The lopsided grin was going to do her in. It made her almost forget her name, surely made her forget about those who waited for her at home. And it was the fact that right in that moment, it was just the two of them, that the comment came out easily. “We have a beach with black sands. It’s quite the sight, I hope to bring you.” She wasn’t sure where they’d stay, she even thought that perhaps she’d offer for them to stay at her home, but she thought of Logan then and how he had been acting before she left.

Maybe they’d be safer and more comfortable at the castle. If that was an option. She assumed it would be, or even a tavern close by. The idea of him being sent back so quickly made her shift slightly from one foot to another. Thankfully he started up their walk again, and obediently, Alys followed. She stared down at Rune with wonder, how completely fascinating. But her smile faded when he spoke on death and what it meant for the pairs.

“That’s terrible.” She said softly. “I hope you never know a day without her.” She spoke, falling into a pace at his side. Close enough that she swore she could feel the heat off of him. “And, I have been told, dyrs are far more intelligent than an animal they appear to be.” She looked between the two. Looking for a nod or some sort of approval from Rune.

“They do,” she answered, “sometimes the name is just one they liked, sometimes children are named after family members.” She told him, eyeing the darkness around them with a touch of alertness. Just to keep herself on her toes. “I was named after my grandmother,” she gave him a flash of a smile. “Alysandra,” she told him. “She had passed away before I was born, so I never knew here. But I heard she was quite the woman, wife, and mother. Even for a commoner.”

His smile remained as she mentioned the black sands, trying to picture it in his mind. "That sounds interesting, I can't wait to see it."

Rune had just been sharing her exasperation with Zevran for his ability to flirt with anyone, anywhere, when Alys asked about her intelligence. Rune gave a small yip and Zevran chuckled, "Dyrs can be more intelligent than most people."

Zevran contemplated the family matters of Nevermere before speaking again, "I think family is quite a different concept here. Your caravan was your family. Sure, you had a mother and father, but you generally only stayed with them until your Naming Ceremony. After that, whatever caravan you joined became your family."

Even that had been taken away from them now, though. "Do you have family waiting for you back in Nevermere then?"

The yip from Rune made her attention fly to her, her smile flashing brighter. As if the yip spoke to that very wolfish side of her, playful and curious. And currently very content with her company. “Well, that’s not exactly saying a lot now is it?” She bantered. Her laugh was breathy and soft. Nothing too loud in that moment.

“Very different.” But then she paused, scrunching her brows in thought. “Though I suppose it’s the similar to being in the military. You don’t really pick the other soldiers with you but you protect them after a while because they are yours.” Now that, Alys could wrap her mind around. “How many caravans were there? Would… your group we came across, sort of be like your family? Your caravan?”

The mention of her own family had a smile, soft and almost sad all together. “I do.” She instantly pictured Atlas & Adalyn. “I have twins, a son and daughter pair. My father, brother and sisters. And my husband.” She missed them all. Her heart aching as she pictured each of them. “Nieces and nephews, a pretty big family really.” Not that the Delaney’s really invited them around anymore.

He reached up to scratch at the stubble on his face as he thought about her question. "There were four main ones and a few smaller, but after the Coheed attacks we all merged together. The others are certainly like family, though maybe not quite like a caravan. The caravans were divided by our elements."

He ticked a name off on a finger as he listed them, "The Adoi, they were one of our warrior caravans. The Dijila were our other warrior caravan. Then there was the Kushti, they maintained the lands and ensured there was enough food for everyone. And then there was my caravan, the Rashai. We mined the land and crafted weapons, armor, jewelry, and the sorts."

He listened to her talk about her family, a small look of confusion coming to his face. "What is a husband?"

This walk was proving to fill in so many blanks. It made her really start to imagine what Dresmond had been like. Many would’ve thought she was wasting time when she could ask questions about how to attack the Eldouir’s or where there might be weak spots. But this, it helped her know the people. The people she might have seconds to convince to fight back instead against them. So she didn’t regret any of the questions.

Yet when he asked her about not who, but what a husband was, she paused a moment. Staring at him. “A husband is the male equivalent to a wife.” She thought about what he said about the caravans, but surely… “The two people in a marriage. Surely you all had marriages?” She asked, tilting her head curiously.

