THESE SECRETS } Josk|Lantana

[wicked]

THESE SECRETS ARE WALLS THAT KEEP US ALONE --

"I'm warning you! That water better be boiling by the time I'm home!"

The door shut, and under her breath the words, "That water will never be boiled by the time I'm home,"

[/color] were uttered. It wasn't that her father was a lazy man, he just had better things to do. The important things, such as courting young elven women, spending his money in town on useless knick-knacks, and going out to lunch with other important townsmen. Or sleeping. You know, the usual time-consuming things that cause men to be so drowsy and worn-down that of course they deserve a drink or two or three and a meal prepared for them by their daughters and wives. Seeing as Mr. McMoria did not have a wife, Lantana prepared all of his meals for him. Mr. McMoria claimed that Lantana was not even his own daughter, merely a little homeless girl he took in out of the kindness of his heart.
How sweet.

Walking out the front door, Lantana was surprised by the mist that covered the thick morning air. It was so thick that she could not see ten feet in front of her. A thick, heavy, chilly morning. Lantana looked up into the sky, and was glad to see that she could not detect the sun through the heavy gray skies and thick fog. It wasn't that she liked the gray and dull air, she simply hated the bright light of the sun. The gray also felt more concealing to her. When it was dark, she wasn't bright and easily sought out by her hair. The red hair atop her head was sort of a good and a bad thing. She loved the look it gave her, but at times it seemed to define her and it made her a very easy target.
Not that many even targeted her; she wasn't really a threat to many people at this point in her life.

Strolling down the road, she passed the spread out houses of neighbors. Living on the outskirts of town, it was easy to forget how packed the city could be. Even on the edge of the city, where Lantana was headed, was busier than she would have liked. Lantana usually is only home with her father, his friends, maybe a maid, and a book or two or three. Occasionally, she'll have a patient to care for. Healing is, after all, her magic.
As she came closer to town, the fog began to lift. The dawn was rising. The morning sky was still dark, but a pale blue in color now where the sun was rising in the east. The stars were all glowing and plentiful in amount where they were breaking through the clouds. It wasn't a bad sight, to be honest.

She ran her hand through her short, red hair and then smoothed out the bottom of her shirt. Lantana was dressed in a simple pair of light brown pants with a pair of soft, worn leather hunting boots and a cream-colored, fitted long-sleeved shirt. She was wearing a brown leather bag over her shoulder, and inside contained a fair amount of money to buy food and maybe a few new herbs. Town was not a very fun place to be.
Finally reaching the town, she could see the butcher's shop down at the end of the block. The man inside wasn't exactly pleasant but she didn't mind him either. He gave her good meat. She headed down the block, and as she was crossing the street the old blind man always sitting in the street begging for money grabbed her ankle, clearly having felt her walking past.

Normally this would be no problem for Lan, but she was not expecting it. She tripped, but instead of falling tumbled over herself and stood gracefully, wiping the dirt off of her hands.
"Perhaps you'd better learn some manners, sir."[/pink]
She might have given him money if he (one) were not so fat in the first place and (two) hadn't caused her to scrape her hand on a sharp rock sticking out of the dirt.
The situation could have gone much worse, though.[/blockquote][/size]

[Elloria]

Josk rode silently through the night astride Brixis. He had asked the mare to carry him to Ilirea, but he had tarried as much as possible. He was dreading the upcoming reunion with his somewhat estranged brother Niko. An unexpected letter, delivered by some boy named Addison, had spurred this visit. He’d been reluctant, but something told him he would ultimately regret not going. He sighed, hoping the night would last a little while longer. It had been grey and chill, with a thick fog covering the whole landscape. It had been comforting. He didn’t feel as exposed that way. It was always so disquieting being outside of the ever-present canopy of DuWeldenvarden. Everything was so wide and empty beyond its boundaries. Eventually, the light changed - heralding the morning. And he still couldn’t see very far in front of him. That was why he had asked Brixis instead of some other mount or going on foot. Brixis was accustomed to traveling to Ilirea and knew the path well, unlike Josk.

