Aydin had been in their wagon, skinning some of the rabbits that she had caught earlier that day when she went out hunting with Ember. It was a tedious task but after all these years, they didn't even mind sitting down and taking their time for it anymore. If she did it well enough, she'd be able to sell their pelts and gain a little coin too.

After a while, the person started hearing soft thudding sounds not too far away from her wagon. The kinky-haired Dresmondi moved from her seat and peaked out of the little window. She could see a man outside, firing arrows at a target. He was missing quite a few, which made Aydin roll their eyes and sit back down. She tried to concentrate on the skinning again, but the sound was distracting her, and Ember whining about wanting to go outside wasn't helping either so after a few minutes she simply gave up and let the jerboa climb up her shoulder.

They walked down the few little stairs leading up to the wagon and started walking in the direction of the - quite handsome, if she was allowed to say so - man that was fiddling with his bow. It didn't take long before the man noticed her and even though they hadn't left their wagon to go and talk to him, they decided that for once it couldn't hurt to go over and hear what he had to say. She didn't know quite why she was less hesitant about meeting new people than she normally was. Perhaps it was because he had called them sister. If only she knew he was an advisor for an Eldouir.

"Yeah?" they responded, raising an eyebrow.

‘I like her already.’ Shu said after the response to Siraj. The raising of the eyebrow was common for Dresmondi, especially the women. They had strong personalities many did. Their way of life was not easy before it all changed. He eyed the bird with a look of contempt before replying.

“Your dyr, do they give you trouble? Like this one.” He said lifting a finger to give Shu a poke. The small humming bird began to hover and pecked at his finger 3 times. ‘I’ll give you trouble.’ She shot to his mind. He chuckled at her annoyance.

“I know some dyr can be difficult, their personality strong and at odds with their partner.” Looking down at the small Jerboa in curiosity. He looked to be enjoying the breeze and sunshine of the day.

Aydin had not expected the conversation to be about the dyr. It felt more like she was being included in a private conversation between the man and his dyr for the amusement of the man himself rather than genuine interest on his behalf.

"He has his moments", she responded, crossing their arms in front of her and letting her weight rest on one hip. Hey! Ember squeaked to her. She ignored him and instead remained focussed on the tan man. Damn he was handsome. She pushed the thoughts away. Dresmond was no place for feeling this way about people.

"How's your dyr giving you trouble?" they asked, lifting their eyes to the sky to look at the bird.

“He could not be that much trouble. Just a ball of a energy. Right?” He asked with a smile bending down, resting his arms on his elbows. Looking down to the white creature, then back up at the woman locking his black eyes with her eyes. Siraj had to admit he hadn’t noticed her looks before. Now that he took the time to really take her in. The sass in her body language made him smile.

“is he as soft as he look?” He seemed so soft, his coat was almost inviting. Given how many shared a deep bond with their dyr it was sadly taboo to touch another’s. Still he wondered, many peoples dyrs were different from one another. As a child he had always wanted to play with the others drys. When gaining his own, he had an odd feeling of vulnerability when someone came to close to his dyr.

“That little one there has made a game of being difficult. Shu believes every thing in life needs to be narrated by her.” He said motioning his head over to Shu who came to hover just over his should. Her shining wings a blur of blue and green flashes. Shu eyed the woman her head cocking to one side. ‘Flirting is not your strength.’ She relayed to him. ‘no ones flirting here’ he shot back at her turning to frown at her.

It somehow bothered her that the man was making assumptions about her dyr. Ember was hers. Only they knew what he was like. "He does like to hop around, yes", she replied dryly. Ember's ears twitched. He didn't really like being the center of attention. It made him feel vulnerable.

She raised her eyebrows again, a little lost on where this conversation was going. "He's quite soft, if you're able to touch him." They laughed while Ember changed his position to her other shoulder. "He's fidgety."

The man revealed the name of his dyr. Shu. Aydin likes the name and wondered what the man's name was. "A babbler, I see." They smiled softly. "Say, who are you, then? I haven't seen you before." Not that it was such an uncommon thing. Dresmondi were a reserved people. They kept to themselves to me safe.

Siraj mentally took note of her change in tone. He knew Dresmondi we’re protective of their dry, but he hadn’t felt he was asking or saying anything out of the norm. Maybe her tribe had been different then his. Kushti were all about the oneness of the people with each other and the land. Adoi were about fighting together as band to protect the land and each other. He had to admit sometimes it was for personal glory and prowess as well.

“So you’re the foundation of the pair, the rock.” he said with a bit of a nod. She had been polite enough to answer his questions. Laughing at her dyr who seemed to not like the focus of the conversation. So the dyr was shy, and she was the more out going of the two. At least from he could gather. He liked to see the dynamics of the pairs. How random the personalities of the dyr could be and how they meshed with their dresmondi half.

