Fighting for Survival (Faye x Windsong)

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The sun rose slowly over the horizon that morning, a bright and vicious crimson that made his stomach uneasy when he first noticed it as he sat up, fishing pole laying across his legs where he'd passed out the night before, the bodies of his meal scattered on the sand around him. "Red sky in the morning, sailor's take warning." He recanted to himself, drawing his knees to his chest to savor the chill morning air that blew through his salt encrusted hair, he wanted to swim, but he also needed his knife back.

To pass some time while he knew the town would finish its rousing routines he continued to fish, catching a few decent sized meal-fish that he could sell off at the market before delving into town. How hard could it be to find a traveling healer in a town that had more wounds and scars than it had medicines and salves?

He'd gotten lucky in the short time he fished, five decent sized catches would net him at least a few silver to pay for anything he'd need or want the rest of the week. Even getting word from a local fish monger that the woman had been taken away by some old couple to tend to their young child, that was as easy as it needed to be for him for many an older impoverished folk stayed in the rented slums from the local lordship, even he'd had to resort to that from time to time. "Just give me some ti--" He paused when a set of tattooed islanders walked by, eyes like coal giving him the eye of a shark staring down its next bite as they shoved past, scowling the whole while. Were their teeth really that big and sharp? No, his imagination must be getting the better of him, an after effect of the healing from the day before.

Speaking of his wound it was finally beginning to close, though the veins that were black the night before were now in stark contrast to even his sun-tanned skin, giving the impression of scars left by jellyfish stings along his side originating from the wound. Sure beats a tattoo. He thought, glancing towards the housing area he planned to case through.
 
Fay continued working steadily, wiping off the sweat and gently calling the girl. Any time the healer was able to do so, she would allow some of her power to heal the child. Just little bits here and there, enough for the girl to be able to wake. One thing Fay couldn't allow herself to do was use too much energy in healing. These people were just Ru'mans...they'd have her killed if enough people knew she could do something like this. Again, Fay called out to the girl, this time receiving a small groan from the child. The girl's parents stood relieved at the door. Their baby was well. Many thanks flowed from their lips as Fay waited for the child to wake all the way. "She needs some food...do you have a broth you could give her? That would be a good meal for her....she'll need it for the medicine." The little girl stuck her tongue out and made a face at the mention of medicine. What child ever liked medicine?

The mother had gone to prepare a thin broth while the father stayed. Fay took this time to explain how often the child would need to take a spoonful of the medicine, and what to feed her. Since the girl had been unable to eat for a while, the healer thought it best to work the child up to a full meal. The bottle of medicine was left on the bedside table as Fay stood to allow the father to take her place at the side of the bed. Since she was here, she may as well walk around to look for those who hadn't yet come to get her. With a small bow to the two in the room, the pale haired Aquarian stepped out of the house, and began her journey winding through the roads. She would often pause to administer a medicine, or bind a wound. Luckily there wasn't any other dire situations that required her to use her power. Part of her mind wondered how she would manage to find the man from last night if she were here all day. Perhaps he lived here though...that was always a chance. Hopefully she would be able to find him again before she had to leave. Hmm, if that were the case, she would need to leave the dagger and coin pouch in a spot where he would find it, but no one else. Where could that possibly be?
 
He'd gotten lucky for the most part with the streets being fairly quiet early in the morning, but news of that healer had moved faster than a fire down in what even he considered the slums. People had come out in throngs in an attempt to even see them apparently that made moving through even more difficult, it didn't help the streets were barely shoulder wide to begin with and the ground was littered with corpses of small animals, feces, and other things that made his stomach turn.

That knife was one of his few possessions and he wanted it back quite badly, his bare hip feeling naked and far too light as he kept compensating to avoid hitting it on things for something that wasn't even there since the day before to begin with. Here and there he saw her handiwork, and he felt a pang of jealousy swell up in him that he'd long since drowned out by sheer willpower alone for the most part. It was the feeling of being wanted and needed that bothered him most, even if they only wanted her to fix themselves or someone for free he could only begin to imagine what kind of a selfless person it took to handle such a responsibility.

