"The 'Esplurer' Situation"
-Keep in mind Kissiri is only 1 1/2 feet tall when reading this.
Kissiri returns from the long trip that she took, sneaking into the arena to see if she can glimpse the exotic monsters that prowl it's premises. She prances into the tavern, frolicking about with a sweet pink flower in her hand. She giggles running around the tavern as she bounces between the tables. She keeps running around until she hears the voice of a Nolthrir woman named Iriha that is sitting at a table across the room. She frowns and to another person in the room she says: "What's a little girl doing running around loose in here?"
Kissiri sits down on the ground, and crawls under one of the tables, looking down into the basement room as she holds onto one of it's legs. While she positions herself to look over the ledge, a menki named Sacho glances over at her, "It isn't that uncommon for children to play around this tavern." Kissiri doesn't hear his voice, she giggles while brushing her flower as if a child, as she glares down into the basement seats, hanging dangerously close to the edge of the ledge.
Iriha makes a slight face. "Oh, I see. Well, at any - oh, honestly. She'll fall." she says, as she gets up out of her table, and stands up. "Child, get away from the edge!" she says.
Sacho looks back over at the edge and seems a little surprised. Kissiri squeeks as she hears the voice of an adult, telling her to back away from the ledge she dangles her feet from enjoying the cool sensation that drifts from the stone floor of the basement.. She looks back, from the dirty underneath of the table and glares at the Noltirir and Menki curiously. Iriha frowns, taking a few steps closer. "You'll fall, sitting there." she warns, then Iriha adds, sotto voice, "Honestly. Children."
Sacho walks over to the table and leans onto the railing of the ledge. Seeing this, Kissiri crawls out from underneath the table, approaching the woman as she slowly gets on her feet. She looks up at her towering figure "Hewow." In responce, Iriha frowns down at Kissiri. "Where is your parent?"
Sacho smiles warmly as he watches, Kissiri, far away from the warm smile, tilts her head, saying to the woman in a quick lie to cover up her runaway "Don'e got one!" She says this in a high pitched tone. Iriha looks startled, before hastily drawing herself up with dignity. "Well. Is anyone looking after you?"
Kissiri shrugs, lowering her voice to a serious tone "I looke' afta myself." She smiles up at the nolthrir, placing her hands on her hips enthusiastically. Iriha says, sharply, "You're not doing a good job of it. Sacho! Where could we take her where someone would look after her?"
oh no! Kissiri thinks, she bites her nails and creases her brow, looking back at the menki for a moment before looking up at the nolthrir again "Well...I gots to go.." She scrambles out of the tavern as fast as she can, which is not very fast. The two chase after her, right on her pigtails, she runs around the tavern past the two menki guards as she takes a quick left, heading towards the lighter part of the two directions. While chasing her Iriha yells "Stop right there!" and "I said stop!" Kissiri picks up her pace, until she meets a ledge that hangs over a deadly fall. She looks behind herself and squeels.
Iriha reaches out to grab Kissiri, and she backs up, closer to the ledge. "I don'e like it when peoplez grab me." Kissiri mutters.
Iriha says: "You naughty little nuisance! We're just going to take you to a temple or something!" As Iriha approaches, Kissiri shakes her head "no...no...no!" she begins to back up, suddently loosing balance off the edge. Iriha gives a startled shriek, darting forward to try to grab her, and Kissiri hangs on with both of her hand, her flower has fallen many meters down to the ground, crumpled in the grass somewhere. Tears and fears are in her eyes "Leab me alone!"
Sacho looks over at Iriha and rolls his eyes. "Iriha, please let her go."
Iriha says: "I'm not going to let her drop to her death, you idiot. Help me pull her up."
Sacho sighs. "I don't want you to drop her..... Just stop following her."
Kissiri struggles, trying not to fall off the ledge to her intimidating fall. She plans to stay away from any boring temples, bound to doing things that she doesn't want to do. She threatens "I'll let go, if you bring me to a temple" Kissiri looks away for a moment and then looks back up at the woman, "promizz me!"
Iriha growls. "I hate children. I really, really, really - fine, if you'll let me pull you up, I'll take you to the guards or somebody. But not a temple."
Kissiri frowns "Why you!" She lets one hand hang off the ledge. "Say you won't!"
Sacho reaches out to pull the child up, but does not release his hold on her. "I will take you there, if you wish." Kissiri is pulled up, away from her terrifying risk of falling off the ledge. Kissiri grubles as she is pulled up onto the pavement again. "hhmmmph."
