[Laroo River Park] Ancient Hymns and a forgotten heritage (Lenara, Private)

Veleraen · July 18, 2008, 12:31 AM

10th of Immanis, Winter Era XV PF

Secrets :

Veleraen had taken it upon himself to talk a long walk in the Laroo River Park. The Knight had learned how to make the most basic of tattoos however he required some plants to make the ink with and that was where the park came into play. He needed gauls and horse chestnuts, however the gauls were not in season, as they usually bloomed near the spring and summer seasons. Chestnuts however tended to outlast most other species and were common enough in the park for Veleraen to go out searching for some cheap materials.

It was mid brightening in the midst of winter and while it had just recently snowed in the past few brightenings, the sun was out, despite the lack of strength its rays had to touch and mould the ivory surface of Telath.

Deciding to take the path less traveled, Veleraen roamed about the edges of the Laroo river, his large foot prints easy to track in the freshly fallen snow. He carried a large wooden basket that he was filling with chestnuts to make his ink with. Hakan had come with him but was nowhere to be seen for the time being, as the falcon was off feasting on some poor animal in the park. The bird of prey never did quite satsify his hunger until several small animals had fallen to his massive talons.

Veleraen had come to terms with his dilemmas and events in his life and had found himself at peace for once in a long time. Even though something foreboding still lurked over the city, the Titan had decided to enjoy the serenity that the park offered. Veleraen even got so caught up in his joyful tune, he started to mumble out an old song that he had learned from one of the tribal leaders of his village.

"Come down to the river, where the brothers of the Old Gods pray...
Treading over the hill tops, their wives did weep,
Their hearts filled with glory, their faces taking the spray,
Rushing to their deaths they found, their actions were a foolish leeeeappp...

Bless their souls in these ancient times,
no warrior or priest can save all of these lives,
embrace them in their arms of glory,
For the light of day fades away....

Take my hand now, down into the deeps we go,
Further into the hands of Aslan, we shoowwwww
Our duty and our dedication, to the Sons who gave their lives
For our people and their kinnnnnn..."

The voice of the Knight was low and deep but loud enough for anyone nearby to hear not reaching much further than the small grove he stood in, reaching up and picking chestnuts. A singing Giant was not an uncommon sight amongst his people in the valley of Mokhrem, but for Veleraen to sing such hymns was a rarity in itself.

Lenara · July 18, 2008, 04:09 PM

Freedom, it was an oddity that Lenara wasn't quite used to as she wandered the streets of Zinn'Sunn, perhaps this would be her new home, perhaps not, Lena wasn't exactly sure at the moment. Being released from her slavery had been a surprise to her, she could have been resold to another family, but the son of her master's had decided that perhaps she had earned her freedom or maybe he didn't wish to give her to another, she wasn't sure. Up until a few cycles ago, she had a purpose in life and she had known her place, now she felt utterly lost, much like a child who had been abandoned with no idea on what to do.

But Lenara wasn't without any instructions, upon arrival in Zinn'Sunn, she had been told to go to the Sunset Pagoda to receive a visa, which would help her begin her life as a citizen of Aelyria, but she hadn't gotten to that just yet, she got distracted in her wonderings and was sure she could find her way to the Pagoda when she needed to. While most that lived in Zinn'Sunn would have been used to the simple natural beauty around them, Lena had lived a sheltered life of a slave and had never been subjected to so much beauty before, so she took in all that she could.

Being so tall and large made things easier to spot, also made it easier to get through crowds, people seemed to make way for her rather easily, though she could hear some insults as she passed by. Her voice was soft for a giantess, but to a human it was loud and deep and of course, being that she liked to think things through, it was slow as well, which gave people the idea that she was stupid.

Another problem with finding her way around the large walled city was that she couldn't read the signs, so she wouldn't be sure if she found the Sunset Pagoda unless she went inside and asked. Thankfully she was small for a giant, so she could fit into some places, but she was clumsy and often broke things, she had been chased out of places before because of a few broken items that her masters had to pay for. Asking people did not help either, since she was either ignored or talked down to, she hated when people believed her to be dumb, but she didn't have the courage to actually stand up for herself, so she normally just walked away. The slave brand on the side of her neck showed most people what she was or at least what she had been and while most would have been shy or embarrassed to wear such a mark, Lenara saw nothing wrong with it, she didn't have any bad feelings about having been a slave, she actually missed it.

When Lenara came upon Laroo River Park, she figured she had found a place to rest and relax a bit before continuing her wandering for the Sunset Pagoda. She had never seen so many birds before in her life and couldn't help but smile in wonder as she watched the different birds around her, she was much like a child. Snow was something that Lenara had seen and had worked in, so the cold didn't bother her worn boots, a hole starting to develop near her big toe. It was hard being a giantess since normally clothes were too small and needed to be custom tailored for her. The pants and shirt she wore was all that she had now and thankfully they kept her warm and covered.

