The Queen and the Savage

[Naavah]

Naavah_ Orlie: Castle life seemed to be suiting Naavah better than she had ever imagined. For the most part she had kept close to Adam's side for the first week, venturing through out the castle, making sure that she knew every exit but never daring to try her luck in the busy city that stood between her and the woods that she had come from. Adam had helped to fix up her knee though she had been frightened and deeply oddosed to the healing of small cuts or scratches. Those she merely allowed to be bandaged and before the end of the day she was climbing trees and performing dangerous stunts once more. One of the maids, utterly scandalized by the arrival of the filthy, savage, half naked little girl had managed to coax her into a warm bath in the court yard by offering her a roasted chicken. No amount of cajoling could get Naavah to step into the castle itself though. All she knew of the indoors was that it had a door and maybe a window, both of which could be locked. They were nothing but over grown cages and Naavah would not trust any Other enough to be locked in one. Still the a good scrubbing and nearly fourty minutes of untangeling her black wirey tresses had done her well, as did the gift of a pair of doe skin breeches and tunic from one of the guards. It had been his sons and it fit the girl well enough as long as her rolls up the cuffs and tied her belt tightly.

Having grown more used to her surroundings though, Naavah had began to wander from Adam's side, certain that beast man was never fall if she were to get herself into trouble over her head, knowing that Fuyuki, this Hawk was always watching somewhere. Most people avoided the barbaric new addition to the castle grounds. Few people approved of Adam's presence, his hunting and eating of the raw animals, his occasional attacks on those who got in his way, his sulking, dangerous, animal way of lurking in the darkness of the castle nights. Not many more saw much interest in his prodigy. Decked out in the pelt of a wolf over her new leather garb, Naavah had been caught on several occasions hunting small wildlife in the gardens, taking down a bird, rabbit or squirrel, butchering and eating it raw. They saw how the child moved, and it was nothing like their own golden little princess. Naavah was a hunter, stalking the grounds and hiding in the trees. Naavah had had equally little interest in dealing with any of them. She was used to her solitude. Though she did find her ability to spy on the occupants of the castle and play an occasional practical joke to be deeply amusing. It was these practical jokes that had forced her up into a tree. Now she sat there, sulking softly as she waited to come down. The only other way to escape would be to climb the branches until they brushed up against the castle wall and get down from there, but the market place was a place the not yet dared to venture.

-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair: After all of her shopping is done, Kahlan takes a few twisting back roads until she comes to a side gate that leads into the gardens behind the castle. Her long hair is held up firmly though in places it dangles free to brush her cheeks or neck. With all of her purchases in her arms, Kahlan is surprised by a maid that comes rushing across the back lawn to relieve her of the articles she bought. Allowing the woman to take the things, Kahlan smiles and tells her to deliver them to her study. Finally free, Kahlan leans heavily against an old oak tree and takes a breather, her breath crystalizing in the air before her before dissipating.

Naavah_ Orlie: Adam had yet to have an opportunity to introduce Naavah to the queen, nor had Naavah been properly briefed on how a queen should be treated. As a very young child, her tribe had a head man and woman but both had chosen to give Naavah the cold shoulder and she had never given them more than moderate respect in return. All she saw was a prime target with below her. Quietly she pulled from her pocket a small stone, the size of her thumb's finger nail, and aiming carefully she dropped it down, hoping to hit Kahlan squarely on the head. This had become Naavah's favorite pass time of the week. In the wild all her energy was spent on survival. The girl simply did not know how to use free time constructively, and so the resorted to the fine art of trouble making instead. Was it any wonder that the guards had chased her up this tree for the afternoon? She did not make a sound, no mad little giggling at her simple prank, simply wide, dark, eyes staring down at Kahlan from between the branches, deeply tinged with both curiosity and amusement.

[Naavah]

-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair: She felt the sensation of the rock hitting the top of her head and as it rolls down she reaches out and snatches it before it can fall completely to the ground. Eyeing the specimen carefully, Kahlan glances upward. "Alright, I see part of you..." she says while her gaze is cast upward, with all the agility of a woman five times younger than herself, Kahlan slides from beneath the tree and ventures to look up from a safer distance. She was slightly surprised that she hadnt felt the extra presence but it was obviously from preoccupation with her thoughts which were often far and away lately. "Come down from that tree, its no use to stay up there." Kahlan glances around to spy a few guards near the door, chatting and pointing to the exact tree shes talking to, or seems to be Conversing with. Obviously whatever it was that was up there had been chased. She makes a mental note to chastise the guards for their poor treatment of creatures visiting the castle. One never knew where alliances would come from in a place like this. So, keeping up the charade, Kahlan calls up again, "Well? I havent all day..."

