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Journey to the East

It seemed he felt bad for one reason or another. She didn't know what was on his mind that necessitated her to walk with him. He wanted her to be there by his side. It was a pressure she wasn't sure she was up for.

She was in part confused how he could dislike so much about her and yet still wanted to be close. She had not expressed her dislike for his character like he had for her. As it was, she knew he thought she was annoying, overbearing, frustrating, a nag, someone who seemed to speak to him evily, and someone who sought themselves only. These were all the various things he had spoken of her over their past fights and it had all come to a head for her in this one. Still, as she looked at him in that short moment between his asking and her answering, she knew she still loved him.

Love was self sacrificing, and despite her lacking want to be anywhere near him, she felt compelled to go with him. She shifted to the side from where she knelt down and slid off the back.

"Alright."

He had not let her work on much of the rug nor pray much, but he wanted to not be alone; it took priority she supposed. Slipping out, she moved off to the side of the path of wagons and silently walked with him, not close like normally, but just there with him. The wind was still blowing and she held herself against the chest with her arms. Her eyes seemed to wander elsewhere distantly, as if taking in the location.

Journey to the East

Elann was still weaving, not stopping to pray, but her attention was gone and her eyes locked shut. It would seem like she was sleeping while weaving, not voicing out anything except in rare bouts of importance, but for the most part she was either silent or her lips would occasionally move. He would know the look by now and as he rapped on the wood, calling to her, she opened her eyes.

There he was already at the edge of the wagon. It caused some minor concern in her for him. Perhaps he couldn't keep up with the speed at which they were traveling and it was hurting him. She wasn't looking to their bond however and just came over to him, bending down to see what it was he wanted.

"Are you alright?"

Journey to the East

Elann had every right to feel like he thought she was being a vicious woman. He may have felt many things about her, but this fight was started, created, and finished by him. She had done nothing except be peaceful, calm, and even upon insult, longsuffering. She too had never raised her voice and had since been silenced. The fear of his everlasting silence was not so great to her, and the longer he took to come to terms with his wrong doing, the more she would be content to break their marriage and bond.

It wasn't what she wanted, and it was the thought of him residing in suffering that kept her from talking with him about it. She knew he would take the high road and point out it was her who had wanted to separate when she knew it was the both of them. They were just going through the motions until some sort of peace was found between the two of them. Over time, that contentment to break apart would likely fade too and they would come together; she didn't want to wait until that point though.

As he stripped down, her eyes came up and flashed to the driver behind, but Noah had moved out of sight fortunately as much as possible. Her eyes went back to her work briefly, only tarrying to him in care as he dropped down to walk. She wondered how long they would go at their spat this time. Already she missed the touch of his embrace, their lovemaking, and his deeper voiced words.

Elann decided to spend the next chunk of her time praying until evening or until Noah wanted back into the wagon. It was one thing to get into the wagon when it was still and he was injured, another when it was moving. There was still concern in her and love for his well being, and it would show if the opportunity presented itself; she was just tired of his bad behavior and couldn't ask him to change.

Journey to the East

As he lingered over his drawing, she didn't seem to care to notice, still focusing on her weaving. He ended up standing up and moving to the chest to do something or other, but she was in the motions of her weaving and had come to not bother with him worrying about what was going on. He never saw anything wrong with what he did to her and how it made her feel. It wasn't a vindictive behavior, though it seemed that way.

That silence came with a price however and it left her feeling alone; which her rug making and playing or talking with others seemed to cure. The pain of the fight and his words were real to her and she didn't feel like talking to him. He had said some very rude and hurtful things all because he didn't understand, and then abruptly ended their conversation with the all too familiar 'are we done' line. She -was- done, and she was bordering on being angry with him and had to keep reminding herself that he wasn't intentionally mean, though that at this point didn't seem to be true.

When a child goes up to someone and calls them fat or ugly, you correct the child and tell him it's not okay to do. She had tried to change him to better understand people and in relation her, to correct that bad behavior, and while that was slowly happening, it was with great resistance and harsh lashing. She had given up trying to change him as requested. As time passed however, it meant she would be hurt repeatedly, and she just couldn't take that anymore. Her silence was a response to show that and it was easy to understand she was hurt by him. If he wanted love from her, he would have to mend his wife, but as it was, she was focused elsewhere; not wanting to dwell on the thought of him and recycling old emotions which would only lead her to anger.

Journey to the East

Elann shifted slightly as her husband rose. Her eyes followed him as he went to go get water, but then went to her work shortly afterward. She felt bed for the man behind them, and if it wasn't for his patience (likely because he eventually got to see Aimee naked) he would have likely requested their wagon take up the rear most of them all. As it was, the driver was learning to just ignore it and look off slightly to the side when Noah was in his naked mode, or in this case, wearing underwear.

