07-11-2017, 07:58 PM
”No longer here?” she asked, but he didn’t respond, and she didn’t press further. They let the topic fall away as though it had never happened.
He watched as she took in their surroundings, his home, the place his family had been born and raised. A full generation now, with the birth of Jinju’s son. The tall redwoods, some as thick as a horse’s body was long, stood like quiet sentries, watchful and stoic. The scent of the wild woods, the crisp air and pine and misty almost-rain, came alive with each snap underfoot in a burst of natural fragrance. The fog would roll in from the sea later, he knew, and would blanket their mysterious home in the familiar cover of stealth the Guardians knew and loved so well. This place had become a part of them as much as they had become a part of it. Caretakers and protectors of their forest, and their families, each of them.
”I’m sure it’s with good reason she is no longer here,” she added, and they both let that drift into the silence too. She looked towards the neighboring forest with a small smile, and his head tilted. Djinni had mentioned Nerine when he’d asked her suggestion of places to visit first. They must be familiar, the Queen of Nerine, and the Queen of Sylva. Friends or allies or both.
Her attention shifted to the distant voices of his daughters, Jinju’s so loving and happily telling a story to whichever children were around her today. Her endless care and strong sense of protection seemed to attract the little ones. Nayl remained quiet as she listened briefly, before turning back to him again. ”Only you and some family members with no ranks,” she said quietly with a shrug. Something about it sent a bolt of warning down his back and he watched her closely. ”Which makes me fear for the safety of your home.” His eyes remained trained on hers, passive though focused, wary and alert as she spoke again.
”I walked in on a conversation of former Pangeans threatening to overtake much of Beqanna. I fear they would find Taiga to be a target. Nerine has the strength and numbers to protect Taiga should you be willing to come to an agreement..”
He stood quiet as he took that in, let it twist and untangle in his mind before it drifted to settle. The warning, or threat, formed a hard knot in his belly, but he was outwardly unchanged. The logic was a little off. If they were but a small unit, just a family of wanderers and stragglers, what interest were they to her? If that’s all she thought they were, what did she think they could offer her in return? Why would she bother to offer them such aid?
And why would anyone find Taiga to be a target? He had no enemies, and their forest was thriving. They may not have the numbers of some of the other kingdoms, but they were living actively within their home, keeping it and each other loved and protected, and growing in numbers as they saw fit to. They were peaceful and quiet and kept to themselves. They didn’t stir up trouble for others, and didn’t do anything that would ask trouble to befall any of their fellow Taigans. So why would anyone want to target them at all? It wasn’t logical.
But then. Sometimes fools didn’t think through their actions.
Sometimes people purposely break trust and expect everyone to accept it as an honest mistake.
”If we’re so insignificant, and you are so strong, then why would you make such an offer? What exactly would you be asking for in return for your generous protection?” he asked evenly, allowing no hint of which direction his thoughts were going on the matter to slip through. He could accept, he could deny, but without more information, it was just a game of poker. His intentions were as buried and hidden as hers were.
He watched as she took in their surroundings, his home, the place his family had been born and raised. A full generation now, with the birth of Jinju’s son. The tall redwoods, some as thick as a horse’s body was long, stood like quiet sentries, watchful and stoic. The scent of the wild woods, the crisp air and pine and misty almost-rain, came alive with each snap underfoot in a burst of natural fragrance. The fog would roll in from the sea later, he knew, and would blanket their mysterious home in the familiar cover of stealth the Guardians knew and loved so well. This place had become a part of them as much as they had become a part of it. Caretakers and protectors of their forest, and their families, each of them.
”I’m sure it’s with good reason she is no longer here,” she added, and they both let that drift into the silence too. She looked towards the neighboring forest with a small smile, and his head tilted. Djinni had mentioned Nerine when he’d asked her suggestion of places to visit first. They must be familiar, the Queen of Nerine, and the Queen of Sylva. Friends or allies or both.
Her attention shifted to the distant voices of his daughters, Jinju’s so loving and happily telling a story to whichever children were around her today. Her endless care and strong sense of protection seemed to attract the little ones. Nayl remained quiet as she listened briefly, before turning back to him again. ”Only you and some family members with no ranks,” she said quietly with a shrug. Something about it sent a bolt of warning down his back and he watched her closely. ”Which makes me fear for the safety of your home.” His eyes remained trained on hers, passive though focused, wary and alert as she spoke again.
”I walked in on a conversation of former Pangeans threatening to overtake much of Beqanna. I fear they would find Taiga to be a target. Nerine has the strength and numbers to protect Taiga should you be willing to come to an agreement..”
He stood quiet as he took that in, let it twist and untangle in his mind before it drifted to settle. The warning, or threat, formed a hard knot in his belly, but he was outwardly unchanged. The logic was a little off. If they were but a small unit, just a family of wanderers and stragglers, what interest were they to her? If that’s all she thought they were, what did she think they could offer her in return? Why would she bother to offer them such aid?
And why would anyone find Taiga to be a target? He had no enemies, and their forest was thriving. They may not have the numbers of some of the other kingdoms, but they were living actively within their home, keeping it and each other loved and protected, and growing in numbers as they saw fit to. They were peaceful and quiet and kept to themselves. They didn’t stir up trouble for others, and didn’t do anything that would ask trouble to befall any of their fellow Taigans. So why would anyone want to target them at all? It wasn’t logical.
But then. Sometimes fools didn’t think through their actions.
Sometimes people purposely break trust and expect everyone to accept it as an honest mistake.
”If we’re so insignificant, and you are so strong, then why would you make such an offer? What exactly would you be asking for in return for your generous protection?” he asked evenly, allowing no hint of which direction his thoughts were going on the matter to slip through. He could accept, he could deny, but without more information, it was just a game of poker. His intentions were as buried and hidden as hers were.
