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Journey to the East

Elann wondered to herself about some things about her husband upon arriving in the back of the wagon. There she would lay quiet, slowly kicking her legs up and down as the wagons jolted forward finally and they proceeded on their way. She lay on her stomach with her arms tucked under her so not as much pressure would be upon her chest, but eventually she would turn on her side to face the back of the bench and placed her hands under her head.

Little to no emotions were coming through her bond, which she knew bugged him in the past, but how could she feel them? Love, anger, joy. None of them she could feel in any great amount at that moment and it was usually in those three she usually resided.

Eventually with enough distance from camp, and should enough time pass, she would sit up and look out the back, sitting cross-legged on the bench while staring out at the passing grass. The driver behind caught her eye and she waved to him kindly before cupping her jaw on a hand and looking at the passing fields once more. She was trying to pick out how many different colors of flowers they came across, not knowing where their flowers they had gathered earlier had ended up. Surely some parent got stuck with them.

Journey to the East

Elann could still see the pacidity in her husband's reactions, showing something which she didn't want to assume, but in his eyes there was an interest. She knew he would notice. He always noticed every detail of her physicality down to what she would imagine even being a single hair cut shorter. His memory was impressive and he was capable of remember the tiniest of details. In the wagon, after Aimee flopped back, Elann could smell the scent of her husband, the wood, the canvas, the various supplies and the henna particles lingering and sending off their scents into the air. She didn't want to be reminded of him in that moment and even so, she was his wife.

Having jumped out, she asked him whether he wanted food, to which he clearly demonstrated he didn't want anything. She chewed at her lip and nodded, almost walking away, but his statement about her hair gave her pause.

"Mhmm...Yeah."

Her hand came up to squiggle through her hair and she moved a little closer to him so that he could touch it from where her hand held some of it out to him. The powerful scent was enough to fill a room seeing how it was still damp and giving off a fragrant odor actively.

"I am going to go play with the kids. I'll be back..."

She slid back from him and would, unless stopped, head over to where most of the kids were. Very little still was coming through their bond from her and only when she got to the children did some emotions start filtering through as she could not hide her joy from them. They made her happy and successfully distracted her from thinking about him once more. The kids asked her if she could make other paints and such things and she nodded, and then helped them all collect flowers and various elements that could further dye their faces. Before she could make the paints though most people had packed up and were set to go on their way.

The cook's and the tanner's wagon now both had various pelts stretched out across the sides of them to soak up the sun and harden for later working. Upon the call to get moving, Elann came back as she promised with a bright red flower in her darkened hair. The traditional garb she wore matched with it with the belt being black, gold and red. She climbed up into the back and lay across the opposite bench from Aimee much like she did, leaving the bed to her husband if he so wished to lay down on it other than sitting on the back of the wagon.

Journey to the East

Elann woke shortly after the yawn was heard from Noah and she elected to go back to sleep. When the call for breakfast came, her bond came alive as she sat up to find the tent empty. She lit the lantern and proceeded to brush her hair in the dim light it provided. It had the strong scent of henna to it still and was a full three shades darker and more red, darker than he had ever seen her hair before, but far from black. When she finally came out of the tent, fully clothed already, the sun shone on her hair, flaring it a reddish hue.

She immediately started tearing down the tent while the breakfast queue lined up for food so that she could be done far before they had to leave. It wasn't uncommon for her to spend time with the children while their parents deconstructed their tents, so once she was done, she came to the wagon, and seeing Noah there along the edge, she took in a breath.

"Hi," she voiced quietly as she climbed in past him to lug the heavy tent and rugs into the back of the wagon. It was hard work, but something she had been used to much of her life. The rugs came next and she furnished a bed in the bottom of the wagon. She could tell that Aimee was still sleepy, so she didn't say anything to her, just giving her a smile if she looked her way. Eventually when everything was packed, she hopped down from the wagon like a child would and looked up to her husband.

"Did you want breakfast?"

She could smell the scent of bacon and various fresh meat on the air. It was likely to be the freshest meal they had had in a long time and she didn't think he would want to go without it. She wasn't in the mood to eat herself despite the smells that were coming from the cook's area.

Journey to the East

Inside, her husband had collapsed with the bells that carried on since he had arrived in the tent. She was warm from the fire still, and having put on her tunic she wore the first day she saw him, she was well warmed by its wool. She didn't enter and silently closed the flap once more.

Their bond was dull, showing him sleeping surely, and as she left the encampment out of the site of the men drinking, she quietly returned to the rock where they had sat earlier. Finally Elann was able to feel with the heavy heart she had without risk to the other caravaners and there she cried by the water. When the cold finally got to her, she mustered her feelings and came back to camp to finally come into the tent.

As she entered, she moved directly to bed after turning off the lantern, thankful no sign of her crying was still evident, and she lay there under the blanket, fully clothed. She didn't move, and not long after, she would be asleep again until the morning when the call for breakfast came.

Journey to the East

Elann was sore in some parts of the day, feeling the pain her husband endured, but for the most part it was easy. With the two kelvics hunting again, the take was far greater than anyone imagined it could be by themselves. Elann was busy eating dinner as was the rest of the camp, but Noah and Aimee didn't partake. Aimee said hello though and Elann greeted her.

