EquinoxSol x Dedtoo

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EquinoxSol

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She sat upon a sturdy branch, a sad light to her eyes. Today might be the last time she ever saw this beautiful valley. Sighing, she watched as a pair of birds called to each other in the air, dancing about like all was fine with the world. Evelyn had known she was being married off, to keep the peace between the nymphs and lizardkin for another generation, for about a month, but the thought hadn't really clicked with her until now.

Hearing a voice calling, "Evelyn, stop sulking like that. You've known about this for weeks. You can't choose to be a child on this day," Evelyn instinctively used her power of camouflaging to blend in with the tree. The voice belongs to her mother, the person Evelyn has hated for as long as she learned that she was to be married. In her eyes, it was her mother's fault that she was being forced to get married to a lizardkin.

Her camouflage useless to her, being that her mother was related by blood, her mother was able to see her immediately. Letting it fall, Evelyn knew she was beat when she saw it. "Come on down," she says, gesturing for her to get off of the tree. Evelyn obeys, dropping down from the tree gracefully. It was clear that she had been crying. "Let's go dear. Your husband-to-be will be arriving soon."

Her mother led her to the camp that the nymphs of the valley lived in, where most everything made of woven leaves, their clothes, tents, linens. It had been the place she had lived in for her whole life. Her father was waiting in the tent nearest the road the ran through the west side of the valley, looking over what looks to be the marriage contract for what must have been the hundredth time.

As he saw the two approaching, he smiles. "Evelyn," he says, his gentle demeanor reaching her and making her feel slightly better, "he should be arriving soon. I do hope you will try to be a proper wife for him. I couldn't imagine what he must be going through..." her father trails off, and it isn't long before he's glancing over the contract again and her mother is trying to fix some minuscule speck of dirt on her daughter's cheek.
 
The day had finally arrived... The day he should meet his future wife. Zar'Le couldn't help but to smile a little. Sure, he had never met her, nor seen her. Yet he had heard descriptions of her. A nymph. A beautiful one at that. He had never expected to get married to someone of a different race though, which made his slightly uneasy.

He shook his head, trying to get his mind back to the good things. For one, they could see the valley the nymphs lived in. He looked over his new robes, to make sure they hadn't gotten dirty during the travel. Suddenly, his seat almost tipped sideways. Without him being aware of it, the mammoth-spider had started running along a sloped hill, tilting the giant beast.

"Didn't fall of, did you?" His father, Arhi, hissed jokingly from the other side of the spider's back. "Don't want you getting dirty when we are so close to the valley!"
"No, no, I was just... Distracted..." Zar replied, still shaken by the sudden tilt.
"Understandable, son. It's a big day for us all. It's the start of something beautiful, I'm sure of it!"

As they approached the camp, the rider slowed down his mount. As they came to a halt in front of the camp, Ahri jumped down from his seat and walked towards "Greetings, Kimberlies! It is a pleasure to finally be here!" He said, as he approached the nymphs.
 
Evelyn tried to look happy, or 'pleasant' as her mother would put it, as the giant spider came into view. However, she couldn't keep from nervously shifting around every second, undeniably worried. Her father, Jas, straightened as he heard the lizardkin call out to them, smiling warmly. "Hello! I'm so glad you could make it!" As the man approached, Jas held out his right hand. After exchanging formalities with the lizardkin, whom Evelyn assumed was her future husband's father, Jas looked to the man's son.

"You've got a fine lad! I'm sure that he'll make a fine husband for Evelyn." Jas led the two to the tent, letting the future husband and wife sit on the two chairs at the small table where the marriage contract still sat. Evelyn, sitting up straight like she had been taught most of her life, tried looking at anything but her husband-to-be, but caught herself taking small glimpses of him occasionally, as her father spoke with his father.

"The marriage won't be for a few weeks, so they can become accustomed to living with one another without the pressures of it, but I'm assuming it will be held at their residence?" her father asked, still smiling. He continued asking questions pertaining to the contract until finally turning his attention to her future husband. "What does a fine young man like you enjoy, my boy?"
 
Zar'Le sat opposite of Evelyn, and tried not to stare at her too much. "She's so different from the girls back home..." He thought. "No scales. Hair. No tail. Even a different shape to her head... And yet... She's as beautiful as they told..."

