Adela nobles would disagree with you, and I know of a countess in Serendipity who is a werewolf. Not exactly the same thing I know, but still, she's a lady of impeccable taste and refinement like yourself. And what is intelligence? I know of tons of people who could not survive out here, and you can. Intelligence is really just about relativity. You are plenty intelligent." Narak explained to her with a pleasant smile on his face. He meant that too, one could see the genuine expression that he wore. She just wasn't giving herself enough credit.

"I'd definitely feel important. I only feel sorry for the first person who asks how much one of you would be for the night!" Narak gave a shudder, just thinking about the poor hypothetical person. An earful would be the least of that person's problem. "How d'you feel about walking a little faster? I was thinking about getting these lazy camels going for a bit of a run."

The wolf gave him an innocent smile and flicked a strand of silver from her eye, "It's healthy for your ego. I think you'll manage to live." She never had realized how lonely and solitary she had been until the past few days. It was hard to imagine that in less than her week her life had turned upside down. Adalade wasn't complaining, it was a change she was pleased with. "Well, I'm no countess," she retorted, "And where do you get that I have impeccable taste? As for your other argument, anyone who was born in the desert would have to know how to live here, or they would die. Isn't it the same anywhere you go? You might as well call it instinct instead of intelligence..." Yet she found herself biting her lip at his smile, it was causing her to doubt.

Instead of laughing, Adalade blushed, "They would bring it upon themselves. If I had any protégées they would be under my complete protection and no creep would take even one breath toward them. I guess I'd be more of a body guard than a teacher." Or a mother... "Still, I would feel obliged to give him a full instruction of manners." The wolf had already done so several times in her life, that's where she made some enemies... Not all among the men.

Giving Narak a competitive smile, the dancer gave one of the camel's a pat. "Sure, but the pace would still be a bit slow for me. Oh well, shame, I was looking forward to a run."

"It can be healthy, but it still hurts." Narak told her with a small grin. It was definitely nice and refreshing, to have company like this. They were able to just enjoy themselves and not really worry about much. Narak didn't feel angry anymore, he did feel sorry, but he had apologized enough and didn't want to get on her nerves. After all, some people were never happy when someone apologized profusely. "Your dancer's outfit. It's of outstanding quality, both in terms of fabric and stitching. You made sure that you got some of the best work done. Impeccable taste." Narak told her matter of factly. He was a tailor after all, so he knew good work; and it was definitely good work.

"What kind of teacher would you be though if you didn't protect your group?" Especially when you were trying to teach them the sort of dance that Adalade wanted to teach. It wasn't...incredibly bad, but in the north it would definitely be viewed as different. It'd definitely get some...bad looks from men and as such...well...it wouldn't turn out very well for a lot of people. Especially if Adalade was going to be there to protect everyone. Oh yes...wolf shifter was not something you really wanted to mess with.

"If you want to go for a run then you can, but don't go out of sight. The tribes are on the move this time of year, so you might run into one of the desert dwellers." Narak warned her with a stern look. She might have been able to handle herself to some degree, but he would be much more adept at the whole thing really. He knew a lot of the tribes, and he knew the best way to deal with them.

"Oh you big baby, your fine," she said with a smirk. But it faded at the mention of her outfit, instead a frown took its place. "I'm no tailor but I know the good and the durable are expensive. I worked hard for several years and it's finally paid off. Whose to say I picked it out, maybe I simply asked for something that looked nice for dancing and looked flattering on me." He was still giving her too much credit.

Adalade sighed, "Not much of one. Yet business would get really bad if word spread that I was beating some of our patrons. It doesn't matter how good you are, I wouldn't want to go see a group where the teacher attacked you if you happen to give the wrong look in any direction. I also wouldn't want to study under that teacher."

Shoulders drooping, the dancer simply nodded before shifting. Lagging behind a bit to stretch out her wolf limbs, she finally took off at a run. The sand underneath her paws felt nice, even the sun on her white pelt, but she hadn't wanted to get scolded. She wasn't a child and she had lived here all her life, he had only visited. Adalade knew the desert far better than he! Giving a glance over her lupine shoulder, Adalade slowed as she realized she was already on top of the next dune. The wagon quite a ways behind but not out of sight.

"For now sure, but it might start hurting more later." It wasn't like he'd really be hurt by some comment like that, maybe it was true, maybe he knew that it wasn't, or maybe he was just able to remember that they were joking around. Whatever the reason, he really was just enjoying himself! "Well, whatever it was, you picked just the right words then didn't you? Something you could do Adalade, is just say 'I know.' and then fluff your hair egotistically. Ain't nothing wrong with being a little full of yourself now and then." He said the last part in a more hillperson style of drawl, impersonating some of the locals he had met in Adela once.

Narak chuckled and shook his head. "No, you've got it wrong Adalade. You'd be beating up people who were mistaking your dancers for prostitutes. Definitely the right thing to do would be to rough them up a little bit." Narak was from the bad part of life. He knew all about young women selling their bodies, he knew all about the dangers of the sex trade itself, though he hadn't been personally involved in it, he'd had some...friends growing up who had the unfortunate fate of it. "You're a born protector, that's who you are, embrace it. Wonderful teacher, wonderful guardian, all rolled into one." She was much to hard on herself, she really was.

Narak wasn't some visiting tourist. Narak wasn't a man who just followed a road and hoped for the best. Narak was a merchant extraordinaire, which meant that there was a lot more to him than just selling merchandise. He spent time in the desert learning about how to survive, he spent time learning tribal languages, customs and cultures of all he could. Not just the desert of course, he learned from all that he could, even those in the far north where he would occasionally visit. As the wolf loped off, he could only shake his head.

Hopefully anything they ran into was normal and something he could handle. He'd hate to get into a fight this deep into the desert. Luckily, that usually didn't happen, things were pretty peaceful along the roads.

((I know I always say this but sorry for the short post. Still have an essay to finish))

Adalade paced upon that dune. She should have run slower, for once she was over the hill of sand she would be completely out of view and in clear violation of Narak's rule. How did the dancer ever end up following a man's guidlines? Ugh, who knew. Her impatience tripled in her lupine form, she at least made her pacing distracting by running along the dune and then back.

((Don't you worry about it poppet! It's the content of the post, not the length! You should know this!))

Narak was just going to keep going. Eventually she'd catch up with him right? He was lost in some thoughts, mostly about the route to take when the wagon shook a little more than it should. No...not the wagon, it was the bench. "Driggsal mekal!" A voice grunted angrily. Narak felt something against his chest, something sharp. Suddenly the air around the bench shimmered and wavered until...there was a man standing there. He was dressed in desert robes, loose and somewhat flowing. It was coloured like sand, but the fact the person could go invisible sort of outweighed the natural camoflauge. The most noticeable thing about him was his eyes, that Narak could barely see between the face wrap.

They were triangular pupils, white, surrounded by soft pink irises.

"Taris?" Narak blinked several times as he looked to the spear the man was holding. The man stood up straight, lowering the weapon. "I greet you, friend Narak. How did you know it was me?" The man asked in a slightly accented voice. "The eyes...and your spear head has your name on it Taris." Narak pointed out as the man sat down beside the merchant. "I forgot you read Kolvishil. You have strange creature ahead of you, I think desert wolf. Probably after camels...do you need me to kill it?" The Kolvishil asked as he held up the weapon. Narak shook his head, chuckling a little bit. "She's a friend actually...not really wolf either. Or...maybe she is a wolf and not really a human. I haven't thought about it. Anyway she's a Gelvittesh." Narak told the man, switching over to the rather pretty language of the Kolvishil. He was hoping he'd run into one or two, mostly because he didn't get to use the language in the north.

"Really? Then you are blessed to have one. But she is not guiding the great merchant Narak is she?" Taris teased, his eyes twinkling with delight. Narak laughed and lightly punched the man's shoulder. "Very funny Taris. She's a travelling companion. I'm going to show her the Soewee." The Kolvishil blinked. "You will show her the Crack of Many Toes?" Narak coughed, his face going slightly red as he rubbed the back of his neck. "No...the Soewei. It's...been a while since I spoke Kolvishillian."

((I do, I do! I just still feel awful for making it so short.))

She had her eyes off the wagon for two seconds, two, and some stranger appears out of nowhere! The wolf came to a skittering halt, taking in the man that had Narak at spear-point. How had she not smelled him? Second thought, how had she not seen him?! With a growl, Adalade started racing back toward the wagon. Why had she even run this far out?! She would never forgive herself if Narak got hurt because she had been selfish.

Yet she was once again stopped in her tracks. The stranger lowered his spear and sat down in her vacant seat! Not only this but the two seemed to be talking casually, as though they knew each other... Adalade knew Narak had a way with people but this was ridiculous. It had still taken her a day to really start opening up to him.

Completely curious, the dancer shifted back and stalked back to the wagon as though she had never noticed the newcomer. Her swift change back had caused the stupid string to fall out of her hair again. Not that it was bad though, she could appear nonchalant as she approached instead of anxious. Using her nose and ears to tell her where the wagon was, she ducked her head to put her hair into a messy silver bun.

Softly humming to herself, she reached for her pack, which she had stored behind the bench, and pulled out her water skin. Taking only a couple drinks, she quickly returned it and her pack before turning to head back out to the sand. "Whoever you are, I ask you refrain from touching my things. Don't bother being sneaky, I'll know either way," she stated all rather pleasantly. "Hmm, practice or more running. Another run!" With a running start, she leaped into the air and let her wolf pelt replace skin.

The man with Narak didn't seem to be any threat from the bits of conversation she could make out...but you could never be sure. She would be watching him.

((Ah don't worry about it you big silly face!))

Narak wouldn't be surprised if Adalade hadn't heard or smelt the man coming. He was a Kolvishil, they had a habit of being able to disguise themselves quite easily. However,t hey were quite harmless at this time, as they were mostly nomads and wanderers, occasionally traders as well but...that didn't come up as much. The two men didn't have much time to say anything to Adalade, she more or less seemed to say what she wanted them...she left. It was completely strange, but Narak wasn't going to question is.

"She is like scorpion then. You will have hands full won't you?" Taris said as he looked to his friend, his eyes speaking of confusion and not much else. Narak just chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "We butt heads once in a while, but she's a great person. She isn't used to talking to people...sometimes I don't think I am either." Narak sighed as he looked towards where Adalade had run off to.

"Why did she assume I would touch her things? I feel insulted." Narak just laughed and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Don't be, that's who she is. It's all she owns and may ever own, so she's protective. Anyway I'm glad you showed up. Is there any danger I should know about on the road?" He finally asked his friend, his voice serious as he turned to look at him. "Yes, along the Menashali there are reports of stalkers. I believe it is wild cactus spiders. You should be careful and plan not to stay around there, they will definitely attack the camp." Taris warned the merchant, who nodded slightly. "Thanks Taris." And without another word he handed over a small cloth wrapped object. The man took and nodded before jumping from the wagon and disappearing again.

Well, at lest he had some knowledge of what was going on then right? That was always good.

((I'll worry if I want to!))

Grr, she wished she catch more of their conversation... but she feared that if she came any closer her motive would be revealed to Narak. Adalade didn't want to fight again because she couldn't keep her keen nose out of his business. Curiosity wasn't only reserved to cats, now if only Adalade had nine lives....

Two seconds spent on blinking and then the man was just gone! His methods of travel were enough to drive the wolf crazy trying to figure them out. Heading back to the wagon, she changed and jumped back into her seat. "So," violet eyes memorized the shape of the dunes as she pried, "who was that?"

((Can not! I said so! So hah!))

He expected her to return after Taris left...and she did for that matter. He just looked at her with an eyebrow slightly raised. She looked kind of like she was insulted that he let someone else sit there. Well, that would make sense, but she had been off running after all. She couldn't really fault him for that! Well she could but it wouldn't make a lot of sense.

"That? His name is Taris, he's part of the Kolvishil, they're a large group of nomads, different tribes all over the place. I do work with Taris' tribe quite a bit, and he helps keep me informed about the desert. He knows quite a bit about the movement of animals, let's me know if any have moved themselves near the roads and such." Narak told her with a casual shrug of his shoulders. "In return, I give him a couple of trinkets and what not he can trade with other tribes. It's been pretty good really, he taught me Kolvishil, though each tribe has their own variations but it's a pretty language at least."

((Ha! I don't have to listen to you though!))

Though she had not been looking directly at the merchant, she could almost feel him raise an eyebrow. It was a look that brought heat to her face even when she didn't challenge it with one of her own. The wagon was his, so the bench, in turn, was his; she had no reason to upset over someone taking it. Yet Adalade was a bit... annoyed. She had too many feelings to sort out than causes she could fathom.

"I believe I've heard of the Kolvishil, but stories are all I know. Your lucky to have befriended even one of them let alone a tribe," when she said his people skills were excellent it was an understatement; they were phenomenal. She offered him a smile, "Not only do you get information about the desert but your momentarily freed from the raging emotions of a woman by the companionship of a fellow man." She continued listening and then hesitantly asked, "Can I hear some? Kolvishil, I mean. I want to see if your claims ring true."

((Yes you do young lady now go clean up your room!))

Hah, she was blushing too! Well, at least she probably realized she was being a little foolish. That didn't stop her of course, but it at least helped in some way. She was one of those girls who would let him know what was on her mind, and she always seemed to do so. It was refreshing though, and it helped to keep him in line. The two of them could probably butt head for hours.

"They're trader folk mostly, it's why I can get along so well with them." He said, trying to deflect her compliment as best as possible. He gave a small chuckle at her comment about being freed from the raging emotions of a woman. Well, her emotions did usually rage on didn't they? He was glad that she was able to really ah...release herself from them though. "No harm in it I suppose. You'll just have to wonder though what I'm saying." He told her with a wink before clearing his throat. "Meshea allgoriv, nehea ahsea. Teldev mekklin ariveen aldoor."

((No!! I'm going to stay right here. I refuse to budge!))

Well, it didn't seem like Narak was upset. Adalade hoped not. Going for years without constant company made her act childish when it came to certain circumstances... even if she didn't mean to. She was learning though! It was probably a very good thing that he was so patient when it came to her attitude.

"I won't deny that it would help, but you seem to be the kind of person to get along well with everyone." She would not be dissuaded, he truly was a master at handling people. Narak was...laughing. Good, even if it meant he agreed to the fact, it was always nice to hear him laugh. Even better when he was good to his word. Kolvishil was mysterious but very pleasant to her lupine ears; she took the next minute to let it all absorb. "Unless you tell me what it means, I'm going to assume you just said you found wolves a nuisance," she raised one eyebrow at the merchant while waiting for an answer. The corners of her mouth delicately turned upward.

((Okay have fun! I'm going to go to space disney world! Nyah nyah!))

"It's easy when you're just agreeable and pleasant with everyone, even if sometimes you want to kick sand at them." Narak told her with a small shrug of his shoulders. He'd felt that way about quite a few people. "You just have be pleasant even when you know someone is trying to rip you off with an outrageous price." He added, not too quickly so she didn't get the same idea that he had. That he wanted to kick sand at her, which was far from the truth.

He laughed at her comment and shook her head. "No, nothing like that. It means 'watch out for those two cactus, they're a prickly pair.'" He told her with a grin. Even when you said nonsense in the Kolvishil it still was a pretty sounding language. That's something he loved about it. Nonsense still sounded like it was a pretty adage of some kind.

((NOOOOO!!! YOU LEFT ME LAST TIME!!! Hmm, care if I give them another stop?))

"I wish I had more of a temperament like that," she admitted with a sigh, "You've heard, if not seen, what I'm like when I get irritated at people." And it was a completely horrid way to deal with people. "I guess I can't just stand by when I disagree. I have to let people know what I think."

Her grin widened, "I never would have guessed. I figured it was something a bit more poetic." It truly was beautiful though, she would listen to nonsense all day if she could hear more of it. "How long did it take for you to become fluent in it? Is the language complicated?"

((Go ahead and do as you need to do! Especially if there are great hijinks accompanied! Sandstorm? Adalade loses her top? She eats some Pyote? S'allll good!))

"An open mind is a sign of a good mind. People can be so complacent now a days y'know? They accept everything as it is. I barely have people bargain with me anymore. Prices, like fate, are never set in stone." He waxed philosophically as best he could. It was true though, people needed to let their voices be heard, and it was great to have someone along with him who would do just that.

