[Loras] LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO PACHECO

[Magna]

62nd of Searing, 120

It was coming to be the middle of the day, and Magna had yet to run laps or perform any exercises of any kind. Most of that was due to the fact that she'd been evading Khan; the little Rathari that she'd taken on in her journey was nowhere in sight. Even so, every corner she turned weighed on her chest with fear. There was always a chance that she might run into him, then be made to drop to the ground and do press-ups until she couldn't hold herself up anymore.
To say the least, it was nerve-wracking. It wasn't easy for her to hide or anything of the sort either. From time to time, she would press herself to a wall, then carefully peek around it to briefly scan the area for any small green lizards. She didn't doubt that she'd easily miss him, either, as the small Rathari was capable of changing color and blending in with his environment. This fact alone worked wonders to heighten her anxiety.
The giantess was dressed in various pelts while she carefully made her way to the market square in the middle of town. She wore no armor of any sort, and she'd resolved that to be a problem. if she'd worn some to begin the journey to Grimholdt, she might have fared better on the road. She only needed a little, enough to block attacks from more vicious opponents like big cats. Her bright red hair laid frizzed in curls over the skin of a wolf that made her vest. Occasionally, she blew a lock from the gaze of her silver eyes so that she could better see her surroundings, then proceeded.
In her right hand, she held a lead that attached to the reins of Pacheco, her tan and cream horse. Though he was saddled, it was beyond doubt that she'd ever been able to ride him without seriously injuring the animal. So, instead, there were various saddlebags and gear on him that he carried. Some of it was food, other bags held gear for the road. The most eye-catching piece of gear on her horse was her hefty greataxe, which shined with the amount of care and attention that had been put into it while it rested on the beast of burden. it was too large for an ordinary human to wield, and was certainly rathari-made in design.
Before long, she made it to the turn that led to the marketplace. The building she took cover beside was barely taller than she was, but it still hid her quite well as long as she ducked bellow the downward slope of the roofing. Carefully, she peeked into the marketplace and spied her surroundings. Khan was nowhere to be seen. With a sigh of relief, the giant gave Pacheco's leash a tug, then rose to her full height of seven feet and eight inches as she walked quite naturally into the square.
She'd only started to browse the various stalls for Armor when she began to think. Loras didn't have many crafters, so the selection probably wasn't going to be that extensive, but there had to be something of use there.

[Arlen]

These days he was sporting simply clothing without armour. The last job earned him enough to rest for a few days and his body was still sore from memories. So he enjoyed tucking himself away between the stalls of the marketplace, sitting on the edge of the fountain in the middle of the square. There, he was partly hidden from the main flow of the ground, whilst still being immersed in its sounds. Even after so many days in Atinaw and Loras, there was still plenty for him to grow accustomed to. The humbuck and sounds of a new country being just one such aspect.
The merchants knew him by now as he walked between their stands towards his usual seat. Though at first, they were suspicious and a few times Arlen thought they were going to call guard, it seemed that they soon realized that Arlen had no intention of wrongdoings. He was just a foreigner passing by, cooling at the pool of water. No danger there. Yet, from time to time, he still caught them looking at him funny.
To that, Arlen had learned to adopt the following response - smile with the sweetest look innocence, non-threatening turn of lips and raise of eyebrows. The picture-perfect, or so he hoped, of an utterly unaware man. The unspoken question of ‘something wrong?’ usually prevented any further interaction. Not many people enjoyed being caught redhanded when they silently judged a stranger. Not the best way to make acquaintances either, but then, his goal there was to work on hearing as much Kokalath as possible, not interacting.
From where he was sitting, Arlen not only heard the ruckus of the square, he also saw it. These two merchants offered plenty of learning opportunities without even knowing. The one to his left was a woodworker. The other to his right was a weaver of anything from baskets to grass motifs. Both were selling useful things as well as decorative. Arlen observed their customers, what they lifted and what they said. Sometimes Arlen could guess the meaning of some words. Sometimes he was entertained by the heated discussions. This was a different kind of exercise than his usual running, or other physical exercises to keep in shape. It was mental acrobatics, another way to keep himself sharp.
And so through observing the crowds, Arlen began to notice a shift, even if very minute, almost imperceptible and maybe imagined on his part. The town seemed to be recovering from its recent past at last. With more passing days, the dynamics changed from the constant tight pull at the lips, sideways glances and hesitation to a freer way of moving around, interacting with others.
So immersing himself in the atmosphere, Arlen rested his foot on the edge of the fountain as he was sitting down, resting his arm on top of the knee. His fingers were tapping his shin and he was muttering words to himself, imitating sounds. Unbeknownst to him yet, hiding from the view of his vantage point, he was due for a surprise of a lifetime as soon as crowds allowed.

