Isshiden Forest

"He's my brother." Eilan responded quietly, turning to watch as Turilan worked on the others. He was just as slow in his healing, to ensure it was thorough - The better healed these people were, the faster they could leave.

As Terith spoke again, however, she looked over at him and blinked softly, tilting her head curiously, "What looks similar?"



In the meanwhile, it was only a few minutes more that Xeria and the group had to wait - After that short time, two children walked into the main hut, holding large baskets of fresh vegetables and fruit from the local area. The children were identical twins, both male - Both were Canine, as well, however one looked to have a large piece missing from his right ear. Cautious though they both were, they also seemed quite curious as they approached the group, grunting quietly as they held out the baskets of food wordlessly.

"Ah," Terith noted as she spoke of him to be her brother. To her question however, he glanced over. "The magic I'm seeing flow. It looks slightly differently then ours, but a lot of it is indeed similar. If I hadn't seen so much of it, I'd almost say the magics were the same-but there's a distinct difference in the two."

Xeria and the rest looked to the boys curiously as they came in, holding out the vegetables wordlessly. Figuring they couldn't speak well in either language, she smiled and bowed from a sitting position, then quizzically took one of the vegetables to look at. She tilted her head, hen smiled at the two boys. "My thanks."

"It is because this magic is natural." Eilan commented quietly, tail feathers giving a quiet ruffle as Turilan moved onto the last injury to be healed, "This is what it looks like straight from the world, unprocessed. All he is doing is calling it forth, and holding it to the wounds - And the healing magic does the rest. He uses those," She motions to the bag of reagents, one of which Turilan holds over the injury he works on, "to determine how strong or weak the magic should be and what type it will be. He won't control how the magic works, but he can control how much he uses of a certain type."

Granted, Eilan wasn't the major authority on magic, but she knew it's what Turilan would have said, had he been willing to explain it to Terith - Which he wasn't. "It's why everyone's so upset at how your people use magic, usually.." She mentions on a tender note, not wishing to stir any more racial tensions than were already present, as she looks over at Terith with drooped ears, "..They only ask it to help them. They don't force or control it."


Truthfully, neither of them understood a word. And so after she took one of the vegetables, they both set down their baskets before the group, locking their hands behind their back as they parted ways, circling the group in a subtle manner. Hopefully the group would be busy getting into the food. Hane, the child who's ears were fine and appeared a small bit older than the other, took to sauntering off somewhere to the right while examining the group closely. His younger brother, Heen, who bore a distinctly large piece missing from his ear, circled around to the left and examined the group in the same manner. In truth, they were only cautious because Feraligus had told them to be so. They weren't yet old nor wise enough to understand the political upsets and the reasons why the Conguran people had an uneasy settling here.

"Truthfully, it is something that has been done for centuries; and I don't know if 'forced' is the best term for our magic." Terith noted, frowning as he saw her expression. "I'm no expert myself, but it's more....call it restrictions? That we use. There are very strict rules in place, at least in this century, about how to apply magic. I also have never seen what happens with out healer meigi-they learn from the Hontha. They more channel it like him, but it drains them. Perhaps the regents might help them as well."



Several of the soldiers did dig into the food as Xeria took the one she had and pulled away the skin. Varl, one of the eldest there, looked to Heen quizzically. As two of them began a game using twelve cards a piece and a coin, Varl took three round fruits and looked at them curiously and tested their weights. Then he tossed one up in the air, catching it before he tossed it up again. He repeated this process seven times before tossing in a second fruit; now both tossing in his grasp. After ten cycles, he tossed in the third, spreading the tossing to a second hand. He rather hoped the child didn't mind the antics with food, but it was a way to pass the time for him.

"Why are there restrictions, though? I don't underst--"

"Because they're monsters."


Turilan's statement was abrupt, blunt, and cruel. His tone may have been calm, yes, but the meaning was clear as day. He rose once he had finished healing the last wound, and he tucked the stone reagent into the bag and cinched it closed by the bright red woven cord present. He took a moment to look over the group for their reactions, before pointedly looking at Terith, disregarding a horrified looking Eilan.