"Oh I'm sure there are some poetic things that could be said in it...I've never actually heard the Kolvishil wax poetic. They're not that kind of people, they have myths and stories of course, but they're not poetic people, they're mostly nomadic survivors who live any way they can." Narak explained to her. Sure, some of their rituals at night were quite beautiful and even Narak could feel the extreme spiritualism, but he'd never met a Kolvishil poet before. "It took me a few years, though I only got good practise when I was down here. People who are around the language more would probably have an easier time picking it up." He told her honestly as he looked out over the dunes. "The Kolvishil are always willing to teach their language, but more and more they learn common as it is the dominant tongue. Though they usually call it the trader's tongue as that's when they most commonly deal with it."

((Hahaha!! Aww poor Adalade, she would be mortified. Maybe though, it would be an amusing situation. And I decided to ask first in case you had something else planned.))

"I was never good at bartering," the wolf admitted sheepishly, "I just hunted for the cheapest prices and then took the opportunity before someone else did." It had made sense to her to just not argue with people. Life in the desert was harsh, everyone did what they could to keep food on the table. "That's part of the reason why I've been losing money. Since I let people pick the price they normally go for the lowest amount they could spare without feeling guilty." Yet... she could never make a set admission for her dances. It was cruel to perform badly and charge the same as for an excellent performance.

Adalade smiled at him, "You should teach me some. A few phrases and words in return for dance lessons." Hopefully they didn't all end like they had the night before, or she wasn't sure what kind of words she would be taught. "That way, if we run into another of them, I could have a semi-conversation with one." Not that she could see a Kolvishil being interested in holding a conversation with herself; it might be a nice shock to see a stranger that knew some of your language though.

Turning her gaze to a set of dunes on their right, she was shocked to find a bit of green against the sand. A huge smile struck her face, "An oasis!" Sure enough, in the middle of desert, sat a small patch of foliage circling the cool sparkling blue of life. "Narak, maybe we should stop for a break. Maybe take a swim and get some of the sand off our skin, rest under the trees," she suggested with hope. It was deserted so it would be perfect. Ahh, she could feel the refreshing water against her skin already.

((I know, it'd be hilarious xDD They are going swimmin' after all! *Wiggly eyebrows* Ahem, and if you wanna do stuff, go for it! I usually wing everything after all.))

"People usually don't want to barter, but almost every merchant will barter. Travelling merchants aren't the best because of travelling and costs for food...but you can still haggle with us." It was all about who you went to for things. Travelling merchants had tons of costs usually, food, shelter, and travelling from one place to another. Narak used lake water for watering himself or his creatures, and so he didn't charge for that. He stayed in his wagon when it came to sleeping so...no inn costs.

Plus, the stuff he was bringing back and forth was in high demand so it wasn't too bad. He was able to ah...adjust prices accordingly. He didn't make a habit of cheating people though, now it was all about just...enjoying the travelling really.

After all, he met the best people on his travels, like Adalade and Taris.

"That sounds pretty fair to me." He noticed that she forgot that she was gonna teach him dancing for the trip across the desert and into the north. He wasn't angry at all, he had told her it would be no charge, but it was amusing anyways. "I can teach a few things, standard greetings and pleasantries, which is usually all you'll need. I should also teach you how to say 'I don't know anymore of your language, I am sorry.' Could come in handy." He looked to her with a grin and a wink. It'd be quite funny to see how a Kolvishil acted in that situation.

"You know, that sounds like a great idea. It is getting pretty warm out." Hopefully it was actually an oasis and not just a mirage. Then again, both of them had been in the desert enough to know the difference no doubt. He started the camels over toward where the oasis was at. It did look like a great little spot to be, and soon they were pulled in near it...not too close. He was immediately setting up the camel's water trough, but within ten minutes he was sitting beside the water with his shoes and socks off dipping his feet into it.

((True true, all sorts of accidents could happen while swimming. Alright I will, if I come up with something. This was kind of unplanned itself.))

The wolf sighed, "I wouldn't know where to begin or how to refrain from insulting them. I can envision it now, I throw out a line like 'Hello, I'm sorry but I hate your price so here's mine' and getting attacked for it." She was indeed terrible at these things.

With a theatrical sigh, Adalade closed her eyes with deep thought. "Although, that means I have to find something else to pay for your tolerance of me. Hmm, so hard. Just giving you dance lessons wasn't enough, so trading it for a few Kolvishil phrases is much more fair. I'll just have to spend a bit more time to figure it out what the replacement will be." There was absolutely no way she had simply forgotten. After all, he was taking her to see the world, not something that could possibly slip her mind.

Adalade didn't help him set up the trough for she was too busy changing. Hesitantly, she stepped out from the back of the wagon wearing a black silken brazier and matching shorts styled like the kind she wore under her dancer attire. She hated walking out in something so suggestive after their argument last night but... it was the only thing she was willing to get wet.

Almost running to the other side of the oasis, hoping to lessen the affect of her outfit, she jumped into the air and plunged into the water. It was a great relief to be enclosed in the water rather than blister in the ever growing heat. Breaking the surface, she inhaled till her lungs were full again and flicked her wet hair back so silver strands weren't stuck to her face. This felt wonderful.

Slowly she leaned back and let the water hold her up as she let the sun warm the beads of moisture on her skin. Closing her eyes contently, she continued to relax, tiny waves from her earlier disturbance of the peaceful lake rocked her.

((All sorts of them indeed! She could get eaten by a fish! I mean...if fish could appear in an oasis.))

"I'm sure that wouldn't happen, I'll just have to avoid teaching you insults. Though, I don't know of too many so it shouldn't be hard." He told her with a grin. He could teach her anything, and it could end with hilarious results, but she was going to travel with him so...it was best not to do anything like that.

"You don't have to trade me anything Adalade, that's definitely enough, I promise." He told her honestly. She had to really understand that not everything needed trade and payment. He was perfectly happy with them not paying each other back for things. It would be silly, they were friends after all.

He had to admit, that with her ah...new outfit, it was quite a nice little distraction. Those thoughts had to be shook from his head though, they were in a very tense sort of relationship at this time, and he better not do anything to mess it up too bad. Narak did admit that the stop was a good idea, for more than just one reason now. He smiled to himself as he decided it would be best for him to get into the water as well. He stripped off his shirt and pulled his pants off, leaving him only with thin grey leggings that didn't quite go down to his knees. They were just there really to cover himself. They weren't white cause well...that could end in tragedy, and they weren't enough to keep the heat in.

With his clothes near the shore he headed into the water. It wasn't too cold, but it was colder than the warm air so he wasn't going to complain at all. It wasn't really deep enough to do anything, but he could always teach her how to swim somewhat here...though, it was always best to leave that for the ocean where she'd float better. And it wasn't really all that deep there anyway. "This was a pretty good idea Adalade, good thinking on your part."

((So gruesome. Death by mysteriously appearing man-eating fish... I might not go swimming for awhile. Here it comes, Adalade really does create very awkward situations for the both of them.))

"Thank you," she said without opening her eyes, a smirk on her lips. "I might not know how to do a lot of things but I know when it's time to relax." Opening her eyes, she figured on finding him at the shore again. Instead, his shirt and pants lay in the grass...with Narak in the water with her... shirtless.

Her face went ripe red as she splashed back into a standing position. "So you finally decided to come in?" Her voice wavered as she tried staring past him; her eyes kept landing on his discarded clothing. They were just swimming right? Then why were her legs shaking? The water wasn't that cold-.... On second thought that would have to be what it was.

Nervously turning away from him, she started running fingers through her silver hair; working out knots and imagining them as her confusion resolved, untangled finally so she wouldn't feel this way anymore. While doing so, her fingers touched some metal, her earrings were still in! Not wanting to ruin them, she ran out of the water.

Kneeling beside one of the trees sheltering the water's edge, she pulled them out of her ears and set them next to the bark where she could only glance at them and remember to retrieve them later. While trying to stand up, she felt an unusual resistance keeping her hunched over. With a great push from her legs, she managed to right herself in time for a loud riiippppp. Part of her brazier had gotten caught on the bark and ripped, it just happened to be a very large piece that held most of the threads together. Adalade now found herself topless, in Narak's presence.

As she stood there dumbstruck and mortified, a slight breeze picked up the remaining fabric that had once been covering her chest and carried it into the water.

((Oh it's still safe to swim, man eating fish haven't learned to teleport! Mwahahaha, good times for all then! Especially for Narak!))

"That's gonna be a useful skill for when I forget to rest." Narak grinned as he thought about that. He didn't relax very often, but at the same time he didn't really do very strenuous work. At least, it wasn't strenuous to him anyway, but to her it might just seem like a lot. He wasn't gonna compare their jobs, hers was probably...I mean he didn't have to do the splits for his job so...they must be at least tied. Ahem.

He did notice that the girl suddenly went pretty red as he appeared in the water by her. It was almost as if she was...she was embarrassed perhaps? No, maybe not that...nervous? Shy. That's what she was! She was shy. While he could appreciate that, and he was perhaps a tiny bit red in the face from seeing her in such a manner, he at least knew had seen her in such a state of distress before...at least, he had seen her in her dancer's outfit which wasn't that different.

"If you don't have a good brush, I should be able to find you something Adalade...might help you with the hair." He joked a little with her, chuckling as he reached down to splash a bit of water onto his own body to cool himself down a little bit. It was nice and refreshing at least.

He wasn't really even paying that much attention to her, but he turned his attention to look at her when he heard a strange ripping noise. Of course to him it was one of those pretty recognizable sounds. Something had just ripped and pretty loudly for that matter. Narak stood there as she faced him...his eyes travelling to the ripped brazier as it floated by him.

Now it was...now it was time for Narak to decide. Should he look? Or should he not? He decided to just turn his back to her and cough. "I'm looking firmly at the w-water now Adalade...try not to s-scream when you run to the wagon, might scare the camels." Narak said loudly, trying his best not to give away the fact that his face was red and he was a little embarrassed for her...though she no doubt was incredibly embarrassed.

((You never know! There have been some mysterious deaths and I think it's from the man eating fish!! Good for him? Every day they've been together he's gotten a peek at some part of her. All that...stress *cough* can't be good.))

And she was indeed, mortified beyond anything. Without a word, the dancer shifted and made a flying leap over the oasis, landing with a splashhh before her mutilated top and picking it up in her lupine jaws before shooting out of the water and toward the wagon. Adalade managed to jump into the back, though it was rather ungraceful for a dancer such as herself.

What did she care right now? Shifting back, she pulled her bedroll blanket out from where she had stored it and cocooned herself within the fabric. The coarse threads sucking in the moisture from her damp being. With her body covered, she laid down and cried, yes, cried. Now he probably hated her, figured that she was some kind of whore that kept putting him into these situations to seduce him. If not that then he would think her a child for carelessly letting such good clothing, like the silken set she was half wearing (an outfit her mother had left for her), by destroyed. Not only that, but for standing there like an idiot; ugh, in the time she had just been petrified she couldn't have even remembered to grab her earrings.

Why was she crying? She was a pathetic virgin of a girl who figured the world ended because she flashed off her only friend whom she liked.... Well at least she knew something, mortifying situations really sorted out inner feelings. So Adalade was crying because she figured she had ruined everything and would end up back where she had been. No seeing the world, no one to talk to, no accompanist, no more smiling, no more laughing; rock bottom was creeping up on her fast.

How could a girl who was normally so tough curl up to die at something that should only have caused her extreme embarrassment?

((Well if you're not a man then you'll be fine! Yes, all that...stress *cough* isn't good, but this is Narak! I'm sure that he can 'handle' himself though.))

He had no idea what was happening until she suddenly landed with a splash beside him. Narak jumped in surprise as he looked to the newly shifted Adalade, who grabbed the brazier in her mouth and jumped away again. It was quite a strange thing to see, and he could only watch as she went straight back to the wagon. For a moment, he thought she was just going to change and try to ah...just play this off or something like that but...

She never came out.

Well that was strange to say the least. He had to go investigate, so he headed over to the water's edge and gathered up his clothes. That's when he heard something...very strange from the wagon. It was crying, soft and gentle sobbing from what he believed was Adalade. It was really quite...bad actually. He had to make sure she was okay. It wasn't like he really saw anything, he had been more focused on the cloth because he knew that was the best thing to look at. Well...best thing to look at was debatable, but it was the SMART thing to do.

Slowly Narak climbed up onto the wagon bench and sat down, placing his clothes on his lap as he looked back at the wagon curtain behind him. There was still sniffling and sobbing in there and he had to figure out what to say. "Adalade...it's...Narak. Uh...Can I come back there?" He asked as he stared at the wagon curtain separating the two of them. He wanted to comfort her after all, she must be absolutely mortified. Not to mention, he could fix that brazier of hers. Clothing was his speciality after all!

((I'm not. We'll just have to see how he handles himself won't we?))

Adalade had no clue how long she just laid there; letting all her anger, confusion, embarrassment, and years of sorrow out in salty teardrops that fell from her eyes in rivers. So it seemed... This whole thing had gone downhill. First she was crying over her brazier ripping, then her ruined future, and now everything just seemed to come out. The dancer hadn't cried in years... she was never close enough to anyone to have a reason to...

Her first clue of time was when Narak's smell grew stronger from the small holes between the curtain's fabric. His voice following not too long afterward. He wanted to see her? Even after everything that had happened and her shameful retreat? Sitting up, she brushed the tears away; filling her up her lungs and exhaling, she tried to calm herself. Being half-naked, she should change, but the gods only knew what would happen next if she attempted the feat.

Instead she moved over to give him room but stayed a little more in the shadows, praying that he had no clue why she had been taking so long. If he couldn't see her eyes very well then he wouldn't be able to tell she had been crying. At least she hoped.

"Sure," was the only reply she could manage; anything more and her "normal Adalade" facade would fall apart in seconds. The wolf pulled her damp hair over one shoulder and then proceed in wrapping herself tighter inside the blanket, making sure nothing else was visible but her face. Her ears fell to her skull in anticipation... not the good kind.

((Then you'll be fine! Not my cup of tea but if you wanna voyeur that then you can!))

He could understand why she might be upset...somewhat. It's not like she was in public...unless she counted the camels and himself. Perhaps it was just that she was in the presence of a male. That was certainly understandable after all! He'd hate to have suddenly flashed her after all! All he could do now is reassure her that he didn't see anything, and that...accidents happened? Boy, this was just awkward for the both of them now.

When he pushed the curtain away to slip inside the dim wagon, amongst the boxes was the young shifter, wrapped tightly in a blanket with only her face showing. It was somewhat cute, but at the same time, even in this light he could tell that she had been crying. Narak was barely aware that he had yet to put on any sort of clothes, but that right now wasn't completely important. After all, if she hadn't changed yet, then it was best if he didn't either right?

Easing himself down onto a box, he made sure his knees were together, just in case any fabric decided to reveal any more of him than it should. He couldn't just give her a reassuring speech with himself hanging out right?

"You gonna be okay Adalade? That uhm...I promise that I didn't see anything you know." He started off lamely, just trying to think of what the right thing to say. You've got nothing I haven't seen before? No that wouldn't really be a good thing to say actually. "We're uh...we're friends Adalade , and...part of being friends is ah...we share things together. Like embarrassment." Yeah, sure, he could this was probably the best way to go actually. "I can tell you...I've been embarrassed a few times before...like when I was just learning Kolvishil. I inadvertently told the chief of Taris' tribe that I wanted to court his daughters to please me." Narak rubbed the back of his neck as it got warmer, his eyes looking toward his feet. "What I'm...trying to say is that you've nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about...yours was just an accident, mine was more...poor language skills."

That wasn't really what he had been planning but...he had to try his best. "You're a beautiful young woman though, nothing to be ashamed of Adalade. I'll tell you what though, you dry those pretty little eyes of yours and I'll fix your top for you. Though, I planned on fixing it anyway no matter what, but there's no need for you to be in here crying."

((Glad to know. Nah.))

That settled it... he knew. Wonderful! Because that knowledge just meant she couldn't even settle her emotions right. Something he also knew by now, Adalade was sure of it.

Though she stayed mute, simply gazing at the wood by her cocooned feet. It didn't matter if hers was an accident, it wasn't as though he had messed up just to rile anyone up. At least he hadn't flashed any of the Kolvishil; the fact that Narak hadn't seen anything didn't necessarily make it any better. "I'm fine..." she said meekly after some time. "I'd rather have language problems rather than... well... these problems."

Beautiful? Had he really just called her beautiful? The thought made heat flood back to her tear stained cheeks. Keeping her eyes on the floor, Adalade entered into a nervous rant, "You shouldn't have to! It was my fault and so I should fix it! Besides I keep putting you in these situations and have done absolutely nothing to compensate them. After all, by now you have every right to believe that I'm trying to seduce you- Oh but I swear I would never commit such an act! I have every right to be in here crying and blaming myself because it was my fault! I should have known better than bending down right next to the tree, threads always get caught; I was careless and it caused this whole mess. Maybe you should just ditch me here, I would after all the things I've put you through... not to mention my attitude which you've been so patient with, I swear I wouldn't hold it against you!"