Her raven black hair was braided and hanging down her back, it grew to about the middle of her back, one of the daughters of her master had taught Lena how to braid her hair, the two young human girls really being the only two that had showed her kindness. Her boots crunched over the snow, leaving large deep footprints, she looked down to see larger footprints in the snow and arched a dark brow in slight confusion, had she been this way already? No, the footprints were larger then her own, but that would mean....

Feeling a rush of excitement swell in her, she followed the footprints, hoping it wasn't a cruel prank to make her believe another giant was around, it wouldn't be the first time she had believed such a prank. She didn't run because she was clumsy and didn't wish to fall, she walked along the edges of the river, watching the birds fly off as she passed, frightened by her presence apparently. When she got close enough, she could hear singing,

"Come down to the river, where the brothers of the Old Gods pray...
Treading over the hill tops, their wives did weep,
Their hearts filled with glory, their faces taking the spray,
Rushing to their deaths they found, their actions were a foolish leeeeappp...

Bless their souls in these ancient times,
no warrior or priest can save all of these lives,
embrace them in their arms of glory,
For the light of day fades away....

Take my hand now, down into the deeps we go,
Further into the hands of Aslan, we shoowwwww
Our duty and our dedication, to the Sons who gave their lives
For our people and their kinnnnnn..."

She listened carefully to the words that were sung, she didn't see the singer just yet, having stopped to listen to the deep voice. Did all giants sing? Lena knew that she couldn't sing, not that she had tries of course, but she was sure that if she tried, all the birds in Laroo Park would fly off in fear of her voice. She was nervous of course, what if the other giant didn't like her? What if he turned her away? Despite her fears, the curiosity of her race drew her forward and she soon caught sight of Veleraen picking chestnuts as he sung, he was larger then she was of course, but she figured male giants would be. She wasn't exactly good with approaching people, but this was different. "You have a nice singing voice," she remarked almost shyly as she stepped closer, almost expecting to be rejected but ever hopeful. "Trying to sing down the chestnuts?" She let a small smile show at her slight joke, she really had no way of knowing how to approach this new situation, but she would learn one way or another.

Veleraen · July 18, 2008, 06:20 PM

The song continued and repeated itself as Lenara got closer to the source of the words. As the young Giantess approached the small grove of trees and bushes where the stranger was standing, she came to see one of her own kin, one arm stretched upwards into a tree, grabbing at a pair of chestnuts, the other arm holding a wooden basket.

Veleraen was tall, just over fifteen feet in height. Broad and well framed shoulders accompanied a large barreled chest, as his eras of training as a soldier and Knight had served him well in sculpting his physical prowess. He wore dark cotton pants, a matching cloak and a white, longsleeved shirt that had a few buttons at the top of it. There was a dagger in his right boot but it was hidden from sight, just in case there happened to be any dangers lurking about, but no armour or weapons were visible that brightening.

As the footsteps of Lenara crunched in the snow and as she spoke, Veleraen turned around and revealed his face to her. He bore the marks of war, his face littered with a few scars, the ones prominent in being the one vertically across his left eye and a semi circular scar from his right eye to his jaw line. Veleraen was bald except for a long reddish ponytail that was braided and hung down from the back of his scalp to the back of his shoulderblades. Hazel eyes accompanied a reddish goatee that was well trimmed and kept neat.

Lenara could also notice as Veleraen turned, his scarred hands, warped by acid and that he was also missing half of his pinky and ring finger on his left hand from wars past.

The Knight had a bit of a surprised and embarrassed look upon his face as he turned to see the Giantess, almost expecting to see Taylisa standing there but instead it was a new face, a new Giantess he'd never seen before. Veleraen hesitated and paused momentarily, absorbing the comment and gave a small chuckle as he looked at Lenara with a friendly face.

"Ah, thank you but I am no singer. If only persuading such things with words was possible but it is not needed when you have an enormous reach." Veleraen put his arm down from inside the tree and brought it to his side. After a moment of silence, Veleraen shook his head as he stuttered a bit, forgetting his manners.

"Pardon me, my name is Sir Veleraen, son of Khreytek." Veleraen gave a slight bow of his head and leaned forward just slightly in his usual way of greeting. "It is an honour to meet you Miss....." Veleraen lingered and then paused as he hoped the young Giantess could fill in the blanks for him.

Looking into Lenara's soft blue eyes, he did realize in the back of his mind that she was a beautiful specimen. She had fine black hair tied up neatly and her kind looks made Veleraen smile a bit more. Offering his hand to her for a more formal greeting the Knight stood upright once more and took a bit of a deep breath.

"It was a good brightening to come and collect some chestnuts. I am collecting them to make ink. I recently learned how to do tattoos from the local artist in Zinn'Sunn and I needed some materials. Hence, the reason why I am here." Veleraen offered a bit of a smirk. "That and it was a nice winter brightening, I thought I would take advantage of such a rare thing in the winter."

"What brings you to this park?"