"Perhaps not this group here. But your race-- They're monsters. Magic cannot be coerced into these 'restrictions'.. What you use is some monstrosity of an aberration. Not magic."

Eilan was lack for words. It was clear she wanted to say something in return - Apologize, or offer a defense on the Conguran half, something - But she was simply too astounded to hear her own brother say something like that. He was usually so.. reserved, polite. Instead, a hand slipped up, her expression receding into one of extreme apology, her hand covering her lips as she looks toward the group of soldiers.



In a less tense part of the village, Heen was downright enthralled with Varl's act. His bushy little tail had taken to wagging, and his otherwise floppy ears perked up as he watched Varl juggle the fruit. Delightful, delightful! It wasn't so much that he'd never seen juggling before, just that he'd never seen someone juggle /three/ at a time, and so well, too! A delighted laugh leaves Heen, and he claps quietly for the show.

Hane, also entertained, was more impressed by the weaponry the soldiers carried. Silently, within a moment, he was up behind one of the soldiers who unknowingly ate the fruit and vegetables, his hands wrapped around the hilt of the soldiers' blade, as he carefully attempted to slide it out without the soldiers' notice. Likely to fail, but it was more than worth a try for the young pickpocket. Frankly, he'd never seen a blade so big!

The last thing Turilan was making was friends, but Terith heavily trusted in the fact Turilan wasn't about to be silenced by even orders of the elder it seemed on magic. His accusation of the -entire- Conguran race was something even he found hard to swallow, and his face showed it. The fact this Cooanei seemed to speak Conguran so perfectly was a surprise as well. The two soldiers stood in both shock and then a a gritted patience, one hand on the hilt as they tried to look on from their 'healer's' position.

"Well, sir." Terith almost growled mildly. "It seems you hear what you wish and not what you experience. I said there was restrictions yes-did I say on what or whom?" Terith now glared full on at the Cooaanei. "And you speak so well in front of those who do not know the rules of the Meigi; perhaps one shall be brought to see why it is such an abomination-better yet! Why don't we bring the great Leuesiatus here, who taught us this magic in the first place?" His own voice was hammered iron cold, but his eyes spoke volumes. "Oh, right, we were helpless people with sticks and stone before he showed up, and we almost died out entirely." He was speaking from historical lore, but this Cooanei's feeling of dripping self righteousness hit a nerve.


Varl himself grinned as the small boy seemed entertained by the practice. He continued on for a couple minutes, then promptly tossed one up and caught it with his mouth. One settled into his lap as the other rested in his hand, extending it to Heen as an offering.

"Hey!" Nevek blinked as he was lurched back by something behind him, the catch on the sword hilt to sheath pulling him backwards with Hane. Nevek caugt himself with his hands, but then glanced back at the boy. "Now now, what yah' be doin' back there?" Nevek look more amused then troubled, having caught the lil' one red handed.

And so, things were quickly going downhill. Eilan could only stand in stark horror at the scene unfolding before her, which she sensed would soon entail violence if something wasn't done about it. But as she made to speak, Turilan had quickly responded to Terith's words, his voice ingrained with a definite sense of spite and hatred. His eyes showed it too, his body posture - Both were sharp, and rigid as he spoke.

"I heard exactly what you said, Conguran. You restrict magic - Whatever reason you have for it is nothing but a pathetic excuse to save yourself from being prosecuted from what you know is wrong." He snapped, tail feathers ruffling behind him in an angry manner as he steps closer to Terith, nearly right up in front of him.

"I don't care what you were before the revered one stepped in, and I especially don't care--or appreciate--that you use the revered one as an excuse. Your monstrous race still treats magic as if it's a tool, and no amount of excuses you throw into the air will change that fact. It's written in your very history, from what I understand - Mistreating everything you are given and taking from others. Isn't that right?"

"Turilan! Stop this, what's wrong with you? Words like that start wars.. What are you trying to accomplish?"


Though Turilan had no words for Eilan - In fact, he had instead exchanged a glare, before turning his attention back to Terith, eager to see his reply. No doubt this Conguran was going to toss out more excuses for himself..





