travel preparations (kotone, merik)

[Nairore]

x x

Nairore had never seen more Gerudo in one place while not having a weapon in her hand. Her two-handed scimitar was on her back, of course, and it was drawing a lot of looks from the other Gerudo. To them she wasn't kin, they didn't know her blood. Her radiant blue eyes scanned the masses as they milled about, packing up their camp and getting ready to leave. She felt remarkably out of place, but that was never something to stop Nairore.

She looked about. She had to find Merik. It shouldn't be too hard, he was the king of these people. If he acted anything like normal royalty his tent would be the biggest and flashiest. But there were a surprising amount of them here, so she wasn't too certain. Nairore readjusted the strap of the small pack slung over her shoulder, carrying the barest of essentials that she always brought with her when she campaigned with her father.

To these people she appeared to be a Hylian, walking among them. Nairore realized that was why she was drawing so many glares from them. She didn't break stride; she was on a mission, she had to find the one man who actually wanted her in that camp. Merik Dragmire, the King of the Gerudo. The man her father had been hunting for most of his life. The man Zenethil had been hunting all of her life, since she had come into his possession.

Once upon a time she had been living in a camp like this. As a child she had lived the first few years of her lives with her mother. She sighed. What was she doing there? She was out of place. This was not her world. But then neither was the barracks with the Hylian Knights. What was her world? Where did she belong. She cringed and shook the thought off. Now was not the time for an existential crisis.

Instead she put out her hand to one of the women. "I'm looking for Merik Dragmire, he wanted me to meet him here," she said, simply. By the Goddesses this felt awkward.

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[Kotone]

Kotone was getting ready to head back to the fort and taken most of the women back with her. Her sister on the other hand seem to want to stay here and have fun. Which she can but Kotone only came for the Din part of the fest. The other goddess really did not bless them like Din does to their people. No it always seem to them that the other two goddess know their people were kick out in to the wastelands but also cursed. The gerudo people believe that Din gave them power to live threw the hardships given to them in hope they can finally be understood as a people like any other races.

Kotone came out of her tent and and gesturing orders saying how much time they got until they leave. She sighed as she looked to Merik's tent knowing he be leaving too going out on his travel he did not want her to come. She understand as he was looking for something in a secret place to build up his self to get stronger. Even more so she hope he come back ok as she was his adviser and bodyguard at the same time and even more something more.

Then she heard something a voice she never heard before as she turn to see a women had enter their campsite holding her hand out to her. She was asking to see him or she was post to meet with him. Kotone looked at her a little startle at this as she looked at the women. She had fair skin like her sister Ruma had but her body seem to scream gerudo but her hair and eyes did not. Heck if she had red hair Kotone would of said she was a gerudo due to her chest alone. She looked at her hand once more but did not shake it.

No she did not. She used her pointed at her then around the campsite then looked at her. Saying what are you doing here. She sighed a bit knowing she might no pick up on her gesture as Kotone was not one to move her lips. As she hate to since there would be no sound something out due to her being mute.

[Nairore]

x x

Nairore naturally assumed she wouldn't get a straightforward answer. You don't walk into a camp and ask to see the king without somebody asking what you were doing there. She was actually quite lucky there wasn't a sword at her throat, actually, with her Hylian disguise making her stand out around the camp. But then this was the Festival; she'd been out of line when she'd first attacked Merik, nobody expected actual fighting outside of the tournament.

But what she hadn't assumed was a cold shoulder. Then again why not? She asked the woman where to find Merik Dragmire and she didn't even get any words back. Just some gestures. Pointing all around the camp. Nairore cocked an eyebrow as she watched, her hand finding itself a resting spot on the curve of her hip. She expected to be asked something, but when the woman finished her gestures and just stared, Nairore was left without an answer.

Nairore kept herself from growling in frustration at the lackluster response. "I'm looking for Merik Dragmire, the king?" she asked again. "I'm going to start training with him, or at least that's what I've been told," she grunted. Perhaps Merik was just taking the opportunity to get her in the middle of a Gerudo camp where he could obtain her without anyone noticing, where she couldn't fight back. What if she was walking straight into a trap.

She really wouldn't be surprised, considering how much her father went on about this man. Perhaps this entire ordeal was foolish. She grunted, waiting for the female to give directions. She was feeling tense there. Normally this would be the heart of enemy grounds, but now, now they would supposedly all be friends. Yet she couldn't shake that itch, a longing to draw her sword and have it handy. Its presence on her back did help her feel safe, regardless.

