out for a stroll

[Attaria Windvayne]

Time Stamp: Seventh Brightening of Ioanness Summer of Era I of the Celestine Mandate.
Era XIII. Twelve Brightenings After Sunrise.


INC: Secretly Attaria enjoyed the beauty of nature it was far more pure. Like herself the young woman appreciated beautiful things. She still dressed like a lady of good breeding. Even with no appreciative eyes Attaria took strict care with her appearance. Her long blonde hair was platted in a stylish updo and she was dressed in her dark blue corset and crimson silk long skirt.

Humming softly to herself she sat with her legs stretched out on the forest floor of soft green grass. She was enjoying the quiet afternoon of the summer day. Smiling softly she picked some white wild flowers and began to string a necklace, much like she did when she was a child.

To think if I had married that dreaful man I may have lived a life of luxary, but at the price of his ear hair.

Even the thoughts of Hennrick and her father would not ruin this perfect brightening.

[Hanzi Ambarando]

"Are you not nervous to be here all alone, in a forest where..." A cherubic olive skinned face appeared from the foliage. "Where just about anyone can show up?" His voice was accented but pleasant. His tone was warm and had a hint of a laugh upon it. He strode near Attaria but did not approach to closely. "Do not be alarmed, I mean no harm."

He was young, his hair and skin dark. His long hair was pulled into a ponytail and he wore a rather dashing mustache. He was dressed in simple brown pants and a leather jacket. He wore a festive floral print shirt and wore a round brimmed hat cocked at a rakish angle.

"Name is Hanzi. Tell me... Do you know the way to Jaedaxia by any chance?" He swung down a bulging travelling backpack onto the floor. In his right hand was a waist-high walking stick. "I'm not from around here, but I have an urgent errand to run to the city. My sister is taken ill and I bear her something to make her better." He tesitified with grave sincerity. "Our, as you call it, shaman made some for her. Can you help Hanzi? Can you help Hanzi help his familya?"

[Attaria Windvayne]

The woman was so intune with herself with making a necklace of flower's that she did not hear someone approach her. Upon hearing the male voice Attaria was visibly startled. Turning her head she saw that the voice belonged to a gypsy.

His words of warning instantly put her on edge. Upon hearing his accent and looking at the stranger, Attaria knew that he was a gypsy.

At his words of reassurance she was not fooled. Gypsies they have a silver tounge, will often say kind words and when your back is turned will empty your coin purse. The words of her father echoed in her mind.

Even though she did not know how to use her dagger she was pleased that she brought it. The stranger could see it sheethed to the right side of her silk skirt. The stranger was ravashingly handsome, and if he was not a gypsy perhaps Attaria would not think of him beneath her.

" It is very rude to sneak upon a lady, but then again you would not know better. It is just to the east their." She said pointing to the gate in the far distance.

This too put her on edge, the direction to the city was obvious. " Your lies of your sick sister will not fool me. If you have the thought to rob me I am armed. I am not easy prey, I shall bite and kick and scream like a banshee." She said authoratively as she took a defensive stance.

[Hanzi Ambarando]

Hanzi laughed, a deep belly laugh came forth and he held his sides. With an apprieciative shake of his head he replied.

"Perhaps one brightening I will ask for you to scream and kick and behave in such ways, but this is not this brightening!" He laughed again with a mischevious glint in his eye. "It is true I am not familiar of your, the gaje's ways. I am but a poor Air'riela- a gypsy, landless, nomadic collection not recognized by the powers-that-be because we do not civilize to their standards. That we don't do what they say we should do for no other reason than it has been this way for generations!" Hanzi momentarily caught fire with revolutionary zeal before settling down. "I am an outsider because i choose to be free, I choose not to play by their rules."


"But truth you see with clear eyes, miri rawnie...." He added the last bit in his native tounge, Aire. Hanzi bowed and swept off his hat in a noble salute. "I am not a concerned brother- but neither am I threat to youA lesser gaje would pay me no mind or attack me outright. Tell me, what is your name?"