She took in her first real breath since her ranting started. The wolf didn't want him to leave... but she would have already left if been in such a situation as his own. Adalade opened her mouth to continue but found herself paused for lack of things to say. She could come up with something within seconds though... she had to to prove she truly was sorry.

((But you made such a big deal out of it! Tease!))

"I'm not so sure about that Adalade. Took me half a year to make a lot of the Kolvishil tribes realize that I wasn't just there to try and court their daughters." Narak told her sourly as he shook his head. That had been quite an ordeal really. At least she only had Narak to deal with, and it wasn't like he was going to really tell anyone. That'd be...well that wouldn't be the best thing in the world.

Her sudden rant surprised him, and he listened quietly to her. It was best to just listen for now, and then deal with all of it after that. She seemed to have a lot of little...problems didn't she? He never thought she was trying to seduce him, that really...after their first meeting well...that wasn't something he was worried about. Smiling he moved off the box and sat down beside Adalade, putting a hand around her. Time to reassure her once more!

"I know that you wouldn't seduce me Adalade, let's get that out of the way. It was an accident, and these things happen. You can't go blaming yourself for these sort of things okay? And I'm not sure how to keep telling you that you don't need to 'compensate' me for anything. People can help other people without expecting anything in return, you should realize that." She'd been around for a while and probably hadn't had a lot of help from others, at least not free help. It was the desert after all so...he wasn't surprised by that. "I'll help you because I want to help you, not because I was expecting anything from you. Friends do that for each other. And I'm not putting up with you, I'm enjoying your company. I've been alone travelling by myself for quite a lot of time, so having someone around is very nice."

He let go of her and stood up, grinning down at her. "Now, I think I should put some clothes on. I don't want you to think that I'm ah...trying to seduce her." It was all in good nature and good humour of course, he was smiling at her, trying to put her at ease. Then he headed out of the back of the wagon and started getting his clothes on. This was...much better than staying around her in his under clothing. Considering that she was also in hers, and well...there could be a lot speculated about what could happen. Best to remove the temptation for now.

((So? And I know I don't have to say, but sorry for the length. Went away on vaction but my laptop had a virus so I couldn't post. Just got rid of it and just got back so I'm a little drained.))

She had nothing to shoot back at him for the languange mistake.... that was pretty bad. Adalade might have laughed if she wasn't so upset. The fact that he calmly waited out her rant to calm her once again just amazed her. She wasn't near as nice.

The feeling of him countering all her hidden fears was much more of a relief than she could have expressed. Instead, she gave him the best smile she could manage and simply said, "Thank you, Narak."

The wolf didn't take it as an insult, instead she gave an embarressed grin. As soon as he was gone, she pulled out her pack and changed as well.

((And I'm sorry for my silence, but I've been sick and am trying to make that not a problem anymore xD))

Narak knew that the smartest thing to do was to just let her rant. She was scared and embarrassed, and so he had to be careful and make sure she got it all out. He wasn't going to try and truly understand what she felt, he had never just flashed his body to someone accidentally or on purpose (and he believed it was accidentally) so he could only offer sympathy and stories where he had embarrassed himself.

"You are quite welcome, Adalade." Narak was honest about it, he wouldn't lie that she could be troublesome, but she was just different! Everyone has their little problems and such, he did as well, so they'd work rather well together honestly.

Once his clothes were back on, he fetched a thin blanket and set it up on the side of the oasis, under some small desert trees that provided just enough shade. It was close enough to the somewhat cool water that he could keep his feet in it, and under the shade he wouldn't overheat or burn.

((Aww, I'm sorry. I haven't been sick yet *quickly knocks on wood*.... Anyway, I hope you're feeling somewhat better.))

Honestly, it felt good just to let it out. Last night she had just felt awful, but this rant was healthy. Adalade had to know that he was sure her actions had not been intentional. It was nice to know that he listened. Maybe that was one of the reasons she... she liked him... He listened first before he made any kind of judgment.

That and maybe he was a bit nicer to her than she saw fit.

All was forgotten, or at least pushed to the back of her mind out of embarrassment, as she hopped out of the wagon with her leather corset and white pants back on. Walking through the shallower end of the oasis to keep her pants dry, she crossed back to the tree that had been the culprit to this whole mess. Grabbing her earrings, she quickly placed them back in her ears. The shade was so nice that she decided to stay as she started her stretches. The tree was nice when it came to stretching her splits, all she had to do was rest one leg against the trunk and try not to lose her balance.

"Sorry, here I told you this would be a great place to rest and instead it wasn't very relaxing," never had she apologized as much in her life she had in the past several days. "I have to admit though, I figured the life of merchant might be dull."

((I'm slowly getting better, so it's all good!))

Narak was quite relieved to see his friend come strolling out from the wagon. It meant that she was slowly getting over her embarrassment. Narak could only wonder what would have happened had he not been a nice person. What if he were truly despicable, what if he had been expecting her to give him her body as payment? An incident like that was exactly what someone would have needed to truly break some spirits. He could only imagine how she would have handled it all.

They were both lucky that he was a good, honest and mostly decent man.

"It usually is quite dull, but I have a new excitement in my life." He told her with a grin as he looked up at her. "You really can't stand still can you?" He asked her as he lay onto his back, his head lolling to the side till he was looking at her with a smirk. "Why don't you just sit on the blanket beside me, put your feet in the water and just relax? We're taking a break after all. That means we stop doing what we usually do and just do nothing." He told her pointedly, a small knowing expression on his face.

((That's good! But next time, if you aren't feeling good then don't feel like you have to post. Rest.))

Glancing over at the merchant, she raised one silver brow in disbelief. "Your definition of excitement is a bit different than mine then." Blushing at his accusation, she continued nonetheless. "So what if I can't? Sit around too much and you get stiff, not to mention you gain a few pounds. I have to keep a nice figure or my lovely dancer's outfit won't fit. A huge waste of money on such a wonderful garment," she retorted.

Despite her words, the hypocrite stopped her stretching and made her way over to Narak. She still felt bad so she couldn't say no to him. Having walked out barefoot, she didn't need to take off any shoes, so she just sat down close to him and let her feet dangle in the clear water. So maybe he was right... doing nothing was nice. Just letting a few rays of sun hit her skin to keep her warm, a cool breeze to keep her from getting too warm, relaxing water, and nothing to cause anymore stress. "Swimming is still my version of desert relaxation," she said contently.

((I shall rest when I need to! Right now I need to post! Rawr!))

"Well, I'm sure you wouldn't define yourself as excitement. That would just be strange now wouldn't it?" She certainly was a right bit of excitement, and there was really nothing wrong with that. It was a good kind of excitement that didn't hurt anyone, and was rather fun! He smiled a little bit, then chuckled at her comment. "I highly doubt you'll ever gain that many pounds, and if you do, well there is nothing wrong with it, you have a tailor on hand." He told her pointedly, a slightly charming little smile crossing his face. She had a few little...strange issues, but he could help her break them.

He was glad to see her take his advice though. She was starting to relax then, she was starting to figure out that things weren't all that bad then. "If you want relaxation, I can give you relaxation." He told her as he got onto his knees and clapped his hands together. "Lay out onto your stomach." Narak almost commanded her as he looked at her. "I'm going to give you a world famous Narak massage. These hands can do more than sew and play fine instruments."

((Ugh, sorry. After a hectic work week and being sick, tiss the season of sharing sick germs I guess -_-, I'm finally back!))

"Oh of course, but I consider myself more of a hazard to your health than I do as excitement," she commented too pleasantly for the subject. She was fine and smiling, but within a moment Adalade whirled on Narak, giving him a horrified look, "No! I can't gain that much weight! Do you know how many people would want to see a round dancer? None! Why?! A dancer like that couldn't do much and it would be disgusting to see all that skin on someone overweight!" She had nothing against larger folk, just had an issue with a larger Adalade.

The wolf gave him a playful grin, "One day your going to have to have a coming out of all your mysterious little talents so that I don't have a heart attack one day." But she obeyed and rested on her stomach. "Just don't try to play my muscles because I might hit you instead of singing, by accident naturally."

(((Yaaaaaay! I thought you had disappeared forever and I planned on being super sad about it. But ahem! Good that you're back!))

"If you consider yourself a hazard, and I consider you excitement, would that make you hazardous excitement or an exciting hazard?" All philosophical points were pushed aside when she suddenly turned on him with a slightly crazed expression in her eye. "Only joking Adalade, only joking, I highly doubt you'd be able to gain that much weight." Just assure the crazy lady that everything was going to be okay. Usually people like her didn't change weights all that much, the degrees they could vary would at most be a couple of pounds, and that would be due more to muscle being created.

Of course, not many people wanted to see a really muscular woman dancing either, unless they were into that kind of thing.

"I think If I had a coming out of all them at once, you'd have a heart attack. Better to led these things trickle out one at a time. Keeps the shock value away and such." Narak grinned and winked at her playfully. Truth be told he didn't have too many talents that he had hidden from her. Ones that he wouldn't be demonstrating would be the ones she'd probably not like to see...like the pickpocketing, the scaling walls really quickly, being able to lift jewellery off people's hands, wrists, and necks...stuff like that.

Narak set to work with massaging her though, being very careful as he worked. He had learned this when he was young, he could remember the place and the reason. It had been for a job, he was trying to get on the good side of a rather wealthy person to look at their stealables, as he had called them. He learned that rich people loved massages, and if he got good enough with them he could put people to sleep. After his brief stint at their mansion, he kept up his life of learning how to massage...it was good practise for his hands. Kept them sharp, made sure he was gentle and delicate, able to touch and feel the slightest things with his fingers. It was good for a thief really!

Good for Adalade, who's shoulders and back were getting a rather pleasant massage. He wasn't a master at the whole thing, but he could work out which muscle areas were tense, and he seemed to know how to gently relieve that tension. Of course, massaging Adalade was a lot more different than massaging someone else. It was...awkward as he got to her lower back. He was so close to...well her butt that he had to be veeeeeeeery careful. Narak was still a man, deep down, he'd shown control and restraint, but he had also shown that he noticed her, that he acknowledged her womanhood, and that he may have desired her too.

Once the lower back was done, he moved straight to her calves. Unconsciously he had started humming about half way through the massage, an old lullaby he knew from way back when. He knew of desert people that used music and incense during massages, but he wasn't as lucky to have such things available. If he had known that he would be giving out a massage he might have grabbed something nice smelling to burn but...he'd have to keep that in mind for next time! If there was a next time. For all he knew, she could have hated this.

((Aww, thank you for that very nice Christmas PM. I am back so that poor Narak can get his help from Adalade =). My Christmas was very nice and I did get awesome gifts, how about yourself?))

The wolf couldn't help but laugh, the action was now natural thanks to him. "Both, with all things considered. I'm still dangerous either way," she offered a playful grin, "So make sure you watch yourself." Though she was about ready to hurt him; getting fat was definitely on her list of "Not to Do". "You never know, things happen..." she muttered.

"I hate to break it to you Narak," she started with one arched brow, "but every time I learn another of your talents there is always shock to follow." It was true, first time she had met the man she had been certain that there was little to him... now though, she knew better. While she might expect it, who could expect the unexpected?

And being talented with relieving muscle stress so well was another unexpected talent that had her stunned, she might have fallen asleep if she wasn't so anxious about the way his hands moved across her back. She was nervous and relaxed all at once. Another one of those confusing feelings that Adalade had possessed as of late.

A tingling started once he moved down to her legs and she was afraid she might do something that she would regret later, until... until he started humming that lullaby. The wolf knew it... only because her mother had sang it when she was tiny and couldn't fall asleep. The memory tore at her heart, purging it of the feelings she had from before. Now she just lay there and listened to him hum, trying to recall the words that went with the melody.

((I'm glad that you liked it! 8D I got some good stuff yeah, I'm glad you got good stuff too! x3))

"I wouldn't say you're dangerous, I'd say that you're...you're..." Narak tried to get the right word into his head. "Chancy. You can bring reward, but one just has to be careful! Everything in life has some amount of danger to it, and you are no different." He told her simply as he smiled at her kindly. She wasn't a danger, she was an absolute treasure to have around really. "But if we're careful those things won't happen. I shan't let you grow your hips and waist, I promise."

Narak gave a rueful little laugh and grinned at the wolf. "Of course, that's because I'm very unassuming." It was true and he knew it. He looked like a very ordinary and plain person, there was very little to him on the outside. The mind however was sharp and focused and full of surprises. No one could really guess what was going on there.

He was definitely glad to see that she was relaxing...well, he didn't see so much as he felt that she was relaxing. Her tense muscles were slowly letting go and he was quite glad to know that this was working. As he hummed and massaged her, he began to recall the words to the song. "And the sun said to the sands soon I shall go, but don't fret little children the moon is aglow. When the sun disappeared the sands became cold and the darkness took hold. But then came the moon with her face a pale white, it broke through the darkness and cut in the night." He sang softly, the words were slowly coming back to him. It had been a very long while since he had heard the song sun but...

It was just like riding a horse.

((Oh my goodness, T.T I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry for my long absence. It seemed like everything that could happen happened. First my laptop crashed and I had to buy a new one, then my internet got turned off just as I got it, and lastly I had to put in overtime to pay for my brand new laptop. I is back though...hopefully for awhile this time.))

"Nice way of putting it, makes me feel less guilty when bringing trouble to introduce to you," the wolf smiled. He was being nice but that didn't mean she couldn't cease being a smart-aleck. "Good, if the time comes to start cutting me off from the rations just don't feed me. I'll get the hint."

She didn't laugh back, but in all seriousness said, "It would work in your favor. Those who look less threatening are trusted, allowed into more places. And if you were attacked, no one would ever believe you could use a sword. Surprise is a most welcome ally."

There were no tears. Maybe it had to do with the fact that she was completely relaxed... or she had shared enough with Narak that she no longer felt the need to cry, but Adalade still felt meloncholy. When he began to sing the lyrics, she slowly joined with a harmonizing hum of her own.

((I WORRIED! I WONDERED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THOUGHT YOU WOULD NEVER RETURN AND I WAS SCARED THAT YOU WOULD BE GONE FOREVER!))

"Well that was the intention, I'm glad that it helped." He said pleasantly, trying to deflect her smart little comments toward him. It was much better to just try and be smart about the whole thing with her, avoid her little quips and deflect properly. "I'll just ask you to dance more...but then that might just be for my benefit." He couldn't deny that he didn't enjoy watching her stretch and dance of course, but he'd never tell her. He had to not try to think of her in such a way.

That'd get him him into a bit of trouble.

"Well, surprise is my good ally really. Keeps me safe and has its benefits to say the least." He told her with a calm smile.

It was a little while later when Narak's song came to an end, and so did the massage. He sat back upon the blanket and smiled as he...admired the young woman before him. So many conflicting thoughts and emotions. Things should have been simple but...they never really were, now were they?

((I'm getting really busy though, =( so my replies are going to be a bit more spread out than they used to be.))

"You can get mad about it though," she told him nonchalantly, "If I need a good smart-mouthing just lash it out." He always seemed to give her the kosher response to things, it made her curious as to how he truly felt about everything. "I might be quick to return the favor, but we've already proven that it can be healthy to let it out." Even if the topic wasn't the most favorable. A pleased smirk resided across her lips, "You may ask for your benefit any time you desire." So she was tempting him, true, but it was intentional and not so innocent this time.

She was sure she would later blame her overly relaxed state for her boldness.

Adalade was quickly getting tired of denying how she felt, besides the statement could be taken ambiguously. It wasn't a lie that she was concerned with gaining a significant amount of weight.

She rolled her eyes, "Calm too, I'm acquainted with each well enough."

Disappointed that it had to end so soon, Adalade sat up as well. Sitting tailor style while pulling back her still damp hair, maybe she should cut it. It was getting long... "Thank you," she finally said, "Never have my muscles been so pampered. It feels like they're several days rested instead of worked daily." She was completely oblivious to the fact that he had been admiring her, even being part wolf couldn't point out something like that.

((It's okay, I just started work m'self, and with school on the side, I art a busy man now!))

"Oh I'm sure that if I need to, I'll put my tongue to excellent use." He said with a charming smile, until he thought about the implications a split second later. "In terms of punishment." He added, not too quickly but not taking too long to say it. This was just...a friendship after all. There was no need to bog himself down with some...very personal, very strange feelings that he...well...he knew she would reciprocate them, but he wondered how dangerous they might be.

