A Usual Day of Work, or Maybe Not So Usual

[Desperanza]

The day was turning out to be ridiculously warm. It was a rare day of full fledged sunshine and while her red auburn tresses shimmered like a copper penny at her back, the back of her hand traveled against her brow where tiny beads of salty liquid poised at her brow. She sighed, hating the grainy feel of sweat against her skin. The cotton that clung to her pretty feminine form only caused the heat to swell within her until she felt as if her insides were going to boil over. At the moment, she could hear the giggles and cries of orphans as they played in the streets not far off and the sounds caused a smile to lift past her lips. She stood for a moment, stretching her aching back as she pressed her hands to her hips and rocked back a bit before leaning forward once again with a soft sigh as she gazed into the rippling surface of the grey water in the basin at her feet where her dresses were soaking as she was in the midst of washing her own clothes. After a few moments, her knees hit the stone once more as she knelt down at the edge of the basin and folded her legs beneath herself with a small sigh. Her knees were already etched with marks from the cobbled stones as she had no front yard, only a back yard. If she walked out of her front door she was stepping out onto street.

Dipping her hands into the water, she retrieved one of her dresses from the bottom of the water, lifting it to the surface as she began to work the dirt from the cotton. Her emerald eyes stared downward into the green water for quite some time as the minutes ticked by and finally something stirred her from her work. The clank, the stomp, the typical tap of the boots. Her spine stiffened. Her chin lifted slowly, her pretty face becoming inclined as she slowly lifted her gaze to spot one of the guards making his way down the street. Mihlay, one of Magrej’s favorites and unfortunately one that was all too familiar with her and she with him for when she had been captured in her attempted flee from the city, he had been one of the soldiers whom she had spent many a night with, in his bed, unwillingly. He was the roughest, ranging rather tall at six feet and three inches and beneath the armor there was muscle and plenty of it. Being one of the King’s favorites gave him an ego fatter than his head and a sense of pride that encouraged his acts. She grit her teeth, her eyes narrowing to slits as she stared at him and his dark brown eyes glared at her in return with a taunting grin touching his lips that caused her to break her look away with a stiff sigh as she continued to work and now, Mihlay lingered in the area but she blatantly ignored him.

After a while, however, something came to her attention as the soft patter of feet brought a small girl from play, her dark eyes wide and inquisitive as she skipped forward to investigate, a smile on her lips as she hopped forward to the other side of the basin, “A drink?” she inquired, motioning to the dirty gray water. Micayla smiled patiently and nodded slowly with a pained sigh. She hated laundry days. It took her hours to retrieve fresh water from the forest at the edge of town, it was nearly an all day affair for finding fresh water in Murate was wickedly hard and it had taken her weeks to discover a private alcove of water that was not pristine like the waters of Celeste Falls but the dark water was at least fresh and unspoiled by the swamp. She retrieved water at the start of the week in her basin and it would have to last all week for she could not afford trips to the alcove every day and by the end of the week, when laundry had to be done she was stuck drinking dirty water until she emptied the basin and refilled it again the next morning. She wished that she could always have fresh water for the orphans but again, she needed clean clothes to wear and she had often gone with her throat bone dry to keep water in their bellies and clothes on her back. She had seen clothes nearly deteriorate from peoples’ skin for lack of cleaning built up with dirt and grime and finally broke down the fibers that held the cloth together and cotton was not something she grew in her garden. It was not edible, and it took way too long to grow. No, space could not be wasted to plant cotton for more dresses. Food kept the orphans from starving.

She watched as the girl eagerly drank the grey water and winced, yet a smile still touched her features. In the morning, she would have to set out early before the sun rose with her basin tied to her back while she made the trek to the edge of town and then further among the trees to gather her water and then later, after a brief rest at the alcove she would have to carry the rather heavy basin back to her home. It was a trip that had brought her arms to the rather muscular state that they were at now. She rocked back on her heels, her gaze gentle as she watched the dark haired girl fondly before she stood, motioning for her to wait patiently as the woman trekked to the back of her house and plucked a carrot from her modest garden. She lifted the hem of her skirt and brushed away the dirt, blowing gently upon the vegetable before she returned to the front of the house. It was a favorite of the child for carrots have quite a bit of sugar in them and so the sweet vegetable rather ran in high demand with the children. Micayla lowered the carrot into the girl’s fingers and she grinned, squealing as she bounded off with her new prize and once again, Micayla was left to her work as she kneeled upon the stone, her knees aching from the effort and the cobbles beneath her knees but she ignored the pain and dipped her hands into the luke warm water once again as she gathered another of her dresses and set to work.

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[Deidra]

Jazz rode loosely upon Kaspar, his amazing black Andalusian stallion, dressed in only a pair of black riding pants his tanned muscled chest bare to the beating sun. His destination was just up ahead, a small disheveled looking town. It was one of the few sparsely placed towns still standing in Murate and had been the only one in about forty miles or so. His black companion had begun to breath heavily some miles back and they had now slowed considerably as Jazz did not want him to overheat. 

Upon reaching the outer limits of the town he saw eyes peering back at him from shadows between the run down buildings. He averted his eyes walking farther inside the town, everywhere he looked spotting more of Magrieg's men. He frowned as he noticed this as he always tried to steer clear of them as much as possible. But yet he trudged on, Kaspar needed rest and if possible, water. 

As he reached the center of the town he paused observing a rather overworked woman handing one of the town orphans a rather nice looking carrot and he raised an eyebrow. Jazz motioned for Kaspar to approach the woman as she knelt town resume her washing. He rather hoped she would give him a moment of her time and possibly his horse a drink.

