Curious Encounters

[Rugs]

Well, the stories of this world being beautiful were certainly true. Kvothe found himself staring out onto the surface of a pristine lake on the world of Cerea, a lake that was surrounded by an evergreen forest that gave way to strong, steady mountains off in the distance. It was the random whims of being a wanderer that had, like many of the other places he'd visited while he awaited the call to return to Aiaru, brought him here. He'd landed a mile or two away from his current location, and decided to go for a walk. After all, when one has no particular agenda, then time is free to be used as one wills. So after walking for a little while, he reached the edge of the lake, and decided to take a few moments to relax.

The grass that filled the land between the edge of the forest and the water was thick and green. The air was pure and clean, and the skies above were the blue of fresh sapphires. Kvothe's eyes--which were, at the moment, a satisfied green--looked around to take in the area around him and nodded respectfully. The Cerean's efforts to keep their world clean have certainly paid off. He closed his eyes for a moment as a light breeze blew in from over the lake, ruffling the messy auburn hair that hung about his face.

Kvothe was dressed as he normally was when not expecting combat: in his robes, with some simple leather boots and gloves. He held his staff at his side in his right hand, and his sword hung behind him through the dark green sash around his waist. He shifted his weight idly from one leg to another as he looked around him.

Where'd Fas get off to? Kvothe could feel that the flickercat, thanks to the bond they shared, but he couldn't see him. "Eh, he'll show up again sometime," he muttered under his breath and went back to gazing out over the lake.

It was good to be away from it all for a while. Away from the fighting and the killing. That was the reason he'd been sent away from Aiaru; his superiors in the Swords of Diligence seemed to think he was starting to crack from having to fight and kill so many former friends--not to mention that whole nasty business with his brother--and so they'd sent him away to cool down. Kvothe'd protested, of course. Vehemently, at times. But, in the end, he had to give in to their will so he took his leave. Of course, now that he'd been gone for a little while, he had to admit that the break had been good for him. He just hoped he'd be able to return home soon. Purging stress was all well and good, but he still had a duty to do.

Enough of that, though. When they call me back, they call me back. I'll just keep wandering around 'till then. The sudden rustle of movement caught his attention, and he looked back toward the edge of the forest to see some bird go flapping madly into the air, followed by Fas, who lashed out at it with the barbs on the three ends of his long tail. He missed, and the bird made its getaway, much to Kvothe's amusement. He called to Fas with a few clacks of his tongue, and the flickercat started to pad toward him. "Better luck next time, eh Fas?" Kvothe bent down to scratch behind his companions ears for a moment before straightening with a sigh.

"Well, I think it's time we got moving again, don't you? Let's see what else there is to see out here."

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

((I didn’t forget about this thread I promise! Just been REALLY busy ))

As if it hadn’t been difficult enough having to deal with re-immersing herself in the Order after her extended time on Haruun Kal, then the battle on Subterrel, and finally seeing Ryn again…now she had been sent after her own brother to attempt to retrieve his lightsaber. It would never work (and she knew it), but she was bound by her vows and her honor to do as the council wished…even if she didn’t like it. Ryn had offered to go with her, under the excuse that he had a ship and had also known Latus. There was little doubt in Talau’s mind that at least some of the masters knew better than to believe those were strictly his motives, but they’d been silent enough and agreed to allow him to accompany the young Shadow on her quest.

The trip had been quiet enough, and it was certainly a relief to be around Ryn again. He’d…changed…a bit since she last saw him, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on just what it was. Certainly his lack of vision was new, but that didn’t bother her…that wasn’t what was different. She’d pressed the thought aside for the time being, however, and carried on with her life. Getting used to having Rajah around was…awkward. The bha’lir tended to think and feel and react how she did at the strangest times, and every day she saw the links between them growing thicker and multiplying in number. The same went for Ryn and Rasann. Strangely, it reminded her of Rhiss and her vornskr, Wrex…perhaps there was some way to get hold of the woman and question her about it? But that posed the question…how do you get in contact with someone running from, well, everyone?

This series of thoughts had been running round in her mind for some time, and it was just about that final point, where he mind was coming back around to the fact that that question also applied to her brother as well, that the landing ramp lowered, revealing the beautiful green lands of Cerea. They’d had to land out away from any settlements to avoid detection, but that didn’t matter over much to her, even as she stepped down the ramp and gazed around at the surroundings, the silver beads around her face and throughout her hair shifting and glinting in the sun with her movement. Rajah let out a deep murring sound and stretched out lazily beside her, kneading the ground slightly as she did. Her dark form padded out a way, the thick fur, skin, and muscle swaying about her as she trotted out into the air and scented it happily. Talau couldn’t help but chuckle at her furred companion’s actions, shaking her head and smiling.

Turning to look back at the ship as its engines wound down once more, the happy mixture of greens, blues and purples intertwining through her golden-brown eyes reflected the playful emotions of Rajah. Soon enough Ryn appeared as well, Rasann trailing behind. With a smile, Talau turned back to the view of tall grasses, trees and mountains, taking a deep breath of the clear air and feeling the movement of the force in this place. There was so much life…so much healthy, natural, life…that she couldn’t help but submerge herself in it like clear cool water. It was a refreshing change.