[Magna]

"Armor... armor..." she muttered quietly to herself as her eyes glanced and darted about the marketplace. She caught a few gazes that stared intently at her, and though she didn't know why they were staring, it put her on edge. Perhaps it was because she flicked her head about quickly as she looked in all directions? Maybe they thought she was lost? She wasn't. She was hiding from a tiny lizard with the ability to camouflage while she looked for armor.
Would they have armor her size? Some of the Rathari she'd seen in Atinaw were as big as her, she didn't see why they wouldn't. Magna bared her teeth as tension set in. She was too big to hide, and her concerns about the armor only further sank her into despair. Her eyes fell upon Pacheco, who stood patiently at her side. The good horse didn't care much about the noise or the business of the square, or so it seemed. His calm demeanor helped to put her at ease.
The smell of sawdust caught her nose, and she looked about the square for its source; which was revealed to be some sort of woodworker at his stall. The wood in Atinaw was different from her small lumbering village in the north, but the dust and labor smelt the same. She willfully released the tension in her form, exhaled deeply, and thought to more pleasant days on the outskirts of Clearwater, where she helped the men of the village fell and carry trees for her keep.
As her mind grew distant from the happenings around her, she gradually calmed, and almost completely forgot the anxiety of being found. It helped that the woodworker didn't seem to mind her that much; he didn't cautiously stare at her like the others in the square. Instead, his gaze was directed to the fountain between dealings with customers. With some degree of focus, she looked to where the woodworker watched and saw an elderly woman chatting with a duck rathari, a few children of various races playing, Arlen, a crowd of boisterous men tossing dice... Arlen.
She froze as she looked upon the black-haired man, blinked, then rubbed her eyes. She spied him from the side. Was it really him? She'd seen the man some eight years and some change prior to that day. The longer the half-giant stared, the harder her heart began to beat and her blood flushed with adrenaline. It looked like him. Could she be certain? No, but she meant to be.
Rather suddenly, she tugged on Pacheco's lead, and guided the horse the short space across the square to the non-human, then took a knee before him. Her hands released the horse's lead as she reached out to grab Arlen's shoulders. Her wide silver eyes locked on the man's while she knelt there, then drew a deep breath, almost like a gasp. It was Arlen. With her lungs already filled to the brim, she bellowed "DO YOU REMEMBER ME YOU CAME TO MY VILLAGE WHEN I WAS TEN AND CALLED ME THE KEEPER!" while she shook him in her hold. She paused to draw another breath, then promptly resumed.
"I TOLD YOU ABOUT DIRE BEARS AND CAUSED YOU TROUBLE AND IM STILL SORRY BUT I KEPT MY PROMISE AND DIDN'T LIE AGAIN!" All of it was yelled in crystal clear common, and drew more than a little attention from those gathered in the square, but Magna's eyes were focused solely on him.
Another deep breath flared her nostrils as she filled her lungs for a third round. "ALSO...!" she paused and quieted her voice. "Your name is Arlen Zaltar and you came from a fire tribe close to Thashan," she butchered the name of the place, but she'd commit the time he gave his name to memory.
"And my name is Magna and I came from Clearwater, but it's okay if you don't remember me..." the last few words were even quieter than the rest of her bellowing, laced with insecurities. Though she said it would be fine if he didn't recall her, the waning light in her eyes was just a few words away from being completely crushed.