[Desperanza]

The woman’s eyes were currently averted, staring downward into the water of her basin as the girl skittered away with her prize. Micayla could only smile at the fact as she softly began to hum to herself, her fingers working over the cloth of her dresses as she stared into the depths of the grey water, her emerald eyes gleaming softly as she worked, all together a happy person in general. Nothing but the soft, sweet song of her own voice filled the otherwise silence that enveloped her at the moment, other than the few typical sounds of those that were moving about within the town and of course the calls of the children in the background as they played in the streets. Soon enough however, yet another child came, and another, each taking notice of the woman’s kindness towards the girl and as she glanced towards them, she smiled patiently. This was why she kept her garden, for them. For the starving children of the streets who needed a meal and though her garden was tiny and she had to sparingly give out her growing goods, they were satisfied for these children seemed to know and understand that what they were given was precious and a given gift, not a given right. For a night or so, their bellies would not go growling in the night and so now, they returned with hands outstretched as they peered up at her with cheeky grins and pleading wide eyes.

She stood, bending her knees with a wince from sitting with them bent upon the stone for so long. She took a moment to stretch her limbs before she motioned for them to follow her as she turned and made her way around the house once more, pulling aside the small gate to the fence that surrounded her small garden to keep pestering and trampling animals out. She slipped inside and motioned for them to wait outside of the fence as she closed the gate and turned to inspect her vegetables and fruits. She tapped her fingers against ripening tomatoes, they would be done soon but they were still a little green. So instead, she turned back to the carrots. They were growing nicely this time of the year and the children enjoyed the sugar laced vegetable for some time before it was out of season. She quickly took a head count of five children before she plucked five carrots from the garden and lowered them each into a set of waiting hands over the fence before she slipped through the gate and secured it behind herself. She thought for a moment as the youngsters crunched on their treat, watching them with a thoughtful smile before she held out her hand as she motioned for them to wait before she retreated inside of her home once again and moved to her fire pit. The fire had long burned down to glowing coals and the iron box that sat atop the coals had been simmering there for hours though there was no heat. She could only carry a tiny bundle of wood at her back when she retrieved her water and so it was the wood that she burned through the week to make her meal for the next week and at the moment, the tiny bundle of bread that sat nestled within would be her meal for the next week. She sighed, knowing that giving up her meal for the next week would make her sick. Eventually, she would starve if she couldn’t learn to close her heart to the orphans every now and again but it did not matter and she knew that she never could.

Her shapely figure was beginning to thin unnaturally. Her hips were becoming more prominent and extended and her frame was boning out. She nibbled at her lip even now feeling the hunger pains begin at the thought of the warm bread on her make-shift stove. The white bread held little to no nutrition for she could hardly find the ingredients to make it as it was. In a jar at her empty table stood about two table spoons worth of butter that she had spent hours making one day from a few squirts of milk that she had taken from a cow at the town stables, the only cow that was held there that happened to be a dairy cow among the nags of horses that were stabled there. She was not the only one that knew of the dairy cow and so the cow often had nothing to give when she finally reached her but this week she had been lucky and had gotten about a palms worth of milk. Butter was quite hard to make as the only way to make it was to sit there and shake the milk for hours on end and eventually, when it solidified, it would indeed be butter. A day’s worth of work gone to make herself a slightly more fattening treat for the next week but it was something she needed for her starving figure by this point. She swallowed, her mouth watering for she did not know the fantastic tastes of a good meal or of meat. She was no hunter as she had no clue how to hunt and she did not wield weapons. She simply knew how to cook, clean, and run the house. She could yield children and she could sure as hell raise them but she did not know the true pleasures of life. She did not know how to ride a horse or drive a cart, she only knew the hard labors of life for which had made her stronger, tougher.

She worked her way through the fields, the waste land of fields each day in search of something, anything to survive on. She was lucky that she even had a roof over her head. The city of Murate, the country that her King ruled, was poor as dirt and over half the people starved to death or died of disease and in who knew how much time, she would become just another statistic. She would just become a number, one of many whom perished in this town and yet, instead of attempting to flee, instead of taking refuge in a slow death in the desert or escaping for the flat plains, she stayed. She stayed for the sweet souls of the children for whom she cared for, she stayed for the animals that she tried to feed, and she stayed because it was the only way that she knew how to stay alive. She had no clue what was out there though travelers brought stories and yet, she was afraid. She knew that death would knock on her door step if she took one wrong step, and the fact that she hardly ate meant that her energy levels would drop drastically if she attempted such a long journey. So, alas, she stays.

Now, as she stood studying her bread pan with no doubt the small bundle inside like a pregnant mother ready to labor, her fingers twitched. For one week in her life she would have managed to have a treat of sorts. While the people of Ellsinora lived off of fine meats and wines and slept in beds every night, she slept on the hard dirt floor of her home with a thin sheet to cover her body as she shivered her way through the night. She ate nothing but tasteless bread and drank nothing but teaspoons of water, water she fetched from the alcove in the woods and of which she only got one basin full and so she must use sparingly for at the end of each week she would need to wash her clothes and so she could not drink all of the water in the basin, or else she did not have any clean clothes to wear. It was the only luxury that she was allowed to herself, clean clothes. Otherwise, she truly had nothing. She would be dirty and grungy and she would be no better then the rest of the people of Murate who did not help themselves in any way. Tonight, when her dresses were hung out to dry in the backyard on the fence of her garden, she would bring the grey water in to wash in. It would already be dirty from the stains she washed out of her cotton dresses but again it was all that she had. She did not delve into find soaps and linens nor did she have anything but the grey water to wash with but since it was all that she had, she washed herself with the water and then she promptly took it outside to water her garden. On this night she would go with nothing to drink. It was as so each week at the end of every week, there would be no water until early on the first morning all over again, around early afternoon when she reached her destination.

