@Draconian She wasn't quite sure why she was here. Ainu was a bit off a trek from her home village, and she'd really only meant to be gone for a day or two gathering herbs and other shamanic supplies in the jungles.
Still, somehow Nani found herself wandering through the small port village, glancing around with smiles and nods for the people she saw. A few of the faces were familiar, but not enough for her to place names right away.
She seemed to have just been
drawn here, somehow. And Nani was used to enough strange goings on that she didn't really question it, just followed the strange urge into Ainu, then down the beach to the docks.
Her eyes widened and she gave a low whistle. These foreigners really built some amazing things- these massive boats were nothing like the canoes her people used! A small smile twitched at her lips and she ruffled her wings delicately as she approached one vessel in particular, bare toes wiggling in the sand.
Here. Something was here, and it was- it was
calling her. The dreamwalker suddenly paused, head snapping from side to side like a hound searching for a scent. She
knew this feeling, she knew it. It was so familiar...like a half remembered dream...
Cadreinth groaned loudly before he smooshed his palms to his eye sockets.
This was awful.
What was supposed to be a short trip down the coast turned into whatever the hell this was but thank the Gods that at least there was a port here which meant they could resupply and perhaps - maybe - at least make profit here.
The one time he went with his business men and they get thrown off course.
Deep breaths.
The man pushed his hand through his opal hair and rolled his shoulders, looking about the people.
It was odd that they had wings. How did they sleep? Did they get dirty? He frowned at himself, finding that the only probable thing they had to offer was wing-related before his eyes were caught by something.
Well, someone.
Just staring.
That was kinda weird.
"Uh... Miss?" He called, waving off his handlers before he wandered on over to the winged girl with the weird hair ( Pot calling kettle black ), "Yes. Hello," He gave a wave of his hand,blinking at how tall she was - his height - and then resting his hands on his hips. He was sweater, unwashed and no doubt he smelled like rotted something...
But at least he had a pretty face.
"I was wondering if you speak my language."
Nani's eyes widened as they man addressed her, her heart skipped a beat. Yes. This was it. This was what- who- she'd been looking for.
A sense of almost relief came over her and she smiled brightly, taking a few steps forward to meet him. Her brow furrowed a bit as she spoke. Her grasp of the common tongue was rudimentary at best.
"I speak...little," she offered slowly. "Talking- slow, please?" Then her smiled was back and she sort of bounced on the balls of her feet, wings fanning and then resettling against her back. "I am...for you, yes? Yes."
"Uuuuh...."
Cadreinth looked over his shoulder and then slowly back to the girl.
"You're..." He frowned, "For me?" He pointed to himself, glancing over his shoulder for a moment before her cleared his throat and took a few steps back. "I... I'm sorry. Please tell me that doesn't mean what I think it means." He breathed, frowning. Not that she wasn't attractive but he wasn't here for that.
It would be quite the warm welcome though, no doubt about that.
"Yes!" Nani beamed and clapped her hands together. "For you, yes." She frowned when he seemed confused though. Had she said it wrong after all?
"I sorry. What...think it means? Oh!" Her eyes widened slightly and she flushed, placing her hands crossed over her heart. "Be...forgiving me. I am excited and forgot good ways. Manners."
Her smile was back and she stepped toward him to cup his face in her hands and press her nose to his, then rocked back on her heels. "I am Haunani, and I am for you."
"Whoa," he took her wrists and backed away from the girl, disliking how tall she was mostly because it meant he couldnt jerk his head back with the flare he wanted to.
"Haunani," he copied her name, looking confused, "youre mine?" He repeated, looking around. Hoping someone would come claim their wayward daughter. "Like a pet?" He added, looking at her wings.
"Pet?" She repeated the word slowly, trying to remember what it meant. She didn't speak Common often.
A very slow shake of her head, brow furrowed in thought. "No. Not pet. Um..." She bit her lip and muttered a few phrases in Yorieqi, irritated by her limited vocabulary.
"Friend?" she tried, tilting her head to one side. "No, more...companion. Yes." She nodded and beamed at him, quite pleased with herself. "I being looking for you. But didn't know I was. Now I find you, and I stay with you, yes?"