After all, he could just take advantage of her. He wasn't one to often do such a thing, but there were times when life was rough and one had to use a person's naivety and good nature to his advantage. Though, Adalade was a tad smarter than most with a somewhat blunt and hardened look on the world, so she might be a bit more difficult.

"Oh my, if I were a lesser soul I might take advantage of your words..." And who knows, if there weren't any objections he might like to. He wouldn't, obviously, that wasn't like him, but it could be a little game couldn't it? He knew temptation when he heard it, the sound of gold coins eliciting musical notes as they struck together was the sound of temptation. A beautiful woman telling you that you may take your benefit at any time...well that was also temptation. The fact she pointed out when he desired...that was just a closer wasn't it?

"I'm glad to help. If your muscles ever feel sore and that you could use with a good pampering, don't hesitate to ask. Good for the body, good for the soul, good for the fingers too." He raised his hands and flexed them a few times, smirking ever so naughtily. "A man of my profession needs his fingers to be fast and nimble. Never know when a slow finger might ruin a stitch."

((Work isn't much of problem for me anymore, it's all the tests and things for school. It makes me miss the high school days =.=. Warning, I believe Adalade might have gotten into Narak's alcohol stash XD.))

"But it's hardly been worked," the wolf donned a sly smile, "Compliments are hardly tiring, and singing can be so monotonous when one already knows the words. That's why I make up my own. What ever does your tongue do to keep in shape? If you need any pointers I could provide them." Maybe it was the desert heat finally getting to her... then again, it was intoxicating to flirt, if this was the only chance she got then to hell with it. She wasn't really sure how long Narak would be able to put up with her anyway.

Still cynical? Definitely, even with her new self, Adalade doubted Narak would stay. Everyone she cared about left; that was the true reason she avoided people wasn't it? If he was toying with her, using her in anyway, she would make him regret it. Afterward she would return to being harsh and solitary, growing old and mourning over her broken trust would waste time meant for dancing, she would simply pretend they had never been acquainted.

The dancer had crept a bit closer as he spoke. For once couldn't he just be a lesser soul so she could figure out his true character? Show her what he was truly like, give her a reason to either hate him or trust him explicitly. "It wouldn't be taking advantage if I offered, now would it?"

"No," her smile started to mirror his own, "It certainly would be a terrible thing if it did. What if I asked you to continue then? What if my muscles are still sore? Stiff? I can't dance with a stiff leg." She had slowly raised her hands to his larger ones, weaving petite fingers between his own. Adalade's rational side finally kicked back in, but was overruled by this bolder woman. See what exposure to men does to you?! she tried, Stop before you regret it!

(//http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/wolfwonderess/eggs/egg5.png)

((Not his private stash of spiced wine and light mead! Non-alcoholic Ale and sparkling apple juice! Ho no! xDD))

"I'm...I'm sure that there is lots that I could learn." He was stunned, and there was no doubt about it. The expression on his face, the rather confused and slightly bemused look said it all really. She was flirting with him. At first it had all be rather harmless but now he was slightly worried. A relationship like this was always a very tense subject after all. He just didn't...know at this point. What was he to do?

What was he able to say? Did he want to figure a way out? She was a beautiful girl, she had some talent and an exquisite nature to her, with a great personality to boot...but would it be wise? Would it be proper? A life of a thief and a merchant were equally dangerous. He could end up with a knife in his belly, a sword to his neck, or in a dungeon for all eternity...it would end up with him being lost...with him...disappearing from her life.

He had to keep her at bay...but he wanted her. Instincts and training fought, knowledge and insight were against primal urges and desires. A strange growing war that he just didn't know what to do about.

Now things were starting to get much more confusing. The line between what he should do and what he wanted to do was more blurred as she inched her way toward him, growing closer. He kept himself under control though...he needed to keep a calm head, and to show that he wasn't afraid, or that he wasn't scared...he had to show that he was in control of his emotions...

And perhaps that there would be nothing to fear.

"No, it's...very hard to dance with a stiff leg." His eyes flickered down to his hands, where hers were slowly winding and entangling their fingers with his. A brief expression of doubt and worry crossed his face. Was this right? Was this a good idea even? They had fought before...and they had trouble with flirting as well. All the pent up rage and pressure...it could be a bad thing couldn't it. "Maybe I should...continue massaging your legs then..."

((XD Who knows. Narak's just going to have to take inventory later.))

Without reading into it much, Adalade took the look on his face is as encouragement. So she continued, too caught in the situation to care about much else. "Indeed, not that I wouldn't learn a few things from you as well."

Adalade knew she was trying, that she carried trouble with her, that her mood changes were insufferable, her stubbornness tiring, and self-proclaimed independence had a say in many things. It could be overwhelming for anyone. But she wouldn't know until she tried getting close to someone again.

Maybe it was too soon, after all it hadn't even been a week since they had met, but Adalade was willing to give it a chance. What else did she really have to lose? Nothing expect a friend and a free ticket to see the world. She had fine without before hadn't she?

"My legs are fine now, honestly," she continued to lean closer, "My lips though, they are a bit...achy. It just started up and I'm wondering if you can't help with that as well?" Even the other little voice in her human-lupine brain of hers had rationalized with going for it. If she had the courage to try and start it maybe that would make a difference... it really depended on Narak now. Her heart pounded in fear and delight, ready to burst from excitement or shatter from pain with the seconds.

((Yeah, so he can partake in some too))

"Well I'm not the best teacher but I'm sure that I could...try." It was very...odd wasn't it? This wasn't how they should...well...actually considering the two of them, it was how they should be talking to some degree...it was better than the alternative which was bottling it all up and then exploding in anger and confusion.

Narak wasn't sure how this was going to work out in the end, but he was looking somewhat forward to the journey. He was a man deep down, and but a gentleman on the surface, and he'd always try to be that gentleman. He would have to be with Adalade, she was a touchy woman with a little bit of a...personality to her to say the least. If he wasn't careful there would be trouble.

Now she was getting closer.

Her next words were incredibly different for her, and he couldn't help but open his eyes wider in surprise. Was...was she asking for...what he thought she was asking for? Every scenario was running through his head now at a million leagues per second. How did he proceed? Should he...should he kiss her? Should he embrace her? Should he push her away? Should he be forceful and assertive, should he be gentle and kind? There were too many things and he really didn't want to over think this. "I think...I can help with that..." With that, he leaned in and pressed his lips against her, his hands coming up to gently embrace her as their lips touched.

This was it then.

((I might have to take a look at his stock too. See if there's anything in there worth getting into... maybe even "borrow" for a bit. If you count this as godmodding then I apologize ahead of time >.>))

"I don't believe you will have to try very hard." If she could teach him to start dancing then she was sure it this was certainly possible for him to instruct her in... other things.

This time she was prepared for the contact, her eyes closing before his lips had even brushed hers. The feeling so sweet that she couldn't help but moan with the effect that it had on her. Wolf ears flittered back in concentration as her tail wrapped itself around one of her legs. Sands there was no good way to describe what she was feeling.

Adalade was a fast learner, for never having been properly kissed before, she simply imitated what Narak did and tried to return the feeling that he had graced her with. Her fingers were toying with a strand of brown hair, winding the locks around each digit, when had her arms wrapped around his neck? Her heart started racing and heat instantly rushed to her cheeks, she was starting to lose her breath.

It was the wolf though who actually brought their kiss to its end. Yes, she had been the one to request it, but she did have to breath... and not even the bolder Adalade could stay bold for very long after that. She suddenly felt self-conscious, and lightheaded. If the wolf stood now she would fall over.

What were they now? She was afraid to ask. They had kissed once before, a very brief confrontation that had led to an argument. Since she had asked and he had obliged did that mean something had changed? What if they had, in a good way, didn't the fact that she was only half human disgust him? What about his fear of getting close to someone? What about his family?

If they couldn't take him over the circumstances of his birth, would they even want to talk to him if he took up with a dancing wolf shifter, who held nothing to her name, from the desert? What about her attitude and her enemies and everything else?! Adalade should have thought of what this might do to him before she had gone for it. How selfish she was!

Still... The wolf brought a finger to her lips in wonder. She would be lying if she said she regretted what had just happened. The answer was plain in her stained cheeks and wide awed violet gaze.

((It's the kind of god moding that I can get behind! Bow chika wow ow! xD))

That moan was an encouraging little sound at least. He was rather glad to hear it, it meant things were going well. But would she change her mind at some point? She was a fickle girl after all, what if she didn't want this anymore. That would be incredibly frustrating...but he would grin and bear it. This woman wasn't used to contact of this kind, used to him, so...he would have to forgive her.

He was surprised how well she was picking this up. Her arms were around his neck, her fingers playing with his hair gently, and he could feel the heat coming from her face...this was a lot more pleasant than it could have been. They hadn't yelled, it hadn't been a boiling point for them, where all their emotions came out during a fight and ended up kissing passionately while thinking about how much they hated the other. This was...quite good.

Their kiss was over though almost as quickly as it had suddenly started. He could see it in her eyes though, there was a lot of confusion, a lot of thinking going on. It meant that she might be having some doubts perhaps, or that she was thinking of some strange things. He gently stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, a somewhat concerned look on his face. "Copper for your thoughts Adalade..."

((Haha XD))

Adalade's mind was still trying to wrap around their earlier actions, memorizing everything so she could picture it flawlessly, until Narak's touch snapped her concentration. Her eyes met his as she unconsciously leaned into his hand, only a thin dusting of pink remained on her face. His caress made her feel like the kiss had, only more comforting than passionate; she liked it all the same.

"Narak, being a merchant should help spot when you're being cheated. Normal insane Adalade thoughts are not worth so much as a copper; despite the fact that they are many," she said with a smile, only half joking. Her eyes found the ground as she prepared to share her inner monologue.

To lie now would only ruin the short sweet moment they had just shared. Besides, she knew that right now it would be too obvious in her eyes.

"I'm worried," she admitted, "that maybe you don't want this. Not that I would blame you; I'm one hell of a package deal, not the good kind. I just didn't want you to kiss me if you didn't desire the same." Long lashes closed as she tried to not look embarrassed or melancholy, "It was selfish of me to ask when you've told me you were afraid of entering into a close relationship and even just trusting people..."

Adalade wouldn't mention her fear over his family... that might overwhelm him if everything else already hadn't.

"I think they are, and it's usually up tot he discretion of the merchant to decide price." He told her with a small smile playing on his face. This was at least better than he thought it could have gone. She hadn't pushed him away, she melted into his touch, and she was still blushing. All in all, this wasn't too bad now was it? He hadn't...really expected anything like this to happen so soon after their previous incident but...he was sort of glad that it had. It was nice to say the least.

"I'm not going to lie to you and say that this something I don't want. I'm still going to be paranoid...I'm still going to wonder but...it's not a bad thing. I'm a bastard child in the end, and a lonely man. I hide the sorrow and loneliness in my work, but...around you I don't think that will be possible." Not in a bad way. She had a way of just...bringing him out of his protective shell. She got him to try dancing, and to sing and play music once more.

She awoke that little spark, and even got him to admit things to himself he never would have. That smile, genuine or not on his face, felt real and it felt good. "Besides, if you were a spy of some sort, I would have found your assassins dagger by now." He told her impishly. He had after all, seen quite a bit of her, and had just been massaging her. He drew her in close once more to him, his lips placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "If you don't want this, you just say the word and all I feel can be put into a bottle for the end of my days."

The wolf gave a small smile, "I cannot fathom what you see in them; the simple ravings of one very insane bi-polar wolf girl is all they are. And that maybe so but isn't that normally up to the person selling the item?" She was still nervous, Narak didn't look like he regretted anything... yet. Yet the fact that he hadn't shoved her away was enough to make her happy.

His comment confused her, not possible around her? "I agree, this would be something I'd have to get used to, it'd be a significant change for the both of us. Though I don't understand what you mean, I've changed around you. I laugh more, smile more, and I've never been so open with anyone but how would I change anything?"

She truly couldn't see it, he had seemed the same around her. Always trying to smile, joking when he could, and acting concerned when it was needed. True, she had learned more about him and it maybe altered her view of him in the slightest... but she hadn't seen any change in him.

Adalade's face went back to crimson, not about his teasing. "I-I do have daggers, oh but you should know that I would have used them already if that was my intention!" she managed to get out despite being flustered, Though I wouldn't need them anyway, should I ever have intended you harm.

The feeling was nice, not to any surprise of hers, but his words made her pull away. "I would only ask you to do such a thing if I didn't think them to be true... or if I could bear to do the same with my own feelings. I can't, maybe that's selfish, but I refuse to lie about it," she blushed once more but continued, "I know I'm very unexperienced with this whole thing... but I'm willing to learn if you're willing to teach me." What an awful way say that she wanted to be with him....

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" He replied impishly. She wasn't going to have the upper hand here, it was all up to him really. He could only smile a little at her as he watched her face carefully, watched her eyes for emotion. She was a good woman, she was just...scared of herself. Of what could happen. There was a lot of mistrust and a lot of worry in that strange wolf girl.

Hopefully he could help her lose some of that.

"Put your mind to anything, and you can move a mountain, but let your mind put itself to work, and it can change the world." Cryptic, but maybe she changed him subconciously. Or maybe it was just her being around him helped. Whatever the case may be, he knew that he had changed a little bit. He usually never would have thought of her as anything but a friend, a companion along his journey...never a lover.

He gave a small chuckle at her stuttered retort. "I'm sure that you would have. Though, I'm equally sure you wouldn't have used them anyway, because if you hadn't been sure of me you would have simply not joined me on this trip." The face he had gotten her to join him said a lot, and he was rather lucky he had managed that too. She was the perfect addition, the perfect compliment to him, she was...just...right.

"If I find my feelings hold no more truth to them, then I will let you know." Narak could only smile charmingly at her as she tried to stumble through another sentence. "Good that you're a fast learner, soon you'll be the one teaching me I'm sure." With that, he leaned in closer to her and gave her a small kiss upon the lips again. He was to be the perfect gentleman though, some might take advantage of this if they could, but that would definitely scare her off. Besides...

He wasn't sure how far he wanted to go with this. A travelling wagon wasn't the place he wanted to raise his children, neither was an orphanage...his parents might accept them in some way, pass them off as their own immediate family if they were human enough but...if they sported the ears and tails of their mother, they would surely end up in a guttered life.

He could worry about that later, right now he felt like he'd rather hold onto the young woman before him and give her kiss upon kiss until his lips got tired.

Oh, there was no way she was going to submit. After all, it wasn't in a wolf's nature to back off from a challenge. "When I am the one selling the thoughts, which happen to be my own mind you, then I believe choosing the price is my right." Her eyes glittered, daring him to tell her differently, while she smirked confidently.

She loved his smile, but the way he was looking at her was nerve-racking. As though he was assessing her. The wolf fidgeted slightly as she worried there was something he saw that he disliked. Narak's opinion of her was very important to her now, even the slightest negative would be found unacceptable in her eyes.

Adalade cocked her head in confusion, much like a dog would, while her tail twitched from her effort to comprehend his words. "I have heard that saying but I don't quite see its relevance to my question," Narak could sure confuse her. After all, how did moving mountains with your mind connect with changing a person? In the dancer's eyes: none.

"You never know, what if I had been a rogue? I could have seduced you before robbing you blind, even slipping a dagger clean between your ribs as a parting gift," her face quite serious as she paraphrased a common horror between many male sand travelers. She was sure he could hold his own though, she honestly just craved a reason to finally get rid of her blush before it became permanent.

"Please do," though Adalade now feared if his feelings were a mere infatuation and would quickly disperse with time. Her hair tickled her back as she shook her head with a brief eye roll, "As you have seen, I am a horrible teacher. Maybe a fast learner, but how could I be a teacher when I have nothing to teach you?" All that was forgotten as their lips touched once again. One was not enough for Adalade though; her palms rested on his cheeks as she drug out the moment a bit longer.

She didn't want to pull back, but she was afraid of being too forward. Ironic that she swore she never would worry over something so "trivial"; how the tables had turned. "Copper for your thoughts sir," she said with a small smile. This being new to her, she wanted to know all that was going through his head... Even if it meant stealing his line.

"Alright, fair enough, sell them for whatever you wish, but I offer a good price for them." The fact that she thought they weren't worth anything, that was a little...well, atypical of her. He'd get her to change that tune eventually! He just had to be smart about it. Maybe then she'd stop putting herself down so much.

"It...I meant that even if you aren't aware of it, you could just be subtly changing me without even knowing it, or seeing it." Isn't that what he meant? The saying was very ambiguous so...it could have meant anything. Ah whatever.