Taking a breath, the woman dusted her hands upon her skirt and reached out to take the iron ladle and fish the iron pan from the heat, scooting it onto the dirt floor before she flicked the lid off and gazed into the pan. The little bundle inside was about three inches long and two inches tall. It was sufficient to provide a slice of bread each day. She slid the slip from her legs beneath her dress and covered her hands before reaching in to the hot pan to pull out the steaming white bread and set it upon the table, protecting her hands from the heat before she slid the small skirt object back under her dress and over her legs. She let the loaf cool for a few moments as she gathered her garden basket and set the bread and the jar of butter inside. She glanced around her home for a moment but it was nearly bare though finally, she spotted something. She stepped forward and gathered the sheet that she covered herself with at night before returning to cover the items of the basket so that the guards would not see and steal it from the children. Tonight she would go without a cover for her body against the chill that crept into her home when the sun went down, just so the children could eat. She gathered the basket onto one arm and turned for the back door, her bare feet whisking across the dirt floor as she approached the door and stepped outside once more.

The children were distracted, finishing off the last few bites of their carrots they were not pointing and mumbling about something in the street and she leaned forward to glance out towards the street. She caught her breath for the sight was very beautiful indeed. A man, shirtless and glorious sat astride a fantastic black beast, a horse no doubt but this equine outshined any to be found in Murate, beautiful in and of itself as its’ rider was handsome. Micayla’s cheeks flushed pink at the thought and she waved the thought away. This traveling stranger could be handsome all he wanted but a peasant woman would surely mean nothing to him. She hurried the basket into the arms of one of the girl’s with a gentle smile, “Take this home, hurry. When you get there, split it between yourselves. Put the butter on it and eat it, you shall have a nice meal.” She promised her softly, pressing a kiss to the child’s forehead before the bundle of children raced out into the streets once more as they worked hard to protect their prize for the night.

Micayla smiled, gazing after the children for a few moments as she stepped around the edge of her house once more and she knelt at the basin, her hands dipping within the water for a moment. She was thirsty. Her throat was dry and scratchy from the dry air around herself. She swallowed as she looked in at her own reflection on the surface of the water but as she did so, the clop of the equine’s hooves drifted towards her and she lifted her head once more, gazing towards the dark stranger as he approached closer and slid from the back of his stallion to approach. She stood quickly, not because she was afraid but because the wheeze in the horses’ breaths told her so, this animal needed a drink. She scurried back into her hut to retrieve something to hold water, managing to find a small wooden bowl that she ate from sometimes before she hurried back outside once again and knelt by the water in her basin, filling the bowl before she stood and approached the stranger and his horse, lowering the bowl beneath the nose of the stallion, she smiled softly and stroked Kaspar’s nose to encourage the stallion to drink.

The horse was beautiful, and she felt honored to touch him. Yet while she pet the horse, she realized that the man could be wicked and cruel like Magrej’s men. She turned a questioning and silent eye to him, asking what his intentions were now as she gazed upon him with emerald eyes. Her gaze washed over him subconsciously, looking to the corded muscles at his chest, arms, and stomach before coming to meet his eyes once more and finally, a small smile touched her features. She was no doubt a native of this town, this country. Her skin was tanned from years of work in the sun and she was young yet she suffered. She fully knew the meaning of hard work and of life. In Ellsinora, she would be treated different. It would be her husband working his ass off while she stayed home, out of the sun. She would have something to drink whenever she needed and she would not go hungry. She would be dressed in nice skirts and colors and she would care for beautiful children while her husband earned coin for their income and things would be easier and yet, she knew nothing of this lifestyle. She only knew hard work and pain and so for now, she gazed upon Jazz with a curious glint to her emerald eyes, wondering where this stranger had ridden in from.

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[Deidra]

Jazz watched gratefully as this hardworking woman walked into her hut and then walked out again with a bowl. As she dunked it into the water an then offered it to Kaspar gently, he smiled which was not often for him. His black horse took the water eagerly, and as the woman turned her gaze upon Jazz an odd thing happened. Suddenly he was not seeing the woman's face but that of one almost strikingly familiar to him. His gaze was blank as realization finally hit him, this was the face of his sister's. Oh how she had grown and her face matured into the beauty he saw in his minds eye. 

All this took place in a matter of seconds, his face changing little if at all as his eyes refocussed onto the woman who stroked his beloved companion. Finding his voice he said "Thank you, kind lady, he would have sure died of heatstroke if you had not been so benignant." he finished sincerely. He looked back upon the street his eyes scanning for any of Magrieg's soldiers before turning his eyes back upon the woman. Taking in her features he noticed that this woman certainly knee a hard days work and a night without a meal. Her clothes were all slightly worn and her form was a little gaunt, but she was not ugly, no definitely not ugly.

His smile returned as he addressed her once more "Ah I have forgotten my manners, my lady I am Jazwinder Jata, though I prefer to go by Jazz." His white smile never faltered, though he was pained in remembering why he did not like being called by his full title, and his hand flitted up to the rope with a key pendant tied to it which hung around his neck. For another moment he was caught up into another flashback.

There was giggling in the background and children ran around behind them in the streets of Kiyer. Jazz and Lena sat upon a bench in the beautiful city, they were only about ten years old. Lena had convinced him to go into a little shop some time prior and they had come out each with a box in hand. Now as they sat there Lena spoke, as she opened her box revealing a rope necklace with a heart pendant upon it with a keyhole, "We shall wear them always, as a constant reminder of each other no matter what happens okay, Jazwinder?" And Jazzhad shook his head "These are a bit girly Marlena." he said as he too opened his box to reveal a rope necklace with a key attached. "No silly guys can wear necklaces too!" Lena had replied giggling. Jazz had pondered that for a moment before place the necklace over his head and let it rest around his neck "Okay Marlena, I shall wear it forever."