The thought caught in his mind as he slid past someone who through sheer carelessness or simply being an asshole gave him a sharp elbow in the ribs just above his wound. His vision swam and he choked on his own tongue for a moment, spurting out a solid line of local curses and slang at the passerby who simply shot him a rude gesture as they continued on. The streets were beginning to empty, he felt he was going in the wrong direction this time, so he turned back and took a side street. How hard could finding one pretty face in this ocean of filth be?

Not too hard once he managed to get on top of the houses, much to the chagrin of its tenants when he began hopping over streets, vendors, and the few stalls that sold meager wares to provide a living for his family. Once in sight he kept his distance, she was binding something for someone, a simple matter. Now all he had to do was hope to catch her without a crowd, a confrontation that could quickly turn dangerous for him if he simply demanded his knife back from ignorant onlookers.
 
Fay had found her attention was eagerly demanded by the masses of people numerous enough to block the streets. Though, blocking the streets here didn't take many. A few times she entered someone's home to tend to those who weren't able to make it out to the street. Many merely paid with their words and thanks, while others would occasionally give a copper or two. Some even bartered something they owned, being too prideful to receive charity. By the present time a good amount of the people had been cared for, leaving at least enough space to breathe. She carefully wrapped the arm of the adolescent boy who had broken it while trying to catch a runaway horse. Fay made light conversation with him, trying to distract his mind from the pain. She smiled fondly as the lad recounted his story of actually catching the horse that had thrown it's master after it had been startled. It seemed that the peasant boy had receive a couple silver pieces for the trouble after the noble had been able to catch up. The boy was excited to say that he had been offered a job from that noble, so he'd be able to help provide for his mother and siblings. That's how things were in the rougher areas. People scraped together what they could for a living, and counted a few injuries a blessing in disguise. At least then they could go out in the market streets to beg for scraps from those better off in the world. The boy grimaced as Fay knotted the end of the bandage over the splint. She smiled sweetly to him, and sent him away with advice to not use his broken arm for a couple weeks at least.

Nearly a dozen pairs of eyes still looked at her expectantly when she turned around. Just one at a time.... She tried to remind herself to go at a slower pace. All this running around had really begun to wear on her. Of course she had known this would happen as some point in time, but she had rather been hoping that she could at least take a small rest to eat. Her stomach had been protesting her lack of food consumption for a few hours now. As usual, it was ignored. This street led back into the better area of town, so she would be able to take a rest after tending to these few left. A jar of ointment for one, a bit of salve for another, wrapping a wound, giving advice to a mother who often had migraines....the list went on. Her blue eyes looked up once more to see her path was clear at last. No one else vying for her attention. She felt as if she could feint right there. Wisps of hair had fallen out of their place and hung in her face. Her skirt was caked in dirt, dust, and quite possibly other things she'd rather not know. Her body felt sticky from the layer of sweat that had coated her skin.

With a tired sigh, Fay began to walk forward once more, only to stop as someone tugged on her skirt. The culprit was a little girl whose older brother stood a little way off holding his arm to his chest. The limb was obviously bleeding, though not too badly. The small girl pointed to the older boy with one hand, while holding a corn husk doll close with the other. In her little voice she pleaded with the woman when she turned. "Please ma'am...brother was only keeping a dog away from my dollie..." Again Fay's eyes softened when she saw the little child. She nodded with a tired smile and quickly tended to the bite on the boy's arm. She was careful to wash the puncture wounds thoroughly. Who knew if the dog had some sort of disease it was carrying. A quick wrapping of a bandage, and both siblings were smiling and laughing. They both waved goodbye and scampered off.

Fay raised her hand to wave back to the children before allowing her eyes to do a quick sweep of her surroundings. Even in a populated place like this, she felt the need to be watchful. Medicine was expensive, and a hot commodity on the black market....or any market for that matter. Her eyes stopped when they found a slightly familiar mop of brown hair attached to the head of the man who snuck into her room the night before. Her mind didn't even need to think about what he may have been here for. With a polite smile directed his way, her medicine bag was brought around so she could dig through it to find what she was searching for. His money pouch and coral knife were produced within a couple moments and offered back to him. "Here...you left this back in my room. I thought you may start looking for it." She paused a moment, allowing her eyes to drift down to the bandages at his side. At least his wound hadn't bled through the wrapping. "How's your cut doing? Did you want anything for the pain?" She simply assumed it would be sore, as most wounds were. Thankfully the infection wouldn't cause any further problems. Now he would just need to allow his body to heal on it's own.
 