This place is wonderful…it’s a shame I’ve not been here before…I mean, when I could remember it.

They’d been born here after all, she and Latus, her parents having escaped the Morequai long ago and come here with the guardian of her family…the priestess that had accompanied them. She’d never had a chance to return here, however, never had the chance to visit the place of her birth for any reason…and now she was here, it was bittersweet. The planet was beautiful…everything the archives and Cerean masters said it was (and more), but she was here for a most unpleasant reason. Why had Latus left? When? Had he even come here? She didn’t know…but she intended to find out…she had to find out. Hopefully she could bring him back to the Order as she had done with Ryn…actually bring HIM back and not just his lightsaber. With that thought to spur her on, those senses expanded outward, actively seeking others, and not caring to hide her own presence. This was her brother she was seeking, not some dark jedi…

[Dire Wolf]

Ryn didn't care what other people said, the robes of the Jedi Order were uncomfortable. Oddly enough he hadn't thought that before his short leave from the Jedi Order, but he'd certainly felt that way after. There was just something about the looseness of the fabric, the way it shifted as he moved and had next to no weight to it that bothered him. Armor. Thick leather. Things that made the bulging muscles beneath his skin work in a fight. Those were comfortable.

Anything else made him feel like he was prancing around like a ponsty git during a fight. Or walking. Or even sitting down. Yet, he couldn't wear anything other than the loose fitting, light robes that the Jedi called their own. The last thing he wanted to imply to the masters was that he was distancing himself from the Order and its tenets once again, and run the risk of a permanent leave of absence from the Order. From Tal.

He shook his head at the thought; now wasn't the time to think such things. They wouldn't kick him out of the Order. They couldn't. The storm that had been brewing on the outer rim had been unleashed by the Sith, and Jedi Knights of all kinds were needed in the worst way. No small part of him wanted to ride out with Master Took and take the battle to those war mongers in the Sith empire, but fighting isn't why he came back. He came back to fight off those dark feelings and urges, for help, and not-so-partly for Talau's sake.

Those colorless eyes of his shifted down to Rasann with a little smile, despite the heavy thoughts of his mind. Oddly enough, the man didn't need words to communicate with the beast of a bha'lir. All he needed was a thought, and it was instantly shared with the great feline. A lazy yawn came from Rasann's mouth just as his lower body dipped to the ground and his forelegs straightened out.

He made it blatantly apparent what he wanted to do all day. All week. All his life. Granted, if Ryn had his choice he'd be sitting on the couch eating until he grew fat. The boy never seemed to be full anyways. At times, he felt like he could eat a rancor whole and probably ask for seconds. Though all it took was one thought of the possible rewards of going out and helping Rajah to get the great feline to hop up and almost skip out of the door.

Cerea's serene beauty wasn't lost on Ryn's eyes. They had landed in a small clearing far away from any of the Cerean settlements and further still from one of the massive outsider citadels. He was thankful for that much. The halfithiri man reveled in the beauty of the forest, the soft scent of the brook just outside of his sight, and the songs of the birds as they called to each other in the early morning.

Then his eyes rested on Talau.

The aura itself was luminous, yes, but he found himself disappointed. Not in her, no, but in himself. He couldn't recognize her. Not a single detail of her form escaped that opaque storm that swirled around her form. he couldn't even see those silver beads as they jangled and sparkled against the sun, amplifying her beauty. This was simply another thing that he locked deep away in the core of his mind, the part that Talau wouldn't ever know of.

"Yes, its one of the more beautiful places I've seen. Always imagined us living somewhere not unlike this place." He smiled a little at the picture of Talau and himself out in a clearing not unlike this one. The image was only sweetened when he imagined a child bounding out of the forest with a bouquet of freshly picked daisies in her hand.

He quickly pushed that thought of his mind, and focused on the task at hand. As desperately as he wanted to just talk to her, they had a job to do. "Do you sense Lat? I can't pick him up, but you're the one who's good in that department." Ryn gave a subconscious sigh as he walked up beside Talau and gave her a happy smile.

[Rugs]

"You know, Fas, you really should just leave the thing alone," Kvothe said with a laugh as he walked on along the side of lake, nearing the place where a small brook flowed away, carrying the crystal clear water off through a shallow channel lined that was lined along the bottom with smooth stones. His familiar was running alongside him, jumping and batting playfully at some insect that he'd been trying to catch for the past few minutes. The flickercat had been unsuccessful as of yet, but, like his master, he was nothing if he was not tenacious. But Fas was happy; Kvothe could tell that much through the bond they shared. A deep, forest green played among the pale blue that filled Kvothe's eyes, growing more an more vibrant as Fas' happiness fed into him through the bond, and his own amusement grew from watching the creature frolic amongst the grasses.

