Visitors[cont.]

[Treijim]

[Continued from A Spiritual Quest]

"I almost thought those guards back there wouldn't let us past," Amarion said, somewhat to himself, leaning back in his chair in the warmth and light of the carriage. "This road leads straight to Hluff. We'll likely reach there quite soon but we're bound to encounter some Sirins along the way. Keep any weapons sheathed and we should be fine."

He glanced out of the window at the dark blue glow outside. All was still and the only noise besides the horses driven by their rider was the gentle flurry of light snow. Frost had lined the sills of the windows since they left Fabia in the morning and the air quickly grew colder.

[Dreadicon]

Fin was taking in the new surroundings, but the mention of a possible Sirin encounter caught his ear.

"Master Alacas, I forgot to ask, are there any customs they have that I should know about? I wouldn't want to inadvertently offend them..." he said.

[Treijim]

Amarion turned to him and smiled warmly. "Simply respect them: Don't talk back, make offensive gestures, or use any low form of wit or humour. The Sirin sense of humour is something that has baffled me for many a year."

He stroked his chin with his gloved hand and looked back out of the window. The horses were slowing to a gentle halt and there were voices outside. Amarion turned to Fin with quite a blank look.

[Dreadicon]

Fin shifted uncomfortably, but kept his calm. "I take it you should do the talking....?" he said in a low voice. He was nervous, but oddly not afraid. He tried to see out the window without leaning too close to it.

[Treijim]

Amarion nodded, "Please." And he turned to the door as it swung open.

A man who looked quite dark in the low light looked in quickly and studied both humans with his glinting blue eyes. He left again, said something to another man in an odd language, and came back, looking now at Amarion.

"Are you armed?" the Sirin said.

Amarion nodded. "But we mean no harm. We want to talk to your elders and then we shall be on our way. The weapons are only for our own defence, just as you are also armed."

The Sirin eyed Fin warily and then retreated into the snowy woods by the road, followed by the other Sirin.

"I suppose they shall know of our arrival within minutes," Amarion said. "But we will reach Hluff within the hour. How are you feeling about this?"

[Dreadicon]

Fin was back to his enthusiastic expression. "I was right about them! They're more than reasonable people, and I can't wait to hear more about them. I've seen pictures of Sirins before in books, but being able to see one in person is so much better!" He brought himself down a notch. "I know it's dangerous, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?"

[Treijim]

"So true words," Amarion said with a nod and a smile. "Nothing comes without trying. The Sirins are indeed interesting people. The fur still bothers me when I see them. I cannot imagine how annoying it must get, but then I suppose that is why they usually wear open tops and shorts. But then, they live in the snow, so one would think they would freeze. However, this is not possible, for Sirins have such chemicals in their blood that it is resistant to quite low temperatures. Oh! Listen to me babble! I apologise. Your enthusiasm rubs off on me, young man. It has been so long since I have gone on an... adventure."

They did reach the village soon and were greeted (or inspected, rather) by three Sirin men with spears, each with a solemn expression and all light on their feet, athletic as they seemed. They led the two humans to a large home with two stories. All of the homes were made of dark wood and actually seemed quite civilised, contrary to popular belief.

"Do you want to see the elders now?" Amarion asked. "You can look around a little if you want, I suppose. It's entirely up to you."

[Dreadicon]

Fin pondered for a moment, it was a tough decision. He wanted to know a bit more about the Sirins, but at the same time he felt he was getting close to his goal. Finally he made up his mind. "I don't want to stir up trouble, but I would like to know more about them....So if I can take just a short time meeting some of them without causing too much trouble, I would like to." Fin also felt there was more to learn about them than what you find in scientific accounts.

[Treijim]

At that precise moment, someone ran into Fin at high speeds. Both people were knocked to the ground, and as Amarion helped Fin to his feet, he saw that the other was a Sirin boy.