Narak gave a little chuckle and shook his head. "Because I'm charming and enigmatic, you would have fallen for my charms and revealed your true intentions." Besides. He knew a cheat and a thief when he saw it. He would have known if she wanted to rob him, and more so if she wanted to stab him. He didn't see that in her, and if it turned out he was wrong...he'd end up dead.

That was usually the price for a mistake in his line of work.

"We don't really know yet, but we'll find out eventually won't we?" Narak told her with a small smile. He wanted to see how well she took the reigns, how well she handled this...situation. After all, she had to experience these things didn't she? He smirked slightly at that thought. "For mine? Well..." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Okay what was he supposed to say to her? "Just thinking about the...future. I only...wonder what might happen if we go too far...or if there is a too far." He told her as he moved his hand slowly down her side to her leg, to rest on her thigh. "I just don't want...to push you into anything...or to let myself take advantage of you."

"If I find myself at a lack for money, I will remember." She couldn't help it, in her mind it was all just banter. Fears and worries that were silly or too premature to really dwell on. Well... and she didn't want to suddenly start pouring her whole heart out while they were still testing the waters.

Her confusion abated some, "Oh, that makes a bit more sense. Well then, how do you believe you've changed from putting up with me?" If anything he would have so much more patience than ever before.

"Didn't have to be a rogue for you to manage that," she blushed but rolled her eyes, "Seems like I had no chance whatever path I chose." It was probably true, she didn't see how she could have willingly pilfered from him not to mention trying to hurt him.

"I guess we will, trial and error, as much as that thought scares me." Adalade doubted that Narak would hold it against her if she messed up and embarrassed herself; nothing could stop her from wanting not to. She really couldn't say anything about the future, as her own thoughts held much of the same. Placing a hand gently over his own, she offered a smile, "Narak, if I wasn't ready then I would let you know. I wouldn't let you wonder, although, nor would I let you take advantage of me. So you needn't worry about it."

"I'm not just putting up with you Adalade. I genuinely enjoy your company and antics. Far more refreshing than that of camels and horses. You've manged to bring out a new part of me, a buried part of me." The part of him that he had let lay dormant. The one that wanted to hold someone, that wanted to kiss someone, that wanted to be with them. The part of him that wanted to share all his secrets and life with someone.

He grinned slightly at her comment and chuckled. "No, this is true...I was sure that I'd get you onto my wagon at least for a few hours." She had been interesting and different, not to mention she was quite a beauty. A romantic rendezvous wouldn't have been denied either, but how she had reacted from his little...comment when they first met well...it probably wouldn't have happened.

Her boldness at his claim was really...well bold to say the least. He just looked toward her hand for a moment before looking back at her face. This wasn't her, but it was definitely interesting to see. He could only smile before he leaned back down and placed a kiss upon her lips. Well, this wasn't bad at all, now was it? He barely noticed the heat, or heard the sounds of the camels whining occasionally. All he focused on was the feel of her lips upon his, his other hand slowly running along her leg. This was not the time, or the place to go further...but a little bit of temptation and promise of what may come was a nice little move.

His kiss with her broke as he decided to test the waters a little bit more...his lips going to her neck, to gently kiss upon the soft flesh. He would admit, this was really nice...he had forgotten what it was like to be so close to a woman.

The knowledge that she helped him open up some was nice. It took all the seriousness out of her voice as she said, "Maybe now, but I'm sure that at first you had to learn some kind of patience." Now she wanted to know what part she had brought out in him.

Adalade's mouth dropped open in mock horror. "Well, talk about confidence. I should have left just to spite you; I do have a cold and unforgiving reputation to keep up.... but I'm sure you would have found some way to keep me from leaving." Not an entire lie, after all he had her back on the wagon just as she was really about to walk off.

He didn't say anything to her comments, was Narak upset? Adalade couldn't fathom what she had said to make him quiet.... There was the trial and error statement, could that have done it? What about reassuring him she wouldn't let him overstep it; no, unlikely. He briefly glanced at their hands, she didn't think that would be a problem... Then he was smiling. A relief for Adalade; she found herself smiling back without a reason. At least until he kissed her, the feeling was something she didn't think she would ever tire of. Even the feel of him rubbing her leg was more than nice.

When he pulled back, she figured it was to talk more, nothing prepared her to the feel of kisses on her neck. It wasn't unpleasant... different, but she had experienced a lot of "different" things today. It didn't take very long for the touch to make her feel warm. Unconsciously, her eyes closed and head tilted to expose more of her neck as a sound between a moan and a sigh soon followed.

"I always had good patience, though you did help me test it." Narak told her with a small smirk. It was true that she was a handful, but he had dealt with angry customers, and townsfolk in his life. A mood swinging young woman was hard to compare to that...considering he had lost his temper at one point but...he just hadn't been accustomed to all this.

He gave a small chuckle at her comment. "Oh come now, I'm pretty sure that I had convinced you a few times not to leave." He joked quietly with a knowing smile. There had been a few times when he had to convince her to stay. She really hadn't understood that it was okay for her to come with him...eventually he got her to understand to some degree...which was good.

Narak knew he had to be careful now...he couldn't let himself get too far. He didn't want this to get out of hand...not on the beach of an oasis. Besides, he was sure that he would be her first, and it had to be special. While after a revelation of them both having deeper feelings was a good catalyst...it was just a little warm for any good performance...ahem. Not that he was really thinking about that! No, he was more focused on that beautiful soft neck of her. It was quite interesting to feel her moans on his lips through the skin on her neck. It made him smirk a little as he pulled himself away from her neck, moving to lay beside her now, though he brought her against him in a calm embrace. His hands ran through her hair as he gazed at her calmly, smiling even more, one that reached his eyes.

"Well, I had to see how well you could handle everything. The best way to do that was forcing you to experience just how versatile my moods can be." It had been refreshing to have someone who looked past her snappiness. Perhaps it had been that small little thing that had let her open up; let her know that she could really trust him.

"Obviously, or I would have been gone by now," she said. Nervousness couldn't account for the few reasons she had wanted to leave. Though none actually had to do with Narak, which was terribly unfair to him. "I'm sure you can easily convince any girl to stay." It was meant as a joke... but she was anxious for the answer.

Adalade wasn't quite sure what would happen, it was a surprise that she could still think. She was only aware of him and her and the pounding of her heart, he had to be able to hear it... her wolf ears almost could. The cause was tenseness over the things that might come, not afraid but just conscious of the fact that she was being intimate with someone. The dancer never had given thought to what feelings would entail... now she was stressing over them. Alright so maybe she was a bit unnerved by such intimacy.

Thankfully, Narak was deciding to take things slow. She calmly watched him lay back and complied when pulled her against him. His smile cleared her head, slowed her frantic heart, and relaxed her more than his massage could. With a content sigh, Adalade could've fallen asleep against him with his fingers combing through her silver tresses. "They don't bother you do they?" The "they" she meant were her ears, which were only half laid back from indecision. If they disturbed him then she would make them disappear in her hair or under a scarf.

"Ah I see, well it was definitely a little test...nothing that couldn't be handled. Though there were a few times I was sure that I would fail." It was true too. With her little...temper it was quite an experience. Not a bad ordeal really...he had survived after all! She wasn't honestly that bad, she thought she was though...but that would go eventually

"I have to want them to stay, and those are far and few beyond." It was obvious to him that she would have died if he said 'Oh I'm sure I could have any girl that I wanted ever.' That really wasn't going to be something that was a smart move on his part. He wasn't going to the be the one to drive her off, that would be the camels probably. They were at least behaving.

The other worst move he could have made was...well...tell her that he didn't like her. Honestly speaking he really did like her, and he did like her ears for that matter. "Your ears? Not at all. I think they're sort of exotic and cute. Plus they're pretty handy I bet." After all, they were wolf ears! He moved his hand up to ear, stroking them with the back of his hand. "The tail is very nice too."

The wolf scoffed, "You? Fail? Ha! I doubt you could fail at anything. I have yet to see you do something that you were horrible at." She figured he would have a retort ready so she added, "And don't you dare say dancing, you only fell once so that doesn't count."

Maybe she would have been mad and maybe it just would have made her worried about what the competition had been like. Adalade wouldn't find out today. "Well, I'm happy that you didn't want me to leave." This definitely beat staring at sand for several hours, way better.

"Depends, they can get in the way sometimes. Bet you wouldn't believe that they can be too convenient." That made her happy to hear that he liked her canine appendages, seeing as she couldn't do anything about them. Her eyes closed as he stroked one of her ears, she never would have thought that it would create a feeling almost like kisses on her neck. Adalade swallowed down her moan and shot out another question to try and keep her mind off the pleasure, "Would my age be trivial to you then?" She knew he was older, not by how much, but she was hardly an adult by the world's terms.

"I'd say it does count a little bit, thank you very much. And there are things that I have failed at...just, I worked at them so I wouldn't fail anymore, that's the thing about failing. You can either give up, or you can just try again and again until you no longer fail." It was the only attitude he really liked to have on the matter. Sure, there were some things that if you failed at, you'd die no doubt...but he didn't often engage in those sorts of things. He didn't like the idea of dying after all.

"Couldn't have just let a pretty thing like you go walking through the desert for who knows how long. It would have been ungentlemanly of me." Narak replied with a grin upon his face. Luckily she had actually been sort of nice about the whole thing for that matter. Well...okay, at first it hadn't been that good but...it had gotten a whole lot better really!

Better than he could have expected.

"I am sure their sensitivity would be a little hard to get used to, but the tail I bet gives some excellent balance." He honestly wouldn't mind have something that gave him expert control over balance. A thief did need their balance to their advantage, and if he could have something that would give him such expert control over his centre of gravity...ah the things he could get away with. "I never really thought of that. We're both adults though, and as such, it doesn't matter after that. So long as you don't think I'm too old for you." He was about thirty two if he remembered correctly. He knew that love could be strange, and he knew what would be a wrong age for her, and what would be a wrong age for him. Since he was sure that she wasn't just going into her teen years, their relationship wasn't something to be frowned upon.

The wolf shook her head, "To those who are patient enough to go through all the failures. I've always been the kind of person who gives up till someone, usually my mother, chewed me out. After I got out on my own, I stuck with what I knew and didn't bother trying much else out of my repertoire." Adalade was hardly patient, as he probably could tell, and only pushed herself when she was sure she could do something.

She returned his smile, "Well thank you kind sir, but you don't always have to act like a gentleman. I would prefer Narak's company much more." What had shocked her the most was the yelling match they had, it had almost seemed like he was incapable of any other emotion but happiness and conversations anything less than polite. It was honestly a relief to know that he wasn't always like that.

"Indeed it does, till someone steps on it or men decide to pull it because they believe it will make me blush," she decided to leave out the fact that her reaction was much more unpleasant. Overall, it was helpful, her dancing was much smoother and flips were more gracefully executed. Of course she had no clue what life without a tail was like so she couldn't really explain what all it affected. "Too old? I feared that I would be too young, too inexperienced in life or immature for your taste." Adalade knew there were men who preferred the company of younger women, but usually for company at night.

Narak wasn't that kind of man though.

"Well, hopefully now we can get you to start trying new things. I can only imagine what you'll start trying now. Might even get you to try spiced ale and ciders." Narak could only smile a little bit at her as gazed at her happily. He was going to be trying a lot of things too, he would have to. He was going to have to act like...well...a man in a relationship. Not that it would be difficult, it wasn't as if he acted like a sex starved maniac, just looking at women and trying to seduce them.

"Well, Narak is a gentleman so they're sort of a package deal. A good deal of course, two for the price of one." He chuckled, quite happy with that little analogy. It appealed to the merchant in him...and probably the budget conscious. He was getting quite a little...deal here too wasn't he? She had quite the personality to her, and it could change quite a bit! He was getting quite a few Adalade technically...not that he minded! She was fun really.

"Oh, I bet that's never a good idea. Who would even do that? If an animal doesn't like to have its tail tugged, why would you?" Narak rolled his eyes at that though. What sort of idiots were out there? "You might be alright in Serendipity though, most people are quite strange so...it still might happen." He shrugged his shoulders and sighed just thinking about. He did feel old sometimes...though he was only 32, he did have a lot of things to do that sort of...wore him out sometimes.

"I don't think you're too young, immature, or...well, we're both inexperienced in this respect so really there's nothing to worry about there but...as long as you're happy, as long as you enjoy it, then what's the problem? No need to overthink something like this...we have to see where it takes us, how life will treat us." He leaned over and gave her a small kiss on her shoulder. "But for now...we should probably start packing up and getting ready to go...unless you want to stay here tomorrow...which I would be fine with. Good spot after all...nice and private, nice and cool too." He wouldn't mind seeing her in less again after all...ahem, not that he'd tell her that openly. He was a gentleman!

Adalade already was apprehensive about what she might have to try, but the mention of ale made her nose crinkle in clear disgust. "You don't believe that I'm going to drink something that smells that strong even when unopened do you?" She had an obvious disdain for anything alcoholic, not for any reason in particular... mostly she afraid of getting drunk and acting like a fool around him... Yet his smile would make it hard to say no.

"I must admit," she ran a finger along his jawline, "it's a great deal. Especially seeing as I'm still about broke." A package deal that she was still getting used to, but she was becoming very fond of. She could handle the gentleman side, it was part of the reason she had stayed so long in the first place.

The wolf shrugged, "Because most men in the desert are stupid. Why do you think they herd sheep for a living?" There was no malice in her voice though, it was a slight joke, though many of those who had done so cared for their family's flocks. "I've come to expect it; to be curious is to be human. Though I might be too awed by the sight of a real city to care." A enthusiastic smile lit up her face; she couldn't wait to get out of this desert hell.

"Good to know that my moodiness didn't take off any points, though I hope that you would be happy and enjoy it as well," a relationship shouldn't be centered around just her happiness. Her mother had shown her that men did enjoy a bit of attention and being spoiled just as much as women. Though, she would gladly stay put for more kisses, even a small one like that. The wind carried adventure to her, enticed her with more visions of days to come. The call was enough to make her abandon this perfect moment of pure alone time with Narak. There would be many more to come though, she was sure of that.

An adventurous grin took over her face as she sat up. "Come now, I'm sure there are much better private and cool places out of the desert. Maybe we'll even pass another oasis before leaving." Standing, she concentrated on the horizon and was tempted to shift and race toward it now. Instead, Adalade almost ran to the camels to put the troughs up. "Hurry up," she called back with a smirk, "last one finished suffers a consequence!" Childish really, but she was too excited to care.

"I think you might. It's not so bad after you've had a tankard you know." He pointed out with a small grin playing on his face. "Besides, it gets cold up in the north. There's a few ways to get around that, and without having to needlessly wear the pelts of animals, consuming alcohol is a great way to get yourself warmed up." She probably wouldn't like the idea of wearing another animal's pelt, especially a wolf's pelt, so alcohol and snuggling by a fire would be good enough. Still...he had a really nice wolf pelt blanket stashed back in the north. He'd deal with that when they got there.

Which wouldn't be for a while.

Narak's grin slowly faded to a warm smile as she trade a finger along his jaw. It was really quite a nice feeling, and he didn't mind the touch of her soft hands anyway. "And yet you didn't want to sell your thoughts. Tsk tsk." He was just joking of course, the amused expression on his face hopefully showed her that.

"Herding sheep in the desert, I can't see that being very successful or smart but...if they're pulling your tail then...they can't be very smart." He'd have to keep an eye on people's hands now wouldn't he? That wasn't something he particularly liked...not just because he had a thing for her, but because it was quite wrong to say the least. Pulling on her tail like she was some animal? Even pulling on an animal's tail was wrong really. "They aren't that much different from Essyrn...though Arca is quite a bit larger. Might have a bit of culture shock there."

"Oh I will, I can't see how I wouldn't." He didn't want to think dirty, but she was quite the young flexible thing. That had a lot of...alone time potential really. He decided to push that thought out of his mind though. That's not what he was interested in, that wasn't who he was after all! He sat up with Adalade as she got up, smiling a little as she seemed quite alert and awake now. "Sure is possible." Narak stood up with her, blinking as she ran off to the camels to put their things away. "I'll be done before you, but I'll make your punishment tame!" With that he grabbed the blanket and began to fold like an expert. It was four quick movements to get the blanket folded, and he dashed to the back of the wagon to get it in. The rest of the supplies were getting gathered as well.

As if he was going to lose!

