Who Are You?

Writers: Miriah, Yvonne
Date Posted: 30th June 2014

Characters: Humari, Taril, Yarmel
Description: Taril and Humari get a chance to speak to one another before the wedding
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 7, day 25 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Yriadha; Comes before Have To Get Away

Humari

They were so lovely. Humari watched as wild flits darted over the waters of the bay, wishing for a moment that she could fly with them. Curling her legs under her skirt on the bench, she did her best not to glance behind her. Her eldest brother Yarmel stood nearby, ever watchful. She had not had one moment alone since the contract had been signed; her mother wouldn't allow it. If it wasn't Yarmel, it was Bortem, or worse Riadem, whose position as a guard had gone to his head in the worst way. She often wished it were her sister, but she had her own family to care for. She stifled another sigh, turning her gaze back to the water.

A tumble of stones heralded another's approach. A fair-haired boy, who headed straight to Yarmel. "Sir, the Captain's looking for you. You need to go to him straight away!"

Yarmel frowned and scratched his head before huffing a sigh. "Tell him I'll be right there." He turned to Humari and cleared his throat. "Time to go home, Humari. I'll be there to check on you after."

Shoulders slumped a little as Humari rose and brushed off her skirt with a sigh. "I'm going."

"I mean it. If you're not..."

Humari turned her head to look over her shoulder and hugged herself. "I'm going."

Yarmel nodded brusquely and turned on his heel, but looked over his shoulder to double check that Humari had walked away from the bench.

"Come on, come on!" the boy chivvied him on, until they were around the bend and out of sight.

For a moment, the only sound was the waves and the cries of the firelizards on the breeze. A brown firelizard popped from /between/ and landed on the bench, its eyes whirling blue. He chirped at Humari, as if wanting her to come closer.

Humari stopped and stared at the brown firelizard for a moment. Biting her lower lip, she glanced down the path that Yarmel had taken and seeing that he was gone, took a single step towards it. "Hello there. Who do you belong to?"

"Me, actually." Taril stepped out from behind a tree. "His name's Dodger."

There was a squeak of surprise and Humari whirled to face Taril, her eyes wide. It took only a moment before she dipped in a curtsey to greet him. She bit her lip and glanced in the direction where Yarmel had went. "Sir...I mean...Taril. Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon." He nodded, feeling a bit badly for scaring her. Dodger took flight from the bench and landed on his shoulder, wrapping his brown tail securely around Taril's neck. "Are you headed back?"

"Uhm.." She glanced at the path and shifted on her feet. "Yarmel told me to go home." Her eyes swung back to the brown on his shoulder. "I didn't know you had a firelizard."

"Don't worry. He's very well trained." Taril reached up to scratch the brown's eyeridges, and the firelizard leaned into his touch. "He's about fourteen turns old, give or take. A gift from my youngest brother, Terion."

"I wasn't worried. I...I like firelizards." Her eyes became wistful as she watched him scratch Dodger. At the mention of 'brother', she bit her lower lip. If she wasn't home by the time her brother checked on her, he'd tell her mother. "I shouldn't be here without an escort..."

"I can walk you back, if you like." He said it as if it wasn't his plan all along. Yriadha had her daughter locked up tight, and it had required bribing the young boy to lie to Yarmel to get Humari alone. It was one thing to have a watchful family, but this was ridiculous.

"I..I guess that would be okay." Her brow knit and she rubbed at her arms for a moment. "If you don't mind, that is." She wasn't really sure what to do with the offer. He was still basically a stranger, even if she was to wed him and she didn't know what her mother had told him about her. She also
didn't know what her mother's response would be to her walking with him. Would she be angry? Her last round of bruises had finally faded and she really didn't want Yarmel to give her another set.

"Of course not. I was on my way back to the Hold anyway." Which was a half truth at best. He gestured for her to start down the path. "And it gives us an opportunity to talk a bit before the wedding. I find I know very little about you."

She started down the path, but kept her pace slow to accommodate his pace with his crutch. "I honestly don't know if I'm supposed to." That was honest enough. "Or what to say to you." She glanced over at him. "I know just as little about you." **Or why you want to marry me.**

"Well." Taril thought for a moment. "I have a firelizard named Dodger, and two younger brothers - Terion, whom I mentioned, and Raltar. Both they and my father captain ships. My family has five ships in total. My mother's name is Ataria, and she is..." He paused again, searching for just the right word. "Well, you'll meet her at the wedding. I hate onions but I'll eat them if I must. I don't drink overly much. And I don't really have a favourite colour, but if pressed I'd have to say the colour of rust. If that's even a colour."