Naavah_ Orlie: The guards had had good reason for their actions. They had first tried to ignore the girl with her pebble dropping but she had become increasingly adament and the stones she dropped had become larger. It was not that they would not let her down, it was simply that she knew they would not tolerate her games any longer without throwing back. She stared down at Kahlan, narrowing her eyes slightly. She wasn't used to being bossed around. When Adam wanted something, he told her or made it known, but he rarely asked anything from her. Most of the time she was her own boss, surviving by herself, living by her own code and own stories. Who did this Other, this light skinned woman think she was? Still, Naavah was a curious creature by nature, she climbed several feet down in the tree, moving with the certainty of a cat, or perhaps a monkey. She stopped about three feet above Kahlan's head, just out of her reach and didn't say a word. Naavah was not bad at language, the longer she was around people the more fluent she became but she had yet to hold any conversations with the Others. It seemed to be in her benefit to feign stupidity and let others do the talking, at least at first. She looked Kahlan over then reached out her hand as if expecting the stone back that she had happily dropped on Kahlan just moments before.

-High Queen- Kahlan Lothair: Eyeing the pebble and knowing the outcome if she were to give the pebble back, Kahlan eyes the girl and quirks a brow. "So you are the one causing the trouble? You have stirred the guards well and I commend you for it. You want this?" She holds the pebble up slightly, well out of the girl's reach. Shrugging she pockets the stone and looks up again, "I would like you to come down and tell me your name, that is only if you want the pebble back. If you dont, then you may stay in my tree." There is a definate emphasis on the word -my-. She crosses her arms and leans against the wall watching the girl from afar.

Naavah_ Orlie: She looked Kahlan over suspiciously then back at the guards. She really did enjoy frusterating them but this was a new challenge. She didn't really care about the stone, she had been gathering them all day and around the castle, such supplies her inexhaustable, but Naavah also rarely turned down the opportunity to tell her name. She balanced on the lowest branch nimbly before jumping to the ground. She really was a small child, built compact, with wirey muscle and thick bones. Still, an amazing amount of pride fit in that compact little body of hers and her chin rose visably as she recited the deeply gutteral name. "Naavah Orlie Koncha de'Crandios ka'Luma Parna Luminarii" For a moment she hesitated then added "a'Adam" It was not official that she should add another title to her name, only a high magic man can do such a thing, but there were no more Magic Men since there was no more tribe. She held out her had once more for the stone, having never taken her thought off her original objective.

[Kahlan Lothair]

Eyeing the spindly girl as she comes down out of the tree, Kahlan hides a smile beneath a well placed hand before commenting on the young girl's name. "My, that is quite a name. I dare say it fits someone of your esteemed talent." No one could say the child's name, and hearing it once neither could Kahlan.

"I am--" She pauses for a moment before she can say her name and reaches into her pocket to fish out the stone. "In need of some help young one, do you think you might be able to help me?" She evaded saying what type of help she needed and to what purpose it would serve in the end. Shifting the heavy cloak on her shoulders slightly, Kahlan looks to the girl again. She was extremely aware of what would happen if she gave the girl the rock back, indeed the very minimal ache on top of her head which was quickly expiring spoke volumes.

The last part of the child's name was still churning in Kahlan's mind. Adam? Did she hear the girl speak correctly? Peering over at the girl once more she finally mentions what the task is, "I am in need of aid in calling an old friend, but her ears are failing as she ages, do you think you can help me?" As the heavy leather cloak Kahlan wears shifts, the dark pants, tall boots, and thick sweater usually designated to troops on patrol duty on the northern fringes, peeks through. "Her name is Shra and she lives in these woods outside the gate door. Do you think you can call her for me?" It would be an interesting endeavor, Kahlan could call Shra very easily and Shra was not as old as Kahlan had made out.

