Beside the Lady stood her companions, her horse loosely tethered, ears pricked for she could hear over the way the other horses patient waiting in the stables for a new owner. Beside her horse stood a tellurian soldier , she had named him ‘Boy’ it was as good a name as any. As always he was alert for his task was to protect her, a task he sometimes failed in…Their bond was still new and neither at times understood the ways of the other but it would come.

She often came to sit under this tree and watch the world go by. Here she wondered who the people were carrying out their business in this city, some of the faces she knew but few ever stop long enough to chat and tell their tales.

Her attention was drawn over towards the house where she resided with her sister; once again an argument had broken out between her neighbours. This argument had been going on for some time now and often swords were drawn. What the fight was about she did not know nor could she understand the anger in their voices especially when she herself was so happy.

A gently breeze lifted the paper that lay on her lap. It was the repair invoice from Steve Echar. How glad she was to have gotten up early this morning to collect the mail now her sister would never need to know how much danger she had put herself in and more to the point for which she would get a right scolding, danger she had put Lord Iarsang in. She knew her sister had chosen the path of a healer due to events within their childhood but she was so young then and had so few memories. She had chosen a different path, one she was not sure as to where it was leading or the role she had to play.

The sound of hooves on the cobblestones roused her she looks to see a rujarkian hillrunner ridden by and she smiles, how she loves watching Iar ride his horse, in the saddle he is so confident and she often finds herself hanging back when they gallop across the plains just so she can watch him. She herself wishes she was not so clumsy and often becomes embarrassed by all the tumbles she takes but she knows Iar is too much of a gentleman to laugh and for that he has endeared himself to her.

She smiles, this man has endeared himself in her heart for many reasons, she softly giggles as she recalls Iar swimming with her in the cold waters off the Steppes coast and only later revealing to her how he like the water to be warmer for swimming.

She knows she could sit for some time and recall their adventures together but her sister is waiting for her.

She stands, with warmth in her heart she knows she will see him again soon and they will embark on another venture, she is in no rush and can wait to see the sights of this wondrous land with him by her side.

She walks home.

The flames of the glowing fire she was seated in front of flicked merrily across her face and she could feel the warmth seeping into the braclet. She herself could feel a warmth seeping through her body but she knew it was not from the fire she had built early in the day it was Iar’s words…

She sat gazing at the flames thinking of this man she had meet, in all her travels throughout the lands she had never meet one such as he…

She knew that he was strong for he had protected her so carefully in their travels together but she also sensed in him a vulnerability shrouded in sadness. She did not know why but she had glimpsed this in the depths of his eyes when he thought she was not looking perhaps the answer to his sadness laid somewhere in his past of this she new little.

She leaned forward to stoke the coals, in doing so the trinkets now hanging around her arm jiggled ever so quietly…

With a smile she recalled how his hands trembled in trying to close the clasp. She knew he was nervous, as her own heart was skipping a beat…the shyness in his voice still hangs in the air around her as she gently caresses the trinkets recalling the symbolism of each.

She briefly concentrates on the boot she was a little puzzled by this one but her mouth was too dry to speak so she dared not ask…

Finally she comes to the heart the most precious trinket of them all… she recalls how she hesitated in revealing her own matters of the heart to him for she had not the courage…

Laying on the soft grass besides the fire her arm crosses her chest she feels the heart pressing in and she knows of all the trinkets this one will be the most cherished.

Aiya look to Iarsang he appeared nervous, in fact he seemed to be nervous each time they met in the street to speak. If only he knew how nervous she was feeling. As they were sitting there it was almost like the world had come crashing down.

Again she filled the silence with her chatter, she knew she was rambling on about an adventure in her younger days but in their silence she grew anxious.  He was quiet and she wondered what he was thinking about as he  listened to her. She smiled at him for he appeared never to tire of her endless tales. Iar smiled back at her and the last sentence fell silent on her lips.

Neither spoke for a long time both lost in their thoughts as they enjoyed the view, which seemed to have a calming effect on her. She did not need to fill the silence with words.

Iar spoke but she had been so lost in her thoughts she did not understand what he had said, she turned to see him get a small present out of one of his pockets.

Inside the plainly wrapped box was a bracelet. It was a simple chain with different tiny items attached to it. As he linked the chain around her wrist he quietly explained each charm.

- This is a rolling pin as your bags always seem to be filled with chocolate cake.

- The next one is a pirate sabre to remind you that the first time we met we went sailing on a ship.

He showed her the third item.

- This one is a small towel as you got so wet from our underwater swim. She laughed at this recalling how her dress was ruined.

- The fourth item is a boot. Remember those next time you visit my ‘home’.

- The fifth and last one for now is a heart. Aiya looked into Iar eyes as he explained to her how she had shown him that there was more to these lands than killing and crafting.  For that he was giving her his heart, unconditionally and expecting nothing in return.

He asked her to take care of it as it was unarmed and defenceless.

In a rarely seen act of anger she flings her hammer onto the weapon rack…chastising herself for not being more forth right…

After all what was she expecting that all men she may travel with would have the same gentlemanly nature as her dear friend.

She paces back and forth across her living room and slowly the tension she has felt for the last hour begins to subside…

Reaching for a bottle of wine she shakily pours herself a glass not noticing the few drops that splashed out spilling on the rug.

With glass in hand she sits crossed legs on the floor in front of her bookcases.

Book after book is pulled down from the case, titles only glanced out before being piled to one side.

Finally reaching up she takes down a stack of guild documents…flicking through the booklets she finally pulls out the page on grouping etiquette, perhaps in here she will find some advice for dealing with such situations in the future…

Nahimanah begins to scan the pages but all too soon the words become a blur as she begins to reflect back over her conversation with her sister about Aiyanah’s travels with her dear friend.

She cannot help but to compare the two journeys as the vision of Aiya standing wet in the doorway forms in her mind.
Aiyanah’s state of merriment to one of annoyance for her…
Aiyanah’s laughter still rings in her ears as she told of hitting boxes to move them across the ship’s deck while he looked on and how she smacked him with chocolate cake for doing so…
Her poor efforts to navigate the stars while he patiently waited and how her sister rode across the plains for the first time without a care in the world for Aiya knew she would be protected from harm…

It was for the first time in her life that Nahimanah felt envious of her sister.

Standing in a pool of water by the door is her little sister. Raising her eyes up and down the length of Aiyanah she can see that the girl is dripping wet from head to toe.

Aiyanah just stares back at her elder sister with a big mischievous grin and a twinkle in her eye.

Sighing, Nahimanah gracefully arises from the couch…

‘I shall put the kettle on’ and walks off towards the kitchen…

She can only image what wayward path her sister must have led her dear friend down to end in a state such as she was…

Aiyanah picks up the hem of her wet dress and makes her way upstairs to draw herself a warm bath.

As she passes her bed she gently places a single red rose onto her pillow.