The rooftops kept him in the sun, which was beginning to grow hot on his head and back as the day wore on while he continued to watch the woman perform her healing. It made him smile to see the people of the city actually smiling as well. The thought soon made his morning meal turn sour, all the smiles would soon fade as wounds left scars that would soon leave forgotten memories of the one who'd helped correct them.

His smile soon turned to a soft scowl as he stepped onto another rooftop, making sure to keep the rabble of voices in his mind, occasionally turning to look over his shoulder and follow her accordingly. It'd been a long day to begin with, and having as little patience as he did only seemed to make it drag further on, at least with his knife he'd have been able to scratch things into a rooftop or pick clean his nails for a sort of dull past time. More grateful he was for his already tanned skin, and knowing that it'd not burn and blister as it had when he'd been a youth.

When the time had finally arrived and he'd let himself down to the alley, the children she'd just healed scampering past him and grazing his side in the narrow alleyway. "I just want my knife back, healer. That's all.. It's... An heirloom." He stated bluntly, finding it a little more difficult to be rude to her than most people. The mention of his wound made him look at it, pulling the bandage up to reveal the white lines up his side and the now nearly closed wound. "It's far better than it had been. Scars fade.. If you want the bandages back.." He started, trailing off, did they keep those? Wash them maybe?
 
A small smile tugged at her lips when his wound was revealed, her eyes sparkled as she knew that her ability had done exactly as she had meant it to. "I don't need the bandages back...I'll just throw them out." She stepped closer and held out the money pouch. "You sure you didn't need this as well?" She shook the coin pouch, making the coins inside jingle together. "I have very few expenses...it's not really needed...especially this much." Sure there wasn't much in there, but she wouldn't take everything he had earned. Who knows how long that took him to make. His knife was flipped around so that the handle was pointed toward him so he could take it. She did wonder about the knife. If it were an heirloom...someone must have gone for a swim to find the coral, whether that was someone in his family though, she couldn't be sure. Something about him was strange, like herself...but again, she couldn't just assume something like that.

"I'm glad you're healing well...I had been worried that I wouldn't have been able to do anything." That was the truth. However long it took for the infection to spread like it did was nearly enough to send him to his grave. Hmm, thinking about when she first saw him, how had he gotten into her room? She eyed him curiously, wanting to see if she could tell by simply observing him. No, she wouldn't ask that either, she probably wouldn't want to know anyway. "It's been good to see you again....but I'm afraid I have to go. Unless...you would possibly...like to...join me for lunch?" She hardly considered this proper, but the man did look as if he never ate decently two days in a row. If he were going to heal properly, he'd need to eat. It would also give her an excuse to try to find out what it was that seemed to draw her toward him. Perhaps they had something in common, a love for the water would be a good start. She really did come here to find some way to escape her land bound life.
 
He took the knife by the handle and was in the process of placing it back in its leather strap on his hip when the question was asked, the look on his face was one of shock and complete disbelief. The knife slid down of its own volition back into its home as he shifted from one bare foot to the other, eyeing the woman momentarily. He involuntarily touched his wound with furrowed brows at her as he glanced over his shoulder like this would be some form of foul prank.

"It's hard to turn down a meal with good company." He said curtly, being none too shy as his eyes wandered her up and down, seeking some form of lie in her words, or something of that deceitful nature. "Just keep the coin too. It was just a days work, and you look like someone who'd have better use for their money than I would."
 
He didn't trust her. That much was very obvious. The way he looked at her made her just a small bit uncomfortable, though not many would have noticed how her body tensed. Heh, apparently she didn't trust him much either. She smiled gratefully as he told her to keep the coins. Really she couldn't argue, while she may have said she didn't have many expenses, that only pertained to herself, not her craft. As stated before, medicine was expensive, and occasionally hard to come by. She allowed the coin pouch to slip back into her bag, and hoisted the pack back over her shoulder with the smaller bag that held her clothes. Ah, yes...she would need to wash those soon. Perhaps she'd find a place while they walked to an inn for lunch. She blinked a couple times before smiling shyly, how long had she stood there doing nothing? "Well, then...I'll have to be sure to live up to the standards of 'good company'." With a lighthearted giggle, she turned to begin walking to an inn she enjoyed the last time she'd been here.