"If I get too cold, I may consider it." Her nose was still crinkled at the idea of consuming such a beverage. If it truly got that cold she had her wolf's fur to keep it abated, no need to turn to ale... Unless she wanted to be able to hold a conversation with Narak. "Don't expect that to turn into a yes anytime soon," she would find a way to keep it a no.

Adalade chuckled, "I'm stubborn. I'd buy your deal much more eagerly than bartering off my thoughts, but I don't know I may have too. I mean if I keep giving you anymore free dances then you might have to give me a discount or I'll run out of thoughts to sell." It was getting so much easier to tell when he was jesting and when he wasn't... at least she hoped that she could distinguish it now.

Smirking, the wolf shook her head, "Certainly not, sticking your hand in the flame is more of what they experienced." And they had headed home with more than a few burns. "I'm sure I will, though that might happen at the mere sight of the plains. I've forgotten what healthy thriving grass looks like." When had the last time been?

Adalade laughed, "Don't expect as much mercy from me when you lose!" She had managed to get the camels' things put away and was quickly trying to get her own possessions in the wagon, practically throwing them. When she remembered she had taken her pack with her for stretches she about kicked herself... it was on the other side of the oasis. No one said she couldn't cheat right? Grinning, she leaped away from the wagon as a wolf and raced toward her pack.

Sand kicked up as she skidded to an abrupt halt in front of the bag and pushed her head through the leather strap; she hesitated on her method back, either she cut through the oasis waters or run back around. One would leave her soaked and the other might make her lose... Barking, wolf laughter, Adalade rushed toward the glistening blue waters and disturbed them when her canine bulk broke the calm surface. Sands! She hadn't thought about how heavy her fur would get. Refusing to give up, she pushed against the sandy water bed and hurried toward the wagon.

"It'll change when I introduce you to berry and spiced ale I'm sure." There were plenty of beverages of alcoholic influence that he could get her sold on, he was sure of it. Not that he wanted to get her drunk all the time, he just wanted her to try new things. Plus she was already quite humorous as is, so after a couple glasses of alcohol she would no doubt be hilarious to observe. Watching her dance while tipsy would also be quite interesting.

"I don't think we're in any trouble of you running out of thoughts, more so if we get to the north. You'll probably have a million thoughts to sell." She'd never been there after all, and so it was only reasonable to assume there would be a lot of questions and thoughts up there. Plus, this was Adalade, she spoke her mind after all. That was just who she was!

"Well, serves them right now doesn't it?" He said impishly, smirking at the thought of him trying something like that. Oh yes, he would get an earful and no doubt something far worse. Good thing that he knew limits and boundaries, and respected them for that matter. "You'll see them in due time, I'm sure you'll be fine." If that was what set her off into culture shock, he'd be surprised. Not like the desert didn't have some vegetation and life to it. Just...the plains had a lot more of it.

"Same to you!" He was fast, she was much faster, but he had the ability to just...organize quickly. The fastest route to take, what to grab, h ow to make as little trips as possible. He was quick about it, not to mention he saw her heading for the oasis. Hah! He quickly started to hook the camels up, getting their bits and bridles all set up, then hopping onto the wagon's bench and taking a seat, putting on his best bored expression as he held the reigns. He wanted to look smug but...he'd have to act humble.

((Hey, it might be till next Monday before I'm able to reply again. Going out of town.))

The wolf, still unhappy at the idea of trying anything of the sort, sniffed and lifted her nose in the air. "Don't count on it. Just because I'm more open doesn't mean I'm any less stubborn." It was highly unlikely that he would just give up though... The only time she would suffer from shock was if he wasn't just as stubborn. She would just have to outlast him.

With a smile, she shook her head. "That is true isn't it. Be prepared to tell me to shut up; I have no doubt I'll start to become a nuisance with all my questions. You might be the one broke at the end of the surplus." Adalade hadn't pestered anyone with questions since her parents had past on, and she was completely ready to do it again. Despite the consequences.

"More than that, half of them now hate my guts and refuse to admit they were bested by a woman," she smirked, "Young cocky boys who aren't mature enough for manhood are easy to knock over. Their skin must have been softer than my own to bruise so easily." No need to tell him that her rage made her hit hard... He knew that she wasn't a quiet shy kind of girl and there was no reason to make her violently and verbally abusive if she could help it. Her smirk faded to a smile, "I'm sure I will, I might die from anticipation though."

Adalade had been so determined to get out of the oasis that she hadn't kept tabs on Narak. He was already in the wagon... Oh he wouldn't get off easy, if she had to endure his punishment then she would start on her payback now. Still as a wolf, and soaking wet, she jumped onto the wagon bench. After nudging her pack under the bench for protection, she violently shook out her white fur; water went everywhere and her pelt held plenty of it.

It had maybe been a good minute before she ceased. That's when she shifted back, she didn't bother hiding her smug look as she stood there soaked and still dripping. Good thing her corset was leather, as for the white pants... they were just attracted to water weren't they? "Shame I forgot my pack, I could've won and we both would be dry." The dancer would dread her punishment later.

((Nooooooooooo! You mustn't! But fiiiine Dx))

Narak couldn't fathom right now what he would punish the wolf shifter with. He was sure that there would be something that he could come up with. He just wasn't sure if he wanted to punish her...or punish her. It was probably too early in their...whatever they were, to try something like that. Honestly, he wasn't sure he'd be able to. It kind of made him feel a little...dirty, and not in any good way.

When Adalade came bounding around in wolf form he almost jumped. He forgot that she could do that. Sure, she had the dog ears and tail but...he forgot that she could do that sort of thing. How easy it was to forget that sort of thing. He could only smile at her though as she jumped up to him. There was only one little...thing that confused him...that was why she was trying to hide her bag. That really didn't....bode well for him did it?

He could only imagine what she was up to...

That was until she started to shake herself dry. His arms came up to his face to protect himself from that at least. He had to wait for her to stop shaking, and he could only wonder how long that was going to go on.

When she finally stopped, he was going to have to get her back for that...he was really going to have to punish her for that. Yeah, he was going to really have to think about what to do to her...He was going to make her wait on him. At the next oasis anyway.

He gave her a slight glare as he looked at her, arms dripping with water as he stared at her. "Yeah, you are going to get it for this, I hope you realize that." He was going to have to sew her something to wear for that as well. He gave her a slight grin before he started the camels off. Nothing too wrong, but he was going to get her to be blushing the entire time. "Nice pants by the way. Always did think you had nice legs...shame that corset might get reaaaal tight when it dries out."

((Too late XP, I have to admit though I'm glad to be back home. Some trips are just too long.))

Adalade's smirk only grew as his glare fueled her mischief. "Try me," she challenged, "I'm ready for anything." Whatever it was, she would get him back two-fold later, he could count on that. The grin she took as an ill omen though. Carefully seating herself, the wolf watched him warily for any indication of payback.

"Wha-" a sudden blush crept upon her face at his comment... Dammit why did he have to bring it up... again. She knew she should have taken the long way around the oasis and not through it. Her attempt at an indignant glare was clearly a failure as she tried not to study her drenched pants and fidget with her tightening corset... Great now he'd probably keep this up until she was begging for him to cease with the torture and her face permanently stained crimson.

But she could try and act nonchalant.

Adalade smiled past her blush while wringing out her dripping hair. "Thank you, I'll remember that," maybe she could use her feminine charm later in retaliation. It had worked well before; the vision of his face as she stripped was still fresh within her mind. Oh yes, she would have the advantage there. "As for the corset... It's not bad at all, this is quite reliable leather after all."

((Yeah you were gone like...forever longer than you said! Dx))

"Oh, I'm sure you're ready for almost anything, but not everything." If that even made sense to her. Narak could surprise her with things that would definitely give her a shock, but he had some idea that she'd recover quickly and face it with determination. That was something he admired, no matter what, she put on a defiant face and would go after it no matter what. Could have been the wolf in her, he'd heard of packs taking down much much larger animals than them...and for her to do that without a group backing her...

Well it made all that more amazing.

"Oh, what's that? Couldn't hear what you said over all that creaking leather." He teased her with a playful smile. He didn't want her to think that he was being mean to her after all. This was all friendly banter, and it wasn't like there was much to worry about. He definitely had to admit, this was better company than camels. Looked a whole lot better too! He had to smile at her attempt to try and act her way through it. Just as he had said...just go through it with determination and a strong look.

"Then it'll reliably stay together instead of...bursting. Wouldn't want that after all." He told her pleasantly as he winked before he set the camels to go a little bit faster. This was going to be quite fun actually! He would get to tease and torment her before putting her to work as his personal little servant.

((You survived though didn't you XP, therefore it must not have been that bad.))

What in the sands could he do to her that would unnerve her? The instant she gave birth to this thought, she smothered it... so far there had been plenty he'd managed to do, causing the ground to fall right from under her feet. His enduring kindness had been the first, his many talents proceeding, and their - well the path their relationship was taking now. There was no reason to make him aware of this when he already held the advantage. "Do not underestimate me Narak, I might never let you live it down if you do." Another confident smile filled her features.

How long it would last this time would remain a mystery.

Face now as red as the crimson on her dancing attire, Adalade twisted her body so that she was facing toward the road before them and not at him. If she let Narak continue then she would never be able to keep face this entire trip - sands be praised that they had spent most of the day already. She could always try sending his jests back at him, right? Buy her a little dignity. "I might have a wolf's hearing, but if you don't speak up this will remain a very one-sided conversation."

"No, no we wouldn't," this was more challenging than she had originally thought... If only she could distract him, keep his mind off the hole he had her in now. Problem was, she wasn't very knowledgeable on common distractions of the opposite sex. Doing something spontaneous would be distracting enough, but very suspicious if not obvious; were she able to make it appear innocent and unintentional, she might be able to turn things around. Now she just had to wait for opportunity to strike.

((Well I mean I barely survived.))

She was a definite plus to have around. Teasing her was pretty good really. This was a very enjoyable time really! He liked being able to joke and talk with someone. Usually he just got to think over and over again about...anything he could. Finances, the market, import costs, export costs, everything that he could possibly think of. It was all very mechanical and very boring honestly, but it was who he was when he was alone. You just think and think about whatever you could, whatever you wanted. Yes, he was in a slump actually...but...there was no point in thinking about that now.

Because he had a very wonderful young woman who was making him stop thinking about that. "Oh no, if I were to do that I'd end up under your power, more than I am now perhaps." He told her impishly. He wouldn't deny that he was perhaps smitten with her in some way or another. He liked her personality, he liked her humour, he wasn't always on board with her temper but...most of the time he didn't mind at all.

"Oh but I'm speaking quite clearly, aren't I? Little red cheek." Narak cooed coolly at her with a small wink and a smile. This was a very fun little conversation! She was very east to push wasn't she?

"Well...someone might. Not me of course. After all..." He stretched out, taking the reigns in one hand, his free arm going out and wrapping gently around her shoulders. "I'm just enjoying the ride."

((So? Your still alive and that's the only thing that counts, so HAHA!!))

A shy smirk managed to escape her mask of embarrassment. "Come now, what would your other side say to being nice? You know, the part that I've managed to influence already. By the way, please enlighten me as to how and when I managed this; as far as I could tell, you were too levelheaded to be under anyone's power." Especially with her temper. Adalade was still awed that he had kissed her.

Little red cheek? Under normal circumstances she might have laughed... more likely glared, but for now his comment made her more abashed. Who was she kidding? There was no hope to escape this, he was enjoying it too much and she had nothing to prevent it. "Sadly..."

"Of course you are," she practically wilted, oh when she had the time she would make sure she got her payback. He would never see it coming. Hmm, it wasn't much but maybe she could work with this, make that revenge come a little sooner than she had schemed.

Smiling innocently, Adalade rested her head on his shoulder, sighing gently. It was comfortable, no doubt, but she wasn't concentrating on comfort right now. Casually, she pressed one of her legs firmly against his, a hand brushing lightly over his thigh; "unintentionally" of course. Then she put her hands in her lap, pushing against her chest so they rose up in her corset, her crushed bosom forming a tight valley. Hopefully he glanced at her, and hopefully the tease worked.

Otherwise she wouldn't have a shred of dignity left by the time they stopped.

((Is it?! IS IT?! I guess it is...I mean I guess.))

"Oh well, it was this part of me." He told her as he waved one hand in his own general direction. Asking for such information wasn't always a good thing, because sometimes one didn't actually know or understand what had changed in themselves. He knew he had changed though, because...he wanted to be with her, and it was more than on a physical level. Yes, that was part of it, but it went a bit deeper. She was an orphan, like himself, trying to make her way in the world and trying her best to be something great.

It wasn't as if he didn't admire her for that.

"A merchant can't mumble, and a singer can't either, less the audience or customer be rather disappointed." Oh yes, he was enjoying this to say the least. It wasn't as if she didn't deserve it, she was trying to get him back but...she had lost, this was part of losing!

He was surprised by her sudden action though, he didn't let it cross his face, but he was rather...into the idea of her snuggling up to him, despite being a little on the damp side. Of course...as her leg pressed against his, and her hand brushed over his thigh he could only look at her to wonder what was going on. The wrong time to do that however, as he got an eyeful suddenly of her cleavage, her breasts pushed together with a hint of water still upon them. For some reason his mouth felt kind of dry, and he had to lick his lips to water them once more.

Oh she was good. Quickly his face turned a bit darker as he looked away from her. Okay. This was just a ploy by her, it had to be. She wouldn't...unintentionally do that sort of thing. Oh she was definitely going to have to wear an outfit popular in the north. For the nobles that could afford it, they loved because of the sultry and 'exotic' look. Honestly Narak found it a little insulting and rather silly considering he'd been to Essyrn and desert tribes.

Still, in this case, it would come in handy.

((EXACTLY!! HA!! XP))

Despite his vague answer, Adalade smiled. It was soft and gentle for such a bi-polar woman and reached her eyes, clearly not her cheeks as they were still flamed. "Oh well, I'm glad either way." Had Narak tried telling her on that first day that they would come to... care for one another, she would have slapped him and left for such a ridiculous lie. Funny how things changed so quickly. Stranger that she still didn't mind the sudden shift in her world, or the alterations of herself. It was kind of nice actually, like being freed. The anger she had for the world was being worked out - if slowly, and it was wonderful not to be so furious all the time.

Embarrassed was a whole different story.

She knew he was right, when hadn't he been? Of course she had heard. Maybe she could have gotten away with her comment had she been human... her damned wolf ears were a dead give away that she had to be deaf not to hear him. "There are occasions when both mumble; unintentional perhaps, but a mumble nonetheless," was her pathetic retort. Was it crazy that she wished they would stop for the night so she could figure out what he had planned? The period till then was too long.

But her little act was refreshing; his reaction, even more so. She had looked up in time to see him turn away quickly, his face darker than the last time she had seen it. A mischievous grin crossed her face. Taking a deep breath, she thought back to him kissing her neck, making her sigh sound more like that as she snuggled against him. It was better than talking, her voice would probably betray her plan, and she could continue to plead innocent if he confronted her.

In a seemingly bored nature, she brought her hand back to his thigh. Drawing little designs and intricate loops lightly across his pants. Adalade had no doubt that she would get it bad later, Narak would figure out what she was doing eventually. Once he did he would worsen her punishment, it was going to be two-fold the trip thus far. She was sure of it.

((Damn! Foiled again!))

"Only those who don't know how to hear, and I think you should be an expert at that." He teased with a small grin and a wink in her direction. She was trying at least. It wasn't going all that well but she was at least trying, and that was good in the end. Still, it was really fun to see her blush and to see her stammer and try to get back at him. This was well worth her little shaking off stunt.

What he wasn't prepared for though was her next actions.

The little sigh as she snuggled up against him, it just made his face turn a little bit darker. She was good. He wouldn't have thought her to be this good, all things considered. Nothing against her of course but...this was Adalade after all. It wasn't as if she was experienced in this sort of thing, or so she had said. Then again, she was a dancer, and a rather...suggestive ones, so it wasn't as if she didn't know how to manipulate a man.

His eyes flickered down to his legs as he felt something on them. It was her of course, he hand moving along and tracing little designs into his pants. Oh she was evil wasn't she? It wasn't something unwanted after all...he did enjoy her soft caresses but...he knew that there was something going on here...some sort of payback it seemed. He was a man of will, he could control himself easily. Of course, there would be other betraying marks eventually...things that would become more...obvious over time. So he let his mind wander from the pleasant touches, to focus on something else. The horizon in front of them, and the cost of materials and production of different wares.

Yes, that should do nicely!

((See, I'm just that awesome XP))

Adalade's nose lifted to the air in a show of snobbish defiance, "I haven't any clue what you're talking about." Honestly... the only reason she was dragging this out was to slowly fix her dignity. That itself would be a feat. As long as he kept smiling and laughing, was a permanently red face so horrific?

