Calanthe was ever a curious person. There was a reason that she had been one of the youngest Blackwoods, correction future Blackwoods, to become enlightened. In recent years. Sure there were a lot of qualifying statements in that, but the youngest had a lot to prove and she didn't plan on changing her ways.

So when she was out and saw a man taking to a ram, she had at first thought, maybe he's just a drunk? But no, he was having a generally understandable conversation. Well half of one, but nothing like the usual drunks of Arynn frey. There would be more talk about soul steeling, and it also probably wouldn't be in the place if there was nothing interesting or important about it.

Maybe it had a special soul, something to add to her collection, or it was one of those Dresmondi stragglers. Either way, something that needed to be investigated. So she unfolded from the corner she had been occupying, and made her way over, snagging the mug that he was tossing towards the bartender. Sniffing the cup there was nothing special so she turned and look at him.

"Excuse me sir, just curious, is that your dyr or are you just that drunk?"

His stare shot toward the unfamiliar hand that had caught his sliding mug. It was not the hand of a barkeep, but one smaller, more dainty. A woman's hand. Irritation seated itself in his lungs as he inhaled, settling there. He hadn't wanted to be bothered. "Your irrational display did this to you. I told you that silly plan would backfire. It's done so before."

"Be quiet," he replied tiredly, then finally turned to address the woman. She was...thin, her hair seemed impossibly dark, and she was young. That was all he noticed up front, as he met her eyes. "Do a lot of Arynnites bring their farm animals with them to taverns?" He asked flatly, glancing around as if to spot any Arynn Frey-born individual with a sheep or cow or hog. He shook his head. "Ah, no, it seems like most do not."

He reached out to grab the cup, and attempt to wrestle it away from her and return it to the barkeep for another round. "That's my dyr and I'm drunk. Both at once. Why, does that make me interesting to you? Another Arynnite here to poke and prod me with questions about my home land or about those Eldouir bastards?" He huffed and turned away from her. "I'm not interested in becoming a topic of study. Just leave me to my drink."

Be quiet? Calanthe wanted to squint and revert to some childish retort but instead she held her tongue and straightened her back a little. If he was going to be rude she wasn't going to stoop to his level. Nope, she would be a Blackwood and plot out the best course of action before reacting.

"Actually, I have an uncle that brought a chicken everywhere with him for a year." Great uncle, and sure it had been a bit of an experiment on his part, but it wasn't out of the question for there to be a farm animal around. If not just because it was an easy soul. Docile and big, this ram would probably be a great catch, but Dresmondi were different if the various scholars were to be believed on the matter. Just another puzzle for Calanthe to solve.

And maybe this rude Dresmondi who layed hands on her was the perfect test subject. Would anyone really miss him if he ended up in her uncles basement lair which she had started to call her own? "We study and ask questions, it's what we do. We don't judge you for wanting to ride around in caravans all day, so why judge us?" Especially after welcoming them, letting the man take the cup she put a coin down to pay for his next round. "Especially when you can get free drinks in compensation."

He snorted at her comment about her uncle. A snort not unlike the kind you would hear from an irritated ram, coincidentally. That was beyond the point. One man carrying around a chicken for study was hardly exemplary of the likelihood as a whole, and while some dyrs were much too big to come inside and some were so small they were hardly noticeable, Nephys sat right in the middle. It should have been obvious to the girl that he was Kaveri's dyr, but she'd asked anyway. Maybe because she was attempting to be polite, but none of that really mattered.

"I'm not judging you for being a studious people, I'm judging specific people for wanting to study me like I'm an interesting object rather than a person whose people were slaughtered." The words came out like acid, something he'd clearly been ruminating on for quite some time and had never quite had the opportunity to point out until now.

He eyed the coin she slid across the bar, though. None of the others had offered him anything in exchange to study him. They had all seemed entitled to it in some way. As if he should expect to be subjected to questions just by existing in Arynn Frey. A trade was something familiar. A trade was something he could respect. "Fine. Ask your questions, girl."

Calanthe didn't see why the man had such a problem with being studying. He was interesting. His soul was interlocked with a ram. It was insane, and yet amazing. Killing one, killed the other, amongst many other fascinating intricacies. Harvesting human souls wasn't something the Arynn Frey condoned, but what her uncle taught her didn't need to see the light of day. There were plenty of shadowy unseen places in the capital city.

"You might not like it, but you are interesting. I have no control over slaughter, but I can learn and hope to find ways to help." Or at least learn why they were still around. Dying breed and all. But it really wasn't her fault, nor was it her obligation to solve the issue. But studying, that was something she could do and maybe it would turn out helpful.

Maybe it was just luck, or maybe this guy just needed a drink that bad, but apparently the coin was enough. So be it. "Thank you sir. When your dyr experiences pain do you as well? I know when one dies the other doesn't but aren't the same." She had seen a few of those Dresmondi stumble through, and one had been in the basement, but not anymore. "And of course any questions you don't want to answer just say pass." She pulled out her pen and parchment, eyes trained on the Dresmondi.

