nomiS dnA yesdnyL (Read backwards!)

[Cassidy Al'lende]

OOC: Hi Simon. Let's do this. (Meaning you're a strong, essential part of this thread's survival). ~L

Her sight wasn't nearly as good as it used to be. Her hips, a little wider since her last child, who was born not eight summers ago. She desperately missed the slenderness of her body, but her child found comfort in hiding himself in her skirt, and finding slumber against her bosom. They certainly weren't misfits, they were much too proud for that catagory. She liked to believe that they were just picky. It was her own nature which kept her moving around the Empire. She'd find a trade that was especially difficult to her, (the last one was tailoring) she would spend countless weeks learning it. And during the next few months, they would be content, and well-fed. If it was anything the child learned, it was that his mother could strive in any occupation. Except she always wanted to move on, to learn something completely different. And so, the cycle would continue.

Aden, the woman's boy- was well prepared for his mother's departures. The boy didn't make friends easily, and so spent his time reading or creating figurines. (Both trades were learned to a level of expertise by Hedya--the boy's mother, and later taught to him). But as they slowly walked down the streets of Frigid River, (Hedya felt the strangest desire- and most strong pull) the woman was terrified. Not because she was in an unknown city, or because her own fear was transferred to Aden- but because...unlike all of the other times, Hedya felt no inspiration to do or learn anything.

"Don't you worry, love'" Hedya said, lifting her slender jaw and inhaling the fresh air. "This could be just as easily a good sign as a bad one." Her language was exemplary, spelling impressive. She had taken classes when she was ten and six. Her peers were somewhat insulted by this, but that did not stop her from teaching Aden good Common. However, at the moment- the boy did not seem convinced.

"Where are we again?" He asked innocently, his large eyes looking up into the reflection of his mother. She covered her anxiety with a smile. "Frigid River, sweet. Are you hungry?" The boy didn't respond. Exhaling shakily, the woman of twenty and seven squeezed the boy's miniature hand and turned to face him, while leaning on her knees- her dress becoming dirty with dust. "Do you remember the very tall man in Natura?"

Aden's brow furrowed slightly as he began to think. Slowly a small, becoming smile would lighten his features. "Aye." He replied, his cheeks flushed with the good memory.

"Oh, but Aden," Hedya consoled, "This is a very serious conversation we are having. Surely you shouldn't smile when thinking of such a thing," the elder teased. The smile grew. "Do you remember? He picked you up, and you could drink the rain from the clouds." Aden grinned.

"Aye, Mum. I remember."

"And you told me, once you removed your wings, of course...that you had learned how to fly." And finally, the satisfaction of still having the power to please her child filled her. He clutched her hand, and they walked with more enthusiasm. The town had seem to been flooded with people, and they swirled around the couple, with Aden's large, pondering eyes following everyone that would cross. He, afterall- was waiting.

Waiting for his mother...to find a dream.

[Leopold Rubrecht]

He had never really expected to find himself in Frigid River. He had never passed through the place before, and it was more or less chance that brought him, after the dust had settled, to her gates. She was a quiet town – or rather, she had every right to be, and her demeanor certainly implied it… but the words he had shared with the gentlemen at the gates lead him to believe that much was afoot in this little hamlet.

It figured; after all, he himself tended to attract trouble, and his little nephew Pirvan had a tendency to do the same… bringing the two together, albeit inadvertently, well… one had to expect certain misfortunes. If Ioannes willed it to be so, well… then let it be so.

There was a woman, with a child, down the street. He gave them a good look, a quiet, thoughtful glance.

He had run out of pipeweed, all of his matches were waterlogged from the rainy season, the hand-rolled cigarettes had smoked themselves away somewhere between Centripax and Aeternia – so the old man had given his bottom lip a good going over, and even now bit the corner in the nature of a nervous bride. He wasn’t nervous, though… he had not been really, honestly nervous about anything in a great deal of time. Even now, standing alone in a city he had never before seen, no sword upon his hip, no companion at his side, and certainly no plans for the next day, week… year… there were no worries upon his brow. When two eyes have seen all that his had, when a body bore so many scars, when a mind had so many memories that the past began to blur with the future in ways that only the old can understand… worries tend to fade to the background.

She turned to speak to the little one at her side. She must be his mother – look at her posture, her manner… definitely a mother. Probably a good one.

He wondered, sometimes – he wondered about his mates, back on the Isabella and the Gayle, about his old friends in the Garrison in Prime, about Patrius, about Pirvan, about a million traveling companions he’d lost touch of. He wondered the most about his daughter, about Elle, where she was… how she was. But it wasn’t a worry; he knew that she was capable – perhaps even more so than he was, now that his hair was more white than red, and his hands had began to shake when tying knots he only half-remembered. But even so… she was a part of his life he wished he had kept better hold of.

But… but perhaps she didn’t care to have a father who was a gnarled old pirate, too scarred to show in public and too coarse of tongue to bring to polite company.

Rube rubbed his face thoughtfully, came away with a spot of blood upon his palm from his gnawed lower lip. Sighing softly, he spat upon the ground, rubbing his mouth again. Maybe some weren’t cut out to be parents. He looked, once more, to the mother and child, farther down the street now. Perhaps some were better than others.

[Cassidy Al'lende]

IC: There are those certain times, when human nature urges one to do something, which would normally cause little trouble. But if another human catches sight of this, fire may be roused from docile sparks. Rube would soon find if trouble was attracted to him, or if Frigid River would greet the pirate with a surprise. The latter wasn't promising, especially since Hedya's critical brown eyes narrowed dangerously as she found a rough looking man measuring them. Her grip on Aden's hand tightened, but by instinct, the boy pulled back. "Mum!" He whispered in repulsion, "Everyone will think I'm a babe!" Aden, (who obviously forgot that he had hidden behind his mother's skirts just a few moments earlier) stepped away from her, while insisting, "Don't hold me!"

Now. A mysterious man, whose eyes had roamed over her child and her was a lot less important than her child disrespecting her. And despite her common sense, and knowledge about these youth issues, she couldn't help but feel her brow furrow in bewildered hurt. Yet, her head tilted, an arm went to her waist and she stared at Aden, with a look that only a well-trained mother could accomplish. Between 'Just who the hell do you think you are?', 'I certainly did not give birth to you for this.' and, fortunately, "Now, if you come back to me, I promise not to kill you." So, this certain mother stopped- in the middle of the crowded street, watching her son take a few steps, before realizing his company was missing. He turned, and with frantic eyes, found her.

And normally, this gaze- this death like gaze worked on her boy. But it finally dawned on her that it would take more than a death threat to make her child think about things before he said them. Because, in rebellion- to her utter horror... Aden kept walking, only giving one look back at his wide-eyed mother to return to his walk of pride. His shoulders were held back, his head high- and...unnoticeable to Hedya's fiery eyes, his bottom lip quivering in fear.