Restless Ramblings

As he spoke, something about Emilian's fair features. . .shifted. He appeared older. Aged even, as he considered what the future may hold. Nerizza startled and shifted to face him more fully, but her movement pulled him from his thoughts and he looked again just as he always did. A trick of the light perhaps?

It must have been. . .

"I'm glad to leave Sandpoint behind me. At least for the time being," she admitted. Remembering she was on watch, the tiefling clambered up onto the wooden sill of the wagon before using one arm and a tail to vault herself back up onto the roof. Having a much better vantage now, she crouched once again, and peered down at him briefly. Scanning the outlying area and continuing the conversation.

"I will return one day, if I am able that is, for I still have ties of my own that aren't so easily broken. At least for my part," she muttered. "But in the meantime, I'm really looking forward to expanding my horizons. Honing my skills and all. This journey has already proven to be vastly exciting!"

The final statement was punctuated with a toothy grin.

A silent eyebrow raised as she slid the little hint to her past into the conversation. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of ties she had, or how they came about. If anything she seemed the least 'tied' to Sandpoint of them all.

There was a story there, and Varisians loved a good story. Perhaps not tonight though. He suspected she wasn't the type to talk much about her past, and he didn't want to push. Of course... he could be wrong. Perhaps she'd simply been waiting for someone who'd listen?

Such thoughts slipped from his mind as he watched her scramble to the roof using a single hand and tail, more silently then he could have dreamed. He chuckled a little to himself as he realized just how many people he'd wake if he tried something like that, and how much healing he'd require.

His head tilted with a grin as he watched her scanning the darkness.

"You can actually see out there, can't you," he said quietly with delighted surprise. "This far from the campfire... I can barely see you up there... When I'm on watch I usually have to use my ears... listen for anything out of the ordinary. You can actually see like Kromyar does, don't you? I thought that was just a dwarf thing... or maybe elf. I've heard conflicting rumors about elven sight.

"Or is that one of the skills you hope to hone?" The oracle snickered a little at the obviously attentive tiefling. "If that's skill that needs improving, then I may be in worse trouble than I thought..."

"There may be nothing I can do to improve my sight," Nerizza smirked, "but as far as paying close attention to my surroundings, there's always more to be learned, as Shalelu is constantly reminding me. For instance, the sounds of native birds and insects. . .or even the lack of certain ones, can tell me that something is just not right. That maybe we have company.

"One of the exciting parts of this journey is that I am not familiar with the fauna of these lands. I have to learn to pick out all new bird calls and other night sounds. I can't imagine what it will be like when we get further north," she pondered aloud. "I mean surely there won't be insects chirping and skittering in such cold climes but what about birds? I just don't know!"

Clearly the tiefling was excited by the prospect and though her body could have been chiseled from granite for all she moved up there on the wagon, her enthusiasm for the journey showed in every detail of her animated expressions.

"I spoke with Shalelu some days ago about the matter actually. I believed that it would be easier to hear predators' crunching approach what with the snow covered landscapes up north and all, but she told me that some creatures are known to have large enough paws to work as snow shoes on the terrain and can therefore move almost silently about! I've got to get me some boots like that!"

Nerizza flicked her odd amber eyes down at her companion.

"But to answer your question, yes, I can see in the darkness. It's just something I was born with. As for the elves, my mentor cannot see in total darkness as I can, but she does have a keener sight than humans do. For instance, you say now that I am out of the light and difficult to see, but Shalelu would have no trouble seeing me this distance from the fire.

"You know, I could help teach you a few things that might help you when you're on watches," she offered. "If you feel like you need the help that is. Eyes are only one sense. There are certainly a few others that you can employ to good effect!"

"Ohhhh I would appreciate that very much." the city boy said. He knew he actually had decent senses. His eyes could pick out a mood or a thought rather well. Skills he had trained to assist him in telling people what they wanted to hear.

This however, he never trained them to do what this.