[Arlen]

Focus was a tricky companion. It gave all the detail of one thing, like a heated conversation between the weaver and a customer, whilst obscuring everything else.
That's why he didn’t see her at first.
His peripheral vision registered someone large at the woodworker’s stand, but crucial details were hidden. Until someone grabbed him by the shoulders, jerking him from his immersion in Kokalath.
“Whoa!” Arlen exclaimed, his hands immediately reaching for the forearms of the supposed stranger. He was aiming to shake off whoever got too close. But he froze in the pool of silver surrounded by out of control shores of red.
He stared and was stared at and there was nothing he could have done to break that lock of a moment. His eyes knew what they were seeing, and his mind knew too, but he wasn’t able to put two and two together straight away. It couldn't have been...
It was then that his body was jerked from side to side. Strands of black hair were loosening from the tie at the back of his head. His ears filled with her hollers. It couldn't have been...
Magna granted him respite only at the moment when she needed to take a breath. In the window of opportunity, Arlen was trying to gather his shaken and scattered thoughts.
TEN?! His mind screamed at him realizing just how young the girl was back then...how old she was now. She was barely a woman despite her size. Yet, he still thought he was seeing the child he remembered.
Then the shaking resumed and Arlen grabbed onto her forearms tighter to steady himself at least a little bit. He was twice as surprised as she was. He never thought that she would make it out of Clearwater. Yet here she was - travelling and not fighting dire bears back in the village. A wide smile spread across his face that it was threatening to split his head in two.
To him, the world around didn’t matter either. Though he was aware of the attention they drew to themselves (the two merchants staring at them with equal measures of wonder and judgement, some passersby frowning at the ruckus they created and others smiling into their hands), he did not care for it much either.
Those silver eyes, the out of control mane of red hair. It all put together a memory that was still clear in his mind.
“Keeper of Clearwater,” he told Magna, his hands squeezing her forearms to reassure her that he did not forget. How could he?! He didn’t want her to lose that light. Not then. Not now either.
“You’ve come a long way from home.” And his words were cheerful and tender at the same time, like seeing an old friend that he never thought he’d see again.
Life was full of pleasant surprises sometimes. And this one...he cherished.
“Of course I remember you! And I am happy to hear you kept your promise. I also haven’t found any dire bears yet. Not in the North and not here in Atinaw either.” A chuckle escaped him. "I hope someone else is looking after Clearwater whilst you're gone though!" And he laughed again with ease in the Searing's sun. The memories flooded his mind. This was yet another woman that left a lasting mark on him.
“So what are you doing here, Magna? Out of all the places. I never thought you’d travel this far…” Or anywhere at all for that matter, he thought, releasing her forearms and tapping the fountain edge next to him, trying to encourage the girl to sit down instead.

[Magna]

At first, it almost seemed as though he didn't recognize her. It had been a long time ago, and that fact only spurred her fear and made her shake him harder. Even as he grabbed on to her forearms to steady himself, she continued to yell and shake the poor not-human. Despite his apparent surprise at seeing her again, she held her hopes high and stuck through to his verdict, in which, he called her the keeper.
He remembered her! He truly remembered her! Her lips curled into a bright beaming smile at that. A welling in her heart saw her fight the urge to pull him into a tight bear hug and pressed her jaw tight. She bled tension, it was woven with her aura. It was so intense that she nearly trembled. "YES!" She called at last, and the light that danced in her joyous silver eyes gleamed ever clear.
"YES! IT'S ME! YOU REMEMBER!" Her voice, though still loud and rambunctious, bubbled with honest happiness that none could deny. "I have!" She called in response to his observation, then drew a deep breath that flared her nostrils wide and filled her chest with much-needed air. Finally, her grip relaxed on the man's shoulders, and she shut her eyes as she exhaled and opened them with a more tame, pleasant joy woven into her gaze. The fire that had once burned in her heart remained, it seemed, just far more controlled.
At the comment of dire bears, she chuckled a little and lifted one of her hands to rub the back of her head as her cheeks darkened in embarrassment. "No, me neither. But they know not to mess with me, so that's probably why." She grinned a bit at the mention of Clearwater, but her eyes carried a sort of wistful longing. "Turns out, Gwynneth is scary enough to keep all the bears away on her own! I'm sure they're fine." She wasn't sure, in honesty. Despite her joking, she held some reservations about the village, and it might have been apparent.
What was she doing there? The joy in her smile returned as she fully released the not-human, then looked to Pacheco, the brown and cream patchy horse that stood nearby while she knelt. After his invitation to sit beside him was delivered, she stood and claimed the horse's lead before she led him to the fountain to drink. Her footsteps were loud and reflected the weight of her bulky frame as she stepped around, then dropped into a sit on the stonework at Arlen's side.
"Well, right now, I'm hiding from a lizard that has the power to blend in with his surroundings, and it's honestly a bit terrifying. If he finds me he's probably going to be mad and then he's going to make me do push-ups." She looked to her companion with a grin, then pat down his head with one of her meaty hands. "Oh! This is Pacheco! I picked him up after leaving Clearwater. He's such a good horse." The beast was almost comically small beside the half-giant, it was very doubtful that she could safely ride him.
"What about you?!" She spoke and gestured an open hand to him. "Where's your armor? The rest of the convoy? How come you left the north?" She spoke with a smile. it seemed that the habit of barraging questions hadn't changed either. In a way, she was largely the same as she had been in that glade all those years ago.