This time he was the one who came to a stop as he turned to look at her, a bewildered look on his face. "What... is a wife?"

He stared at her as he tried to piece together what she was talking about. Male equivalent, so the wife was the woman, and the only thing that led Zevran to think of was... "Is that... do you have to pick one person to have sex with in your kingdom?" He blinked a few times, a bit horrified, "If that's what a marriage is, then no... we don't have such a thing. Sure, some decide they really like a specific person and tend to stay with them, but most of us just pick whoever looks best on a particular night." He shook his head slightly, still baffled by the concept of marriage.

Watching his face, she watched how he mulled over what she was asking. He picked up rather quickly, but his horrified look had her do something she didn’t think she had ever done; she snorted with a burst of laughter. Hand flying to her mouth, it only caused her to laugh harder. Every attempt at silencing it only met with her struggle to be quiet. A heat rose to her face at the idea of just picking whoever you wanted any night.

It was only once she was able to calm did she let her hand fall away. “It’s what’s normal to us. Marriage usually solidifies bloodlines and it keeps children knowing who their parents are. Some marriages are used as contracts, binding together families for some sort of gain. Some marriages are forced, some are out of love if one is lucky.” She looked down at the space between their feet. She was married. She shouldn’t be looking to him the way she did, with stars in her eyes as if he was the very breath she needed. “My husband is the father to my children. He gave me a title and,” she realized he might not quite understand. “I was a commoner by birth, I knew hunger, I grew up without education in the sense of many things. I had to grow up quick, to provide for my family until-“

Sadness washed over her face. “Anyway,” she turned and moved to continue back on their path. “Yes, I have family in Nevermere.” She cast a longing look back at him. “The two that went back,” she asked after a pregnant pause, “what will they do for tribute?”

It was all such a foreign concept to him. He was completely baffled and it must have shown on his face because Alys snort-laughed, catching Zevran off guard. He looked at her with wide eyes before he also dissolved into laughter. This trip was going to be a disaster.

He calmed at the same time she did, listening to her explain further, but he only shook his head. "People are people. We all make the same thing together: more people. Why be so picky about it?" He shrugged, deciding he would probably never understand.

At the mention of Tribute again, his eyes darkened and any remaining laughter faded, "I'm not sure what they'll do. We had this whole plan to disrupt it... the storm," he paused, glancing at her before he continued, "But then you two came along and everything changed. Ermir will almost certainly give a large batch of his best drink. He does so every year just to receive a brand so that he gets good supplies for his tavern. Luka... I'm not sure."

He would keep the plan for Luka to himself. If the Eldouirs were enemies of Nevermere, he wouldn't endanger Luka by giving away her heritage.

This much laughter felt good. With everything else having been so tense and likely to turn into a fight, this felt beyond good. Whatever hold he had over her was welcomed in that moment as they both laughed. His eyes wide for a moment at the sound she made which only made it harder to control it. Yet his confusion on marriage only had her pause for a moment to agree, which had a soft remaining laugh leave her. “It’s just… they way it always has been. Wouldn’t you want to know children are yours, without a doubt? Or to publicly claim to be someone and someone be yours?”

Maybe it was just because she had grown up in it, but she certainly had a hard time imagining welcoming just anyone into her bed. Or perhaps that was the why… “You pick whoever on any given night, just because you can…” she said it as if it had just dawned on her. “The freedom of the choice.” She lingered a moment. “Do you not get jealous if you love someone then? Or is it… so normal it’s just… sex is…” oh her cheeks heated then. “Easier to share?”

A twinge of guilt twisted in her gut as he seemed to grow more serious and then he explained how she and Grant had essentially ruined it. “I’m-“ she was going to apologize. He’d perhaps hear the way her sentence cut off and he’d understand. “I wish they would have come with us.” She said it in such a way to convince him that she didn’t wish ill will on them. Any of them that Zevran held close to his chest. Which was a strange thought for her to have.

She peered up at him, “I’m glad you are here.” And with that strange statement, she straightened and moved to continue again. No need to completely startle the man.

He shrugged again at her questions, "Some were more fond of their children than others. It was quite common for children to go to different caravans than their parents after their ceremony, one that matched their element. That's why the caravans were considered family rather than just who gave birth to you."