"Oh and do not be frightened of her, she's a genial spirit." Shra was an alpha female in one of the remaining wolf 'clans' of the area and a great friend of Kahlan's. However, the wolf would not harm the child and that much Kahlan knew. Indeed, Kahlan had found Shra in Avalon shortly before giving birth to her own daughter, Willow. To think, most would have thought that the Wolf and Mother were soon parted in the hysterical aftermath.

[Naavah]

:The small hint of a smile made it obvious that Naavah was a girl who liked to be complimented. She nodded her head "I am called Naavah" She doubted anyone had bothered to speak her full name since her mother had died so many years ago. Her full name was obviously foriegn but even as she spoke in English, it was obvious that it was not her first language. She was self concious around strangers about her grasp of the tongue as it was tenuous at times, still, having obviously understoon Kahlan, she didn't see anyway around it anymore. Some of the words that Kahlan spoke were foreign to her. She needed to guess the meaning of "genial". Still, the girl was not easily swayed, from her original goal and she continued to hold her hand out for the stone.

In her life, the world was constructed of herself and Others. She was a child of the forest, deeply tuned to its ways. All those who she did not see as worshiping Muna, the Great Mother of All, were heretics, profaners of the earth and thus they were the Others. She knew them by their fine dresses, their permenant homes, manicured gardens, their need to seperate themselves from the forest and the wild animals. She knew them to be unworthy of trust and usually unworthy of her time. Kahlan had yet to prove that she did not deserve Naavah's deep seated misgivings, most never did. This was a bit of a test though, if Kahlan gave back the stone, then she would at least have shown her ability to keep her word. If nothing else, it was a good stone and she had planned to use it to drop on the guards' heads once the sun set and she was harder to track.

Still, one word that Kahlan said did catch her interest. Kahlan had said that she needed her help with an old spirit. When Muna first gave birth to the children of Leader Sun and Brother Moon, they were spirits. It was these spirits who then walked the earth and populated it, they you being born with every footstep across its great surface. While Muna was revered on high, it was the spirits who were usually consulted for help. Their fables were the meter stick of morality and explained all of life's great mysteries. Was it possible that this woman knew a spirit close by? More likely it was not a spirit but one who had been gifted or favored by the spirits because she had never heard of a Shra but Naavah's attention was perked. Uncertainly she asked "What sort of spirit is Shra?"

[Kahlan Lothair]

The multiple changes on the girls face as her thoughts roam are not lost on Kahlan. Indeed she almost wonders what the girl is thinking about. When Naavah asks what sort of spirit Shra is Kahlan smiles lightly and seems to contemplate whether or not the girl is worthy of the tale, but it is all for show.

"Shra is a great friend of mine from Avalon. She is not so old as preoccupied. Shra is a large silver coated wolf. The alpha-female of one of the few large groups around the castle." Walking to the side door that she had just passed through, Kahlan props it open and holds out her hand with the pebble. "I believe I promised this in return for your name." Kahlan had been hurt by far worse than a single pebble and knew that she wouldnt give the child the opprotunity to catch her off guard again.

Pursing her lips, Kahlan mimicks the whistle of some songbird native to the area, the mimicry is close to being absolutely flawless. Turning to Naavah, Kahlan smiles. "So, do you think you can help?"

[Naavah]

She snatched the pebble back and plopped it in a bag hanging from her belt. There was the distinctive sound of stone against stone. It was not as though that was her only pebble after all. She had to be ready if dinner was ever to pop out from behind a bush. Still, there were two things in this world that perked up Naavah's interest like nothing else, free meals and wolves. Some found the way that the girl wore a wolf pelt to be disgraceful, the sign of a lowly murderer, but Naavah had always dressed in the garment as a sign of respect and pride. Though her eyes grew slightly wider at the mention of a wolf she seemed to hold back, still contemplating the risks of prolonged exposure to this Other. Her hand reached up and traced the path of the wolf head up and along the ear then she gave a small nod. She would go and see the old wolf with Kahlan.

Except for the moment when she had quickly plucked the pebble from Kahlan's hand, Naavah seemed to be careful to always keep the distance between them. Only with Adam had she been willing to break down this barrier of space. And even with him, their first hugs had felt slightly awkward. She seemed interested in Kahlan's bird cry but made no remark. She knew exactly which bird it was for, the brown and black ones with the small crests. She knew the name in her own tongue, Uncha but she did not share. Nor would she ask Kahlan how she managed such a perfect imitation. Bird calls were always hard for her, she could only manage a few species. It was why she ended up eating so much rabbit. Instead she kept things easy. With a small skip in her step she made her way towards the gate where Kahlan had promised her seeing a wolf. "What are you called?" She asked curiously, wondering if she will have to trade back the stone to get such information.