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[Kotone]

Kotone got he blank look and re-question again at her. Of course she knew it was upsetting not getting a respond back as she knew the feeling to well. Heck this is what she was getting now. Of course the lady did not seem to know she was mute. Heck even the tournament people did not know. Oh if they did she give them a ear full if she could ever speak. Her gestures were a system of sign that they made up when they were kids so she could speak to everyone. She like to call it GSL(Gerudo sign languish) however simple signs like pointing she thought everyone knew.

Before she could gesture something else the lady said she was going to train with Merik. Her eye widen in shock as Merik said he was going alone. Oh this put fuel on her fire as she a upset face not really meaning it for the lady but at Merik for well lying to her. She looked at the lady as she took her thumb and two fingers and snap them closed in front of the ladies face as a no. She then took her index finger and made a semi circle in the air then pointed out of the camp site. Putting all that together meaning No get out of here now.

Kotone found it unfair to her that Merik would take someone who not of their tribe with him. For the fact he said he needed to do this alone. Alone? Then who is this? Training yeah right. It was Kotone jealousy building up again as she really did not like any women around Merik no matter what. However the point to Kotone was why take this stranger and not her? She was his bodyguard and his adviser yet she does seem to get anything across to him as he keeps ignoring her words.

[Nairore]

x x

Nairore watched the wild gestures and gave the Gerudo woman an unimpressed look. First of all it was quite rude to just snap your fingers in someone's face, especially if you already had their attention. Nairore had to calm her own anger as it flared at that, but then the woman gave a pretty universal sign for 'get out'. She grunted her acknowledgement of the gesture but did not comply. Instead she just stared back for a moment with disdain.

"Yeah, okay, sure. I'm here for Merik, not you, and the only way I'm going to leave is if he says so," she said sternly. If Merik had called her here to train just to put her on the spot and try to embarrass her, then, well, there really wasn't much she could do but it was a waste of a remarkable amount of energy. Plus Nairore wasn't unfamiliar with the concept of people trying to make a fool out of her. Every batch of new Knights had one guy who would try it. He often spent the most time in the medicae.

"He told me to meet him here, I'm going to do that. And, as one of his people, wouldn't it be wise to comply with his demands as well?" she reasoned with every bit of bitterness in her voice as you'd think would accompany that statement. Merik was one thing, but Nairore was more skilled than most of the Knights. She was easily sure she could take out one Gerudo woman who had a bit of an attitude if it really came to that. Maybe that's what Merik wanted, anyway? A test or something of that.

Perhaps he was even watching. "So you either direct me to him or I search every tent until I find him." Her final demand, which she was more than willing to follow through with. Sure, it wouldn't make her a big hit among her 'people', but that was the position Nairore felt most at home in anyway.

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[Merik Dragmire]

Merik had been relaxing in his tent when he overheard from a pair of his guards that Kotone and a Hylian were about to fight.

"Damnation..." he growled as he felt a headache already beginning to grow.

Quickly dressing in his festival garb he stormed out of the tent searching for the two women. Luckily it wasn't difficult to find the one obvious outsider in the encampment and it was clear that Nairore hadn't picked up on Kotone being mute.

"Kotone, that is not how you treat our kin." he said admonishingly as he came upon the two. He gave her a half stern look before turning to the other woman. "Meet Nairore; Nairore forgive my Queen, Kotone, she is unable to speak and more than a little protective of me."

[Kotone]

Oh Kotone was so close taking out her daggers and showing this women how she really talk. For the fact she threaten her was even worst so. She did not like that even more in the festival campsite they set up. Kotone was trying to talk to the lady but the lady did not want to see her hands or talk to her in a clam manner it was no her fault. Of course with Merik coming out of his tent upset and showing it to Kotone. She seem to gotten blame for it. Her eyes widen as she cross her arms and glare at Merik for putting the blame on her.

She blinks as she looked at him for a moment then back at the lady as he said Kin. She was taken back she does not remember any brown hair gerudo in her records. She shook her head as she had to force back at the matter at hand. .... wait did Merik said she was Queen? She smiled a bit as how could she get upset with this sweet guy?