Perhaps it was good to get away, he mused with a smile as he turned his gaze to take in more of the sweeping landscape around him. Another breeze blew in, tousling his hair and setting the loose end of the dark green sash wrapped around his waist to flapping gently behind him. Maybe they were right to send me away to get away from everything for a while. It'd taken him a long time to come to that thought. Even after he left Aiaru, he'd been a bit resentful of the fact that those who were above him seemed to think that he couldn't handle doing his duty. A small part of him had been insulted. But he listened, and, now that he was away, he was coming to see the wisdom in their decision. For the first time in a long time, Kvothe felt free, without any of the weight of his station pressing down on him. He didn't have to worry about killing those who'd once been allies. He didn't have to worry about the hidden threat that endangered the Tower. He didn't have to worry about his brother. It was nice, to say the least.

The sudden sound of a splash caught his attention, and he looked to the brook to see Fas, who had been continuing to chase after his insect friend, pulling himself out onto the brook's edge. He was, of course, quite wet. Kvothe laughed heartily at the sight of that. "I told you to leave it alone, now didn't I?" He laughed again as Fas shook himself off, and the two continued on.

They came to the top of a small rise, and Kvothe came to a stop when he saw the land that spread out before him. The brook continued on, winding lazily down the slope and across the flat land below, as did the edge of the forest and great, majestic mountains that rose up beyond said forest. Kvothe might have looked at the scenery a bit longer, but something within the scenery caught his attention.

There were people walking down below. Two of them. One was a good deal larger than the other one, and both seemed to be in robes of some sort. However, what surrounded one of them made Kvothe lean forward with interest and his breath stop short. It was, in part, the aura that surrounded her, though the presence aura in and of itself wasn't what caught his attention, since he, as a Rilan, saw them around any living thing. No, it was something more subtle. The aura was clearer, sharper to Kvothe's eyes, especially when compared to the large man that walked next to the woman. That was a distinction he'd seen before, with his parents and his brother, and the old priestess that came with his parents to Aiaru from Rilia. But that could only mean one thing.

No, it can't be...

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

She laughed lightly at his words and nodded slightly, the image in her own mind not horribly unlike his…but it was a bittersweet thing. Such wasn’t her lot in life…living in a place such as this, surrounded by peace and tranquility. That put a damper on her mood, causing those eyes to darken slightly to a grey blue like a stormy sky around the gold and green sunflowers that typically shaded her eyes.

I did also, Ryn…but…I'm not so sure that’s what my path will lead me…to a place as peaceful and beautiful as this one…

A sigh escaped her as she shook those thoughts off and stretched out further with her senses as she walked, letting those brown robes flutter about behind her as she walked. The dark brown of the robes along with the leather clothing and light armor she wore only barely seemed to fit the bill of ‘jedi’ as she strode along easily through the grassy field. She’d nearly replied to his question when her senses ran dead into the unmistakable presence of another Rilan. Blinking she looked in the direction of the presence, unleashing her own further in a warm and welcoming wave of emotion, all happiness and sadness and confusion and familiarity, her thoughts broadcasting out to both Ryn and the one she assumed to be her brother.

--Brother! Why in the world did you leave the Order?! And without even telling me!? I swear, everyone assumes I’ve died and they drop off the face of the galaxy! --

That was just about the time her eyes caught up to her mind…and she stopped dead in her tracks. Her face immediately became beet red, those eyes shading a deep, dusky, rose color tinted with orange in her embarrassment and fear. That aura…wasn’t the aura she knew as Latus’.

…Oh by the Winds…

The quiet curse was more to herself than anyone else, as she stood stalk still and watched this other Rilan intently, remembering her last encounter with one of her race none to kindly. She was still slightly sore because of the encounter.

Well, Ryn…it isn’t Latus but….I think we’ve just stumbled across another Rilan.

[Dire Wolf]

One of his eyebrows arched upward at Talau's reply to his comment. He thought about it for a moment, but discounted it quickly. She'd been through more than he could have comprehended lately. All of her friends, including him, shrunk away from her because of that damned Haruun Kal mission. In all honesty, it wasn't much of a stretch for her to think in such a manner. Ryn let a little smile curve his lips as he followed her. "I don't really care, Tal. Wouldn't be a very good lover if I let a little thing like location get in our way, eh?"

Ryn's words barely had a chance to leave his lips when Tal let a torrent of warm and happy emotions flow from her mind. To his slight surprise, these emotions weren't directed at him... but rather at a new comer. Blind eyes scrutinized the new shape, their all-seeing gaze drifted along its muscular form. The man's aura was one that was as turbulent as a hurricane. Obviously a Force user. Judging by Tal's reaction to him, it was likely her brother.

--Lat,-- he broadcast a thought from his mind, -friend!-- Ryn, of course, didn't recognize Lat's aura. So when Tal slowed to a stop and let a little curse out from under her breath. His brow furrowed at that, and he didn't quite realize that the man that his love called to wasn't her brother. Not until she revealed it to him, of course. His stark white eyes opened up a little in surprise: a Rilan was a rare thing to see.