Lenara · July 19, 2008, 08:13 PM

Lenara didn't mind watching Veleraen as he continued to pick the chestnuts, placing them into a wooden basket he held on his large hand. It gave her a chance to hear his voice and also to study him carefully. Though Lenara wasn't the brightest giantess, she was observant and paid attention to detail, such was a skill needed when working for masters that liked things done immaculately. He was a lot taller then she was, which wasn't all that surprising since she was small for her race, well as far as she knew she was anyway. His back was turned to her as he remained unaware of her presence, while she was unaware of his status as knight, she thought he looked like a fighter to her. She remembered hearing how some slaves were sold to be prize fighters and most were built like him, though smaller since they weren't giants.

She didn't see any weapons on him, but that didn't mean that there wasn't any there, they could be hidden from sight. She herself didn't have any weapons, but that was mostly because she didn't know how to use them and who would attack a giantess like her anyway? She couldn't help but admire him as she stood there, he was the first giant she had ever seen and already she liked the looks of him. She felt a bit embarrassed at this fact and kept her eyes from wandering as he became aware of her presence and turned towards her.

He didn't seem as surprised as she had been to see him, perhaps this meant that he had been with other giants before, maybe he would introduce her to more. The thought of such a thing happening cause a smile to touch her lips, causing her pale blue eyes to light up a bit. She had such a thirst for the lore of her own race, she didn't know how to read and so she was unable to find out this information through books and scrolls and no one that she spoke to really wanted to talk about it with her.

Now that he had turned to look at her, she had a chance to see his face and look him over from the front, he had the look of a weathered warrior, scares and marks that surely a battle had brought. Despite knowing that it was rude to stare, she couldn't help but stare at the scars around his eyes, how had he gotten such marks? The only marks that Lenara bore was the slave brand on her neck and calluses from hard work on her hands. Though she had never fought in a war or even in a battle of any kind. While he had a rough look to him, she liked the look of his hazel eyes.

As he placed another chestnut in the wooden basket, she took notice of his hands and was quite surprised at the state they happened to be. Missing two and a half fingers and scarred from something that she couldn't place, it was a wonder that she wasn't staring. While she was an inquisitive young Giantess, she couldn't bring herself to ask a complete stranger were he had gotten all his wounds, especially since she didn't know if he was friendly or not. Even Lena, not knowing much about other giants, thought that other giants could be mean brutes.

Lena waited almost nervously after she had spoken, visibly relaxing when he chuckled, she wasn't very good with meeting people and was usually nervous around others that she didn't know. She was given a bit of a smile and that also helped to relieve tension, she didn't want him to think that she was afraid of him or anything silly like that because really she wasn't, she wouldn't have approached him if she had been afraid. His comment was light and she couldn't help but smile and nod, of course it was impossible to sing down the chestnuts. A moment or two of silence passed between them, Lenara wondered if perhaps he wished to go back to picking the chestnuts in peace and she while she was curious about him, she would have left.

She would have turned to give the Knight his peace, but he seemed to remember that he wished to speak with her, shaking his head a bit as though he had been thinking. Sir Veleraen, so he was a Knight after all, how exciting. Her wandering had brought her across not only a giant, but a knighted giant. He stated his father's name and she had to wonder if that was the proper way that giants greeted one another, if that was true then Lena was in trouble because she didn't know her father or his name. She smiled as he asked for her name, "Lenara, though you can call me Lena if you wish Sir Veleraen." Having never been around a knight, she didn't wish to disrespect him by not calling him by his title.

She took the hand offered to her, looking downwards rather then really looking him in the eyes, something she was taught as a slave. Never look someone in the eyes that was better then you and being that he had a title, he definitely was better then her. She listened as he explained just why he was collecting chestnuts, she hadn't known that chestnuts made ink, she had learned something new already. A tattooing giant knight, that was an interesting combination and due to his clothing, she couldn't see if he bore any tattoos himself. He was right about one thing, it was a lovely winter brightening, a rarity that others had taken advantage of as well.

"What brings you to this park?" Lena smiled and shrugged a bit. "My wandering feet." Her eyes looked to the ground as though she found the snow fascinating. "I am new to Zinn'Sunn and don't really know my way around. Plus this park has so many different birds." Lenara was fascinated by different types of birds after all. She picked up a stray chestnut from the ground and dusted the snow off it. "I hope I didn't disturb you Sir Veleraen."

Veleraen · July 21, 2008, 09:16 PM

Lenara's size did surprise him slightly, as many of his own kin from the mountains had outgrown such a small height when they were younger but Veleraen knew it was not uncommon for smaller children to grow slower and eventually end up at a limiting height. He had been this height for such a long time, he no longer could imagine being six feet shorter.

As Veleraen discovered the new comer, he noticed all too soon that she was staring at his face and hands, letting out a faint smile as it was clear that she was curious about what had happened to him. It was no secret that the Knight had fought in many places just by looking at him and even more gruesome tales followed that were not for the faint of heart. If only she could see the rest of the wounds that were littered upon his body, Lenara might have gotten sick from how much punishment he had truly taken over his life.

Shaking her hand lightly, it was nice to feel the grip of a Giant, even moreso of a Giantess. There were not many of his kind here and besides Taylisa and the Hillhuggers, most of the clans lived in the Khardran mountains. Interacting with his own kin was a rarity and a treat, as it was thrilling to hear tales and stories from new arrivals such as Lenara.