To Elann, this was public. Unless the flaps were closed, children could rush between the wagons, people moving up in the line to get something from wagons in front could see him, and she could see their faces every time. At least with Noah sitting in the bed he was slightly covered by the pillows and such. Riding in the wagons was a time for thinking, and as she worked on the rug, she thought of how close they were to Zeltiva, how the mountain could be seen, how the outpost was likely to be coming up soon. She wanted to tell him, but then she didn't.

Another breath, heavier than the others came out of her at the thought and she tried to remember when she was in her tent with her father and how he was so verbally abusive and how she just didn't enjoy being around him. It helped her relate to get into the mood of letting her weaving distract her. It seemed to work because by the time he had settled into drawing, she had forgotten she was even in the wagon with anyone.

Bells later, Elann would take a break to write in her journal and would also take a small drink of water, her first in a couple days. After a short break, sitting in silence, slowly drinking her water and obviously thinking, she would continue with her weaving until evening. While before she had kissed him, showed she still loved him, there was a cold silence in their bond and in her lack of acknowledging his presence. It wasn't hate, and subtle feelings were felt in the bond as emotions and thoughts dictated, but for the most part they were dulled and distant.

Journey to the East

It seemed that Noah was sad in minor part. She ignored it as she kissed, not letting his emotions influence hers. He seemed more content as she did, but then it returned as she flitted away. Still, she paid it little mind and proceeded to move to the edge of the wagon with her brush and began at first to shake her hair.

Streams of grass flew into the breeze that was nipping at the back end of the wagon. She wanted to tell her husband that Zulrav was likely calling him with his winds to come and play, but then again his words of telling her that she shouldn't speak about what she didn't know came back to her mind.

Taking in a deep breath, she began to brush through her hair and remove all the small blades that got stuck in the brush. It was a long process and in the end, left her hair blade free and with a beautiful shine to it. The darkened hair seemed almost reddish in the sun and resembled what her hair looked like when it was wet in its shade of brown.

Eventually she cleaned out her brush and let loose into the grass the ball of hair, only to stand and move to the front of the wagon to replace the brush. There she grabbed her work and began to work on Aimee's rug in silence. Her hands moved rapidly and didn't seem to miss a turn. They were repetitive for the most part, but every once in a while when a pattern would change, so would her hands, folding the knots in a different way. Despite her many hours on the rug, it was hardly past the first few strands and was only half an inch thick and six feet long. It surely would take her a long time.

Journey to the East

A good brushing of her hair was in order, as like Aimee, she had grass all in her locks. Coming into the wagon after seeing her husband asleep, she tried to be silent, however from his bond she could tell she was not silent enough. She wanted to display to her husband that she still loved him, she was just not happy with how he had treated her. Lowering herself to her knees, she pulled back the blanket to reveal his head. In their bond there was tension coming from her, but there was also the residual happiness. She leaned down to kiss his temple or hair, whatever was nearest and then would replace the blanket, stand, and carefully move to the back to get her brush.

Journey to the East

It wasn't long after the sprinting that Aimee caught her, and as the grass began to fly, the children once again swarmed. Somehow, throwing grass at one another had the ring to it of fun, and what once was just a playful battle between Aimee and Elann, soon turned into an all out war between the children and playful adults. Elann soon after started chasing the children down, scooping a couple under arm, while the rest threw grass at her and Aimee as long as she still wanted to play along.

Elann eventually tired of the games and shoo'ed the kids from her and voiced to Aimee, "I'm going to go work on your rug. Fun times ahead..."

It took her until she got back to the wagon for her to catch her breath, which wasn't long, but longer than it would take Aimee. Before entering, and as she approached, she looked for her husband, hoping he was not in a negative attitude.

Journey to the East

Aimee's insight was goo to hear. She figured that Noah would want to stay by her side, but given how he was already feeling, she knew he would likely take offense.

"Ah, it's okay. I like having you guys here. If you don't mind, just stick around. You can see how my rug is going to progress onward. Ooo exciting yes?"

She giggled a little and raced ahead, giving a look backward almost in tempting play to her sister to follow. Elann was not fast by any means. Unbeknownst to her new family though, she could likely walk in this nice weather for days before getting tired though. She had a great endurance, one that wouldn't quit, but you never really ran in the desert except when you were a child.

In a way, it was an invitation to have fun, and upon the likely gaining of Aimee, Elann would start a grass throwing war with her if at all possible; something the children at the orphanage would do.

Journey to the East

It felt good to laugh again, and laugh she did. It was strange to think that the cares that dominated her life would be nonexistent anymore.

"I'm sure I'll be overwhelmed at first, just like in Syliras, but I have my family to help me out and I'm sure I'll make friends pretty quickly. It does sound though like it had many things other places don't."

Aimee didn't know what else to say, but Elann did.

"I don't see why the two of you have to stay here being bored when we are this close. Why don't the two of you travel ahead? I'm sure he'd enjoy the flying anyways. I'm okay, I'm just going to be working on your rug the coming days, nothing special."

She wondered what she had to say about that. Elann was protected, and it was doubtful any bandits would attack the caravan this close to the outpost and city.