He was suddenly snapped out of this thoughts, as their fathers emerged from the tent again. "Oh, yes. We're more than happy to hold it! And I'm sure we'll be able to make room for everyone." Ahri answered Jas, with a slight grin. That was all Zar needed to hear, before he returned his focus to his wife-to-be, drowning out the rest of her father's questions. That was, until he asked him one.

"Well... I'm quite partial to both hunting and riding. But then again, who doesn't enjoy simply relaxing in the sun at times?" Zar became a bit uncertain after he had asked the question. His kind loved to simply relax in the sun at times. They even needed it, as they were cold blooded. But what about these people? They wouldn't brand him as lazy for such a thing, would they? Before he had much time to worry, however, his father turned towards Evelyn and spoke. "How about you, young lady? I'm guessing you've got some way you prefer to spend your time?"
 
"Of course," Jas answered with a smile, ever an easy grinner. Although nymphs rarely hunted animals, only in times of great hardship and none of the plants they farmed were growing, Jas still had memories of a large famine nearly twenty years ago, when nothing would grow, and they had needed to hunt. On top of that, they had very few domesticated animals, only a few dogs, none of them large enough for riding, so he couldn't relate very well with Zar'Le's interests.

Evelyn, however, was silent, at least for the moment, occasionally stealing looks at Zar'Le when she was certain he wasn't watching. She had never thought she would be marrying outside of her race. On the outside, he seemed like a nice man, but she had no idea what he might be like once they finally married.

Startled out of her thoughts by Ahri asking her what it was she enjoyed doing. Hesitating for a moment, she soon answered, a slight shy undertone to her voice, "Drawing, when we have paper. I...I make my own pencils out of willow bark in the late autumn." She smiles, though it's weak. Although it isn't often they can afford to get paper, by trading with the caravans when they came into the valley in the spring, sometimes they do, and she is able to make drawings out of charcoal. In the back of her mind, she wonders if she will be able to do so again.

Her father fills the silence by stating, "My Evelyn is a bit quiet at first, but give it until the end of the day, and she'll be loud as she normally is." He grins before asking, "Why don't you stay for lunch with us and then we can finalize the contract."
 
"Oh, an artist? Well, that truly is good to hear! And for such a lady, I think paper should be easy enough to arrange!" Ahri said, excitedly. Zar couldn't help but to smile at her, as well.

"That does sound like an excellent idea! Then we'll get to taste some of your local foods as well!" Ahri answered to the suggestion. Any time the two of them could spend together would be beneficial, he figured. And having his son learn a bit of the local culture and the like would probably help him make her feel more at home, when that time came.

"Um... Jas, was it?" Zar suddenly asked, cautiously, as he stood. "Would you mind if I bring out my pet, Azyandra, before lunch? She's been in her travel-cage this entire trip, and I think she would appreciate being allowed out of it for a while." He had suddenly remembered his pet spider when lunch was mentioned, as he hadn't fed her today. "Unless she would bother you or your family, that is. I know most races aren't as fond of spiders as we are." He added, just to be safe.
 
Evelyn smiled softly as Ahri told her that paper wouldn't be hard to obtain. As he accepted Jas' suggestion of lunch, she stood up at her mother's prompting, knowing that proper tradition would require that she and her husband-to-be would be sent to a small clearing just out of sight of the main camp for the meal, a ritual that was known as Schloe' in the ancient nymph language. The thought made her slightly uneasy, but she knew better than to object to it.

Jumping slightly as Zar'Le spoke, asking Jas if he could take out his pet, Evelyn looked to her father. In truth, she didn't care much for spiders, but there were plenty in the forest, and they didn't bother her too much. Apparently, it didn't bother her father either, as he said, "Of course. I won't make you feel like you have to ask, my boy. You're family now, remember that."
 
"I'll try to do that, sir. And thank you." Zar smiled, before turning and walking towards the large spider, which was now resting a short distance from the camp together with it's rider. He gave him a small nod, before stepping onto the back of the spider, climbing up onto its back and lifted a small cage off. He opened it, and a spider on the size of one's hand skittered out and climbed onto Zar's arm, placing itself on his shoulder and rubbing against his neck. He petted her lovingly, before jumping down of the larger spider again, and walked back to the others.

Ahri sighed slightly. "He really loves that little thing. He's always liked spiders though." He smiled slightly, before he turned back to Jas. "So, if I might ask, what are we having for lunch? Something quite different from what we're used to, I'm guessing?" He asked, hoping it'd be something that'd surprise him, as Zar returned to his place by the table.
 