There had been a time when Kaveri might have liked to be interesting. When he was younger, the strict rules of the Dijila had felt suffocating to him in a way. He worked well within the discipline of fighting and training, but saw no reason they couldn't live exciting lives outside of that. He would have played pranks on all of the people in the tavern. He would have had Nephys drip one or two drops of water down everyone's shirts, and if Kas were around, she could make them unbelievably cold. It'd be funny.

But now he didn't want to be interesting. She was right, though. Whether he liked it or not, his people were strangers in Arynn Frey. Even after all of these years, the citizens demanded a little of their time even as they walked down the street. He wasn't convinced she actually wanted to use what she might learn to help him. No one wanted to help. If they did, the Eldouir would have been held responsible for their actions by now.

"Not sir. Kaveri," he corrected her. He had gotten used to a lot of things in Arynn Frey, but he disliked being called by some kind of title. Everything was impersonal enough. The least they could do was use his name. "Yes, we both experience pain when the other feels it. It's not exactly the same as actually feeling it directly, but it is shared to some degree. If I die, Nephys dies. If Nephys dies...I may as well be dead."

He watched her pull out her parchments, and shouldn't have been surprised that she would carry that kind of thing around with her. He might have learned how to talk like them, how to do some reading and writing, but he wasn't sure he'd ever feel the need to carry such things around just in case. All he needed was Nephys, and his weapons.

"Kaveri it is." Calanthe was glad to call him by his actual name rather than something formal. But without a name it wasn't like she could do much otherwise. Arynn Frey wasn't a place for fancy or lofty titles, last names mattered though, her's would matter.

Writing down some notes, the young Blackwood thought that it was fascinating. To feel the others pain, it was just a weakness. But all the same, it gave them a different type of power. An attachment, part of themselves that was able to manipulate and element, and fight by your side in a way another soldier never could. Yet anyways.

After writing that last bit about almost dead she did her best not to frown. She had seen a few of those come into that Dresmondi camp, and they looked pitiful. Mercy killing pitiful, and entirely useless.

Rather than wipe her hair out of her face, Calanthe's hair became short and cropped, out of the way of her gaze and notes. "Your dyr has magical abilities with an element yes? Are you able to create? Or just use what it already around you?" She looked at the ram for this question her head tilted before looking back up at Kaveri.

He took a hearty gulp of his drink, watching from the side as the girl took notes. He wasn't sure what there was to take so many notes on so soon. He hadn't really said anything, and he figured most Arynnites would have known this much about the Dresmondi by now. But most of them stayed by the lower borders of the kingdom. Kaveri had only come to the capital for work, so maybe the ones in the capital just hadn't had the opportunity to meet all that many Dresmondi yet.

All the same, when the girls hair suddenly changed, he did a double-take, sliding somewhat off of his chair before he caught himself on the bar. She didn't even seem to notice that it had happened, just kept about what she was doing. His surprise was enough to make Nephys finally lift his heavy, horned head to stare up at the girl as well. "Uhh," he stammered for a moment, reminding himself that Arynn Frey also had magic, though it was a different kind than the kind he was used to. She must have used some kind of Arynnite magic.

"Uh, yes," he glanced down at the ram. "And no. One does not..." he gestured openly to the air. "Does not just create something from nothing. Everything comes from something, but it isn't always provided in the way you might think." He held his hands out, cupped together. "Nephys."

The ram had no desire to show off for the girl, but at the very least, it was slowing Kaveri's drinking. So a small amount of water would begin to swirl in the air just above Kaveri's hands, seemingly from nowhere. "There's water in the air. There's water in our bodies. There's water in plants. Just because I'm not near a body of water doesn't mean I can't use my element." The water collected from the air flowed into his hands, just enough to make a point, not nearly enough to fill them. Then he pulled his hands apart, but the water remained, hovering there, until it disappeared once again.

"How did you do that with your hair?" He asked, grabbing his drink once more, though only to have the cup in his hand, not to drink from it just yet.

Calanthe noticed the staring and stuttering, a smile creeping up her lips. It was fun to use enchantments around those who were not used to it. The shock was always worth the annoyance of eventually swapping her hair back. Short hair had it's uses, but it was a childish part of her that had wanted to be exactly like her aunt. She had a different calling though, her uncle had shown her that.

Looking intently between the mans hand and the ram, she waited with anticipation. And then water started to swirl, her eyes alight with interest. She had seen some the of the Dresmondi in their camps using their magic, but it was nice to have a little display and explanation behind it. There were of course things written by many of Arynn Frey, but none of them were direct accounts and that's what she was looking for.

Water in everyone's bodies, now that was an interesting thing to bring up. And one she noted before preparing to ask another question. But it appeared that Kaveri wanted in on the game as well. Something that she would gladly indulge. Especially if it meant he would continue to answer questions. "An enchantment." Turning around in her chair, she pointed at the tattoo at the nape of her neck.

And with that her hair had streaks of white before quickly lengthening with it's usual raven color. "But it's a party trick compared to the magic and soul bonding you both share." Her's was just more difficult to learn and far more expandable. But that was neither here nor there.

"Do you think the medallion was enchanted?" Looking up at Kaveri she wasn't sure if she should have led with something more palatable, but it was out there, and she wanted to get into the meat of the matter.

