A New Start

[Kitami Aklia]

The travel to this new land had been a tough one. Especially for Isonette. Kitami had to work hard to keep the child entertained and educated while they spent so long on a boat, crossing the sea. It also didn’t help that the poor child was sea sick half the time either. Izzy had no sea legs. She was a growing child who went from running freely in the forest to being bound in a boat for an extended period of time, and she didn’t take to the transition. Not that Kitami expected her to. She never knew who to curse when her little girl stood over a railing, vomiting into the passing water. Should Kitami curse the people of Merovech, who shunned her daughter and whispered awful things simply due to the girl’s likeness of Lachesis? Or should she curse the very father of her daughter, who, with his foolish hounding, got them all into this mess. All she knew was anger whenever Isonette woke, groaning and sick. But the journey was over at last.

Kitami and Izzy both departed the boat with much joy, especially the girl, who was already feeling better and color rising to her cheeks again. Thankfully Lachesis secured a little cottage for the two. Kitami didn’t know if they would have servants or not, so she decided to assume they didn’t. She’d buy some necessary things to last them a few days until Kitami had an idea of what was at their new home.

Kitami was dressed in a lovely light blue cloak, the cloak fitting snugly to her figure, along with the blue and white dress she wore underneath. Normally she would wear more loose fitting dresses, mostly from habit from working in the hot spa, but you make do with what you happen to have. She had a small leather purse slung over her shoulder, containing all the money she saved up from her previous life, and over one arm a basket for placing items in as she shopped. She walked past the stores and markets, eyeing the different food types being sold. She paused when she felt a tug on her skirts, and turned to see bright yellow eyes looking up at her. She smiled down at Isonette, who was clad in similar fashion to her mother, except her dress and cloak were purple, and much finer. A gift of her father’s.

“Mama, are we going to live here from now on?” Isonette asked, looking around at the strange faces and people bustling about. She showed a little apprehension to them, and it was no wonder, with the treatment she received before. But the faces who did look at her simply carried on as before. Izzy felt a little relieved at this, and clung less tightly to her mother’s skirts.

“Yes Izzy.” Kitami replied, stopping at a fruit cart to examine the available fruit.

“Why did we have to leave?” Izzy asked, a question Kitami heard at least three times before.

“Because your father had to, and I wanted to follow.” Kitami answered. Isonette thought this over before looking back to her mother.

“Why did Papa have to leave?” She asked. Because your father is an idiot, Kitami thought.

“Because danger was getting to high to stay. He had to think of his children Izzy. He thought it best to find a new place, a new start.” She said, selecting a few fruits and handing a coin over before moving on. Isonette followed close behind, thinking this answer over as well. She stopped as her mother traded coin for bread, and carried on.

“Will I still be able to see Papa? And my brothers?” She asked. Kitami patted her head, hair as bright red as her own, and nodded.

“Of course. Papa wouldn’t just forget about you! You’re his little princess aren’t you?” She said, which brought forth a smile on the child’s features. Kitami smiled back and turned, working her way through the market, Izzy on her heels as she walked, looking around openly and curiously.

[Deleted]

Delliks had had a rough couple of weeks, cold, cold and then a bit of warmth and then more cold. His shelter collapsed because of snow, his hut squashed by a Hydra, and his money stolen by bandits... Like he said, great weeks. But then again he did leave his money unattended in the pub, oh yes he sure had his idiotic moments.

Today he found himself able to eat a decent meal in awhile, whiteout the work of finding, catching, and cooking it. An apple, some bread and a, little bit too burnt, rabbit. But hey it was a meal.
The man was about to take his first bites of the meat when he looked over. Why did he have to look around first. As he sat leaned against the dirty brick wall he saw over in the corner, just before you would enter the alleyway, a boy. That is if you can call him that, more like a sack of skin.
"Well..." Delliks sighed debating his options, "You are too nice offa guy Delliks," he mumbled to himself.
He got up and brushed of the dirt and mud from his jacket before walking over to the lad. He tossed the things down to him, "Here, it'll be good for ya eh?" He said as he looked into the boy's deep blue eyes filled with his sorrows yet bursting with happiness.

Delliks walked away with his hands in his jacket pockets, "Too nice if a guy..." He mumbled again.


As he continued to walk, he did find that he hasn't given everything, his apple still remained in his pocket and smirking he took it out and tossed it between his hands. Sort of juggling it and "performing" for himself if you will.
He continued in into the market, a place where normally some pick pockets were. Also known as the best people to pickpocket. He smiled thinking to himself.