The boy paused. He seemed, if not for a moment, paralysed. "Ah!" he cried. "I'm sorry. Uh, is this about the bracelet? I didn't take it! I swear! I had nothing to do with it! I stopped taking things months ago! Years, even!"

Amarion lifted his palm and quieted the child. "No, boy, we are not The Guards or anything like them. We are simply here to speak to your elders." He looked at Fin, remembering how he had just said he wanted to meet someone, and then back to the young Sirin. "I am Amarion Alacas, mayor of Alacas. This fellow beside me is Fin. Tell me, what is your name?"

The boy paused and then muttered, "Nari."

[Dreadicon]

Fin was much more surprised than anything by the collision, and after ensuring he was undamaged, studied briefly the subject who had collided with him.

Once he had regained his surroundings, Fin's usual enthusiastic expression returned. "Nice to meet you, Nari. You were in quite a hurry, is there somewhere you need to be?"

[Treijim]

"Uhh," Nari bit his lip for a moment.

The sun was beginning to set and a warm light was cast over the village that shot between the houses in the form of soft shafts. One of them struck Nari, lighting the left side of his body and highlighting his fur, making him glisten in an ethereal manner. His head was bowed slightly but his eyes were fixed on Fin's, shining like crystal waters.

"I'm just gonna see my friend," he finally said. "We're going to the forest tonight. Nothing important... Sorry for bumping into you Fin." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts and curled half his mouth into a smile.

[Dreadicon]

Fin smiled in return, "Ah, don't worry about it. I suppose we should both be going, but maybe you could show me around a bit sometime? If it's not too much trouble, of course. I want to know more about this place and the people in it too. It seems like a very nice town."

[Treijim]

Nari nodded and swayed back and forth slightly. "Sure! I can do that. I'll see you when you get back or whatever." And he sprinted off around the corner.

"I've always found Sirin children amusing," Amarion said slowly. "Don't you think? Ah, anyway, we should see Rece and Tlar now. Follow me."

He took Fin to this two-story house and the guard let them inside. The air was thick and warm compared to the fresh and cool air outside. It was quite a change, though of course the Sirins did not feel it. The room they came to was quite large and a staircase climbed the wall on the right and led to a balcony overlooking this large room. On the left wall was a great stone fireplace with two comfortable-looking couches either side of an old and short table. They seemed to be the only two couches in Hluff. On the further couch sat a Sirin with his arms folded. Amarion approached this man and bowed.

"Amarion," said the man. "Do you remember me? I am Rece."

"I do," Amarion replied. "And this young man is Fin. We are on a quest."

Rece looked at Fin quickly, raising one eyebrow in curiosity.

[Dreadicon]

As soon as Amarion bowed, Fin immediately bowed as well. "Yes, I am seeking to learn more about Leuvana and the Truebloods. Of all the Deities, Leuvana is the only one who aids those here in Riiga to my knowledge, and it is said the Truebloods have contact with her." He said, unsure if this was the right or best thing to say.

[Treijim]

Rece looked at Amarion, and then at Fin again. He nodded to the other couch, inviting them to sit, and then uncrossed his arms.

"You're asking a lot. The residence of the Truebloods is something us elders have kept secret since Sirins were born. To give this information away would be a betrayal of their trust." He narrowed his eyes. "However... Your intent is not malicious. I see that in your eyes, hear it in your voice, and feel it in your aura." He glanced towards the door as if to ensure nobody else was listening. "You will need a boat. We have none, and those of the humans are not strong enough. Even if I wanted to visit them myself, I could not."

He drew a slow breath and stroked his chin slowly, his eyes still fixed on Fin's. Releasing his breath through his nose, he opened his mouth to say something more.

"I do believe that there is no way for you to reach them. I think the only option is for them to come see you, but you must travel westward to the other shore, where the wind is like ice. If you are willing to do this under the guidance of a Sirin, then that is what you may do."

He looked at Amarion, who had nothing in particular to say. The two men seemed to have an affinity with one another though.