Iriha says "Thank you" to Sacho, before she reaches over to grab Kissiri's arm. Tightly. "There must be somewhere we can take you."
Kissiri looks up at Sacho "Leb meh go! Dat hurts!" She then looks up at the nolthrir "Oow, stob it!"
Sacho nods to Iriha. "I apologize for the misunderstanding. But, please release her has nowhere to run." but Iriha gives Sacho a blank stare. "She just threatened to drop to her death. I'm not in a trusting mood with this little idiot." All the while annoyed, Kissiri tries to yank her hand away from Sacho's grip, and gets angry at Iriha for calling her an idiot so she blurts a "No you are!" as she pokes her tongue out of her mouth at Iriha.
Sacho releases the child. "So what is your plan Iriha?"
Kissiri imitates "yeah, what is your plan Iriha?!" In response, Sacho gives the dwarf a quick glare.
Iriha keeps her tight grip of Kissiri's arm. "Laanx's Temple is closest. I don't care, really, if she doesn't want to go."
Kissiri attempts to yank her arm away from Iriha "Leb me go!" She scowls up at her, stomping her feet on the ground in a tantrum.
Sacho frowns and sits down next to Kissiri. "And where would you like to go, miss?" he says, talking to her at little dwarf level.
Iriha makes a face, but goes quiet to let Sacho talk. But is definitely not loosening her grip. Kissiri looks over to Sacho feeling less intimidated, "I wanna leab'e town again and goes to the outside an' esplur."
Sacho calmly nods his head and speaks the soft tone. "And where do you sleep when you go exploring?"
Kissiri smiles "I sleeb unner the trees, in big patches of grass, sombetimes even in campees." She frowns back at Iriha "So coulb you let me go?"
Her frowned question to Iriha was answered with a blatant "No."
Sacho looks at Kissiri. "How would you like to sleep in a bed tonight?"
Kissiri stomps her feet even harder this time, trying to yank away from Iriha with all of her strength. She frowns over to Sacho and yells "No!" Iriha reaches over to grab Kissiri's other arm, glaring thunderously. "Stop it!"
Any little five year old girl would be shattered and frightened by this glare, giving in, but this brave little 'esplurer' gets angry and begins to attack Iriha's leg, shaking it with brutal little girl force "No no no! You let me go!"
Sacho sighs and stands up. "Alright, well lets at least continue this at Kada El."
Iriha hisses, "You are sorely testing my patience. Come." And she positions herself to frog-march Kissiri to the tavern.
Kissiri holds her ground, stopping all of her shaking as she looks back over the ledge "But ma' flowa!" She looks back over the ledge, worried about her precious flower that fell over the edge as she let go of it to hold a more important thing.
Iriha snaps, "If you'll behave, I'll give you another!" Sacho reaches down in an attempt to pick up Kissiri from behind and hold her tightly to his chest. Kissiri is picked up off her feet, scrambling all of her appendages as she does so letting out a "Ughhh!" noise before Sacho looks to Iriha and says "Lets go." Iriha finally releases her grip on Kissiri's arms and says a quick "Thanks." to Sacho as she followed him, carrying Kissiri off. All along Kissiri struggles, and Sacho keeps a handle on her, yet Iriha asks "Need help with her?" Sacho shakes his hand. "I'm fine."
In the tavern, Kissiri flails about, trying to get out of Sacho's arms.
Iriha sighs. "Sit her down in one of the chairs, perhaps? Listen, dwarf child, I'll give you a flower if you'll sit nicely." Sacho sits Kissiri down on a chair, but continues to hold onto one of her arms. Kissiri screams over at Iriha as she is seated, "I wanna geb ma' own flowa."
Iriha glares. "Small children don't get to do whatever they like. Hush."
Kissiri struggles to try and get out of Sacho's grip, anxious to hop over and attack Iriha viciously "You don'b tell me what to do!" Kissiri shakes her head around as she says so.
Sacho tights his grip and looks at the young dwarf. "You have a choice miss. You can continue to fight, or stop. It is your choice."
Kissiri hisses "I'm gon' do what I want mista!"
Iriha glances over at somebody, before turning her attention back to Kissiri. "No, I don't think you will. Hush."
Kissiri keeps an intense glare up at Sacho "I wanna go, leb me go!"
Iriha reaches up to rub at her temples, wincing. There was a debate on where to take the young child. "How about Jardet? Does he take abandoned waifs?"
Sacho looks straight at Kissiri. "This is your last warning. Stop, and I will release you." But Kissiri doesn't look at Sacho, no, she was just called a waif, how dare she say that! Kissiri thought, before she told Iriha what she was thinking "I'm no waeef you dirty clacker!"