As the flashback ended, he looked back upon the woman standing before him and brought himself to smile once more.

[Desperanza]

The woman smiled, patient as she gazed upon the face of the handsome stranger. He was confident, and he seemed to travel from place to place with ease. Of course, having a horse in healthy and working condition would certainly help that situation quite a bit. She offered a patient smile and nodded a bit as she retrieved more water for the horse though she would not be able to afford much more after this though she knew that the horse would not need much more anyways. She stroked his nose and waited until the equine finished drinking with a smile before she straightened again with a soft sigh, casting a glance to Jazz every now and again. She offered a pleasant smile at his words and nodded slowly though she felt rather small and iridescent to his eyes currently. Pondering what the man would be thinking of, she settled on either a family member, or a lover. Wrinkling her nose, the poor woman stiffened her back. She would always be kind to anyone that showed up on her doorstep but she would not stand there to be stared at while he thought of some other woman. This place was dangerous and she had work to do. She opened her mouth to excuse herself, to thank the man and to offer her name in return and yet before she spoke, she heard that familiar clank again.

The only sign of true fear was a slight tremble that racked her frame briefly before she stilled herself once more with a sigh, glancing to Mihlay as the Muration Soldier approached. Clenching her jaw, Micayla lifted her chin defiantly to the soldier, her emerald eyes blazing as she backed away behind her basin as she set the bowl aside, kneeled down and slid her hands into the water once again. The male grinned however, sliding the face plate of his helmet up to gaze upon the sight of the pair, his gaze shifting between the lovely woman, and the handsome stranger. Putting two and two together he rather didn’t appreciate the idea that some strange man would come and steal away his favorite victim of the night. He stiffened his shoulders and turned to face Jazz now, arching an eyebrow at him now, “Can I help you with something? Is there a reason that you would be bothering this woman?” he posed as a caring and simple hearted guard simply looking out for his people. This woman however was of interest to him and he would not easily see his chance at dragging her off at will fly right out the window over some charming shirtless wanderer.

Micayla’s gaze lifted however when he mentioned that Jazz may be bothering her as she leaned back against her hands for a moment with a frown, “He is not bothering me, Mihlay. Leave him alone.” She stated simply as she shook her head and pushed to her feet once more, drying her hands on the skirt of her dress as she gazed towards the guard who faced her with a frown and stepped forward, making his way to Micayla’s side he circled her, his gaze washing over her with far too much scrutiny, a dark hungering gaze lighting within his brown eyes as his gaze seemed intent to strip her bare. She felt the flutter of nerves in her stomach and turned her head away, her emerald eyes blazing. She finally thrust her hands into the air with a huff and backed towards the door, “I am busy, gentleman. I have far too much to do. The pleasure is mine but I cannot stay.” She stated, growing uncomfortable. She turned for the door before she felt a hard grasp at her hip and gasped, her eyes wide for a brief moment before glancing back at Mihlay once more, a crooked smile on his face as he ignored Jazz now, an irritated glint to his eyes, “Now now missy, you do not defy a soldier of the King’s guard. I demand that you stay and chat with us men.” He stated, motioning to another guard that had come to linger in the area now as well, patrolling the street some feet away. She flinched, biting her lip as she clenched her fists and refrained from hitting him. It would do no good, he was armored at the moment and the arch that exposed his eyes, nose, and mouth was slender and would not allow her fist to strike his face easily, nor did she want to give him any reason to ‘arrest’ her, drag her back to the guards’ quarters and do as he wished with her, again. So instead, she bit her tongue with a bittersweet smile, all the while shaking her head in response to his offer.

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[Deidra]

Jazz stiffed considerably as the muratian soldier appeared seemingly from nowhere. He hated all soldiers, though the reason was unknown to others. So at first he considered leaving, until the male addressed him and then as the woman addressed the male. Jazz looked between the two, assessing the looks they gave eachother. The womans had one he thought looked of disgust towards the male who was ogling her as if she was some sex toy he quite liked. Oh that pissed Jazz off, he was not one to abuse women and he hated other men who did. So his two worst hates put in one made everything that much sweeter. As the man called Mihlay grabbed Micayla Jazz finally took action and, with all his height and brawn, picked up the amor suited man, made a growling sound of sorts, and promptly threw him to the ground. His tall figure the walked over and place a booted foot on the amor chest and glared down at the man. "That, sir, was a bad idea to do in front of me. No one, I repeat no one touches a woman like that." he growled out before adding "If you were not a soldier of the king, I would gladly have cut, no ripped your balls off, sir." and then he took his foot from the man. One who might have been watching would have wondered why he kept saying 'sir' and well he had learned that if one said sir he was still being in some ways polite thought his tone had showed his hate and disgust of the man he had thrown to the ground. He did not turn away from the man for he anticipated he may not like that he was just thrown to the ground in front of his fellow soldiers.