[Arlen]

The energy about her, the brightness and joy that seemed to define Magna, it had not changed over the years. It was as though he was looking at the same girl, just a bigger version. Much bigger version.
Though as cheerful as she appeared at first when speaking of Clearwater or her parents, something seemed to have dimmed. Where Arlen remembered her taking pride in being the Keeper of Clearwater, even if she was a child then, there now seemed to be some reservation. And he wondered, for a moment, why that was the case.
Did something happen? He mused, observing the woman, taking in how different in features but same in nature she was. He was reconciling years of differences in those moments and some puzzle pieces were missing which was only natural. If lucky they'd have enough opportunities this time around to talk as much as their hearts desired.
He watched her retrieve the horse and it was in that moment that he finally appreciated just how much Magna had grown. He didn’t need to stand to know she would tower over him. Heck, she towered over the poor beast that obeyed her so nicely. And it struck him then. He knew people who grew to similar heights and his mind clicked details into place, locking information into a pattern. He understood now who she was and the unspoken kinship he felt towards her.
She was one of them, just misplaced. Why?
His eyes followed her as she sat down next to him. “A lizard that can blend with surroundings?” Arlen repeated, frowning a little at her words. He wasn't sure how much of an active imagination Magna still possessed. “How did you get together?” He asked regardless, curious to entertain the notion, but also using it to hide a minor tinger of concern. One thing was travelling for joy on one’s own free will. Another was to travel because one had to, because one was made to. Though it was none of Arlen’s business, he was not Magna's father, he still couldn't help but care like he did all those years ago. Even more so now that fate seemed to be reminding him that he still had people around him that did not necessarily die in a space of few years of knowing them.
“And happy to meet Pacheco. He seems to be a good horse,” he said, nodding at the horse.
His expression didn't waver when questioned about his circumstances. Instead, he shrugged and uttered a chuckle.
“The convoy you knew, Magna, they are all gone. Pursued their glorious deaths to break the cycle," he started. “I still have my armour and I still do convoy jobs, just not with other Jastai now. To be honest, there wasn’t much left for me in the North,” Arlen admitted, shrugging again. Another pang of pain dug into his chest and he remembered the funeral pyre for a brief moment. He scratched at his chest and his lips curled into a nostalgic smile before breaking into another chuckle.
“Anyways, I am out here now, exploring the world to see what other places hold for me. So far,” and he looked at Magna giving her friendly wink. "It's been full of surprises."
"Say though," he then couldn't help himself. "Did something happen back home?" Since she called Gwynneth by her name and the drop in her attitude piqued his curiosity.

[Magna]