[Attaria Windvayne]

He dares to laugh at me, and insult me, like I would ever express desired behaviour to the likes of a common gypsy. At the stranger's words her cheeks rosied with anger and shock to his brash words.

The young woman was used to polite and socally acceptable conversation. Their was nothing polite or civil about this man.

" Ask all you like you lecher but you will never get such a reaction from me." Attaria said with an aire of superiority.

If the gypsy known as Hanzi wanted to gain some pitty from her as a result of his life style he was sorely mistaken.

" Do not expect to pull on my heart strings because of the life you chose. Perhaps if you did not live such a heathen life style, then your kind would be less frowned upon. It takes practice to become cultured and civil, two things that you lack."

For the moment she did not care for the repercussions of her words, she was far too angry. A flaw of hers since it often blinded her mind and led to temper tantrums.

More harsh words were about to spill out of her lips, until the gypsy refered to her in words she did not understand.

" Miri Rawnie, what does that mean? If you are going to take the libraty of insulting me, you could at least do me the curtisy of insulting me in my own language."

This Hanzi had her gander up. He was a contradiction he insulted her and his body language conveyed respect.

" My name is Attaria and I too am new to the city. So why did you approch me, under the rouse of a sick sister?"

[Hanzi Ambarando]

Two stubborn personalities sparred, a battle of titans seldom witnessed in the treeline outside Jaedaxia. Hanzi had trotted out a fair amount of his verbal arsenal out and Attaria deflected it easily.

He decided to change it up- hit her with honesty. Or as much as any gypsy tells a non-gypsy.

"Miri Rawnie means roughly 'my lady' in Aire, my mothertounge," He replied truthfully. "I was just attempting the unthinkable... Politness." He smiled widely and sat down 10 feet away from her.

"A quality you don't believe I have, but which I do- quite a lot of it in fact." Hanzi played with a stout oaken walking stick while chatting.

"But I do have something, perhaps not to my sister, but a rather distant cousin. However, we Air'riela consider ourselves one large family. In a certain point of view she is my pena, or sister. And she does need what I have here." He patted his inside pocket. "As for why I am here and talking to you...well, I figured you were put in my path for a certain reason. We have a something called Mesaka, a guiding luck that smiles upon the Air'riela. You were put in my path, but for what purpose? So I am here, to find out.

"I am Hanzi of the Ambarando family, a familya of line-drifters and travellers, sheperds of the flock and walkers of unseen lines. Messengers and crusaders, servants of the Gypsy Queen. If I am not being too forward- who is Attaria?"

[Attaria Windvayne]

So the gypsy did not insult me after all. Well I do not trust his silver tounge nor the formalities that spill out of his lips.

Even if Hanzi did not give her cause too, she was leery of him. Raising a skinny well manicured eye-brow in difiance she too sat down. While she was still angry the stranger did peek her interest. Attaria had not met many people in the city, and even the company of a lecherious gypsy was better then no company at all.

" A perhaps a little dose of politness with a greater dose of arrogance. I have not seen any other gypsies in the city and I have been their for three days. Then again it is a large city." She murmured dryly still not fully beliving him. " What is it that you wish to give her?" Attaria asked with a hint of curiosity.

The young woman was never one to believe in things such as fate nor luck. If you came from good breeding then you were entitled to the spoils of life.

" Well I doubt that very much, I am here because I wished to pick flowers, you just happened to come by. Men make their own luck and are captains of their own vessils, their is no map to guide their path. Do not be philosophical with me. I will not pay heed to your lies nor your ideals."

[Hanzi Ambarando]

Hanzi laughed again, brash, crude and loud above all.

"What I bring her is nothing more than a collection of dried herbs and spices used in Air'riela medicine and cooking." He patted his pack which bore the pack of herbs. "Sent by actually her sister entrusted to my care." He continued to add nuggets of truth into his speech.