Soon, Brixis moved from a slow walk to a fast trot. Josk easily shifted his balance to accommodate the change in pace. They had passed through the walls of Ilirea now. He shuddered. He had never wanted to return to this accursed city. It had been nothing short of hell for him here and he didn’t even believe such a place existed. If it weren’t for Niko, he wouldn’t be here now. He sighed again. Damnable little brother. They hadn’t seen each other in nearly two centuries. Why the sudden desire for a meeting? He pondered this as the mist slowly cleared away to reveal the magnificent buildings of the city of Riders. It couldn’t have been anything terrible or life-threatening - Niko wasn’t the type to bring up something like that. Josk was sure the only indications he would have of Niko’s death would be the sudden absence of letters and a painful hole in the center of his chest as the last of his heart died with his twin.

Josk shook his head, trying to cast the morbid thought from his mind. He hated contemplating losing that last bit of himself. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to get over that. That’s why he wanted Niko to forever remain in Ilirea. Not only was Niko happy there, but he was sure to be safe with the Riders. “Tch. So maudlin some days,” he muttered to himself, lifting his gaze from Brixis’ mane. He glanced around and realized he had absolutely no idea where he might find Niko. He should probably ask someone. He dropped his eyes to the street and noticed a shock of red hair walking ahead of him. It topped a slender elfin woman, clad in light brown pants and a body-hugging, long-sleeved shirt. His nose wrinkled in distaste. Why did people feel the need to wear clothing that clung to them so? It was much more comfortable to wear loose-fitting attire. And more convenient. You could hide a lot in loose clothes. Well, beggars couldn’t well be choosers and Josk wanted to find Niko quickly. He nudged gently at Brixis with his mind, asking her to catch up with the red-haired fae. The mare willingly picked up her pace and he soon drew abreast of the elf girl. He looked down at the girl, his face expressionless. “Excuse me, m’lady, but do you know where I might find a Niko Danta? He’s a scholar here in Ilirea.”

[wicked]

THESE SECRETS ARE WALLS THAT KEEP US ALONE --

The quiet of the morning air was disrupted. Something shifted in atmosphere. Soon after this realization, Lantana noted the sounds of a mare coming from behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the mare pull up beside her. At first she took took in the beauty of the horse before her eyes trailed upward to the rider of the creature. Clearly Elven, and clearly he was not from around here. He had the confused look about him, and you didn't just go up to any random stranger in Ilirea. She moved her eyes from him and continued forward, not bothering to stop walking but continued at a slower pace so that the mare could comfortably keep up with her pace. She had to admit, she didn't like the look of him.
It was almost.. creepy.

Niko Danta?
Had she heard the name? Quickly she glanced back to him, and realized that he indeed look slightly familiar. Niko Danta, she had heard the name certainly. Seen the face. The question was where. As quickly as the question seemed to form in her mind, she had an answer to her own question. She spoke up, turning her eyes from him again to the road in front of her. "I'm not well-acquainted with him, but I have seen him several times at the bakery talking to the boy behind the counter. You might check to see if they know where he lives," she informed the man riding next to her. She had to admit, Lantana wasn't too certain of this man's demeanor. He seemed emotionless, strange, and a little weird. But, as they say, Lantana never judged a book by its cover.