"stay..."
A moment to pause and Cadreinth just smiled at her, looking over his shoulder again for help.
For anything to keep the weird girl away from him.
"What did you say your name was? HooNiNi?" He licked his lips and gently placed his hands on her shoulders, "I'm sure your family is very worried about you," Because surely she was sick in the head, "How about we go get you back to them and we can be... going home, hmm?" This girl couldn't have been any older than his daughter and he smiled at her pleasantly and gave her shoulders a pat before he started to usher her away from his things.
Like his boat.
And his crew. Well, the captains crew, but he was paying them!
"Haunani," she corrected, slowly, and still smiling. She placed a hand over her chest and offered, "Nani, if more easy."
Her head tilted slightly to the side and she frowned at him in confusion- her family wouldn't be worried, after all she was never further than shouting distance from help if she needed it. Then she suddenly grinned again.
"Oh, yes!" She grabbed his hand and started pulling him after her down the beach, away from the port. "You should be meeting family. Home village. Is very important day, I think."
Cadreinth winced.
It would be rude to pull away. Right? Right.
"Aaalright," he said glancing over his shoulder, "we're not getting married are we?"
"Married?" She blinked at him again, once more confused. "Um...no?" She didn't think so- that word was almost strictly used by foreigners, her people's concept of matrimony was much looser.
Then her smile was back and and tugged on his hand again. "Come, come! Many will want to be meeting you. I being looking long time."
"Am i expected?" He breathed, looking concerned.
He wiggled his hand away from the girl, "i forgot a few... things.. on my ship. It was lovely meeting you Nani, but i really need to go." And he tried to smile and took a few steps back.
"N-no- wait, please!"
She reached after him like a lost child, eyes wide and pleading as she bit her lip. "Please don't go," she begged quietly. It felt like something inside her was tearing through her just trying to follow him. "I- I have to stay with you..."
Oooh.
This was creepy.
"I appreciate that you feel that way, but youre a little... young. And im not looking for a wife. Terribly busy, you understand." Cadreinth waved her off again and took a few more steps.
"Please..." Nani took another hesitant step after him, reaching out again. Her eyes were huge in her face, pleading. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth.
"I...am not...wife?" She vaguely knew the meaning of that word. "Am...Am..." She growled in frustration when she couldn't figure out how to say what it was she meant. "Um, protector? Guardian?"
She shook her head. "I just- I have to be with you."
Like he hadnt heard that one before.
"Look. Kid," frustrated he ran his hand through his hair and exhaled, "i appreciate that you like me," he let his hands fall to his sides, "but im not interested. Just because your parents told you that you have to be with the strange foreign guy doesnt mean you have to."
Now becoming frustrated herself, Nani flared her wings out in agitation and stomped her foot. She though she understood the miscommunication, but she didn't know how to fix it.
"No." She shook her head firmly. "No parents, no family telling to to be saying this. Me." She placed a hand over her heart and met his eyes, willing him to understand even though she didn't entirely herself.
"Need to be with you, but not- not with you." She crinkled her nose. He certainly wasn't unattractive, but she tended to go for people closer to her own age.
Cadreinth wrnkled his nose.
"Look, Sweetheart, i dont need anymore servants." He tried to usher her away, taking careful steps away from her. "I didnt come here on purpose and i'd appreciate you going through the proper channels before you pledge your undying allegience to me."
Nani looked to be on the verge of tears now, panicking though she wasn't entirely sure why.
"Please." She didn't know what else to do, reaching for him again and closing her fingers around his wrist.
A sort of electric crackle ran over he skin, raising the hair on the back of her neck and ruffling her feathers. She jerked her hand back and started at her figures accusingly, eyes rather wide. That hadn't happened when she touched him before...
Cadreinth stared at her, frowning.
"I'm so sorry," he started. Had that even been him? The strange was his family used magic was passed to him. Using it more as a physical extension of himself instead of conjuring it from nothing. Cadreinth caught her hand, sighing before he started to take her along to his boat.
