Arrival [open][grandfathered]

[Shamus]

Shamus hesitated before replying. His expression fell. She was right, of course, about the mages. He had admitted as much to himself when he had realized it too.  He had hoped that he could have offered her a little hope towards finding a way to leave this place. But maybe he had.

He slowly hung his flask back around his shoulder and knitted his hands together over his knee. "I don't really know, if they'll be afraid of you or not," he admitted glumly. "I mean, wherever you go people will always look at you a bit strangely, it seems, if you seem real foreign to them. What about that other place, that Cadmia place- were they afraid of you there? They were gonna make you a slave, did you say...?"

[Amarantha de Roherais]

"I do not know," Amarantha replied seriously.  "Was told to not go to Cadmia.  Very dangerous for me there.  For... Drifters?  Realm Drifters!  Yes, that was other word.  So to come here.  I did.  I followed the river.  There is still life in it.  It pleases me."  She paused and then admitted, "There is life in sands.  Has become used to it, to survive.  But homesteaders told me... strange story of desert.  Do you know it?"  She looked at him with curiosity.  "Makes me think."

She glanced to the side in thought for a moment before looking back at him.  "If I heal those like us, Realm Drifters, will they fear?"  She shook her head.  "I do not want metal things, the money, if they not have much.  Will do for free then!"

[Shamus]

Mystified, Shamus shook his head when she mentioned the desert.  The desert had stunned him the first time he had seen it.  Never in his life had he imagined that so much arid earth and sand could exist all in one place.  The sight of it alone had been strange enough for him. 

"I bet you a lot of people would be really glad if you could offer healing for free like that," he said, his smile growing wide.  He patted his chest.  "Especially the people who are living like I am, without any money to give to a doctor or a priest.  I mean, I think there will always be people who are afraid of you if you can cast magic, and maybe even call you a witch, but if you only cast the good kind..."

Shamus trailed off as a new thought suddenly struck him.  He looked down at his flask, then turned it slowly, listening to the muffled slosh from inside.  "Say," he said thoughtfully.  "I don't suppose... if someone were to give you another flask of dirty river water, would you be able to make it clean too...?"

[Amarantha de Roherais]

"I do not like fear," Amarantha replied once again, though she sounded more resigned to the idea this time around.  She sighed softly, but then smiled.  "If I am not scary, then they will not!" she told him hopefully, the general idea of it brightening her countenance considerably.  "They will see!"  She nodded firmly.  "I protect the fearhini.  I will protect them here, too, if I cannot go back."

She leaned forward a little towards the flask in his hands as he turned it around and around.  Finally, at his question, she looked up into his features innocently.  "I make anything pure," she assured him.  "Harder to make things, people, pure, but can do it too.  Easier when not in this body.  Can make big waters pure!  But must rest.  Very tired after.  Much harder when is people and evil, and sickness - will be tired for longer, maybe sick too, while it goes out of me."  She nodded at him somberly.  "But can do it.  Why you ask?"

[Shamus]

For a moment Shamus sat still.  Her question rang hollowly in his ears.  He was thinking of another thing she had said.  Make people pure...

He held his breath, considering it.  Then, realising that he was letting the silence draw out awkwardly, Shamus quickly brought his attention back to the present.  "Oh, er, well, I was just thinking of that river, and about how it passes along the city."

He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb and grinned.  "You've seen it, right?  It's a big one.  And it runs right next to the city.  That close, it's bound to get pretty dirty.  That's what happens, right, when you build a big urban centre like this next to a water source?  It gets a lot of that town or city's rubbish and sh- uh, sewage washed into it.  It happens.  Back home, there's a river in a big city called York.  That river is so bad now that rats trot across it."

With two fingers, he mimicked a pair of running legs.  "And people drink that cra- that crud!  Maybe they drink the river water here.  If it's really bad, really dirty, you might be able to do a big favour to people by helping them clean water they get from the river.  I bet a lot of poor people can only get water there, if it's expensive elsewhere."

[Amarantha de Roherais]

She looked thoughtful at the idea.  "Have seen the river," she agreed with a brief nod.  "But would be very draining.  Water becomes dirty often, from many places.  Could only make some pure, for short time."  She looked over his shoulder, as if picturing the river itself.  "Must go up river.  Before the dirty starts.  Or near it.  Will have to... hold it, keep doing it, to make it work.  Works better for still water, in ponds." 

And then she got a dubious expression.  "No pools of water at the river?  Can we dig one?"  She smiled at him afterward.  "Would be easiest, then!  Water come in, I can clean it for long time, people can use it!  Then can rest a little bit."