[Kahlan Lothair]

The cloud of thoughts passed over the child's face and Kahlan smiles. Naavah was smart, and that was extremely admirable in Kahlan's opinion. At the comment about who she is, Kahlan hesitates. "I am Kahlan. People call me High Queen, but you, you may call me Kahlan."

Just as she finishes stepping out into the area beyond the gate, a blur of silver and grey is upon her, knocking her to the ground. Letting go a cry of surprise, Kahlan is soon heard to be laughing as she tries to avoid getting licked in the face by an exceptionally large wolf. Grunting with an effort, Kahlan manages to sit up and get Shra off of her at the same time. Shra is seated on her haunches and admiring Kahlan with a gleam of happiness in her eye.

"Naavah, this is Shra." Wiping the wolf slobber off of her face, Kahlan grins and while still on her knees, gives Shra a big bear hug. The relationship between the two is beyond the realm of respect, far beyond it. It is blatant friendship. Shra is no small animal either and could, it would seem, in a heartbeat maim Kahlan to a bloody pulp. Yet Shra seems absolutely enthralled by Kahlan's presence.

"Shra, I would like you to meet Naavah." As if by comprehension, which Kahlan knew that Shra was capable of, Shra seems to notice the girl for the very first time. Getting up to stand, the silver wolf takes a few steps forward, grace and wisdom present with every length of her stride. When only about five feet away, Shra seats herself again and Kahlan calls over the large animal's shoulder. "She approves of you."

Shra's eyes are a strange color for a wolf, a emerald green which is all but unsettling, in fact they seem all encompassing. Turning back to Kahlan, Shra seems to watch as the woman stands and dusts herself off. Kahlan peers up and then shrugs. Had words passed between them? The outside world would never know.

[Naavah]

She stood back slightly as the wolf approached. Naavah had always had a strange relationship with the animals. Despite the fact that she worshipped wolves, she had also been frightened of them. The wolf that she wore as a cloak had attacked and nearly eaten her whole has a new born. She knew that there were large differences between the spirits she worshipped and the living animals themselves. In the Western Woods things were different, under Adam's guidance, the wolves had accepted her as part of their pack. At the approach of the wolf, Naavah went to her knees and held out her hand for Shra to sniff. She murmered a few words to the wolf but they were of no language that had been spoken for several thousand years. It was a simple old greeting "Tuai a karach a'polanh" roughly translated to 'we are of the same blood'. Her eyes were wide and dark, it was obvious that the little girl was thrilled by the encounter, though she didn't seem to be one to greatly expose a wide range of emotions.

Kahlan had also done well by herself. She had entered a new rank in the strange ways that she viewed the world. She was still and other but perhaps not a grand profaner of mother earth. The wolf seemed to accept her, making her at least a tolerable companion in Naavah's book. She looked back to Kahlan "Why are you called High Queen by some and Kahlan by me?" She hadn't a clue what a queen nor had she ever met anyone named Kahlan. It was thus a relatively intelligent question, being that she did not quite understand either name.

[Kahlan Lothair]

Seating herself cross legged next to Shra, Kahlan smiles and looks the young child over. She had to admit that she liked Naavah's spirit. In many ways she did not want to introduce her title to the young girl, did not want her to know what her title really meant.

"I am the ruler of the people of this land. Meaning..." Kahlan had practice with children, smart children no less for her child was very bright. "That the people of this place, Ulster, look up to me and I make laws. Some that benefit the good of mankind and some that benefit the animals in my Kingdom." She pauses for a moment and looks to Shra. "You may call me Kahlan because acquaintances are allowed to drop the Queen title." Immediately after saying the word acquaintance, she feels impelled to explain what it means. "Acquaintance means that you are not an enemy but you are still wary of me." It wasnt that Kahlan herself was wary of the child, but she granted the child her space and would not yet call her 'friend' until the time was warranted.