"Mesaka is not a map or a book, it is like compass which directs you to lucky events?" Hanzi searched in his head for the common speech word. Mesaka didn't really translate all that cleanly into common and that was the problem Hanzi wrestled with. "It is like, fishing line which draws you to one place?" He looked momentarily frustrated. "Is hard to explain simply, it is something someone must feel." A small smile came to his lips.

"Alas, we come from two different Telath's, I am sure there are aspects of your life that would befuddle myself."

Hanzi relaxed, ahhhhed, and sat back with a satisfied look on his face.

"Long road." Was his explanation for his slothness, and the traveller relished giving his legs and feet a break.

"So you too are new here?" Hanzi asked after he had a moment of vegging out. "Tell me, where did leave to come to this city?"

[Attaria Windvayne]

Was it lonlyness or bordome that had Attaria still indulge in the conversation she was not sure. Or perhaps it was the secret pleasure of fraternizing with a gypsy that her father would dissapprove of. As if he should preach about morality and not fraternizing with the people of unappropriate stature.

" Hmm well I shall take half of what you say as not lies. I believe I can give you that courtesy." Secretly the young woman envied his freedom. Unlike her Hanzi was as free as the wind she had standards to meet, and he did not.

" Yes we do come from two different Telaths. I come from good breeding and the rules of being socialy acceptable and you do not have those burdens." Attaria said as she resumed picking flowers.

" I was born in Medonia, my father was a merchant and had a fine taste for romantic affairs for both men and woman. Along with tarnishing our families good name he lost all of our money through gambling. Then he had the nerve to have me betrothed to a man that was fifty era's my senior with yellow teeth and ear hair. I would be fethed if I was going to suffer from Hennrick's bad breath and bare ugly children because of his folies. "

Changing the subject she placed the wreath of white flowers on her head. " How are you going to get through the gates? It shall be difficult since gypsies are disliked."

[Hanzi Ambarando]

Hanzi listened with great care, grimacing at Attaria's account of her almost husband, and shaking his head at the account of her father.

"Within the Kumpania, which is like one of your towns, but are comprosed of many different vardos." Hanzi drew a wheel in the air. "You know house wagons?" He searched for the right common word.

"Anyways in the Kumpania there are same sort of thing. Many marry not who they love, but who their mother say they should love. For familya. But not forced, just given the stern eye of the Baba." Hanzi made a scrunched up face, his impersonation of an old woman. "Baba say yes, you say yes. Oh, Baba means...um...mother of your mother? Oh, grandmother, yes. She rules the familya with a cotton fist." Hanzi stopped and frowned. "Or is it iron fist?"

When asked about getting in the gate Hanzi scratched his chin.

"Should not be problem..." He said without much certainty in his voice. "Maybe I will just run past them!" He laughed again with gusto.

Hanzi wiped his eye and leaned close.

"This ugly man of yours, he was not rich was he?"

[Attaria Windvayne]

It seemed that the gypsy was listening to her with rapt attention, though still Hanzi did not put her at ease. While she was more relaxed in his presence she did not let her guard down. " You live in wagons? Do you ever stay at once place? Not one for putting down roots are you? When coin could afford it I too enjoyed travelling but I always did enjoy going back to Windvayne Manour my home." Attaria said with a shrug of her shoulders.

At the mention of the over bearing baba's a laugh tainted with sarcasim escaped her lips.

" I am used others obeying me I never obey others. That is why I left. Why should I pay for the fething mistakes my father made? If my bethroed was handsome then perhaps I would be susceptible to the forced marrage. I may not believe in romance but I shall be fethed if I live a paupers life style. Beauty and poise are my greatest assets. Pity youth is not ever lasting when the my fountain runs dry I shall be doomed." She said with a sigh of dismay.

The young vaine woman was about to say more. Hanzi wiped his eye and leaned close.

"This ugly man of yours, he was not rich was he?"