As much as the half-giant might have wished to present herself as a stoic, honorable, well-travelled adventurer, she couldn't help but show the twinge of pain in her heart at the mention of Clearwater. Nothing too tragic had happened, surely not, but that didn't change how Magna felt about everything that had been unveiled. And though she might have liked to hide such reservations, Arlen was ever-observent.
The topic shifted to Khan, the lizard that she'd encountered by chance on the road to hopsfel. "Well, he stole Pacheco," she nodded as she rubbed down the horse's long face. "I was so scared that he ran off at first and spent an entire day just running and walking to try and catch him, and I found this beat up lizard on his back, and it was so weird because I'd never seen a rathari before that. I was angry too because Pacheco was actually just stolen, not missing. Then... I realized his arm was missing."
She lifted her hand to her shoulder and drew a line with the blade of her little finger. "Like from here down, it was just a messy red stump. I dunno, I really like animals, an' I felt bad for him, so I helped him off Pacheco an' set up camp, fed him, gave him water, and decided to take him back to his home. He told me about how his whole family, uhh... Kinship? Was ambushed and killed on a hunting trip, and he barely managed to escape with just his arm cut off. So, we started traveling together, and he taught me how to speak Vithmi and also tried to teach me to fight, but I kinda suck at it," she grinned a little and laughed a breath.
A brief pause saw her flex her brows in reflection, then she parted her lips to speak again. "That's a weird story, isn't it?" She asked as she looked back at Arlen, and scanned his features. What did he think of her encounter with the camouflaging lizard? "He really can camouflage, by the way. He says he's something called a chameleon," She flexed a brow at the thought. Was that the correct translation?
"He's the best horse," declared the halfbreed as she ran her hand down the beast's long nose. She treated the horse with the utmost tenderness and care, similar to how a young girl might dot over a puppy. He was her longest-lasting travel companion, and she cherished him like nothing else.
The conversation quieted a touch when the news was delivered. All those men from her memories, they were dead? Magna's expression turned grim at the news, and her silver eyes rested on Arlen while he spoke. Glorious deaths? Cycle? Those words hit her heavily, and though she didn't know the full weight of them consciously, they touched her heart. No, Arlen had done it now. There was no going back.
She let go of Pacheco's lead, then reached over to pull the man into a big bear hug, the same hug she'd held back when she first met him again. It might have been a little uncomfortable as she squeezed with just enough pressure to stall the breath of most grown men. "I'm sorry, Arlen," she spoke solemnly, then relented her squeeze. "I didn't get to talk to them much, but I could tell they were good people." She smiled a little as she withdrew from the hug and looked down upon the man. "What about Laud? Is he still around?" She didn't immediately realize it, but she'd subconsciously separated the Jastai of the convoy from the human.
"Home?" She asked aloud with a tilt of her head when it was her turn to take the hot seat. Recognition took her eyes and she blinked. "Oh! Uh- Well, sorta, not really. Everyone's still alive and well, I think. I... haven't spoken to them in two years or so." She sighed flatly. Her problems paled in comparison to Arlen's, but they still upset her. "Turns out, I was adopted. I found out when I'd already outgrown all the lumberjacks that I might be something called a Jastai, or half of one." She shrugged. "It sounds kinda stupid, but I just didn't feel like I belonged there. So, I'm making my own way."

[Arlen]

Lizard, Arlen thought, listening to Magna’s story. His eyebrows went up the more he heard.
Lost his arm. Suddenly the Rathari didn't sounds as suspicious as in the beginning and the mention of Kinship helped Arlen place the lizard man as a local.
“Well, seems like quite an adventure you have been on already," Arlen admitted with a whisper of surprise, but also respect.
"You know, I’d be happy and curious to meet this lizard...chameleon friend of yours if luck will have it.” However, Arlen's intrigue wasn't only with the Rathari. For reasons unbeknownst to the man, he had this need to check for himself that Magna was indeed treated well. He tried not to see her as the little girl from the village, but so far, he couldn't shake of the impression that there was something fishy going on. And there was no harm in meeting the man after all. If Magna would have it.
But before he was able to explore that idea further, he found himself captured in a bear hug. His arms were squeezed against his sides. He was sure his spine clicked at least once and air became scarce. But still, he did not struggle, nor found this unusual. There were plenty of Jastai giant hugs he received throughout his life and so he was able to adjust.
His forearms wrapped around where he could reach and his lips had a touch of a thankful smile hearing Magna's words. He was not mourning anymore but he was glad to hear that Magna recalled enough to remember the brave men.
“Yes, they were good men,” he spoke against her, recalling their faces.
When she released him, he found himself rubbing her upper arm as though to further show his gratitude for her outburst of sympathy. But he withdrew his arm after a moment, his mind already on the next topic.
“Laud…” He scratched his head. He remembered that merchant only thanks to their stay in Clearwater and the following argument about payment when they delivered the man to town. The convoy was affected. Not financially, but the men wouldn't leave Arlen alone and for the following jobs they were all checking that Arlen wasn’t following advices of local children. At first in honesty, then in jest.
“No idea, to be honest. We only guarded him that one time. But I don’t see why he wouldn’t be,” he shrugged. In truth, he tried to avoid the town and as a consequence avoided Clearwater. Word travelled fast in small places so their reputation as convoy was already balancing on a thin line in that area.
When she spoke of home, the news seemed to hit him like a boulder. Old puzzles fell in place. The bed. Her size. Everyone’s sense of kinship towards her. Like a sixth sense, Arlen must have always known. Yet it wasn't until now that he became aware of the fact. He didn't look at her in surprise, but with eyes filled with fresh discovery. And perhaps contrary to the topic, there was a growing smile on his lips.
But there was also something greater that fit with Arlen on a different level. On his own journey of self-discovery, he sometimes felt to be the only man travelling the world to find himself because the place he grew up in no longer felt right. The fact that this young woman had the same drive as someone as old as him excited Arlen. He now wanted to embrace Magna, tell her about his journey, share the burdens.
Soon enough, however, he realized that his reaction to the somber confession had so far been inappropriate. He quickly pulled back his expression, cleared his throat.
“I’m...sorry to hear that," he said. "I mean...Gwynneth and Darkon seemed to be good people. Perhaps they knew your parents,” he tried to offer some form of consolation whether it was needed or not. Then elation started overtaking him again.
“But, you know...my tribe, they are fire Jastai. The men in the convoy they were Jastai if you remember.” He didn’t know why he was telling her, but he let his tongue run away with him. “I mean, are you looking for the tribe you came from?”
Perhaps the idea of discovery, the chase of something greater, even if the hunt wasn't his, disturbed the monotone way of life he established. And he welcomed that.