[Desperanza]

Micayla’s eyes went from Mihlay to Jazz in a moment, her emerald eyes gazing upon the stranger and for a mere moment, she worried that he might side with the soldier, then she truly would be in trouble. It would wind up something like that time she had spent trapped in the quarters of the guards, like a party of men with a toy that they all desired and played with. She cringed, shivering, swallowing as she turned her head and suddenly, there was nothing beside her. Mihlay’s presence went missing and his hold at her hips was wrenched away. Her eyes fluttered open once more and she gasped, grasping her cloth dress for a moment as her head turned quickly, her red auburn hair falling at her back as she gazed to the sight. The soldier was flat on his back, his dark eyes wide with surprise at the boldness of the stranger. His foot was pressed to Mihlay’s chest and the words that spilled from his lips threatened the man. Her jaw ran slack and her mouth hung open for a moment as she gazed towards the two before promptly snapping her mouth closed, rather not wanting to appear like much of an idiot. She cleared her throat quietly and smoothed her dress across her shoulders and thighs, straightening herself into a much more respectful position as she squared her shoulders and clenched her jaw defiantly, casting a glare at Mihlay with a spark of amusement lighting within her emerald eyes. She was satisfied, that jerk deserved to have his pride tossed on the ground and crushed. For once in his life that soldier with filthy hands and a wicked soul, he deserved the same punishment that he dealt to others and the torturous punishment that he had dealt to her within her lifetime.

Quite suddenly, she was tossed back into her memories. Back to the last night that she had spent there within the guards quarters where they had pushed and pulled her into their beds and forced her to comply and then suddenly, when things had changed. When the floor had been soaked in her own blood, the blood that had stained her own thighs and where the only person in the room that had understood what was happening was her. She was losing the only baby she had ever held in her womb. It was gone like a filament of air that had been there within her lungs for a moment and the next moment, it was gone. Whether it was a boy or a girl, she had not known. She had not wanted to think any further than that. She had been eighteen and hardly old enough and entering the simple maturity that she could bear children and yet she had, and she had lost. Yet the guards, cowards that they were, they had tossed her out like a creature of the night, fearing that she was dying they had thrown her out in the cold and left her there to get herself home. The woman had slowly had to carry herself back home, in pain and her spirit broken, she had finally made it.

With a wince, Micayla returned from her memories and now, her eyes were blazing as she stared down at Mihlay who picked himself up from the ground with a slight wince, glaring up at Jazz with fury in his eyes but there was an obvious difference in their height and messing with Jazz was not necessarily at the top of his list. Micayla slowly stepped forward and edged the men to kneel at the basin again as she lifted the small mass of soaked cloth from the water finally, making her way to the back of the house to lithely pop them onto the clothes line to dry before she turned and made her way back to the front of the house again. Bending to close her fingers to the edge of the basin, she sighed, staring at the water. In the morning, she would have the very long trip to take all over again. As she stared in at the grey water , her throat suddenly felt dry once again and she winced, sighing softly. She closed her fingers to the edge of the basin and tipped it so the water dumped out onto the ground, circling Mihlay’s boots as he stared up at Jazz. He frowned, casting a sharp glance at Micayla briefly before he turned and stomped off, furious. He rather did not want to start a fight with Jazz however, still wanting Micayla to fear him and if he lost, his pride would be sorely bruised. He muttered darkly however as he made his way away rather gruffly and Micayla gave a slight smile as she stared after the man before she instead turned her gaze to Jazz as she stepped forward towards him, taking a breath as she soothed her emotions before settling once again as she began to speak, ”Thank you, sir. I am very thankful that you stepped in to help. That soldier and I are not in the best of terms.” She stated, wrinkling her nose. She took a breath and offered a smile, casting a glance to Kaspar with a grin at the beautiful stallion before she turned her gaze back to Jazz again instead, taking a breath before she spoke again, “Sir, can I, can I offer you a place to stay tonight? I can offer you and your wonderful steed something to eat and a place to rest for the night if you wish. It would perhaps beat bedding in the inn with the drunks and stale ale.” She offered. She considered it quite a high offer to offer her home to a stranger and the fact that Jazz had stuck up for her to a Muration soldier of all people inclined her to offer her home to him, as she would to any handsome man that saved her from any amount of danger and indeed her home would offer the man and his horse peace and a bit of safety from the prying hands of the drunks and the noise makers at the inn who would want to steal and put their hands on his stallion and would be noisy through the night. She had no clue where he had been traveling to but she figured that if he accepted she could offer them both something to eat and a place to stay for the night before they moved on again.

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[Deidra]

[shadow=black,left,650]Jazwinder, an honest man (:[/shadow]

Jazz scowled darkly at the Muratian soldier almost willing him to pick a fight with a man much, much taller than him. A bitter laugh came to his lips but he managed to supress it as the soldier glanced at Micayla and then back at him and walked off muttering darkly to himself. As the woman spoke to him he looked upon her and smiled lightly "I do not tolerate a man touching a woman like that, it is inexcusable. If it had not been for us being in a city, and him being surrounded by his men, he would be dead for what he just did." Jazz practically growled out, not in anger towards her but towards the man he had let go. He glanced around awkwardly towards the street embarrassed suddenly about his words. Jazz was not one to be openly angry, but he had just let his defenses fall with the womans words. As she spoke again he was surprised to find she was offering him shelter for the night. The lords only knew that he needed it for he was always getting into trouble wherever he went. With another smile Jazz replied "My lady, that would be most kind of you, thank you. And I don't think I caught your name, kind ma'am." his eyes and face showing that he was both sincerely grateful and honestly curious towards this woman who was kindly opening her home to him, a stranger. He had not spent a night with a woman since he had be separated from his sister many years ago and now as he looked upon Micayla he wondered how it would be to spend a night under another ladies house.