"I admit, I'm not used to so many people depending on me. I'd welcome anything that can help me do the job better.

He smirked as he added ruefully. "I think I spend half my shifts paranoid that I'll get everyone killed. There's a big difference between Caravan life and City life.

"Mother never mentioned this part..."

"I suppose this isn't the most romantic part of adventure, is it. . ." She chuckled. "Sitting up for hours staring into the nothingness doesn't often make it into the exciting tales of adventure. But this isn't much of a stretch from what I was doing before. Just more company," Nerizza grinned and turned her face toward the oracle. "And that's the part that makes me uncomfortable! We all have different skills I guess, and I'm glad that yours make up for some of my obvious deficiencies."

The young tiefling held out hope that it would get easier. That her senses would stop screaming for her to keep her distance from the others in the caravan, but that was taking longer than she'd expected. For eleven years the elf was her only companion and even that a sporadic one as she grew to adulthood. Before that, there was only Betsy to look after her. A social life was always something she looked in at as she watched over the people of Sandpoint. It had never been something that she'd been in the middle of, and so far this was proving to be a difficult transition.

Maybe these moments here tonight with Emilian would be a good start to affecting a change in the status quo.

"Speaking of skills. . . Was it your parents who taught you to read those cards? I've seen you playing with them sometimes, which if I'm being honest, surprises me. I. . . Well, I always thought that 'reading the cards' was more of a fun thing that people went to have done on a lark, not to get serious answers to questions." Nerizza's goat-like eyes made her look especially sheepish to admit that notion. "But watching you, it doesn't seem like you're playing at it. Can you really use them to divine futures?"

His eyes dropped and his brow furrowed at the question. Such was the nature of his business. Disbelief, doubt, uncertainty. The vagueness of the cards rarely helped the matter.

"That... is a tricky question. The future is fluid... malleable. It's dangerous to rely too often on things like cards. There are many who believe like you and Takion. Some ask for a reading for fun, many do it out of disbelief. Some even do it out of defiance. As if knowing their fates will give them something to rail against! However... Yes, sometimes the fates or the futures do reveal themselves to me through the cards.

"Though, the power isn't always contained to the cards themselves," he said as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the well worn yet lovingly cared for deck.. "This deck was passed down from my mother, and from her mother before her." He fanned the cards with a wave of his hand and snapped them back into order with well practiced precision.

"Mother gave them to me when I was younger then usual. They... help me to focus. Sometimes I can see the future with them... but honestly, the power isn't in the cards. It's something that I was born with. Glimpse of the future, glimpses of the past... It can be, confusing sometimes. These are my foci. I've heard of different methods, but for me the cards are best." He winced awkwardly. It was rare that he told people about his gifts. At least without the guise and pomp of a theatrical show. However it was only fair considering how much she'd revealed tonight.

"Not all fortune tellers have the gift, but many do. You should keep an open yet suspicious mind when dealing with fortune tellers. If someone truly wants to know their future, then maybe I can help

"Of course, if someone is just interested in a fun show... I can give them that too." He said with a playful wink.

"I'll keep that in mind," she replied, letting slip a little laugh, "but I'm not sure that I'd ever want to know my future. . . I think I understand enough to realize that life won't suddenly turn out to be all peace, sunshine and fawning accolades or anything. If someone were to tell me for sure though, it would leave no room for hope at all. And hope is a great motivator.

"But you say you get glimpses of the past too?" Nerizza inquired curiously. "Do you have to ask questions of the cards to receive those, or do they just come to you on occasion?"

His face twisted in confusion as his finger tapped his chin in thought.

"Interesting question. One that I hope to learn more about myself... Honestly, it used to work both ways. When I was younger I would 'know' things about people without them telling me. When people came to me for a reading... sometimes I could learn something with the cards.

"Lately? Lately I've seen... strange things. Nothing about our comrades. They're just... a blank spot to me. I've seen a single glimpse of my own likely future that involved Takion... but I don't now anything about him that he hasn't offered up himself.