"I had heard you had several ships." Humari spoke softly, then fell silent as she considered what to tell him and what was safe to tell him. "There's really not much to me. You've met my mother. My father passed shortly after I was born." She walked slowly, watching the ground in front of her. "I have five brothers and one sister and several nieces and nephews. Most of my brothers are guards and my sister is wed to another guard." She nibbled her lower lip. "You know my favorite color."

"What do you like to do when you're free?" he asked.

That made her pause in her steps. She hadn't been 'free' in months, it seemed and it was hard for her to remember what she used to enjoy. She always had someone watching her. She picked her steps back up and rubbed at her arms. "Well, uhm..." She didn't like traditional things, like cooking or making embroidery. To her they were dull. "I used to ride a bit. I liked that. " She remembered being scolded when she was much younger by her older brother for going full speed on a runner. It wasn't lady-like. "And I used to sneak away and fish." Another unlady like activity.

Taril hid a smile. He'd have to take her to Red Rocks Cove sooner rather than later. "My mother fishes. She makes her own lures, too."

"She does? And your father doesn't mind?" For a moment, she looked excited, her eyes gleaming before remembering herself. "I was told ladies didn't do that sort of thing. Not well bred ladies." Her smile faded a little and she looked away. She used to have so much fun running wild around the Hold. Her mother blamed what happened with her and Vreena on how she had allowed her too much freedom. She cleared her throat and smoothed her skirts.

"Well... I'm not sure that my mother is 'well-bred'." He shrugged. "It's different at fishing cotholds. I'll take you out there one day, and you can go fishing with her."

She looked over at him. "And...you don't mind?" She frowned. "You don't think its wrong for a woman to fish?" Humari pushed a lock of hair from her face. It reminded her that he had never really answered her question from before. "What do you think is wrong for a wife to do?" Her expression was earnest, but there was an element of wariness to it as well.

And it was a dangerous question, one that made him think that she was just waiting to push the boundaries. Perhaps she wasn't as submissive as he thought. "Cheat. Lie. Steal. Undermine me." Taril frowned. "I don't expect much, Humari. This isn't a love match. But I do demand respect. If you respect me, I'll do the same for you."

She tried to hide the flush. What would he do when he figured out that her mother had misled him about her? Hadn't told him the complete truth? Would
he take it out on her? She withdrew a bit and nodded. "A wife should respect her husband." She looked away. "You said something before about 'partners'. What did you mean?"

"Partners respect each other and support each other. That's what I want." There was more to it than that, but it wasn't something that he could explain. "I want a harmonious home. Don't you?"

She nodded slowly. "So..." she bit her lip, trying to figure out how to ask the next question without revealing too much. "What happens if we disagree on something?"

"We'll talk about it." And in the end, he'd have his way. He always did. But that wasn't worth talking about now. "We'll deal with it when it happens. I wouldn't worry too much. I'm not an unreasonable man."

"You wouldn't...uhm...strike your wife?" Her eyes flew to his and she quickly followed the question. "I only ask because some men do. I...I just want to know what to expect."

The question made him sad. Of course she thought he would. He looked like a monster, didn't he? "I've never struck a woman in my life, and I'm not going to start."

There was evident relief on her face and tension in her shoulders visibly eased. It sounded almost too good to be true. Maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be too bad. Actually giving a bit more of a smile, she asked another question. What do you like to do?"

"Humari!" The loud voice made her jump and she paled as Yarmel rushed up to them. "You should have already been home!" He grabbed her arm and she winced as he pulled her away.

"Yarmel." Taril spoke softly, but with authority. "She's fine. She's with me."

"She's not your wife yet, Taril." Yarmel's gaze was hard as he stared at Humari. "And since my father is not alive, its my responsibility that her reputation remains intact. I had told her to go home immediately. She didn't listen."

"And _you_ left her all alone, by herself, on the edge of a cliff." Taril tipped his head to one side. "Very responsible of you. I'm sure your mother will approve. As will the Captain. He's very into safety."

Eyes darkened with irritation and face flushed with anger, Yarmel's hand tightened on Humari's arm. Humari paled but allowed herself to be pulled away, her eyes downcast. Yarmel's lips twisted. "The wedding is only a sevenday or so away. You can see her then. Shells, then you'll have her all to yourself. But until then, she isn't to be left alone. Good evening, Taril."

"I'll give my regards to the Captain," Taril said genially, although his expression was far from. Yarmel was proving to be an annoyance. There was only one thing to do with annoyances. "Humari, it was a pleasure. I'll see you soon."

"Come Humari." Yarmel scowled and pulled her behind him. She looked over her shoulder at her betrothed mouthing a quick goodbye before her eldest brother pulled her out of sight.

Last updated on the July 1st 2014

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