"Aww, you look tired. You should get some rest," she commented in brief, to which she went to bathe in the river. Noah hadn't been seen by her yet, his dark frame still swooping over the treetops. With the clouded sky and no strong presence of the moon in sight, she hadn't bothered to look up for quite some time. It was only his bright flash in the darkness that caused her to wonder if it was Aimee or her husband. Either way, she didn't look.

She stayed out there speaking until the only ones remaining were people drinking. Not wanting to remain with a couple of men drinking, knowing better, she bid them goodnight and many bells since he had entered the tent, she came in, looking to see if the lantern was on or off and whether or not he was present in the tent.

Journey to the East

Elann napped throughout the day, occasionally coming out and playing with the children or talking to the various people enjoying the day off from traveling. She would continue doing this until lunch time and on into dinner when it was likely for the hunting party would return en masse. While whenever someone got something big, they would come back, they still stayed out until evening.

The guards had to be extra careful from bears and other predators approaching the camp given all the blood as the cook prepared and dried the meat for future meals, but fortunately with the loud sounds the caravan had made and continued to make, most animals kept their distance. Whichever ones didn't, likely added to the meat gathered in the end.

With furs and meat salted, pelts stretched and scraped, the group was ready to travel upon the coming light of the next day. Elann finished playing with the kids in the evening and was mostly found talking to others.

Journey to the East

The sun had come up and with it the two had returned. If it weren't for them coming through the thicket, she may not have noticed them. Elann glanced at the eagle in hand. She didn't know what to think about it, but it didn't make her happy. His blatant ignoring of her before had left a bitter taste in her mouth, and his now changed form was only after spending time with his sister. Elann decided it was best to finish setting up the tent and began the toil of hammering in the pegs.

Shortly after, Aimee walked into the camp and Elann gave her a small smile before continuing her set up of the tent. Once set up, she went about her day as indicated, grabbing a set of clothes from the caravan along with the rugs to furnish the tent, and then went off into the woods toward the river to bathe. She found a spot that was covered from the camp and other bathers and once done, roughly a bell later, she returned with her darker hair, her dirty clothes damp and washed clean in her hands, and she headed to the tent. There she set her dress on a line and then moved near to the fire to warm up.

The children were running around and after a good bout of heating, she went to go play with them.

Journey to the East

Noah had left that night, the jostling of Aimee coming in having woken her slightly and both of them leaving even more so. She stayed awake for a good twenty chimes, but then fell back asleep after it.

As the morning sun was up, Elann was up with the others, talking happily with them and eating a little breakfast, but instead of hanging around the caravan, she spent time around the fire with others. She ended up making a paint from some flowers and face painted the children, having learned the skill in the orphanage, and even Alena ended up with a flower design on her cheek.

Eventually as the sun would rise, shining through the cloud cover enough to evaporate away some of the dampness on the ground before ducking back behind the clouds. Many people set up their tents, but some still swore that it would rain again. Elann didn't care. Her tent had furs and leather that protected from the rains, and if positioned right, even a heavy rain wouldn't get them wet if it soaked the ground. She found a high spot and set it up there and then laid the rugs and furs inside. It was nice to have a day break, and like many people it was a chance to take a bath. Elann went to find a private spot along the river and cleaned herself before coming back, smelling of the soap she had brought and henna from treating her hair. She even left it in a few more minutes than normal to darken it slightly more and give it a reddish hue more than it normally had.

Other than her time at the river, she sought to spend her time with the people of the caravan and didn't want to think on where her husband or Aimee were.

Journey to the East

Elann had moved by herself to the wagon, a steady relief as she felt prisoner in her actions. Once inside the flap, she lay out their bed for the night as well as a nice padded comfortable spot for Aimee should she have decided to come back that night.

As her husband came in, she silently lay there on her side, up close and facing one of the benches, turned away from where he would lay and with her eyes closed. She was not asleep, but surprisingly near to it. She could feel him fight to get in, not bothering to ask her for help, and she was glad he safely made it in.

Now that he was safely in, she didn't bother to speak to him and decided she would go ahead and try to go to sleep, which if he had nothing to say to her, aside from shifting or laying, she would be asleep in about ten chimes if otherwise not disturbed.

Journey to the East

To Elann, it was more than just a sour mood. He moved up to her side and she wrapped her hands about her waist, looking up to the stars. The same stars that were a sign to her. She eventually came to look back down as he brushed at her hair and began looking at the various people around the fire. As her backside got cold, she turned around once more, considering his question.

She wasn't sure she could even sleep that night given what had happened again. The fights weren't getting better, they were getting worse and it only gave her a bleak view of her future with her husband.

"I'm not sure," came the answering call from her and then the cold silence he wanted again came between them.

In the darkness etched on her face, only the Kelvic could likely see that her face wasn't the normal smiles it usually was, but instead was neutral and pensive. She too was obviously thinking, replaying, but doing her best not to feel emotion for the sake of the people around them.

She shimmied back around, not lasting long with her front not facing the fire and pulled her arms tight. The short dress was killing her out there as the temperature dropped.

"I'm going into the wagon. You can stay here if you want. I'm too cold."

With that, she left his side and quietly walked to the back of the wagon and climbed in, hoping that she could fulfill the distance he so clearly wanted from her.