Morequai was the first thing to pop into his head, but this man's aura didn't look like the type that an evil man would hold. For the moment, at least, he stayed his hands but kept his stance loose and flexible. He wouldn't hesitate to unleash Teras Kasi on this newcomer, if the need be. Ryn's jaw flexed and relaxed once or twice before he spoke, "well then... hopefully he's... friendly?"

[Rugs]

"Brother! Why in the world did you leave the Order?! And without even telling me!? I swear, everyone assumes I’ve died and they drop off the face of the galaxy!"

Kvothe's eyes snapped to look at the woman at the sound of her voice suddenly echoing within his head. He did not know who she was, but she obviously had him mistaken for someone else. Kvothe did not have a sister, only a brother, one he did not at all get on with. And what is this 'Order' she spoke of? He hadn't left the Mythics, he'd been sent away on a leave of sorts. Was she implying... No, that couldn't be it. He didn't know of any other Rilan within the Mythics, though that didn't mean there weren't any... but still, he did not think his order was the one she spoke of. Besides, she thought him to be some 'Lat' person, whoever that was. Though really, Kvothe would've at least waited to get close enough to make out some features before going of like that. Or maybe he looked similar to her brother... "What a strange woman," he muttered in Rilan under his breath.

Still, though, Kvothe was interested to see who this other Rilan and her large friend were. Icy blue swelled within his eyes, sending the forest green to be nothing more than little accents as his curiosity grew. "Come Fas, let's go see who those two are." Fas looked up from where he'd stretched out on the ground and stood to his feet with a mildly interested yawn. Kvothe only shook his head in amusement and turned to head down the hill to meet the two others.

The thought arose as he was walking that there was the potential that they might not be friendly. No, she seemed friendly enough a moment ago. Happy, even. I don't think she's an enemy. Still though, he was prepared to lash out with the Mythos at a moment's notice if need be. One could never be too careful.

The features on the others came into focus as Kvothe grew nearer. The woman was a bit shorter than Kvothe, with a fair face and silver beads in her hair. The man was a good deal taller, and the width of his shoulder spoke of a powerful build. His eyes were, oddly enough, white, as if he was blind. Maybe he was. Kvothe had no way of knowing, though. He could sense apprehension from one of them. No, it as coming from both of them. That might have irritated the young Rilan any other time, but he realized they might have been feeling the same sort of reservations that he'd felt. I need to show that I'm not an enemy as well. How to do that?

A thought came to his mind as he drew nearer to the pair. The woman was the first Rilan that Kvothe'd ever seen outside of Aiaru, and he found himself wondering if she was from the homeworld, Rilia, as his parents were. If not, perhaps she knew the language; Kvothe knew it well, as his parents taught it both to him and his brother as they grew up within the Tower. If not... well, he could certainly do worse than offer a greeting in another tongue.

Kvothe came to a stop a few paces away from them, near enough to talk easily, but outside of the striking distance with his staff, which was the larger of his two weapons by far. He offered a smile and a nod to the big man before turning his eyes to the Rilan woman. The next thing he did was something he'd not done in a very long time. He placed his right open hand went over his heart and bowed his head to her; his parents had told him it was a method of greeting among their people when he was young, and Kvothe figured it could hurt to use here, one Rilan to another. "Greetings," he said in Rilan as he brought his head up, looking at those eyes that were still a mix of green and icy blue, "I am called Kvothe. Kvothe Algaterra."

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

((expect EPIC!........crappiness))

As if she weren’t embarrassed enough about her greeting of this stranger, Ryn’s words certainly didn’t help. Unlike her counterpart, however, “Morequai” was not the first thing to jump to her mind. Wary though she was of the idea (especially after meeting Shandari), the knight was skilled and cognizant enough to recognize a dark sider (or at least a force user with…questionable ideals and motives) when she saw one by their aura. They tended to be, well…darker…in general, especially in the color department. While this man may have done some questionable things and, perhaps, had some anger management issues at points, it was far from anything she’d have deemed ‘dark jedi’ or ‘morequai’ worthy. Just in case, however, she watched the man carefully though sunflower and sky colored eyes, rimmed with a wary orange.

When the man was close enough to speak without shouting he stopped and gazed at them both a moment, smiling to Ryn before looking to her. The motion he made caught her almost flat footed, despite her knowing that he was Rilan. Surprised orange flooded into her eyes, turning that blue sky tangerine as she fought the urge to take a step back. After resisting that temptation she smile brightly, that blue sky returning to her eyes and the green in them becoming a more vibrant color as she returned the motion, those silver beads in her hair tinkling gently against each other as she bowed her head as well.

Anorum sel, Kvothe…

Lifting her head once more, she beamed at him, wondering just what his story was, and how she’d gotten lucky enough to meet another Rilan (one that didn’t seem interested in killing her, this time). Perhaps the Morequai hold on Rilia was loosening? Perhaps this Kvothe had an answer or experience from the home world that she didn’t have? Perhaps she had another ally for when she went there? It was all too soon to say, and she did her best to tone down her excitement as it attempted to slip from her grasp and out into the force. She wasn’t worried about the conversation being lost on Ryn, either, since he’d been the one to help her practice the language the most. He knew nearly as much as she did, so she continued on in the Rilan language without another thought.