Lenara's smile made Veleraen smile a little bit more as her face lit up a little more. It seemed she was as surprised to see him as he was her. The park did not turn up idle giantesses that often.

"It is an honour, Lenara..." Veleraen followed up his sentence as he repeated her name in his deep voice. "You may just call me Veleraen. It is a habit of mine, introducing myself with my title. It is a tradition that was burned into my mind when I used to reside in Aelyria Prime." His right hand came up and rubbed the back of his head and wiped off some snow that had decided to make his scalp its home.

A slight frown started to form upon his face as he realized she was avoiding eye contact with him, which he did not understand. It was hard to understand, or even know that she had once been a slave. So far, Veleraen was in the dark and did not know why she seemed so passive. Bending over and leaning in slightly, Veleraen tried to gain her attention a little more as he talked to her, almost in a joking fashion as he created a small smirk to replace the frown. The Knight had a slight idea of what was going on and he was going to act on it. He had seen the traditions of the Kemites do the same thing, where the submissive person always looked away or kept their eyes averted. It was a rank issue, a social ladder and Veleraen did not truly like the way people put themselves below their clear equals.

"You need not lower your eyes to me Lenara...You and I, we are but people in a simple world." He leaned forward a little more. "We are but equals and that is all we shall remain." Another faint smile crossed his scarred visage and he curiously raised his free hand and brought it up towards her face. "Hold still..." He reached over and plucked a small leaf from her hair. "You must have caught it walking through the park. It thought you were its home. Having no hair helps me in that department." Veleraen stood straight again and leaned back to his original position and gave Lenara another strong smile.

He was quite enamored by her bright eyes and how much life she had within her face. Veleraen had not seen such happiness in a long time, something he had missed in the longing brightenings.

"Mmmmm....Yes, I tend to have the same problem." Veleraen said in reference to her 'wandering feet'. Veleraen watched as her eyes continued to roam the snow and gave a little sigh.

"I am surprised you can see the birds in the sky with your eyes looking so furiously for the bugs in the ground." He leaned in a little, letting out a little joke and a chuckle at the same time. He didn't mean to make fun of Lenara's habit, but it made him feel uncomfortable that she was avoiding his own gaze. It made him feel as if he was in control, when he clearly was not. Never in his life had he been in control and it was surely not going to happen for a very long time.

"You are not disturbing me at all. In fact, it is a pleasure to have company in a city with so few Giants. I rarely see my own kin these brightenings. Come, please, walk with me?" Veleraen motioned towards the path that he had come from. It led a little deeper into the park and into the snowy wilderness within the city of Torek. Turning and hoping she would follow alongside him down the path, Veleraen shifted his basket underneath his arm and asked another pertinent question.

"I could assume when I saw you that you were new to the city, as there are not many Giants that live here. When one shows up, it is hard not to hear about it. Tell me, where did you come from? What did you do before you came to the holy city of Torek?" His voice was calmer, hoping to strike up a conversation with the young Giantess as their large feet plodded down the path.

Lenara · July 21, 2008, 10:31 PM

Lenara wasn't entirely sure how to act around the other giant, never had she been around her own kind and certainly never had she been around someone that had been knighted, it was rather intimidating to the former slave. She mostly followed along with his did, smiling at the fact that she didn't hurt him when she shook his hand. She couldn't count the number of people who complained that her huge hands nearly broke their small frail human hands, it wasn't as though she could help it after all. She didn't wish to say anything, but she had hoped that there would be more giants around, but surely she could be thankful for the one she had met.

While she did her best not to meet his gaze, she couldn't help but admire his smile, despite his rough appearance, he didn't seem all that rough at all, at least not personality wise. The scars that marked him would remain a mystery for she didn't have the courage to ask where they came from and she doubted he would opt to give her that information after only just meeting her. Lenara thought back to her training and tried to remember if one bowed to Knights, she knew she should have paid better attention.

Veleraen gave her permission to forego the title yet she wasn't sure she should, Lenara was a bit of a stickler for formality. Would he get angry if she called him by his title? Her fearful nature kicked in and she was a bit confused as to what to call him. He explained that giving his title was simply second nature, it wasn't a demand for respect like some nobles would do. "Wow, Aelyria Prime." She marveled at the thought of being from the large city, never had she the privelage to venture to the city like some of the other slaves did when the family went there, she always had to stay behind. "Is it really as big as they say?" She couldn't help but speak in a sort of awe-filled curiosity manner. Lena was curious about so many things.

She laughed as the snow fell from his scalp, having noticed it earlier. "Doesn't you head get cold?" While it was a humorous question, she thought it might be too bold for her to ask and halted her laughter to look back down again. She wished that she would have been taught how to act like a former slave rather then a confused slave without a master, it was embarrassing and distressing.