Fay looked back to see if he were following her lively steps. Even if she were a woman, she still got excited when good food was involved. She waited for him to be within earshot once more to introduce herself. "I'm Fay Cardinal...though with the fact that you had snuck into my room last night, I assume you may have known that." It was only natural to want the name of someone you were dining with. If only for the reason of knowing who to curse if you didn't survive the dining experience. Her eyes would go between gazing at the man with her and the area around them. Her bo staff was still held in her hand, an easy weapon if she needed. The inn she was thinking of didn't take long to get to. Mouthwatering smells wafted out of the door, drawing in a hungry passerby. Ah yes...she remembered that the fish here was excellent.
 
The moment with her staring off at nothing in her own thoughts seemed to last for quite some time, somehow he'd begun to feel intimidated despite scoffing at the idea of using a weapon without something at least sharp on the end to stick in the other person. Her voice snapped him back from his own inner thoughts as the mention of 'good company' came up. The giggle almost made him blush, isn't that the laugh that the dock-whores gave to passing sailors looking for someone to warm their bed that night, the second thought made his face grow warm, grateful she'd turned away.

"Daenlynn, Daenlynn Seascar.." He stated, rarely ever giving out his name to a stranger, bad salt a sailor would say, if she were a siren his fate would be sealed for sure. ".. And no, all I knew was that a healer was here and I was in need of healing." He added while falling in step just behind the woman, eyes just past her shoulders to keep a view that he wasn't being led into a trap.
 
Seascar...even his surname seemed to point to the possibility of him being another like her. For some reason his comment of only knowing she was a healer hurt. She hadn't even realized that she took pride in being known in the streets. Yet, this man seemed as if he'd only just heard of her now, he didn't have any preconceived notions about her. Eh, good and bad....though she wouldn't complain either way. "It's a pleasure to officially meet you, Daenlynn." She would have offered a hand, but decided against it. She was already being a little more forward than usual, more contact could possibly just make her loose standing in his eyes. She headed up the stairs and into the dinning room, pausing a moment to look for an empty seat. Ah, there was a table...and in the corner as well....lucky days. Fay marched over to seat herself with her back to the wall and a view of the door.

She waited for Daen to sit as well before continuing their conversation. "Was that all you needed to know before entering a woman's room?" Yes, he'd given her quite the scare, and she wasn't about to let him forget it. Even as a healer, she'd never found herself alone with a man like that...it made her blush just thinking about what could have happened if he hadn't needed healing. She took a moment to calm herself before she smiled politely once more. "I am glad that I had been in that place when I had though...I never like to miss someone who's badly injured when I'm in a town."
 
The smell of food made his stomach rumble quietly in his midsection as he followed her in, glancing at all the knick knacks around the room, a collection of things from the owners past or simply treasures people felt like leaving in their steed. It was quite full of atmosphere. "Likewise I'm sure.." He stated off handed to the suddenly formal greeting, another something he took little worry in.

"All I needed to know was that I could get fixed up faster than a slip in dry dock. Besides, ain't nothin' you got that no woman I've seen's not carrying beneath her robes or dress ya' know." His words came off as less of a sentence and more of a statement, grinning at the thought of a woman suddenly having gills on her neck or teeth where breasts should be as he slipped in across from Fay, leaning against the seat, not the most comfortable, but better than a rock.

"Besides, if you'd have beaten the salt out of me I'd be no worse for the wear considering that gut wound."
 
Her amusement at his statement was quickly hid behind a tanned hand. Oh, if he knew...sure in this form she was just like the other Ru'man women...but as her other self. Ah, she could hardly remember what she looked like in that form. It's been so long since she'd been in any safe waters. She let a smirk replace her grin when he mentioned getting the tar beat out of him. "If I'd have done that, you'd be dead in an alley way....that infection may have taken your life given another day or two."