"The least i can do for you is bandage you up," he frowned, "after thay though. You leave. Go home to your village and you stay away from my boat. Understand?" A displeased noise and he stared at her for a moment, frowning at how right it felt to be beside the girl.
Which was wrong. She was barely older than his daughter.
Uncaring of why, Nani was thrilled to have the contact. She gripped his hand firmly, her palm still having that strange, crackling-burning feeling. Strange, but not necessarily painful.
"No sorry," she said softly, following after him. "Think...maybe I did that?" She wasn't sure, really.
Cadreinth stared down at his hand for a moment, firmly in hers, frowning.
Fine.
"Alright. I give up. Take me to your leader," he gave her an irritated look - he had stuff to do like... be stranded for the time being. The crackling wasnt unfamiliar, the way his magic presented its self had made him familiar to strange jolts of electricity on his fingers.
"Why again do you want to come with me?" He asked in a bit of a huff.
Nani's eyes went wide and sparkling. She gave a happy cry and squeezed his hand. She rather wanted to hug him, but was starting to understand perhaps foreigners did not enjoy such public displays of affection so much.
"Yes! Yes, come with me, meet-" she fell into a jabber of Yoreiqi, then seemed to realized what she was doing as shook her head, tugging him along down the beach. "Village close. Come, come!"
Her brow furrowed a bit and she added softly, "Have to be with you. Important...somehow."
Important somehow.
Descriptive.
Cadreinth sighed and pressed his palm to his eye socket, politely following the woman as she wandered towards where ever. Just gotta keep an idea of where they were going. "Sure, whatever, I just gotta get back before meal time or I miss getting food," and he'd found himself far more hungry than he thought he was.
"Food?" She positively beamed at that. "We can give food, yes, good food! You like Yoreiqi food?" Without waiting for an answer, she squeezed his hand again and continued babbling in her broken Common as she towed him down the beach.
"Happy to come. Don't know why, but I had to come here today. Good thing, I think. You are seller, yes? Trader?"
His eyebrows rose and he tilted his head.
Cadreinth, the High Lord of Jadenshine.
A simple trader? A purse of his lips and he let himself be dragged along. Apparently he was to be fed. Cadreinth sighed and rubbed his face for a moment, head tilted. "I am right now," he confirmed, "so. Can someone in your village tell me whats going on?"
"Ask Miana. She maybe know. Very wise." Nani nodded and smiled at him. It was a bit of a walk to her village, but not too far, and with every step her wings fluttered excitedly as she practically bounced along over the sand, then through the thin trails that led through the trees.
Sure.
He knew who that was.
Cadreinth sighed and pushed his hands through his hair trying not to sigh, curious about what trouble he'd gotten himself into because he knew this would be nothing but trouble. Miana. Very wise.
He'll file that away for later use he supposed.
Obediently and curiously, he followed the girl, watching her wings and tilting his head curiously.
"So... What's going on here again?" He finally asked, head tilted, hair falling into his eyes.
Nani blinked at him. "We go to home. Find Miana. Good day, I must tell the others." She gave him a big smile and reached for his hand to pull him along.
Cadreinth gave her a hesitant smile, but let her drag him along.
Both curious and suspicious.
Just what was going on here?
"You guys aren't going to eat me, are you?"
Her wings flared out in surprise and she looked at him with wide eyes. "I- what?" She blinked and shook her head rapidly back and forth. "No no no no no! Do people eat people on mainland?"
Cadreinth lifted his eyebrows and watched her.
Well, that looked like a no but he smiled all the same and tilted his head curiously, "No, they don't. Well, lead me to this leader person so that they can explain to you I'm not important to you and I can go back to my ship and you can go back to your..." he wrinkled his nose before looking around, "Life."
"Yes. Yes, okay."
She smiled again and continued leading him along, ducking in and out of the trees ever so often to take shortcuts until the small cluster of houses thy made up her village was visible.
Cadreinth was polite while she lead him around and he kept his expression neutral. Mostly he wanted to rip his hand away and just go back to the ship. Whose great idea was this? Right. right. His. Taking a deep breath he nodded a few times and waited to be led along. He needed this explained to him.