[Kitami Aklia]

Kitami stopped at a veggie stall and looking over the different selections offered. She picked up some cabbage, checking it over and weighing it. Izzy saw this, stuck out her tongue in disapproval, and turned from her mother, watching people pass. There were many people hustling about, and calls for sales out to them. Isonette strayed from her mother a bit of a ways, trying to mind that the hem of her skirts didn’t dip into the mud that was being created by the wanderings of the people. She looked around, feeling bored, and paused as a man approached, seeming to juggle one apple. She watched him as he walked near, and she smiled. He was a handsome human wasn’t he? And tall! She stepped by as he walked past, then looked down at the footprints he left. After a moment she stepped one foot into one big print, then another, and began bouncing from one print to another, following him and splashing mud onto her dress, despite her earlier care.

She gave a giggle as she followed, trying to leap the man’s strides. After a moment or two though she started going too fast and ran into his backside. She gasped, stumbled back, then blinked up at him. She thought over the manners she was supposed to have, before dropping a curtsy.

“Beg your pardon.” She said, before looking back up to the man. After a moment or two she looked around and realized she lost sight of her mother. She blinked and frowned, subtly scenting the air for Kitami, but all the smells of humans and even some other creature scents she recognized from her days in Merovech had her nose jumbled. Uh oh. Mama wouldn’t be pleased. Izzy wasn’t too worried. Mama would easily be able to find her. Her nose was much better because she was grown-up.

[Deleted]

Delliks continued to flip and balance the apple from his hands and, when the 'trick' called for it, arms.
He was playing much more attention to his fun with the apple than what was going to be his original plan, hunting for pockets.

Out of seemingly nowhere he felt the slightly forceful bump from behind and his apple flung out of reach, he was able to stall it on his muddy boot... not much better than just dropping it altogether, he let it drop to the ground.
A pickpocket? Oh the irony, to be pocketed while he himself was searching for one, although they would be displeased to find his empty pockets. Not to mention the horrible technique, they might as well as threw him to the ground.
Ready to make a show of the thief, he turned, but instead almost burst into laughing. A small child was the thought criminal. Figures, how could he be so lucky as to have a source of income just run into him, and even if the little girl was a pickpocket... well just look at her, he would have allowed it. Maybe some scolding, but allowed it none the less.

"Oh las, don't dread over it. I'm a bit harder to break then you would think." he smirked at his own joke as he crouched down closer to her height. It then occurred to him see may be lost.
"Lost your way eh?"

[Kitami Aklia]

Isonette’s eyes followed his as he crouched down to her height, though he still seemed much taller. Of course any man was bound to seem very tall to her at this age. She gave a smile though when he told her not to worry. Good! She had hoped not to offend him. In the last place she lived she seemed to insult others by living and breathing. And she never understood why. It was hard to make friends in Merovech.

“I’m lost but Mama will find me. She always does.” She said with great ease and confidence. Most would think she was just confident in her mother, but no one knew her mother could easily find her by just scenting the air. She looked at the apple that now lay in the mud.

“I liked your trick! How can you do it?” She asked, walking over to the apple and tapping her toe on it, submerging it deeper into the mud before she rolled it around. The apple now was fully covered in mud and would probably be smashed by the day’s end.

[Deleted]

He stood back up as she walked around and over to the apple. And he couldn't help but chuckle silently to himself. Someone would definitely be slipping on that sometime today.

"You mean just tossing that fruit around?" it was something he had learned while being by the campfire at night back home, he didn't exactly now the specific details to teach someone.
"I couldn't tell you exactly, I just toss it up and fool around is all. Practice I suppose eh?" he smiled.

Now whether her mom would find her or not he wasn't quite so sure, the market was pretty busy.
"Want to get up on my shoulders to try and spot your mother?" he asked. Of course he wasn't even sure if the lass had a mother, many of the orphaned children still didn't like to admit it.

[Kitami Aklia]

“Practice.” Isonette echoed, seeming to give this much thought. Someone could learn something through folly and practice? Without ever having a teacher? How she wished schooling subjects were the same. Maybe it was a grown up thing. She pushed the apple down deeper into the mud with her foot and then turned from it, dismissing it. She listened to his offer and shook her head, her light red head hair flicking this way and that.

“Non! I don’t need to climb your shoulders.” She said, turning her nose up at the idea of climbing on his shoulders. She would rather keep her distance from such strange men. The only shoulders she climbed were her father’s and brother’s. She may be social, but she was cautious just the same. Too many bad people in the last town. She placed a hand in her pocket suddenly, reassuring her that her pet egg was still safe, and then nearly jumped when she heard a sharp voice.

“Isonette du Ponteloc!” Izzy turned, surprised, and saw her mother approaching. She blinked at the stern look her mother was giving her. “Look at your new dress your father got you! You have it all muddied up.” Kitami said, sighing at the site of mud splashed all over the hem of the purple gown. Izzy looked down guiltily.