She moved her hands around telling Merik what had happen as she did not do anything wrong in her mind. Kotone moved her hands and arms around as she started to sign what happen. She did not even touch the kid. She came in here asking to see you and so Kotone ask why and then she ignored me. So Kotone told her to get out then she made a threat. She let out a sigh then looked at Merik as she waved her finger at him. Which brought up the question on why this lady was saying she was going to train with him on his so called alone mission. Which she was not allow to go with.

[Nairore]

x x

Nairore's hands remained on her hips as she glared at this woman. Merik arrived just in time, as Nairore could see the telltale signs of a fight quickly approaching. Not that she was too concerned. Merik explained the situation to them both and Nairore had to stop herself from scoffing. Merik had a mute queen? He had, wisely, been able to keep that a secret from Hylian intelligence for quite some time, it seemed. Her father would like to know about this, she would have to tell him next time she saw him.

She looked flatly at Merik, then back at Kotone as the 'queen' seemed to flail wildly about. Nairore quickly gathered that since she was mute she communicated through sign language, but trying to understand what she was saying with no grounds to start was a fool's task. Instead she just took in the spectacle as an outside and cracked the smallest of grins. Merik had said she was protective, no wonder she had told Nairore to get out.

"It must be hard to be diplomatic when the welcoming squad likes to snap fingers in peoples' faces and tell them to get out," she commented simply when Kotone was done. "I'm not here to meet people, Merik, I'm here to train." She had no desire to learn Gerudo culture or get incorporated into it or anything of that sort. She had come there with a single purpose in mind and she was vehemently going to stick to it. "So if we can be done with these shenanigans, just tell me where to wait while you get ready."

Gerudo warriors were no different that the Knights, in a way. They all wanted to prove themselves superior to her because she was not one of them. At least there was no rough and uncouth attempts at hitting on her here, so it was a little better. But regardless of that she was an outsider in either world. Born a Gerudo and the Hylians wouldn't fully accept her, raised by Hylians and the Gerudo wouldn't fully accept her.

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[Merik Dragmire]

"Nairore wasn't in my original plans for this trip, so don't go getting it into your head that I was hiding things, and I know it's not your fault that she didn't understand you. I met her coming back after the tournament and after a very short fight she wanted me to train her, and I took pity on her because of her upbringing. Her family was murdered and her village torched by the current Knight Commander, he then kidnapped and indoctrinated her against our people." Merik explained to Kotone as he watched the different emotions playing across her face. "I'd have told you last night, but you know...preoccupied."

He kept his eyes on her as Nairore spoke up, in case she had something to say that he might miss.

"Kotone's mother was murdered by Hylians Nairore, she has more than a few good reasons not to want them around." the King said to the younger woman, more than a few notes of anger creeping into his tone from the memory, thought after her final words his rage did snap out a bit. "And you can drop the attitude right now, you aren't being forced to be here or to submit yourself to my tutelage. Don't forget that I let you keep your life and YOU wanted me to train you so I'm working it into MY busy schedule. So you'll be trained when I decide the time is right and not a second sooner; if that doesn't work for you then you can go back to your precious Hylian Knights."

[Kotone]

Kotone blinks as that was clear up rather fast but Merik was right. He had nothing to hide from her and it seem to be all ok. However she looked at the lady or Nairore... odd name. She may have to come up with more of a Gerudo name for her. That or shorten it to Nair. Yeah that sounded better to her but hearing about the raid as she remember that in old reports dating back when she was still a child. Her family was lucky back then they had guardians or sheikah protecting them them and their mothers. Thought the girl was lucky to be even alive being with... the Knight all this time.

Before she could make a hand movements her face blushed as sh turn her head away and gave a cough. Thought her cough made no sound other then wind coming out. However after Merik went on his rant with the girl as she step in and gave the girl a hug. Then let go as she smiled at her as she nods. She rub her chest saying she was sorry to her about before. She turn back to Merik as she goes and gave him a hug on the arm in hope it calm him down as he did not get upset. This was a Festival for Din after all.

[Nairore]

x x

Nairore's hand dropped from her hip as Merik started to explain the situation to Kotone. It clenched into a fist that made her knuckles white as she bit her tongue. She wasn't too fond of Merik's choice of words on the matter, but decided it wasn't the time to challenge him on that. She just wanted to get this little distraction out of the way and move on with her training. The faster she could get it done, the faster she could be done with Merik and the Gerudo. They weren't her kin, they would never be her kin.