Heen, being the fun-loving child he is, laughs in a greatly amused manner at Varl's antics still. When offered the fruit, he doesn't hesitate in snatching it out, stuffing it into his mouth to take a large bite with those needle-like teeth, tail slapping against his legs from side to side as the deep purple insides smear all over his mouth by the time he pulls the half-gone fruit away. At this point, he seems to chew the fruit up, before tilting his head back - And upon pursing his lips, he exhales softly, and carefully blows out a purple bubble from the juices in his mouth. A trick for a trick!


Hane, in the meanwhile, jumped back and released the blade as Nevek was pulled back, and the sword hadn't come loose - He stood in a defensive position to start, before he realized nothing was actually happening. At which point his ears fold back against his head, and he points to Nevek's sword with a string of Cooaneian babble.

"He accomplishes nothing, only to appear the self righteous prick he is." Terith said quietly. His facial expression was grim, but he turned his back and began walking. "I'll be by the fire, I'm not playing your brother's poor excuse for a witch hunt."


Varl chuckles heartily as he watches the small child bite into the fruit happily, then looked fairly impressed as the bubble came out ofHeen's mouth. "Well well, seems someone's got ah' little talent!" Nevek on the other hand had simply walked with blank confusion as his buddy chuckled, pointing to the hilt strap.

"I think he wants to see the sword." Nevek frowned, then held up a finger to Hane.

"Hold a tick, I got somethin'." He then began rummaging in his pack, looking for something.

Turilan turned just as quickly as Terith had, if not a few seconds delay to glare daggers into Terith's back. Even if Turilan had only disliked Terith before, it seemed Terith had gained a newfound enemy of all sorts. But the heated accusations were done now, at least for a while.

Whilst Turilan retreated back into his hut, with a barked order to the soldiers to leave from the front of it assuming they hadn't already followed Terith, Eilan uneasily moved after Terith with a pale face, and woozy countenance in movement. She'd be lying if she said that situation didn't bother her - It quite obviously did. Her voice quaked uneasily as she pulled her hand down enough to speak, her tone entirely meek, in fear that she might be snapped at, or make the situation worse with her following words.

"..I am.. S-So sorry.. I've never--... He's never--..." A stray glance over her shoulder given, and she ceases walking, bringing her hand down to rest over a still-racing heart, "I don't know what happened to my brother.. I am sorry, Terith."



Of course, a moment later, the bubble pops! Heen is left with sticky purple fruit juice all over his face, and he distressingly mumbles something Cooaneian before dropping the half-eaten fruit, tail tucking between his legs as he scrubs at closed eyes. Truthfully, he's making it worse and grinding it into his skin, but it stings!


Hane straightens up as the man begins to rummage into his pack, floppy ears perking up a bit as he tilts his head curiously. All the same, our bold little pick-pocket sliiiides forward, hands reaching out for the sword handle again.. He seems to bark something over at his brother, seemingly something along the lines of 'Stupid', for he receives a whined-out response a moment after from the scrubbing child.

Terith continued stepping a few more paces, then stopped. He inhaled, then exhaled noisily. Turning slow about, he was rubbing his face. The anger did remain, but it flowed around her then at her. "From the sounds of it, he either had a bad experience with a mage, or he simply sees it as it is. It's something I can't fix, break, or modify, so I swallowed it and left." He stepped up to her, nodding shortly. "Sorry for the outburst. Bek, Valis!" He called to the two soldiers, who still yet glared towards the hut and stood their ground. Whatever Terith's thinking, they did not want to leave their comrades in the hands of the Cooanei despite orders. "Let us go! Xeria will be cross if we start trouble that is unprovoked assault." Both of them hesitated, then nodded and came along; not without grumbling and swearing.


"Woah woah boy, lemme see yah there!" He personally doesn't know the fruit, but the pop was quite a sight. He leaned over and picked up his waterskin, then reaching into a pouch and pulling off a rough cloth. "Now lsse'h," Wetting the cloth, he began to help little Heen wipe off the fruit juice, smiling wryly at the fact how similar the boy reminded him of his son years ago.

Nevek on the other hand pulls out a small metal and wood ball, not magical at all but simply painted green with edgings and clamped on one side with a hinge. Pressing a small circle on the one side, he has the thing flip up and form a round stick and the bottom of the ball turning into a hand guard and a grip. Sliding on a roll of cloth, the thing had become something similar to a toy sword with a bouncy end and padded guard and edges. He would turn back the other way, swinging thesword grip out of reach. "Now I think this is more fer' yah' size."

