Brianna
Brianna's cheeks flushed pink at his compliment. "Well, after my mom died I had to fend for myself most of the time. Hunting became necessary, and the older I got the more I hated seeing the waste of fur from my kills. I was sloppy, and it bothered me. So I learned." She ate a spoonful of soup while she mulled over her next answer, sifting through memories for the answer she sought.
"I did a lot of my learning from tanneries, in exchange for pelts and free labor of course," she chuckled. "I didn't want to strip the fur off for leather, either, so they taught me how to salt tan the hides. The salt is imbued with magic, see? And it's really effective at drawing out the moisture of the pelts quickly! So after a few days and a few reapplications, I had furs."
"The more I learned, the more animals I could preserve. I sell feathers of exotic birds to hat makers, use other feathers and bones to make my arrows. I cure meat I can't eat and sell it, or use it to bait traps for predators," she said, gesturing over to her leopard-skin pelt. "It keeps me traveling. Keeps me pretty busy, too, but I have to admit, I get lonely. Kelahati have a strong sense of community, and mine is, well...gone." A pang of sadness in her voice spread to her eyes, which misted over. "It's a loss I can feel in here," she put a hand on her bare chest, "but it's hard for me to comprehend at times."
With a shrug, she finished her bowl of stew and used the bread to soak up any remaining bits of broth. Zaeren had been asking a lot of questions, but he was easy to talk to. Being near him eased that sense of loneliness she felt so often. She was actually holding a conversation with someone. Sharing a meal with another person, not just herself! Maybe being on her own for so long had driven her mad, or more likely desperate, but it was a nice feeling. She felt welcome.
She felt at home.
"They're not dark magic, I assure you," Brianna replied shortly, her response a bit more barbed than she intended. Softening, she continued, "It's...hard to explain, really. From what Danae and Kazae have told me, they're me. Physical manifestations of my soul. I'm the only one who can wield these daggers. Even if I don't know what they can do, and even if I don't know them very well yet, I can just...feel that they're a part of me. From the moment I first touched them, I just knew." Gods, it sounded crazy out loud.
Running a hand through her hair, Brianna chuckled nervously. "I'm not crazy, honest. I know it sounds hard to believe, and I don't have all the answers myself, but when I found them the latent magic within me woke up. A-at least that's what Kazae said." She shrugged. "Maybe some day I'll have all the answers, but right now, we're all still getting used to each other."
It was time to turn the tables.
Leaning over the table and pointing at Zaeren with her spoon, she flashed him a toothy, crooked smile and purred, "Now it's your turn, Mr. Mystery. A tit for tat." She gave a wink. "You mentioned being a balance keeper. How'd you come into that business, exactly? And you're certainly not human. Or an elf. I'm curious about you, Zae. I want to know you more."
html by castlegraphics