Of course Merik's sudden anger as he berated her was unexpected. But where most men or women would probably cringe with fear or embarrassment Nairore simply stood unphased. She had been out of line, she realized, considering Merik's own willingness to train her. She made the same mistake as when the two of them had fought nights before; she had let herself get out of hand, let her emotions and her dislike for the Gerudo take hold, and as such she had stepped out of line. But Nairore was a stubborn one, and Merik wasn't about to get an apol--

What? Hugs? Nairore was caught completely off guard by the sudden embrace from the women who had moments ago told her to get out. She blinked in complete surprise, a rather vulnerable expression that few ever saw, and her arms rose as if to object but unsure whether that would be wise, if she even should object. Instead she waited for the woman, Kotone, to finish the embrace and move on, using that time to steel herself once more.

Except her cheeks were tinted with just a touch of red, another rarity for Nairore. The action had been so unexpected it had slipped past all of her usual barriers. She grunted her acknowledgement to the woman and looked at Merik, trying to find her tongue. "Well . . . on your time, then," she said simply, frankly too uncertain to know what else to say.

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[Merik Dragmire]

Merik, very much like Nairore, was wide-eye shocked when Kotone went and gave the younger woman a hug. He had known that the girl's story would resonate with his sister but that stopped him right dead in his tracks. Though seeing the very light blush on Nairore completely broke his will.

He burst out roaring in laughter at the whole thing, shocking many of the nearby Gerudo. Pulling his Queen tighter against him, the King placed a kiss on her forehead with a smirk.

"Thank you for that my dear, I'm not sure whether you surprised me or Nairore more but it was an amusing surprise nonetheless." he said once his laughter had subsided, his anger completely forgotten.

"Don't worry Nairore, we'll be leaving soon enough."

[Kotone]

Kotone blinks at both Merik and Nair reaction to her hug. Ok so Kotone does not show her caring side to often but she does have one. She very understanding if her Jealously or worrying not in the way. In this case it was not she saw Nair more like Ruma really she does remind her of Ruma with the fair skin. However she seem very stubborn like Merik which was funny. Of course she would not tell him about them acting the same way. No she say it after he comes back as he know it by then.

Kotone blinks as she was kissed on the forehead as he held her closer. She was going to miss him when he is gone. However she was going to work her harder to make sure the fort is still standing and maybe improve on things. She been planning to see if she can't get a garden to grow in the desert. She know she can do it with her song of storms but to keep it hidden is the hard part. As this will be food for the Fort not for monster or anyone else.

Kotone pat his arm a bit saying he should not be surprise. She touch her head then pat her heart saying she very understanding or caring. She smiled as she was happy as now she did not mind the girl going with Merik on his trip. Not only he won't be alone but he going to be training a kin. No only she get stronger but so will Merik so she was very happy. It just sad he be away for who knows how long it might be months before he come back home.

[Nairore]

x x

The laughter was a little uncalled for. Nairore clenched her fist out of reflex, unsure of how exactly to react. They all seemed so . . . friendly. She hadn't known what to expect when she had come to the camp, but years of hearing about the Gerudo and how inferior they were, how they were bandits, years of killing them, she never expected this kind of atmosphere. They were a family, and they were welcoming her into their midst, it seemed, despite everything. That was so unexpected she was left speechless.

The way they acted made Nairore feel out of place, just like she did among the Hylians. They were both her people, yet she only got that kind of behavior around Zenethil and Lori, her adopted family. She breathed deep and shoved those thoughts aside. She was on an important mission, she couldn't let her emotions get the better of her. It was unlike her to get emotional in the first place, such thoughts were normally foreign.

"Just tell me where to go and wait until you're ready," she said to Merik, beginning to feel out of place like she had when she was a child. She just wanted to get away until it was her and Merik, until they were training. That was something she was used to, something she enjoyed. It was familiarity.

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[Merik Dragmire]

Merik smiled at Kotone's words as she responded to him.

"I know you are Kotone, but you aren't always the most caring when matters involve other women." he said, sweetening it down from the slight barb of the comment.

He looked at Nairore when she spoke again and nodded in the direction of his tent. He didn't have anything worth anything in there so he had no problem with her waiting there.

"You can go wait in my tent, things will be a little hectic here until most of the camp has moved out but horses will be left for us to take. If the guards try and stop you on your way in tell them I gave the order to allow you entry."

He didn't figure there would be any trouble with her gaining entry, his guards had dealt with some odd requests and orders from him in the past that this should hardly surprise them.