“Sorry, Mama.” She said softly. Kitami couldn’t help but smile. It was hard to stay mad at that face. Then she looked to the man who stood by her daughter, placing a hand on her hip.

“Making new friends already, dearheart?” She asked. Izzy perked. “What is your new friend’s name?” Kitami asked, though the question was more directed to the man rather than her daughter.

[Deleted]

Even thought the marketplace was filled with noises and people yelling, the young girl's mother's voice was loud and clear. Repeat, loud and crystal clear, with a bit of an edge that startled even Delliks. It reminded him of when he was in trouble with his Grandmother.

He snapped out of it quick enough, "Delliks, M'Lady," he said and was about to offer his hand in for a shake when a few things changed his mind. The first was he remembered that the girl had curtsied and so the mother would probably be of the proper type. Which was more of a reason not to offer his hand as he felt it was rather dirty. So instead he bowed to here.
"I am happy to see you found your daughter." he smiled as he raised, he certainly didn't want to have to babysit today.

[Kitami Aklia]

Kitami eyed the man for a long time. It wasn’t offensive, just the usual scrutinizing every mother gave to a stranger who dared approach their child. She was pleased with the respectful bow though. He was at least aware of manners. She placed a fond hand on Izzy’s head.

“Yes. Thank you for entertaining my little one after she ran off without permission.” She said, looking down at Izzy, who picked up on the hint and real reason she was in trouble and looked away, blushing. “I hope she wasn’t too much trouble.”

“I was no trouble at all Mama!” Isonette said, crossing her arms. “I spoke like a real lady. Even curtsied. I remembered my manners.” She said. Kitami chuckled, petting Izzy’s head.

“Yes, yes Izzy. I believe you.” She said, shifting the basket filled with food on her shoulder a bit. “Did you thank Delliks for keeping you company?” She asked. Izzy gasped before stepping forward to the man, giving him another curtsy.

“Thank you for accompanying me.” She said, smiling up at him. Kitami watched her daughter and sighed inwardly. The girl had her father’s charming smile, that was certain. She was willing to bet in another ten years that smile would break many men’s hearts, assuming Lach and his sons didn’t break their faces first.

[Deleted]

It took all he had to bite his tongue and not make any wise cracks or flirt with the lady, after all she seemed to be married. Otherwise he may have asked why she insisted on undressing him with her eyes.
Of course he knew the look of a mother, and that that was what it was, he liked to joke.

"Oh kids will be kids eh? Better here than.." well actually until recently here wasn't really better than most places. ".. than the wilderness." he smiled finally thinking of something.

He remembered that the girl never gave him her name. Izzy, he wondered what it was short for, "The company was no trouble at all, maybe next time I see you you'll be juggling fruit around blindfolded!" he smirked, "Just don't go off and join the circus."

[Kitami Aklia]

Kitami looked back to Delliks as he spoke that the marketplace was better than the wilderness. She personally disagreed. There wouldn’t be people to kidnap Izzy, or do sick things to her should the notion strike them. But this was a line of thinking she’d rather not partake in. It was never good to worry over something like that when you’re standing right there and able to easy prevent it.

Isonette meanwhile giggled at the man’s remark. Joining the circus! That sounded amusing, but Izzy would want to stay with her family. Kitami even gave a good humored laugh.

“No, we wouldn’t want that. Papa wouldn’t like it if you ran off would he?” Kitami asked. “In fact, I’m thinking he and I would both drag you back.” She added. Izzy grinned at her mother, then spotted the cabbage in the basket.

“Oh Mama! We aren’t eating cabbage tonight are we?” She asked, giving her mother the cutest puppy dog face she could conjure up. Kitami looked away, dismissing the cute look.

“Yes. I was thinking steak but since you decided to run off after strangers I guess it’s cabbage tonight.” Izzy let out a whine and pouted. “Or would you like me to tell your father what you did instead?” She asked, Izzy looking back up at her with some childish panic.

“No, don’t do that!” She said. Kitami bit back a laugh. The old ‘I’ll tell your father’ trick. It was possibly the most effective threat Kitami had.

[Deleted]

Delliks began to laugh and then his eyes widened for a moment as he caught sight of something a ways behind the girl and her mother. He stepped to the side to hide it from view, to hide him from view is more like it.

"If you want to grow to be intelligent you'll eat your cabbage, trust me." he smiled awkwardly after the whole 'hiding' instance.
His Grandmother had always told him to learn to eat cabbage was to learn to endure hardships. That never made him feel like eating his cabbage so he put a bit of a spin on the saying.

On the other end of the crowd a dirty looking man with half a beard, yes half his face was shaved, was stomping around rather angered as he craned his neck to and fro looking for someone or something.