[Naavah]

She nodded her head, seeming to take this all in stride. Knowing that Kahlan was a queen would have very little effect on the girl. She had no trouble with her position as long as Kahlan did not try to hard to tell her the rules. Perhaps if Naavah knew how many people were involved in a kingdom she might have been more impressed but as it was, she simply filed the information away for future reference. Sitting on the ground across from Kahlan, Naavah brushed back the wolf hood so that her face could be seen more clearly. It was amazing how intense the little girl always seemed to be with every action. Her dark eyes seemed to burn with amazing convistions for a girl who really should not have given up playing with dolls long ago.

"My father is a wolf." It was hard to say what the girl meant by that or if she could really mean it as more than a metaphore. She certainly appeared to be human in every aspect. "He is Luminarrii, spirit of the Lone Wolf. I am his only human daughter." There was no joking here, no big metaphore. The child was proclaiming herself the child of a demi-god plain and simple. She seemed to be watching Kahlan carefully to see how she would react to such a grand claim from such a little girl. To put it simply, laughing would be a grand mistake.

She pulled from the other small bag on her belt a small figure of a wolf. It was carved of bone and fit easily in her palm. The primitive carving was of a wolf standing, his head turned upwards as in a howl. It was obvious from the way the child handled the figurine that it was more than just a small token. It was a totem that held a bit of Luminarii's spirit, not to be treated lightly. She showed it off proudly to Kahlan, still judging her response carefully.

[Kahlan Lothair]

Kahlan listens to the girl carefully and is not quick to judge as others might be. Nodding she looks at the girl more closely. "That is quite the heratige Naavah. The great Luminarrii, Naavah that is quite the honor. To be daughter of the Spirit of the Lone Wolf must be an inspiration and a large reason why Shra accepts you so quickly." Kahlan smiles and nods her head in Naavah's direction. "You seem like you worship the Mother..." by mother Kahlan meant Goddess, or Earth Maiden, or any score of names associated with the earth as an entity.

Kahlan was avidly aware that there were some that might not understand the Mother, but as an Aasimar Kahlan knew more than she ever let on. Indeed she was a child of God's creation, yet Kahlan was also keenly aware that there were other entities that He did not control in their entirety. One such thing was mother earth, and Kahlan had a grand deal of respect for the Earth and all of its counter parts and its children. For one, Kahlan was tied to the element of fire. To contain such an unruly element was to command and also blatantly respect the element in which you were controlling.

A smile finds its way through Kahlan's musings and she looks to Naavah, "Shra is honored by your presence and bored by my thoughts." Grinning at her wolf friend, Kahlan glances over to Naavah. "Would you like to have lunch, mid-day meal, with me Naavah? My daughter is away with a friend and I am not one to dine with those that would discuss work. You would be an honored guest, much to the chagrin of the house guard Im sure." Kahlan grins for the first time and it is possibly one of the most roguish, impish, devilish little grins one could never expect from a woman of her rank and age.

[Naavah]

She seemed deeply surprised that Kahlan knew of the Mother. Reaching into the bag again she pulled out her other figurine, this one made of stone. It was a classic figure of the Mother, Muna, with a rotund figure, large breasts, belly and behind. The feet were pointed so that she could be pressed into the dirt and stand upright and the face was blank, far less important than the buxom body. She held it out the figurine for Kahlan to see and nodded her head "Muna" She touched it to her heart and then placed it back in the little pouch. She was about as devout as they came, believing in her religion with a fundamentalist fervour that could not comprehend a world able to function without Muna and the spirits.

Lunch, Kahlan certainly knew how to push all the right buttons with the little girl and she nodded her head. Yes, she would be willing to take in a free meal. It was a rare occurance when she turned one down. Kahlan was quickly winning her way over to her good side. Perhaps she could become one of the select few to in this world who maght be trusted by the deeply suspicious little girl. "What did you get to eat?" The queen thing obviously had not sunken in as she assumed that any food that Kahlan ate she must have gathered herself.

[Kahlan Lothair]

Dusting herself off as she rises, Kahlan smiles to Naavah. The figurine was exquisite and she fancied that Daniel Carter might like to look at it. She highly doubted that the child would ever let him touch it though. "Wonderful, I'll be glad to have the company!"