<< I am Talau, it’s good to meet another Rilan so far away from Rilia! I'm sorry for my mistake earlier, but you see….from a distance your aura looked like that of my brother.>>

[Dire Wolf]

(sorry for late and... small... post. Ryn doesn't have much to say.)

Ryn could sense Tal's embarrassment through the bond they shared in the Force. Over two decades of close proximity tended to forge those wondrous little things. Especially when the latter part of those years were spent in an intimate proximity. Of course, Ryn felt the same feeling... though it wasn't necessarily his fault. He couldn't tell the difference.

He blushed, and silently cursed his inability to see the physical features of people yet again. The halfithiri man loathed the way he saw the world, people, and the one other that he held close to his heart. "Anorum sel, Kvothe," he greeted the man just after Talau did. He heard her explain herself, and decided that he needed to do a little of that as well. <<Yes, I'm sorry, but I'm still new to relying on Force Sight. I've never seen her brother with it yet, so I simply assumed that she saw Latus. My name is Ryn Sundar.>>

The man's massive form bent over in a slight bow as he spoke to the rilan man, and shifted his robes over his lightsaber. In his surprise, when he thought the man may have been a morequai, he inconspicuously shifted his robe so that he could access his lightsaber should he need to. Fortunately, he didn't need it. He had yet to craft a new one to symbolize his renewed loyalty to the Order, though he'd get to it soon enough. Probably on the way back from this mission. He'd, of course, use the golden-orange crystals that he'd found during his leave from the Order.

Rasann appeared from behind his familiar and tilted his head at the smaller feline-esk creature. The massive bha'lir almost stalked towards the multi-tailed feline, crystalline blue eyes never once straying from its form. It was apprehension and caution that drove Ryn's familiar forward in such a manner, not a strong prey instinct. Though something told Ryn that the smaller cat could lay the hurt down on his silent watch-cat guardian thing.

[Rugs]

"Anorum sel," said Kvothe with a grin, returning the greeting to both of them. It was good to see another Rilan, and... whatever Ryn was. The tall man's appearance was like the one a Human might have, but then again, save his ever-shifting eyes, so was Kvothe's. Outward appearances weren't everything. Ryn seemed to know at least some things of Rilan culture, though, which was always welcome.

Kvothe relaxed his stance so that he leaned easily on his staff as Talau continued on in Rilan. Though he smiled and laughed lightly when she explained how she thought him to be her brother, a mix of emotions rose up within. First there was a touch of jealousy at the fact that she seemed to have a good relationship with her brother; or at least one that was better than his relationship with his own brother, no that it would be saying much. "Must be nice," he muttered under his breath. Of course, thinking about Vorian brought a brief rise of anger, as it always did. Red touched the edges of his green and blue streaked eyes for just a heartbeat before it faded away again as the young Rilan pushed his anger back down. Now was not the time. Here was not the place. Kvothe could worry about Vorian later.

Ryn went on to introduce himself and added to Talau's explanation. His mention of his Force Sight piqued Kvothe's interest, and Kvothe's eyes lingered on Ryn's, which were milky white. The space in between those eyes was decorated by a scar, much like the one that graced the same area on Kvothe's face. I wonder what stories he has to tell, Kvothe mused. "Think nothing of it, both of you. Mistakes happen, right?"

Apprehension suddenly started to seem through his bond with Fas, and when Kvothe looked down, he saw that his familiar was being watched by the large creature that was with the other two. Said creature was larger than Fas, if one didn't count the flickercat's ridiculously long tails, though that didn't faze Fas at all. He just sat there, amber eyes unblinking as he stared at the other animal. Placid though he looked, Kvothe could tell he was wary; an emotion that was echoed in the way the barbed ends of his tails flitted back and forth. Thankfully, the bioluminescent lights on them had yet to switch from blue to red, else they might have some problems. "Easy Fas," Kvothe said in Basic as he crouched down and scratched his companion behind the ears. "They're friends." Fas looked at him blankly for a moment, but the emotions coming through the bond shifted to calmer ones.

"You'll have to forgive him," Kvothe said to Ryn as he stood, continuing in Basic. "He can get feisty at times." He shook his head with a short laugh and went back to leaning on his staff. "You should've seen him when we first bonded. Oh, it was a mess. He'd threaten nearly everyone that came near me, until he finally realized that not everyone is an enemy. But your companion," he motioned at Rasaan. "I'm not familiar with the species, but is it your familiar, as well?"

Kvothe allowed time for Ryn to respond before his attention shifted to Talau. Now his eyes went to Talau, and a smile touched the edge of his mouth as the green in his eyes deepened. "It's good to see another Rilan. I've not seen another in so long, and you're the first I've ever seen outside of my family and our old priestess friend... Are you from the homeworld? I myself am not, though my parents were."