"But.. To my knowledge, there have been no Conguran settlements this far down. How could he have had such auch a.. 'run-in' with this Mage?" Granted, Eilan didn't quite understand he wasn't speaking too literally. But that did bring up an interesting point, one that had been mentioned once or twice before - How did Turilan have such an extensive vocabulary in Conguran?

At Terith's apology, however, Eilan looked back at him and quickly shook her head - She seemed more calm now than moments ago, even if she was still very distressed at the situation as a whole.

"No," She said, "Do not apologize. It is not your doing, what happened back there." She remarked - And after that, she turned, walking back to the hut with a spoken word left back with Terith.

"I will watch him, and make sure the men are healed, and not harmed.. I no longer know what Turilan might do."



Personally, Heen wasn't quite that happy about having his face touched by a stranger - He did want the fruit juice off and out of his eyes, but it was strange nevertheless, and so Varl is faced with a lot of wriggling to try and dodge the cloth, as well as his arms and hands getting in the way as he tries wiping it off himself. Typical child behavior.


Hane, not quite understanding what Nevek was after at first, blinked twice as the soldier mulled the contraption around in his hands. And after it was assembled, and presented to him, Hane's ears folded back against his head - He offered Nevek a smile and a nod, though quite clearly didn't understand what he had in mind, as Hane quickly dropped into a crouch, stepping forward again in an attempt to grab at his sword, rather than the toy.

"But.. To my knowledge, there have been no Conguran settlements this far down. How could he have had such auch a.. 'run-in' with this Mage?"

Terith creased his eyebrows, thinking. How did such a person acquire such intensive knowledge of something that, from what he'd seen, taboo for the Cooanei to know that much about. "It is a...curious thought. Ask perhaps around to see where he's been." He nodded as she spoke about going back to the hut. "My thanks Eilan-and other things aside, thank you very much once again for helping myself and the rest."

Varl didn't quite wrestle with the cloth on Heen's face, but at least when the juice looked to be off his eyes and cheeks, he stopped and rinsed the cloth. He handed it to Heen this time, wondering if the small boy wished to do it himself for the rest.

Xeria giggled as she watched Hane try to grab the sword out of Nevek's sheath. Nevek himself found a use for the toy when he watched the fairly bold pickpocket and he lightly bapped hane on the head as he shifted away. "Oi oi, that's not for people yer' age." Nevek noted. The clasp however, should Hane snatched the sword grip, stubbornly stayed in place.

Eilan could only offer a gentle nod, fully turning back to walk back to the hut. As she reached Turilan's hut, however, she noted how there was movement inside - And just as she was reaching for the hanging flap of a door, she watched as the last remaining 'injured' soldiers walked out, all healed up. He could tell they were actually being shooed out, by Turilan's quiet, angry grunting.

But just because they were healed didn't mean she had to go back. Rather, after the last left, she stepped into the hut and allowed the door to close behind her, to try and discuss some of what was going on.


Heen only gave a relaxed sigh when the face-touching was over. Though he had to squint to open his eyes, when he spied the wet cloth was being offered to him, he snatched it away from Varl and dropped down to sit where he was, beginning to scrub his face with the cloth with a quiet moan.


Hane, in the meanwhile, was bopped. This didn't sit well with him at all. In fact, he stepped back a considerable amount, releasing a rather feral snarl toward Nevek for a boy his age - His lips even pulled back to show the fangs that were slowly but steadily growing in. Even if it had been light-hearted, the boy didn't like it - Took it as some minor form of an attack. And with nothing less than a barked foreign word to his younger brother, he walked over and grabbed the child by the shoulders, half-picking him up as Hane dragged Heen away. Safe to say Heen was rather clueless as to what just happened, and he offered a farewell-wave using the wet cloth he had neglected to give back. They vanished outside of the main hut, and stomped past the incoming soldiers.