Sure, Narak was usually had a cheerful, carefree demeanor... but who knew how long it could survive. She was an expert in short lived joys; there was still that dark part of her mind that just waited for the inevitable.

Oh yes, this would do nicely; more like it should have. After glancing down once, Narak appeared almost completely indifferent to her little advances. Ugh! The man was so frustrating! She wanted to make his face as red as hers, but it wasn't working. Adalade wouldn't be able to do what she wanted without actually trying to seduce him. The dancer had never tried capturing a man's attention, the idea seemed rather simple before, but Narak had proved it to be otherwise. He wouldn't win though, she wouldn't give up!

Her finger started trailing a bit closer to his inner thigh and she pressed her breasts back up. "So," her voice a bit more melodic than normal, "how big is it?" She was hoping for the innuendo to strike. Of course she "meant" the ocean, but he didn't have to know that.

((I'll toast to that!))

"Of course you don't." He said simply, trying to play along with her as he hummed a short tune happily. It was excellent fun of course to poke fun at the wolf girl, and the way that she responded and the way she reacted to him, oh he absolutely adored it! He really did! He had so much fun really. Getting her to blush like that, getting her to get so flustered.

And that wasn't even half as red as she was going to be when they stopped for the night.

He saw what she was doing, and as a man, he was really wishing that he wasn't one at this time. He could hold his own for the most part, but some things just didn't like to listen. He wished that he had worn something a little looser and less...revealing. Nrgh. Merchant finances. Double profit. Loss of expenses. He was going to bore his body into submission.

Her next question, not to mention her fingers, made him swallow hard. He had to lick his lips, they suddenly felt very dry and he wasn't sure why. Her quip just made him falter slightly in his boring thoughts. Oh she was evil. Two could play at this game though."Bigger than anything you've ever seen. I won't lie you'll be very sore the first time, and it might be a little scary but once you get used to it you'll want to keep doing it." Hah! If she wanted to play with him, he was going to play with her! That sounded kind of bad but she had started this hadn't she?

((Yay! Now I have another reason to go invade Narak's alcohol stash, I mean you can't toast without something to drink right? =D))

Adalade huffed, completely ignoring the merchant's humming. He was enjoying this far too much... she didn't see the attraction of embarrassing her. Briefly reminiscing about her mother and father, the wolf realized that he father often did the same thing to her mother. Adalade concluded that it was just a guy thing; women were completely above such torture. She took no pleasure in making his cheeks color-... Never mind, she took great amounts of pleasure in it.

When she was able to make him blush that is.

Taking great pride in the effect she was having on him, the wicked little grin she had was hard to hold back. She was expecting Narak to be speechless, nervous and flustered. Of course he turned the tables on her. "I-" The blush that had been upon her face had receded during her little seduction, now it was back. What had she started? Focus, focus; if she let it end here then he had her. Not acceptable.

Her fingers ceased their advance but continued in the random patterns, refusing to back off but teasing nonetheless. "Well, that would be big then," she started off, her eyes traveling to his face, "but I wouldn't jump to conclusions yet. Remember, I'm a dancer. Excellent stamina and flexibility are required; I don't even flinch at holding the splits for a half hour." She'd like to see him counter that. "And I don't scary easily."

((It sounds like you're just looking for a reason to invade his stash.))

It was definitely a guy thing. Sure, women took a great deal of pleasure in teasing the other sex, but men just tried to specialize in it. Some tried to specialize in teasing their own sex but that wasn't very applicable here. Having Adalade getting all flustered and embarrassed was particularly delightful. She didn't expect it, and she looked really lovely with her face tinged red. It gave her a more...exotic sort of look. He wouldn't tell her that of course, no no, she didn't need to know that at all.

Narak wasn't going to be caught off guard anymore, and he wasn't going to let her see it if she did. This whole business was rather erotic, he wasn't going to lie, and if he had been a man of lesser power and scrupulous morals he might take advantage of their little...situation. Thankfully though, as he often thought, he was not a man like that, but a better one.

"Oh I'm not trying to scare you, I would hate for you to chicken out of your...first time...but you'll be using muscles that you've never used before, and doing motions that you may have done a hundred times in...a different light. No amount of stretching is going to prepare you, but a lifetime of dancing will definitely make it a little easier." With that, he leaned down toward her and placed a somewhat arrogant kiss upon the crown of her head. "The first time you see it is probably going to leave you slack jawed though."

((....>.> What ever gave you that idea? I'm simply saying that you can't have a toast without something to toast with...*cough* right?))

"I can handle it," all the fight had drained from her voice. He didn't seem the slightest bit fazed now... How was she supposed to make Narak suffer like she had when she couldn't even make him nervous like a couple seconds ago? Was it possible to enjoy and resent that kiss simultaneously, well despite the answer she did. "Perhaps it will, but I still believe your underestimating me greatly."

Ugh, she might as well just give up. He won. Narak was the best at keeping himself in control and indifferent; that was assuming that her little advances still did anything. There was simply no more she could do without going too far, perhaps if she had better experiences with men then this would be much more simple. Perhaps it was him and just her lack of skill in this area.

Her thoughts grew no lighter as dusk approached, out of the frying pan and into the fire. Sands knew what he had schemed for tonight! Certainly nothing she looked forward to...

"Mind if I practice dancing before I have to consent to whatever you have planned?" Adalade finally spoke up since her defeat. "I have a new style I've been meaning to try, and I'm not sure enough of it to test it with a full audience yet." If she couldn't get him now, maybe her dance would get him in a way she couldn't.

((I am suspicious of you and don't believe you.))

"Oh no, I wouldn't underestimate you, that's a mistake no one should make." He wasn't even teasing her really, he was actually being very serious. Anyone who underestimated the wolf girl was going to end up in some serious trouble. However, right now it seemed like she was too flustered by anything. He was rather enjoying that about her, it was very amusing to him.

She seemed defeated, and that was definitely good to know. He had managed to break her down a little bit, which was good because he wanted her to pay when they stopped. He wanted her to pay without...going overboard and getting too naughty about it. He wanted her to be embarrassed though, thoroughly embarrassed, but not...to the point that she hated him.

"Oh you can practise it afterwards, not to worry. Might be something nice to watch while I'm relaxing." If she was trying to be subtle, it wasn't a very good thing now was it? He smiled to himself at the thought of her trying to seduce him with a dance. While he was completely sure she could do it, he had to get his kicks first. As the sun began to disappear, he started his lookout for a place to pull off. He found somewhere not far from the road eventually behind a small hill. It didn't really have an oasis of some kind, well...there was some small trees and a tiny puddle of water, as this no doubt had been an oasis at one point but now it was receding back into the desert.

Narak hopped off the cart after stopping the camels and stretched. Part one had been accomplished! He went around to the back of the wagon and began to search through a box. "Ah here we go. Your new outfit for the night. Really popular in the north, but horribly offensive to the actual Essyrn people." He spoke up as he came out around the wagon to her, holding up a very...light looking ensemble. The entire thing was very sheer, and it showed off a lot of skin. While the important bits at the front were thankfully covered by the material, the rear of the outfit was...very sheer and showed every inch of skin it seemed.

"You're the maid for the night. You have to set up the camels, start a fire, and begin cooking." He told her pleasantly as he handed her the outfit. "While wearing this. I on the other hand..." he held up the blanket and grinned. "Get to relax." Thrusting the outfit on her, he headed off to set up his blanket on a small outcropping on the ground. It was perfect, giving him the ability to sit up and watch the wagon.

((Am I really the kind of person that would rummage through someone's stuff without a good reason?))

A quick smile flashed over her face, he couldn't have been more right. There had been plenty to do so; it seemed as though most of the male race thought that women were not capable of much. Adalade had been sure to change this mind-set for them, there wasn't any way they would ever forget it.

"Afterward?" An incredulous glare followed. "I don't see why it would make a difference. Before, after, what's it matter? I'll have to take your punishment eventually but a little dancing won't interfere." Something inside her stomach knotted, if he couldn't wait for her to practice then-... What on earth did he want her to do?

Adalade wasn't near so eager to leave the wagon bench, but she knew there was no delaying the inevitable. She had just hopped down from the bench when he started talking. New outfit? Her eyes widened at the little number he brought out for her to wear; offensive, very much so. It was... it.. well it was worse than her dancer's outfit! Her cheeks flared and she found herself unable to tear away her gaze long enough to glare at him.

Maid for the night? The wolf could handle being a maid, but with that on? Sands no! She didn't even flinch when he gave her the outfit; she tested the fabric with her hands, as if stern glares and sharp tugs would cause it to catch on fire or rip. Dreaming wasn't forbidden was it? She hoped the effect of her wearing it backfired on him. Hmm,there was no harm in helping it along. "Very well then," was her pleasant reply as she hopped into the back of the wagon to change.

The sheerness of it made her feel naked, she might as well have been. It hardly covered more than her undergarments. Adalade did gain a bit of pleasure from cutting a hole in the back of it though; Narak couldn't be mad, she couldn't wear an outfit if she didn't have a spot for her tail. There was no reason to disappoint him by having to wear something less revealing. After fitting into the atrocious thing, she adjusted it so that a bit more skin showed and her breast rose a bit higher than normal. It already fit snugly, but it wouldn't hurt to add to it right?

When Adalade appeared from the back her face had not cooled any, but her posture made it appear as though she was indifferent to everything. In addition to the outfit, she had put on some modest pieces: a few bangles, small silver rings in her ears, a pendant on a short chain, and a sheer sash - same color as her "costume" - wrapped loosely around her hair. Maybe it wouldn't make a difference, but she didn't feel near so ridiculous now.

Trying to act calm and collected, she set to work setting out the camels' troughs and starting the fire. The dancer took every moment she could emphasize her almost nakedness in the material, this time she would not give in. After placing the food by the fire, where it would almost surely burn, she approached Narak. "Anything else you wish of me?" the melodious voice asked.

((Oh, I think you might!))

There was no real way to describe the ecstatic joy he was getting from this.

The entire trip down here, any money made or lost was all now nullified. It was COMPLETELY worth it and he couldn't give a care for what may come next. This moment right now was so worth it. The look on her face, he thought she was going to attack him for trying this. She had agreed though! That was the best part about it! Her pride would never let her say no. Oh how she was regretting this no doubt.

He was expecting her to rip the entire thing up and hurl it in his face...but she didn't. While it took a little wind out of his sails, he still wasn't going to stop himself from acting and looking aloof. He had to nail this little act and be the winner after all. He couldn't let her get to him...

Though as he watched her flounce around it, he wished he had picked something that would be crueller on her than it would be on him. She had dolled it up a little bit too, put on some jewellery, cut a hole for that cute little tail of hers (Which he wouldn't mind saying could have used a good pull for laughs,) and added a few more things here and there.

He thought it was actually going to be funny to watch her like this, but he actually found himself having to cross one leg over the other. Just in case. He looked relaxed, but he had to admit that this was actually a little more...sexual that he had expected. "Hm...no, not right now...but after the food is done cooking I could use a drink...gives you about fifteen minutes to practise." He regretted saying it but...he was the one in charge. Yes. He was the master of his vessel!

((*Gasp* I would never! I could buy something actually good...it wouldn't be vintage but- I just wouldn't do that kind of thing!))

"Very well," Adalade sounded almost bored as she headed back toward the fire. He was so "gracious" to allow her fifteen minutes... with the way she had laid out the food it would probably be only nine. He had made a mistake by putting her in charge of dinner tonight, had she not warned him about her cooking? Narak just must have been craving burned kebabs... it was the only thing she could remotely cook.

The wolf took a place several feet from the fire, instead of facing Narak - or turning her back to him - she was positioned so that her side was mostly visible. The thought of wasting precious minutes made her burn but... she wasn't about to dance without any kind of stretching; everything was shortened and only her middle splits were stretched. She was not about to pull something in front of him...

Finally, now attempt number two could be put to the test.

As usual, Adalade started off by humming. When she began her dance it was obviously not her normal style - or not entirely anyway. Any Essyrn dancer knew at least basic belly dance, it was the basis for many current desert styles, but the wolf had never felt a need to degrade herself so. Even now she wasn't very enthused to be dancing it.

Her voice accented important drum beats and extended long airy notes, her hips emphasized everything, and the outfit showed ever dip of her waist and small shimmy. Tired of humming, Adalade imagined the band behind her and concentrated more on her moves. Her thoughts lingered on the dance so much that she was now lost to it, feeling only the beat and hearing only the music. She soon was incorporating her own style back into it and had no care of which direction she faced.

So lost to her own world that she no longer need to look at the world around her and shut her eyes, blindly pulling the scarf out of her hair and holding it in her hands loosely. Suddenly it flicked out and twisted it around her hands, unfurled it and was coiled around her waist. Things would have gone on all night had the sharp smell of burning meat not assaulted her nose.

Abruptly brought back to the real world, Adalade hurried to the fire and burned herself pulling their food out of the flames. Not too bad, only slightly blackened. Had it really been fifteen minutes though? Time had been completely lost on her. "What do you want to drink?" Her gaze traveled to Narak as though she had been sitting there quietly the whole time... so much for her discrete seduction part 2.

A new mental note was added to hundreds others: never dance and attempt payback at the same time... too much distraction.

(((Then you should definitely buy something good!)0

Narak knew FULL well that tonight's dinner wasn't going to be up to par with what they had been eating. However, watching her flaunt around in that very naughty little dress, seeing her ah...tail swishing back and forth like that. It was absolutely worth it. He didn't realize how dirty he felt though about the whole thing. Part of him was loving this thing though...but another part was just viewing this more as punishment. Not the sexy 'Hey I'm going to spank you for being naughty' punishment, but just...a punishment. As if she were a child who had broken the favourite vase or let the good horse run away.

That's what he kept telling himself anyway.

He watched her and tried not to let anything get away. He had to stay in control, and he did the best he can. Thank the Gods for crossed legs. He watched her, his expression as bored as possible, as if it didn't matter what she was doing. This was all too...real and all too different for both of them wasn't it? He had so readily convinced her a relationship was a good thing. The age difference was a little...off putting to some degree but...he almost felt like this would be good for at least both of them. Even if it didn't work out, even if they just went back to being friends, the experience would definitely help them.

They had to work out just what they wanted.

He very idly watched the girl before him dance. He had gotten out a lot of his...ah...wildness in days of youth. While this was incredibly erotic display, and it was obvious that he liked it, his face flushing slightly and his legs having to be crossed to ah...hide any accident that might pop up...he still was in control. She was dancing a very different dance than her usual one he noted...though it was slowly turning into her own. That was much better. Dance for the sake of dance, not for the audience watching.

The added scarf was a good touch. It was definitely different. She caught the smell however before he did, and almost sat up to help, however he remembered exactly what this was all about. Making her do some of the work. "I think wine tonight. I'm feeling a little festive for some reason. There should be some in the red wine skins." It was native wine to the Moraki, but still delicious in it's own right. He could forgo selling some for a little bit of...entertainment tonight.

((Well... I would... b-but why waste the money when Narak can just share?))

Well... there went most of their dinner. Adalade sulked, you would think that after being on her own for half her life that she would at least have decent cooking skills. Not at all. She carefully separated the edible from the charcoal and decided that she would give Narak something with a minute amount of taste instead of none.

Wine? Well she wouldn't have any. The dancer, who had completely forgotten her risqué attire, didn't even glance at Narak as she stood to fetch a wine skin. Alright, she burned dinner so the least she could do was take the punishment and stop trying to lash back... That was before she noticed his apparent disinterest to the whole display that she had put much effort into.

Wordlessly, she brought the wine skin and his food. Tucking the wine under her arm, she placed the food beside him then took hold of the drink he had requested. Uncapping it, Adalade took one long swig before securing the thing and dropping it in his lap. Ha! Maybe next time he would appreciate the thought that went into her dances... no matter how sensual they might become.

As she turned and walked away, the wine started to tickle her throat. Was this normal? Adalade inwardly groaned at herself; in no way did she feel tipsy but she felt a bit light-headed and warm. Just because she was acting like a naive little girl didn't mean that she had to go and start drinking to gain his attention.... She suddenly wished that Narak hadn't changed her so much.

((But that's his money that he'd have to share then! That's not fair! He's a merchant!))

She could have burnt all of dinner and spilled all the wine and it wouldn't matter to Narak. He had gotten her into a horribly embarrassing outfit and was making her not only cook and set up for him, but she was also technically dancing for him though he didn't need to tell her that part. This was an absolutely surreal moment of course, the two of them were playing way out of their comfort zones.