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Rajah murred loudly at her mate as he approached the other…very odd (most certainly odd to her)…feline. The warning sound seemed to go unheeded though, so she huffed loudly and looked up at her companion as if asking her to do something about the situation. Talau, however, simply shrugged her shoulders and stroked the black female’s large head, sending a wave of apology to her…there was just nothing she could do about the male and both of them knew it. For one moment, as she stroked the female bha’lir’s head, an almost sorrowful look crossed Talau’s face as her thoughts turned back to the akk dog that had helped her on Haruun Kal. With a sigh, she shook her head and pressed away the thoughts and scratched behind her large companion’s ears.

It wasn’t difficult for Tal to pick up on Kvothe’s emotions at the mention of her brother. It trickled out from him through the force, rippling through his aura, and the subtle color change of his eyes made it all the more obvious. His muttered words weren’t missed either, their people’s hearing tended to pick up subtle things like that…in fact…now she thought of it, her people seemed built to pick up subtleties. Keen sight, keen hearing, telepathy, learning to watch for minor color changes in others eyes or auras…if these factors didn’t show the Rilan to be built for detecting subtlety, she didn’t rightly know what WOULD. When Kvothe replied, Talau simply nodded and smiled a bit, pulling herself away from her thoughts.

<<That they do…perhaps more than I would care, as I find myself a bit embarrassed now and the mistake.>>

A soft chuckle rose from her as she spoke truthfully. It seemed the easiest thing to do, after all, speak truthfully. No doubt he could see it in her eyes anyway, and it felt…right…to be forthright with another of her kind. Those rose tinted eyes faded back to their more typical (if the color of her eyes could be considered typical) hue as she eyed the thick strands of force that wove between the man and his many-tailed cat. “Just like Rhiss and Wrex” she mused silently as she turned her attention back to the conversation between Ryn and Kvothe. Shifting her stance, Tal remained quiet until the conversation shifted back in her direction. Ryn was perfectly capable of answering questions on his own, after all. For a long moment she was quiet, mulling over his words and question before she answered.

It is always good to meet another, yes…we seem to be so few away from Rilia, but that’s to be expected I suppose. It’s a shame I don’t know where Remiel is or I’d have him meet you as well. Ah well…I'm just glad you’re not trying to kill me like the last Rilan I met. In answer to your question, however, no, I was born here, on Cerea. I…don’t remember anything of my parents or time here, but…from what I was told by one of my mentors, it is likely our family also had a priestess with them. It’s a shame that I cannot find out for myself while I'm here, but…it’s fairly safe to assume that anyone who knew my parents is dead as well.

A light shrug of her shoulders was given to the last portion, as if the deaths were an acceptable part of her past…something that was as certain to happen as another day following today. This didn’t keep a dangerous yellow from shading the outer rim her eyes, though, as a muted anger licked at the edges of her emotions. The emotion soon faded, however; that was long ago and she never knew her parents, but the reason they were killed was what caused her anger, not the loss of them. She had gotten over the resentment and anger at their loss in her youngling years. It was easier to do when surrounded by other children without memories of their parents. Everyone was on equal footing and she didn’t learn until later that they had been killed…murdered…and by then the meaning of it was diminished greatly. It had simply been another fact of her life, and nothing more.

[Dire Wolf]

(so much crap, so few words)

Ryn almost casually watched the large bha'lir as he walked up towards the considerably lighter feline. Rasann was hardly hesitant about strolling up to the small feline and sniff at him, discounting his minuscule size for small combat prowess. The halfithiri man only shook his head at his familiar's thoughts on the matter, "you're almost as dumb as you look, Ras."

A quick glare was shot back at his master, one that was purposely ignored. Ryn's attention was too devoted on Kvothe's question. Familiar? Why did it sound so... for lack of a better term... familiar? "A what? I met Rasann back on Zeltros awhile back. Dunno... can think to him.. if that's a familiar, I guess that's what he is." He said with a mild shrug, not quite understanding the full depth of the connection between them.

[Rugs]

"Yes, that's what I mean," said Kvothe with a hearty laugh in response to Ryn's wondering about the term 'familiar.' He'd thought it was a term that was nearly universal in its use, but perhaps it wasn't. Then again, most of the people he used it around were other Mythics, since most of the other Mythos-sensitives he talked to were other Mythics. And, as it happened, familiars weren't too terribly uncommon within the Tower's halls. "That's the way my bond with Fas is," he continued, turning green and blue eyes down to his feline friend. "Part of his mind is in my own, and part of my mind is in his mind. Er... I suppose that made sense, right?" Kvothe leaned against his staff, feeling the lone blade at the end sink slightly into the soft dirt beneath him as he scratched the side of his tattooed face in thought. "At any rate, my mood's often reflected in his behavior in some fashion, and I can usually feel the things he's feeling." Kvothe snorted a laugh. "Like the way he wants to scratch the face off of your friend there." He made a gesture toward Rasann, who was still on the receiving end of a dangerous glare from Fas. "Like I said, he can be a grouch sometimes."

