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RESPITE WATERFALLS - AFTERNOON
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Bracvar bubbles under the water, watching a trio of turtles chasing each other about as he simply enjoys the rumbling vibrations from the nearby waterfall. He is soaking less out of dryness than usual, letting the water pull away his disappointment in finding so little of value in the crater more than a week ago. The thought crossed his mind more than once that Ninell had lied about finding anything else, but when he finally rummaged through the knight's belongings an found nothing, he'd had to concede that there might have been no treasure there after all. His tendril beard puffs out in a silent sigh before the crab starts moving for the shore again, a scuttling blob in the clear rippling waters.
Valia approaches the waterside, having looked around, and not seen anything- not noticing the movement under the water. The fox stretched out, before sitting down, and letting her feet sink into the water, and she sighs. She'd walked a good distance, and it was nice to get a rest, and cool her paws. She was already reaching into her bag to pull out some snacks, a few nice apples for herself to eat, still quite blissfully unaware of anyone else, though she was a little curious at the ripples. Maybe a fish?
Bracvar continues moving sideways, the easiest way to walk underwater, with his back to a pair of feet that have just entered the water. He breaks the surface a few moments after the unseen toes dip in, pushing a wave to the shore around himself, but not splashing much until his legs start breaking the surface. As he starts moving through air, the crab begins turning to scuttle forward.
Valia: "Oh!" She lets out a little eep, and scuttles back herself a few paces, before she stops, and looks over to him. Well...Mama always did say never to judge a tree by its leaves..so..she clears her throat a little, and waves out "Uh..hi!" It comes out way squeeker than she had meant to, and she cuts short, embarrassed, soft white paws over her mouth.
Bracvar takes a few steps aside away from the sudden voice, turning his good eye on the source. The glistening crab chuckles after a moment, nodding toward the unknown fox. "Well good day! Sorry if I startled yeh, friend. Had no idea was'n alone 'ere."
Valia: "Oh!" She gets back closer to the water. Her voice is still very high pitched "Ah..um..It's okay! You were here first. I'm just a guest here really. You were here first!" She smiles, and holds out an apple "Fruit? They're super sweet!"
Bracvar laughs quietly, shrugging as he takes a few steps toward Valia, accepting the offered apple. "Oh, aye. Yer generous ta offer, miss, thank yeh. Was jus' relaxin' under the fall for a bit. Gotta keep these old sea joints hydrated. Yeh sound nervous, what's yer name?"
Valia: "Oh! It's Valia, and..well, I'm sort of on a trip. A Young Fox is meant to leave her home, and explore a new land, then go back, and have some tales to tell!" She smiles a little "Though..maybe I'll be a lot braver in the stories later on! What is your name then?"
Bracvar chuckles for her reasoning, nodding along with her. Aye, every tale needs a bit'o embellishin'. Nothin' ta be ashamed of if'n yer here ta begin with, hmm?" He gives Valia a bowing greeting, "Bracvar of the sea, at yer service miss Valia. Yeh travelled far, then?"
Valia: "Ah..welll" She blushes, pink creeping into her fur "...A bit far, yeah. There's been a lot of Travels, so all the close places have been taken. The Elders say that you don't have to go somewhere totally new but..uh..well, ..I wanted to show that I could be the best..." She seems embarrassed. There's clearly a less flattering version of those events that happened...
Bracvar hums, a hint of her hidden reasons tickling at the crabs instincts, though he simply nods, respecting the foxes privacy. "Aye, well Respite certainly is a bit out of the way from many places. Enough so that a lot of folk come this way ta seemingly escape from somethin' and start anew. Others like me're just after the opportunity a new place brings. Yeh plan on stayin' long?"
Valia: "Oh! Well, maybe not that long. You're meant to stay as long as there's a story to be found, and well...sometimes a fox doesn't come back..and that's okay!" She nods "You're meant to make sure your story makes it home though" She puts a hand to the blue markings in her fur "That's what these are for, so..well..if I don't make it home, my Story will"
Bracvar blinks, tilting his head a bit as he examines the markings. "Mhmm, some kinda... Communin' magic, aye? Don' see that much. Where ya from, if'n I may ask? An' sorry if my curiosity gets a bit on yer nerves." He laughs again, lifting the apple until it's hidden behind his tendrils, mandibles crunching away at it out of sight.
Valia: "Uh..well, I think you call it Vamas?" She nods "Yeah. And it's fine! I don't mind answering questions" She curls her legs underneath them, sitting down "It's good to learn, and good to help others learn" She puts on a nervous smile, hiding her own desire to just..run away and hide. That's not what you're meant to do! Face up to the scary things in life.