Because he had no idea what was going on.
"So... Don't speak a lot of common, do you?" He finally winced out, curious.
"Common? Oh, Trade-speak?" She tilted her head at him with a small smile. "Little bit. Not much," she shrugged. "More than most in home. My home. At home?"
A few people must have heard their approach, because heads were poking out of doorways and a steady murmur of curious Yoreiqi started to float through the air as Nani pulled him along into the small village.
Cadreinth tried to smile. It looked more like a grimace though.
"Right, well, My Dear, how about we get to this leader of yours so they can explain to me why you're so excited, hmm?" He nodded at her and made a walking motion with his fingers, to mime 'go faster'. "I got stuff to do." Like crawl back onto the ship and hide.
Nani didn't seem to quite understand all of what he said, but she smiled anyway and pulled him into the center of the village, where such things should happen.
A small crowd was gathering around them, curious looks abounding while a few children gradually grew brave enough to come out from behind their parents' legs and shuffle closer, then became suddenly shy again.
"Nani." A woman who could have been an older version of Nani herself, with scarlet streaks through her dark hair and vibrant red and gold wings, came forward and murmured in Yoreiqi, "Who is this? A new trader?"
Nani beamed, shaking her head. "Where is Miana? I need to talk to her, she needs to meet him."
At the mention of the shaman's name, the crowd shifted and looked to each other, the soft murmurs growing in volume.
Huh.
Cadreinth felt like he was walking around without pants on.
A brief glance down.
Yup. Pants confirmed. He looked at everyone, catching eyes and frowning when they didn't look away. A purse of his lips and he watched the girl, Nani, being talked to. A confused look to the girl and he frowned deeply. "Just what the hell is going on?" Was he going to be the main meal? What in the gods was happening?!
"Ama, come meet him," Nani said eagerly, shooting Cadreinth a smile. "This is my mother," she said in her accented Common, gesturing to the scarlet winged woman. Again in Yoreiqi, she said quickly, "Can you talk to him? I need to find Miana, I'll be right back."
Another smile and she hurried away, leaving the older woman to look the stranger up and down curiously. "Hello," she said slowly, her accent even thicker than her daughter's.
What.
Cadreinth chewed on the inside of his cheek, frowning deeply. What was going on. Why was this happening to him.
"Hello. Look, lady, I appreciate that your daughter finds me attractive but I'm not going to marry her. You don't know who I am, but I am a very important person in Serendipity." He started, flashing a strained smile before he put his hands on his waist and waited. He was impatient, but not impolite and just walking away wouldn't sate his curiosity.
Mahan blinked,obviously not understanding all of that. "Marry?" she questioned, tilting her head to the side.
Cadreinth winced and just waved his hand, "Nevermind, woman." He sighed, eyes closed and pressed his hand to his face, "Where is your child? I'm going to go find her, okay? Okay."
"Oh- no, sir." Mahan grabbed his arm and a few of the gathered villagers murmured. "Nani be back soon, please-"
"What's all this then?"
Nani seemed to suddenly reappear, an older woman with a noticable lack of wings accompanying her. Her Common was barely accented at all, and she quirked an eyebrow at the foreigner as her own people all rushed to talk over each other.
Cadreinth froze.
Well that was a regal voice. He had no idea who it was but he turned around slowly, pushing his opal hair from his eyes and blinking at the woman. A sigh and he shook his head, "I have no idea and I would really like some answers."
Miana rolled her eyes and said sharply, "Give him some space, all of you. Don't you have things to do?"
The villagers dispersed, grumbling, and Nani lowered her head slightly, looking a little sheepish. Miana huffed and folded her arms.
"Welcome, stranger. Forgive our family- not many of them have met a foreigner. They are curious about you." She spoke slowly, but not nearly as haltingly as Nani or her mother. Tilting her head, she gestured to one of the huts behind her. "Would you like to come in? We can talk."
He didn't want to go in.
But he did want to talk.