The soldiers watched as the door closed; they knew their guide for being at least a bit more compassionate, so they trusted her words in the matter. They regrouped with the main party at the fire as Terith himself watched Hane pull his brother towards a hut and disappearing in it. A quirked eyebrow to Nevek and Varl got a quick explanation of their involvement with the soldiers. Terith more or less facepalmed and bapped Nevek upside the head, then looked to Xeria. "We spending the night then Commander?" Xeria nodded, gesturing to the fire.

"Aye, and keep yourselves warm. Never know if it does get cold or not at night."

And so, the village activity slowly trickled down into a crawl. And finally, by the time night rolled around, families had retreated to their perspective huts, and by this time, the Conguran visitors had been shown to what had once been a storehouse. The wares inside had been moved elsewhere, and cots moved into the wide hut, though it still smelled faintly of the various herbs and plants that used to rest there.


By the time Eilan made her way there, it was already quite dark. She'd made sure to wait until at least most of the soldiers were asleep, before she slipped past the woven hanging door with a hand resting worriedly on her cheek. Glancing about the sleeping or waiting faces, she noted at least two soldiers who seemed to have trouble sleeping and instead rummaged through their things.

She stepped forward quietly. The soft soles of her feet and cloth leggings allowed her to move with the same grace one would expect from an Avian. She moved past the cots and to the fire pit which had generously been dug in the middle of the hut, where a small fire gave off generous heat from the numerous embers which burned. Eilan sunk down to sit beside the fire pit, keeping one hand to her cheek whilst the other folded over her middle. Her expression was distant, worrying.

Terith, not fully trusting Eilan's brother despite his skill, had just fallen asleep before Eilan came into the warehouse. The place he was given was by the fire, for reasons he heard discussed around him but not involving him. What awoke him however was not Eilan's movements, but one of the soldiers rummaging around as they shifted to give her a wave. Lifting off the hat from his eyes, he smiled sleepily at her before rubbing his eyes and scrunching his face. "Welcome back Eilan."

Eilan jumped softly at the voice. She hadn't noticed the soldier waving at her, though she noticed him turning as she quickly looked over, and she pulled her hand away from her lap to offer a quick wave in return. Lips pursing softly, she drew in a deep breath, turning to look at Terith with a faltering smile to him.

"Thank you-- I hope I did not wake you, Doctor Terith?" She asked quietly, feathered ears folding back against her head, and more downward.

Terith propped himself on one elbow, frowning as he looked over Eilan's expression. "Mmmgh, nothing I can't get more of later. What's the matter Eilan? I hope I didn't cause a rift between you and your brother earlier."

"No--"

Eilan pauses, catching herself. She breathes outward softly, regaining some composure.. It hadn't been loud, so much as it had been odd. But.. Terith being who he is, he was bound to find out one way or another.

Eilan's hand slips down from her cheek, revealing the dark red spot present - The swelling had at least gone down, but it wasn't quite along enough yet to form an actual bruise. She had made sure to wait outside at least long enough so the swelling would go down, so it wouldn't be entirely noticeable. But the fire pit did a healthy job of illuminating it.

"It wasn't you that did it, exactly. Turilan's changed, I know that much now." She responds quietly, arms folding over her middle as her shoulders shrug up awkwardly, and her knees turn somewhat inward. She closes her eyes and turns her face back to the fire.

"I told him that despite the hatred he obviously bears toward your people, I'd still continue to help you as I promised.." She pauses again, shaking her head softly, "He forbade me from interacting with Kilan or you, or your men."

Terith's expression showed he awoke fully as she saw the mark that appeared on her cheek, sitting up suddenly and moving over to one knee. His fingers touched the edge of it, gritting his teeth.

"Changed over not, it does not give one right to hurt one's siblings for being kind." Terith muttered under his mess of brown hair, however his rage was not there but more a concern of worry for her. He sat down beside her and wrapped an arm about her shoulders as she explained what she did, and what's she's now done in defiance of her brothers orders. "You flatter me Eilan, all of us." He spoke quietly, rubbing her arm reassuringly. "You've given us this chance, we shall not overdue our stay. And, trufully, if we had decided to truly be like what Turlian thinks of us, why would we come in on your advice?" He sighed, letting the pause drift for a little bit. The two soldiers awake watched the duo as they conversed quietly, then gave them their space; if Terith thought it of note, they would be told.