[Magna]

A grin took her features as the black haired man spoke his interest in Khan, followed by a firm purse of her lips. "I'd be glad to introduce you, but I'm kinda hiding from him right now," her brows furrowed while she thought. "Ah, I said that already, didn't I?" She exhaled through her nose, then lifted a hand to the back of her head. "If we bump into him, I'm sure he'd be glad to meet you too!"
Not much had changed about her energy, either, as though she still carried that sort of naive innocence about her. She didn't believe Khan had ulterior motives, and the same statement went for Arlen. She took everything at face value.
It would have been dishonest of her if she claimed that she wasn't worried at all when she hugged him. Nearly every Rathari she'd picked up reacted poorly when she hugged them, they even hated being petted, so a sort of touch barrier had raised itself around her to protect all those that wandered near from her embrace, but Arlen was an exception. That was especially true, as he seemed to appreciate her sympathy!
Contrary to her memory, Laud wasn't as big a part of the convoy as she seemed to recall. In her young vision, they were all a big group that worked well together for a purpose. There wasn't the contractor and the hiring party, just the unified team. When she thought back on the happenings, it made more sense the way Arlen described it; a one-time thing. Why would a merchant be part of a party? Admittedly, she felt a little foolish for having believed such a thing, even if she was only ten at the time. "Huh, well it's just as well. He was kind of a jerk," she nodded with a smile. She remembered her distaste for him well, at least.
When it came time to talk about her own news from home, however, Arlen seemed to freeze. He stared at her as though she'd unlocked the secrets of the universe for him. Though she didn't know why she didn't question it, either. "Oh, they are," she replied when Arlen spoke of her adoptive parents. "They knew my mom well, treated me like their own, even." It probably hurt them when she left, she recognized, but it wasn't something she liked to think about.
She didn't have to think on it long, as Arlen spoke of his own encounter with the Jastai. That was to say, the entire convoy had been Jastai! Magna furrowed her brow and reeled a little. Was that true? Details from her childhood were difficult to remember, but they were all very tall and intimidating. They controlled fire. Yes, Arlen had even told her back then that they were Jastai, how had she forgotten? The curiosities of how her brain decided what was important to remember and what wasn't addled her mind very briefly before she blinked and shook her head.
"You're right, I remember you telling me!" Excitement blossomed in her voice. "I don't know how I didn't remember that!" Probably because she was ten when it happened eight years prior to that day. The day couldn't get better. Not only had she encountered Arlen again, but she found someone that knew of the Jastai! And they happened to be the same person!
"I..." She started with wide eyes and flared nostrils. It took all her force of will not to shout, not to reach over and grab him again. She drew a deep breath that filled her lungs to the brim, then exhaled deeply to release it. "AAGHHHHHH!" She called in a sudden burst of energy, and the deep bellow of her voice drew the attention of most of the market-goers. Her whole body was tense as she screamed in triumph to the sky in a single, powerful explosion of all her tension.
"I've been looking all over Atinaw for them!" her hands formed clenched fists that shook with strain as she spoke. She breathed in through her teeth again, then pulled her lips in a wild, nigh-manic smile. Was she looking for her tribe? "I don't know! I just wanted to learn something!" She declared boisterously. No, that wasn't true. In all her excitement, she'd mixed up her thoughts. "Well, no- That's wrong." She settled down a bit and spoke at a more regular tone. Though she hadn't noticed the people of the marketplace's stares, she still felt sheepish. The curious onlookers returned to their shopping.
"It's kinda dumb, but I..." She paused again and pursed her lips as she thought. "Well, I've been trying to find my real dad. Please don't laugh..." She pleaded. She knew how foolish it sounded, to hope to find one man in an entire open world. "I thought if I found him, he could tell me what I am." She still believed that was true, but couldn't admit so to her childhood hero. Finally, she turned to settle her gaze on Arlen, and she stared intently at him. "I need to know if I'm Jastai or not, and if I am, what it means to be one," her voice came firmly. That was what she wanted, she was sure.
"So..." She continued, "What do you think? Is it possible? You've been around a lot of Jastai, am I wasting my time?" Despite her forwardness and direct tone, her question came vaguely. It might not have been clear if she asked whether or not she was a Jastai or if she asked if it was possible she could find her father. Perhaps both?