Cadreinth sighed and nodded, looking exasperated and irritated and annoyed. It had been interesting before, now it was just troublesome. "Yes, please. Explain exactly what's going on here," He moved in, arms folded across his chest and waited.
Miana and Nani followed after him, the younger woman shutting the door behind her and leaning back against it, hands clasped in front of her body.
"Well." The shaman sighed and creakily seated herself on the floor, legs crossed. She looked up at Cadreinth. "What did Nani tell you?"
Frustrated and irritated now he threw his arms in the air. "Nothing!" Maybe she had but he couldn't remember. "I'd like some answers od what exactly is going on here!"
Nani flinched and shrank back a bit, suddenly and uncharacteristicay contrite.
Miami sighed, rubbing at her temple. "Please, sir, she doesn't know any better. She is..." Sje looked to Nani, then back to Cadreinth. "Special. She has...what's the word? Powers. Abilities unlike any shaman I've known."
Another sigh. "And it seems those abilities have drawn her to you."
He breathed in through his teeth.
"Look, ma'am. I do not care if she is special," Cadreinth was at his wits end. These people were just avoiding the real answer and that was all he wanted. "I want to know what I have to do with this."
Miana scowled at him. This foreigner was being very rude, it seemed to her. She opened her mouth, but Nani murmured something in Yoreiqi under her breath and the wise woman paused.
"I do not know what mainlanders call it," she said eventually, "but Huanani is a...guardian. A Protector. And she has a very special charge, someone who it meant to wrought great changes in the world."
She didn't know the word for "power", but she knew "wrought".
Nani came forward warily. "You," she said softly, looking at Cadreinth as though afraid he might shout at her. "I...am for you."
Cadreinth winced, seeing the look the girl was giving him.
Then winced still. Wrought great changes in the world.
"Uuuuh..." He pressed his palms to his face and suppressed a heavy sigh, Cadreinth wasn't even sure what to do with this information. "I'm going back to Serendipity in a few days," He started, "That's where I live." He looked at her, his golden-green eyes clear and looking a little concerned towards Nani, "Are you aware of that? Do you plan on coming with me? Serendipity is very far away."
Nani suddenly seemed very determined, shoulders straight and head held high.
"I know." She nodded once. "I will...go with you. I have to."
Greeeeat.
Cadreinth sighed, letting his head fall forward after a moment.
"Fine," He looked at Nani and held out a hand intending for her to shake it, "Now... What exactly does being a guardian imply? Like... A personal guard? Or will she just be... Around?"
Not used to the gesture, Nani stared at his hand while Miana shrugged and replied, "Yes, for both, I suppose. She will protect your body, and soul as well. She is meant to keep you safe, and ready for your destiny."
Slowly, Nani took the man's hand and raised it to her chest, pressing his palm over her heartbeat. She moved closer to return the gesture, splaying her hand against his chest as she looked at him, eyes calm and determined.
Cadreinth was alarmed when she pulled his hand to her.
Did... Did she know what a handshake was?
He opened his mouth to protest but... Oh good, it wasn't right on her breast. Visibly he relaxed and let her move her hand to his chest. It was alarming how in sync the heartbeats were and he chalked it up to coincidence. What was he going to do? What was he going to tell his daughter? Cadreinth sighed, kept his hand over Nani's heart before he tipped his head down.
"Welcome to the family then, I guess," He said softly, looking at his hand over her heartbeat and then to her face. What an interesting situation. "We're leaving in a week," He stated simply, "I'll be returning to the ship. I'll see you there after you've said your... Goodbyes? And if you aren't there..." He shrugged like it was not a big deal, "We'll be leaving without you."
The Yoreiqi girl nodded once, determined, then smiled at him and murmured something in her native tongue. Miana smiled a bit and translated, "She says she looks forward to...serving, I suppose is the word. Serving at your side."
A little shake of his head.
"I can't imagine why," Still a little confused, Cadreinth sighed and pushed a hand through his hair, "I'm just... In politics. There are no great destinies waiting for me."
Miana shrugged as her apprentice frowned at the new word- "politics". "I do not pretend to understand all mysteries. I simply relay them."