“Maybe we aren’t so different, she babbles one way. I babble in another.” He laughed at the realization he had been talking the woman’s ear off. Shu landed on his right shoulder. Ruffling her feathers at being called a babbler. ‘I speak freely as anyone else does.’ The tiny bird lifted her head to the sky as if to point her nose up as a noble would do. Siraj chuckled at her, and gave her little head a pat with his finger.

“Siraj and this little babbler is Shu. We were from the Kushti caravans. I don’t… really get much free time.” He said giving Shu a poke when mentioning her name. Shu gave a series of chirps, almost as if she was going off on a rant. Siraj gave her another poke that made the tiny bird hop over a space.

“Quiet, you prove her point babbler.” He said aloud shaking his head at the bird. The woman’s smile was soft and surprisingly warm. He had to admit she should smile more or maybe he just wanted to see more of it.

“Who would you and the shy guy be?” he asked curiosity in his tone. He always liked hearing about the other caravans. The way the people interacted with each other. Every caravan had its own dynamic and way of doing things. It was the land that brought them together. Perhaps that’s why it split when they fought with one another.

And she was back to raising her eyebrows. Her forehead would be so wrinkled by the time she was 35. "The foundation?" She chuckled, although it was more a sarcastic chuckle than anything else. "Come on, you're a Dresmondi right? You must know we're equally important and form the foundation together. Have you ever seen a Dresmondi without their dyr?" They shook their head. "They go insane."

The man said he and his dyr weren't that different, and that they babbled each other's ear of constantly, which made Aydin chuckle (and a genuine chuckle this time).

So Siraj and Shu. Former Kushti. They really didn't like thinking about the caravans. It only reminded her that she was found and considered a member of the Rashai caravan, but that she got teased by all kids saying she probably had belonged to another and that her parents had given her away. Well, they had given them away. But she was raised in the Rashai caravan.

The bird went on a chirping spree, which distracted her mind. The sound of birds chirping was so cheerful. It almost felt like it didn't belong here in Dresmond.

"I'm Aydin, and that's Ember. And I must say, you're an awful archer." They laughed and shook their head. "I could hear you missing the target from my wagon."

“Of course we are halves of the same whole. As the people should be one with the land. It is the way, but not every dyr is as we are. There was a great boar dyr named Tika , Timo was her partner. It was the morning ritual of Timo to beg Tika to wake every morning. Timo was a man of much energy, but Tika seemed to have none for the day. But, when Tika finally agreed to wake. Her work was beautiful, the trees and flowers she would Spring were none like any had seen.” He chuckled at the memory of the pair.

They were complete opposites. If it wasn’t for Timo, Tika would never work and spend the day relaxing and lounging about. Then reality set in, there would be no more dry. An would his people all go mad without them. He nodded his head in agreement, it was true the people had changed without their dyr. He noticed she had snapped back when Shu began her rant. Was she remembering her time with her caravan. Those memories saddened many, but they could also be warm ones as well in his mind.

“I promise I’m better then this…it’s been a off day?” he said pausing to look over at the arrows that stuck from the ground. More then those that stuck out from the target. He began to question if he was any good anymore. No. He was Siraj, proud son of Adoi parents.

“Care to show me how Aydin daughter of the land, humbles the man that disturbs her peace.” He said in a grand voice to what seemed like an imaginary audience. He was making fun out the opportunity for competition. Perhaps his time with the Kushti hadn’t erased all he learned from his time with the Adoi. He looked over to her with a smile, hoping she would accept the challenge.

They didn't really know what to do with the story about the Dresmondi and his boar. It it was meant to be a touching one, then it went right over her head because Aydin just stood there, absent-mindedly nodding along to his words without paying much attention to them. She didn't care for the relationship between other Dresmondi and their dyrs. She just focused on herself and Ember. They were the only pair that mattered to her.

She grinned playfully when he said he was better than this. "That's what everyone says when they're caught lacking", she teased. When he asked her to demonstrate, she walked over, Ember cuddling up against her neck for a little longer before jumping down and sitting near her so they had all the room they needed to shoot some arrows. She picked up Siraj's bow and looked for some arrows. Her bow was still in her wagon, but if he wanted to be reimbursed, she'd just give him some arrows later from her own batch at home.

"Watch and learn, brother", she said while she drew back the string, closing one eye and focusing on the target. They shot five arrows back to back at a fast pace, all of them very much near the bullseye of the target. With a big, self assured grin, they turned to the man.

He had cocked his head to the side a bit after he got little response from Aydin. The point must have been lost in translation. Her next point was all to true. He was the exception. His father and mother had taught him well. Before leaving the Adoi once he met his Dyr. He still remembered much of the lessons they had taught him.