[Kitami Aklia]

Isonette looked at Delliks when he spoke of eating cabbage. She wrinkled her nose at the idea just the same. She very much didn’t like eating vegetables. She was picky on her fruits. She liked meat. Bread was okay, as was milk. She enjoyed sweets as much as any child. But vegetables were her sworn enemy at this point in her life.

“I’m smart enough, aren’t I Mama?” She asked, bringing forth a laugh from Kitami. The mother noted Delliks’s movement and she glanced over her shoulder, spotting nothing unusual save for a teen boy with a bad complexion picking his nose, a man with a half shaven beard, and a possibly insane woman wandering with a vacant look in her eyes. She wondered if Delliks was trying to avoid someone. He’d have to find some other hiding place that was more efficient.

“Well Izzy let’s go. We still have yet to see the new house.” Kitami said to the child. Izzy perked and smiled up at her Mama, looking excited.

“What will it look like? Will it be a big house? Like Papa’s?” She asked. Kitami gave a little shake of her head.

“No dearheart, it’s just a simple cottage, for now.” She said. Izzy seemed to think this over before either coming to terms with the downgrade in the home, or accepting it altogether. Either way, Kitami hoped the child wouldn’t give too much of a fuss. But they both had yet to even see the new place after all.

[Deleted]

A new cottage, he wondered if it was one of the new ones or not. Avaleur had been in a state of well ruin until late and with the winter being so well rebuilding had begun, even a few estates had popped up onto the scene. Some really rather marvelous ones at that. Even with this however there was probably only a handful of them finished.

After thinking it through he figured he should ask, especially since he was out of work himself.
"Well don't let me keep you here, I don't want to be the one between you and your new home. Find me if you need any work done on it, most of them do and I'm a cheap price."
He made sure to inform her of these things, in times like these it was best to line up multiply jobs because they tended to fall through constantly. He was going to work on the roads as most were too rough for any horses or carts but the city was working to fix that. It was one of the securest jobs in town truthfully, although bloody rough on the body.

[Kitami Aklia]

Kitami looked at Delliks, a tad surprised by his offer. She seemed to think it over. What with Lach attempting to hide her and Izzy from his mate she didn’t expect to have a lot of manpower here. At least not as much as before when she was part of his pack. She supposed relying on him to get anything done might be out of the question with their difficult situation.

“That’s very kind of you. How might I get in contact with you if do need your services?” She asked, Izzy smiling. She certainly liked the idea of a handsome man working around the cottage. Sure he was grown up, but she was of the age to appreciate a man’s beauty still with an innocent air about it. In excited her to think of having at least one person to work with them. She wondered if Mama would have servants like before, and if the cottage was big enough to play in. If not she at least hoped they had enough property to play on instead.

[Deleted]

Hmm how would she get ahold of him, he had to think quick as the man with his half bearded face was getting rather close.
"It shouldn't be too hard, M'Lady. I've been told I'm easy spot, a good look around town and you are sure to find me. I also have an ad posted in the pub that I check just about daily. Mark on it and I'll be sure to search you out." He smiled, thinking he may get a better job than what he had lined up already. Work around a house would no doubt be better than paving streets.
Of course he would probably end up doing both jobs, so he would have enough money to pay off his debts from where he had been staying.

[Kitami Aklia]

Kitami gave a nod to his answer. An ad at the pub or just peek around here. She could do that. She gave him a smile and placed a hand on Isonette’s head.

“Thank you for offering. I’ll be sure to contact you should I need anything done that requires a man’s touch.” She said. Delliks seemed itching to go, so she decided not to hold him up any longer. She gave him a graceful curtsy herself, before shifting the basket of food to her other shoulder.

“Come Isonette. Let’s let the man be now.” She said. Izzy nodded and gave a wave to Delliks and turned to follow her mother. She once more dug into her pocket, feeling the egg, and became content to just following after he mother as Kitami approached another store.

[Deleted]

Delliks bowed back to Kitami, and waved while smiling at the little girl. A cutie no doubt.
"Farewell for now, and I suppose welcome to town eh?" Although they coul be moving from a smaller house to a larger one, he was fairly certain by how they acted they were new. Should have seen the look on her face when he mentioned the town safer than the woods.

They turned to go and have the man with the half beard a perfect window Delliks.
"Ah there you are you! Ya damn scoundrle!"
Delliks ducked and ran off into the crowd, the chase was on.
"Ah shoot..." He sighed as he hussled after him. He wasn't te most fit man. "Scared off..."

[Kitami Aklia]

(OOC: I suppose we could call it good here, yeah? Since they went their separate ways and all. ^.^ )