[Shamus]

Shamus' grin widened.  "That's amazing," he said, and then laughed.  "If there was even a pool of clean water people could go to..."

He then scratched his chin, liking the idea more by the minute.  He could remember what it was like back in York, trying to find clean water that was safe to drink.  In the summer it had always been worst.  Then, the foulness of the river had driven many people into the countryside.  Even Parliament had to stop sitting at times of the greatest stenches.  Only the installations of the pumping stations and sewers had managed to save the river, in the end.  And that was only after thousands had become sick.

Was that what it was like here?  He hadn't been in this city long enough to find out.  But existing in the desert as it did, there had to be difficulties with water.

"I don't think it would be too hard to have a pool like that dug," he said slowly, his brow furrowed as he thought it over.  "And then a lot of people could use it. Hey, if I ever come across people who are looking for fresh water, poor people and the like, could I send then to you to have it cleaned for them?" he suddenly added, looking up at her brightly.  "I mean, I'd understand if you wouldn't want a bunch of strangers bugging you like that, but...!"

[Amarantha de Roherais]

She was unaware of what the city might do should a pool of clean water become available to the poor folk they were gouging for money.  In Amarantha's mind, it was quite simple: she could purify the water to make it safe and free of poisons, just as she had done many times for both herself and for others - mostly forest creatures.  It was part and parcel of the legends regarding the Roherais, as much as the siren song of beautiful virgins leading them to their doom in later years.  There was a grain, a large grain, of truth to it, but as legends go it had taken on a life of its own.

Not that she was aware of those, either.

"I would not mind them," she said with a smile.  "They do not bother me.  If they fear, you will drink first to show safety?"  She gave him a worried look.  "I do not wish to frighten that way."  She nodded again.  "But until pool made, can purify water for them.  Who... will dig?"  She looked around at the passing people, brow furrowing.  "Many hate us.  Do you know others?"

[Shamus]

"I don't, to be honest with you," admitted Shamus.  He rubbed his hand along his jaw and then let it fall back to his lap.  "I could dig a small pool myself, but for anything larger than that..."

He trailed off again.  The idea was turned around and around in his mind as he tried to make it fit into a place in his plan where it would work.  Supply and demand said that providing clean water where it was needed was a good proposal.  That was a basic rule of trade, that was.  Like Amarantha, he didn't know how city officials would react.  All he knew was that he was looking for a job to do while he was stuck in this strange place.  If not a job, then a task.  A calling.  Something! Delivering fresh water seemed promising.

"Maybe we could start small first," he said slowly, thinking his way through the tricky problem.  Shamus looked over at her and grinned again, his cheer swiftly reasserting itself.  "Until more people offer to help, that is!  Like, all we need at first are jars, bottles, flasks- things that can hold water.  I can rummage those up pretty easy, I think.  Or make them.  Once we have those kinds of things, we can fill them from the river and you could purify them.  Then I could run and deliver that water around the city.  What do you think?  And wow, I'm sorry, I feel like I'm sorta dragging you into something here," he added sheepishly, scrubbing the back of his head.

[Amarantha de Roherais]

She shook her head quickly.  "No no, is... how you say?  Okay?"  She nodded afterwards happily.  "I wish to be part of this.  Must do something, yes?  This is good."  She squinted slightly in the relentless sunlight.  "Will help with jars.  Will mend them!"  She faltered a little.  "No.  Must learn to mend them human way.  Cannot trust my magic.  Is not like healing living things."

She finally regarded him with complete attention for several long moments.  "I have no name," she told him.  "Homesteaders gave me one.  Real name is... not in this speech.  Mortal mouths."  She looked at him apologetically.  "I am Amarantha, they said.  I like this name.  So I use it.  Amarantha de Roherais.  Your name?"

She smiled and looked around again.  "Where to start?  To look for jars for water?  Must... carry them.  All over city.  Unless there is other way?  To go to people?"

[Shamus]

Looking very pleased, Shamus scrambled down from his crate and brushed the dust from the seat of his trousers.

"I'm Shamus," he said as he turned back to face her.  He grinned and, not thinking that perhaps an otherworldly creature might not be familiar with the friendly gesture, he held out his hand for her to shake.  "It's real nice to meet you, Miss Amarantha."

"As for looking for jars and bottles and skins and things to put water in, well, to be honest with you I was just going to nick them out of the rubbish," he added a little lamely.  His face reddened and waved his other hand.  "I know, it's a bit, well... it's not a very nice job to have to do.  But I don't mind, I've done it before.  And people throw out lots of stuff like that.  I wouldn't blame you at all if you wanted to leave that part of the task to me.  And once we've fixed them up and cleaned them, and filled them with pure water, we can always start delivering them on foot at first...?  It might be a good way to see more of the city."