[Arlen]

Arlen found himself looking around the marketplace briefly.
If we bump into him… he thought and doubt coloured his eyes. Since her friend was a lizard that was able to camouflage, it wasn't likely that they were going to bump into him. Rather they were going to be found. And it rubbed the man a wrong way. Almost like knowing there was a threat but not seeing it. The feeling was nigh identical to the ones he used to experience during his forest training.
But he directed his attention back at Magna very fast. He was going to worry about the lizard later. Right now, there were more pressing matter on hand.
He chuckled when Magna called Laud a jerk. Rubbing the back of his head he shrugged again. “He was a merchant. They are all more or less the same. When it comes to money, nothing escapes them, not even an extra dime spent," he said and the conversation soon moved on.
That’s why the bed was there, Arlen thought, recalling the massive structure. It wasn’t a detailed recollection, but he knew it was there. Was her mother Jastai? Or her father? Questions began to pop up. Questions that weren't his place to ask and Magna likely did not have the answer.
He then saw Magna taking in a lot of air. By now, he learnt that was a signal that an outburst of energy was coming, usually in the vocal manner. So he braced himself.
But the market-goers weren't prepared. They stopped in their tracks when Magna released. They looked towards her in alarm and surprise. Their immediate circle fell quiet and the two merchants shot them a glare. Magna and Arlen were likely disrupting the men’s business and if they were not careful, they might be asked to leave. The rest of the crowd? They returned back to their activities soon enough. Arlen wasn't bothered by the nuisance they were causing, but he wanted to save Magna the potential embarrassment if possible.
So he watched her with care as she collected her thoughts. When she confessed her plans, a smile like none before crossed Arlen’s lips. A smile of a soul that understood her, one that was perhaps on a similar journey by the biggest stroke of luck.
“You know...I don’t even know who my parents were and which one was an elf, which one was a human and if one is still alive,” he told her. “So I understand you. I hear you when you say you want to find your dad.” I feel the same, he thought, but did not voice the words for this was not his moment. It was hers. And based on her words, he concluded that her father was the Jastai. When she asked him if her dream was possible, he laid one of his hands over hers. A gesture of comfort that he wasn't sure she needed, but he felt like offering regardless.
“You know, it might be. It won’t be easy to find him. I mean…” Arlen stopped for a moment to rub his cheek. “I’ve been around the Jastai tribes in the North, not in Atinaw. But...I guess there won’t be much difference between them…” And he scratched his chin in thought next. “You know...I can try to help you if you want.” And the idea of helping Magna find her father filled him with hope and a whisper of new purpose. Usually, in business, he would put those feelings on restraint to prevent himself from feeling dejected. But here, he couldn't do that. This was regarding a girl that left a mark on him eight years ago. A girl who was so close to him in spirit, he was sure he was the only one aware of it. This mattered more than the coin that would pay for his food. And in his mind, there was no doubt that she was mixed with Jastai. What other giant breed was there after all?
So he looked at her with an uncertain smile so different from the usual carefree air mixed with aged confidence. Right there and then, she was the one who was going to call shots. She’d either have him or not. And Arlen was holding his breath for the former.