She put a hand a on Nani's shoulder and murmured to her, then said to Cadrienth, "She will be ready to leave."
Cadreinth nodded solemnly.
"Has she... Ever been away from here before?" He asked hesitantly, not really sure how he'd deal with... A giant Yoreiqi woman who probably had the curiosity of a child. Sort of still looked like a child. Did he just accidentally adopt a second daughter? "Does she know anything about what she has to do? Or... Worried about where she's going?"
Nani gave him a blinding smile and chirped happily, "No! Never left, don't know what I'll do. But I'm happy todo it."
She still had a grip on his hand and squeezed his fingers cheerfully.
Oh no.
He was going to die.
Not from anything bad but from... Someone elses excitement.
"Right," He started blinking at her before forcing a smile and sighing, "I'll be off back to my ship and... I'll see you again in a week. If you're coming along with me we'll have plenty of time to get to know one another." Cadreinth gave Nani a pat on the shoulder before he turned to leave, fully intended to head back to his ship and rest. What a day.
Nani nodded happily. "I'll walk you back!" she said, bouncing happily on the balls of her feet. To those who knew her, such outward excitement was strange. Miana shook her head in bemusement as Nani practically skipped out of the hut, gesturing for him to follow.
She couldn't help it. She felt...whole. Like she'd suddenly found something she hadn't even known was missing.
Cadreinth nodded solemnly.
Yup.
He'd adopted a second daughter.
It wasn't so bad. He had the means. What was he going to do with her though? Could she fight? Did her being a 'guardian' even mean anything? A purse of his lips and he began to calculate just what this had in store for him. What was he going to do? Would she sleep in his manor? Would he get her a place of her own?
Just what, exactly, was she supposed to do?
Cadreinth, being a gentleman, offered her his elbow to take and he sighed before he began to walk back to the ship. It was going to be a very long journey home. "Will you miss it here?" He asked simply, looking to Nani and being a little alarmed at how happy she was.
Nani stared at his elbow for a longer moment before she hesitantly laid her hand in the crook.
She considered the question, head tilted. "Maybes." She shrugged. "Never left, so... Don't know, really."
A little nod.
A sigh.
Cadreinth pressed his palm to his forehead.
"Have you ever been on a boat? Worn a dress? Do you have any idea about who I am?" His voice was calm, but he was curious, head tilted. No doubt she'd say she knew who he was, because he was for her. Or was she for him? Hm.
Nani seemed to deflate slightly, realizing she may prove to be more of a burden to her new Charge than she would have hoped.
"No," she murmured. "No boat. No...dress?" What did that word mean. "I- I know you are Cadreinth," she said almost hopefully, her heavy accent draping over his name like a blanket.
"Well, that's a start."
A heavy sigh and he closed his eyes for a moment. Never been on a ship. Never worn a dress - which wasn't a huge issue, but that also means she'd never worn armor before. Something she might need. His fingers combed through his hair and he pursed his lips and looked away for a moment. "Do... You know what you have to do? Or just... Be close to me?" His voice was curious and held no malice but...
Mostly he was impatient.
The language barrier was going to be the death of him.
Once they got back to Jadenshine this woman would be up to her eyeballs in tutors.
She nodded quickly. "Be close. Protect. Guide, sometimes. Help you be great," she said determinedly, smiling at him. Her wings fluttered slightly before settling against her back again; she didn't seem to notice the movement, head tilting absently from side to side as she walked along beside him.
Help him be great.
That got a look. Not a mean look but a curious confused look.
"Well, thanks I think." He looked ather wings, wondering how those would now fit into his life. Much like how this strange girl would fit into his life.
"You can go back to your village, you know. We can meet again before we leave. I'll..." He paused, regretting what he was about to say, "Come and get you."
Nani paused, worrying at her lip. "I- I don't know..." She glanced from him back in the direction they had come a few times. "Are you...sure?"
She felt like she should be with him. Now that she'd found him, she didn't want to leave his side. But she knew she would miss the people of her village dearly, and the thought of a chance to say a proper goodbye was tempting.