[Amarantha de Roherais]

The tall figure currently at ease in her seated position watched him with concern as he scrambled down from his perch on the crates.  She looked half ready to rise to her feet as well before she realized that she wasn't entirely sure if it was proper to do.  Being a human was stranger than she had ever considered.  It was especially true when the other stuck out his hand and introduced himself as Shamus.  She blinked and stared at the curious gesture for several long moments, glanced up at him for a moment, and then reached out to mirror the image hesitantly.  She didn't take his  hand in her own, but merely stuck it out the same way.  "Is this a greeting for humans?" she asked him with great confusion.  "To show the palms?"

She garnered a thoughtful expression afterwards.  "Rubbish.  You say they are not clean?  Can make them clean.  Safe to use.  Then have safe water inside them."  She couldn't help the baffled look that happened as she considered part of his words, however.  "What is nick them?" she asked as she finally rose from her place on the crates.  "I do not know that word."  She shook her head at him.  A moment later, she followed it with a final question.  "And where do we sleep?"  He was, apparently, part of her group at this point, and would be in the same sleeping place.  She said it quite naturally, however, as if meaning it in a completely innocent fashion.  Which, given her demeanor thus far, was probably quite the astute assessment.

[Shamus]

For a moment Shamus was taken aback.  He stared at her outstretched palm and blinked.  Then, when he realised the misunderstanding he laughed and clasped her hand, shaking it  and releasing it before the gesture could seem too strange to her.  Or so he hoped.

"Sleeping?" he said a moment later.  "What, like... you and me?" 

Astonished, he pointed back and forth between them.  He stared.  Her expression appeared open and honest however, as if she did not consider anything odd about the question.

Slowly, Shamus' face began to turn red.  "Oh, er, well, I've got a place where I've been sleeping, down near the river!" he stammered.  "I mean, it's not very nice, being that it's practically out on the street.  I don't know how appropriate it'd be for, you know, young ladies, since it's pretty dirty.  But you're welcome to sleep there if you've got nowhere else to go- you know, in separate blankets. Like, a spot for each of us."

With both hands Shamus pantomimed twice, indicating two spots on the ground.  He could feel his ears burning.   Feeling fairly certain he was making an idiot of himself, he grinned anxiously and added, "I could take you down there to show you?  If there's nothing else you need to do...?"

[Amarantha de Roherais]

Something akin to understanding dawned on Amarantha's face as he clasped her hand with his own to shake it.  "Oh!" she breathed.  "I see!  This is how to welcome new ones?  Taking hands?"  She smiled and suddenly pumped his arm vigorously.  "Yes!  Meeting you is good!"

She did release his hand, however, and it might have been considered innocently abruptly.  She fell into her repose again, somehow appearing at ease and graceful despite the fact she was standing in front of him.  She peered at him closely as he seemed out of sorts, and growing red.  She let him stammer on and, at the end, pointed at him with a cocked head.  "Your face," she noted.  "Is pink now.  Are you too hot?  Is it the sun?"  She seemed concerned for his health and safety for a moment, but did nod her agreement with his words.  "Yes, you and me," she echoed him.  "We work together.  Best to stay together for safety.  The herd is strong."  She gave him a look that seemed wiser than her youth should've allowed.  "Dirt is no matter.  Is natural.  Comes off too.  Would like a safe place to sleep." 

She smiled at him at the end and told him, "I want to see it, yes.  Have nothing else to do here.  Do not know what to do anyway."  She should have shrugged at this point, but she didn't.  It was, perhaps, a strange quality, yet fitting for the equally strange lady who embodied it.

[Shamus]

She didn't mind dirt?  Shamus was startled.  Weren't girls supposed to hate dirt, and being dirty?  Many of the women he had met looked upon dust no more favourably than they would a rat.  Despite his embarrassment, he was impressed by how quickly she dismissed it as of no great concern.  Yeah!  A little dirt never hurt anyone.

A little of the redness faded from his face.  Shamus brightened and stepped out from underneath the awning.  The full glare of the twin suns struck his face and he tugged the brim of his cap down to shield his eyes.

"I- I guess I am a little too hot, yeah," he said sheepishly.  "But, er, here, this way...!"

With a newfound enthusiasm the young man motioned for her to follow him down the street, amidst the rest of the strolling crowds and noonday browsers.  He grinned.  "Like I said, it's not far!  I can probably, er... find you some blankets to sleep on, since it does get a bit chilly at night.  I never would have figured that, what with this city sitting in the middle of a great dirty desert.  Maybe then we can take a look at the river.  And then I can begin to see about, er... liberating some old bottles and things for water."