Kaveri watched her turn and point to the tattoo. It was small, and he couldn't imagine how such a thing would do what she was saying it would do. "I thought your enchantments had to be items, like necklaces or something. How do you --" he stopped himself from asking any further questions, though. He was getting wrapped up, and he knew all about what curiosity did to the cat. Better not to play that game with the Arynnites, he decided. Still, the way she could even change the colors had him thinking. What if they could use it to disguise themselves, in a way? Another way to fight back against the Eldouir.

Her remark about soul bonding had him looking back down at Nephys, before returning to his ale. He let the next question sit for a few moments. The loss of their medallion had felt like the beginning of everything. Sure, Coheed had attacked before it was lost, but they had fought them off. They could have recovered. Could have maintained. Until the medallion was lost. With it, his people were lost, too. "I can't give you an answer for that," he said plainly, the melancholy creeping back into his tone. "My parents told me that the medallion was magic before any other kingdoms had magic. But I don't know if that's true, and I never held it in my hands. The way it was magic was not for us to understand."

"Why is she asking about the medallion?" Nephys said, a huff.

Your guess is as good as mine is. Doesn't matter anyway. Not like they would be able to recreate it, and even if they did, they wouldn't give it to us. These people aren't like that.

"No one is like that."

We used to be.

Just because Kaveri had stopped himself from asking more questions, didn't mean that Calanthe wasn't going to answer. At least in part. She liked it when others were amazed by her abilities. As a younger Arynitte she didn't often get that kind of attention. And while she wasn't going about spilling secrets, she didn't see a harm in talking to a man who would never be enlightened about it. "Those with small minds just enchant objects, I can do more enchantments with an open mind for anything." Smiling Calanthe gestured to the other tattoo on her arm.

She hoped that maybe making the questions a two-way street would help him open up. Maybe nothing would come of it, but she didn't see how it could hurt.

But it seemed as though Kaveri knew just as much about the Medallion as she did. Which was slightly frustrating. Why was no one curious about their own magic except the Arynittes. They were superior in every way and this just continued to prove it. "I wonder if there's anyone even alive who would know." There was a sadness in her voice that had nothing to do with the loss of life but of knowledge.

"Maybe we can make something though..." Trailing off she shook her head, looking back to her notes to refocus. "Don't suppose you know any of those gifteds weaknesses?"

Small minds. He wondered if that was really the case. Was it really an inability to think outside of the metaphorical box that stopped other Arynnites from doing what this girl seemed to be able to do, or was it something else entirely? Not like he could know the specifics, but what he did know was that all Arynnite's were smart, and he'd be surprised if she just happened to be the only one to ever think of doing things a different way, especially if it made it more convenient - they were all about convenience. The slaves were proof of that. So what made her different?

That, paired with her questions about the medallion, made him suspicious. But maybe he was overthinking it. Maybe she was just a girl with a big head, thinking she was more impressive than all the older folk. That would be nothing new. He had been that way, once. "There's another Dresmondi in Arynn Frey, named Camus. I heard that he was the last One to hold the medallion before it disappeared." He shrugged, taking another drink. "No idea where he is now, though. Wasn't from my caravan. Didn't know him. Just his name. If you can find him, ask him. Maybe he would know more."

Make something...he wasn't going to put any stock to that. He and Nephys had already agreed. Any item made by the Arynnite's and given to the Dresmondi would not be done so freely. It would be held over them. Even if they could escape the Eldouir they would only be switching from one ruler to the next.

"Those gifteds?" He asked, turning back to her, his eyes narrowing. "You mean the red-heads who took over?" He grunted. "Sure, I know their weaknesses. They've got legs, arms, a head...chop any of those off. They've gotta breathe...keep them from doing that. They've got hearts - supposedly, anyway - you could run a spear through those." He turned back to his drink. "If you can avoid death long enough to get close to them, they become people just like anyone else. The only weaknesses you've gotta worry about are your own."

Calanthe smiled, glad that Kaveri was glad for a couple of things. He was not only answering her questions but giving her tips for the next person to talk to. Of course someone well adjusted like a Dresmondi representative wouldn't just start talking for a drink. But that was something to figure out later. For now she'd focus on plying the man with plenty of drinks for more information since it seemed he was a bottomless well.

"Thank you Kaveri, I'll keep that in mind. Camus." She wasn't even sure where to find the guy, but she could figure it out. She had a great smile and a future last name that held power. If only she just had it already. That would make all of this a lot easier. Blackwood commanded respect. Beckett was the name of a child, and she wasn't one, she refused to be one.

It was clear that she had hit a sore spot bringing up the red-heads as Kaveri called them. It was interesting to describe such a powerful group of people by their hair color. Calanthe found them fascinating, fleeing their home from prosecution just to completely take over an entire kingdom of people. It was amazing. Of course the death was unfortunate, but that was besides the point. "Maybe they need to be put into a cage to see what it's like." But either way, besides them being human it didn't seem like Kaveri had a lot to share on the matter.

"Last question and I swear to leave you be with a few more rounds. What complaints do you have about living in Arynn Frey."