Bracvar mirrors Valia's sitting position after moving a bit out of the water and a few steps away from her. "Ah, Vamas, that makes a lot of sense. So yeh mus' be awfully warm with that fur here."
Valia: "Oh, it's not too bad, but the water is nice" She kicks her feet in the pool and sighs "I wouldn't want to do any sprinting though, but..uh..it's like..really way warmer if you get further in?"
Bracvar nods, crossing his arms as he thinks. "Aye, quite a bit. This 'ere town sits just inteh a rather nasty desert. The mountains this water falls from're probably teh blame, really. All the rain off the ocean gets caught up on the other side, storms rarely make it ta the midlands."
Valia: "Ooh. Well, I suppose I could try a desert" She rubs her shoulders "But..maybe? Maybe it would be interesting..." She ponders that gently "If there anything more interesting in this town?"
Bracvar laughs, nodding. "Yer in the right place if yer lookin' fer somethin' interestin'. Want to learn a lot abou' the world, many folks from many places've come 'ere teh make their way. Hell, even myself. Don't know what the lure is, but it's dragged a crab out of the ocean and a week'n some from the nearest port!"
Valia: "Huh. Well, I suppose. Then yeah!" She nods "I don't really have anywhere better to go right now. It would be nice to hang around people again! But..uhhh..... how would I get to the town?"
Bracvar turns to face roughly SouthEast, about to point out the path back when he pauses and looks back to Valia. "What do yeh mean? How'd yeh wind up here without passin' the gates, or 'least gettin' within sight of 'em?" He shakes his head, shrugging a bit. "There's a path o'er there, if'n yeh follow it carefully, it'll take yeh back to the main road."
Valia: "Uh..welll" She coughs, embarrassed "I'm maybe not very attentive at times..."
Bracvar chuckles again, turning to start toward a different path through the trees than the one he'd pointed out to Valia, one considerably wider and easier for him to fare. "Well I ain't gonna pry deeper'n that, if yeh don't want teh tell, but yeh might wanna come up with somethin' a bit more solid. Some curious folks in Respite, after all."
Valia: "What?" She blinks, confused "What do you mean by that?"
Bracvar gives her a discerning look with his uncovered eye, humming. "I'm an old crab, miss, and I've had my share'a dealins with folks hidin' something or other. I c'n tell yer not bein' fully truthful, but it ain't my concern. Jus' warnin' yeh a web of lies and excuses'll snag yeh eventually."
Valia: "I'm lying?" She actually seems genuinely confused "I mean..I..don't think I am lying..am I?"
Valia: "Um...."
Bracvar: "Either that or yer not able teh remember enough teh make a straight story... Yeh recall anything other than yer name and Vamas? The trip across the ocean? How yeh got those markings?"
Valia: "Oh! I got the markings back home! There was a sort of grove, full of pretty little pools. I'm pretty sure there was a boat..or was it magic?" She shrugs "I don't worry about it!"
Bracvar thinks to himself as he processes this entire encounter. [Or she's just dense as ironite coral under the darkest depths.] "Well that's is one mystery solved... Maybe? Yeh may be the most unique person I've met, lass, 'cause I obviously can't get a read on you at all."
Valia: "Oh! That's nice!" She smiles "Well, you've been a great help. Where are you going next?"
Bracvar chuckles quietly, nodding. "Aye glad teh be of service. Was jus' going teh head back t'Respite. A few things fer me teh take care of yet. Yeh can tag along if yeh want, keep you from getting turned around again. The way I go's a bit longer, but I can't much scuttle through that narrower path."
Valia: "Oh! Well. That might be a good idea!" She smiles and nods "But..oh..there's a narrower path.." She hmms "The smaller one looks more exciting!"
Bracvar: "Well yer an adult... I think. Yeh ccan probably take care of yerself from here. Jus' follow the path to the road, then head inteh the wind. Can't miss it." He taps his leg carapace for a moment. "I'll ah... Let the guards know teh keep an eye out fer yeh, if'n I somehow make it back ahead of yeh."
Valia: "Right! Sounds super simple!" She nods again, before she gets out of the water "Buy buy!" She starts wandering away, in the correct direction even!
Bracvar watches the curious fox wander off, sighing quietly to himself. "Take care, Valia!" He shakes his head when she disappears into the main path, turning to retreat through a small clearing and on his own way.