Sacho sighs as he pulls a glyph from his haversack with his free hand.
Kissiri opens her eyes wide in shock that she let herself call a stranger such a word. She looks back up at Sacho and keeps a frown "I isn't doin' anything!" Kissiri then shakes her head at the site of Sacho's glyph. It cant be she thinks not a sl..sleep glyph!
Sacho looks to Kissiri. "Have you had enough?"
Kissiri keeps her eyes glued and wide, pierced on the glyph in Sacho's hand. "Don'b you dare cass it!"
Iriha says: "Then be a good girl and stay still!"
Kissiri looks over at Iriha "I am still you dirty...cl..." she stops herself.
Sacho nods. "Then do you agree to stay here, quietly for a few minutes?"
Kissiri turns her head to Sacho, her braids flap as she does so. "Why jusb a few?"
Sacho smiles warmly. "Because, then you are going upstairs to a room for the night."
Iriha makes a face. "But I drink here, I don't want a bunch of - oh, very well."
Kissiri frowns again, beggining to shake as she does so, shaking her head along with the bodily tremble "I don't wanna sleeb, I wanna esplore."
Sacho speaks softly. "You can do that in the morning when it is light out alright?"
Kissiri grumbles, looking down at the yucky tavern floor for a long moment of silence.
Iriha sighs. "And that doesn't solve the long-term problem." and Iriha adds: I don't know how it is on this level, but back home we didn't let abandoned children wander about."
Sacho glares at Iriha, then somebody else in the room. Iriha draws herself up, dignified, at Sacho's glare. In an undertone she mutters, "I'm just saying..."
While scooting back in the chair Kissiri says "I wanna see my rocky friends..." Kissiri wobbles back and forth the way a dergir does.
Sacho looks to Kissiri. "Now wait a moment and I will get a room for the night. Agreed?" Kissiri nods to Sacho, still rocking back and forth, humming to herself. He slowly releases the young dwarf. Waiting to catch her if she bolts. Iriha keeps a wary eye on Kissiri, but says nothing. Kissiri keeps her bum in the chair watching Sacho as he slowly moves away from her. This is my chance! She realizes, watching Sacho as he says to Allelia: "Allelia, I believe I am going to need a room for a few nights." He sets a few circles on the bar top. He then returns with a key. Kissiri watches as Sacho goes to the bar, and quickly hops off the chair running out of the tavern, past the gripping hands of Iriha.
She bolts through back ally's, running until she loses the two that chase behind her. She finds herself on a thin stone fence near a courtyard and a few towers. She sits against the wall, on top of a thin stone ledge that barely supports her. She stays there until the two find her. Mad, Kissiri looks down at Sacho and frowns "ggrrr" she mutters.
Sacho chuckles when he notices Kissiri. "So there you are." Iriha was still looking around, until Sacho points up the wall.
Kissiri frowns and looks down at Sacho, giving him a harsh scowl "Stop followin'b me!"
Iriha stares, and gives a squeak. "I ran right past her."
Sacho says: "Alright, she is safe. Do you really wish to do this all over again, Iriha?"
Iriha sighs. "Not particularly." Iriha pauses before she says: "But can we just leave her here? She's just a child..."
Sacho grins. "Very good." He looks back at Kissiri. "Your room is paid for. When you are ready to rest go to Kada El. Your room will be waiting."
Kissiri laughs "Okay Whenb I feels ready I will."
Sacho looks to Iriha. "Coming?"
Iriha makes a face. "If it's all the same to you, I need to go dunk my head."
Sacho looks to Iriha. "I am not sure if I understand what you mean, but come join me for a drink."
Kissiri smiles at the two as they turn their backs on her. "hm hm hm hmm hhmmm" she hums as she rocks back and forth, keeping her hold on the thin ledge.
Iriha looks awkward. "Sorry, I mean that I want to go and get a wash in. That little nuisance has me all irritated, water'll cool me down."
As she leaves, Sacho nods. "I understand. But, for future reference, I would recommend you remember, you can bring a Rivnak to water, but you can not make it drink." He bows and walks off. "I hope to see you again."
After Iriha leaves, so does Sacho. Kissiri carefully stands herself up on the thin stone fence, and begins to step her feet off it. She lets herself hand off the fence by her hand, until she squeezes her eyes, letting herself fall onto her but in the soft grass, making a 'thump' before she runs off. She runs, out of Hydlaa, through a forest, and into fields filled with dangers.
Will she find herself in the same trouble that Tinwei went through, or will she find something else?