[Desperanza]

Micayla

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Micayla’s smile was now sincere as she gazed upon the sight of Jazz. The man had saved her from some real trouble and for this, she was grateful. The man was rather kind, in her opinion and it was a breath of fresh air from the rest of the scoundrels that seemed to wander the streets of Murate. It was unheard of that she opened her home to anyone other than the orphans and now, she was opening her home to him. As her gazed raked his tall form, she sighed wistfully. The sight of the man was enticing for Jazz was quite handsome, to say the least. The sight of him stirred a strange emotion within her, an emotion that she did not totally understand for she had never been in love, not since, well, not since her early teens and that man was gone, he was out of her life forever and probably dead. Babaar, the boy’s name had been and he had held foreign dark looks and he too had been boyishly handsome. He had been smitten for her as she had been for him but they had grown up together into their early teens before one day, he was gone. Sighing softly, she shook her head and smiled, heat flooding her cheeks as she offered a rather shy chuckle, swallowing along her dry throat she straightened a bit, her bare feet shuffling against the stones as she turned her gaze, realizing that she had been looking up at Jazz far longer then she needed to, but she couldn’t help herself. The stranger walked with no shirt and it offered her a great view of the corded muscles along his chest, his shoulders, his arms, his large masculine hands. The rest of his body would no doubt be just as impressive, if only she could see-

She rather suddenly cut her thoughts off with a nervous giggle, smoothing her hands across her dress. Her body seemed to be reacting in a way that she had never felt before, her stomach churned with nerves and unshed desire and she felt breathless for a moment, stumbling as she turned for the house, quickly regaining her feet again as she pondered what the heck could be wrong with her. She sent a sheepish smile over her shoulder, smiling softly to the tall stranger as she motioned him to follow with Kaspar, “Come, I will show you where to keep the horse and show you inside.” She murmured gently, her tone soft, husky. She swallowed and made her way towards the back of her home once again.

As she traveled around the side of her house, she paused as she reached the garden, slipping past the gate to step inside as she gathered the hem of her skirt and held the edge of her dress up a bit to make a bit of a bowl with the cloth as she had sent her garden basket with the children and now she had nothing to use to pick items from her gardens save for her own dress. More dirt to be cleaned out at the end of the week. She pulled multiple carrots from her garden as well as the two heads of cabbage that sat there at the end of the garden, the green heads protruding from the dark dirt. Smiling gently, the woman felt her emotions settling slowly now that she was not staring directly at the charming man that was once standing on her front lawn of stone and instead, she gave herself in to making a meal for the horse instead. She took a breath and straightened, stretching her back in the process as she held the produce to her chest with a soft sigh and stepped out of the gate, pushing it closed behind herself before she stepped around to her back door. Pushing the wooden door open, she stepped inside and set the vegetables onto the table, beginning to brush the dirt away with her fingers and the edge of her skirt now before she stepped back to the back door, glancing towards Jazz and Kaspar once again, “I can find some oats for him, and I can go into town and fetch some hay if you would like. The oats are a few hours into the fields, but the hay will only take me a little while to fetch. It’s to the other side and back.” She stated with a light smile as she glanced out at Jazz thoughtfully once more with a light smile as she looked up at him with a questioning look, curious if the man willed her to take the trip for his stallion. The two trips would take her hours, but she was willing for this man that had taken his own time to rescue her from the Muratian soldier and so she would take the trip if he wished for her to.
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[Deidra]

Jazz followed the woman still wishing he could get her name. She was rather quite pretty as he had already noticed before, though he would never do to her what that soldier must have done to her before. He didn't have to know to guess by the mans gaze had told it all, which sickened Jazz greatly. A man taking control of a woman because he could? That was utterly and completely disgusting to him. Kaspar huffed beside his head and brought Jazz from his broodingly dark thoughts as they came to the womans small garden. Jazz found yet again he smiled, all because of the woman in front of him. He had noticed her gaze upon him earlier but would think nothing of it unless the woman decided to voice her thoughts. Living with a loving sister for the beginning of his life had taught him much of how one should treat a girl and he would never go against those lessons, ever. She was working in the garden pulling up vegetables now, and he suddenly felt more compassion towards this woman for he had seen her with the orphans in the streets and now she was offering him shelter, and food not for just him but his horse? He had never been shown this kindness in all his years in Murate. He stood there Kaspar right behind him as she stood and walked into her home and then a few minutes later as she walked back out and offered to go and yet again work to get food for his stallion, no he couldn't let her do that and he finally spoke. "No, my lady Kaspar here does not need any special food, he has long since fed on what little he could find. He is a rather sturdy stallion, he won't mind just plain grass. But I extend my deepest gratitude towards you my lady, we are very gracious for your taking us in for the night." he said with all sincerity for he truly was gracious towards this pretty woman who was offering them shelter. He would be sure to leave her some coins for her troubles for he would feel guilty if he did not.

[Desperanza]

Micayla’s eyes held a smile and her mouth lifted slowly into a soft smile as she nodded slowly in return, smiling softly to the man as she beckoned him inside, “Then care for him as you wish and come inside, I will get something for you to eat on the fire.” She promised gently to the man, no longer worrying that he may be around her for the wrong reasons anymore. This soul was kind, she could tell, and she was pleased, rather proud of herself as it seemed that she would be welcoming a kind man into her home and into her bed chambers for the night, for technically they were one in the same for her home was one room indeed. Turning from the doorway, she made her way to the table where she pulled one of the small bowls in front of herself and she promptly broke most of the carrots into smaller pieces, emptying them into the bowl before she tucked a cabbage under her arm and she made her way outside where she lowered the bowl of carrots close to Kaspar’s feet where the stallion would notice when Jazz was finished un-tacking the equine or whatever he wished to do and finally, she sat on her knees on the softer earth with a satisfied sigh, tucking her skirt against her knees as she took the cabbage between her hands and began to pull the leaves from the head, lowering them into the bowl and around it as well. The stallion would be offered about eight carrots and a whole cabbage to eat for the night, saving four and the other cabbage as well as her last slice of bread for the man.