So they did have a playful side, Siraj watched closely as she took up his bow. There was a confidence about Aydin that was undeniable. It was a bit alluring if had to admit. The way she carried herself, she looked as of she was completely in her element.

“Watching a master work is a privilege.” He said jokingly giving her a mock bow. She was definitely easy on the eyes to watch. Blinking back to reality when he heard the thuds on the target. She was dconsistent, and knew her way around a bow. Many dresmondi did, but the way she loosed that many shots in succession was not common.

“The sister has definitely been at play with her bow. Many a animal in the plains must fear Aydin when spotted in the wild.” He said with a smile clapping slowly. She must be a great hunting partner. He wondered what caravan she had been with before the mess started.

Gathering a few arrows himself before walking back to Aydin. Offering his hand out to have his bow returned so he could take his shows. Should she give it back. He would begin his turn. Siraj took a breath as he notched his first arrow. His legs were lose, but his back was stiff as a tree. He drew the bow string and shot it in one clean motion. Aiming as he drew. He did this with every shot. Matching Aydins shots, around the bullseye. Until the last shot, pointing his finger out as he drew the arrow back. Releasing it and letting his hand stay in place after the release. This is the arrow that claimed the bullseye. Loosening his body he turned to face Aydin.

“Any closer and I would have had to become little brother. Right…little sister?” He said with a teasing grin. He was still impressed by her skill she was a great shot.

“I haven’t met someone who is as good a shot as you. Were you with the Adoi or Dijila?” Her skill would have been best fit for one of those caravans. Unfortunately that’s now how they decided themselves in those days. The more he thought on it, he could see how they lost their land.

She caught the mock bow out of the corner of het eye before she made the arrows hit the target, one by one. With a grin on her face she turned to face the man. His words made them laugh. "They sure do", she replied. She hunted for a living and if the animals could talk amongst themselves, they would definitely earn each other for her.

She handed over the bow to him when he walked over. Aydin was curious to see how Siraj would do himself now.

She slowly clapped once he was done, trying to hide the fact that she was impressed by him matching her shots. "So you're not that bad after all", they said. "Seems like we're equals." She winked at him with a little grin.

Again the caravan talk. Aydin rolled her eyes lightly and shrugged. "Rashai", they simply replied. "Does the caravan really matter? It's not like they still play a role now that Dresmond is what it is. We're all a big group now, trapped in Elderkeep like dogs." She spat on the ground and a knot formed in her stomach. She had a difficult relationship with the Eldouir. On one hand, they admired them. On the other hand, they felt like the Eldouir had trapped them, and Were using them.

Sometimes all it takes is a little competition to bring out the best in someone. He was enjoying this change in pace. He had been stuck in that stuffy building they called an estate for too long. It was refreshing to be out amongst his people again. Siraj did see others in what they called a military but it wasn’t the same. One always had to be on their toes when there were red hair demons about. “Well, I can't stay bad forever.” replying looking over to her. He gave a chuckle at her wink. She was a breath of fresh air for sure. He wanted to see more of this woman, she was a welcome change in pace.


He tilted his head to one side in curiosity at her words. She was clearly upset with the subject. She was a fiery woman for sure. With a soft smile he closed his eyes and took a breath before speaking. “When we forget who we are, that is when we become lost.” he spoke softly before facing Aydin. “If we can blend what once was with what we have now. We can bring great change for our people.” taking a step towards Aydin he raised his bow. “When you first learn to shoot a bow, your arm hurts and the pain of the string striking your wrist is unimaginable. Through that pain you grow, and through this pain. Our people will grow.” he said looking her in the eyes. He gave a grin of determination, there was a fire in his chest when speaking the words. He would not let his people become a footnote in the history of other kingdoms. He would do what he could to give his people a way of life. This was his purpose and why he endured what he must in order to achieve his goals.


“Everyone came from a caravan that served a purpose. We just have to find a new way of having those purposes served.” he said looking out over the scattered wagons. It would take a lot in order to change the minds of the people. This was the best time to do so. They needed hope. He only hoped he was serving the right person to give his people the hope they needed.

The playfulness of the meaningless little 'competition' they had had vanished once they were talking about the caravans. The muscles around her mouth tensed before the corners of her mouth eventually just dropped.

"Great change? All of us holed together in Elderkeep hasn't done us any good. It's unnatural and you know it", they responded, feeling more and more angry at the man in front of her. "Shooting a bow is easier when you don't have someone standing near you, ready to kill you at any moment." The anger in her eyes was visible. The Eldouir didn't care about them. They didn't put them together so they could grow.

Aydin walked closer to Siraj and stopped very close to him, chests almost touching, looking up. "You're with them, aren't you?" she asked with hostility in her voice.