"Do you wish to come with us then?"

Flinching away from Terith a bit as he touched the edge of it -- it was still quite sore -- she turned her shoulders inward a little bit more, arms wrapped around her middle to quell the queasy feeling she felt growing at the pit of her stomach. It did seem to subside a little as Terith's arm swept over her shoulders, though it did instill feelings of awkward shame, reminding her there were other people in the room. Awake.

She shook her head softly.

"I don't know what I'm going to do." She responded quietly, mirror-like eyes shifting over toward Terith beneath a fringe of mint-blue hair, "I can't fly up north, home, now.. If I go back to Kilan, I will.. probably be branded as a traitor here. By Turilan. I do not know how many people would believe that.. But I also cannot stay in this village." At this mention, her hand reaches up, lightly covering her cheek once more, though her fingers twitch at the faint twinge of pain, "Obviously. Then.. What should I do, Doctor Terith?"

"Do what you feel best is right, and what you wish to do." Terith confided gently. "If you truly feel we are in the wrong with this whole expedition, we will take the advice to heart and thank you for your generosity. However, you have proven your courage and more to these men and women with us, and we would welcome you greatly if you stayed with us." He smiled briefly. "Perhaps after all this you can berate the soldiers who had you crash into me in the first place."

Breaking out into a stress-born quiet chuckle, Eilan smiled and shook her head softly, a palm lifting to place to her head.

"Yes-- Perhaps after that, I can teach them how to fly correctly, too! The first part of flying is keeping your eyes open." She joked, posture letting up a small bit as her smile faded away a bit after the momentary stress-break.

"I think I would love to stay with you, Terith," Eilan mentioned, turning a bit to face him a bit more, "but I would not want to get your people in any trouble. I am sure the Elder likes you, from what I have seen, so that will do you well.. But if Turilan discovers that I were living in your village with you? He would be beyond furious."

Turning back to the fire, she continues to look at Terith from the corner of her eye, tail feathers ruffling lightly behind her.

"I do not think you are in the wrong with your exploring. And I would like to stay with you, if I can keep Turilan from discovering where I went. He will eventually learn of it, I am sure..."

"To be frank, the way your brother is currently acting I rather doubt he will ever be the brother you once knew. That said, I would like to know where he gets all his information and language lessons; mayhaps some insight to whatever he dealt with." Terith sighed, cocking his head. "Even if we have the one leader liking us, we also have no translator nor guide between these villages. We may have caused an unnecessary battle and later a war do to something as simple as miscommunication." Terith shifted, moving his free hand to rub against his knee idly.

"I think the elder herself would wish you with us too, if not another guide. This is example in use that if we are informed of the trasditions and customs, we can abide by them. I know also that not all of these are going to go so well, and we may get translators who unlike your brother will twist our words to have the elder against us. So whomever comes with us is damned most likely by Turilan's perspective and those far more subtle who life here. But to the Congurans, you already are honoured amongst the peers we have tonight for your actions. If this even goes have as well, you'd be welcome in the courts themselves if we tried I'm sure." He chuckled wryly. "If we survive at any rate."

When it all came down to it, Eilan supposed she knew what she had.. and wanted to do. She was just dancing around the choice without diving into it for fear of what relationships she might crumble. Relationships she certainly didn't want to lose, though she did want those which would bloom anew from the ashes of those which she would lose.

In the end, Eilan was left with a smile on her face. Worried though her mind was, the small, seemingly calm smile resounded through the worry and misery -- And a bruised cheek.

"You're right," She spoke softly, "Ammarut te'da, lan ta'de'aeh. Look forward to the future, not the past. If you think I will be welcome, then I will stay in Kilan with your people. And if I can help, I am sure you will survive. Though it will be difficult. And changes will have to be made.." She mentioned to Terith, albeit the last part was a bit quieter than the rest. She didn't know how Conguran civilization--or people--took to change, and she hoped it would go over well, if nothing else.

Her eyes were drawing heavy, though. The adrenaline of the situation with her brother was finally wearing off, which left a certain numb warmth in her limbs, and forced her to yawn quietly at the fire before her.