Then something occurred to her again. If the man didn't know where his own kin (which was her assumption, considering how closely he resembled Niko Danta from her memory) resided within the city, how likely was he to be able to find the bakery or even the man's own house? Surely she could offer some assistance. After all, her father could either eat the stored up food in the house for breakfast or gather up his strength and wait until she returned home. "You do know where the bakery is, don't you?" Assuming he didn't know where the shop was would have been a demeaning thing to do in Lan's mind. So instead, she phrased the question carefully so as not to seem rude. "If not, I can direct you. I was headed that way anyway,"

[/b] she added at the end of the sentence, glancing up at him again to take in his appearance this time. He really was something else. Whether that was good or bad, she wasn't quite sure.
[/blockquote][/size]

[Elloria]

Josk nearly cursed at the girl. A bakery. What bakery? There had been a dozen bakeries scattered around Ilirea when he had left it nearly two centuries ago. He couldn't be bothered going to every single bakery trying to hunt down a brother he also hadn't seen in nearly two centuries. He let out a frustrated sigh. Stupid, useless females always complicating the simplest of matters. It was their very nature, it had to be. He could think of no other explanation for the vexation they perpetually caused him. "You do know where the bakery is, don't you? If not, I can direct you. I was headed that way anyway."

He looked down at the woman, irritation plain in his eyes. But he kept his voice calm, perhaps even a bit honeyed, when he replied. “I would greatly appreciate it. I have not been in Ilirea since I finished my schooling here. Though I doubt it has changed much, I seem to recall several bakeries existing within its walls.” He looked around the small but graceful buildings with a suddenly weary and bored gaze. He wanted to be done with this soon. If Niko asked him to stay longer than a day or so, he'd have to put his foot down. This city was still flat-out depressing, just as he remembered it. He turned back to the girl. “I’m Josk, by the way. Niko is my younger brother. And, if I may ask, what might your name be?”

[wicked]

THESE SECRETS ARE WALLS THAT KEEP US ALONE --

The irritation in his eyes almost made it amusing to her; Lantana did her best to refrain from smirking and instead the little twinkle in her eye did all of the talking. It was all out of healthy amusement, not because of his considerable lack of knowledge of the city. "Most of the newer bakeries gave up when they realized they couldn't compare to Lady Ann's treats; they packed up and moved elsewhere. Anyway, there are two left in town, and on completely different ends of the city." Lantana started walking at a decent pace, so as the horse wouldn't be bored but she wouldn't tire herself out too quickly and lose her breath. Besides, if he was so rushed he could go on and find it himself.
"The one that your brother is usually at is closer to here, but maybe ten minutes walk." It wouldn't be too long, anyway.

'I'm Josk, by the way. Niko is my younger brother.'
The resemblance between the two was very easily noticed. Perhaps they were twins. It was uncommon, but possible. "Well it's a pleasure to meet you Josk; my name is Lantana," she replied. Sometimes Lan wasn't very fond of her name; it sounded too formal or stuffy. However usually she didn't mind the uniqueness of it. Lantana wasn't sure about the man riding next to her, but she didn't feel herself to be in any immediate danger. He seemed decent enough. Clearly annoyed by everything something in this city, but at least he made some kind of attempt to hide it so as not to come off as rude or arrogant. She appreciated the effort.

[Elloria]

So his brother had taken to frequenting a bakery? Josk found that rather odd. Niko had never liked sweets as a child, nor particularly cared for baked goods either. He enjoyed fruits and vegetables, but generally didn't eat pastries, bread, or anything of that nature. Something about the texture had always bothered him. But perhaps Niko had changed over the years. Josk knew he certainly had changed - quite a lot. Well, he would find out soon enough.

Brixis easily kept up with the somewhat languid pace the girl set. Josk’s eyes kept darting around, taking in as many details about his surroundings as he could while still listening to the elf girl introduce herself. He couldn’t feel any threats within the vicinity - and he hadn’t expected any, but it was best to remain aware. “Lantana, is it? That’s a rather unique name. Lovely in its own way, though it sounds a bit formal,” he replied absentmindedly. He looked down at her. “More like a name I might here in DuWeldenvarden than Ilirea. Is that where you’re originally from or were you born here, in the city of Riders?” The question was asked more to keep conversation going than out of actual curiosity. There were plenty of elves born outside the borders of the great forest, but most had lived at least some part of their life beneath its verdant green canopy.