Her eyes remained on the ground, so she didn't catch the frown that crossed his face, she didn't want to be rude, but as it was second to him to give his title in an introduction, it was her second nature to be submissive to pretty much anyone that she met. She heard him shift and looked up a bit to see him leaning in towards her a bit, most likely to catch her attention. She allowed a smile to touch her lips once again, though she didn't raise her eyes much higher. His words would have made her former masters laugh, saying that Lena was equal to anyone was quite funny and Lena almost laughed. "I equal to you Si...Veleraen," she caught herself before using his title but only just. "I only wish that was true." She did not gesture to the slave brand on her neck, she didn't feel she needed to really nor did she mention her slavery. If he asked, then she would tell him.

Next thing she knew, he was reaching forward and she held still, curious as to what he was doing. She didn't flinch like the others slaves did because physical punishment had rarely been visited upon her. A leaf was plucked from her hair, she hadn't even known it had been there, which she found funny. Another smile that reached her eyes appeared on her face, one really wouldn't be able to tell that she had once been enslaved to others before, she wasn't a broken saddened individual, perhaps a bit confused but otherwise quite happy with her life.

Despite his comment about equality, Lenara did not raise her eyes to meet his, she just couldn't. She heard him sigh and immediately wondered if she had frustrated him. She would hate to chase away the first giant she had ever met, especially since he was so kind. Being the curious sort that she was, she lifted her head up a bit and saw him looking own at her, teasing her a bit at her behavior, showing that he didn't understand the nature of her humble attitude. "Maybe I find bugs more fascinating." She teased back as she once again began to relax, her eyes didn't roam the ground as much, but they still rarely met with his own eyes.

"I feel short compared to you, it's strange." Such was the truth, since she had always been around humans and elves, which both were much shorter then her. Now she was around Veleraen, who was much taller, so she felt a bit odd. She was disappointed when he mentioned how rarely he saw other giants, which meant there wouldn't be many around Zinn'Sunn for her to find. "You're the first giant I have ever met before." She tried to hide her disappoint behind a smile as she was invited to walk with him, of course she would, seeing as how she had nothing better to do then watch birds. She reached forward and placed the chestnut she held in her hand into his basket and nodded. "If we get lost, I'm blaming you."

Veleraen assumed the role of the conversation starter, asking her where she came from and what she had done before she came to Zinn'Sunn. Another sad thing about Lenara other then not being able to read was her ignorance about religion. She knew the gods and goddesses names, but that was it, so when Veleraen mentioned Torek, Lena couldn't help but give a bit of a confused look.

She was tempted to lie, not wishing to see him get embarrassed when she told him the truth, but what did lying get you other then trouble? Lena looked back and smiled softly, it was nice to see two large sets of footprints in the snow rather then just, it made her feel less alone. "I lived in a small village outside of Zinn'Sunn, not that far, perhaps a brightening or two away. As for what I did..." She lifted her neck and moved her braid, showing off the little black snake brand on her neck. "I was a slave." She didn't sound bitter or angry about the fact that she had been a slave, she only was a bit embarrassed because she thought Veleraen would think less of her, which would be normal of course. "I hope that is ok?"

Veleraen · July 21, 2008, 11:52 PM

Lenara surely was an odd one. Awkward and shy did not begin to describe her personality and while the Knight did not fully understand why she acted this way, he could see that she was still curious about the world, her glances still flirting upwards to see glimpses of the world around her. Giving a very quick shake of his head in confusion while she was looking away, Veleraen tried to ignore the wandering eyes and focus on her face rather than what she was trying not to look at.

Knights, as curious as they were, were not 'true' nobility, nor had Veleraen ever considered himself to be of such standing in society. A Knight was a people's warrior, someone to be trusted and believed in when there was nothing but suffering and death to be comforted by. He sacrificed for the people and he took arrows and steel for their bleeding hearts but despite what he had done or what he had yet to do, it did not make his bigger heart bigger than the smaller ones, nor did it make their souls less worthy. In his eyes, everyone blessed by the hands of Aetherians had equal stature amongst the tallest of men, including himself.

If only he could tell Lenara that.

But he couldn't.

Speeches tended to go awry when the Knight tried to preach and he often came off like a random priest, trying to convert people and their values. In that moment, he bit his lip as he said no more, hoping that Lenara would come out of it on her own eventually.

Her comment upon Aelyria Prime made Veleraen chuckle ever so slightly, as she came off sounding like a child who received their very first present after a life of destitution. "Yes, it is quite glorious. Perhaps one brightening you will see it. The gardens of the Imperial Palace are magnificient. The flowers that are tended by the best gardeners in the Empire, bloom by the thousands." He gave a soft smile, interested in Lenara's curiousity for the outside world. It not only allowed Veleraen to speak of his tales but spread his wisdom. Sometimes he indulged in it too much and felt guilty for being so braggish. It was within his people's blood to tell grand stories of their battles and adventures and perhaps one brightening he would embrace it as his ancestors once had.