Kvothe's attention shifted back to Talau when he heard her speak again. He listened quietly, though his eyebrows lifted in surprise when she said the last Rilan she'd met tried to kill her. It was a shame, though it wasn't something that was completely foreign to Kvothe, given his past. Come to think of it, his people seemed to have a way of fighting each other, if the stories his parents told him of their homeworld were true: the stories of the Morequai and the Feanturi, fighting against each other in a civil war that stretched back to near beyond memory. His parents always spoke ill of the Morequai, though, calling them demons that cared only for themselves and killed their own; though, to Kvothe, who'd never experienced such things, the stories were little more than just that--stories. Perhaps the Rilan Talau encountered had been a Morequai? Who could say?

Something curious happened toward the end of her talk, though. Yellow, of all things, played at the edge of her eyes, and Kvothe saw traces of the color swirling in the aura that surrounded the woman. More of that icy blue pooled in his irises, as he tilted his head curiously to the side. Yellow? Was something frightening her? Kvothe made quick glances in either direction, but he didn't see anything. And then, he nearly slapped himself when the realization dawned that not all Rilan's eyes changed in the same fashion; the way that the eyes of those in his family changed was testament enough to that. The anger, small though it was, that played at the edge of her emotions should have made that obvious from the beginning. Way to go, Kvothe, he chided himself, as embarrassed maroon seeped into the edges of his iris.

"I see, I see." Kvothe nodded as he spoke, once Talau was finished speaking. He shifted his weight back off of his staff and looked around with a wistful sigh. "I'm from a world called Aiaru. Not many people know of it." A smile touched the edge of his lips, and for the briefest of moments, Kvothe felt homesick. "It's a wonderful place, though. Parts of it remind me of this world actually.

"But enough of that, I think." Kvothe pursed his lips in thought for a moment. "You said you were looking for your brother? If it's not intruding too much, might I offer to join you two? I might be able to help, and I don't really have anything else to do here." Kvothe shrugged lightly, indicating that it was up to Talau and Ryn. It was simply a friendly offer.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Sadly, for once Talau really wasn’t paying much attention to the conversation between Kvothe and Ryn; instead, the young woman was far more concerned with taking in the details of the rilan they’d just met. Certainly she caught snippets of the conversation dealing with familiars, and was even familiar (no pun intended) with the term when applied to animals. If she’d had to have guessed, she would have said that Rhissai had had one…her vornskr, Wrex, seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Seeing as she wasn’t involved in the current exchange, however, she opted to allow her eyes to traverse the thick ‘cords’ binding the rilan to his odd feline friend, so similar to the ones that were growing between Ryn and Rasann daily. It didn’t bother her that the threads linking herself to Rajah were thin, little more than the threads that bound her to most other people or objects, or that she didn’t feel her companion the same way that Ryn or Kvothe seemed to feel theirs. It just wasn’t that sort of bond, and that was alright with her.

Moving from those intertwined cords to the form of the man himself, she took in the robes which weren’t so dissimilar to those of the Jedi Order, or the ones which she had learned to be associated with the Feanturi. Mildly she found herself wondering if he were part of a similar order of force users. Pushing the thought aside, curious olive-green eyes continued their scrutiny of Kvothe, moving to his staff…or was it a spear? It was difficult to tell with the way he had part of it stuck into the ground. At his side hung an intricately designed sword, which Talau found herself wondering if it was simply for show or if it were simply a very finely crafted blade. Tempted to say it was the latter, she brought her attention to his face and the odd tattoos there, as well as the scar that worked its way diagonally across his face, from above one eye to below the other. Looking past both of these things, she took in his face as a whole and found that he really wasn’t bad looking…bordering on handsome, she might say…and all of this was topped by a mane of well kept auburn hair, whose texture denoted his rilan heritage.

That thought elicited a silent chuckle from her, shaking her head slightly at herself. Really now? What would she be thinking next…that he was ‘a fine specimen of their race’? Certainly he was, even compared to her brother and Remiel, but that was just an amusing thought coming from her. ”What next, Tal? Planning on breeding him?” The thought was so absurd she couldn’t help but chuckle again before Kvothe told them about the world he’d come from. He was certainly right in the fact that she’d not heard of it, and she looked to Ryn to see if he might show some recognition of the planet name.

“It’s a wonderful place, though. Parts of it remind me of this world actually.” Talau had grinned at that, it must have been a beautiful place if this place reminded him of parts of Aiaru. Cerea was a very pristine world, green and full of life…calm and calming, much like its people. He’d moved the conversation along then, offering to join them and help in the search for her brother. Tal pushed her feeling of approval to Ryn first, to be certain that he agreed before she accepted the help. Once she had his okay, she nodded to Kvothe with a smile.

”Certainly…we can use all the help we can get to find him, though…” she paused a moment and looked around at the vast world that sprawled out in all directions. It was certainly a daunting task, attempting to find her brother, and with no certainty that he was actually here. ”I can’t be certain that he’s here…or even where to begin looking. I'm…not sure if he might have tried to find our birthplace or not…if he’s even come to this planet. This may just be a wild gundark chase here,” she admitted, eyes shifting to a conglomeration of blue, pale orange, and gray.