Micayla smiled softly, for despite her troubles she seemed always to offer a better mood for everything and now, as she fed the beautiful black stud, she also thought of stewing the vegetables for Jazz. She feared that he would be a little bummed for she had no meat to feed him and it was something she had been without for years as she could not hunt but she hoped that she could make up for it with the sweetness of the carrots and the white bread that she had to offer. The woman, maintaining a better attitude for everything continued to pull the leaves loose for the stallion and to lower them to the ground around the bowl before finally, she finished and she set the small heart of the cabbage into the bowl and brushed her hands against her dress as she glanced towards the pair thoughtfully, once again curious as to where the pair was traveling and where they had come from for it was strange to see such a traveling pair arrive together in such good shape here in Murate. It was rare that anyone actually had any means of proper food or nutrition and yet here was Jazz, fully muscled and tall as an unkempt weed in human form coupled with his sturdy black stallion, they were a fabulous pair. She sighed softly, a wistful smile upon her face as she watched the pair thoughtfully for a few moments before she suddenly remembered that he had asked for her name, multiple times. Rising to her feet, she straightened and glanced towards Jazz once more as she turned towards the door again, “Micayla, Micayla Addison Richards is my name good sir, but you can just call me Micayla or something of that sort.” She stated softly to him, a light smile touching her features once again before she decided to give Jazz some privacy with his stallion as she turned and stepped inside once more, the smile sticking upon her face now as she made her way back into the darker interior of her home. As the sun began to sink, she turned back outside once again, gathering a handful of grass and a small stick with a charred tip before turning back into her home again as she made her way to her fire place where the coals burned slowly without any flame, the stones that held the heat at the base were still hot enough to cook on and yet the flames had died long ago. She folded the small handful of grass into the fireplace where it sparked a small flame and she quickly dipped the charred end of the stick into the small sizzle of flames that quickly died out before she turned and made her way back to the table, lighting a few small shavings of wood over a wax like substance at the center of the table where it burned lightly with a tiny flame that only cast a faint glow around the one room home but it was enough to cook by and she was satisfied.

As Micayla returned to the table, she took up the remaining carrots and broke them apart as well, emptying them into one of the two remaining bowls at the table before she pulled the remaining cabbage towards her and she began to peel the leaves from it as well, keeping the heart of the cabbage when she finished as she turned and made her way towards the fire where her small iron pot sat and she emptied the vegetables into the pot where she knew that the small amount of juices that the vegetables would hold would create a little juice to cook them in and when they began to simmer, she smiled and turned back to the table, glancing in at the remaining slice of bread that rested in the last bowl. Her remaining slice of bread for the week and while she would not eat tonight, she was more then happy that Jazz would. He was a man after all and he required more food then a woman did. She imagined him out in lush fields of cotton and produce with the sun at his back and a gardening tool in hand. He would of course be shirtless as he was right now and his muscles would work like a well oiled machine beneath that tanned skin and while she cooked in the kitchen and kept up with the house, she would see him from the windows, the glorious sight of that man. She grinned and nibbled her lip at the thought before she suddenly came to reality once again with a wince, glancing around her home. Who was she kidding? She was poor as dirt and hardly survived as it was. She had nothing to give to a man but her body and it would continue to grow thinner the less she ate. She considered herself pretty each time she peered into the waters of the alcove but she wasn’t sure that any man would think so. Besides, she had already invited a man into her home and she didn’t even have a cover to offer him to keep warm at night. She had given it away to the orphans with their basket. Sighing, she felt a pang of sadness lance her and she turned from the doorway where she could see Jazz out back working with Kaspar. The sight was a bit painful as she realized that she would probably be alone forever. When she heard a sizzle at the stove, she jumped out of her brief slump and dashed to the fire, glancing into the pot with a smile she carefully flicked her fingers at the edge of the pot and gave it a bit of a shake to shift the vegetables inside a bit. A few more minutes and she had slipped out of the slip that had covered her legs and lower half beneath her dress. She folded it and grasped the edge of the pan, bringing it back to the table where she emptied the stew into the bowl and perched the last piece of bread onto the edge. She lifted her spork which fashioned from wood herself, it took her quite some time to make and she picked up on the art from the old man at the stable at the edge of town and she had saved wood by giving the spoon three prongs in case she ever needed them for something as well as curving it into a bowl for spooning which she needed now. She lowered the instrument into the bowl and gave a satisfied nod. Despite the fact that she lacked any spices to give it any extra flavor, the carrots would give it a sweet tang and the cabbage added a layer of flavor all its own. In a way, it was indeed a meal fit for a man. She only wondered what this man would think of it. Smiling with pride, she cast a glance towards the back door curiously as she shuffled back a few paces to wait silently now, her job finished for now before she suddenly thought and turned from the table again, shuffling across the house floor towards the opposite side of the room where she slept and there was a small indention there where she always slept there in the earth and she lowered to her knees beside it and began to work the earth with her fingers to soften it for Jazz’s body. She might be poor, but she would sure as hell offer her guest the best night of hospitality that she could afford to offer, and this was only another way of doing so.