Fay looked up to watch as a waitress came over to take their orders. "I'll take some water, please. And one of your catch of the day things...." She looked to Daenlynn when she had finished telling the waitress what she wanted. Hopefully their meal wouldn't take long to get here. Wine would have been nice as well, but it was a little early to start drinking....ah, perhaps later she'd relax with a glass in her room. As long as no one needed her later tonight. Now that she had finished most of the slum area, she had planned to walk the streets of the middle class section of town. She would need to find an herb shop here as well. Her bag was getting lighter by the hour. When the waitress hustled off, Fay picked up where she had left off. "I don't suppose I'd have given you a thrashing without you making the first move though. I'm a healer not a soldier. My staff is only for protection should I need it."
 
He raised his shoulders in a lazy shrug, stretching out as best he could despite the meager seating. "Yes well, I'm grateful for it either way." He replied, pausing only to think of what he wanted.

"The same as her, except I'll take iced mead or wine, something cold as the north seas and with a bit to match." It was hard to pass down the chance for something cold when he couldn't feel the sea's breath.

"And I'm not a robber or a mugger, just the bastard son of the ocean left to flop on the shore." He added with a dry chuckle, glancing up as his drink was placed before him some moments later, already he'd set to drinking half it's contents, shivering a bit as it chilled him from the inside out.

"Does the world just spawn people to heal its people, or were you shaped to do it?"
 
His words and actions continued to confirm her suspicions of his origins. But why did he speak so freely about it? If she were a Ru'man, she'd be obligated to turn him over to the authorities. Did he not fear death? Well, with what she'd seen so far, that idea didn't seem too far fetched. She took a sip of her water as a way to push for a little extra thinking time without avoiding the question. "Some are born with a conviction to heal, or feel it's their duty. Those who are birthed as land dwellers could never have such natural talent as the sea born have."

She paused when she caught sight of the waitress coming back with two steaming plates of fish. Small bowls of dipping sauce sat on the corner if one desired a little extra flavor. Fay waited until the woman was out of earshot before continuing. "As for my own healing ability, I'd like to claim that I had no choice in the matter. The salt waters saw fit to grant me this talent, I simply don't see why I have to only use it for myself." Hopefully her manner of speaking was obvious enough to the man that she wasn't a Ru'man. The woman really hoped she had assumed correctly in thinking he was also an Aquarian. If she were wrong, it could be very likely that she would be imprisoned if not killed.
 
The way she spoke was all too confusing to him as he listened, as far as he renembered, she had walked here, and most certainly didn't look like the sailing type that's for sure. "You born on a boat or something?" He asked brazenly , pulling cheek flesh from the just delivered fish, whole just how he'd preferred it. "Cause you talking about land dwellers and bein' born by the sea make it sound like you're from one of those fish tales men who been at sea tell at the bars..."

He trailed off, maybe this stranger had some answers for him about where he'd come from or even his own history if he'd gotten this lucky all in the span of a few days. "What do you know that you ain't sharing?" He shot his words low and blunt, leaning forward on his elbows with raised brows, plopping another morsel of his meal into his awaiting maw.
 
Fay closed her eyes a moment as he first spoke. Born in a boat....was that really the only conclusion he could come to? Ah, wait...she'd forgotten that her own life had been rather lucky with the way she had been able to attend school and have a formal noble class education. Again she proved in her own mind that she automatically assumed everyone had gotten the same education as she had. As his words continued though, she allowed her blue eyes to look straight into his yellow ones. There you go...that's exactly what I am...an old legend come to life...and you are too. She let a secretive smile lift the corners of her mouth upward as she lifted a small piece of fish to her mouth. Her fork lingered between her lips as she savored the fresh taste of fish. She swallowed after removing the fork from where it had been.

"I know that I wasn't supposed to be living on the dry land." She glanced around, looking for any who may possibly be listening in. This was a dangerous topic for a public space. "Even old sailors tales have their origins rooted in truth." She took another small bite of fish before leaning in a little closer as well. "I can show you what I mean, but we have to be alone, and close to the ocean. I assume you would know some stretch of shore that wouldn't have any Ru'mans nearby...." Here's hoping this wasn't her last decision. At least she would die close to the one place she always wanted to be....The open waters of the sea.
 