Reaching back to sweep away the snow upon his head, Lenara made a smart remark which made Veleraen grin. "She is surely not as cold as the snow that I walk upon...That is a good sign." She did have a sense of humour! Veleraen let out a wide grin and laughed, his whole body almost shaking. "Yes, but I survive. I think my thick skull helps sometimes..." He gave his enormous noggin a few raps with the knuckles of his right head. No sound emanated from the action but Veleraen was praying no hollowing sounds came forth, as it surely would have made him blush and that was a rarity unto itself.

Lenara's halt to her own laughter, made Veleraen fade off as well, confusing him ever more to her erratic behaviour as she still was not comfortable in his presence. As he gazed at her form, he could see visually through his Rhasa Shing, her aura being formed as he gained a better perspective upon Lenara and as she opened herself up a little more to the Knight as well.

More prominent blues, greens and pink weaves surrounded the young Giantess with an ever mixing colour of gold, white, yellow and violet with a fairly strong mix of brown which Veleraen had not noticed before but now could see quite clearly. To Lenara, it might have appeared as if Veleraen was studying her, which in a way he was, but not as how she might have perceived it. Her next comments were discourgaging to the Knight as she lowered herself and stepped down from that brief pedestal he had placed her upon. If only such loyalty and shyness could be tamed, Lenara surely would not have had to lower her head to another person ever again.

All he could do was reach and pluck one of Carmelya's long lost children and send it to the wind.

"I cannot judge you for your likes and dislikes, but perhaps you would like to see the bugs in the trees rather than the ground yes? Or perhaps the bugs that fly? Surely in the midst of a cold winter, no bug in its sane mind would come to live in such a frigid place?" He gave a playful smirk as he tried to coax her out from under her evading gaze that escaped him the moment it met his own. "I am not that ugly am I? Perhaps my scars make her look away..." Veleraen leaned back with a thoughtful look, and raised a hand up to his face and turned to the side a little to hide one, hoping it would make her feel at ease.

"If they bother you, I am sorry...The marks of Aslan are hard to bear and are not meant for such innocent eyes." His eyes lowered briefly almost taking to Lenara's habit and then raised themselves to her again, hoping that it wasn't his appearance that was making her so shifty.

"I am the first of your kind that you have met?"

It surely took him offguard even more as he stood there in the snow, lowering his hand slightly and then dropping it, slightly amazed that she had no contact with any of their kin.

"No wonder, you definitely look and feel out of place, Lenara." He gave a bit of a sigh of relief as some of his inner doubts started to fade away.

"It would not be the first time." He responded quickly, watching her drop the chestnut into his basket. As they walked a little further down the path, Lenara's reaction to his question made his raise an eyebrow. "She does not know the name of Torek? Living so close to the city, she must have heard such a name...The Kemite people use it all the time..." Veleraen dismissed it immediately, hoping that all would be revealed in time as Lenara started to answer his question.

Veleraen almost stopped walking but instead, his stride slowed a bit, his words stuttering a bit in disbelief as she showed him her mark of slavery. "Y-You were a slave?" Veleraen frowned as he was disappointed to hear one of his own kin had been enslaved for such a long time. The mark upon her neck made Veleraen reach out and touch it only briefly with the tip of his index finger and he quickly retreated as he put his hand down by his side.

"I'm...I'm sorry, I did not mean to, I was just curious. I know slavery is quite common to barbari of the land but...I cannot believe you were sold into slavery. It is not alright that you were a slave, as they have no rights, no freedom, but to see that you have endured such a life makes me glad you are here now before me and not in the control of some horrid slave driver...I.." Veleraen cut himself off and sighed.

"I must apologize. I just do not see slavery in the light that others do. I do not like it and I do not think people born free should be enslaved, despite them having or not having a 'visa'." He was ranting again and Veleraen stopped himself again and put a hand up as he got a little flustered. Perhaps it was all entertaining to Lenara to watch and listen but for Veleraen it was somewhat of a touchy subject. He was not just a Knight but a Knight with convictions. Convictions of justice, duty and honour, the latter being the most important out of all of them and such a life was not only dishonourable to the slave but to the person who put them there. Such an existence to him was reprehensible and for such a beautiful giantess to be kept in such conditions was not acceptable to the Knight.

"Too many patterns of wandering the Empire and seeing what I have seen have made me gather many opinions, one of which I should not discuss." He offered a faint smile as the conflict was dying within himself. Letting out a big 'breather' of a breath, Veleraen tried to change the subject as best he could without annoying himself further.

"So you...have bought your freedom then? Released? Either way, you are lucky. Many do not escape such a life of misery. Not to imply you have lived a miserable life, you seem quite happy for a former slave. You seek a new life here?' The question was as inquisitive in tone as her own questions had been. Veleraen could only hope that discussions of slavery and rigid opinions did not get in the way of a potential friendship.

Lenara · July 24, 2008, 11:53 PM

Lenara was used to awkward situations, she had never been much of a conversationalist and being what she was or at least what she used to be, people hadn't really paid attention to what she had to say. Now here she was, speaking with a Knight of her own race and she couldn't look him in the eye nor could she really say anything intelligent. She felt like a fool standing there looking down at the ground, she had a reason for not looking him in the eye, but she couldn't bring herself to really admit it.