"Outside of the group? I've been seeing glimpse of the past... much farther then I ever have before. Things that I don't see a direct bearing on me or those around me," he frowned as he reemphasized, "directly. There are threads here, that I don't understand, but I sense they are important.

"For example... I saw Tsutamu's ship fighting a storm... I saw him enter a cave with those who survived... I know that they faced something terrible.."

He shook his head in annoyance. "Over thirty years ago! Longer than I've even been alive. Add in the fact that we've already faced him, defeated him, and left his bones behind us.... I just... I don't understand the vision.

"I could simply be a distraction... but if it's important, and I don't recognize it for what it is," the oracle shuddered involuntarily. "I don't know what will happen."

The young tiefling's mind boggled at living with such a burden and when she turned to look at him where was something of pity gracing her countenance.

"I'm glad that such battles are given for you to wrestle with, Emilian. A better and wiser person than myself! I prefer to wage my wars with the more tactile elements of blood and steel and bone. With stealth and darkness, I can hide from my opponents, and strike from a place of advantage, but when such troubles invade your mind directly?" She shook her head incredulously. "No, I have no idea how you do that. . ."

Nerizza cocked her head to the side in consideration.

"Is it these visions that you've had that are keeping you up this night?"

Emilian shrugged with uncertainty. "Maybe in part. The puzzle is always in my mind just swirling around. I'm not sure if tonight was any worse than any other night."

His face clouded again with concern as he thought about something she said. "I'm not very comfortable with the violence of this journey at all... Till the swamp I hadn't actually killed anything before. My weapons were a cane and a sling! The sling was mostly for sport..." His face was unreadable. Even he wasn't sure what to think about all the blood he'd spilt since starting. Everyone they fought had tried to kill him first... but it was still a weird feeling.

"I think... I think these new visions are tied to violence in some fashion. The really weird ones, they seem to show up either during or just after a big fight... or maybe after I killed someone... something...

"That... is one of the things that keep me up. Am I meant to stop killing things? Or should I get better at it? IF these visions are important... How much should I avoid unlocking them?"

"It's not like I can speak to your visions or anything," a scowl of concern forcing her lips downward, "I have a hard enough time dealing with the here and now, but I would feel much obliged if you wouldn't go throwing yourself into danger in order to 'unlock' this information. At least not until you're more prepared," Nerizza amended.

"I think that people are supposed to feel. . .troubled or something after killing." She shrugged, openly showing no concern at the thought. The fact that she didn't feel troubled was far more disconcerting to her. Only the one time did she feel regret, and indeed that one time -- the one that she couldn't hope to remember, was the one that caused her more physical and emotional pain than all others combined that had come or had yet to come. "It's probably good to be a little uncomfortable with the violence, but you don't need to be a seer to know that more of it -- much more of it, is coming."

Her tail flicked violently back and forth over the wagon, not unlike an angered cat sensing, and ready for, danger.

"We're being tracked. Followed. Scryed, or whatever you call it. We know there are oni after us and maybe that bloodraven is connect to them, but maybe not. Maybe they're not the only ones hunting us. Regardless, I don't like being the one hunted. . ." The tiefling growled to accentuate the point.

"So we're gonna have to fight. Even if you choose to try and avoid it, the fight will surely come to you and it would probably be good to practice a little with your cane and sling in anticipation. It does no one any good if you're dead."

Nerizza grimaced as her own words echoed in her ears.

"Sorry. . . I'm not real good at 'comforting'."

Emilian shivered as a cold chill went down his spine. He glanced over his shoulder into the darkness. He could shake the feeling that something was watching them right now.

Purposefully he turned his head back toward his companion. It was probably his imagination, or perhaps Nerizza's pep talk. Besides if they were being scryed then he had no way of knowing.

"You're right of course," he said with a forced chuckle. "I'm sure there will be much more battle in the weeks or months to come. We're all targets now. Not just Ameiko. Anyone after her, has just as much reason to see us dead too..."