Evelyn shifted uncomfortably for a moment after her husband-to-be left, before his father spoke, asking Jas what they were having for lunch. He smiled before saying, "It's a welcoming meal, something for very rare occasions. It's called hewal. Hewal has many types of fruits found in the valley and its forest, including some of the crops we grow just outside the camp." Evelyn could remember only one other time when they had eaten hewal, when the caravans first started traveling through the valley and the nymphs wanted to welcome them.

As Zar'Le returned, Jas began leading his wife and daughter, and Ahri and his son through the camp. The buildings were made out of mostly wood, though some stone was seen in a few of the more permanent ones. Nymphs moved about the camp, some double-taking at the sight of Ahri and his son, then once more as they saw the spider. While it was common knowledge that the oldest nymph in the valley, Jas, had arranged a marriage between his daughter and one of the lizardkin, it hadn't sunk in until now apparently. Once they reached one of the larger buildings, Evelyn's father nodded to her, and she, knowing what it meant turned to Zar'Le.

"This way," she said softly, gesturing with her hand. Meanwhile, her father was explaining the custom to the lizardkin's father.
 
Zar'Le was slightly confused for a moment, before he followed Evelyn. Weren't they going to have lunch? And if not, where was she taking her? Did she just want a few words before the meal? Maybe she was shy, as her father had said, and she just wanted to speak to him, just the two of them? And if that was it, was it something specific she wanted to talk about, or was it just to get to know each other a bit?
He could feel himself getting slightly insecure, and his mind kept making questions, so in an attempt to silence it, he simply asked her "Where are we going?"
 
Jumping slightly as he spoke, asking her where they were going, Evelyn answered softly, "It's an old custom called Schloe'...We're supposed to eat lunch together, in a clearing outside of camp..." It would already have been prepared and set out. The custom had been designed to let the two get to know each other, but Evelyn believed it would only serve to make the two awkward and strange around each other.

It was a five minute walk outside of camp and into the forest to get to the clearing. When they finally reached it, the meal was already set out, berries and vegetables laid out gracefully upon plates made of shaped wood. Kneeling in front of one, she gestured to the one opposite her. The clearing was really beautiful, wildflowers dotting the clearing and a clear blue sky above. Evelyn knew she should eat, but she was too nervous to feel hungry. She wondered if this was what every other new husband and wife did this, be silent and nervous.
 
Zar'Le was almost stunned by the beauty of the clearing for a moment, bue he snapped out of it Evelyn gestured for him to sit. He knelt down awkwardly, readjusting several times before finding a comfortable way to sit. That was when he really noticed all the food on the table. When they got there he had assumed it just was decorations. He was slightly disappointed that there wasn't any meat, yet he was damn well not going to complain.

After sitting there a minute in silence, without her starting to eat, Zar'Le started feeling rather awkward. He wasn't going to start eating before she was, as he didn't want to be rude. After another minute of silence, he decided to say something, anything to try to make it less awkward. "This area... It's quite beautiful. It reminds me of home, except its less wet here." It was true. The swamps he came from were quite fertile as well. He didn't really know if she knew where he was from though. Nevertheless, he decided to follow up with a little compliment. He looked her in the eyes and smiled. "Though... The area isn't the only thing here that is beautiful."
 
Evelyn could tell that Zar'Le was getting uncomfortable. He wasn't eating either, she noticed. Just as she was about to tell him that he didn't have to wait for her, he spoke, commenting upon the clearing and how it reminded him of his home. She nods, preparing to reply, but he speaks again. She wasn't prepared for this: he actually complimented her. Noticing how he looked her right in the eyes, Evelyn knew he wasn't talking about anything else.

To keep a stunned expression off her face, Evelyn hurriedly ate a spoonful of fruits, blushing. Nobody besides her parents had ever complimented her, and never in such a manner. When she swallowed, her composure regained, she mumbled, "Thank you," still blushing.
 
Zar'Le started eating as well, as he saw her starting to eat. He noticed how she obviously wasn't expecting the compliment, and his smile grew slightly wider from it. Fruit was definitively not his favorite kind of food, yet this fruit somehow seemed better than usual. It probably had something to do with the area and the people.