Narak was definitely out of his. Falling in love and wanting to be close to someone like this? Oh yes, that wasn't even the least bit normal for him. But he didn't mind it so much. She was out of hers as well so that...definitely helped to dull it just a little bit.

He made a little bit of an oof noise as she dropped the wine skin onto his lap. Luckily it wasn't open, that would have been something strange now wouldn't it? He took it up and smirked as she walked away from him. A quick movement of his fingers and the skin was open, allowing him to take a drink from it as well. He took up one of the somewhat burnt sticks of food and bit into it. Somewhat crispy, but there were still juices left inside each piece so that was nice. "Aren't you hungry Adalade? Plenty to go around after all." He teased her as he held up his food and waved it around. "Besides, I'd like some company while I eat and drink....and I think you'd fill that position perfectly." Plus it would give him some chances to ah...assess how well she fit the clothing.

Yes, he was enjoying this just a little bit too much perhaps.

((Then where did he learn his manners? Sharing is good, everybody should learn to share. So? I'm not, that doesn't mean that wine is different for us; a good wine is still a good wine.))

Adalade had been ticked before... now she was just livid with the whole situation. Nothing worked! How hard could a girl try before she could make a man break? It didn't seem like such a thing was possible, maybe in myths only. Now she knew perfectly well why she never did this for a man, they were impossible! It wasn't the fact that she couldn't stand people - well only a minute portion of it - but she had pushed herself to her own limits to try and impress him into stunned silence. And had failed.

Sands take her now because she couldn't keep up this charade much longer. Especially not with him rubbing the victory in her face.

"No no, I'm quite full actually. There's just something about dancing freely and wildly out in the desert that satisfies one more than eating could." Despite her pretty little speech, she collected the rest of the food and carried it over beside Narak. She stayed off the blanket, choosing a spot a few feet away on the cool sand. The wolf rested on her side, propping up on one elbow and resting her head in that same palm. Her tail draped unconsciously over one leg as she studied Narak carefully for anymore schemes or humiliations.

((Well you gotta remember he's also a merchant so...he's gonna wanna sell it instead!))

It was a pretty ultimate will battle here.

She wasn't bad at this really, but Narak had to be really good at having a strong will. He had to be able to hold firm ]on prices and to convince people that what they were buying was the right thing for them. He was at times, a man that was weak, like the time he had exploded at poor Adalade. He was going to ensure that he kept himself smart though! He did want to get close to Adalade, he did want to give in a little bit to her...but she was not...she was not a person used to relationships.

That was the scary thing. She was in most sense of the word, a virgin. She had never been with a man in such a sense, at least from what he could gauge, and so he had to be careful how he tread. He was looking for a long term relationship in the end, he wasn't looking for a fling...but he had to be careful with how he did that of course.

So very...careful.

"Well, if you're sure about it Adalade...it's not bad either, probably should have gotten you to watch it a little more." Narak was polite about it, but she wasn't being the best maid now was she? What else should he get her to to then? "Hm, well if you aren't going to eat, you could..." Narak looked over to her, a rather devillish smirk on his face. "You could get one of the wooden hand fans from the wagon and cool me down a little." Was this too far? It probably was but...he was going to live this up.

((I won't drink the whole bottle... Just some. He can go sell the rest once I'm finished with it.))

"You never told me to watch it carefully now did you?" Looking for loopholes, the dancer would take every chance she could get. Narak would have to be very specific if he didn't want to become a victim of a little rebellion.

Take now for instance.

Adalade's frown only grew as he smirked at her, but, as her own scheme came to mind, she found herself returning it. "Certainly, I would hate for you to suffer in this heat. So it would be my pleasure." Fluidly rising to her feet, Adalade sashayed to the wagon; her warning, foreshadowing her plan with her cheerfulness.

Now, she did go to the wagon and pull out one of the wooden fans he had spoken of, but it was not the only thing she had gotten. She had pulled out her water skin and hid it behind the hand fan, though it's size wasn't enough to shield the whole thing. Perhaps he would believe that she was thirsty, so she prayed.

Maneuvering herself behind Narak, she uncapped her skin and turned the lip downward at the seam of his neckline. Dumping a good half of the water at once. "Cool enough now?" He hadn't really specified that she cool him off with the fan now had he? Narak had only told her to grab it.

((Ew that's not hygenic, you can't just do that!))

"And yet we both suffer for this. Tsk tsk." Her idea of revenge wasn't that good in his opinion. He couldn't blame her though, she was just looking for anything at this point no doubt. It was adorable in some way, but pathetic in another. He'd just let her do what she wanted though, she could think about her problems afterwards now couldn't she?

Narak could only grin. "It isn't like you have much of a choice anyway." He wondered how she'd get revenge on him for this. It was no doubt going to be interesting, considering who it was that was delivering it to him. He would just have to wait and see what she did. Hopefully she wasn't going to light the thing on fire and try to fan him with that.

Maybe his next order would have to be very carefully planned out. Yeah, that sounded like it was a good idea really.

He didn't know what she was up to as she walked around to his back but he just waited. The sudden rush of water came at him and caused him to jump up in surprise. The water wasn't cold so to speak, but it was still water, and he had definitely not thought it would be delivered to him like that! "Guh! Water water!" He shook a little bit as he tried to regain his composure. That was just horribly cruel of her. He just looked at her with a glare as he began to peel the wet shirt off. "That was just low." Narak calmly decided to get back at her in a way that he knew would annoy her. Folding the wet shirt up, he decided to just lay back down on the blanket. "Now however you may use the fan to cool me down, and without using the water skin."

((I never said I'd take a swig from the bottle... ew, I wouldn't sell it either. Just have him pour me a nice large glass then he can sell the rest! =D))

"I'm not, as I said before. I'm not even hungry," she retorted. "I guess it's only you then." Though the dancer was suffering; there seemed to be no end to this punishment in sight... and she was running out of ideas too quickly.

She had ignored his comment about not having a choice, deeming it unworthy of a response. Had Adalade thought of setting the fan on fire, she wouldn't have wasted a second in doing so... Shame she hadn't.

Adalade didn't even notice his glare for she was laughing too hard. It had been amazing at how swiftly he had jumped, and his reaction was priceless. Her snickering quickly died as he stripped out of his wet shirt, pulling a blush to her face... maybe water had been a bad idea... That had been the last idea she'd had though, instead she sulked down beside him and lazily fanned him. The action more of a subconscious flick of her wrist rather than fanning.

"Anything else you'd like while I'm dry of ideas?" she asked too sarcastically, praying that he'd give her a task that promised several openings for retaliation.

((Then you're just six times a weirdo you know that? Sell a used bottle of something, that's crazy!))

"Really? Because you're always hungry I thought. I mean these aren't bad, little burnt, but you'd really like them." Narak was going to go ahead and have himself a little fun with the whole thing. He didn't really want her to suffer, but she was the one doing it to herself after all! They could have all been nice and civil to each other, but she had to start the war after all.

A war that Narak was going to really lose.

He had to embarrass her after all, make her feel like going to war against him was a very horrible idea. So he was going to have to really think on that. There were ways to make it happen of course, but he figured that the best way would just...well...to go at her through some rather dirty techniques. He knew a lot of her weaknesses...one of them being men of course...and her not being able to deal with sexuality. This would be incredibly fun for that matter.

"Well actually, I was thinking that since you're already up for it, why not get a cloth and some soap from my bag. I could do with a nice little clothe bath after all. Water was warm enough for it, and I hate feeling all...sweaty and sticky...plus I'm getting to be quite dirty." Narak spoke with a broad smile on his face as he looked over to her, running one hand down over the muscles on his chest. "I should thank you, because if it hadn't been for you dousing me I'd never have realized it really."

((=P I know that, would I be this awesome if I was only 3 times a weirdo? Nope. Well fine then, sounded like a perfectly good idea to me, but if that's the case I'll just keep the bottle. Problem solved and everyone's happy!))

The pathetic sway of the hand fan completely halted; he wanted her to do what?! Adalade blushed as her poor mind processed his latest request, her eyes following his hand as it traveled over the muscles on his chest. Her face went from annoyed pale to ruby red in the time it took her to blink.

Oh he would pay for this later! Judging by the smile he knew what he was doing to her... and basking in it.

Mutely, the wolf rose again to her feet and sulked back to the wagon. So embarrassed was the girl, that she couldn't even remember grabbing a bowl, pouring water in it, snatching up a cloth, and finding the soap. All she knew was that she was sitting down beside him again... all too quickly.

"My mistake for bringing the idea to your attention," she muttered. No, she would not let him win this; even if it meant her own humiliation she would take him with her, or so she hoped. Absentmindedly, she soaked the cloth in the soapy water and started on the least embarrassing place she could... his arm. Oh for sands sakes, they were both adults and there was no reason this should bring a flush to her face! It wasn't as though he had asked her to remove the already risqué outfit and dance suggestively.

So, trying to prove that she was mature and not shy about the opposite sex, Adalade moved closer to Narak before straddling him. Sands and spirits her face was burning! She then proceeded to run the cloth gently across the span of his chest, taking note of how the muscles were not as finely chiseled as other men's but yet seemed perfect for him. The wolf had the sudden urge to see what they felt like and let one finger trail the contours.

Viscously shaking her head, she removed her finger and replaced it with the cloth once more.

((But then you've stolen from Narak! Don't steal from him he needs money in the bank! Or in his coin pocket thing. Whatever he might keep it in.))

Oh yes. That had worked hadn't it? She even stopped what she had been doing. This was absolutely perfect. He was going to show her who was the winner in all of this. It was going to be him of course! It almost appeared that he had broken her, and he couldn't really complain of that. It was good to know that he could still bring a pretty hefty blush to that pretty little face of hers. Not that it was very hard, he was learning how to get a rise out of her.

And it was fun.

She didn't say anything to him though, she just walked away. For a moment he was absolutely fearing what retribution she might plan. She didn't come back with anything expensive though, she just...came back with what he asked her to get. This was getting...interesting. So he had to sit up a bit more so she'd be able to get...everything and he'd wait to see how she'd handle it. "Oh I'm sure you're enjoying this far more than I am." He teased with a small grin plastered on his lips. Yeah, he was actually enjoying this a lot. Of course she only started with his arm but that was to be expected wasn't it?

There was a sudden movement and he was very...very confused by the weight. She was on his lap. She was on his lap in a skimpy outfit with barely any cloth between the two of them. He only raised his eyebrow though, as if asking a question as he watched her carefully. The feeling of the cloth along his chest was nice, but suddenly there was a different touch. It was her finger, feeling its way along his muscles. "You know, I don't often let people feel the merchandise...but if that's what you'd like to do I guess I can't stop you, can I?"

((He could give it to me as a gift, I wouldn't let it go to waste either! Then more people would come and buy from him because he's so nice. =D There problem solved, again!))

His words stunned her. Adalade had been expecting more hell from him, some embarrassingly suggestive comment he knew would make her skin a nice permanent crimson. Instead... well the only way she could take it was that he was giving her permission to continue.

Sands be blamed if she was wrong.

The dancer placed the cloth down once more and brought her finger back up to his torso. She continued her exploration of his muscles but the small touch didn't satisfy her curiosity anymore. She hesitantly placed her whole palm upon his chest and slowly brushed the skin underneath.

"After all you've put me through tonight, no, no you couldn't." Her voice was soft and her eyes filled with a slight fascination. She never would have guessed that a man's skin could still feel soft with how well built they were. Her other hand rose up to his face as she leaned in for a sudden kiss.

((Yeah but then he's out of at least one bottle of alcohol which he could have sold for money. Money can be much better than people thinking he's super nice! Since he's already pretty darn nice to begin with.))

She went for it then. He wouldn't have expected her to be this bold but...it must have been something in the air tonight, making them both a little odd. It might have been all that tension between the two of them. Narak wasn't sure how much or what kind of tension it really was. Sexual perhaps? He couldn't say for sure. There was always that tugging feeling after all, to feel her, to hold her, to kiss her, to taste her lips upon his own...but...that was only occasionally. He was in charge after all, not his libido.

Still, that wall that blocked him appeared to have weakened for a little bit, and now he found himself straddled by an almost naked Adalaide as she washed him. This was...definitely something else entirely.

"But...why would I want to try." He teased softly. He was enjoying this after all. The gentle caress of her hands, the feeling of her body against his own...just knowing that so little clothe separated their skin from feeling each other fully, their lusts and desires fulfilled so easily if they wanted.

His own hand came up to her, to mimic her move as she leaned in to kiss him. His lips flushed against hers and he felt heat in his face as let his eyes close in the delightful feeling. She was a flower amongst the sands wasn't she? How he had found her, and got her into such a predicament, he'd never know.

((But but but-.... T^T. I should just spread nasty rumors about him and you then! ....Couldn't even spare one bottle, just one flipping bottle!))

How could any woman try to live her life without knowing the heaven in such touches? She had been daft to disassociate herself from life, from people... but even now she knew her reasons had been so wholly solidified that the wall that held her separate from everything would be hard to completely demolish. Still, her tidbits into what the world truly was like made her hopeful for the rest she had yet to see.

"I honestly haven't the slightest idea," she whispered. Everything she had said, done, thought she had this man to thank for. Perhaps the gods truly had crossed their paths and sent them together... if the gods really cared.

With ever second she could feel her whole being flush. The strange desires and urges she had begged to be satisfied, she wanted to oblige. Adalade pushed Narak back down, resting one hand on the ground to support her weight; all the while her lips never left his.

In the midst of hazy thoughts the wolf suddenly knew what her revenge would be.

((We're not gonna help you get drunk, you have to pay like everyone else! Even he has to pay himself to get drunk off his wares. No easy feat let me tell you.))

He said nothing after that. It was best to just...keep his mouth somewhat shut. At least, let no words escape it as it were. While one could argue this was just a good coincidence, or this was fate itself, one had to be certain that he was happy she had been going his way that day.

And that he had a silver tongue to convince her not leave in a huff.

He felt her desire, he felt her push against him, her body so close to his, and the desire in her touch. Their lips were locked together, his own tongue betraying him and trying to get a better taste of her. But he knew better than all of this. Though he could feel his own wanton desires ache, his own primal urges wanting to be satisfied, he knew he had to push her away. His hand slowly came up to her shoulder and he gently began to push, breaking the kiss with her.

"You know that we...can't go further right now." He whispered, slowly trying to sit up. "What this might lead to...I don't want you to just...give away that. You need to be sure that you want me to ahm..." Oh gods, how to even put this delicately. That flush in his face was now more from embarrassment. "To be your first." Might as well not mince words at this point.

((T.T You both are so cruel.))

It was amazing how fast her "revenge" was forgotten, completely ignored. It had taken less than mere seconds for the thought to leave her head with the lazy breeze. She never would have fathomed, later of course when her thoughts cleared, how quickly the moment had taken over her whole being.

A bit frightening to lose control so fast, but she didn't regret it.

The break in contact set Adalade's nerves on end. Were they-... No, a part of her sighed in relief while the rest of her felt hurt. Was she that bad of a kisser? Had she gone too far? An absolute feeling of stupidity washed over her as she sat back up and gave him room. Well, he had said that the desert was not the place for that kind of thing...

Wait, he was stopping because he worried about her? Whether she was sure or not? Suddenly, Adalade's hurt expression became an endearing smile; the redness of his face brought a bit of satisfaction to her after all he'd made her suffer through tonight. "And if I said I was sure?" the wolf leaned back toward him, "What then?"

((Yay! You're back! Yay Sinedra! I'm glad!))

There wasn't much to think about at this time. All of his numbers went out of his head, all of the travel, all of the plans, all of them were gone. All of it just went out of his head and into nothingness. Well, not nothingness, but into the sands around them. All he had now was just...her. In his arms, on his lap, in skimpy clothing with his shirt off. This was a rather huge and strange development really. He was sure that he had to be very careful though.

While he really didn't want to break the kiss with her, he knew that he had to. They had to talk...they had to sort this out first. Narak wasn't sure how they'd really get a long in the end, how the two of them would...fair together. They were still in a very awkward stage of their relationship after all! Plus...she was young...she was rash, he didn't want to push her to far after all. Her expression was hurt at first, but it changed when he kept speaking.

"Then...are...are you really?" There was surprise all over his face as he watched her carefully. This could be a trap actually...she could be trying to get him to take off his clothes and then she'd run off into the desert and hide them. But...she'd have to come back to a naked him. "Because...I want you to be...sure." Narak's hand came up to her shoulder, to the flimsy fabric, as he slid it down slowly. If she was sure. His lips went back to hers, now that she had leaned close once more to him.