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[Deidra]

Jazz stood with Kaspar, slowly soothing the stallion as he moved to untack him and take his bedroll from behind the saddle. It was really only a cloth much like a burlap sack a cloak wrapped inside. He did not own but one shirt and that was currently being used as a makeshift saddle pad for Kaspar as the horse had begun to get saddle sores a few days back. Dropping the bedroll to the ground he rubbed the stallions shoulder and pulled the girth loose and pulled the black leather saddle from his mount with a smile as Kaspar shook his body as the weight lifted and he snorted. Jazz then removed the shirt from his back and threw it down with his bedroll and moved to Kaspar's face rubbing it fondly. He unbuckled the simple bridle and the cheek and lifted it over the stallions ears and let him spit of the bit into his hand. Patting his on the shoulder he let the black horse walk away and watched as he began to tear eagerly at the grass that grew in Micayla's backyard. Again he was brought to think of the woman that had kindly offered them her home and he had a smile on his face at this thought now. She really was growingly fondly in his mind, for he had never seen such a kind, eager woman. He had seen her with the orphans and had gotten the impression that she was a very selfless woman, and reminded him very much of his sister. He bent to pick up the bedroll and stepped towards the door of her house. Upon entering the doorway he noticed the bowl set on the table a delicious smell filled the inside, and then as he glanced around for Micayla he saw her on the floor and quickly strode inside "Micayla" he asked bewildered "What are you doing my lady?" his tone confused as he looked upon her as her hands worked into the dirt.

[Desperanza]

The woman jumped slightly, not having realized that Jazz had made his way into the house finally until he spoke. She rocked back on her knees for a moment and cast a glance back at him with a light smile as she took a breath before sighing softly as she straightened a bit and glanced over her work. The earth had been upturned and sifted carefully, now making a softer area of earth for him to rest on when he finished. She cleaned her hands on the slip that she had removed earlier and rose to her feet with a soft smile, her eyes bright and inquisitive now as if she had no clue as to why he was bewildered because really, she didn’t. To her, it was naturally inlaid that she do everything she possibly could to make her guest happy. It was not something that happened often but neither was the fact of her letting anyone into her home period. After smoothing her dress against her thighs, she swallowed, attempting once again to keep her eyes from his body, fearing that the sight of him would attract her to him like a magnet and she certainly did not want him to think that she had brought him here for less than honest intentions. She certainly was no siren or Circe, after all.

Grinning lightly, she sighed softly and sobered as she drifted closer despite herself, motioning to the table, ”I have only been preparing your supper and bed.” she replied gently to the man as she looked up at Jazz, her gaze gentle and eager as she peered up at the man. She offered a slight smile and sighed softly, motioning to the bowl at the table, ”I am sorry but I do not have any chairs. I have prepared the bed for you though if you would like to sit there, it would be more comfortable then anywhere else of course.” she offered thoughtfully to him this time. She folded her hands before herself with a light smile, falling silent for a moment before she wondered whether perhaps it would make him a bit nervous that she was standing there. She felt a bit of heat creep into her cheeks again at her obvious attraction to the man as her emerald eyes scanned his form right down over his riding pants and the boots that adorned his feet. Suddenly, she turned from him with a sheepish smile as she made her way across the room, glancing in at the glowing coals for a few moments before she sighed softly and glanced around, suddenly unsure of what on earth to do with herself. She didn’t hardly own anything and she rather didn’t have much to clean currently so finally, she came to settle upon the floor, the area that she had not upturned for Jazz for she left that for him to sit upon. She motioned to the bowl at the table and the spot on the floor with a gentle smile, ”Come, make yourself comfortable. You must be hungry after your travels.” she gently encouraged to him as her gaze lifted to him once more as she sat with her knees tucked beneath herself, thinking better of sitting cross legged without her slip now. Offering a small smile, she glanced around herself thoughtfully now as she waited patiently.

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[Deidra]

Jazz stood there not far from the table looking upon Micayla with a slightly confused expression. He was not used to this kind of hospitality. As she spoke he noticed she had only made one bowl of the meal she had made and slowly he began shaking his head. "Micayla, do you not mean to eat as well?" he asked looking upon her thoughtfully. He did not wish to put her out of a meal, he would split what she had put out for him if he had too. He watched as she tried to busy herself with nothing in particular and then as she sat down on the earthen floor and asked him to do the same. He reluctantly took the bowl from the table and held it in his left hand while his right still held his bed roll. His conscience told him that this was not right, letting the woman give him her place she slept and her food and her not having anything. "My lady, please do not go hungry at my expense, let me half this with you. And I do not wish to take your place of sleeping I can sleep upon my bedroll my lady it would be of no bother to me. I just do not feel right in taking things and you having nothing." he pleaded with her. 

[Desperanza]

Micayla’s eyes sought the sight of the traveler as Jazz peered at her with almost sorrowful eyes. She smiled, patient and willing as she gazed upon the sight of Jazz, her head inclining slightly at his words. She took a breath and motioned with her hands around herself briefly, “I do not have any more food to spare. Please, eat what you wish and then I shall finish what you do not. You are traveling, are you not? Surely riding a horse and making your way through the landscape would wear upon a traveler’s reserves.” She replied softly with a light smile, her gaze traveling to his bedroll before she offered a light nod, “Good sir, I am satisfied that you have something to rest upon and if you are sure that you will not need it then I will sleep in my spot if that is all right for it is all that I have. I gave away my cover to the children just a while ago but I do not want to take if you would like it so please do not worry because I certainly do not mind sharing with such a soul as yourself.” She replied gently to him with a light smile as she looked up at him thoughtfully before slowly, she stood, casting a glance to the back door briefly before returning her gaze to Jazz once more. She trailed to the back door and glanced out, glancing out at Kaspar for a moment with a smile before she turned back to Jazz again with a small nod.

She was surprised that this stranger had felt such a pull towards her, that he would share the food that she had prepared for him and he would offer her part of his meal and her bed back but she could not argue they were tiny things, the only things that she had to live by and she was thankful for what little she had. She knew that there was nothing else that she could have. She knew that there were other people in Murate that had cots to sleep on and the orphans of whom slept in the streets and she sighed, folding her hands before herself as she glanced around herself thoughtfully before settling to sit on her knees once more with a light smile, “Please, come and sit. The night is coming and we shall rest soon.” She stated gently to Jazz as her gaze lifted to him once more.

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