His mouth twisted in consideration. It was an awkward subject, and while curious, he certainly didn't want to alienate her just to appease curiosity. However... it was a valid question, and one he'd feel a lot worse if he didn't ask...

"Ummm... on the subject... Y'know... of trying to keep everyone alive and all..." He grimaced at his obvious awkwardness. "Madame Niska trained both Koya and I in various medicinal practices... Which, you've see already. Some of it's magical... but some is not.

"So far I've only had to stitch a few wounds, but if things get worse... I may have to do more...

"Sooo ummm... Is there anything... medically that I should know? Any allergies or anything..." His face blushed a bright crimson as his eyes wandered to the tail. "I suppose that I would set any broken bones there, the same as a leg... I'm not sure how that would work though...

"Hopefully we'll have enough magic to avoid any complications... I just... I don't want to do more harm than good as self-appointed healer."

It took a few moments for the tiefling to finally locate the bush that Emilian was beating around. She snorted in gruff amusement, sliding him a sidelong glance from the edge of the darkness.

"Sooo what you're really wanting to know is how you fix a freak." Nerizza sighed in resignation. "Fair enough.

"As far as my tail goes, I've broken it half a dozen times or so and I just wrap it up. If it's severely injured, feel free to cut it off for all I care. You'd just be doing me a favor. I would just ask that I be unconscious though. . .'cause the thing is really sensitive and it hurts like Zon Kuthon himself is gnawing on it when there's even a minor wound.

"My innards have pretty much stayed that way, so I can't say much for how alike my insides are to yours." She frowned, considering. "I know that's not much help. My parents were both human, so I can't imagine things are that different, then again, the packaging has its. . .abnormalities.

"Oh, one thing I guess. Shalelu tells me my horns make my skull thicker." The tiefling burst into an abrupt chuckle. "She says it to tease me and I'd always felt that she said it in an affectionate sort of way, but now that I say it out loud, it actually sounds plain old mean. Regardless, she's right."

Nerizza looked down at the oracle with a wry grin. "I don't make much of a habit of it, but I'm not at all afraid to utilize a good headbutt when a fight presents the opportunity."

Emilian laughed lightly. Danger averted. She didn't seem to take real offense by his prodding and even joked a bit. He would count that as a win any day and not push this new mystery of her 'human' parents... Though by Desna that was a battle for his overly curious mind. They must be the ties that she spoke of earlier and that meant they were still in Sandpoint! He wondered if he'd ever met them?!?

Grinning widely he said, "I'll have to make a note of that... Koya used to say my head was a bit too soft! Like an over ripe melon! Which.... you're right, it sounds different when I say it aloud..." He chuckled softly which stretched into a yawn.

The night was getting long, and he was starting to feel it.

"Well, thank you for the conversation... I enjoyed it immensely. Still, I should probably get some sleep tonight. For that matter I should probably stop distracting you too," he said with a wink. The way her eyes kept darting into the darkness, he doubted he had put the caravan into any danger.

"I've enjoyed it as well," Nerizza managed a small smile, which held equal parts warmth and shock that such a statement could be true. Her scarred tail coiled up upon itself and slid beneath the concealing folds of her dark cloak once more as he made to depart her company.

"The next time that watches are rearranged, I will take one with you. Maybe I can give you a heads up on a few of the things to listen for. I know you could do a fine job of it, you just need to have a little boost to your confidence is all."

The tiefling pulled her eyes from the surrounding blackness and peeked her head over the edge of the wagon's roof.

"Sleep well, Emilian. May your worries and visions allow themselves to be laid aside for a few hours." She returned to the time-entrenched crouching position to keep vigil as the oracle stepped inside his wagon to rest. Only then did she add quietly, "and thank you. . ."

Doubtful the man was even able to hear those final words, but if so than he surely would have understood the unspoken addendum.

For not thinking me a monster. . .