He looked puzzled, drunken sailors usually has more bravado than this one when it came to fish tales. His ignorance showed even more than his confused expression as he downed his wine, now warming up in his cup while popping another piece of fish.

"You're telling me I ain't alone in all this?" He muttered with wide attentive eyes. "You got these too!?" He added while opening his mouth far more than humanly possible, his teeth now needle like fangs rather than the mundane human dentures.

Daenlynn quickly snapped it shut to eat another piece of the now nearly devoured fish. It seems the idea of comradely has raised his spirits, the wine helped too. Though he was quick to assume she had as startling an aquatic form as he had.

"I do know a place outside of town, no one else goes. It's a blue hole, can't see the bottom either... And what's a roomen?"
 
The sudden show of teeth instantly made her stomach churn and her heart race. Everything she'd noticed about him suddenly clicked together. Sang'ell! He was a part of the race that had instigated of the plot that doomed the Aquarians. No, she wasn't as like him. She was Sca'lee. Her appearance and very nature more calm and strangely prey-like. Her ancestors had been the ones trying to negotiate peace terms, but we're duped by the smooth talking Sang'ell. The past was over though...he was still in the same boat as she was...they were both outcasts. Fay took another moment to calm herself and suppress her will to run rather than tangle with him. She took a slow drink of water, now wishing she had gone ahead and gotten wine. "Forgive me, that was I'll mannered on my part." She took another delicate bite of her fish, almost grimacing at how much she still had left, but no longer had an appetite for.

His last question put her mind a little at ease. His behavior wasn't meant to be threatening, he had so far done nothing for her to be so suspicious of him. Actually, his attitude had more resembled a more trusting almost boyish nature. Yes, that's all it was, curiosity and ignorance. He had a very different past than she did. That was all...She couldn't judge him just because of his race.

"Ru'mans are the two legged people around us. You and I may look like them to a degree, but we are not like them." She flashed a toothy smile, showing off straight normal teeth. "I may not have your smile, but I do have a different form when I'm in the water." The prospect of a deep watery cavern made her hesitant. She may enjoy water, but dark places where carnivorous fish lurked...those places were casually avoided. "We can go to this spot today if you want. I have no other plans after lunch."
 
His mouth had returned to normal quite rapidly, he was no fool to her reaction, of course this one was like him but still wholly different enough that any kinship was quickly abandoned. Though he thought he hid it quite well under the pretense of eating and conversation, at least she hadn't panicked and he hadn't had to swim the coast for a week to find a new town to live around.

"Oh, well, if that's the case roomans are scared if anything different. I coulda told you that.. Hey, do you think on the way you could tell me about whatever I am a bit more?" He asked, any idea if deception was promptly dropped if his own honesty could get these sorts of results!

Most of his meal was already finished and his wine cup long dry, now just leaning on his elbow and staring her down as though he were trying to ascertain the meaning behind a difficult word. In his mind he'd concluded she was pretty at least, then again, the ocean was pretty above and below, and then again he'd thought a rock had been pretty as well, fish could be too, where in that mental category he placed her was a different story. Either way he managed a genuine smile, no teeth meant to pin prey showing this time.
 
"Any less capable being with be afraid of something beyond their abilities." Fay muttered this as she raised another forkful of fish to her mouth. She took a bit of time to at least finish more, though quite a bit was still left. She dabbed her mouth on the cloth napkin that had been given her with the utensils. He didn't know what he was...his ancestors actions...The way they had been shunned...that certainly explained a few things. "Of course. I may not know much of your race, but I'll share what I can recall." Minus a few choice bits. She would rather bury the past differences their races had than continue to dredge it up. Old fears may die hard, but they wouldn't be forgotten until someone took that first step.

She thanked the waitress as the woman gathered their plates and took the payment for their meal. Fay did a quick glance around to be sure no one had happened to overhear them before she stood and shouldered her packs once more. The last thing she grabbed was her staff. "Shall we be off then?" she asked returning his smile. Yes, he was kind...this she was determined to believe until it was proven otherwise. She placed a few extra coppers on the table for their waitress when she returned. Hopefully that would brighten the girls day.
 
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