He smiled as she seemed to understand his explanations and how Dresmond was meant to be, "No one belongs to any other person. Sure, some found what you call love and would stay together. Others didn't. Some took only women partners, some only men, and some both. As you said, it's all about freedom and choice. And yes," he flashed a smile, "Sex is just sex. No weird strings attached like... what did you say? Maintaining bloodlines or whatever."

He waved a hand absently at her almost apology, "It would have taken us a lot longer to move a bigger group and Ermir is too well known in Elderkeep to miss Tribute."

And then she was peering up at him with those eyes that caught the moonlight just right, her curls framing her face, and his hands itched to reach out and tuck them behind her ear. Then she spoke and moved away, and he blinked after her before following. Right, she had a husband at home. She knew a completely different way of life. But perhaps...

Rune sneezed behind him and he felt her need to roll her eyes. 'Leave the woman be.' But Zevran's eyes were glittering, and he caught up to her before answering her quietly, "Me too."

Motherly instinct curled in her, and she shook her head a little. “I couldn’t imagine them leaving me to live with someone else. Or in another caravan. I’d be worried sick.” The only reason she wasn’t worried now was because she knew that they were in good hands. Logan might have been getting reckless lately, but he had never been that way towards the twins. And he had a few helping hands around as well. Little did she know, her children were not where she thought.

Alys didn’t know if her face could get any red, his smile was mischievous as he looked at her. Men and women? Both? Alys… couldn’t say that she had never thought about it. A few women in her life she had, but it was improper. “Men or women? And?” She said it breathlessly, almost in disbelief. “That’s… acceptable?” She didn’t expect an answer but she was sure he could read into that as much as he wanted to.

“Well, I’d just be a lot more exhausted.” She said on a soft sigh. “I am sure I could summon something to help if we needed. But it’d be much more noticeable.” Which is why they weren’t doing it now. Less attention grabbing things to draw attention to them.

There was a moment between them. She felt it, possibly even leaned slightly towards him as he stared. It was probably for the best that she got a hold of herself and moved on. Especially because if he had whispered those two words to her, with those blue eyes staring down at her, she might have reached for him. Her hands flexed at her side as it was, aching deeply with a need but she’d deny herself it. “Nevermere is mainly overcast, weather wise. And people are cautious, but curious. If you or Kezia go out into Skia,” she looked down at Rune, “you and your dyrs should be prepared for lingering eyes.”

"I don't have any children so I'm really not sure what it's like for the parents. But it's just how it is for us. Or was. With our medallion gone and now Elderkeep, they tend to stay with their parents, like in your kingdom." This whole conversation with Alys was making him realize how many aspects of their way of life they had lost over the years.

But now it was Alys's turn to be in disbelief, and he turned equally confused eyes to her, "Well, yeah? Why would it not be acceptable? I have to admit, Alys, Nevermere seems like a dreadful place," he chuckled, shaking his head.

He was still hoping to capitalize on the moment that had passed between them, but it seemed Alys was determined for it to not mean anything, so he continued to walk next to her as she spoke about Nevermere. "I would be surprised if they didn't stare. I'm sure I will do my fair share of it."

“It’s understandable. If it’s the normal way of life for it to not be blinked at really. I’m sure the mothers and fathers still missed their children.” She would imagine that true no matter the culture. “Though I may be a bit protective over mine. I had believed for a very long time I would not marry or have children.” She shared with him. It had been very true. She married late, considering social norms, and Logan had already been married before her.

Why would it not be acceptable? “It’s just-“ she was more confused than before, even if his chuckle made that line between her brows smooth out. It almost calmed her. “It’s not something acceptable in Nevermere. It’s just always been that way. Not that it’s right,” she mumbled the last part of the sentence and continued on.

Warning him on the stares felt like a must, she knew it was a little unsettling her for in Lorendale but she didn’t have a visual indicator of her being an outsider quite the same as Zevran and Kezia. The little animals at their sides were not normal pets one would find nobles had. Or even commoners. “Then I’m sure you will do just fine there.” She flashed him a smaller grin. “I hope you get to explore at some point. It is a beautiful kingdom. Hot springs hidden in the mountains, the beaches, cliffs over the ocean, we even have a neat cavern cove. And with a little magic,” she cut her eyes to the corner to stare at him, “I’m sure you’d really enjoy them.”