The gypsies body language and words took on a menacing air. In response to his words she stood up quickly and grabbed a near by rock.

" I knew you were a wolf in sheeps clothing. You lecheras barbaric cad! If you think of using me to get that old codger's fortune. I shall throw this rock at your head and not feel but a bit of guilt while I take another rock and bludgen you to death."

The young woman said in a wavering voice lined with fear. Attaria did her best to protray a threatening visage. If all went well she would buy some shoes that were practical, after all they were only feet and she could put off vanity for practicality.

[Hanzi Ambarando]

"First of all," Hanzi stood up, unafraid and shook a finger in Attaria's direction.

"First of all I am not an unreasonable man, you would of course be entitled to a finder's fee. Second of all, why do you protect such a man? A man so deplorable you leave the comfort of high society to pick flowers amongst a non descript meadow? This is a man who tried to buy you from your father- a friend of a man who sold you as if you were just a parcel of goods bound for market!" Hanzi paced back and forth.

"Tut, tut, they respect you not in the least and do not deserve your friendship. I, on the other hand, recognize that you are a beautiful woman who deserves the finest in life. I will offer you a way to pay for those things, my dear Attaria but they will not be given to you."

Hanzi sat down again.

"In this Telath nothing is free. Your father, his father, at some point they needed to be strong enough to take what is rightfully theirs! Attaria satisfaction must be had. They besmirched your reputation by treating you as if you were a goat at auction. This is a dog eat dog telath we live in. Let me ask you, are you strong enough to take what you deserve?"

[Attaria Windvayne]

It seemed as though, Hanzi did not wish to kidnap Attaria and hand her over to Harrick for a fee. For the moment her interest was peeked and she droped the rock to the floor. Look at him pretending to fein my interest at heart.

" Oh do not pretend gypsy that you care one bit about me. I do not protect him I just wish not to suffer from his flirtatious ministrations. You have no idea what it is like to be a woman. Unlike you men we have to be elegant and intellegent but not too intellegent to be threatening to a man's ego." At the mention of the finders fee she laughed harshly.

" If I am to partake in this I am getting half of whatever we manage to pilfer from the old man. It will be difficult since I have fleed and this will be a blow to his ego. I will have to flirt shamelessly and profess my devotion. I may even have to grovel. It will be indeed a show of great theatric proportions if I am to regain his trust again. I may even have to kiss him." The thought made her visibly shudder. Seeing him sit down, Attaria too sat.

" What is your plan? How are we to accomplish this?" The young woman wanted to get down to the matter of buisness and ignored his monolog to her vanity.

[Hanzi Ambarando]

"Yes, half is yours but first, I need to know the particulars of this man before we can come up with a plan." Hanzi smiled. "Where does he live? Does he live alone? Does he have guards? Where does his wealth lie? Is it in crowns, or in fancy stuff or both?"

"I would like to work it out in a secretive manner," He said. "Where our actions would not be known. So, please, if you will. Tell me what you know of him?"

[Attaria Windvayne]

I forgot men like him are all about the details. Well aslong as I get mine all is well.


For the moment Attaria did not return his smile, she was thinking and remembering what the old codger had. While he was old he did have a two body guards. He was rich and influential and his age and frailty made him a target. " In Medonia he had two body guards. The old man is rich and was influential in the city. He has a safe in his library that has a majority of his banknotes but he also has some in the bank. Oh and he breeds imperial war hounds. That may be a problem given their loyal and ferioucious reputation."

For the moment that was all she could remember. She should have just married him, he was old and was likely to kick the bucket soon. Now she was broke and in the company of a shady gypsy. Attaria did not trust him as far as she could throw him. How did she knew that if they were successful and robbed Hennrick blind, that Hanzi would not slit her throat and take all of the wealth?

At the moment I do not have a choice now do I?

" That is all I know. We are going to have to go to Medonia to gather more information. This is likely going to be given by my father. He will more then likely wish for a cut too, but he is easily manipulated. Have you done this before?"