She truly was fascinated by places she had never been before, the capital being one of them. She wanted so badly to travel but she didn't know the way and she wasn't able to read maps or signs, so it seemed out of the question. She listened quite eagerly as he spoke on Aelyria Prime, describing some of the sights, mentioning the gardens, which Lenara especially liked. "It sounds amazing," Lenara commented wistfully, wishing now more then ever to see it one day. He spoke of the Imperial Palace and Lenara had to ask. "Have you been to the Palace?"She understood if he chose not to answer, it wasn't really any of her business, but she was such a curious young giantess, she couldn't help but ask on the off chance that he would answer, since he had been so kind already.

Lenara's remark about his head was received well, earning a grin from the giant. Despite her shyness and inability to look another in the eye, she liked making people smile and laugh, it made her feel good. His laughter made her smile as she waited for his response, her own laughter mixing with his. His remark was quite humorous as well and she looked up a bit to see if a hollow noise was heard, as she expected, no such noise was heard.

Her abrupt halt to her laughter seemed to cause Veleraen's laughter to fade as well, she could see that she was confusing him with her odd behavior and while she felt bad for it, there was really nothing that she could do, it was just her nature to be this way. She could feel his gaze upon her and she was unsure how to react, she had no idea he was seeing her in a different light, quite literally. Lenara was ignorant in ways of arcana and such, as inquisitive as she was, she wasn't able to really find the answers to her many questions.

She shuffled around a bit, shifting her weight from one foot to the other for a moment, unsure of the situation itself until Vel spoke again. Again he tried to get her to glance upwards, not necessarily at him but supposedly at the bugs in the trees or sky, he was of course right when he mentioned how no bug would be out on the snow at a time like this. The playful smirk was noticed and she couldn't help but smile as she raised her eyes a bit, but not too much, she still wished to show respect, even if he didn't necessarily want it. She was about to respond to his bug comment when he asked about his looks, her fear that she had somehow insulted him doubling.

She actually looked into his eyes as she shook her head vehemently. "No no, it's not that," she felt awful that he thought such a thing. "They don't bother me at all Sir Veleraen, there are different of course, but thats why I like them. She was in such a hurry to assure him that she meant no disrespect that she blurted the first thing that came to her mind, nevermind that it was one of the more embarrassing ones. "I am curious as to how you got them, but it's not my place to ask."

Their race was brought up and Vel seemed surprised that she hadn't met another giant before, where they that common and she just hadn't looked or was she missing something? She simply nodded as he asked, perhaps that would explain her ignorance to their race's ways. His remark on how she stood out made her feel as though she was being insulted, though that most likely wasn't his intention. "I didn't know I stood out so much," she said quietly, not bothering to show that his words confused and hurt her a little.

Lenara's "occupation" was brought up and while she had expected Vel to get embarrassed for having asked, that wasn't his initial response. He seemed shocked when she mentioned it, perhaps he was surprised at how easily she was able to speak on it or maybe he had been through it himself. She had been lucky in who her masters had been, though the lack of physical punishment most likely had to do with her race and such. She nodded at his question, a bit surprised as she felt his finger brush against the brand on her neck.

Gods did she remember that brightening when she recieved the brand, she had been about ten ordinations old, she had been held down as the hot brand was placed against her neck, the smell of burning flesh filled her senses and the pain was near unbearable. She screamed loudly as she was held down and all through her eras of slavery, that was the worst pain she had ever endured.

"No need to apologize, I don't mind." She meant about the scar but it could be said about her slavery as well. She couldn't help but be alright with it, it was all she had ever known, so why fight it? Was she wrong for having gotten used to it, it was true that she had no rights as a slave and no freedom to make her own choices, but there had never been a worry of where she would live up until now. "I wasn't sold into slavery, I was born into it. I've been a slave as far back as I can remember. It's all I've ever known." She paused a moment before she spoke again. "Why do you think I cannot meet your eyes, you are better then I am and I have no right meeting your gaze."

She listened to him rant, seeing just how flustered the notion of slavery got him. She thought that she had made him angry somehow and her eyes that had been raised to his face was back down on the ground, surely know he could understand her inability to meet his gaze. "I apologize, I didn't mean to offend you Sir Veleraen." She knew better then to bring up the subject again for fear of further upsetting him, but how could he get to know her more if he couldn't accept that bit of her life?

Life of misery? Surely not, her life had been hard, no doubt, but it wasn't miserable. He asked her a question and while it meant speaking of slavery again, she knew that she had to give an answer. "I was released and told to find a new life as a free giantess, but unfortunately I was freed without instructions on how to start this new life. I don't know where anything is, I've no visa nor am I able to tell which shops are which." She sighed and looked up a bit, her gaze just below his neck. "I can't really read," there was her secret shame, the inquisitive giantess couldn't read a single word. She gave a bit of a humorless laugh. "What does a lowly slave need to learn for anyway?" It sounded as though she was quoting someone, perhaps one of her masters. "Do you think less of me, now that you know of what I am...I mean was?"