As they walk back into the castle area, Kahlan contemplates the question that Naavah asks. She didnt quite have an answer for it, and as they near the back veranda several servants spill out of the back set of double doors. Shra looks genuinely pleased to be let in as Kahlan moves through the plaintive crowd. All of them asking, bowing, or using another form of placation in Kahlan's general direction.

Once inside, Kahlan turns to Naavah whom she had kept sheltered from the mass of human bodies with a hand on the shoulder. "We can have anything you wish to eat Naavah. Welcome to my home..." Gesturing to the large castle around them Kahlan smiles again. "Come, we can eat in the Kitchens if you like. Or we can eat outside in the side garden. It is up to you my dear." Motioning down the hall Kahlan starts down it, her hand had left Naavah's shoulder the moment they came through the doors. She did not want to seem imposing to the young girl.

[Naavah]

She grew increasingly quiet the more people were around. The girl had stayed away from crowds almost all her life and it was obvious that they made her uncomfortable. One person was alright, even if she did not trust them completely, a group of them all bustling around and making a fuss made her ready to run off and up a tree. Perhaps she would be able to hunt down Adam and they could spend some time enjoying each other's silence. It was only Kahlan's hand on her shoulder that kept her from dashing off. Instead the wolf hood went up, a defensive action as though the fur and fangs could make her simply disapear. She seemed to stiffen slightly as they moved about Kahlan, briefing her on any news she had missed during her brief absence. Most did not pay notice to the little girl except for a few odd looks. They had heard about the new little savage stalking the gardens but few of them had actually seen her. Perhaps if their queen had not shown a proclivity for odd friends, theives, beast-men and the like they might have been surprised. As it was, they knew better than to question her judgement.

At the mention of being able to eat anything, she knew exactly what she wanted. Naavah would eat just about any kind of meat known to man kind but she had a special soft spot for horse meat. As a little girl it had been one of her favorites when the tribe would hunt down full herds for a grand feast. Unfortunately, Naavah was fully aware that horse was not sanctioned food by most Others and that they generally did not look with favour on her hunting them. Her other favorite childhood meat came from a beast she did not know the name of anymore, big furry creatures, the size of a house, with horns from their mouth and a long nose. Anytime she had tried to describe such a creature she had been greeted with blank stares. As far as she was concerned, no such animal lived in this world. Surrounded by so many people she decided to play on the safe side. "I like meat things most..." Her voice was far quieter now, it was obvious that all the hubub was making her shy. At the idea of eating inside, her shook her head vehemently. "I don't want to go in there." making a broad reference to the castle. As far as she was concerned, that place was a dungeon of no return and it was unlikely that she was going to be convinced otherwise.

[Kahlan Lothair]

Kahlan could tell that Naavah, not unlike Adam, was becoming increasingly uncomfortable around the press of bodies. If only others knew that she too often felt the same way. In the sea of bodies, Kahlan draws Naavah closer to her with the same hand which guided her before. Taking a deep breath, without hearing a single word babbled, Kahlan smiles down to Naavah.

"Everyone, Everyone please." Her voice is hardly forced and merely spoken in an easy going tone. Yet the impact is phenomenal as the group starts to simmer down and withdraw into themselves. The last babbling idiot to speak gets stared down by the group as everyone tries to joust for position with Kahlan.

Ugh, court life. She could do without the whole mess! Her voice, calm and collected, rings with the tenor of a gentle pealing bell in the early morning mists that shroud the grounds of Emain Macha and the sea beyond. "I have a guest. Everything that you have to say to me can wait, if it cannot please submit it in writing and place it on my desk in my study. Now..." The gentleness in her voice seeps out as she eyes everyone circling herself and Naavah. "Now, everyone disperse. We can hold a meeting later or something." As one they all seem to scatter in different directions while leaving the way toward the kitchens clear to both Kahlan, Naavah, and Shra.

A grin spreads on her lips, lighting her gentle features once again. "It pays to be the leader Naavah." Her hand drops from the girl's shoulder again now that they are free of the throng of people and it finds solace in the fur of Shra. Shra seems content to walk next to Kahlan as if the woman were an equal, and Kahlan seems to be very content with that idea. Her very posture is calming while being very easy going and genuine. Is it any wonder why she is called the Dove of Ulster? Indeed the display of power while they were trapped in that sea of bodies lends but little notion to why she is also known as the Wolf of Ulster.