[Dire Wolf]

Ryn listened to the Rilan with a special kind of rapt attention. Familiars? That kind of thing couldn't be normal, else he surely would've heard of it. "So...in other words... Rasann," he motioned down towards the massive tiger stripped creature at his side, "is part of me? My mind is in his... and his in mine? That's... unsettling."

The large feline creature switched his glare from Fas to his companion. It was almost an incredulous glare, one that spoke volumes of the private thoughts from the feline to the muscular man. He almost cringed before speaking yet again, "yep... he's my familiar. That's for sure." After a few long moments of further musings, he smirked and looked between the two Force Users, "can I trade him in?"

Rasann's reaction to that was simply priceless. The large orange and black striped creature stood up and stalked over to the opposite side of Talau, and glared daggers at his companion. "Oh calm down ya big weeny. I was just joking," he couldn't help but chuckle out. All the humor seemed to be lost to the big cat, who only narrowed his eyes further at the man.

"You said you were looking for your brother? If it's not intruding too much, might I offer to join you two? I might be able to help, and I don't really have anything else to do here."

It wasn't long after Kvothe offered that he felt the tinge of approval come from Talau. He responded in kind, adding that telepathic feeling with a smile and a curt nod. Another set of eyes never hurt, especially when those eyes could sense things through the Force. Though something told him if anyone was going to find Lat, it would be Tal. Those two were as close as two people could get without actually being lovers.

"Indeed. I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of welcoming the company of an infidel." He said, the final word dripping with sarcasm, "shall we?" The giant of a man motioned away from them, and began to put one foot infront of the other in a direction that only the Force knew.

Something deep within his gut told him that Talau's last comment was, indeed, correct. Almost. Something told him that what they were looking for was elsewhere, but what they'd find on Cerea that day would be almost, if not more important. Ryn, of course, kept this gut feeling to himself... but the halfithiri man couldn't stop his lips from spreading themselves thin.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

((now, I'm not sure what all Dire has in mind or where he wants it to take place so I’ve not really got much to say this round))

Rajah murred loudly at her mate and flicked an ear at the large male…again. Clearly frustrated with him now, she growled and paced around in a circle. As he stalked over to stand beside Talau, the Bha’lir female snipped at his hind quarters and padded off back to the ship, followed by a look of shocked confusion from the woman. ”I…guess she isn’t coming with us?” This baffled statement was soon followed by Ryn’s approving nod and wave of emotion. His words earned him a frustrated, if amused, sigh while passing Kvothe, followed by a swift, ”don’t mind him,” to the rilan before heading off in the direction of the village she and Latus had been born in.

[Rugs]

Kvothe only smiled and shook his head at Ryn's comments on the relationship he shared with his familiar. It was an odd thing, and some relationships were more odd than others, but still, on some basic level, they were all the same. Amusement rolled through Kvothe at Rasann's glare; amusement that he could feel echoed in some strange way through Fas.

Then the other one, the one that Kvothe assumed belonged to Talau, suddenly stalked off, back in the direction that Tal and Ryn had come from. Something was apparently irritating it, though Kvothe didn't have a clue what it was. He looked down at Fas. Fas looked up at him. Kvothe shrugged, deciding to leave whatever it was be. Familiars, or animals in general for that matter, could get moody from time to time, after all. The Mythos only knew that Fas got irritated with Kvothe every now and then.

Talau went on to voice her approval on Kvothe's offer, as did Ryn, though the large man's approval came with a joke. Kvothe didn't mind it, though; he could take a joke, and these people were friendly enough. "Yes, Ryn," he said, chuckling as threads of silver ran through the green of his eyes, "I've come to convert you to my wicked ways. Abandon that which ye already know, for mine is truly the superior way." Kvothe laughed lightly, though he did find himself wondering what these two were. Clearly they were Mythos wielders, and belonged to some order. They didn't seem dark enough to match the descriptions he'd heard of the Sith, so perhaps they were Jedi? Or maybe theirs was a smaller, less well known order like Kvothe's. In the end it didn't really matter, though did it? Still, he might ask later; for now, though, it was time to head out.

"Well, I'd be happy to help you out," he said, pulling the end of his staff that only had one blade on it out of the ground, "even if you don't think you'll find him here... But there's always hope, right? And if we don't find him, perhaps the Winds will blow us to something else." Kvothe offered a smile, though he knew he had no way of knowing what the day could or would bring. But such had been the nature of many of his stops during his wanderings.

Fas fell in at Kvothe's side as the group moved off, though he still wandered off a bit whenever he saw something that grabbed his attention--a butterfly here, or some interesting flower there. It was good to see him run and play again, with his tails whipping around contentedly behind him, and even better to see him almost fall into the stream again. Amusing as ever, Fas.

"So, do you guys have any particular place in mind to start looking for Latus?"