Veleraen · July 28, 2008, 10:22 PM

With every moment growing on him, Veleraen still couldn't put it past him that Lenara was a completely different person than he was. The Knight surely believed in freedom, justice and honour, but there were certain things he still had to learn about people. One thing in particular was that not all people led the same type of life he did nor had they been brought up to value such things. It was in a sense, futile, for him to try and change someone from a life and a set of values that they had known their entire lives. Perhaps his idealism had gotten the better of him in the passing ordinations.

"Yes.." Veleraen nodded. "I have worked at the Imperial Palace and in a sense...still do. Or at least, if I am to be called upon. It is a very grande place, filled with luxuries and beauty to which most people do not get to witness in their lifetime." Veleraen was about to suggest he could take her one brightening, but figured it was too soon to invite Lenara anywhere just yet, or at least, it was too soon to invite her on a random adventure to the capital of the Kingdom just yet.

The both of them seemed to be having a good chuckle as both the Knight and Lenara gave a good laugh. Veleraen was enjoying his encounter with the young Giantess, something he did not get to do often was socialize with another of his kind. It was a rarity to find such good company in such forboding times. This however was not quite to be, as Lenara halted her laughter, making Veleraen take a huge social mistep and was utterly confused with her behaviour. Lenara insisted she was not put off by his scars but in fact curious, which made Veleraen smirk slightly.

"Of course it is your place to ask. It is, just a question, after all." Veleraen looked at her for a moment and could see the hesitance in her kind face. "Perhaps she just seeks...permission?" Veleraen lifted an eyebrow and smiled. "How about this....You have my permission to ask me anything you wish from here on out, no matter how personal, no matter how intrusive you may find it to be." Veleraen tossed out the suggestion as their feet plodded down the earthen path next to the river, hoping Lenara would at least consider the option of doing so. The Knight didn't expect her to open up to him, after his observations of her so far had signalled that she was indeed, quite shy.

It did seem however that Veleraen had offended her in some way, as his previous remark about her being out of place put an 'irk' in her speech ever so slightly. He could see her aura shift into a few displeased shades and Veleraen made a mental note not to ouch on that subject again. There was something odd about her, something the Giant couldn't put a finger on until he saw the brand and heard about her life as a slave.

His 'tirade', 'rant' or whatever it was to be called, about slavery had made Veleraen wonder as to how Lenara would react about his opinion on such a topic, especially considering she had been a victim of it for her entire life. The Knight listened intently to her story and to the roadblocks the Giantess had faced in her life. Veleraen nodded sympathetically as Lenara told him that she had no idea how to start her new life. The real surprise to him was that she couldn't read. Veleraen remembered the brightening when the missionaries came to his home village and taught their village Common, breaking the younger Giants into groups to practice their newfound language. It had been a brightening he had become proud of in the later ordinations of his life and now he could see the frustration it caused Lenara.

Lenara's views of the world truly skewed Veleraen's own perceptions of the world in which he existed. The Knight could not have imagined such a life of not being able to read, or being kept in a small village to serve the smaller races. Nor could he imagine how lost Lenara now felt that she was free and had no place to go and no real means of fending for her own, only knowing a life in which she served others and was provided the bare and minimal means of survival. It caused great discomfort in the Knight that such things could have happened to such a kind and elegant giantess. Veleraen's heart wanted to surge through his chest and offered it on a silver platter to Lenara, to comfort her and fend her from the wolves charging into the dangerous and undiscovered world she was entering, but deep down he knew that it was not the way that would help her in the end.

Such a task required trust and understanding, something Veleraen had long forgotten.

Veleraen paused in his stride and gently motioned for Lenara to stop along side him and smiled, bringing his left hand up and just grazing her right arm before it came to a hover as he tried to explain to her something truly important.

"Lenara..." Veleraen paused and looked to the river just behind her, glancing at a group of ducks trying to muddle through the cold water.

"I know that the world you have come from is much different than the one you seek to enter now. You must understand, despite my views on slavery, and despite what I may say about it, I will never, as a Knight, or a friend.." He gave a gentle smile. "I will never think less of you for what you are or what you were." The Giant glanced back at the ducks who were climbing up onto the shore and then looked back at Lenara with a hopeful look in his eyes. "The world you are entering now, is a world where you are able to look people in the eyes and you are able to speak without fear of punishment. This change may be the hardest for you, as all you have known is just one thing, one way, and I cannot force you to do anything, nor can I make you believe in something you do not."

"But what I can do..." Giving a small, external sigh of relief, Veleraen slowly reached down and took her hand with a gentle touch. "Is offer my help if you so desire it, all that is required, is that you ask. Despite how high I may be above you, Lenara, I am but out of your heavenly reach, as not even a Giant of my stature can help an angel perched so high upon the cloudtops." Veleraen backed off and let go of her hand as he reached up and picked a chest nut from the tree branch that was lingering above his head and plopped it into his bucket.

As he stood there, looking at her gentle features, the Titan had expected to see more eyes to the ground and more shy responses. However he hoped, that she had the internal courage to ask for that which she had denied herself her entire life. A helping hand.