Azyandra, who had been sitting on his shoulder, now decided to crawl down his arm and onto the table. She inspected some of the food, to see if it was edible and quickly discovered that it wasn't. She continued skittering around the table, noticing Evelyn. She stopped and stared at her for a moment, before retreating back to Zar'Le, who chuckled slightly. "She wont hurt you, little one." He looked up at Evelyn for a moment, before turning back down with a smile. "At least I don't think she will."
 
Evelyn tried not to tense up as the spider crawled onto the table, but nonetheless her motions became slightly more mechanical from the sight. She didn't have a problem with spiders, not at all, but being so close to one was slightly harrowing. As Zar'Le told it that she wouldn't hurt it, chuckling, she couldn't help but smile softly.

"She's very beautiful," Evelyn said, nodding at the spider.Still smiling, she continued, "What is her name?"
 
Zar'Le gently petted the spider, who leaned against the affection. He smiled at her question. "Azyandra. Though I usually just call her Azy. And thank you. I've had her since she hatched, so I take pride in her looks. Just tap your fingers gently against the table, if you want to pet her. That's a command I've trained her to come to." He looked back up at her. "Do you have any pets or something? Something you've taken care of for a long time?" He asked, trying to find out if they had some common interests of some kind.
 
Slightly warily, Evelyn followed the instructions Zar'Le gave her, tapping her fingers softly against the table. Waiting to see if the spider would come to her, she listened to him as he asked her if she had any pets or something she had taken care of for a long time. She smiled before extending her consciousness through the ground beneath her, searching for the bird she had kept since it had broken a wing and she had found it.

It was being contrary. Opening her mouth slightly, she let out a soft whistle, composed of three notes. It was returned by a louder bird call. Within seconds, a small robin flew out of the nearby trees. Lifting her hand slightly, the bird flew down and landed upon it. Focusing her gaze upon Zar'Le, she smiles once more, saying, "He doesn't have a name, but he's been my friend since I was little. Other than that, the only I would care for, aside from..." she trails off, nearly saying that she would also care for her love, but then knew that it would have to be Zar'Le, if the terms of the marriage contract were to be kept. "...I would need to care for my life tree, when I choose it in a year."

A life tree was a tree a nymph bonded with when they come of age. The choosing of a tree was one of the most important decisions a nymph could make. Whatever diseases befell the tree, so to would they befall upon the nymph it was bonded with. And when that tree died, the nymph would as well. It was how her father had lived for so long: he had bonded with a big strong oak, and it had lived hundreds of years since. Evelyn figured, with the marriage so soon, she would bond with a tree near where she and Zar'Le would live.

Gently stroking the robin with her thumb, she watched his spider as it approached her.
 
As Evelyn tapped her fingers, Azy started quickly skittering towards her. Suddenly, Evelyn let out a unexpected sound, which scared Azy, making her run back to Zar'Le. He simply chuckled at her, as Evelyn started talking. He listened and smiled, but noticed how she stumbled towards the end. "Well, you've got a pretty little friend there then. He probably looks so good due to your care." He said with a slight grin, before giving Azy a slight nudge, to make her try going over to Evelyn again.

She skittered towards her again, slightly slower than last, being afraid she might make another scary sound like last time. Yet she got all the way to her hand, inspecting it slightly, before allowing herself to be petted by her. "You're life tree?" Zar'Le started with a puzzled look on his face. "Oh, right. Father told me something about that. You bond with a tree, or something like that?" He asked, curiously.
 
Evelyn smiled softly as the spider allowed her to pet her. Gently stroking it while Zar'Le was speaking she listened to him as he asked her about her life tree and then remembering his father talking about it. She nods, saying, "I become a part of the tree, and it becomes a part of me. I die when it does..." she trails off, smiling softly.

Coming back to reality, she says, "I need to bond with a tree when I become an adult. By then we'd already be married..." not adding more on the subject, she twitches her fingers the robin had landed on, and it flew away, giving her a happy goodbye call.
 
Zar'Le smiled slightly at her explanation. "Well, you might be in luck then. Back home, we build our homes on large, strong trees. So unless its a special type of tree you need, I doubt that'll be a problem." He explained, taking a spoonful of food into his mouth. "And I don't really see any problems with you bonding with a tree. I mean, its a completely different bond from the one we're getting. Right?" He added the last part with a moment of worry. She wouldn't have married him if she was going to bond with a tree in a way that'd break the contract, right? Unless it was in the contract...

Azy kept leaning into the petting from Evelyn. Never had she imagined someone with so soft fingers. She hoped this wouldn't be the only time they met.
 
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